Secondlife History-Stellar Sunshine

I just finished reading "The Making Of Secondlife" by Wagner James Au...nee Hamlet Linden.

{Well he was a Linden for a few months in early 2003.}

Au was commissioned to document the early days of Secondlife..first as an insider, a Linden, and then as *one of us*. As some of you know...my total immersion in Secondlife leads me toward learning the history of this platform.

Au's book has some wonderful insights...among these is the story of Stellar Sunshine.

Stellar was the very first resident...rezzed as you see almost a full year before Secondlife was open to the public...the original Beta user. That first evening, when the Lindens logged off, they left Stellar on alone. The next morning the staff logged on to see a cabin with smoke rising from the chimney and a giant beanstalk next to it. The Southern California mother of four small children had created the first resident build in Secondlife.

While the cabin is long gone...and the land has changed...the beanstalk is still there.

Stellars original *game* was/is to climb the beanstalk by jumping from leaf to leaf.

I couldnt find Stellar in people search...I did search *bean stalk* {two words} and found both the landmark as well as her old profile. I have an idea that Stellar may well no longer be in world...but ever hoping..I did leave an IM=^..^=

If you're a fan of Secondlife history..go take a look.

I'm amazed at what she did with zero experience.

In the coming day or so I intend to read, "I Avatar"...a look at the culture and consequences of having a second life.

I know, I know, I have way too much spare time :-)

And so it goes

My love to all, brinda

Namaste

Odds & Ends

Sabre**************First Prize 750L$ Lala************Second prize 500L$

Angel************Third Prize 250L$

Thank you to all that contributed to our picture contest...both those that entered pictures...as well as those that took the time to vote. I realize that while community based activities aren't easy or interesting for all...it's my belief that community is one of the things that separates us from so much of the friendless anonymity of Secondlife in general.

As one of the older members once said...Secondlife seems so much bigger if you don't have a home...a place you feel you belong.

In the last couple days I've had three visits & one IM from past residents.

Veronica F. stopped by just to say hello...{such a far cry from real life..where so often when someone *drops by* it's 'cause they want/need something}.

Gigi stopped in..{our friend from Turkey}.

Sunlatina from Peru also came to say hello.

And this morning Jade sent me a wonderful IM...Things like that are a big part of why I'm here.

On a sad note...two years ago Thursday our other Peruvian girl, Lita, lost her real life sister. Lita is still very young and the loss of a sibling is traumatic at most any age. My heart goes out...and the only words I could have for Lita is that time will soften the pain.

Thoughts from Crap....if you've not checked out this blog, I think you might be missing something. { http://firstlifeisfullofcrap.com/2009/11/What-Price-is-a-memory.html }

Darn it looks like you may have to copy/paste...worth the effort.

OK..in parting, the thing that bugs me most here at Benares is those rare times when residents don't communicate with me. I need to know if your neighbors are bothering you..{particles from trees coming through your wall...a scripted bird flying across your parcel...whatever. Let one of us know...I've got either myself or managers in world from around 5:30 AM SLT 'till 3 or 4 AM the next day. I also would like to know your plans if you should decide to leave us...I don't want a tier box to run 4 days in arrears and parcel return your objects! Gosh what a mess when you rerezz...prims explode everywhere.

{If that happens....go find an empty sandbox and rezz..easier to find all your objects}. While I do have Bubbles looking at tier boxes daily...mistakes happen...old timers might get me and I forget.

And you know...if the above is the worst of my day? I'm ok.

And so it goes

I do love you all, brinda

Namaste

Golden Things I've Found

Effulgent Brown......

A wonderland......

Effys Shop......

Yes...Shameless promotion.... The story...{there's always a story=^..^=}.

I came to Secondlife a true newbie...I've spoken before of the three weeks it took for me to learn that my beanie and my hair were one. After I solved that puzzle and found some clothes, skin, all the things it takes to not look quite so new, I went looking for land. I stumbled onto Arrazura ... {long gone now}... and following the estate owners recommendation, I commissioned Minke Bailey to create a custom home. I had no idea that there were really nice well done homes for sale that were actually under 250 prim!

A bit later I found Effies shop...well..it wasn't just a shop. I don't remember exactly how big it was...today my guess is that the place covered a quarter region.

Effy...{Effulgent Brown}...had a wonderful setting where all of her houses were rezzed in a feudal Japan setting. One could wander along paths, over bridges, and explore her houses. Where today she has six styles, I think then there might have been a couple more. There were pavilions, pagoda towers, tea houses, a shop area with accessories...I was in heaven.

Over the next year plus I purchased quite a few of Effys things...in fact you can see I still use the Autumn Moon house as my own. I used her places as rentals at my mainland region.

One day I teleported to the shop....................it was gone. There was a small different shop there...but my dreamland was gone. I looked at at her profile...she had announced that she had left Secondlife.

I always felt such a connection with Effy...even though I had never met her.

A few weeks later I sent her an IM...just on the chance that some one that had come to Secondlife as early as Effy couldn't just stop. She came when six thousand on line was a big day...when Secondlife was a lot like high school.

She answered my IM a bit later and actually came to my home one evening. We chatted for well into a hour...I've always been fascinated by our early members and their stories. One of the things that Effy said made me have hope that she couldn't stay gone...She said that as she abandoned her land and closed Secondlife...the thought occurred to her..."What have I just done!"

Last evening a friend sent me a great note..asking me to resend it. I'm not sure why....but I sent that note to Effy...my only chat with her had been in March...but I saw the note accepted!

As I had hoped...Effy's back! She has a small shop @ House of Effulgent. Hogadon (85,214,105)

I would encourage all of you take a bit to go look around...her houses are low prim and well done. She has screens for sale, Asian furnishings, and all the textures used in her creations are available in case you choose to modify...and being in the snow land...it's quiet and peaceful.

Likely you won't get the chance to meet a person I so respect...by her own admission Effulgent is rather shy...though her name means radiant light...or shining light. It's a quiet peaceful presence she gives off, Effy feels good to be around.

So often my real life acquaintances ask me what I find in this platform....

I find the Effys......

I find you......

And every now and then.............I find me.

And so it goes

My love to you all, brinda

Namaste

Things That Make Me Go...Hmmm

Katina * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Lala Two that mean so much...You look at one's profile and think new...or doesn't care. The other looks so new here...'cause she was when that picture was taken. Both do care. Two of my oldest friends in Secondlife. Lala is my adopted Secondlife daughter...we chat or IM almost without fail everyday...no schedule...just turns out that way. Katina...weeks might go on without a word between us...and then...*meow*. And every now and then, that's it...today we likely shared four or five sentences...we haven't seen each other face to face in over two years. I'm in California, USA...Kat's in Turin, Italy. I see us as being in the others Secondlife as long as Secondlife is here. It's in my profile picks...there's that bond that one finds with the those you come to Secondlife with...hang on to them if you can. These last few days have been really busy for me...Kiki returned to Benares. She came here a day old...went and lived Secondlife for six months...and returned last week to live. Flor came last week...looked around for a day or so and has moved in on the East shore. Lita...our Lima, Peru girl has a small bachlorette home out West. Callme is busy setting up a house where Quinby was out East...(soon as Quinby moves her chickens lol). Quinbys moving to a larger parcel out SW west sim... A warm welcome to all...I will do my best. Finally Barbara's come home! Poly too! And Bubbles is wanting a new tier box location note card! Does it sound like I'm involved? I wouldn't have it any other way. If you haven't heard...two things from the far side. Effective December 11th...the Secondlife Mentors will cease to exist. Many did a lot of good...some were "tag hunters" {look at how important I am}...some were corrupt...many were just lazy. I have mixed feelings...Ive had the chance to work closely with many...a few I call close friends. There's a couple that aren't worth the effort to unplug their PCs if I could. The second thing has to do with Xstreet and the cut Linden Lab sees as fit. It sounds a lot like the death of the "cottage" industry that has started Secondlife. And while so many see that as so sad? Personally, I didn't come here to supplement my real life income... Big business is here, alive and well... Philip the dreamer is gone... Maybe it's time to repay the *start up* money... And so it goes My love to you all Namaste

Be Careful

I have mentioned in this post, as well as commenting on other blogs, about various role play actions in Secondlife.

This post will focus on what may well be the most potentially dangerous of the RP scenes in Secondlife....Gorean.

I was given the notecard, shown above, not long ago...and the story that goes with that note is one of sadness. Sadness for a lot of us...because that note was given to a friend of mine by a very strong woman...a woman that I cared what happened to...a woman that got lost somewhere around the fourth paragraph.

That she saw the potential for problems, and shared that note with my friend, saved my friend...but her own descent into the very thing she cautioned against hurt more than a few of us. I'm still so sad for Gin...a sweet island girl that wasn't prepared for anything more than love and joy. I've wondered since how many others were lost then...and will be lost in the future. And why do I still see a pick on the profile of the person that gave that note to my friend that says that her time here was the happiest in her life?

My time in Secondlife is better now than it was a year ago...and it was better then than it was the day I first stood on Orientation Island.

Role play is fantasy...Secondlife is fantasy...my dear sweet friend Bubbles isn't a bunny rabbit.

It's fun...and harmless...My good friend Breye lives in the West RL, and role plays in 1860 Texas.

While she thoroughly enjoys her 1860 life...she isn't so immersed in it that she can't see reality.

I can't see slavery..even fantasy slavery...but that's me. Fantasy slavery isn't the danger here.

The two real dangers are in getting emotionally trapped..... trapped emotionally in Secondlife just means perhaps losing this fantastic chance to be a part of something so big. I have close friends on seven continents...where else but Secondlife.

The other trap is that the Gorean cult...{and boy will they argue that one!}...is real life as well.

Google *Gorean*.... or for an in world peek, look at the Alphaville Herald 02/2006 confessions of a Gorean slave.

While I laugh at the thought of anyone dragging me by my hair anywhere....Or being involved with any one wearing a *quickly detachable loincloth for easy access*...I'm not new. And today I can learn from the mistakes of others. That note is available from me in world if you can't read it... Please think long and hard if that world is one you choose... And so it goes I love you all, brinda Namaste

Beautiful Thoughts

Original Art Work by Andor Diechter

Benares has so many talented people...I so often sit in amazement at what I'm privileged to be a part of.

A special thank you to Andor for sharing this original art work.

For those that may not recognize all...

Clockwise from center left: Poly, Ling, Myself, Twinkle, & Andor

Not pictured in this post... Lala, DaAngel, Krasin, Kattie...these have been here a long time...as well as fifteen or so others that have since joined us.

The first picture taken at Benares is of Lala setting our silver palm on January 24th 2008.

This past year has seen so many come...and sadly a few leave...

as long as they're happy.

The talent goes on...as well as the sense of community.

Thank you is never overused.

And so it goes

Love to all, brinda

Namaste

Caterpillars, Butterflys, and Souls

What We See So Depends On Where We Stand

What Is Beauty But Perception

Does Life Mean Less If It's Not Lived In The Sun?

I think that I may not get to know many of the answers to my questions...and for the first time in my life...that's OK.

Yesterday was a wonderful day...Twice in twenty four hours I was given the gift of meeting beautiful souls. I'm certain that the reason I didn't meet more was because of where I was mentally *standing*...not because those souls weren't there.

At this point on my journey to the butterfly's dream I understand that many won't relate to some of what I believe to be *truth*...not because of my veracity or lack of...but because we don't stand in identical places. And yet twice in one day I found some that could identify.

One of my early observations of life was when I intuitively *knew* at age maybe 10 that I was a much older soul than my Mother. That can be scary for a child if they have no one to discuss that idea with...and discussions like that in 1952 in central Illinois were likely rare =^..^=.

Not so oddly I found one of those souls here on Benares...I was so deep in thought and true communication that I allowed Secondlife night to fall. {Some know that I always have midday set}.... Watching the sunset and the stars come out was just *right*.

I have encouraged my fellow soul to perhaps publish some of the thoughts, poems, and life observations that are such a part of all sentient beings...yes, to stand in the sun.

My other encounter was with someone still on Help Island....We had spent those minutes I believe to be so important for new people...dressing and answering questions...and as I was about to leave, she said, "Darn it..I was looking for a Namaste gesture".

OMG! I said, you're one of us! :-). Buddhist. We spent the next while chatting at an entirely different level...Not as teacher and student...but fellow travelers on a path to stand in the light someday.

Perhaps today I will allow others to enter my life

My burdens are very light

And so it goes

My love to you, brinda

Namaste