Picture of the Day - 375

"Lean On" by Two Souls

If you wish to see more of Two Souls photography, please visit their Flickr photostream here.

Myles Capalini On "Suddenness" & More

Today I received the following email from Myles Capalini, owner of the Cabria Estate which were formerly a part of the Gay Archipelago.

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Hi Bock,

No worries about the reply issue, I think it is just bad karma between me and Google+

As to the "suddenness" of the meeting, let me clarify my point of view on that. It is true, that there had originally been a meeting planned the previous Sunday, July 5th, but that was rescheduled for July 12th, but with no time and no agenda (other than saying the meeting was primarily to be to discuss Summerfest. I.e., no major business issues on the table). So I waited all week to get a time, though I expected the meeting to be sometime midday, which it has always been for the last many years. Never got a notice, and was out early Sunday for breakfast, but when I got home, I discovered that the first notice of the meeting had been sent at 11:00 or 11:30 on Saturday night (Oh great, missed that one), and that the meeting was set for 7 AM Sunday. I think that may not necessarily fit everyone's definition of 'Sudden', but it was a big surprise, and of course I missed it.

Worse, really, was reading the minutes, and finding that there were Very Major business issues on the table, and little or no discussion of the Summerfest. And the appointment of an entire new leadership team, with no advance notice, or chance to voice any opinions on such appointments is also unprecedented in the 5 or 6 years that I have been involved with the GA.

Sadly, I doubt there is a set of written 'Bylaws', but there is a long history of precedent that was completely ignored. I don't think we are really talking so much about 'legality' here, as we are about a complete disregard for the 40 or more region owners, all of whom have a very large stake in the GA. But it was pretty clear from reading the minutes, that the new team is not interested in any feedback, or what the owners might really want. I fully expect them to fire the entire Membership committee, and establish totally new guidelines that will allow virtually any merchant or club anywhere on the grid to join the GA, which goes against all of the history of requiring only full region owners to join (or people renting full regions).

Without that requirement, there is no incentive for those merchants or clubs to rent land from the many owners already in the GA who like myself depend on renting land to make ends meet. Seeing that, I realized that I may as well just leave. 

There was one perk involved, I hear that I have been branded a Bitchy Old Queen award (not said to my face of course, but behind my back). That kind of behavior is another reason to just walk away. I have enough drama in RL, do not need any bitch fights in SL. I would, however, be more than happy to state my case, as I have here, or to answer any charges the new team may have the guts to present to me. 

Best regards, and thanks again for watching this,
Myles Capalini

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The first sentence in the email regards a problem commenting on the blog. If anyone else should have a similar issue commenting please send me an email instead at lundamats@gmail.com

I would like to thank Myles for sharing his thoughts and sentiments on this issue with us, and especially for clarifying the question regarding the "suddenness" of the meeting.

It now seems there was a date set, but no time was announced until very late Saturday night for Sunday morning (eight hours or less before the meeting). Although there was no agenda for the meeting the proposed topic for it was the upcoming GA SummerFest not any major issues like a new leadership team. 

Caitlyn: "Accept People For Who They Are!"

Caitlyn Jenner accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS on Wednesday night while urging acceptance for others who are transgender. She received a standing ovation from some of the sporting world's biggest stars after her 10-minute speech during the annual awards honoring the year's top athletes and moments.

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A very strong and emotional speech for acceptance, by a woman who has made the journey.

Picture of the Day - 374

"Yellow and chubby" by Lizz Avon

If you wish to see more of Lizz's photography, please visit her Flickr photostream here.

Weylin Vale: "Unsubstantiated Gossip"

Today the GA WeBlog posted this statement by Weylin Vale, which is the first public reaction by the new GA Lead team on the events that have unfolded over the last few days.

"Good Day GA

Board Appointments and Estate Resignations.

On taking over the role of Lead I was informed by a previous lead and elder of the GA community that I should now put together my administration, there are no By-Laws to govern how this is done so as with my real world committees, appointments have been made purely on merit and suitability for the roles. Careful consideration was given to each role based upon experience, longevity in SL and trust.

Second Life in many ways is a small community and, as with all communities, personal disputes can arise and still cause difficulties years later. In this case, a past dispute, caused a member to decide to remove his estate from the GA. Another couple of members with close links to that estate decided to also leave the organization.

It is important to understand that these members were not asked or compelled to leave. They simply made a decision to leave the GA because they did not support the much needed changes. Changes that were urgently required to invigorate the GA, return it to its core mission and to prevent the loss of 12 member estates in the short term and, possibly, many more in the year ahead.

I am not going to name names or dwell on what has happened, neither will I fuel blog posts that are basically just unsubstantiated gossip based on the personal biases of one or two others. I am here to perform a job, as are those I have made a part of the administration team, part of that job is to work on producing Summerfest 2015, something that is fast approaching and also to future proofing the GA as we move forward.

Part of this has been to work on a new web presence and secure the domain name for the Gay Archipelago, this will include an interactive calendar to help member estates promote events. Also the GA’s promise to member estates is to be a community that promotes estates and raises traffic, something we need to do better, with a dedicated membership Director and admissions team I believe we can achieve better results.

More Festival Events.

With a permanent festival team and Director we are looking to move to seasonal quarterly festivals with the addition of the Autumn Hunt (showcasing all estates and merchants) culminating in a Halloween Party that will cross all the time zones. A spring equinox festival is also on the planning board.

So please rest assured, our mission statement has not changed, we are just putting weight behind our promises, the GA board along with the Treasury will be run transparently and I along with all the members of the team are here to answer any of our member estate owners questions (and dispel any myths). All major changes will continue to be presented at the estate owners meetings for approval and comment.

Together we are the GA community

Weylin-Vale

GA Lead"

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I am of course mortified (Not so much, no!) to be referred to as publishing "blog posts that are basically just unsubstantiated gossip based on the personal biases of one or two others", but would like to state that what some people call "unsubstantiated gossip based on the personal biases of one or two others", others call information from multiple usually well informed and independent sources.

It is true, I did report factually incorrect information concerning the GA Leads call to the meeting. This misinformation has been corrected.

It is worth noticing that the GA Lead in his statement stresses that "All major changes will continue to be presented at the estate owners meetings for approval and comment.". In hindsight, it would perhaps have been better if this had also applied to the composition of the new GA Lead team.

Later today, or perhaps tomorrow, I plan on publishing what information I have obtained concerning sim-owners/regions/estates that have already left or are leaving the Gay Archipelago.

Early Notice: Pool Party @ Southern Charm

My husband Tomais and I are pleased to invite you to a pool party at our home on Southern Charm on Saturday July 25, 2015, at 1-3 PM SLT. Please book the time!

This event will be on the ground and not in skybox so you will, besides inaugurating the new pool, have the opportunity to roam around the sim and also take a look at the new mansion and the amazing new landscaping around it by Samuel Fallen, Lytton & Fallen.

Entertainment will be provided by The Smith Boys, i.e. DJ Kahvy & host Garrett.

If you are so inclined you will also be able to give a charitable donation to The Ali Forney Center. Please be generous!

Re: Coup Or Not In the GA? (Edit: 2015-07-15) (Update: 2015-07-16)

Today I received a note card from my friend Chade Dagger, the newly appointed Treasurer of the Gay Archipelago, partly rebutting correcting the information in my previous post Bock in SecondLife: Has There Been A Coup In the Gay Archipelago?.

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Hi Bock, I have read your blog post and I will be speaking to you when you are ready as a representative of the GA governance team. But first allow me to correct one item on your post. :)

You write:
"According to information from several well informed sources Weylin Vale, the current Lead of GA, announced a meeting on Saturday at 11 PM SLT set to take place only eight hours later on Sunday at 7 AM SLT."

The meeting was announced considerably earlier than that. Because that group generates so many notices and SL only keeps so many I will have to dig out the first announcement, but below I give you the text of rescheduling when Wey remembered the 4th of July in the US (being Australians that celebration is not top of mind for us).

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UPCOMING GA MEETING SUNDAY 5TH JULY POSTPONED
Due to the 4th of July Holiday and having received several messages from Estate owners and potential Summerfest participants, we shall be rescheduling to Sunday the 12th July (time to be announced shortly)

As this is the main Summerfest meeting, we shall be holding an open meeting after we have conducted the member business. This will be our season launch for those interested in sponsoring, volunteering, performing and to showcase this years theme.

Many Thanks

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That was posted on the 4th of July so clearly your "well informed" sources are making stuff up to suit their political agenda.

Cheers,
Chade

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(Edit 2015-07-15) My sincere apologies to everyone concerned for having published incorrect information and my thanks to Chade for supplying me with this correction.

I have today offered Chade and the new Lead team the opportunity to address the information given in my post on the condition that they also address the issue of whether or not it was within the bylaws (if any exist) or in the traditional practices of the GA for the Lead to appoint members to the Lead positions without being vetted by, approved by, voted upon or being elected by the Owners Group.

I will of course also offer the opposition the same opportunity.

Both parties will be given one post each to make their statements.

Update: Myles Capalini On "Suddenness" & More, where you will find that the date of the meeting was announced early, but the time of the meeting was not announced until eight hours (or less) before the meeting.