Phoenix Viewer

Well, in the never ending saga that is Emerald and third party viewers, one of the Emerald team has formed a group that is producing a new (based on Emerald) viewer called The Phoenix Viewer.

My previous post talked about the Emergence Viewer, which was created by LordGregGreg, from Emerald. Phoenix is much the same, and LGG has joined the Phoenix team. I'm guessing that he will no longer work on Emergence and will focus his energy on Phoenix. I have not tried Phoenix yet, but will do so later this week. I have friends who say it's pretty much the same as Emergence, which is not surprising.

On a side note, as of now, Emerald will no longer be allowed to connect to SL, so we're all going to have to find alternatives. I'm guessing that Phoenix will be mine, but I also want to check out another viewer called Ascent. Details forthcoming. :-)

Emergence

My previous posts detailed why I'm looking at alternatives to the Emerald Viewer. This last week, LordGregGreg, one of the trusted developers who left Emerald in disgust, released his version of the Emerald Viewer, called Emergence. This viewer is basically Emerald, except that he has removed some of the things that he found distasteful in Emerald, and also added some things he found useful. The download can be found here: Emergence Viewer and the download itself is in the right column of the page.

I would like to say, after you download it, please don't judge the viewer on the default skin. While I kind of like black and red, the icons bugged me, so I switched skins to something more palatable. There are quite a few skins to choose from, so don't be turned off because of the default skin. All your favorite Emerald extras are here, including the build tools, double click teleports, the fab radar, and of course, jiggly tits. :-)

I'm glad that LGG has given us this, and if you're an Emerald person, this is probably the viewer you want to use. Enjoy!

It wouldn't be Imprudence at this juncture....

Well over a year ago, I started hearing about a new viewer called Emerald. Up to that point I had always, with few exceptions, used the Release Client viewer that LL released. I had heard many good things about Emerald, including features that were very functional, and some aesthetically pleasing as well. I tried it and loved it, and I never went back to the LL viewer.

Well, a few weeks ago, I started reading about some issues that Modular Systems, the makers of Emerald, were having. Or I should say, they were creating issues. I read with interest as a number of people were making claims about a lot of Emeralds developers. Allegedly, some of these developers were banned from SL for copybotting, griefing and similar activities. It seems that LL knew that they were in charge of making this viewer and had considered them reformed and let them go. Part of this, obviously, has to do with the enormous popularity of Emerald, and the incredible revulsion many have for LL's own Viewer 2.0.

As I continued reading over the last weeks, I came to feel that many of these "whistle blowers" who made these claims about the Emerald devs had axes to grind with them. It also came to light that most of these people were themselves banned by LL as well, for...you guessed it....copybotting and griefing. Oh, the irony. So, what to do in all this confusion of he said, she said, NO YOUUU!!?

I kept using Emerald for the time being. There were two people still working on Emerald who I, and most others, still trusted: Chalice and LordGregGreg. Until I had a definitive answer on what was going on I felt no need to make any changes. At this point, the issues being discussed were regarding a project called Onyx, which was a bot of some sort used to scan SL for who knows what purpose. CDS was another project that was used to identify alts based on IP addresses gathered from parcels using media settings, and this information was sold to creators as a tool to ban any avatar shown to be wearing stolen content, as well as banning any alts using the same IP. Many people were upset about this for various reasons, one of which was that the system itself was very flawed. Finally, there was an issue of a library installed in Emerald, and you'll have to forgive my lack of technical prowess on this, that was questioned by some of the devs and allegedly removed. While the library's intended use is benign, some had suspected that it was being used differently and was discovered again in Emerald. The dev was told it was removed again, but was again discovered in the viewer, and said developer was then prevented access to that portion of the viewer. That developer then left the team and posted on his blog that he could not in good conscience work at Emerald any more. Lordgreggreg's blog and that entry is here: LordGregGreg's Blog

At this point, I was starting to search for another viewer. The end for me came a few days ago, when it was discovered that the leader of Emerald, Fractured Crystal, had basically put code in to the viewer that directed everyone using Emerald to visit a web page upon logging in to SL. We didn't see it, but it happened. This is basically a Denial Of Service attack which is illegal and punishable by law, although due to the scale of the attack, will not happen. Shortly after this, Chalice Yao, probably the last grownup to work on Emerald, and someone very well liked and respected, left the team in disgust. The next day, I downloaded a few viewers and will test them out.

That being said, I doubt I will have to look much further. I have since started using Imprudence and, although it's not as good, in my opinion, as Emerald, it's very good and stable and I think my journeys on SL will be taken in this viewer.

I would encourage everyone to consider using a viewer other than Emerald. Although Fractured has since stepped down, I definitely do not trust them with my SL password, and I will not use Emerald any longer.

I'm Back, Baby!!

Yeah, I know. You'll believe it when you see it. My last return was one post. I get your skepticism, and I personally share it.

But, for today, I am blogging. I've decided to make some changes in my life. I've not blogged about it, but I've been obsessively playing World Of Warcraft, which has led to much less time in Second Life and some shirking of RL obligations, as well. I've been in a total holding pattern in my life, except for the leveling of multiple characters in WoW. As a person in recovery, still possessing very addictive behavior patterns, this is not abnormal, for me or others like me. The only problem arises when I fail to recognize and deal with it in a timely basis.

So, I am here and I have not played WoW yet today. What I did do was wake up, have some water first (my caffeine addiction is kicking in again,) and then had some coffee. I actually went outside and drank some with the dogs. Then I came inside and actually did a short yoga session and meditated! I know! It's shocking! And now I'm blogging? The world may very well be in shock from my behavior today.

I'm actually overwhelmed at what I need to do to catch up in my life right now, but really, when I simplify things, I just need to do a few things each day and within a month, change will be noticeable.

One thing will be changing here. I am going to add another blog for now. The new one will replace my old whitesail.org blog. I will use this blog for only SL posts, so likely most of my blogging will be on the other new blog. I first have to find the perfect title for it. Much of what I will write about will be spiritual matters. I will also be posting more on my Savoy blog. I will be writing more about music and jazz and musicians and the Savoy itself. I would like to see my career manifest itself in music and jazz, so that is a logical and important step for me.

Anyway, I have to take care of some things in RL now, so I will leave you with this. I thank all of you who are my friends, for just being you and staying with me. I've been a bit of a recluse from SL lately. It's a combination of things, including WoW obsession, being burnt out in SL, and just plain isolating, which is an addicts best (unhelpful) friend. I am, however, moving forward again, and we'll see where this takes me. Take care.

Yeah, yeah, yeah......I'm lazy. Sue me!!

I haven't blogged forever. I know. I started working, and summer yardwork, and other stuff, and laziness....and...stuff.

I am, however, making a concerted effort to start blogging again. So what's new in the life of Crighton?

Well, I'm still DJing, but not as much. I'm still running The Savoy Jazz Club and that's been more of a challenge over the last few months due to some turnover and changes. I also am planning on making The Savoy Blog a regular thing, too. Marco Island has also been more of a challenge lately, due to the softness of the land market in SL. I'm still in good shape, but haven't been at 100% capacity for some time now. With the changing season, I'm guessing that should change for the better soon. My alt is still having more fun than me, but that's nothing new. ;-)

My entire life, RL and SL, has become somewhat stagnant. RL gravity has been weighing on me and I have not handled it as well as I could have, but it is what it is. What is important is that I'm taking positive steps to change, and this post is one of those steps. This post is not too informative and not too enlightening, but it is just an update and a harbinger of things to come, hopefully.

I still believe wholeheartedly, that SL is a mirror. I have a theory, however, that SL does not just mirror RL, but that I can use my SL as a catalyst to make things happen in RL. Symbols, archetypes, intent and desire, all come together to create.

Let's see what happens next!

Two Year Reflections.....

It was two years ago that Crighton Johin first rezzed his noobie ass in SL.

Jenda and I joined about the same time, and as noobs, we wandered aimlessly, fascinated by SL and what we found. We were both looking for things that interested us, both together and on our own. I found the live music scene and AA and was hooked. This is particularly amusing considering when I joined it was only for Jen to get a referral fee reward. Honestly, I was getting bored, but after finding the music and AA, I realized that SL was much more than I bargained for.

After a long time as wandering around as a newbie, I eventually succumbed to the lure of a nice skin and my appearance evolved over the months to something a bit more handsome. I fell in love and was amazed at the bond that we could make in SL. I also found out first hand that the pains of relationships in SL are just as real as in RL. My love of music and my frustration at finding decent internet radio stations led me to the art of SL DJing, thanks to friends who pushed and mentored me. (hugs to Jocelyn) This led to a new level of socializing, that in RL was unheard of for me. I settled into my life as a SL DJ and loved it. Not only did I have the awesome privilege of playing music I actually liked (I was horrified at the thought of playing pop music,) but I actually made some decent money doing so. Getting paid for doing something I love? This was definitely better than RL!

Along the way, my life got busy and complicated and being a solitary person, I was having a hard time dealing with the rigors of being *gasps* somewhat popular, so I decided to create an alt. By this time, I had become quite curious about the female avatar and decided to create an alt that was female. Thus, Aeryn was born. Quite quickly, she became a relatively big part of my SL. She spent my money and eventually became my favorite avatar to use during free time. I'm sure much speculation ensued about me and my Aeryn *grins* but there was really nothing perverted or nefarious about her. She shopped and danced and eventually opened up her own shape shop. Yes, I found out that I had an eye for proportion that some don't have, and tried to capitalize on that. I ran out of gas on that venture, but still have the shop open and may do something with it in the future. Most of my friends now know about Aeryn and I think they humor me and my double life and I love them for it.

Last year, Bill Mondegreen and I talked about jazz and opening up a jazz club. Bill built and and was instrumental in it's opening. I merely showed up and spun jazz on a regular basis. I was amazed that we actually garnered a following that grew steadily. Bill eventually had some RL issues to deal with and the management of the club fell on me. We steadily added more gigs, blues and jazz. We added a couple fabulous female live vocalists to sing and our traffic grew. I can now say, without hesitation, that the Savoy is a success and is, in my opinion, the best jazz and blues club in SL. I am honored to be working with the DJs, hosts, and performers we have at the Savoy. And is it really working if I have a blast?

Next up on my thrilling ride through SL fun and insanity was Aeryn's turn to the dark side. Yes, she became a vampire. As if I needed something else to occupy my time, while looking innocently for a nice pair of fangs, Aeryn was seduced to the dark side by a handsome Frenchman with pointy teeth. No, there was no funny business, just some neck biting....lol. Immersing myself into Bloodlines with Aeryn pushed me to a whole new level of socializing and I found myself having fun helping.....newbies? Yes, that's right. A vampire with a heart of gold. :-) Don't get me wrong, she still wants your soul, but I found that through BL, I ran into more newbies than every before, and used the opportunity for good, rather than collecting souls. Don't forget though, Aeryn still wants your soul.

Next on the winding road that is SL, Marco Island was dropped in my lap. Yes, I now own a sim, which brings with it a whole new set of responsibilities and pressures, not the least of which is real life money. Things have been good so far and I think I've done well with it. I try to keep a healthy balance between being fair to my fellow Islanders and being smart with rent so I'm not left owing money. We haven't changed much, but we're looking at improvements and ways to help us all in our endeavors.

So last night, we had a two year rez day party for me. Kimala did such a good job setting it up and I had a blast. I let my ego run wild and played some of my favorite rock music, and I hope I didn't run anyone off. ;-) And through all this post, I have not even talked about the most important aspect of SL, at least for me. Friends. That will be my next blog entry, as I've already gone on and on here. But I've been so fortunate in my SL to have found the absolute best bunch of people that I call friends. Second Life has had a set of pitfalls that I've stepped in, including my obsessive/addictive nature. I've also been struggling with the whole concept of doing something I love in RL, rather than just in SL. It has shown me how dissatisfied I am in my RL career, or lack thereof. But that is something I will have to deal with.

In the mean time, I love Second Life and my friends there. Considering that I was there only temporarily, it's turned out to be quite some trip....dare I say a long strange trip?

Back to reality....

Well....My fantasy of not ever having to work in RL has come to an end, and I must devote a fair chunk of my time to finding a job quickly, and then actually going to work. *sighs* The last weeks have been fun....and a complete waste of valuable time. I have blown a chance to get started on some things that I wish I would have. In fairness to me, I wasn't clear on what I wanted to do in the first place, so possibly this was an incubation period. The vague description of what I'm shooting for is graphics and web design, but obviously I have a lot to learn. I'd like to eventually ply my trade in music somehow, preferably in blues and jazz. We'll see...

Speaking of jazz, we have a fabulous New Year's Eve at the Bistro and Savoy last week, starting with bigd at the Bistro, and ending with Oggden, me, Nina and Iso/Hy at the Savoy. We had a ton of great music at the Bistro, and I even got to do my first Cowboy Junkies set, which was fun for me. Bigd was rocking the house most of the morning and afternoon, along with Tali, Ogg and I.

At 6pm, the party moved to the Savoy, where Ogg took the stream with a fabulous set of fusion and jazz. After that, Nina and I traded off with me spinning and her singing, and the house band was just pumping!! Kimala pulled out her U2 signature guitar, while me and Aeryn provided the rhythm to back her. The highlight of the evening was when Hy and Isobela shared the stream for a hilariously fun and touching evening of blues, together for the first time...again....heee. By coming "out of the closet" as a RL couple, they provided laughs and great music for the next couple hours until we all collapsed with exhaustion. All in all, it was a fabulous evening and a great way to bring in the new year.

And it is a new year....2009. While the last year, in some respects, has seemed to be somewhat of a failure for me, in RL particularly, I have to pick up and move on. I have to learn from these failures and see what are the lessons in them, and possibly find out that there are no failures, but only learning experiences. Hills, valleys and plateaus....that when viewed without judgement, provide the beautiful landscape of my life.

I will probably not have as much time to devote to Aeryn and her vampiric ways, but I hope to have some time now and then to engage in her little "hobby." You never know when you're going to end up in a bird cage, high above a frozen lake, captured by aliens...wondering when you'll be able to taste the sweet red essence of a fresh human.....*sighs* Fortunately she escaped to roam, yet again. She also went to a wonderful wedding of a vampire friend, that was truly the most beautiful wedding I've been to yet. And yes, I'm aware that I've traded pronouns and am possibly confused. :-P Confusion is part of my charm, Yo!

So, the end of a chapter and the beginning of a new one. Exciting and scary and exhausting. What shall I create in this life of mine? Because, that is what it is....creation.....without limitations.

Why So Many Pet Peeves?

I was browsing the SL forums the other day, and something struck me. There is a lot of shit that bugs people. I mean, stuff that to me seems quite unimportant that other people just do not tolerate.

*Hoo's, howling and gestures in general.
*Vampires/Bloodlines
*Unsolicited group invites
*LM/notecard givers on parcels/shops
*Alts
*Furries
*DJs that don't talk
*Djs that talk too much
*ASCI gesture spam
*Any type of RP

....and on and on and on.

Some of this stuff I do. I Hoo! I admit it. Most of my friends Hoo! Sometimes we get carried away. I guess I fail to see what is so bad about it. Same thing with howling. It's kind of a show that we're having fun and since most of this occurs at clubs, we ARE having fun. So why does this bother people? If you're in a RL club and having fun and let out a whoop or two, is that wrong? I have come to the conclusion that some people really do not want to have fun. Gestures? They can be a riot, when used properly. I love a few of my gestures, especially my Buffy gestures. :-) The one thing above that does bother me are the large ASCI gestures that take up a whole screen. I am not a fan of those, but while they may be a bit irritating, how big a deal is it really? A LM giver? Oh man, you mean I have to click Decline to not accept it? Man, what a bother. That's way too much work for me. *sighs* Same thing with group invites. I get them all the time. It's a simple decision. Do I want it, or don't I? Spam is when I get penis enlargement emails from someone I've never met before. A group invite I receive from frequenting a club or store I have visited and if I enjoy my visit, I'm happy to accept a group invite if I can fit it in my 25 groups.

All the serious stuff going on in our world today......financial upheavel, wars and death, etc....with all that, how is a vampire asking me to bite them going to be such a big deal that it would make me spout hatred and stupidity? This is SL, and it's not really a bite. If Hoo's bother you that much, mute the offender or leave the club. But remember this: If little shit like that bothers you, who's next? Because you can't make everyone behave the way you would like them to behave. Ramana Maharshi said, "Rather than cover the earth with leather to walk on, it's easier to make shoes for my feet." What that means, if little shit bugs me, maybe it's a sign I have some issues I need to work on.

Mirrors

People always ask, What is Second Life? For every person answering, there is a different answer. I suppose that this is because SL is just a different life. My answer is that Second Life is a mirror of RL. Some would argue that, "No, my SL is different. I do RP and my SL is not at all like my RL." On the surface that could be true, but I believe that we bring ourselves into SL and that if there is something that appears to be vastly different, it may be something that is within is that we have not noticed before.
I have an alt named Aeryn, and I am obviously not a female. I am not confused about my sexuality, but I created this alt and found a part of me that enjoyed it immensely. I'm a firm believer that we have aspects of male AND female within us, and it behooves us to acknowledge them both. I believe that is what meant by the Biblical passage that a man shouldn't sleep with males means that we should not stay to close to only our gender....that we should embrace the female within us, or viceversa.
I usually am more apt to be found doing something more spiritual with Aeryn than Crighton, as Crighton is usually more social. This week I was looking for Asian/oriental stuff and found my way to Buddha Art in SL. That is where the first two pics were taken. The second two were taken at a Japanese skybox that I've fallen in love with. Meditation is a big part of my spiritual life and it is reflected in many of my choices to decorate the places I've lived in. I always have meditation cushions and Buddhas and I love my tai chi balls, too!
So SL mirrors my real life. That is obvious, as you'll find me listening to live music or hanging at clubs that play the music I love. My SL work is DJing and playing the music I love for people who have found it enjoyable, also. And I also find myself drawn to anything spiritual and zen. If I had a sim, I would make it something very spiritual and would hope to have classes and groups made to join together. One of my dreams in RL and SL. Yet another mirror.

What is my point here? Well, other than an observation, my point is that I have always wanted to use SL as a catalyst to do some things in RL that I either have not been able to achieve, or that maybe I didn't realize were within the realm of possibility, until I saw that possibility arise in SL. A RL career in music and/or healing? Being more social and a better friend? Creating my own reality, and by this I mean CREATING my life anew. These are all thoughts that arose from past training and learning, and also from seeds that seem to have been fertilized by SL itself. Mirrors, indeed.

Alts And The Games They Play

First off, yes, I do have an alt. There was a time that Aeryn was pretty much a secret to most everyone. The reason for this I've mentioned in a previous blog entry, but, short and sweet, I wanted an alt to help find some quiet time on the grid due to various reasons. Also, to be honest, I created a female alt, because I had changed gender as Crighton and found it oddly fascinating. When my alt was pretty much a secret, I rarely brought her around to places and people I knew, because it felt uncomfortable to me. I felt like I was being dishonest and sneaky. It especially felt funny to me when I had male friends get "friendly" with Aeryn. I placed myself in their shoes and didn't like it one bit. So I kept away. Over a period of months, I let more and more friends in on my eccentric little "secret" and finally outed Aeryn on this blog. I also pretty much let all my close friends know about her, and didn't make much of an effort to keep it secret anymore. When I go somewhere, as Aeryn, that Crighton frequents, most people there know me. If someone gets friendly and I know them as Crighton, I tell them who I am, apologize for any weirdness and move on from there. In other words, I try to be honest.

Last night, at two of my gigs, we had a visitor at each one and the "alt radar" in some of us went off. I'm not paranoid about alts, as I have one and use her often and understand why some people do this. I have no problem with it as long as it's innocent and not manipulative. One of these "visitors" seemed to know more than I thought possible on a first meet and a flag went up. On one hand, I was amused, thinking, "who is this and what are they up to?" On the other hand, their was some tame flirting and I was wondering, if this is an alt of someone I know, what is their motivation? I understand that there is a possibility that the person was not an alt and maybe more perceptive than the average person, but what if...?

I'm not a fan of any type of manipulation, although I have to admit that being human, I've engaged in the behavior myself. I love alts, I really do. I know people on SL with multiple alts and used correctly they can be a lot of fun. I know that Aeryn has taught me a lot about myself, both good and bad. I have mad fashion skills that I never knew I had, and I, at one time, engaged in spying using Aeryn before she was "known." I'm not proud of that, so it is with amusement that I raise some of these questions, knowing I'm not lily white and innocent. You're shocked, aren't you? :-)

Wow!!

Short post and I may add to it later, but Nina Brandenburg sang live for the FIRST damn time at The Savoy Jazz Club today and she just blew us all away. What an amazing performance....first time out of the gate. Technically near perfect, and great phrasing and style, and she has a great feel for jazz and blues....improving and embellishing to match the songs. Oh, and her song selection was fantastic, too. She sang Ella Ticket-A-Tasket, Diana Krall Peel Me A Grape and Frim Fram Sauce, I Will Remember You by Sarah McLachlan and Stay by Sugarland. Her finale was the best I've heard with two Eva Cassidy styled versions of Imagine by John Lennon and Somewhere Over The Rainbow, which actually choked me up and brought on tears. Amazing performance and I'm sure that it's a matter of time before she hits it big in SL.

God, I was just speechless, and that NEVER happens!! ;-)

I'm getting ready....

....to get back into SL again, I think. This has been a very strange week. I have not done a very good job of getting caught up around the house in RL, and I have been on SL very rarely other than to DJ and attend a couple other events with friends. I have, however, been feeling that pull of doing some things in SL that I have not felt for a while. Nothing concrete, but I think I feel a project coming on. Don't ask me what, I'll let you know when I know. :-)

Oh, and I have an entry on my other blog too, today. It might explain me starting to emerge from my funk. I love Synchronicity, don't you? ;-)

RL Blog Is Officially Active!

WhiteSail is officially active for the first time in, ohhh....about a year and a half. That blog will be geared towards RL issues such as spirituality, politics, general rants, music and that type of thing. This blog will be more suited to strictly SL subjects, unless I get confused and just post here, which could very well happen. Wait....is it happening right now? I think it is. Quick, what's going on in SL......

Hmmmmmmmmmm.......Once I figure out what the hell I'm doing with my gigs, I will send a notecard out with my new schedule. I only have one question left at this time, and I should find out today.

I've had a lot of fun with Aeryn "channeling" Sarah Palin lately. If you're conservative, I'm sorry.....okay, I'm not sorry. :-D Here are some pics of Ms. Palin:

Ch-Ch-Changes.....

...but not big changes. Last night I DJ'd at Bistro Olive for the first time and had a wonderful time. I've given up two gigs and I believe another one will be going by the wayside also. I'm quite sure I'll be picking up another to replace that one, though. *winks at Parker*

So things are changing. A few months ago, I was DJing nine gigs a week, which is too much. I was having fun and making lots of Lindens, but I started getting burnt out. Then I have this problem of saying "no" and not wanting people to be upset with me. Another form of sefishness, really....

So, now, if things shake out the way I think they will, I'll have six gigs a week, which should be okay. That gives me more time to do the RL stuff I need to and the time on SL to dick around and have fun. I can always pick up another or do a special gig now and then.

And a treat to do with the topic of this post....Time by Pink Floyd

Happy Birthday!!!

....to Blissie and Borday!! They've both got birthdays today and tomorrow I think. Well, not that they both have two birthdays...that's just stupid. But someone has a birthday today and the other is tomorrow. I can't remember. Anyway, happy birthday to two of my favoritest peoples in SL!! They are both just extremely fun and talented and smart people and I'm very fortunate to have them in my life. Wow, and it's been a year now...amazing.

Anyhoo, congratulations and happy birthday to you both!! Look forward to partying with you guys tonight, too.

I'm bored in SL.....

....in some ways.

I love my friends and DJing. That's basically why I log on anymore. I recently, or not so recently, moved into a new house on my own beautiful private island on an open space sim. Lots of water, etc. I still have not decorated or furnished my house. I'm just not interested in that right now. I think I SHOULD be, but I'm not. :-P

So lately, I'm logging in to DJ and to take care of things that need to be done. And, of course, to hang out with my friends. The changes in my RL, which obviously color my SL, have been taking me through some ups and downs. Changes will do that, so I'm riding it out, and I feel good about things now. I feel like a lot has changed and I have a positive outlook. :-)

I'm sure when the weather turns....when it gets colder, that SL will be more attractive to me. I'm guessing too, that I will be re-inspired to do something special and create something or do something more than I am now. But I'm not pushing so much. I'm very excited about life right now, and I have not felt that way for a while. I mean, certain things excite(d) me, but life as a whole...not so much.

Bottom line, SL better save up it's energy for me, because I'll be back with a vengeance baby!! Unless I pull a muscle or something.

;-)

What I really need...

....is another blog. Okay, not just another blog, but my OTHER blog.

WhiteSail

My plan is this....I am going to use this blog for Second Life posts, and use the WhiteSail for other stuff. With everything going on in my life, and inside me, I'm looking at branching out some and doing more writing. Don't laugh...I heard that and it wasn't nice!! :-D

That's all for now. I just finished watching What The Bleep again and I'm feeling quite inspired. What I decided I would try to do long ago within Second Life, was to try to use it somehow to recreate my life within that platform. By DJing, which is bringing my love of music, in to my Second Life...to the forefront of my SL, my idea was that would help me to bring it in to my Real Life. While that has not happened yet, at least not to fruition, it has set things in motion in me, including the ideas set forth in this movie, which is pushing me to make major changes in my life.

One of these changes is to focus more on what matters to me. Music, friends, family, spirituality and living the life I want to live. In some respects, living the life I NEED to live. I'm not happy with my RL job at all right now. I work for a great company, but I hate the job itself. I NEED that to change. In fact, more importantly and more powerfully, I have CHOSEN to change that.

That's all for now, but I hope to have the other blog going again soon, if I can find out where my damn control panel is!! :-D

I'm kinda bored.....

....with SL in a some ways. I still go to my AA meetings and I still do my DJing. I still like to hang out with my friends, but I'm very rarely on SL during the day anymore. I've been trying to take care of some things in RL that need attending to. I've had somewhat of a re-invigoration of my spirituality which is a very good thing. Much seems to be turning around in my life right now....granted, I need to put in some effort here. And I am doing that. :-)

I've decided to hold on to Aeryn's shop for a month or so until I get time to revamp it. In the winter, when yardwork goes into hibernation, I will have more time and will revisit the Shape thing.

I have a lot of things going through my head right now. A few posts ago, I talked about how I would like to use SL to bring to my RL some positive changes and how I would go about that. I've since been pointed in the direction of The Secret and then What The Bleep Do We Know. Both movies tell us we create our own reality. This also coincides with my love of the writers Deepak Chopra and Neale Donald Walsch (Conversations With God.) I also had a flash of insight that I should be following a program set forth in the book, The Life We Are Given, which is written by George Leonard and Michael Murphy, both founding members of The Institute Of Noetic Sciences. The IONS, by the way, has a workbook online in PDF format for What The Bleep Do We Know? Hmmmmmmm....I love synchronicity, don't you?

So, I'm trying to integrate all this in to my life right now. Watching the movies is easy and inspirational, but that is just a start. In the book I listed, Murphy and Leonard talk about how sustained practice and work is what moves us forward in our lives. In Zen, that is why meditation is referred to as Practice. We're never done, we just keep practicing. When the student has an amazing revelation, the Zen Master smiles and tells him to go practice some more...just sit. That being said, I've started meditating again and am dabbling in a bit of Yoga.....and hope to expand that. I'm so tight....that stretching hurts!! :-)

I know that there is not much SL in this post from a SL blog, but I don't have much SL to post about right now. I'm feeling inspired about other things at the moment, but I'm guessing that will inspire me in SL, too. In fact, I'm quite sure of it. I feel more centered and more balanced, which is making my SL more enjoyable right now. This is a good thing. Now, let's see if I can keep it up! Let me rephrase that.....I CHOOSE to keep this course up. Number One....Engage!!

Not enough time in the day....

....to do what I want AND what I need. I've been trying to get Aeryn's shape shop off the ground for awhile. I put some time in to getting the shop up and a few shapes in it, but I've come to the realization that I just can't do it right now. I'm supposed to be ready to do a showcase next week and I just can't do it, not with everything to do around the house and with Jake starting school and my other obligations in SL at this time. As far as SL goes, my music does come first, because that is what I love doing.

So, I guess I'll keep the shop up until the rent runs out....I still have a couple weeks to change my mind.

We'll see.....

Sick....blech!

I've been sick for three days now.....eeek. Kind of a mild flu thing. You know I'm not right when I don't log in to SL until almost 4pm. I sat on the couch and took it easy for most of the day. I got a live singer lined up for next Friday though! The fabulous Inchino Melson will be singing at the Savoy Jazz Club next Friday at 2pm! I'm very excited. This is my first real project in the Savoy other than DJing and lending my sparkly personality to the club. She will be fabulous, I'm sure!

Other than that, I'm really being kind of scarce on SL this week. Next week, I need to get Aeryn busy on some new shapes and putting some freebies out in the shop. I also need to actually put furniture in my new house....lol. I'm such a slacker.

Oh well, I'm off the shop...RL that is. Groceries, in case you are thinking something exciting. See you next week!!