We Remember

Photo by a to me unknown photographer

Photo by Joe Jervis

Tribute in Light rises over lower Manhattan in New York.

"Hatred" revisited and concluded

On September 1st, 2011, I wrote a post named "Hatred". In that post I philosophize about different aspects of hatred that we encounter in real life and in SecondLife.

Afterwards I have been told that some people found my post objectionable because they read it as if I regarded the hate they had demonstrated in a certain instance as equivalent or similar to the hate shown by the Norwegian mass murderer A.B.B. According to their opinion I had not only done so against the people who had been active in the chat I had witnessed and referred to in my post, but to all members of that particular group, whether or not they had taken part in the chat or even if they were logged in to SecondLife at that time or not.

I was also told that I had no basis for my conclusions concerning what I had witnessed because I did not refer to what may or may not have happened in that particular group chat the day before or two hours earlier (when I had not been in-world) or what happened in it after I had logged out of SecondLife. I should have investigated more, they have told me.

The topic has also been elaborated on in some of the Scandinavian SecondLife blogs with the same objections aired.

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I have reread my original post several times and have been contemplating the objections I have received. After due thought and consideration I have reached the following conclusions.

To me hate is hate is hate is hate and will never be anything else but hate. 

Hate is usually defined as an intense dislike of something or some individual or group of people. In my assessment hate makes you blind to any redeeming qualities, it is relentless and poisons your soul and your outlook on the world around you. 

Of course there are different degrees of hating and the damages caused are of different magnitude. I have never said - and have never intended to say - that the haters in SecondLife are anywhere like A.B.B., except possibly by the fact that they allow hate to influence and guide their lives and actions. 

I take full responsibility for my words and actions. I see no need to retract anything whatsoever in the post I wrote. I cannot take away the experiences or hurt feelings that some people claim they have had, but I cannot be held accountable for the hurt feelings of those who deliberately misinterpret or distort my words to suit their own objectives or views.

Finally I would like to emphasize that I have never claimed to be an investigator or a reporter. What I write in this blog is my truth as I experience it and as I witness it. 

I have always chosen to write only about what I witness myself and have never ever relied on what others say has happened before or after or during. This blog is an account of my own experiences, actions and reactions and not a megaphone for anyone else.

Now I intend to go on with my lives without letting the haters affect or influence me anymore.

Planet Earth Party

My friend Midnattsdotter Fride is having a Planet Earth Party this evening at Fride´s Club & Lounge (SLurl).

The party starts at 12 PM SLT and DJ Lola will be supplying the music.
Contest : Planet Earth Creation Winners - come as a flower, an animal, an environmentalist, all green .....let your fantasy flow! 

3 winners will be announced after the party!

Rock & Blues at Vadstena

My friend Ewa Aska at Vadstena Castle invites us to an evening of rock and blues at the Vadstena Castle Courtyard (SLurl). The party starts at 12 PM (noon) SLT.

Am Quar will be performing and DJ sirhc will supply the best Canadian rock and blues music before and after the performance.

It is recommended that you are in suitable attire: coats, chains, rivets, etc, etc. (Do not forget ROSIN shoes)

Clarity

Photo by Gary Hamburgh

The last week has been rough for me in real life and I haven´t really had much energy to spare for my SecondLife. What energy I had has been wasted on the Swedish SecondLife blogs. In spite of my earlier promises to myself I once again allowed myself to be dragged into their murky world.

I will no longer let embittered and hateful people pull me down into their bog of innuendos, insinuations and half-truths or outright lies. My life is too short and my mental and emotional sanity and my peace of mind are worth too much.

From now on I will strive for the light and clarity that one sees in all of Gary Hamburgh´s photography.

Be A Star

Linden Lab, maker of SecondLife, is now casting both humans and their avatars for a new promotional campaign that will be featured on Secondlife.com and across the web.


Click the picture below to jump to the post on the SecondLife community blog where there is an example of what they are looking for and a link to the application form.

Second Names for Second Lives

Image designed by Toady Nakamura

When I was going to create my SecondLife account name, I still remember the thrill and importance I put in choosing a "good, fitting and long lasting" surname for myself from a list of around 200 names (or was it as many as 400).

I knew it would be a Scottish or an Irish name but which one would suit me best in the long run?

Join in the campaign to get surnames back in SecondLife by voting for the Jira and watching it!

Read more on Prim Perfect "Second Names for Second Lives" (To vote and watch you log in to your Secondlife account at the top of the Jira-page.)