Spontaneous Gatherings

The topic of this report is one that this writer has observed, participated in and encouraged, many times during our years of adventures in Second Life. To the uninitiated and the newbie, SL may seem like  an alternative life, an escape from the real world, just another form of addiction, an interactive boob-tube. As we mature, with age, our attention evolves from self interest to finding useful ways to be of service to all. To be of service to others, we need a connection with groups of others. This "urge to merge" could be called the Gathering Principle and can be seen at all levels of nature, from sub-atomic particles to whole galaxies. After being on SL a number of years, your reasons for staying evolved from "what fun is in it for me" to "How can I make this fun for everybody". What started as an addiction evolved into devotion to an altruistic ideal. Creating gatherings in SL is a means of computer modeling different formulas, used to gather, to find that which best complies with the universal laws of nature,a.k.a., divine will.

Second Life answers nature's call to gather with countless venues for gathering. Most are based on real life examples, like arenas, Dance Clubs and recreational areas. Second Life also seems to be big on little gathering locations and furniture, such as gazebos, campfires and our favorite, cuddle baskets. The larger gatherings require advanced preparations and notices sent out, to get large crowds at their events. The clubs enjoy large groups, because it raises their position in search engines of best places to visit in SL. Gatherings, like all things in the worlds of form, contain a mix of yin/yang (male/female) energies. Because larger gatherings contain elements of pre-planning and competition (best in theme, best avatar mods, best jokes and puns, etc.), the energy leans toward the male, electric, radiant energies, like those of the central sun in a solar system. On the other hand, small gatherings lean more to the female, magnetic, absorbent energies and are like the planets in a solar system. Competition is replaced by a cooperative spirit. Instead of trying to be the best individual of the group, those in  small, spontaneous gatherings tend to assist the others to become more group oriented, more skilled at modding and more light-hearted and joyful, all of which makes them better, more useful members of the whole, larger community.

Our interest in small, spontaneous gatherings is not new. We have been planning to write about them for years, in the hope that understanding and using them  would benefit residents in both SL and RL. The impetus to sit down and begin writing about them was sparked by a spontaneous gathering, that took place about a week ago.

Before describing the unplanned gathering, let's rewind a bit and examine the thinking that led up to it. To do this, we will need to break with convention and introduce Sha's RL player, a Moonchild called Rick. As a design engineer, creating 3D parts for machines that test circuit boards, the Moonchild's dream was to develop the ability to use 3D animations that would enlighten the minds of viewers. Sha broke from her usual routine, for 55 days, to create a 35 minute HD video about her favorite community. Pretty awesome build, for a first timer. The Moonchild had dreamed of this for decades.

Getting back to our gathering story, it seemed that the finished video got no views or comments. We begin to feel like a sun with no planets, a lonely falling star. It was hard to begin writing again, not knowing if we had an audience. At this point, Sha logs in, late night, with little question marks buzzing around her head. Who am I, why are we here and should I pay my rent now? Some house cleaning finished, we seek a little company and notice some friends are at Cutlass. Flying up, we talk with Rita about the local "cum see cum saws" [Fr. this and that], and mention some space junk, floating above the castle, that needs removal. Rita and Sha fly up and clear the junk, then hover and continue chatting. We were soon joined by Felina and, around these parts, "three's a party". The party moved to Felina's new back yard deck, with fire pit and surround seating. Within minutes, others arrived, one by one and joined us around the fire, until there were ten gathered, including Bixyl. Because this gathering was late night and on a private sim, there is a feeling of inner circle sanctity. Everybody enjoyed the topics of conversation and Elders Rita and Sha each gave short lectures on handy ways of storing mods and outfits in inventory. The spontaneous gathering lasted to the wee hours of the morning. We left with feelings of being uplifted and connected to a community of caring individuals. For us, it cured our writer's block. We've got a big box of words here. Stay tuned to see which ones we pull out after our next gathering adventure.
Sha

11 days before RFL Weekend

Facing North East corner of Relay sims

Sunbeamer Camp (area inside red stars)

Our story starts here

Storybook pages, at this time, all the books are on page 1

Central memorial park

Well in the center of the village

A castle, For dreams to come true?

Prayer Launching Tower

Virtual Hippies

   Well friends, after 55 days of producing a video about the Sunweaver Community, here I am getting back to writing. Is it any wonder, why my first topic is communities?
 I chanced to spot a destination called Free Spirit Farms, Hippy/Boho Community and my eyes lit up. Back in '69, I lived in a real one, called Drop City, Colorado. If anybody were qualified to compare the virtual versus real experience. this reporter could reply to Jimi Hendrix, "Yes, I AM EXPERIENCED". Learning of my latest adventure, Bixyl informed of some individuals that claimed to...err...have access to...had a connection to a virtual pill, said to be like a psychotropic "trip" experience. Since, as Bix said, sex, drugs and rock and roll was before his time, perhaps this old white rabbit could research it deeper, We'll include that experiment, later in the article.
The photo, at the top of the article, is of Drop City, at the time I lived there. As we head to Free Spirit Farms, the kid in the back seat of my mind asks, "what can I expect to find there", to which the driver responds, "expect nothing in advance and you will find everything". We know, in advance, that it will not look the same as places we have seen, but a trained mind can see corresponding similarities and differences. Our inner art critic will study the sim as the collective form of the imaginations of the inhabitants.
The landing point of the sim is a large open building, which also serves for gatherings with DJs. There are signs to click for rules, info and joining the group. Large doors open in every direction. All the views look great, so we head towards the center of the sim, to establish a central landmark, from which other points can be referenced. Oddly enough, not far from the middle of the sims "ground zero", we found a drum circle.

We know about drum circles and the benefits of using them. When you join one of these circles, even if just to clap hands and tap your toes, you, automatically receive several joyful benefits. The individuals are now members of a greater, synthetic life form, with synergistic energy and power, greater than the sum of their individual powers. Oneness is like having a backstage pass, that shows the doorman, "I'm with the Band". From decades in the music biz, we can guaranty, EVERYBODY likes getting a backstage pass. Next, because we all play to the same beat, our individual bodies begin to synchronize. As the drumbeats impact our solar plexus, we all share the same feelings and emotions. Within minutes, all the heartbeats become synchronized and beat as one. With a little more practice, even the minds begin to link up. A telepathic connection turns the circle into a living being, which has the power to be a conductor of it's individual members, turning a simple beat into a complex, orchestrated song.
OK, enough science, but does this have anything to do with the sim residents being "real hippies"?  Looking back, the vast majority of hippies did not join the movement for their own scientific, mental reasons. They were drawn in by a handful of thinkers, writers, poets and musicians. That small group was like a drum circle, that continues to grow, even into the virtual world. If there's a drum circle, in the middle of the island where you live, yeah, YOU MIGHT BE A HIPPY. Another advantage to sitting at the circle, we could see, on radar, near-by blips approaching. We met and befriended several people, learned about the community and even heard of their experiences in RL hippy communes.

As a new group member, Sha gets a notice that a DJ is playing and gets there in time to meet some more locals and the DJ, Feather Fride. Feather sent a private IM and at one point, wrote a poem, dedicated to Sha's unique eyes. If you have ever zoomed in on Sha, when in human form, you know she does, in fact, have very unique eyes. We thanked him for the compliment. He asked forgiveness for being so intrusive with his cam, to which we replied, no prob, it shows you have the "seeker" quality.
On this visit, we were also checking out details of a rent house that became available. We found it a bit small and expensive for this old hippy's spare change budget, but members can also set home to the sim and there is a campground. Hippies don't mind if you change clothes outside.
Before becoming a member, there was a corner of the sim, with a barrier. As a member, we were now allowed in. This area is a hill, with a path winding to the top. From the objects (props) around the top, we see this is meant to be a spiritual place.

Near the top, there is a small devotional shrine and cushions. Top center, there is a large bondfire, surrounded by enough cushions for a large group meditation. Near by, up to 10 can practice Tai Chi, in sync. We found several other gathering spots on the sim. The ruins of an old building has a stage and seating, for music and theater performances. At the central pond, there is a dock, with lots of seats, where you can sit on the dock, so they say, watching time slip away.

There is some hierarchy within the membership, with a Ma and Pa at the top. This is a good form of government, for people that call themselves a family. Our visits have been peaceful filled with residents, who like the hippies of yore, doing their job to usher in the Aquarian Age of peace and enlightenment.

a psychotropic "trip" experience

The Editor, Bixyl, gave us two names to search and talk to, regarding a wearable object, called "Nip", which would cause your perceptions to be altered in the way that psychotropic substances effect them.  In our reckless youth, we called this "experimenting". As a veteran Lab Rat, I contacted one, whom I'll call here, Silver. We explained that our interest was not in it's use as an entertaining, fun buzz, but rather, we wanted to see if there was any usable science. In RL, a chemical can have an effect on your thinking and lifestyle choices. The question is, can virtual world experiences have a lasting effect on your brain, especially since they arrive by the same nerve passages as RL experiences follow? Picture this; a doctor tests you and, instead of pills, he gives you the URL of a product on the Marketplace. It is a healing ball, that you put in your SL home. Set the ball, using the doctors instructions and spend 15 minutes each day, as it fills your senses in delightful ways.

I asked Silver where a snoopy Newser Reporter could get a "Nip", to test...for science. My luck, he just gave me a free one. Said, if I needed more, he had a "connection".  To give this item a fair trial, it stayed on ice, until an optimum time and place were found. 

In a real life "trip", all of the senses become amplified, including extra-sensory ones you didn't know you had. In the virtual world, we will be using only two of our senses, sight and sound. The experience will vary with users, but two will be felt by all. Everything seen and heard has a pronounced after image or echo. Motions are followed by comet tails and sounds have reverb. Everything seen, regardless of what it's made of, looks fluid and is breathing. Our personal favorite, we notice that pixels are not squares and every texture displays it's own tile geometry.

Now, late at night, on my home turf, we wear the Nip.

The device was kind enough to inform us, in chat, the trip only lasts 28 minutes. As pro lighting techs, we found the light show very enjoyable. An additional effect broke the screen into squares of shifting size. Instead of enhanced visions, Sha was so blind, she fell off the roof and stayed on the front porch for the rest of the trip. We were pleased to see, when the trip was over, all the lights returned to normal and control returned.

Pass or fail? Fails first, squares gotta go, replace with strobe light trails. It only used sight effects. Is there a way to add some echo or reverb to the sound?  On the plus side, I got to have fun and adventure with a toy that very few others will get to play with. I also see it as an art media, with potential developments and possible therapeutic uses. To it's creator, I say, good start. I would be happy to beta test any future upgrades.

Old hippies never die. They just go up in smoke.

Sha

Arachnid

During the last month, we have been tied up with producing a full length animated tour of Sunweaver Estates. The next sim to be included is remodeling for upcoming RFL events, so we were faced with either rescheduling our shooting sequence or taking a break and creating a new article for the Newser. At the same time, we learned that Cica Ghost had a new exhibit, called "Arachnid", located on the Weeds sim. Having already enjoyed exploring and writing about two of Cica's previous exhibits, it was a no brainer and I informed the Editor that I was heading there to play with the spiders.
For maximum enjoyment of this exhibit, set your viewer to use local "windlight" settings and allow music and media to play automatically. This reviewer rates art by how well the artist uses their skills, tools and materials to communicate a series of thoughts, from their mind, into the minds of those viewing the art. If a picture is worth a thousand words, we expect these creepy spiders to tell us a detailed story of  "What was Cica thinking".
The sim landing places us in a large cage, or trap structure, with information, a TP to Cica's workshop and a tip jar. The sim lighting is a cloudy twilight grey. It's the kind of sky that makes you wish you had brought an umbrella along. As we look around, the large spider webs, in every direction, suggest the umbrella might also serve to hack our way through the sticky barriers. We also notice that there are eight cages, like the one we started in, scattered around the sim. Eight is also the number of legs on a spider. Is Cica doing this to show that there is a connection between the spiders and cages. These structures are "man made". Are they here to protect us from the spiders, or are they the webs we weave for ourselves, that trap us and remove our freedom to live a full life?

One of the cages contains several revolving displays of fancy gowns. How much of our life energy is drained by the need to stay in style with the trends, when most of us would be just as happy to wear the same old t-shirt and jeans, every day?

Several of the cages have TV sets, that play music videos, in the living room, the bed room and by an open bookshelf. As we walk to the next cage, we wonder if we have misread these symbols. Surely, Cica is not suggesting that pretty dresses and TVs are going to kill us. Such thoughts are quickly dispelled, as we almost fly into a large web which holds the wrapped remains of two humanoid victims, with a pair of trash cans on the ground below.

In another cage, we find a stack of commercial clothes dryers. These, at first, seem to have no place in the theory being pondered, until we notice that each dryer is an amusement ride that will spin and tumble two avatars together. One has to ask, how much better would life have been, had you only learned to avoid whirlwind relationships that ended up taking you to the cleaners?

The last cage that we explored took a little longer to extract the thoughts from. It contains two chairs and a table with a potted plant on it. Over by the bars of the cage, a raven is looking outside the cage. You can sit in the chairs, so we parked our cotton tail down, to contemplate the meaning. The old saying, "a little birdie told me so", came to mind. What is this little bird telling us? He is looking outside the cage. Next, we notice the unusual construction of the furniture. The chairs, instead of having four wooden legs, each have a pair of human legs, wearing shoes. The table has a single wheel, in place of legs. A wheel and legs suggest motion and the raven is looking outside the cage. We got the hint and moved on, in the direction indicated by the raven.

Our forward motion is rewarded, as we come upon a small stage. The lighting is cheerful and a free butterfly is perched on the roof. Sitting down, we find it odd that the pianist, while still playing the same style of music that added to the gloomy atmosphere of the sim, now sounded more cheerful and entertaining. While we were enjoying the concert, an avatar with a pistol was dashing to and fro, behind us. It did not disturb our peace, in the least. We figured he just hadn't found which cage he belonged trapped in, yet.

I give the Arachnid Exhibit my top rating. Cica Ghost's  continually evolving artistic skills and abilities to communicate with thought forms, makes her exhibits a "Must See". Come to the exhibit and set your butterflies free.

Sha

WorkAround video

https://www.facebook.com/rick.audette.90/posts/10156946433155599?pnref=story

Here's a way of sharing video without additional compression

NewVideo

OMG, crosses fingers hoping this will show here. The new computer gets high frame rate and the capture program made a smooth animation. Now to see how well it plays here

Awards Night Pics

Sunweaver's first SUNNY awards

Our Awards Formal was held by the Wesak full moon, at club Cutlass VI

Our first SUNNY awards went to RECoyote, Cynthia Farshore, Shockwave Yareach, Rita Mariner and Becky Shamen. Perri Prinz, accepted for RECoyote, her partner, since he was on the road.

RECoyote was the inspiration for creating the community service award. We also honored him with a statue, to be displayed on Sunweaver Bay. Service to one's community is what makes heaven a place on earth.