Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope, a Monarch Education Project, brought to you by MORPH Productions and SPARK Project, is an experience for the mind, heart and soul.  Follow the nature hike to learn about the importance of this beautiful butterfly and it's wintering grounds.

This place was truly breathtaking with all the Monarchs flying around. The brilliant colors of the Monarchs are just beautiful. There is a lot of information here that helps you learn about these butterflies. 

Each year, over the course of a few generations, monarchs make an incredible journey across North America to overwintering sites in Mexico and California.

In the spring monarchs return to breeding areas and the cycle starts again: a two-way migration that is one of the most spectacular on the planet. Yet, this migration appears to be declining.

It is fascinating to watch them and be around them and now here in Second Life you can get as close as you can to be right there, even if you do not live in California or Mexico. It is important to preserve nature for furture generations, so stop by this beautiful place and learn all about it and do your part to let the Monarchs do their thing.

Helau and alaaf!

We had so much fun listening to the German version of Mardi Gras celebrated at the Basement Club. There is always next year.

Whether you call it Mardi Gras, Fasching or Fassnacht, carnival or karnival, German Mardi gras music plays such an important part in bringing people together. They gather to sing, dance, and sway to the new hits and the traditional favorites. Some are considered folk music (Volksmusik), and others are called marches. One thing they all have in common is the ability to get you in the right mood. It’s happy music, so give it a listen. And let’s party!

And we did!!!

Wir kommen alle, alle, alle in den Himmel
Weil wir so brav sind, weil wir so brav sind
Das sieht selbst der Petrus ein
Er sagt: "Ich lass' gern euch rein"
Ihr ward auf Erden schon die reinsten Engelein

"let your mind be free."

  "Mardi Gras Mambo," "Iko Iko," and all of the vibrant tunes of the Carnival season. This original music comes in many forms, and all of the great local musicians have performed Mardi Gras music during Carnival season for years and years. As the story goes, "Down in New Orleans, Where the blues was born, It takes a cool cat to blow a horn…"

DJ Bun G. Chord delivered the perfect mix of music that scream New Orleans and Carnival. As you can see we all got a bit crazy here at the Basement Club, but that is what we love to do.

If you like to waltz, groove, second line, or two-step, there will always be a Carnival song to show you how to "let the good times roll." Just remember, when you hear the sounds of Carnival, feel free to let loose and "let your mind be free."

Thank you to all who came and participated, this was loads of fun and we are on to celebrate Fat Tuesday with the German version.

The 5th Season

Are you ready for the 5th season as we call it in Germany? I am talking about Fasching, Fasnacht, Karnival, or in other countries called Mardi Gras. 

It starts with Women's Thursday (Weiberdonnerstag), when women are allowed to cut off the tie of any man they encounter! It's followed by mock-serious carnival conventions all throughout the weekend, where the "carnival president" makes a speech called the Büttenrede and a fake army performs dances while the audience get to drink, laugh and sway with linked arms. Technically it all starts November 11 at 11 past 11.

Rosenmontag is the day when most of the country in Germany has off and parties, this is no day for party poopers. You dress up in a costume and you join the fun. Kids love this too because during the parades they get "Kamelle" which are candies. You shout "helau" or alaaf" depending on the region.

The celebration is a very colorful event where an entire country goes crazy. I don't encourage all that drinking, but that is what they do.

Here is Second Life you will also find many Mardi Gras celebrations. I think the ones I have seen and attended are more geared toward the New Orleans versions. 

If you want to experience something different then why not join us at the Basement Club Monday and Tuesday starting at 6PM SLT.

DJ Likka will play some traditional "German" crazy tunes on Tuesday which is also called Fat Tuesday. Wear a costume and let's get crazy. We start this week with DJ Bun G. Chord and celebrate Rosenmontag, he will play some out-of-the-norm music as always starting at 6PM. What crazy costume can you come up with?

HELAU...remember it is all over on Ash Wednesday!!!

St. Valentine was no lover or patron of love

Valentine’s Day, in fact, originated as a liturgical feast to celebrate the decapitation of a third-century Christian martyr, or perhaps two. Just like most stories they get twisted and turned and before you know it people feel obligated to buy flowers, cards, and candies.

The love connection probably appeared more than a thousand years after the martyrs’ death, when Geoffrey Chaucer, author of “The Canterbury Tales” decreed the February feast of St. Valentinus to the mating of birds. He wrote in his “Parlement of Foules”:

“For this was on seynt Volantynys day. Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.”

Today, shops everywhere in England and the U.S. decorate their windows with hearts and banners proclaiming the annual Day of Love. Merchants stock their shelves with candy, jewelry, and Cupid-related trinkets begging “Be My Valentine.”  I have nothing against celebrating love. In fact, it is still the one thing that keeps us going. 

And much like love itself, St. Valentine and his reputation as the patron saint of love are not matters of verifiable history, but of faith.

Want to celebrate Valentine's Day with us? Come and stop by the Basement Club for an evening of oldies but goodies that talk about love and heartaches. 

Tonight 6-8 PM SLT

Basement Club 

‘Doubt that the stars are fire,
Doubt that the sun doth move his aides,
Doubt truth to be a liar,
But never doubt I love’

What comes next?

If UFOs were visiting our world, where were these extraterrestrials? Could they be hidden among us? Comic books and television illustrate how the possibility of extraterrestrial visitors reflected the anxieties of that era. Well, I believe these aliens are already here in Second Life. 

Are these alleged visitors from other worlds peaceful and benevolent or would they attack and destroy humanity? We do not really know if they are more advanced than us, only Hollywood shows that to instill fear into us. Do not fear.

Sure, many of us have heard of abductions by aliens. I really don't think they would be so dumb and take any of us. No, they want to see what we have in Second Life. Here we can build an entire universe of things we imagine and interact with it. Who would have thought 40 years ago that this would be possible? We were barely discovering the Pacman game on our home television sets. It was an amazing technology that soon became available to us all. More entertainment followed that was computer generated and it advanced to personal computers most of us now have. Aliens want that technology.

We now have 3D graphics that look so real you do not know if you are in a game or in reality. Reminder! Second Life of course is not a game, but a virtual world where so much is possible. I remember seeing a report about how companies were investing in real estate (virtual that is) in second life almost 20 years ago. We have come so far.

I just hope when the aliens come and take us they let us bring second life along, so we can play a game within the virtual world.

Stay vigilant out there and do not worry about balloons. Did you know that the first rubber balloon was sold as a toy in 1825? Whatever comes next will come, we cannot stop the future, but we can embrace it and go with it. 

Peace!!!

 

Who needs a date for Valentine's Day?

Who really needs a date for Valentine's Day when you are surrounded by cats? Call me the crazy cat lady but these creatures appreciate everything I do.

Cats are relatively quiet animals, they don't make constant remarks like a date might make. You feed them and they lay down somewhere and nap. The best thing is they are self-cleaning. I remember living with a partner and I always had to clean up after them. 

You can train your cat (cats), well most of them you can. Cats can be very good for your health, unlike a human who may give you stress and anxiety. I am not saying that humans should be totally out of the picture, but I do prefer cats for the most part. In real life, I have 2 cats and they love me even when I am not happy. They do not demand much of me. In second life I can have as many cats as I like. :)

Of course, you could go and sign up for THUNDR and get a date that fits your style. Just in time for Valentine's Day I have put the HUD into my inventory and see how this will work. He better likes cats as much as I do.

Want to know more about THUNDR, watch the video and maybe we will meet while swiping.

 

You can always stop by the Basement Club and meet all the lovely people here. Whatever you do, may "love" find its way into your heart and keep you smiling. If all else fails: Get a cat or two :)