So why does this part of history keep repeating?

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"Live not one's life as though one had a thousand years, but live each day as the last."

- Marcus Aurelius

Well kids, I may be jumpin' the gun here, but I'm putting my money on the idea that this sorry plane of existence we call home ain't getting repossessed by the Divine just yet.

A real big reason I am looking at it this way is because there's a number of passages in the Good Book that explain the state things more or less along the lines of Matthew 24:36, which in the good ol' American King Jamie's version reads:

"But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."

You know, the whole "like a thief in the night thing."

Yet throughout the last couple millennia, various people--some of them sincerely faithful, and others who were nothing more than manipulative weasel-squeezers out for personal gain--have come along saying stuff like "He's a-comin' next Tuesday, right before breakfast, so get your cuppa coffee early that day"

It actually goes back to the first days of christianity--or what its followers back then called "The Way"--during which time a whole buncha folks were inclined to stop whatever productive things they might have been doing and just sort of sat around waiting for the promised return of the Son of God. The early fathers and mothers of the church (the institution didn't turn into a super-patriarchy until later) kind of had their hands full with this situation. Much of the apostolic writing on the subject of "when He would return for us" pretty much boiled down to saying "Hey folks, it's nice that y'all are lookin' forward to the Big Guy showin' up again, but they ain't no guarantees as to the when & wherefore o' that, so in the meantime, dishes still gotta be washed an' someone had best go ahead an' change the diaper on that young'un over there."

But history has a way of doing it's thing over and over and over and over...

A caricature of Millerites, from Puck magazine

A good example of this in recent American history was the case of the "Millerites," the followers of a gent named William Miller, who was predicting "the end" back in the 1830's and 40's:

"Miller, a farmer from New York, claimed to have discovered when Jesus Christ would return to Earth as stated in the Bible. Miller reached this belief in the 1820s but did not begin to share it with other people until the 1830s. By the early 1840s, approximately one million people had attended camp meetings and heard Miller's message.....Miller predicted that Christ's second coming would occur in April 1843 and that all worthy people would ascend to heaven on October 23, 1844.

Thousands of people across the United States, including in Ohio, eagerly anticipated the event. Numerous people forsook their original religious beliefs and adopted Millerism, hoping that Jesus Christ would find no fault with them upon his return to Earth. Millerites consisted of all types of people. Many working-class people hoped that Christ's arrival would end their laborious lives.

Other Americans believed that many people were sinners and that only the true believers, the Millerites, would escape punishment. God wanted the deserving to assist their unworthy neighbors through various reform movements, such as the temperance and abolition movements. Other people believed that citizens of the United States were God's chosen people and that Jesus Christ's arrival would prove this point.

As October 23, 1844 approached, many Millerites sold all of their earthly possessions. Many sources claim that the Millerites, dressed in white robes, climbed the highest mountains and hills that they could find so that they would be closer to heaven. Unfortunately for these people, they did not ascend to heaven on the appointed day. Miller claimed to have made an error and quickly issued a new date for the second coming, approximately six months later. Once again, this day came and went. In most cases, Miller's followers abandoned him. In 1845, some of Miller's followers joined the Adventist Church, which Miller helped establish. Adventists believe in the second coming of Christ, but they do not specify a day when this event will occur."

- please note, the above was borrowed shamelessly from www.ohiohistorycentral.org, which has a lot of really interesting shit

William Miller

So why does this kind of thing keep happening?

I'm not sure.

Unlike some folks, I make no claim to having any special insight into the decision-making process of the Divine. In fact--and I know this is gonna sound a tad old-fashioned--but if I understand the concept correctly, thinking that you got a special link to God and can be taking on a god-like role of interpreting things and putting words into the Deity's mouth is possibly the most literal and despicable manifestation of blasphemy. For example, from this perspective, the kuckledraggin' goober from Westboro Baptist church represents a blasphemer of epic proportions.

So while I would not presume to say, "Oh, God allows (or causes) this and that sort of thing to happen because of A, B, C and D," I will argue that there is some potential benefit we all can draw from situations like this current manifestation of failed apocalyptic prediction.

Mind you, I am not trying to be glib about this. I do feel sorry for those folks who out of faith and hope, have complicated their lives beyond belief. I feel particular sympathy for the spouses and children of those people who have made things difficult and disastrous for themselves and their families because they decided to take this prediction literally. But for the rest of us, what benefit might be derived from what is, at its heart, a sad situation?

How about if we look on it all as a good reminder that in fact, no, we don't know when or where the end will come for us, either individually or collectively. It could be any time. It could come long after we are all dust and unpaid debt...or...it could be mere moments away.

Consequently, we should, as Marcus Aurelius tells us in his Meditations, seek to live every day as if it were our last. BUT for Marcus Aurelius (good stoic that he was) this didn't mean avoiding our responsibilities, or squeezing every bit of pleasure and self-indulgence out of an existence that could go tits up at any moment. No sir, it means that we have to continue to do what we are here to do. Because of the uncertainty of existence, it behooves us to live each day well, to always conduct ourselves honorably and kindly and productively.

So that's my reaction to all this kerfuffle. I hope you will forgive me for indulging in some reflection upon stuff that lies beyond pixels and prims. Please remember that I was in close proximity to some of the events of 9/11, and that experience has tended to give me a rather keenly developed perspective on the spectacular unpredictability of this life...and the end of this life.

May we always appreciate the presence of the Divine and the precious opportunities of this existence...and while we are at it, may we all have the chance to live like Bajorans and die like Klingons.

~~~

The importance of building in SL

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So once again, I haven't had much time to write ...or much to say. But that doesn't mean Dio has only been slaving away in meatspace. No, I've been able to have a bit of fun doing some building. You'll perhaps remember Alsium, the roman sim where I had been spending time, and which underwent an ownership change. We had an"earthquake" which required a totally new build and that's been underway for some time. Ultimately, final completion of the build was taken on by members of the community, and folks like CJ Escher, Clint Saxondale, and Caius Septimus, among others, have done some wonderful work. Yours truly got in on the act as well, and here's my contribution, an Iseum, or temple to Isis.

The build is very loosely based on the Temple of Isis in Pompeii, but it does utilize textures on the interior that include examples of the actual frescoes from the ruins of the real-life temple. You will note to the right side of the illustration below, the temple itself (which has several inner chambers to which only initiates and officiants may be admitted), and a ritual bath in a smaller structure to the left of the main "house of the Goddess."

We had a dedication ceremony a week or so ago, and had a good turnout. It's a modest little build, but I certainly enjoyed working on it, and I learned a great deal in the process. Until I became involved with Isis-related projects for Alsium, I had no idea how massively popular the romanized "Cult of Isis" was (after initially being persecuted in the late Republic and early imperial eras). I also really didn't realize how colorful ancient roman buildings usually were.

After I finished the temple buildings, I also constructed a palaestra, or exercise ground, that incorporates elements of the real palaestras that exist in Pompeii, particularly the smaller, older one which had been built by the Samnites early in the city's history. I was pleased with how this build turned out as well, though due to its size and primminess, it isn't being used in Alsium (the version shown below is in fact, a second, smaller, lower-prim version, but it still came in at 100 prims). Even so, there is something so rewarding about taking an artifact that you have pictured in your mind and turning that mental conceptualization into reality (even if that reality is only a virtual one).

Both of these builds--the Iseum and the palaestra--were produced for very specific purposes, to provide the settings for specific aspects of roleplay and events. But I will freely admit, the greatest joy I am likely to feel in connection with these structures is the sense of accomplishment and sheer fun that came with the construction process. I know we have talked about this before, but if I couldn't do these kinds of projects, I would find Second Life a whole lot less engaging. Despite my abysmal building skills, I have the ability to visualize something and execute it in Second Life, and by golly, have it turn out looking not half bad.

I know the Lindens are working on various "improvements" to the platform. Christ's bootlaces, I sure hope they don't make it harder to build, or even worse, somehow decide they have to take this god-like capability away from the majority of us in the interest of simplifying the product and trying to make it more appealing to the mass audiences that other, less wondrous online destinations seem to attract.

Today was my sixth rez day. I know I would not have made it this long without being able to do cool creative shit like this.

~~~

If you believe in the therapeutic value of self expression through creative writing....

"Soldier Writing" by Jean Louis Torain, courtesy of WikiGallery.org

I believe in writing.

When we express ourselves through the creative process of putting words on paper--or on a screen--it is possible to uplift ourselves, to inspire and move others, and sometimes to work through the things that haunt and challenge us.

I've exorcised some pretty nasty demons with my writing. While I am appreciative of the idea that any of you bother with reading this nonsense I spew, and may sometimes even get a smile or a little "aha" moment out of it, I am really doing this for myself (self-centered old harpy that I am). I have other good friends who have made progress in their own lives and helped themselves to deal with events like divorce, 9/11, combat-related PTSD, sexual abuse and long-term unemployment though their creative writing.

If you agree with this general idea, maybe you can help out a friend of mine who works with the Missouri Humanities Council. They are involved in a partnership with the Missouri Writers Guild and the Veterans Administration to support a creative writing project for veterans undergoing in-patient care at a VA facility near St. Louis. This particular facility has had a great creative writing program through their occupational therapy unit for a number of years, but right now they could use a little bit of help.

The participants in the program currently do their writing with pencils on paper tablets. They could really use some laptops. My friend is working on getting some used and/or refurbished machines donated for the program, but he probably won't mind if I try to help too, since I really think this is important and useful. Not only does the writing generated by these men and women have a positive impact from a therapeutic standpoint--everyone needs to tell their story--but it also is generating documentation of a unique period in American history and the first-hand perspectives of the individuals who are living through it.

So here's the deal: if you have any ideas on sources for good, serviceable laptops that could be donated for the program, please send a message with your thoughts to:

Geoff@mohumanities.org

They don't have to be fancy, just something with a decent-sized screen that can be used for basic word processing.

Keep on writing, y'all.

~~~

In Search of the Enlightenment: finding a home in the 18th century in SL

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Principato di Melioria

One of the principle joys of spending time in-world is that when you start to feel like you're in need of a change, you can easily take your adventures in a completely new direction. Sometimes, serendipity will run you over like a cartoon steamroller right away, and once you've peeled yourself off the virtual pavement, you'll find yourself in the midst of a fresh activity or new community that suits you nicely. Other times, you will find yourself on a pixelated Bataan death march through one place to another before you at last find some congenial environment to settle in for a spell.

Well, a while back, this old girl took a notion to spend some time wandering through the 18th century in Second Life, and off I went. The process was initially a pretty slow one. There's a boatload of different places to look at, a pile of groups you can join, and a wide variety of ways to have fun within the context of an historical time period that was characterized by an explosion of intellectual and scientific exploration and experimentation, social and political upheaval, military and economic adventurism...

...plus, the music is really cool and you get to wear big, theatrically foofy outfits, if you are so inclined.

So, anyhow, I basically took a version of the Grand Tour, looking at different sims and communities. First off, let me state right now that I am not going to offer any value judgments on what place might be the most authentic or which roleplay crew is superior. I don't swing that way. People are all different, and God bless 'em, they have different interests and wildly divergent views on how to have fun. That's another great thing about SL: it accommodates spectacularly diverse ways of learning, interacting, and playing. If you don't find an environment and a community that suits your way of getting by in the world, then by golly you have the option of creating something that does.

As far as the 18th century in SL, if you have an interest in roleplaying as a member of some royal court--complete with huge powdered wigs the size of Connecticut, intrigues, amours, and diplomatic shenanigans--you can certainly find that. You also can find beautiful builds that are just nice environments to look at, live in, or socialize in. My personal favorite in the latter category is Chenonceau, which I have mentioned in a previous post. But I was looking for something a bit different in terms of roleplay--a situation in which different kinds of narratives related to the inventiveness and uncertainty of the times could be developed a bit...

http://slurl.com/secondlife/westphalia/60/186/24/

...and then serendipity finally kicked in, thanks to a recommendation from the folks who run the Alsium sim. They gave me a landmark for a place called the Principato di Melioria, a fictional but historically plausible minor southern Italian principality ruled by an enlightened Prince. The gentleman in charge has ties to England and an interest in a variety of subjects ranging from archaeology to architecture, to hydraulic engineering. His tiny island principality flourishes thanks to low taxes, a very relaxed approach to trading and banking practices, and a welcoming attitude towards well-born tourists (and their money). Here is how the sim is described in an introductory notecard:

" The year is 1780 and the ruling family of Melioria is the House of Elswit, an English family with a complicated history of international social connections and business interests. Over the years they gained lands and titles, and with this roles in the history of England, the Holy Roman Empire, the Papal State, the Venetian Republic and finally they were bestowed with the island of Melioria, a small island in the Tyrrhenian Sea on the coast of Massa Lubrense near Napoli, which was elevated to a principato and since then became the main seat of the House of Elswit.

The current head of the family and ruler of Melioria is Sua Altezza Capacitatodd Elswit, Principe di Melioria, Duca di Vesuviana, Nobile del Gran Consiglio della Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia and Principe del Sacro Romano Impero. By his own people and his friends he is described as an enlightened man, who has studied and travelled most of his life and has now settled in the seat of his family.

Since 1738 when Herculaneum was rediscovered just to the north, followed by Pompeii in 1748, the island of Melioria has become a known spot for the young nobles of Europe on their Grand Tour. Known for its calm climate, secure private banking houses, no taxations on bank accounts and trade, the small casino and the famous curative mineral baths and waters. And of course for the incognito sanctuary it offers to royals and nobles alike across Europe.

In the last year however, during which the Principe reformed his island, many friends and visitors have arrived in the port of Melioria, making it more and more an international Port of Call. Venetian nobles have settled branches of their trade interests on the west side of the island, and with them arrived many others from the most serene republic of the north, to continue or even bring a new direction to their lives. French courtiers have discovered the mineral baths and some even enjoy the lack of formality. A Bavarian baroness travelling along the mediterranea has chosen the island as a residence to contemplate her life in a nicer climate.

In Melioria the most different lives of people come together on the island of this little principato. Nobles and merchants, tourists and workers, everyone has their role and finds their purpose without the need of caring too much about their position in life. For some it has proven to be a confrontational atmosphere, as they are cast back to their own personalities without the pomp of court life; others enjoy the simple life without obligations and spend their time contemplating, studying, writing, hunting or fencing.

It's an interesting and entertaining place with a lovely and well-managed build, thanks to the efforts of sim owners CapabilityTodd Elswitt and Blue Revolution and others including Gallyon Milneaux and Sim Manager Aria Vyper. By the way, I wish to emphasize that Melioria is NOT a roleplaying sim, but instead, an historically-themed sim, on which rolpeplaying does occur at times. There is a modestly-sized but excellent roleplaying community on the sim. This loosely-organized group is open to new participants: you may have noted a reference to a "Bavarian Baroness" (an essentially correct description).

Diogeneia Franziska Freifrau von Kühr

Yes, I have been welcomed in this intriguing little principality, and in fact the folks in Melioria have asked me to help with developing some rp guidelines, which we'll talk about in a subsequent post. In the meantime, please feel free to stop by and see the sim. Everyone and anyone is welcome to visit and shop and look around--you don't have to be wearing 18th century clothing or in the form of a human avatar to do so (period clothing and human form are only required if you wish to join in the roleplay).

Just please be aware that you have to be courteous and flexible. Sometimes there will be no roleplay going on, and everyone on the island isn't going to be into playing if you wish to start something. Also kindly remember that the houses, including the big villa on the hilltop are private residences and one should not enter without being invited to do so. And sometimes, the sim may be closed to the public due to an event--for example today (Sunday, 4/3/11), there is going to be a wedding on the island and the sim will be inaccessible for a while. Like I say, just be flexible.

~~~

Name Dio's ship winner!

~~~

Since he won the contest, I let Aldo take a turn at the steering oars. It didn't end well.

Well, I waited to get some more entries, then I got kinda busy with other crap (like the public service announcements) and finally I just decided it was time to pick something.

So the winner is "Aanu"--ancient Egyptian for "beauty" or "that which attracts your own soul."

My thanks go to my old friend Aldo for the suggestion. In fact, I want to thank everyone who sent a suggestion. There were some fine ones.

Aldo gets a trade blanket and some cigars. Any of the rest of you who entered, come look me up in-world and I will be happy to take you sailing in Aanu (provided of course that SL is being kind to sailors). And what the hell, I'll probably give you some cigars and blanket too, if you want.

~~~

Dio's public service announcement number 2: Bloggers, please restrict your writing to stuff you actually know about or understand

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Do you have a blog?

You do?

Good.

Please look at the picture below.



Here's what we want you to try to do:

Imagine that you are the typist in the above image. Think about the pictured typist. Imagine that this typist is a blogger...like you. Now, think about what this typist knows....think about what this typist understands...what kinds of experiences the typist has to draw on...

Yes, this particular typist probably understands things like what can be eaten in a rain forest, what do live ants taste like, how far can poo be flung (taking into consideration pertinent factors such as fiber in the diet and wind direction and velocity), and how one can tell if a female of the species is in estrus (and what to do about it if she is).

You may also reasonably conclude as a corollary that this typist probably does not know much about things such as the neo-industrial economy, has read relatively little Russian literature in the original language, and does not have any extensive or particularly sophisticated understanding of the complex nature of the customer base in SL and the diverse ways that this customer base adapts to and utilizes the platform in continually evolving ways.

OK, so let us ask you a theoretical question, now that you have imagined yourself in the mind of the typist in the illustration, and pondered what this individual probably knows or does not know.

Here's your question...ready?

Does it make sense for this particular typist to try to write blog posts about subjects such as the neo-industrial economy, Russian literature in the original language, or the complex nature of the customer base in SL and the diverse ways that the customer base adapts to and utilizes the platform in continually evolving ways?

If you answered a definitive "no" to that question, then you are doing just jim-fucking-dandy and can go about your bloggy business.

On the other hand, if you answered "yes," or perhaps you aren't quite sure, we have a second question for you. But first allow us to add another set of considerations into our speculative parameters: let's say that this particular typist had left the rain forest that it started out in, went to another rain forest that was eventually cut down to be made into wobbly Swedish pre-fab furniture, and then returned to its original habitat without doing much to really grasp how that habitat had evolved, except talking mostly to forest rangers who had been fired rather than the majority of the animals who actually made the rain forest their home.

Righto then, have you thought that all through?

Good.

Keeping all that in mind, please now answer the final question:

Should this typist be blogging about anything other than how to find green bananas, his mom's live ant recipes, and/or specifics on the lag time between the point where females initially display signs of estrus and the point at which they actually are ready to mate?

Have you answered the question?

Good.

Are you dying to know the significance of how you answered the question?

Well, bucko, we're going to tell you whether you want to know or not.

If you answered "no," then you're doing pretty good. You pass. Please continue contributing stuff on the internet.

If you answered "yes," however, then you are a slackjawed wally with week-old rice pudding for brains. You have failed and should not be allowed to reproduce, drive a car, vote, or blog. If you have a blog, it has now passed into irrelevance or pointlessness, and you should go ahead and pull the plug and get a real job. Or you could keep doing it until it has actually gotten so far off the mark that it qualifies as quaint, or some people may even think that you are being ironic.

Oh, wait...that's OUR job.

Have a nice fucking day.

~~~

Dio's public service announcement no. 1: don't force an SL content maker to slap you silly

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Dear Reader:

The following is a public service announcement, brought to you by the Dio Kuhr Department of Useful Things and Stuff You Should Know.

Please study the image below:


Have you studied the illustration?

Good.

Does anyone in the illustration remind you of YOU?

If so, then please continue reading.

I have been asked by content makers in Second Life to convey this useful bit of knowledge:

If you are someone who does roleplaying in Second Life -- oh, say, someone like The Royal Personage of Great Self-appointed Hoohah-ness and Mighty Bling, or maybe the evil Herr Oberslchonger von Grossestuckuppenderarsche -- when you contact a vendor or content-maker to discuss a customer service issue, do not...repeat, DO NOT try to stay "in character" while doing so.

What will happen is that the vendor or content maker will get very, very irritated with you (see above illustration, again). They may not actually slap you, but they will want to do so very, very much. And that which we do in our hearts, we have done in reality, yes?

Furthermore, (and this is just a hunch), you may also find that you get better customer service if you DO NOT try to stay in character while seeking to sort out whatever the problem is with whatever you bought from them.

Yes, yes...we know you are a person of Power and Influence within a certain make-believe context. Yet there obviously are vendors and content makers who don't give a rat's left testicle that you are a person of Power and Influence within that certain make-believe context.

Does this lead you to conclude that said vendors and content makers are mean people?

Well, yes...more than likely, they are. But many of them got mean because of having to deal with mud-eating knuckledraggers like you.

So it all kind of evens out, doesn't it?

Look...just do us all a big favor and simply talk to the vendor like a normal person when you want to let them know that the screaming snake-hair multi-color fatpack you bought from them didn't get delivered.

TRUST ME...THINGS WILL WORK OUT MUCH BETTER.

Thanks for listening...

...and have a nice fucking day.

- Dio

~~~