slaves and masters/mistresses

Well, I have a friend who has been researching, in an in-depth manner, (*smiles) the whole slave auction scene in Second Life and I have been following her musings with some interest.

What has amazed my friend is the sheer number of slaves looking for a dominant partner. That, of course, like a lot of things has got me thinking, wondering why this is such a major SL activity. The partial emancipation of women, for example, is here being thrown out of the window, lock, stock and barrel....why?

Now, before you jump to any false assumptions, Soror has The Mighty Prim (not an avatar name) as both master/mistress and slave/pet and it is extremely unlikely that she will sacrifice Blender for any good looking guy/gal in mock leather and long hair (terrible uniform, like the vampires).

Well, pure speculation follows....
Can it be that the rush for equality has lead to a retrograde desire for a time when gender roles were more stereotypical?
Could it be that, in the safety of a virtual environment, experimentation is intriguing, curiosity being one of the cornerstones of human existence?

Obvious mental flaws show up, in my humble opinion, if public humiliation is how you choose to spend your SL time, and particularly nasty things occur here as in other worlds, but these, hopefully are in the minority.

While it seems to me like a natural extension of role-playing games for a couple who have already bonded to indulge in various forms of games, .....why would anyone put themselves up for sale, and abuse, to the highest bidder (especially when the Linden Dollar is never gone make any of em rich) in a public auction house?

Maybe I shouldn't write about things I don't fully understand, but it is an amazing situation, and, for the most part (it seems to me) the opposite of the healing processes that can be called to bear in this world (as mentioned in previous posts).

My friend said it is so fascinating she is thinking of starting her psychological studies again, and it certainly has me mystified, wracking my brains for what Jung would have seen in all this, apart from the fairly obvious manifestation of the power complex in all its convoluted forms. Well, maybe thats all it is.... not having much of a power complex myself I am unlikely to understand the appeal...

Hmmm... "And I am daily amazed at the degree of healing that occurs for those that are open to using SL for the exploration of the psyche." I wrote just a few days ago.......

:))

Selavy Oh

Very pleased to be able to be associated with such an amazing build. This is Selavy at Formes Nocturnes.
My little grey forest just contasts nicely with the huge broken geometry of the place.

This is Nur Moo's sim and, wisely, she has unleashed Selavy on it.....its surely gonna be the most amazing place to go dancing in the metaverse.

The exact address, is..... Formes nocturnes (128,130,50) its bound to be in Nur Moo's picks, or Im me or Selavy.... its a must see..

bits and pieces

This is Poetik Velvets, the site of my collab build with CensoredMy Lund, we are doing a room together inside this very Hi-Tech looking building. We hope to be finished by the 14th, and I will, obviously keep you posted.





Aliz did a gallery talk, talking about her work here last night, (Dakota's). It was extremely interesting, and I was amazed at how good she is at this sort of presentation. I am totally useless at this sort of thing, expecting the work to speak for itself, but people do like to know the ins and outs of the whole creative process, and I hope to have learnt something from this for the next time I have this possibility.





The photo in itself is funny enough, but the chat was so funny I was doubled up over my keyboard.
This is Taliesin Llanfair, with his two gf's Candi and Kandee..
Played in my head in broad Aussie accent....
"yeh, mate, but who's the ugly bitch in the middle?'
The comedians involved are those witty guys and gals who make up a good proportion of Alienspeaking's fan club at The Cim.

:))

Pet Wolf

Well, this is me, taking a coffee break after putting together 8 megas for the trunk of my huge new tree, the 75th Ancient, it, as I have written below, is for my new build at Caerleon, which will hopefully start next week. So far it am at around 150 prims on this tree so its not for the average back garden. I wouldn't be surprised if it touches 256 before I'm through.

Many thanks to Scotsgreymouser for letting me use her platform to build this on, I don't have anything like the necessary prims to build something of this size.





Ahh....great when you rez at the exact same moment as a friend.....Pixi and I arrived synchroniously at Aliz'a show.

Aliz is showing at Ambber's Sun Escapes Art Centre.... the address is White Rock (20,224,22,).... IM me or Alizarin Goldflake for an LM.

Betty (as bee) enjoying one of the exhibits above... Betty is streets ahead of me in letting go of her human shape in SL, and I have such respect for that. She enjoys life as a bee and, along with other intrepid adventurers, as a flock of budgies.


Well...it is often the case that events happen to confirm or underline things you are currently thinking about. This morning in my FL (first life) bed, in that space in time just before you rezz, I got an IM, (a dream) and the IM said...(and picture it as the message only, as it appears on the bottom of your screen)...
"Pet Wolf: ... Nishi, I need you."
Now, the interesting thing is that there is no avatar in SL called Pet Wolf. However, I know exactly who this person is. My unconscious has given someone I know a nickname, without my conscious intervention.

Jung mentions the humour dormant in the unconscious and it certainly made me laugh. An interesting point, however, is the complete autonomy of the unconscious, which, by definition is beyond my conscious reach.

In light of my post yesterday it also underlines the proximity of unconscious and conscious states, and the rather artificial mental borders we throw up between "real" events, dreams and SL.


:))

the Real World ....pt 2

Those of you who know me, either through these pages, or in-world, will know of my continuing interest in the relationships we have with our Second incarnations, the ones we play though on the screen.

My rant, Real Weirdos didn't really clarify exactly what I meant and, in my surprisingly popular real world post, last month I tried to approach the fact that real emotions and real healing happens In-World to such a common degree that the idea that SL is any less real than RL is a little confusing.

So....I was watching and interested in a programme on the TV...(a rare thing)... and .....in the view of one so-called expert.... namely that the only difference between dreaming and waking is the interference in the waking state of sense impressions. He used the terms "dream" and "Real World", and current theories of consciousness seem to back up what Jung (my personal nominee for Greatest Mind of the Twentieth Century) has said in so many different ways....namely that dreams are real.

The psyche is a reality, everything we experience in the "Real World" we experience with our psyche. Like a force of nature, our dreams are real. By definition, then SL is real, as real as anything else we see and experience, and the behaviour of our on-screen personalities comes from just one source, obviously.

I haven't met anyone, except Pixi and Puma, in RL and was interested when a friend said she had met a few people in both worlds... "oh...what are they like?" I was fascinated...."just the same," she said..... :))

There may be a case for arguing, and I know some of my friends would agree, that.... because you know the exterior/appearance to be an illusion in SL you tend to look through that more in SL than you do in RL. I have always been amazed at how sharp my intuition has become in SL when, really....it should be worse.

And I am daily amazed at the degree of healing that occurs for those that are open to using SL for the exploration of the psyche.

So..... I'm not going anywhere in particular with these musings... just a mental note to try and stop calling it RL... First Life might be better... and to justify (to myself if I need to) this beloved addiction.

I also need to rant at some point about the idea that realising that you have multiple sides to your personality is not a disorder, but extremely healthy......just look at people stuck in their personnas and you will see mental dis-ease.

For more..

:))

stuff going on.....

Well...all sorts of stuff is going on.....

Firstly I have been asked to do a build at Caerleon, and I understand that they want me on their website too as one of their 'artists in residence' which is obviously quite an honour..... lots of people I respect have already put stuff out at Caerleon, so I will feel like I am in august company. I will be getting 1200 prims and 3000m2 I understand, on a new sim, and this is likely to start next week.

I have already started putting some things together...and find I must make a new HUGE tree to match my 50th in scale. The 50th, although still on show at Orange, has been sold with full rights to Alexandar Vegas, so its basically his.

Then, just as I thought I would take a bit of a break, Gattina Dumpling asked me to join a collaborative build on a hotel she's doing...so I will be doing a room along with another builder.....details, to follow...

Meanwhile, back at the shows....well... I think Evolution has two weeks to run and the one at the Austrian Sim has 10 days or so.....been selling mushrooms regularly to some foreign people which is nice, as that was the idea...:))

Haven't been to many shows recently, but will have a look round this week-end if theres anything worth reporting on.... I will..

hi zc ..:))


:))

hahahahaha

well, it made me laugh

but then, I'm easily amused......

and......busy....but hope to get back to some fascinating blogs in the next few days...


:)))

Selavy broke the dance floor

Lots of dancing today....:))



Some more dramatic than romantic....:))

How cool is that !!

:))

Mushrooms and Fruit

Another new show, (me) opening this Sunday.

I am showing all my mushrooms and fruit, together with some (only a few....don't worry) of my RL paintings....and I have a couple of retextured trees which have turned out rather well.

The show is at The Vienna Quarter, Schweet (191,86,28)...and reminds me that I was in Vienna many years ago looking at the Jugendstil of the Secessionist architect Otto Wagner, and of course, the beautiful work of Gustav Klimt.

I would always aim to capture elements of this work in my humble attempts, the stylistic abstraction of reality to emphasise and enhance the essence rather than photographic reproduction of banality.

Alpha Auer recently wrote a long article in NPIRL, concerning art... and it would be too much for me to paraphrase this long article here.

There are always things that stick in your mind, however, when you read some well thought-out piece like this, and for me it was the point that art actually was useful in "the old days".

She points out that functionality disappeared from art a long time ago and Virtual Worlds art has a possibility of ressurrecting that. If I build a tree, for example, it will be 'used' in a way that a priceless pickled shark will not be.....(the shark will be kept under lock and key in a controlled environment).

Which brings me on to "Rant Mode" concerning photographs, in the galleries of SL.....omg..... best if I don't get started. It is probably sufficient to say that there are few, very few photos hanging on the walls of galleries that present me with anything new. I think not even 1% are better than anything you or I could snap and plague virtual worlds with. And, why? Why would I hang a photo on a wall??... THE WHOLE WALL IS A PHOTO ANYWAY......OK, enough, ....soror, stop.

:))

Heart Thumpingly Worrying........

Well, yes, I am exaggerating slightly....but....imagine...I have spent the last few months organising my clothes. I have saved them as outfits, and even included a photo of me in them. in the folders. Nice going you might think...and...well, I was feeling pretty proud of myself.

Sooo....after the last few days of fun and games in SL (the Boys must have poured the coffee into the keyboard again) I didnt think too much about how small my invent looked. 8k instead of 9k.....probably a few branches missing..... then....eeeeeekkkkkk...I saw today, it was all my clothes !!! All those folders were empty !!!

So....I told myself, rationally that they would return, but pondered life without clothes for a few seconds before PANIKKKKKIN.

Well, I said rationally to myself.....I would just have to go and buy a new Glitter dress from Eshi...and a Grunge Pixi from ColeMarie...... a new visit to YIP's.....and wear them along with a new pair of shoes.........:))
I could live with that......
AND...I would have to sew my own from now on, ...something I have been promising myself to do.

So...then as the panic gripped I went to my support group....probably the best group in all SL...the Mac Users.....lol...I love em all. And before too long I had cleared my cache, relogged and.... miracles do happen.....all my pretty frocks returned. Phew.

But, of course, it makes you think.... I am actually more materialistic in SL than in RL....hehehe.......and none of em are material goods....weird or what??? I mean...how many frocks can one girl wear, after all.......
(its not a rhetorical question........the answer is thousands....hehheheheh)


:))

Muzik Haus beauties

The beautiful Tasty Hax, DJ, dancing to Mr Widgets super fine toons




and the stunning Nur Moo... wow..

and I was dancing my little socks off on a well deserved letting-my-hair-down spree. Seems all I have done is work lately... not that I'm complaining, but "wasting time" is soooo good for ya.


:))

hmmmm...... wouldn't make Flickr

Well..... self-publicity is important, but you have to make sure you go off with a bang, rather than a fizzle....

someone invited me to:

"Please come and seemy amazing one day exhibition of my newest installation - This Artwork is a Victim... - at Arena today at 12 noon SL Time. This is different than anything you've ever seen before!"

Unusually, for me, I formed an opinion immediately " [13:05] soror Nishi: f....king load of crap......:))))))....I'm off home...."

rather harsh for me..... sorry...

When I came to SL, I promised myself I would tell the truth, and it has been interesting who I have offended in the process.

The guy who was head of the Stock Exchange got very annoyed when I told him it was the ugliest building I could ever have imagined.
Rar got upset at even less.....
Hope the artist of the above piece has a broader outlook..... or I can kiss my arse goodbye.... :)) well......better than kissing someone elses, I guess.

:))

Pictures from an exhibition

Newbies .... good advice

Thanks to NWN, a great blog, mostly.....and their link to this. Its a terrific list of "pointers" for noobs.

Shame it can't be forced into the hands of all new arrivals, really





This is a general view of the show, which will kick off in afew hours time. DJ Lars Convair will be there.... I'm ready, the place is looking good, and I already started selling a few things.:))


:))

Flora Virtua Exotica..... new show

My latest show.....opening tomorrow, in the general series of my Flora Virtua Exotica will be at the new(ish) Evolution Gallery, and, if you are on my list I will send out invitations.

I have 6 major new pieces to show and have, as usual, put them in a garden/landscape type setting for your delight, I hope..:))

I have tried to emphasis the general feeling of age which is so missing in SL trees, and which gardens and landscapes benefit from, being a link to the past and thus giving a feeling of continuity.

Sabinaaa Nightfire has been extremely supportive and helpful and I'm sure it will be a great success.

The address is Cassowarry (89,111,61) and I will be there from 12 SLT, probably most of the afternoon until my time zone drags me to bed.

If you cant make it then, it will be there for a while...:)))


:))

Pixi Gallery

Well, Pixi Cosmos, who is probably my oldest friend in SL, i.e. longest.....not oldest....:))

...... has just opened a gallery of her stuff, which is worth a visit, also to see Pixi at work remodelling her amazing gardens, which she has courageously taken and started again from scratch.

She and Puma, her beautiful partner also have great music in their Cavern Nightclub.......check out her picks.

The Gallery is at Carrick (62,13,49)

again.... check out her picks or IM me or Pixi....


:))

Fake Pride

Now, its not very nice to be rejected, and especially cos someone doesn't like your name. Seems stupid when people called "prince" or "madonna" are household names, but thats what happened to Wizzy, Facebook didn't like the name Wizard Gynoid, and probably a lot of other names too.....

"Your account was disabled because the name it was registered under was fake. We do not allow users to register with fake names, to impersonate any person or entity, or to falsely state or otherwise misrepresent themselves or their affiliations."

"Facebook is built around real world interactions. Operating under an alias detracts from the value of the system as a whole. Users who operate under fake names are also prone to abuse. We take this standard very seriously and take down fake accounts as we become aware of them."

Now, that would seem all fine and above board, except....... Facebook has become a data mining company.

All your information, friends and preferences are gonna be made available....

"Facebook's top brass have been at the World Economic Forum in Davos, punting another way to try to turn their enormous database of personal information and trivia profitable.

Like last year's disastrous "Beacon" advertising scheme, which aimed to turn members into Tupperware-style product endorsers, Facebook's latest wheeze isn't particularly innovative. Executives at the loss-making firm plan to charge brands for carrying out polls of their users.

The system will tap the well of personal information pumped into Facebook by members, allowing corporations to target members in specific age groups and locations, and with specific interests"

(quote from this article)

Now, it puts a slightly different light on the matter, but still brings up the question of legalising an alias, like Soror Nishi....

GRAVATAR... is making an attempt to register Globally Registered AVATARs, and is worthy of your support I
think....http://en.gravatar.com/

anyway.....its all crap....and Wizzy is set to become a VERY well known person cos of her geometrical thingy called the E8....and will forget this slight slight...:))......facebook......never met him...facebook who?

The issue of rights tho, to use an avatar as a legally recognised entity, are not going to go away......but...like other rights movements, may take years to get started I think. All the time that SL is seen as a game...something bored housewives 'play', its not gonna happen....only when more of the world wakes up to its potential and value will the voices of avatars be taken seriously.
Then, maybe, I can open a bank account and join Facebook (not that anyone will want to by then) and let Soror, and Wizzy get on with her life without undue hindrance.


Breaking news..........Wizzy has been given 4 sims, 90,000 prims for her geometrical innovations by Reaction Grid ...and my sweet sis has called one sim...Soror.....Thanks sis, thats a mega treat...:)))


:)))

Alizarin Goldflake and Flivelwitz Alsop.

Aliz has been working with a great guitarist and has some great music now playing in the gallery....its really nice cos you fel like you can sit and listen and give her images time to work on you...well worth a visit. Im me, or Aliz if you don't have the LM already....

and....congrats to Caro on her 2nd. :))) one of my best friends in SL and a courageous voyager in the realms of the psyche....


A SLEEP OF PRISONERS


Dark and cold we may be, but this

Is no winter now. The frozen misery

Of centuries breaks, cracks, begins to move;

The thunder is the thunder of the floes,

The thaw, the flood, the upstart Spring.

Thank God our time is now when wrong

Comes up to face us everywhere,

Never to leave us till we take

The longest stride of soul we ever took.

Affairs are now soul size.

The enterprise

Is exploration into God.

Where are you making for? It takes

So many thousand years to wake,

But will you wake for pity's sake!



-- Christopher Fry


:))

Flexi Sculpties

Yes.
Thats the BIG NEWS.....

Its been officially confirmed , if you haven't heard already..... ColeMaire, genius and friend, got the news to me as soon as she heard it.
Hugs, Cole.
I was over the moon.
So excited I could hardly type.
I IMed Bettina, who, sensibly enough, got it confirmed by Quarl Linden .......and NPIRL'ed it.
hehehhehe
still excited.

For those of you who aren't builders, what it means for me personally is that my flowers will bend in the wind, and the leaves of my trees will sway.....so this, along with the shadows you can get with the Kirsten Shadow...something Viewer wiil bring my forests to life.
Clothes and hair designers and will benefit in a big way too, and that will feed down to like of you and me, and how we look and how our clothes hang.
All exciting stuff.

There is other news....
omg...sorry its been ages since I blogged...lol
First thing I should tell you is that Wizzy (my sister) has done an amazing new geometrical thingy....a different E8 to the original...involving 60,000 calculations......but the details are so totally beyond me....she speaks English but I dont understand a word......find out more by going here

Then....more....the machinima I have been directing has been filmed by the lovely Chantal Harvey...and is in post production.
Bean and Earth starred in this boring little melodrama ...hehehheh....actually its an advert for a company that sells eLearning.....well, good luck to them. Never thought "boring" could be a design brief, but there you go...I CAN do boring, too. heheheheh.

I'm working on my 74th Ancient, the 71st, 71nd, and 73rd are finished, and I'm pleased with all of them so far. Sabrinaa Nightfire has asked me to show at her new gallery, Evolution, I blushed a bit knowing my previous post was a little critical, but presumably she hasnt read it, or is big enough to forgive me my honesty.

....and another little gallery has asked me to show mid-Feb for two weeks. Details will, of course, follow.

Thats about it really, except for the Reccession Is getting On MY Nerves.... but maybe a rant here about gas companies trying to sell me electricity and electricity companies touting gas, and EVERYONE IN THE WORLD trying to sell me cheaper car insurance, would be inappropriate. Suffice to say that, as well as running my own household, I have had to bail out the bank buggers and now I am giving £2.2 Billion, well, with some other people....to an industry that makes things no-one wants. DUH.
STOP MAKING THEM THEN.

Nishi Motors wont see a penny of that money.:)))


:))