War Memorial & War History Museum Annex

By Bixyl Shuftan

I was recently shown a link to a You-Tube of a VE Day ceremony at a memorial area in Second Life, the War Memorial & War History Museum Annex. Taking place on May 8, 2009, on the anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany, there were a number of people there, including Fanny Starr whom gave a speech through her daughter’s avatar, Explorer Dastardly.

Going to the memorial, there are a number of signs of statements against war from the Bible to modern speakers such as Isaac Asimov. There are also lone helmets on pedestals and in the middle of the memorial a symbolic torch, “All Mankind is one author and is one volume.” There are also a couple sets of free clothes plus a free t-shirt, and a Betty Grable avatar up for sale.

The memorial’s biggest feature is the wall, made up of many bricks on three sides of the land. A notecard explained why the wall was made, “It became clear that many expressed the fact they personally knew someone who either served their country, was killed or maimed in warfare or killed during a terrorist attack or act of war. And it also became clear that the wars mentioned covered a span of over a century and were all over the world. We then decided a way to memorialize these people should be incorporated within the War History Complex of the TLE Interactive World History Museum. This is how the War Memorial Wall was born.“

People going to the Memorial can purchase bricks for 180 Lindens, the cash going to the upkeep of this and other museum areas. Those who can’t afford 180L are asked to contact Anmarerlice Mayo, Spicy Koba, or Kitvel Silberberg for help in getting a plaque. Upon getting a brick space, the resident then gets a notecard in which one fills whom the brick will be dedicated to, and then drops into a mailbox. The plaque will appear within 24-48 hours. One can “pay tribute to those who served and are thankfully still alive, those who were killed during war or acts of war, or those who were killed during terrorist attacks. This applies to all religions, creeds, nationalities, and beliefs. This is NOT a political wall. This is Tribute to those who served and still do serve.”

Dozens of bricks have already been memorialized in honor of veterans from the United States, Britain, Canada, and other countries, and civilian targets of terrorists and Nazi Germany. There is still plenty of space to fill.

Next to the Memorial is the Military Strategy and Vehicles Annex, which shows a number of military war machines, mostly modern ones. The detail on some is very good, and one can get into the Hummer near the gate, though can’t drive it away.

The War Memorial and History Annex is part of the TLE (The Learning Experience) Interactive World History Museum. It is located at Ileina Cove (101, 194, 21). For those wishing to pay tribute to those who gave their lives to freedom, this is one place they can pause and reflect.

The You-Tube showing the VE ceremony is located at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1qUrI0T0Ug&feature=channel

“They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” - Isaiah

“History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap.” - Ronald Reagan

Bixyl Shuftan

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The Syncopation Factor and Life Between Two Worlds

One of the great things about Live Music in Second Life is that occasionally you run across a musician that really makes an impact on the music scene. Australian Dexter Ihnen (Dexter Morph) in real life is one such person. I finally got a chance to chat and find more about why hes one of the most popular Musicians in Second Life.

Delinda Dyrssen: Dexter lets start with something Ive been wondering since I first heard of you... “The Funkalicious one!” Where did that come from?

Dexter Ihnen: Ha ha - It's so long ago now I almost find it hard to lock down the moment. But it was in the first couple of months when someone first said it at an event and it got repeated until well, it became a kind of a tag that I happily accepted, being that Soul and Funk have been and are such a big part of my music. So The Funkalicious One is a kind of a parody on Buddha - The Compassionate one - having studied and practiced Eastern philosophy most of my life - the parallel was just too funny to deny ;)

Delinda Dyrssen: You do have a message .. a certain spirit you convey in your music. Can you tell me more about this?

Dexter Ihnen: Of course..... How long do we have .... No seriously, it's important to me as an artist to know what it is you have to say and why. An artist needs to know their intent - in fact that goes for all of us, but before an artist can truly come from their center and reach others I believe that that is vital, so, I endeavor to 'lift' my spirit in order to lift others when I perform. Lifting oneself up is paramount to realizing dreams - rather than be disappointed in what we think we haven't got - be grateful for what we have and dream about the rest. In the making of that dream into the material world there is an alchemic quality that we need to apply to our inner life and that is what I endeavor to convey. The evolution of mankind actually depends on that in my view :)

Delinda Dyrssen: Well must admit.. I know I get an uplifting feeling when I listen to your music.. and thats just here in the virtual world.. I can imagine what it would be like in Real life. You also have an interesting take on the real life Music Industry. What are your thoughts on this?

Dexter Ihnen: Once again - thats a huge subject with me but I can summarize; Until the advent of CD roms and the Internet the Mainstream Music Industry had all the cards and they played them very tight to their chest. I saw and experienced a lot of what I call 'Art Crime' in that period ( the wasting of the talent and financial greed around Elvis Presley is a good example - and that's what really killed him if you ask me) Anyway, now things are vastly different and it is no wonder that the major labels have been and are really scared - kind of karma if you will. Artists don't need them anymore. That said, I have (through my presence and success in SL ) recently signed to a great Publishing company who embody a new approach to music sales and artist relationship. I have a lot of hope for the future being that I can see great evolution along with the freedom that the Internet brings including and especially at this time - programs like Second Life.

Delinda Dyrssen: Yes the Internet seems to have leveled the playing field a bit hasn't it. I know you have done support work with some very well known artists like Dizzy Gillespie to AC DC and Midnight Oil.. Tell me what is the biggest difference between playing out there in the real world and playing here in Second Life? And Why do you do it?

Dexter Ihnen: The Biggest difference? Well, to perform in SL you don't have to risk having a car end up on your hood on the way the gig where you may well have to lug your gear in through the rain, then wrestle with tech difficulties and managers etc., then wait for a month to get paid by them. LOL No really, Performing in SL is simply unique - the interaction between artist and listener is quite remarkable and has made a primo multi-tasker out of this longterm space-case :) The support and feedback in SL is unlike 1st life in that it is clearly visible or graphically visible - however as you play dealing with that can be tricky, if you read while you sing you can get caught in the trap of singing what you are reading. But all in all Second Life is what I call a whole new room in the house of entertainment and I'm happy to be part of the furniture :)

Playing live with artists like AC/DC, Crowded House etc. and the plethora of other Australian greats I've been able to share the bill with is something that always was and always will be the root of what we call Rock & Roll - or showbiz if you like. The smell of the greasepaint and the roar of the crowd - it's the physical experience that is it's own unshakable uniqueness about it.

Delinda Dyrssen: You have a very unique sound.. I think described as a funky plucking of the guitar strings .. a very unusual and great sounding style of it. Tell me more about how this came about and how you would describe it?

Dexter Ihnen: Well I call it 'Ricky Tick'. It's a play on 'pick' and also a tribute to 'Steely Dan' ( of which I am a huge fan - Ricky don't loose that number ) From a distance and unamplified that is what it sounds like too - a friend was walking into a gig of mine once and heard me playing unamplified ( and so - no bass ) and he said what he heard was all this kind of snapping and clicking lol . It's a style I formulated on the roads in Europe when I traveled there over a 2 year period. I lived rough on the roads and busked as well as picked grapes in major French vineyards. I wanted to encompass some of the elements of music that I had been listening to for some years rather than just strum the same old way. I used mainly the influences of 4 bass players to achieve the sound. Also, fusion Jazz and Latin rhythms played a big part in the syncopation factor and counter melodies.

Delinda Dyrssen: I love it and yes I do notice a bit of a latin rhythm in some of your tracks. So what is in the works currently for you (Dexter Morph in RL) and Dexter Ihnen here on Second Life?

Dexter Ihnen: Dexter Morph now :) and that's due to my life between the two worlds - also my life-long penchant for change and evolution. Well, the year so far has been really big in that I have been commissioned to produce a CD for a band here ( that is nearly done now ) and I am also in the early stages of doing my first serious single including video. Later in the year a longterm project of a major album production of my own music will also be completed and released as soon as possible after the single has run it's course. Besides that, It's gigs and more gigs. I have also been asked to lecture in a Steiner School and teach Production and Engineering - studio craft. So, there is a LOT going on. Besides all that I get up for a two hour training session most mornings now - just to maintain energy and build focus. I find it hard to function on this level without that.

Delinda Dyrssen: Wow.. I guess the physical aspect is important isn't it. How can one find your music to purchase it? And what group can they join on SL to find out about upcoming virtual performances?

Dexter Ihnen: Ok in SL my group is 'Planet Dex' - so notices come out across that, as well as 8 others usually. Most events will be in the listings also but Planet Dex is the sure fire way to hear. In 1st Life, one can buy my CDs from my website www.dexonyx.com on the audio page. Or email me directly at dexter@dexonyx.com or go to iTunes and look up both Dexter Morph and Dexter Morph. Better still, come down under and I'll give you a freebie ;)

Delinda Dyrssen: Well a trip down under may just be in order!..one last question.. As a successful RL and SL Musician.. What advice can you give to a anyone out there thinking about performing in SL?

Dexter Ihnen: Just do it! It can be tricky to get the hang of it initially but people here are very understanding and I myself am very supportive of anyone who has the gumption to get up and sing or play music - it's good for the soul :)

By Delinda Dyrssen

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"Memorial Rockin' 24 for Relay" Raises an Amazing 505,247 Lindens !

by Mystique Sassoon

This year's "Memorial Rockin' 24 for Relay" event kicked off Friday
evening at 6pm and proved more than successful raising an incredible
505,247 lindens for Relay for Life! The event is the heart-project of
one of Second Life's most notorious DJ's - Bcreative Wilde - who,
along with Nevar Lobo, organized this year's fundraiser. Wiccan
Sojourner, of Bewitched Designs, hosted the event. This was the 3rd
year for this specific fundraiser...but this year's was unique in that
it wasn't one single Relay for Life team participating -- instead,
Bcreative opened this year's event to numerous teams. And with 11
teams participating, each filling scheduled time slots and joining
Bcreative, Nevar, and friends raising an incredible amount of money to
benefit the Relay for Life cause.

Beating last year's record of 25 hours, Bcreative DJ'd for 26 hours
straight with no sleep - taking requests and dedicating songs to those
who have won, remembering those who lost, and those who are still
fighting cancer. She kept the tunes spinning the entire 26 hours. As
the evening began to wind down, Nevar Lobo agreed to wear a gown
should the donations reach a half a million. In no short order, the
amount reached the mark. The entire crowd was filled with emotion and
good cheer as the kiosk shot up to the 500,000 lindens mark. And true
to his word, Nevar donned a lovely gown, donated by the Spaciva
Ivanova - captain of the Roma Pro Vita team, and danced the remaining
hour in the regal gown as donations continued to climb to 505,247
lindens.

Heartfelt thanks goes out to all who donated and made the event such a
success. The 11 Relay for Life teams, whose participation and
dedication were evident in bringing in the donations, were: Spirit
Chasers, Charmed Menagerie, Pink Panthurs, Roma Pro Vita, Justice
League, Passionate Redheads, Goreans in Relay, Madness Legends,
All-Stars, Relay Wizards for Spunky, and Cure Chasers. A special
thanks also went out to Wiccan Sojourner for hosting the event, and to
Nevar Lobo, Amethyst Starostin, Wiccan Sojourner, Raven Naimarc, Neill
McCullough, and members of the Roma Pro Vita team who took turns
staying up most of the 26 hours to help keep Bcreative awake.

Yes, this year's "Memorial Rockin' 24 for Relay" was a huge
success.... AND... it speaks volumes about the hearts of our Second
Life residents - who came together... and gave of their time, money,
and heart... for this cause.

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NDD tonite !

A group of us were privileged to see the launch of dana’s newest designs, an incredible array of wedding gowns, bridesmaid’s dresses, tiaras and fabulous prim bouquets.

Beautiful laces, amazing taffetas, incredible details and skirts that can’t be adequately described floated down the runway.

Fabulous necklines, beautifully detailed sleeves, and amazing bodices brought ohhhs and ahhhs from the crowd, but the skirts.. oh my….fabulous prim creations that floated and swirled, with amazing under layers and over layers had us all enthralled.

No doubt ladies are already scheming on how to get their SL sweetheart to pop the question, so that they can purchase one of these fairy-tale gowns.

More images in our Fashion Section !!!!

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Join me tonight

AVENUE Models is proud to debut the exclusive wedding collection of New Dana's Delights, NDD. A skillful and well-tailored line of colourful wedding fashion, NDD launches it's new wedding line of gowns, bridesmaid dresses, tiaras and bouquets this Saturday.

Just in time for this summer's wedding blitz, this is a show not to be missed by all soon to be brides on the grid. Please join AVENUE Models Livia Mastroianni, Ivyana Szondi, Nezsy Herstein, Laury Sands, Mavi Beck and Haruka Kish as they glide down the aisle-like runway in the incredible fashions of New Dana's Delights.

When:
Saturday, May 23, 2009 1pm SLT

Where:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Royal%20Properties/177/180/1001

-----
New Dana's Delights is the collection of masterful designs by creator Dana Vanmoer. More known for her work with SL-Newspaper, it may come as a surprise to know Dana is a skillful designer in RL. Making the natural shift as a designer in SL, Dana finds relaxation and fun in her talent and has to this point kept her sl-work separate.

NDD caters to the ladies, from business wear, casuals, and evening wear to her new line of wedding gowns and accessories. The feminine ladies suits have been the most popular of Dana's main line up to this point, but she suspects the wedding collection will soon eclipse it. With the support of close friends and partner James, Dana has successfully opened 4 stores around the grid.

For more information please visit Dana's mainstore or blog, both listed below.

http://newdanasdelights.blogspot.com/
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ian%20Bernard/101/153/37
-----
AVENUE Models is SL's premier modeling agency with the most magnificent and professional setup for top supermodels.

AVENUE Inc, is the umbrella company for AVENUE Models, AVENUE Studio, AVENUE Models Academy and AVENUE Magazine. AVENUE was founded by Rusch Raymaker, CEO, and by her side is a team of highly professional and qualified fashion, creative and marketing professionals striving to continuously take the world of fashion to another level.

For more information please contact Jesika Contepomi, Vice President of Marketing for AVENUE Inc.

Email: jesika@avenuesl.com
Website: http://www.avenuesl.com

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Protestors Question Blondin Linden on Adult Content Plans

By Bixyl Shuftan

When the Revolting Adults held their first protest about Linden Lab’s upcoming plans for Adult Content Filtering, the Linden they questioned professed not to know much about the issue. He told them Blondin Linden would know more. So the group decided to meet at his place in the Hanley sim during his office hours, Wednesday May 20th at 3:30 PM SL time.

On the day of the protest, I tried porting over with the Landmark I had, and nothing. I tried a few more times without success, then looked at the map. The Hanley sim appeared empty, but there were a few people at the edge to the north and south. I ported near the edge of the sim to the north and headed south. I was unable to cross the sim boundary, and it appeared that there was no sim to the south, even though the map told us otherwise. But with the map showing the place was empty, what was going on? That was the question asked when other protesters gathered at the spot. Some suggested some kind of Linden trickery to keep the protest out, “LET US IN!” “... ignoring a jira ticket with over three thousand votes is one thing but, locking us out of office hours?”

Finally one of the protesters told everyone she’d been IMed by someone on the inside, saying there were about 40 people in the sim. Apparently it was limited to that number. I continued to try to port in via the map, and finally I made it in. Once inside, I saw where the people were, and headed there.

Arriving at 3:45 PM, something must have annoyed Blondin Linden just before I got within chat range as he yelled, “LOG OFF NOW!” Whatever happened, that was the only outburst I heard from him, the rest of the time answering questions. I got around the obstacles, and joined the mix of avatars questioning Blondin Linden.

These are not all the questions asked, only those answered. Only two of the questions that I asked Blondin, and one from protest leader Xantarius Cain, got a reply.

Is the estimated "end of June" time still on course for Ursula moves?
ANSWER: End of June is still on track from what I hear. That's when it'll all begin.

Will we be able to access Ursula with 1.22 viewer?
ANSWER: That is a good question and I am not 100%. I need to check. Good question though.

Here is a question, what is the line Linden has set for "Adult" content, and is it really only the extremes of sl's mature content?
ANSWER: Depends on what you consider extreme. The definitions are almost done.

Are the Lindens committed to tweaking the search restrictions indefinitely if needed until they function as intended and will there be a publicly announced plan on how people can get the exceptions that were promised for people who had legitimate use for otherwise adult terms?
ANSWER: We are committed to tweaking them. If you've noticed a bunch of words have been removed based on resident feedback.

Blondin, would giant phallic attacks be permitted in such an event if held on Ursula? :) ANSWER: Griefing is griefing no matter if its on PG, Mature or Adult.

Thanks Blondin - Follow up Question - Jack and Cyn don't seem to be singing from the same song sheet when it comes to land transfers. Cyn suggests pre-speculation and acquisition prior to move is valid. Jack says checks will be made into past content. Which is right?
ANSWER: They both are. Checks into past content will be a last resort if we feel that someone is truly trying to game the system. It's a last resort.

How will object name and descriptions which are set to show in search effect your parcel? For instance in a situation where a mature parcel with appropriate name and land description also has an object using adult language visible in search, will that prevent the parcel from being visible to mature viewers?
ANSWER: I read this quickly so forgive me if I misunderstood. Objects actually ON a parcel wont be filtered if they use adult words.

Question: I do have the concern, that with such guidelines in place, and the reliance on ARs to control it, the system might be too easily abused to report people for alleged adult content violations. Given that I have several friends now who have been suspended for nothing because it seems like there was no one investigating the reports ... how much security is provided against the abuse of the system or to prevent cases where people report activities thinking that they violate the rules but that are not doing thins actually?
ANSWER: Well, you bring up a good point about abusing the abuse reports. There are A LOT of AR's submitted each and everyday and each one gets special attention. I've seen it in action. The Resident team doesn't act unless they feel confident that something has actually happened that needs further investigation. And on that note, AR's do have to be kept secret to protect the residents’ privacy.

Oh end of June? So The Aporncalypse happens at the same time as the Homestead price increase?
ANSWER: It's bad timing - I know. But the two have nothing to do with each other.

Bixyl Shuftan: Blondin, can you tell us what will happen to landowners and businessmen/women who decline to rate their land?
ANSWER: I'm assuming you mean Private estate owners as they are the only ones who have to flag regions. In reality, not to much unless they get AR'ed. Then the Resi team will come in, look around and decide what to do. Most like, it'll be a few IM's asking the owner to flag.

Oh Blondin, what's the score with the viewer? I heard if you check Adult you can't see any PG or M results. Are they going to fix that or is it intended?
ANSWER: Seems to work for my RC viewer. There are check boxes for ADULT< MATURE AND PG. Check any and all that you want to see

I heard all furries are going to be rated as Adult from now on. Can you comment on this baseless rumour?
ANSWER: In no shape, way or form, are furries going to be generally classified as Adult.

Not flittering objects seems like a loophole that will be exploited. I follow the rules, but my competition uses objects to advertise, but get around the rating system. How will LL deal with objects in search that don't match the parcel rating?
ANSWER: Abuse Reports.

And it was answered on the JIRA because that was a big concern for fear of griefers being able to search bomb places.
ANSWER: I believe this is the correct reason.

Come on guys, give up with the sign on page thing already. It's a stupid way to announce something.
ANSWER: It has proven to get a lot of attention and it will be something we utilize in the future about commenting this to a wider audience.

Question - does that include returning protest posters from private land ?
ANSWER: Are you talking about the signs I returned? The sign on my land? The signs that were causing lag? Didn't I leave one out for good faith?

Blondin, I repeat my question... Are we Europeans having support for enter the mature section? Because we Europeans don't have the age verification system.
ANSWER: I know that laws in Europe are a bit different, but there are many Europeans who are already verified. Off the top of my head Lord Sullivan is verified.

Bixyl Shuftan: Blondin, can you tell us if age-verification will be designed to protect the anonymity of users?
ANSWER: No one is forcing you to use Aristotle. That is just one way. You can do it by having a payment relationship with Linden and your identities will not be any less secure.

They said from the start that this isn't about preventing people selling sex beds on mature land, you just can't advertise a sex bed in classifieds as sex is filtered?
ANSWER: Correct.

Blondin: The draft 'definitions' are fairly vague and subjective - you have mentioned getting final ones soon - are these much tighter or basically the same as the draft that is currently there (the one that has any photorealistic nudity as being adult) ie: all good quality skins = adult.
ANSWER: The format will look the same but we've taken the chance to explain a bit about photo realistic. THe word will still be in there, but no, it doesn't apply to the selling of skins.

Blondin, will traffic scores still affect search rankings?
ANSWER: I don't know.

Question - Many people have bought mainland parcels in the same region to provide prims to support their core business - however 2/3rds of land may not look adult will we be left with a turkey when only a 1/3rd is allowed to move for free?
ANSWER: I believe that all holds can be combined and moved over. If only a section of your land is ADULT, you can move it all, not just that portion.

What about assurances I wont get stuck wiith my (hopefully still) popular club in a sim with another equally popular club?
ANSWER: We will be very conscious of our placements.

Blondin, pardon me, but that's disingenuous. You can sell a product, but not advertise it? Come on.
ANSWER: If you rely on those key words, ie if that's the market you want to focus your advertising on, then you should be on adult land. Apply for a move.

The more I sit in on this, the more it becomes clear that no matter how much the userbase protests these changes, the userbase who pours money into LL's pockets daily, these changes are still going to happen despite the fact that only a vocal minority wants them. Talk about bad customer service.
ANSWER: But if you notice, we've changed a lot of what we originally had in mind based on resident feedback.

Blondin, does linden labs have any intention of opening up additional lines of communication or conversation on this matter? Will we see any more brown bags or forum conversations or are we reduced to the just office hours?
ANSWER: The Brownbags are over. But we'll be opening another forum thread which I'll be actively back on once the update blog goes out.

Blondin, where in the TOS or Community Standards will it be stated that adult content is OK on private land, and that these changes apply only to BUSINESSES?
ANSWER: the TOS will be changed to reflect all these changes around adult content.

Blondin: You skipped my question a second time. How many sims are you going to auction?
ANSWER: I don't know. Depends on how many are left after the swap I suppose.

Blondin, what about others who =can't= for whatever reason, but who DO want to? because here in Italy we don't have the "buy linden" service.
ANSWER: A support ticket would be the best bet.

Q: (it was missed last time I was here, and has been so far today, so I'll just ask it one more time before giving up)...Regarding groups, if/when they also get adult flagged for keyword use, what about the thousands of Residents who are NPIOF or unverified who are already existing members of said groups? Do they remain in the group, get auto-ejected? Possible repercussions?
Answer: I don't know what will happen to those members.

Xantarius Cain: Hi Blondin: Linden Lab has previously stated that private sim owners will not be affected much (other than having search terms for those sims filtered if the residents performing the search is not age-verified). TWO QUESTIONS: (a) Will private sims be required to rate themselves as "adult" if they contain adult material? (b) Will adults who have not been age-verified be locked out of these private "adult" sims? IF YES to both, private sims will be affected more than previously thought. IF NO, this presents a HUGE hole in the age-verification security that LL is building. Please explain.
Answer: yes to A and yes to B.

Haha, Blondin has been lowering the avatar limit on his sim to reduce the number of people shouting at him in this meeting.
ANSWER: Not true. I never shy away!

Well they did remove ponyplay from the filter, because the ponyplayers argued that there doesn't have to be anything sexual about ponyplay. T**s are still inherently sexual for some reason, though.
ANSWER: Google T**s.


It was after answering that question at 4:42 PM than Blondin told us, “Ok, That’s it for me tonight. I’ll be back next week!” Responses from the audience varied. Some were satisfied with Blondin’s answers, thanking him. Others were not, complaining of canned replies, skipping their questions, or of giving replies that weren’t true. One resigned resident commented, “I guess we’ll have to be satisfied with a gilded cage.”

Shortly afterward, I heard from Revolting Adults that the JIRA ticket concerning adult content they had been asking people to sign hit 4000 votes.

Bixyl Shuftan

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SLOOP - THE TREE HOUSE

It is quite obvious that the modern Western culture gives us immediate access, almost instantly, to whatever may seem of interest to each one of us. It is also obvious that our attention span is shrinking as fast as our capacity to absorb new information keeps building up.

I dare say this has a price: we don’t have the time to build all that knowledge into a solid subjective structure, an inner house, a solid place, full of surprises, hidden corners, basements and attics and secret passages.
The fleeting contact we establish with all the info we absorb creates in us the false illusion of knowledge.
Those of us who are old enough not to have been cyber kids, can tell the difference.
We are fascinated with everything that’s new and State of the Art technology, but we miss the kind of time we used to spend trying to figure out everything the world has to feeds us.
So we feel our inner self is getting stuffed with knowledge, but it’s not getting deeper, it’s getting thinner.
The Spanish writer Manuel Vincent says that people are afraid to seek refuge within themselves, because that inner construction is “shaky”. So it doesn’t makes us feel safe, but quite the contrary.
And that is a shame, because being able to seek refuge within ourselves is a fantastic relief against adversity.
Like those “cabins” we made under the bed, with blankets and a flashlight.
Or the wonderful tree houses, where we felt safe, masters of the fortress, and open to fantasy.
When we loose our innocence, we loose the safety those tree houses gave us.

“When we stop playing –says Vincent-, we remain unprotected, alone in the wilderness, far from the world of dreams, having to face real enemies”.

Full of hope, he points out that there are privileged human beings that are still capable, no matter what age they are, to build that tree house inside their soul and make themselves strong and invincible against adversity.

There are many ways to do that, as long as we build it strong and keep in there some strong feelings, some strong knowledge, and keep out aggression and barbarity and inhumanity.
And, as you might have guessed by now… let me tell you: Second Life is one hell of a tree house.
The one that made us feel so strong when we where kids, the one place we felt safe to dream in.

Lets play.

Lets take care of our tree house. It’s a chance to have that magic place when we are too grown up to go climbing real trees.

Covadonga Writer

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