Interview or Interrogation?

Understanding personality types is helpful for appreciating that while people are different, everyone has a value, and special strengths and qualities and that everyone should be treated with care and respect.

Frank showing me the control center of SL personality. (I thought it was more sophisticated, but maybe humans are simple.)

People are developing, People keep getting better integrated into society, acquiring traits that are more sociable overage, even in Second Life. In order to really get to know someone I suppose you have to ask many questions. But then are they valid answers? We just don't know and that is no different in Real Life, what people say may not always be the truth. 

Print out what really matters.

That is why understanding certain personalities may help. You know those people who tell you unbelievable stories and 80% of the time they are not true. I wish these people would write down that material because it makes for an awesome story that can be printed into a book. Who knows it may be even that good that it ends up as a guest at the Second Life Book Club an hour-long program every Wednesday at 12 pm Pacific Time held in Second Life. 

If you are going to interrogate someone (maybe in a gentle way get to know them) you may need to learn some communication skills. You know how men are they ask a lady how old she is and she will freak out. Don't do that, you will find out soon enough. Besides what does age have to do with anything unless the person is under 18.

The interrogation!

What I found out if you say too much and it falls into the wrong avatar they may sing like a second life performer and it may be streamed live on YouTube. I know of people whom I trusted and used the information about me as comedy material. Not a fair move. Then again, nothing is fair in an idiot's point of view who may want to explore your misfortunes to cover up his own. People get better at using the material and it is almost like a scammer getting your credit card information to slam you with to the ground. Always use caution. Now that does not mean you have to live in fear of ever talking to anyone in Second Life or in Real Life. You just have to learn to understand people and how they act and react. 

You really want to get some answers from someone? Let them wait at first. Remember being called to the principal’s office in school? I do. I was always left to sit in the waiting area before talking to the principal, pondering what I had done, what exactly was known by the school administrator, and what was not known. After a while, the adrenaline that hit me when I was summoned would start to drain off, leaving me tired, shaken, and off my game.
That shit works on adults too. Use it.
Actually, just have some fun meeting new people...life is too short to worry.

Toksik Jello

Toksik Jello is a photographic story installation that tells the story of a child navigating socially, within a wasteland of fragmentation and warring personalities.

Socio-political systems and problems involve a combination of social and political factors. We should all have a place regardless of who we are for creation and role-playing. Maybe not everybody agrees to have a role-playing place that is kid-oriented and that is ok, but that is why this place is also an important place. Those who seek that type of role-playing can come here and be safe and make friends.

This place is also a great spot for photo opportunities for those of you who love the post-apocalyptic landscape. How often have we felt like a child as an adult being bullied or lied to? 

Of course, we have, it is part of the social-political system as we fit people into categories and beliefs. One thing for sure is that we all need that sense of belonging. 

Belonging means acceptance as a member or part. This is such an important part of life and in Second Life there are so many opportunities to get the sense of fitting right in. Most of us do not need fixing, we just need to belong to something.

Hopefully, you take some time and explore this great installation even if you don't belong here you can learn and appreciate what is important to others. You can find truth in even the most difficult-to-understand even though you may not agree.  One of the best ways to communicate acceptance is through validation. Validation builds a sense of belonging and strengthens relationships. Validation is the language of acceptance. Validation is the acknowledgment that someone's internal experience is understandable and helps you stay on the same side, with a sense of belonging, even when you disagree.

Another Basement?

That is correct. The Mumbling Goat Basement is a nice hangout for live musicians in Second Life. It is a cozy place and the performances are super cool.

You want to go and see Oblee and listen to his songs and a variety of covers. It is a one-man band and never disappoints you. Oblee is a regular performer here at this Basement as well as the annual Second Live Birthday celebrations.

You could wear all white.

With so many real live shows canceled last year and this year, it is nice to catch a virtual live show in Second Life. 

You feel a certain connection to the artist as well as the people around you. You are all experiencing the same thing at the same moment no matter where you are located at. That is the best part, right? 

Stuck at home and in your PJs? No problem with second life performances, because here your avatar can wear the finest or the most outrageous clothes you can imagine. You do not get that in Real Life without having someone look at you all crossed-eyed. 

Next time you are looking for something to do, why not check it out and catch a live performance, even better if it is Oblee. The variety in Second Life is large and you can find any type of music you desire.

Just imagine how lucky we are who have found Second Life and participate in what it can offer. 

The nerve of some people...

 ...is one of those English idioms that are hard to understand if you look for it word by word. I guess it just means how shocking rude someone can be. You can have nerves of steel but that makes me think of how you are going to pass the metal detector at the airport. You could get on somebody's nerves too. I suppose you could be all nerves which we would call ein 

Nervenbündel.

I often wonder is it Generation Z or do we blame the Pandemic for their behaviors of not caring about things anymore? What I have seen in this past year is actually the opposite and I see other generations flipping out over the most stupid things. As much as we want to blame the young ones for their inexperience in life and the world, they cannot be the ones that nerved it all.

Is it not the youth who learn from us? We are the ones who suppose to be the example of how to act and what is best, yet we love to blame. That is baby boomers along with Generation X and Millennials. We surely are not in our right minds to act stupid and feel entitled over one thing or another.

Entitled individuals think they deserve more than other people, even when they really aren’t better than others are.  Some people feel quite entitled overall, but people’s sense of entitlement can also fluctuate, and there can be times when even a normally unentitled person feels temporarily entitled. The sources of entitlement are not fully understood, but researchers have pointed to factors such as how people are treated by their parents and other authority figures, messages from the media, and other life events, especially those that make people feel that they are special.

The moral of this is: Treat others like you want to be treated and stop irritating others with your nonsense. Be a good example for the next generation or we soon will be wiped out from this planet.

I'd rather sleep on a waterlily bed

You would think that teachers are strong and have it all together, but let me tell you the truth we don't. There is a certain fear to go back to daily contact with your students. I know at this point I'd rather sleep on a waterlily bed and hope it carries me to a safe place.

When all of this began and the pandemic changed our lives, teachers were glorified of being heroes that were so badly missed, because realized that their children really do not behave and teaching is much harder than you think.

We felt so good inside because someone thought of us as special and needed because we could reach out to those students who were the most difficult and the most vulnerable. We made it happen, year after year, and now all of the sudden we became teachers in the virtual realm.

I must say that my experience in Second Life had made virtual teaching so much easier not that I knew about Zoom or Google Classroom, but I knew the virtual world and that it did exist. 

In one year we quickly became experts in this still of teaching. Our creativity never ended and we reached deeper to get everybody engaged. It became comfortable to come across our safe covid cave to reach the students. No colds, no runny nose, no headaches from crying and screaming children. It was a blessing in a way. Then as parents could not take this anymore, they would call us lazy and just sitting at home doing nothing. They demanded to open the schools, without realizing that the prize of maybe getting infected did not even enter their minds. They wanted relief from the hard chore of helping their child learn. The child they brought into this world now would be thrown back into the danger of getting sick and then bringing it home to them.

I remember parents complain before the pandemic and ask why is my child always sick? They constantly get a cold, they always get lice, don't you guys protect them from this? My child is not learning, why you not teaching them? 

When a teacher gets sick, they have to find a substitute to take over. And yes, teachers get sick a lot just like the students, because kids just cough and sneeze all over and the classroom is a germ factory. We spend so much time cleaning constantly, washing our hands a million times until our hands hurt. A teacher most likely will go to work and teach when they are feeling miserable, because there is no sub who may take the classroom for that day, so you are made to come in. 

I hear the research says that schools are safe, but hey the schools been close for a year, of course, they are safe. The question is what does the data say once they will be all open? I have not had a cold or any flu-like symptoms for a year, but I fear what will happen next. “It puts me in a very difficult moral conundrum, to choose between supporting my community, students, colleagues, and my own family’s safety.”

It is Paddy not Patty!

 

Every March 17, the United States becomes an emerald country for a day. Americans wear green clothes and quaff green beer. Green milkshakes, bagels, and grits appear on menus. In a leprechaun-worthy shenanigans, Chicago even dyes its river green.
Revelers from coast to coast celebrate all things Irish by hoisting pints of Guinness and cheering bagpipers, step dancers, and marching bands parading through city streets.

These familiar annual traditions weren’t imported from Ireland, however. They were made in America. The meal that Americans think is Irish was really made of other ingredients. Funny thing, the Irish are now adopting St. Patrick’s Day traditions from Irish America such as corned beef and cabbage.

St. Patrick's Day, while originally a feast day for the patron saint who brought Christianity to Ireland, has evolved into a secular celebration of Irish heritage. As its reach has widened, many are familiar with the nickname "St. Paddy's Day," where "Paddy" is the shortened form of Patrick, which itself comes from Pádraig. While the holiday is sometimes spelled "St. Patty's Day," some find this to be offensive as "Patty" is a shortened form of the female name "Patricia."

However you want to celebrate, we all can be a little Irish on St. Patrick's Day.

What we learn from Diversity, and things that are not German.

Our worldview changes the way we experience our lives. When you interact, socialize, and work with people from different experiences, you can hear and learn from people. Not many people are fortunate enough to be able to travel the world or work as an ex-pat in many different counties. Alternatively, we can learn from people coming from different backgrounds, and lucky we have Second Life to do this in a safe way.

I am amazed by the diversity of people who stop by the Basement Club. Sometimes they just wander in or they have visited the Retreat and the Gallery and discovered the gem of the Basement Club. Some come for the unique style of music.

The right to be able to enjoy the excitement that you have, no matter where you go or who you are with, is the reason we want a diverse and inclusive environment.

Increase your knowledge about other cultures, find out more. There can be language differences and even with some translater software, the real meaning might be a little different and get lost. Ask many questions about the other person's country or culture. Believe it or not, most of us love to brag about where we come from the minute someone shows interest in it.

It is ok to be different and unique, that is what makes the planet so colorful. There are some things that we do share, we share laughter, pain, and a pandemic that changed our way of living for now.

Today, we live in a world that is deeply connected and global, especially here in Second Life. What an absolute blessing where you can learn right from the source. Can you imagine the benefits you will have when you finally go and travel to that country and you already know what to expect.?

Good ole Dandy had her birthday on March 15th and was telling me about the German chocolate cake she ate. Now how many of you think that is actually the real cake we have in Germany? I know many of you say yes of course. Contrary to what many people believe, this cake did not originate in Germany. It is actually an American recipe. In 1852 Samuel German, an English American Baker who worked for Baker's Chocolate Company, created a new type of dark baking chocolate. Needless to say, "German's" chocolate cake was invented. This is what we learned right here in Second Life. 

Me, as a german knew we do not have this cake but I had no idea why Americans call it German. The recipe was so popular that German's Chocolate sales shot up 73 percent in one year. Newspapers across the country reprinted the recipe. But somewhere along the way, German's Chocolate Cake lost its apostrophe-s, leaving Germany holding the credit for a classic American dessert.