Second Life meets Real Life

If any of you seen the movie for the 20th birthday of Second Life and saw the part where Draxtor said my addiction to postcards is weird? Go and watch it on youtube, it is an amazing film and no it does not really have postcards in it, just my addiction. 

And yes, I talk in the film about the real-life art that I bring into second life and I usually make postcards out of them and participate in postcrossing.com ( BTW I found that website in second life at an exhibit and I was hooked) Europeans love to collect postcards, anyway now I thought and sometimes I think why not bring second life to real life? 

So I did, I sent some of my second-life photography to the printers and had some postcards made, and let me tell you...OMG, I found a new addiction.

These postcards will go out to my fellow postcrossers, penpals, and so on and I am doing two of my favorite things, postcards and second life. I might even put some cards into my eBay shop.

Another project I am working on is to use my art in a magazine type of publication...more details later on this.

The picture with the owl is the beautiful Retreat and it is getting ready to be transformed into autumn once again...go stop by and take some pics :)

Between Hilary and an earthquake, there is second life!

When it is stormy and it pours outside because you are going to be hit by an unplanned tropical storm, what do you do? Mix a small 5.1 earthquake into the mix and you have no other choice but to just log into second life.

It has been an interesting weekend for sure in the real world, no wonder people want to come here to escape. "The rain was pouring down, making the gloomy night even darker and the earth shook from below and all I could do is run to get out of this rain." It reminds me of a poem by Emily Dickinson.

A Tempest
An awful tempest mashed the air,
The clouds were gaunt and few;
A black, as of a spectre's cloak,
Hid heaven and earth from view.

The creatures chuckled on the roofs
And whistled in the air,
And shook their fists and gnashed their teeth,
And swung their frenzied hair.

The morning lit, the birds arose;
The monster's faded eyes
Turned slowly to his native coast,
And peace was Paradise!

The good thing was second life was not affected by the storm at all and it was a great place to escape from Hilary and the earthquake.

How soon is autumn?

Autumn does not start until September 23 this year, but summer has been so hot in real life, that I started to transform the Retreat to autumn. One thing I love about Second Life is that I can change the seasons any time I want to and I do not have to wait for mother nature.

I love all the colors of autumn (fall), it is very beautiful and I of course love the cooler weather as well.

As a deltiologist, which is a person who collects postcards (even if Draxtor thinks it is weird) I decided to turn one of my Second Life Photographs into a postcard. I will be sending it out via the postcrossing website to people all over the world. Go visit the website and learn more about exchanging postcards. It is really a fun hobby and my collection now has grown to over 1000 postcards I received. (Is that considered an addiction?)

I usually create my postcards from the art that I have displayed in my gallery, but now the next step is to use all those wonderful pictures I have taken in second life and make postcards of them.

The picture on the right will be the postcard I am creating, just in time for autumn. I am excited about this.

I am also working on a small magazine-like book that will feature my art as well as second life photographs. This will be available soon.

Let me know what you think? Would you like to receive a postcard of autumn photographed in second life?

The Shepherd's Stronghold

 The Shepherd's Stronghold is a cool place for pictures and relaxing and yes you will find sheep here.

You have to use a lift that takes you down the mountain, which is a nice feature here. I also liked the scenery, it makes you feel like you are in the mountains. (Reminded me a bit of Germany).

I enjoyed myself here and it is not so populated with tourists (aka avatars).

Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee,
Gave thee life, and bade thee feed
By the stream and o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight
Softest clothing, woolly, bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice?
Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee? (William Blake)

Don't wear high heels in a place like this, I was worn out quick. Don't forget to watch the Perseid meteor shower tonight. It should be a spectacular show.

Predicted peak: is predicted** for August 13, 2023, at 7:58 UTC.
When to watch: The moon will be a waning crescent and 10% illuminated during 2023’s peak of the Perseid meteor shower. This shower rises to a peak gradually, then falls off rapidly. And Perseid meteors tend to strengthen in number as late night deepens into the wee hours of the morning. The shower is often best before dawn. In 2023, the moon will be in the morning sky from early to mid-August but growing fainter each day before the peak.

Second Life beats all Metaverses

We all knew that Second Life would stay and you cannot compare it to the "meta" metaverse that quickly left. In today's business world that is a remarkable task to achieve. 

NateLanxon

explores why this metaverse has succeeded when so many others have failed https://trib.al/lvh0ssi

After 7 years the Basement Club, which was only a vision of mine remains open and enjoyed by music lovers all over.

Yes, there are many clubs in Second Life for all music genres. All is possible here. The impact Second Life has made on so many people has been endless. That is why Second Life will always win over any other metaverse. It is human interaction that has rooted itself deeply into their lives. 

Without that impact, Second Life would be gone as well. I hope for the next 20 years that virtual worlds become more of a reality for people. I mean the smartphone made it and is unthinkable, so why not something like Second Life?

This is something most definitely worth celebrating for sure. I am happy that I have been here and learning for so many years. I always received encouragement here to create more art, to continue the Basement Club and Retreat, to DJ, and to be just me.

Second Life has been my therapy from the beginning. Beating the odds is a testament to the human spirit: We have an indomitable desire to push ahead in the pursuit of happiness, even when it defies all logic or reason to do so.

Success is not measured by what you accomplish but by the opposition you have encountered and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.                                                            ~Orison Swett Marden

Oceangate Used ‘Second Life’ Video Game

Oceangate revealed they used Second Life to teach students how to pilot it. As horrible as it sounds the article by Travis Voung in the online magazine FandomWire reveals that some of the training was done in Second Life, what Travis got wrong is that Second Life is NOT a Video Game.

Of course, it was a tragedy, but I feel it was pretty amazing that Second Life was a place for training, if any of this is true. I often have flown a plane or operated a boat in Second Life and learned about some of those commands. Why not a submarine or submersible? Nothing compares to the real thing when it comes to training and even with all that training many things can go wrong and we mourn the loss of human life. I do not want to get into it too much so explore for yourself.

Please read the article in FandomWire here: 

Horrendous Tragedy involving the Titan Submersible gets Worse as it Appears Oceangate Used ‘Second Life’ Video Game to Teach Students how to Pilot It.

According to Oceangate : “We chose Second Life as our medium for this tour because it allows us to design high-fidelity interactions between our audience, the submersible and the underwater environment. Our virtual environment gives our audience a strong sense of social and spacial presence through their interactions with the environment and their ability to communicate with one another in parallel.”

August Morning

 And here it is a new month, the month of August. August was named to honor the first Roman emperor (and grandnephew of Julius Caesar), Augustus Caesar (63 B.C..–A.D. 14).

August is also the month of my real-life birthday and we have less than 90 days before Halloween. I like the long days of August, especially the mornings when things are still calm and quiet.

Welcome, August! A bounty of beautiful beginnings and neverending blessings. Hey, you, the reader, may your all dreams come true this month.

August means that Fall is not far away and soon the colors change to gold. I love the change of the season because Fall has always been my favorite. This year I will like August even more because I do not have to get ready for a new school year.

I am thinking of how I will decorate the Retreat for the Fall Season and what Halloween Hunt I will install this time here in Second Life. 

August mornings give me that opportunity to really think and plan this out. I can smell the aroma of my Fall candles while I plan and admire the things I have already accomplished here. 

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”-Mother Theresa

Wishing you all a great August, come by and visit the Retreat and relax.