I'm having troubles with my first...

Second life is, I guess, something that's been around for a while, but I'm just hearing about it. Mostly because it's just starting to hit the CNN headlines, my main source for all things "news". For all of you who don't know what I'm talking about check out this article in wikipedia.

Second Life (SL) is a privately owned, partly subscription-based 3-D virtual world, made publicly available in 2003 by San Francisco-based Linden Lab, and founded by former RealNetworks CTO Philip Rosedale. The Second Life "world" resides in a large array of servers that are owned and maintained by Linden Lab, known collectively as "the grid". The Second Life client program provides its users (referred to as Residents) with tools to view and modify the SL world and participate in its virtual economy, which concurrently has begun to operate as a "real" market. At precisely 8:05:45 AM PDT, October 18, 2006, the population of Second Life hit 1 million Residents


Upon first hearing about it, I wasn't too surprised and I kind of thought the idea was cool. Like a Myspace in three-dimension. But then I was reading about it and saw the insane amount of people who had subscribed I thought, there must be some sort of draw, why would grown adults be doing this? True to this theory there are some really immoral things that occur in this "second life". No real shock there, and it looks to be myspace(cubed) in terms of portal of darkness stuff.

So yesterday I was reading an article in CNN/Fortune and they were talking about adults who are making thousands and yes even millions of dollars in these fantasy worlds. Not monopoly money folks, real hard cash. They mostly develop "special" weapons or they develop land in these "worlds" and resell it to other people in these worlds for the currency of that world (second life has Linden Dollars; L$243/USD). As I'm typing this, I keep thinking this is so ridiculous. At any rate the Linden Lab (creators of Second Life) have a currency exchange so you can turn in your Linden bucks for real money.

At any rate, I'm reading this article about people making ridiculous sums of money off of fantasy creations; land/goods that don't really exist (except for in this fantasy world) and I am stunned that people would buy this stuff and stunned that people can make a living like this; but then I think, really, I am doing the same thing. Look at this quote from the article:

Though we readily accept the puzzling valuations that our society attaches to real-world things like diamonds, Louis Vuitton bags, pet rocks, or bottled water, many can't get their minds around the notion of paying for flickering shadows that can never be extracted from the planar surface of an LCD monitor. Yet so much of our economy revolves around buying prestige, status, and fun--rather than food, shelter, and clothing--that there is scant basis for wonder. This weird new commerce reflects simply the growing importance that virtual worlds are playing in the lives of our children, our colleagues, and--like it or not--ourselves. The more time we spend as avatars in synthetic worlds, the more money we will have to shell out keeping up with the Joneses' avatars.

I'm going to take this one step further, most the cash I am dropping might as well be spent on a fantasy life, it's not real. The things I purchase are all going to be burned up one day, they have no real eternal value. I cannot take them with me. I'm really just developing a "fantasy lifestyle" or a second life. I, too, am buying into a fantasy, granted I do have real living expenses, I'm not all referring to those things, I'm just thinking of the frivolous things, the things the don't have near the value I place on them.

I guess I'm going to be rethinking those Gucci sunglasses I found on eBay.

I am not my own

I’m tired of people telling me that my body is my own, that whatever I chose to do with it is my right. I’m tired of people talking about my rights, telling me what my rights are. How about this? I reserve the right, to know my rights, and deny any rights I don’t feel are my own.

I stated earlier this week, that I am a pro-life liberal. I am also a historical feminist; the Susan B Anthony type, the pro-life type. I believe in equal pay for equal work. I want to be judged by my character not my skirt length. I believe any type of violence against women should not be tolerated.

All that being said, modern feminism, that confuses the good of equal rights with the right to kill children, just infuriates me. This type of feminism does this under the guise of the right to choose what I want to do with my body. I read a poem from this view point in a teacher’s resource catalog. It was on a poster to be put in a classroom. I'm tempted to post a picture, but it's so appaling I just can't. This poem told me that “priests and legislators do not hold shares in my womb or my mind.” It told me that my body was my own. It went on to inform me that my life was a “non-negotiable demand.” How foolish.

I am not my own, my body is not my own, anything that will ever live in it or be born out of it will not be my own. I am not confused, I am not addled. I am not brainwashed by religious forces in my life. I am not controlled by shame or guilt. There is something bigger then me. There is someone who supersedes my rights, my life. I am not my own. I do not demand my own life. Who am I to demand such things? Who am I to declare my own rights? I am not my own.

Put that on a poster.

Meet Tommy

Live from the living room couch...

I hate raw poultry, I'm so disgusted I can barely keep my eyes open.

Bleh!!!

Sweet Tomato

Today, in a prep run for Thanksgiving, me and some friends (Amanda, Dale, Hartke, and Matthias) went to the coolest buffet in town. Salad, soup, bread, pizza, and a frozen yogurt bar!!

We needed to start the stomach/intestinal stretches for the big day. Yum. Did I say that there will be a hot tub at my Thanksgiving feast? My life rocks!! More, live from the couch, tomorrow.

Deep Conversion/Deep Prayer

I'm reading this book by Thomas Dubay (I love his other books, Fire Within and Evidential Power of Beauty).

The basic idea is that we, as Christians, want to continue in deep growth past the initial point of conversion. Just as we turned from deathly moral depravity, we also want to turn from the "smaller" willed sins and even further we want to be like Jesus in everything.

Here's a great quote from today: "When honest men love objective reality, the way things actually are, and then go on to pursue the goodness of all the virtues and are sensitive to genuine beauty, they are like starving men before a banquet. He immediately sees the answers to his needs."

God, may I be a lover of truth, a seer of beauty, let me see the answer to my needs.

Oh Dearest Tech

Thank you Tyler, your late night help was invaluable.

9 and 1 people, 9 and 1

End-Times Diorama of the Day

Many of you may recall a certain birthday activity we had for one of our dearest office comrades, Dale. We each made an End-Times diorama with her as a main character in an End-Times scenario.

This diorama is brought to us by Katie Peterson. It is Dale, as a martyr(headless), under the altar. You'll notice Dale's blood is crying out for justice.

Yet another piece of end-times art for all of you to ponder.

Last of an Era

Tonight I finished a journal I started five years ago. There are two factors to this incredibly long journal life. 1) I have multiple journals stashed in various corners of my life and 2) I don't really like journaling.

I find that I am a poor recorder of events, not because of my memory, but more that I get bored as I write the story out. I am more of a scream and shout journaler. I'm more of a gusher. When things are overflowing then I need to write it out. Of course I don't record any of the context, but tonight I was reading the geysers of emotions and realized that I don't really need context to figure out what was happening. I remember most of it with clarity.

My emotions are like mile markers, I know where I am by how I feel. I know where I've been by my tone and voice.

At anyrate tonight ended a little book filled with a lot of me. Tomorrow, I imagine, will include a trip to Barnes and Noble for another little book.

Confessions

I have three confessions for the day

1) I am a pro-life liberal
2) I never and still don't like U2
3) I'm addicted to Dog: The Bounty Hunter

Little Changes

I was driving around tonight, just relaxing. I was thinking about prayers I had prayed over the last few years.

I've been praying that the Lord would change how my heart felt about people or situations. As I thought of all the times I've prayed variations of this prayer, and I am amazed at how the Lord has answered it.

There have been times when I loved people and asked the Lord to remove it and he has.

There have been times when I have distrusted people and asked the Lord to change it and he has.

There have been times when I disliked people and asked the Lord to change it and he really, really has; in such a way that I am moved to tears for them in prayer, when I see them I can barely keep it together, it is a totally supernatural thing. I can't change how I feel, I cannot move my own heart. But He is gracious to do it.

Make a hit list kids, make a list of feelings you want to change, cry out spontaneously whenever you feel it. Check up on it in a few months, and I'll bet you'll see movement.

For the Toddler in all of us.

This is part of the Christmas that came early, it's so cute. It just kills me.

Christmas Come Early

Ever had a day when all the good things you've been waiting for (and several things you didn't expect) arrive suddenly and all at once?

It's really a glorious feeling.

Things I received today:

1) numerous comments on my cute new sweater
2) huge new t-shirt display
3) onething clothing
4) onething nalgene sippie cups

It just makes a girl feel giddy.

This just in...

Two members of an un-named department were just seen running and vaulting themselves over the iron railing out front of the bookstore like it was a pommel horse. They proceeded to run over to the gas station like their pants were on fire.

Someone should tell them they aren't in Dukes of Hazard nor are they on US Women's Gymnastics team.

Dolls, aren't we dolls?

This is one of those late night ponderings when friends are just talking and you all realize something about yourselves which may or may not make much sense the next morning. Somehow we began a conversation in which we were all characterized by dolls


This is my friend my Katie P as a doll.. Chatty Kathy


This is dearest Amanda as a doll... Holly Hobbie


Rachel and I are of course... da Bratz



That's right we are dolls!!!!

Genius, Pure Genius

Dennis and the crew at Higher Grounds have yet another winner on their hands.



I just ate the most amazing baked potato. It was the size of my face. It had chili and sour cream and cheese and chives, and it was the size of my face. I don't know if they imported these potatoes from Fiji or what.

Everyone has to try it. It's filling, it's fun, and it's the size of your face.