Happy Halloween or is it?

You know what I find really scary that even in Second Life it is all about shopping, shopping, shopping. Buy this and buy that and come to this shopping event. The events also get bigger and bigger. It is a constant bombardment of goods to buy.

Damn machine took my lindens.

Some years ago I would see ads to go and visit certain sims and see them for their beauty and experience. I loved that very much. Those places gave me inspirations to create my own space. Now I do not see this as much anymore. Blogs now are filled with shopping and where to get the best goods. Is that what Second Life has become now? A giant shopping place?

I understand the creatots of goods want to sell their stuff and I am sure they welcome these events. After all it took time to create things and time is money, even here. I used to enjoy a monthly magazine that concentrated on Second Life photography. It featured certain artists and had lots of ads of creative places to visit. I know the magazine would charge for the ads and that is how they were able to fund the time consuming effort of a creating this magazine. I am not gonna mention the magazine here, but now they want you to pay lindens to read the magazine and look at the ads. I say no thank you to that.

We live in times where money is tight for everybody and trying to have a getaway like Second Life should not cost you a pixel and a pixel.

I just hope this will cease a little and we are going back to the somewhat basics of the experience of what Second Life is. What is the solution? I really do not know. I am just a consumer and I am looking out for what I can afford to spend on this entertainment. I like the gacha idea still when you buy an item you can at least sell and trade it after you are done. I mostly buy gachas and then resell them according to their value at that time. This also helps my inventory of thousands of things I have and no idea what they are.

 Happy Halloween everybody. Stay safe out there!!!!

SHADOWFELL II

If you have not visited this place it is an absolute must. 

Continue the journey as Calas Galadhon creators Tymus Tenk and Truck Meredith reopen the dark Elven gates of SHADOWFELL, this year traveling by elven boat or on foot into a 3rd new region of swamplands and dark forests. 

The colors and athmosphere sets you right into the forrests deep where shadows lurk. You can spend hours here just looking into every corner and discover something new. I totally forgot about time when I was here, it is an amazing place. The soundtrack helps and sets you in the mood. Elven law dictates whom shall pass, and whom shall not.

The walls of our high order are built by giants who live in the mountain passes to the west of our Shire, a place of goullish retreat guarded by trolls.

“You are dark and I am light, so keep away
From the night!”

What are elves? Clearly they are not those we see at the North Pole with Santa? 

Elves are supernatural beings in Germanic mythology and folklore, elves were first attested in Old English and Old Norse texts and are prominent in English and Scandinavian folklore. They can be good and bad and it all depends. When you are here at Shadowfell, see if you can find any elves, I know I found the troll who guards the gate and is very firece.

What does shadowfell mean? 

In terms of primary meaning, I would say that "fell" here primarily is an adjective meaning "fierce; cruel; dreadful; savage". Since the Shadowfell is a rather harsh place, and filled with shadow creatures, I would the authors were using that as a primary meaning. On the other hand, your interpretation of "Place where Shadows Fell", could also be correct, as the whole land itself is shrouded in a gloom.

Let your imagination run wild and create your own story. 

“Every man or woman who makes a stand
helps keep the flame of freedom burning.”

Eiter way you will love to explore this place, it has every magic and mystery you may be looking for. Tymus Tenk and Truck Meredith are masters of creating places of pure imagination and the best thing about it, it makes you feel like you are right there. I just love this about Second Life. Go visit with a friend or by yourself.

(Second) Life behind Bars (not the drinking places)

When you first made your Linden Lab account you agreed to the terms of service before you enter the fabulous world of the virtual world. I know most of us never read the fine print and I understand why, it is a lot to read and understand here.

Second Life is generally for adults 18 years and older; however, if you are 13 years of age or older you can use Second Life with some restrictions. So, I do not recommend that anyone under 18 logs into Second Life. Not all people behind the avatar are looking out for your best interest. I do think Second Life is very good of following their terms of service, so be good and follow the rules just like everywhere else.

Double Trouble

Of course you can roleplay the good and evil here, in fact Second Life has a large community of Role Playing, just look around and find what you like. Only if you like of course. 

Do not disclose your personal information to people unless you fully trust them. It can have consequences and I know this from my own experience. I had twice an angry wife (2 different wives) from the same man call me and cuss me out. So keep your phone number private. I am not saying this happenes to everybody. Many people have met in Second Life and actually met in Real Life and then got married. Just be cautious like you would be in Real Life.

Exercise common sense and your best judgment in your interactions with others.

Ok, so you are still here and have not been frightened away. Good! Go make your account after you read the terms and when you are ready have some amazing fun whether it is music, art, photography, role playing, building and creating, real estate, commerce and so much more. It is all here. No wonder some people have been here for 17- 20 years. 

Always BE GOOD!!!

Dandy wanted to take some Linden Dollars from a bank but that landed us here "behind bars" Crime never pays anywhere.

Do we live in a simulated universe?

 

A common answer is that we live in an infinite multiverse of universes, so we shouldn't be surprised that at least one universe has turned out as ours. But another is that our universe is a computer simulation, with someone (perhaps an advanced alien species) fine-tuning the conditions.Perhaps it is Second Life that is a simulated universe. I don't know. I once read that people invent a computer and within the computer they build a simulated world and within there they will build a simulated world. We don’t need the intelligence to be conscious, and we don’t need it to even be very complex, because the evidence we are looking for is “experienced” by all computer programs, simple or complex, running on all machines, slow or fast.

After all they call it virtual reality, so it is real just virtual powered by computers and us behind the wheel.

I keep a digital diary sort to speak of my travels in that universe and it is there for anyone who wants to read it. My avatar lives through me, so it is real, because I am real.

A sim = Simulator is part of the virtual world, even in games such as the Sims or other PC games you become the charactor that steers the direction you are going.

I have used Second Life to display art, talk to people about PTSD, learn about music, be part of something bigger. I have gone to conventions and events in Second Life and see Professors from respected universes teach students in this environment.

“Is it real or is it Memorex?” was a popular advertising slogan from the early 80s for cassette recording tapes that Millennials may not recognize or identify with, but Baby Boomers likely remember this. The brand of audio recording tapes known as Memorex claimed to offer such an authentic capture, representation, and playback experience that the listener would not be able to tell if they were listening to the actual conversation or performance or it was simply being played back for them on audio tape.

We are living in a fast pace world and as things advance even faster and bigger, sit back and relax at least in Second Life you can fly.

All Hallows at Moochi

Established in 2016, All Hallows returns for its eighth year. Throughout the witching season, visit All Hallows for haunted meanderings, autumnal hoodoo, darkly roaming, and Halloween encapsulated. Be strange, but don't be a stranger, and remember, if the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely and always looking for company. Halloween has arrived!

At "All Hallows at Moochi" you will find lots of pumpkins here and beautiful spots to sit and photograph. I really loved all the fall colors here. It is a must see for sure.

Don't forget to pick up the free postcards you can send to all your SL friends. Since I love sending psotcards in real life, this really made me smile. Great idea. The postcards are very pretty too and have some fun sayings..

Take your time here and look aroound and better yet bring some friends or maybe just one friend.So many cute places to relax and enjoy, even on your own. I really enjoyed myself here.

Which Witch? ( dedicated to my real life great grandma)

Twinkum, twankum, twirlum and twitch
My great grandam - She was a Witch.
Mouse in wainscot, Saint in niche -
My great grandam - She was a Witch;
Deadly nightshade flowers in a ditch -

~dedicated to my Real life Great Grandmother

My great grandam - She was a Witch;
Long though the shroud it grows stitch by stitch -
My great grandam - She was a Witch;
Wean your weakling before you breech -
My great grandam - She was a Witch;
The fattest pig's but a double flitch -
My great grandam - She was a Witch;
Nightjars rattle, owls scritch -
My great grandam - She was a Witch.

   

In Second Life you can be anything you like, even a witch :)

 Pretty and small,
    A mere nothing at all,
    Pinned up sharp in the ghost of a shawl,
    She'd straddle her down to the kirkyard wall,
    And mutter and whisper and call; and call -
    And - call.

Red blood out and black blood in,
My Nannie says I'm a child of sin -
How did I choose me my witchcraft kin!
Know I as soon as dark's dreams begin
Snared is my heart in a nightmare's gin;
Never from terror I out may win;
So dawn and dusk I pine, peak, thin,
Scarcely beknowing t'other from which -
My great grandam - She was a Witch. ~BY WALTER DE LA MARE (1873 - 1956)

My great-grandmother lived in Belgium and was an undertaker and was known to have that magickal touch.

friggatriskaidekaphobia (the fear of Friday the 13th)

It's magick

 If Friday the 13th scares you, why not come into Second Life? Very little is known about the origins of the day's notoriety. Some historians believe that the superstitions surrounding it arose in the late 19th century. The fear of this day is real, so real that one scientific name wasn't enough. The fear of Friday the 13th is also called friggatriskaidekaphobia.Now say that 10 times really fast!

For a month to have a Friday the 13th, the month must begin on a Sunday. Don't believe it? Check it out on your Calendars and test it for yourself.

Me and my friend

“Don’t worry, Friday the 13th is just another opportunity for incredible luck and hilarious stories!”

I always try to count my blessing even the very small ones, so how I can I be unlucky...we need to learn to appreciate everything because it may not be here tomorrow and that may be unlucky.

This month we are celebrating "it's a dead man's party" at the Retreat. Everything is decorated a little spooky but still safe for even those of you are a little scared. If you are lucky you can find the extra gift that is hidden here. (Find the clue at the entrance of the Retreat.) 

I encourage you to take lots of pictures here, because if you are like me I love looking back years from now how things looked way back then. Second Life is like Real Life it changes, so keep those memories alive. Of course the Retreat is just one of many places you can visit, from mild to really scary, all depends on what you prefer.

Monday through Friday we have live DJs here playing some fantastic music, how lucky is that? Music brings us all together. I am wishing you love and peace this Halloween Season and especially today on Friday the 13th. Keep the magick going :)

An ye harm none, do what ye will

All life is majickal and sacred.

 

There are do and don't about witches and many times they are associated with evil especially around Halloween, but most of these stories are not true at all. 

The pentacle, or five-pointed star in a circle, is a symbol of universal wisdom. Witches wear it as an amulet of protection and place it upon their altars to represent the element of earth. A spell is a thought, projection, prayer, or manifestation. Other religions use prayer, meditation, ritual, and even the “law of attraction” to get results.  Spells do not imply harm.

My favorite costume in Second Life is that of a witch. I feel magickal when I wear it. Even in Real Life I often worn a witches outfit during Halloween and it was never meant to be evil (well maybe to scare some greedy teenagers who have come to my door begging for Candy).

Witches come from every socio-economic and ethnic background. Many Witches hold professional positions of responsibility. They are doctors, nurses, politicians, lawyers, and teachers. (I am a retired teacher and I have done a magickal job educating those Kindergarteners for years.) Witches know that doing evil and harm is against universal law. Witchcraft tells us, “An ye harm none, do what ye will.” You have heard that before "what goes around, comes around."

 Keep that in mind when you are wandering around in Second Life, that witches are real in many ways so if you roleplay that character, then do it right. Spread some love and peace around both worlds.

Double, double toil and trouble

All month in October for any of the sets here at the Basement Club you can wear your costumes. You know you have so many in your inventory you wore once. Now is the time to get them out and show them off.

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and caldron bubble.

Fillet of a fenny snake,

In the caldron boil and bake;

Eye of newt and toe of frog,

Wool of bat and tongue of dog,

Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,

Lizard's leg and howlet's wing,

For a charm of powerful trouble,

Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and caldron bubble.

Cool it with a baboon's blood,

Then the charm is firm and good. ~William Shakespeare

 You will find a variety of music here from Indie, alternative and punk and even some oldies. The Basement Club is always different and always unique and we have live DJs M-F starting at 6PM SLT.

The Basement Club is part of the Retreat and Retreat Gallery which is part of SL's most haunted places. Come check out the dead man's party throught out and hunt for some gifts.

Ghouls and Goblins

It is that time again when all the ghouls and goblins come out. What is a ghoul?

A ghoul is a monster from ancient Arabian folklore. Ghouls live in burial grounds and other uninhabited places. The English word comes from the Arabic name for the creature: الغول ghūl, which literally means "demon". The ghul is a devilish type of jinn believed to be sired by Iblis.
The female form is "ghouleh" in Muhawi and Kanaana (see ref below). The plural is "ghilan".
Ghoul is also a shapeshifting demon that lives in the desert. The demon can take the form of an animal, especially a hyena. It lures unwary travelers into the desert.

It's not something I would want to run into.

A goblin on the other hand is more of a troll that can be mischievous and evil.

As we start October you can go and visit all the haunted places in Second Life, with plenty of ghouls and goblins and who knows what else. This year the Retreat is taking part in Second Life's most haunted places. You will find the poster at the entry. It will give you notecards to all the many places to visit. Trust me there are many on the list. I am sure there is something for everybody.
Each location will also have a little prize for your efforts, just look for the hints.

So if you like Halloween and all the spookiness that goes with it, this is your month and Second Life can fulfill your dreams on this. Oh, and no need to be frightened all these creatures are made of pixels.
Happy hunting or is it haunting?