Okay so my head is going in about a million directions since I got back from vacation. Some relate to RL, and others still about folks I know from SL® and their RL. Here's just a couple on my mind lately...
Military Deployment
I just read on fellow Mean Girl, Orchid's blog that her hubby is about to to be deployed. Being a military wife in a long line of military wives in both mine and my RL hubby's families... it doesn't make things any easier. In fact, he and I had to hurry and get married in the first place because he was possibly going to be deployed in 3 days. Instead, due to an old injury to his knees from a parachuting accident he was 'medically unfit' to even go. How deflating is that? At least we've managed to make it work for almost 6 years (and still going).
Anyways the only advice I can offer for Orchid is that you just have to take things one day at a time. It may be depressing and it may be frightening... but in the end he is fighting for the freedoms that many people tend to take for granted. I personally have a HUGE respect for anyone who is or has been in the military, no matter what nation they may be fighting for.
As awful as it may sound, 'World Peace' often comes with a dramatic loss of human life in the process.
Social Life? What Social Life?
Okay so apparently the workload at my RL job has catapulted to the point that not only my boss but also the CEO (who is a dilweed I might add) assumes that all employees will take work home to keep up. Of course since we're all on salary sooooo there's no such thing as compensated pay for the extra work above and beyond the 40+ hours a week we all already contribute. Both myself and one of the co-workers in my department basically have said that we have other jobs we do in our spare time (yes I consider my DJing and products to be work) so we can't take home anything else. Of course... management was offended.
Here's a news flash... HIRE MORE PEOPLE YOU CHEAP ASSES!
By nature I'm a work-a-holic, it's true. I can't sit and do nothing for more than an hour or so before I go completely bug-nuts. Unfortunately too many RL employers have taken advantage of that fact over the years and frankly... I'm not going to let them do that to me anymore. As Captain Picard once uttered, "The line must be drawn HEAH!" I'll be balls-to-the-wall for the 9 hours a day that I'm there, but after I walk out the front door... I am Guen on SL®. Nothing (except for the grid being completely down for days) is going to change that.
More ponderings to come...
30 April 2008
29 April 2008
Is Feminism Going Too Far?
As much as I try not to delve away from Second Life® too much on here, I -gotta- reprint this blog entry from the User Friendly Comic Strip website. Kudos to my RL hubby for finding this somewhat disturbing gem:
I CAN'T BEAT YOU SENSELESS, BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE CLEARLY ALREADY DID THAT: I occasionally spend an hour in the morning having a quiet cup of coffee while reading a newspaper at a local Canadian-version-of-a-diner. It's a welcome reprieve from the hustle of parenthood and it also allows me to recharge my introvert batteries. Most times nothing of interest occurs (other than spilling too much Tabasco on my eggs), which is the way I like it.
But this morning I overheard a conversation between two women that made my hackles go straight up. I am a poor eavesdropper, because I usually have my nose buried in a book, or newspaper, or I'm scrawling something in a notebook. For whatever reason, their talk penetrated my magical Wall of Ignoring, much to my chagrin.
These women were, I think, in their late 20s or early 30s. Reasonably well-dressed, well-groomed and overall nice to look at. This pleasant visual effect was abruptly shattered when they opened their mouths.
Woman 1: You're married now. He doesn't have a choice.
Woman 2: Are you sure? We've only been married for a few months.
Woman 1: It's not too soon to start. Do you want him to stay this way?
Woman 2: I guess not.
Woman 1: All men are like little children. You have to tell them what to do.
Woman 2: Everything?
Woman 1: Yes. You have to mold them or they'll never grow up.
Woman 2: Maybe I should just ask him to change a little.
Woman 1: No. Don't ask. Tell. TELL him what to do, and he'd better do it.
Woman 2: I don't know...
Woman 1: You're married now. What can he do?
Woman 2: He could leave me...
Woman 1: He won't. You'd take him to the cleaners.
There was more than one point that caused me to breathe fire, and they should all be obvious. I don't believe in butting in to other people's business, so I didn't, but I desperately wanted to walk over to the table and soundly beat Woman 1 about the head with rational discourse. She probably would've accused me of "being mean."
I like to think that this sort of attitude isn't prevalent in my part of the world, but I have no idea whether it really is or isn't. I was recently shown a mailing list populated largely by married, affluent, Western women, and the utterly irrational and self-entitled prose I read made me wonder if I wasn't in some reality-programming Hollywood comedy.
Where did you get a 2 carat diamond? Mine's only 1 carat. I'm going to make him get me a 2 carat now... and I swear if any parent brings their sick kid to school and makes MY kid sick I'm going to call the police. This is a danger to my family!
I'm pretty sure that unless she was talking about bacterial meningitis, the only danger to her family was her marked inability to consider anything other than her own tiny little world.
I know that psychologically all that's happening here is that these women are possessed by insecurity run rampant. What bothers me though is that this insecurity and the way these particular women deal with it has become accepted, institutionalized and even glorified! Real Housewives of Orange County anyone? Sex is a weapon (weaponized sex sounds almost positive) to be used against husbands who have been bad, "bad" being defined as anything that these women don't like. You went out to poker night with the boys on a night I agreed to several weeks ago when you should've read my mind and understood I wanted you to stay home? No nookie for you! One year!
I don't know how or why this disgraceful behaviour has come about and entrenched itself. I'm sure many of the men that these women date or marry have directly contributed to it. The behaviour is decidedly harmful, even hateful, as it's all about controlling and manipulating your partner because they're too damned insecure to let him (or her) be their own person. I can't imagine what they're teaching their kids.
The good news is that women who behave this way, and the men who helped them get there, are seemingly a lot more scarce in geekdom. Female geeks are still females, possess all of the normal female behaviours and social pressures, but as a whole they're a lot more rational and reasonable. They're a lot more tolerant too, given that they have us male geeks to contend with. And we should be thankful. Offer a female geek a choice between a two-carat diamond and a loaded 24" iMac -- I'll bet that the glint you'll see won't be on her finger, it'll be in her eye.
I CAN'T BEAT YOU SENSELESS, BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE CLEARLY ALREADY DID THAT: I occasionally spend an hour in the morning having a quiet cup of coffee while reading a newspaper at a local Canadian-version-of-a-diner. It's a welcome reprieve from the hustle of parenthood and it also allows me to recharge my introvert batteries. Most times nothing of interest occurs (other than spilling too much Tabasco on my eggs), which is the way I like it.
But this morning I overheard a conversation between two women that made my hackles go straight up. I am a poor eavesdropper, because I usually have my nose buried in a book, or newspaper, or I'm scrawling something in a notebook. For whatever reason, their talk penetrated my magical Wall of Ignoring, much to my chagrin.
These women were, I think, in their late 20s or early 30s. Reasonably well-dressed, well-groomed and overall nice to look at. This pleasant visual effect was abruptly shattered when they opened their mouths.
Woman 1: You're married now. He doesn't have a choice.
Woman 2: Are you sure? We've only been married for a few months.
Woman 1: It's not too soon to start. Do you want him to stay this way?
Woman 2: I guess not.
Woman 1: All men are like little children. You have to tell them what to do.
Woman 2: Everything?
Woman 1: Yes. You have to mold them or they'll never grow up.
Woman 2: Maybe I should just ask him to change a little.
Woman 1: No. Don't ask. Tell. TELL him what to do, and he'd better do it.
Woman 2: I don't know...
Woman 1: You're married now. What can he do?
Woman 2: He could leave me...
Woman 1: He won't. You'd take him to the cleaners.
There was more than one point that caused me to breathe fire, and they should all be obvious. I don't believe in butting in to other people's business, so I didn't, but I desperately wanted to walk over to the table and soundly beat Woman 1 about the head with rational discourse. She probably would've accused me of "being mean."
I like to think that this sort of attitude isn't prevalent in my part of the world, but I have no idea whether it really is or isn't. I was recently shown a mailing list populated largely by married, affluent, Western women, and the utterly irrational and self-entitled prose I read made me wonder if I wasn't in some reality-programming Hollywood comedy.
Where did you get a 2 carat diamond? Mine's only 1 carat. I'm going to make him get me a 2 carat now... and I swear if any parent brings their sick kid to school and makes MY kid sick I'm going to call the police. This is a danger to my family!
I'm pretty sure that unless she was talking about bacterial meningitis, the only danger to her family was her marked inability to consider anything other than her own tiny little world.
I know that psychologically all that's happening here is that these women are possessed by insecurity run rampant. What bothers me though is that this insecurity and the way these particular women deal with it has become accepted, institutionalized and even glorified! Real Housewives of Orange County anyone? Sex is a weapon (weaponized sex sounds almost positive) to be used against husbands who have been bad, "bad" being defined as anything that these women don't like. You went out to poker night with the boys on a night I agreed to several weeks ago when you should've read my mind and understood I wanted you to stay home? No nookie for you! One year!
I don't know how or why this disgraceful behaviour has come about and entrenched itself. I'm sure many of the men that these women date or marry have directly contributed to it. The behaviour is decidedly harmful, even hateful, as it's all about controlling and manipulating your partner because they're too damned insecure to let him (or her) be their own person. I can't imagine what they're teaching their kids.
The good news is that women who behave this way, and the men who helped them get there, are seemingly a lot more scarce in geekdom. Female geeks are still females, possess all of the normal female behaviours and social pressures, but as a whole they're a lot more rational and reasonable. They're a lot more tolerant too, given that they have us male geeks to contend with. And we should be thankful. Offer a female geek a choice between a two-carat diamond and a loaded 24" iMac -- I'll bet that the glint you'll see won't be on her finger, it'll be in her eye.
28 April 2008
Catching Up
Welp... I'm back in the saddle again so to speak. Ever had one of those times where you need a vacation from your vacation? Yup... that was me today. I took an extra day off work JUST so I could relax and do as little as possible (besides unpack) before going back to RL work. And I already know I'm gonna have a HUGE stack of crap to do once I do get back to work... and I'm soooooooo not looking forward to it. :-P
On the SL® front, I wandered back online Sunday afternoon and had quite a few folks IM to welcome me back. :-) As I've said before... it's kinda nice to be appreciated, needed and missed by your friends. Too many to name here but I do thank you all for your kind words.
I have learned over time that a week feels like 2 months in SL®. This was never more apparent when I logged back in and realized that my pal and fellow DJ Rykk had finished building his new club, but had also scheduled some kickass DJs to play there during prime hours of the evening. Sadly... they all took the slots I really wanted, soooo I'm gonna have to be a fill-in for the time being. Vacation and RL jobs blow chunks like that but... I gotta pay the bills and have SOME sanity in my existence. :-P
I did find time at least to meander around the grid and check on some familiar grounds. Checked out a couple of Sanctuary Rock events (and won best female for both), checked my Collisions booths, and meandered over to Silent Sparrow to see what hyasynth's newest beautiful creations are up. And as always... I was smitten by another of her breathtaking designs.
I picked up the Coronis in verdant (a floral green color) and well... I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. :-)
Isn't it gorgeous??? The dress is $600L BUT it's well worth it because it comes with a ton of mix-n-match layers and pieces so that you can make about 8 different dresses with it. She also made matching unisex suits in each color so if you get both there's 33 different pieces to play with. I haven't gotten the matching suit yet... but I will soon!!!
I'm gonna try and get some new CoLLisions items out this week if I don't pass out from RL work first... so stay tuned!
On the SL® front, I wandered back online Sunday afternoon and had quite a few folks IM to welcome me back. :-) As I've said before... it's kinda nice to be appreciated, needed and missed by your friends. Too many to name here but I do thank you all for your kind words.
I have learned over time that a week feels like 2 months in SL®. This was never more apparent when I logged back in and realized that my pal and fellow DJ Rykk had finished building his new club, but had also scheduled some kickass DJs to play there during prime hours of the evening. Sadly... they all took the slots I really wanted, soooo I'm gonna have to be a fill-in for the time being. Vacation and RL jobs blow chunks like that but... I gotta pay the bills and have SOME sanity in my existence. :-P
I did find time at least to meander around the grid and check on some familiar grounds. Checked out a couple of Sanctuary Rock events (and won best female for both), checked my Collisions booths, and meandered over to Silent Sparrow to see what hyasynth's newest beautiful creations are up. And as always... I was smitten by another of her breathtaking designs.
I picked up the Coronis in verdant (a floral green color) and well... I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. :-)
Isn't it gorgeous??? The dress is $600L BUT it's well worth it because it comes with a ton of mix-n-match layers and pieces so that you can make about 8 different dresses with it. She also made matching unisex suits in each color so if you get both there's 33 different pieces to play with. I haven't gotten the matching suit yet... but I will soon!!!
I'm gonna try and get some new CoLLisions items out this week if I don't pass out from RL work first... so stay tuned!
18 April 2008
Crazy Happenings...
Okay okay... I know I haven't been posting as often. BAD GUEN!!!
Well when you run into a group of Spartans... you get things back into perspective...
In truth, I've been working on plans for a RL trip this next week to visit the parents. Lots of driving. Lots of 'When are we getting grandkids?'. And lots of 'We thought you were losing weight.' Still... gotta visit them once in a while, right?
Aaaanyways, the rest of my week was relatively quiet SL-wise except for a Mean Girls post and a Grand Opening that Rykk and I were both at. The best part of the whole event was that both he and I donated all our tips to the Relay for Life charity.
Even better, we tossed some trivia out to the crowd and gave them some nifty prizes in the process. :-)
Anyways it'll be another week before ya get another post from me, sadly. :-( Trying to explain my blogging & SL® habits to the 'rents will be like explaining to a 90 year-old how a cell phone works (no offense to any 90 year-olds who actually use cell phones or read blogs). Not to mention I'll be without a computer with a decent connection all week. *sniff*
I'll certainly try and blog again as soon as I get back tho! Miss you all already!
Well when you run into a group of Spartans... you get things back into perspective...
In truth, I've been working on plans for a RL trip this next week to visit the parents. Lots of driving. Lots of 'When are we getting grandkids?'. And lots of 'We thought you were losing weight.' Still... gotta visit them once in a while, right?
Aaaanyways, the rest of my week was relatively quiet SL-wise except for a Mean Girls post and a Grand Opening that Rykk and I were both at. The best part of the whole event was that both he and I donated all our tips to the Relay for Life charity.
Even better, we tossed some trivia out to the crowd and gave them some nifty prizes in the process. :-)
Anyways it'll be another week before ya get another post from me, sadly. :-( Trying to explain my blogging & SL® habits to the 'rents will be like explaining to a 90 year-old how a cell phone works (no offense to any 90 year-olds who actually use cell phones or read blogs). Not to mention I'll be without a computer with a decent connection all week. *sniff*
I'll certainly try and blog again as soon as I get back tho! Miss you all already!
12 April 2008
RAWK!!!
Just a cute photo I found on the Myg Blog that Esteban did during one of his/her Monday DJ Clockwork sets.
Do you think we should start a band? ;-)
From Left to Right: Aussieangel, Esteban, Bambie, moi
Do you think we should start a band? ;-)
From Left to Right: Aussieangel, Esteban, Bambie, moi
08 April 2008
Living in the Moment vs Living in a Bubble
Living in the Moment
I've done a lot of posts lately about change and rebirth (including making a new tattoo to represent such an event), I know. It's the next step in the rebirth process that I wish to address here.
Both Rosie and Chestnut have both mentioned in different posts the idea of 'living in the moment'. For the most part I have lived under that rule since I got out of my parent's house 15 years ago. Because of such a existential philosophy, I have had some truly life changing experiences (both bad and good) that have shaped the way I am today. I have had to push that belief into Second Life especially recently with all the vast changes I've gone through (and posted about already).
One of the recent changes in my SL life was a partnership that struck just about everyone out of the blue. Even our closest friends just went 'BUH?!?!?!' when they suddenly saw our names in each other's Partner Box.
Introducing... Ozark:
Short and sweet... he and I are both DJ's at Sanctuary Rock whom apparently had crushes on each other for a while. Eventually, Damian & Elena poked me to ask him out. A few dances later... the magic just fell into place. :-)
Living in a Bubble
On the flipside of all the beautiful things in this world, there are some bad eggs to mess everything up. One of these is more like an itchy rash that you can't manage to get rid of no matter how much you scratch or drop medicine on.
US folks have at least -heard- about the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church. For those who are not aware, this 'cult' as I prefer to call them believe that homosexuality is the worst sin in the world. These are the idiots who protest outside military funerals because they feel that God hates America (and other countries) whom embrace the homosexual lifestyle. Heck even their website is 'Godhatesfags.com'. UGH!!!!
First off, the Baptist Church does not sanction Westboro, so calling them Baptist is a misnomer to begin with. Secondly, those within this 'Church' tend to site only specific passages from the Bible without reading their true meaning. Certain words just sound good for their cause. They -also- take perfectly beautiful songs about America and change the lyrics to things that mention things such as how military are wiping their asses on the American flag.
Yeah so... we're all going to hell, yanno. I hope they're glad that the American military whom they are condemning constantly fight for their right to Free Speech and Free Press. If they hate America so much, maybe they should all pack up and move somewhere else. I hear there's a plenty of room over in North Korea.
I've done a lot of posts lately about change and rebirth (including making a new tattoo to represent such an event), I know. It's the next step in the rebirth process that I wish to address here.
Both Rosie and Chestnut have both mentioned in different posts the idea of 'living in the moment'. For the most part I have lived under that rule since I got out of my parent's house 15 years ago. Because of such a existential philosophy, I have had some truly life changing experiences (both bad and good) that have shaped the way I am today. I have had to push that belief into Second Life especially recently with all the vast changes I've gone through (and posted about already).
One of the recent changes in my SL life was a partnership that struck just about everyone out of the blue. Even our closest friends just went 'BUH?!?!?!' when they suddenly saw our names in each other's Partner Box.
Introducing... Ozark:
Short and sweet... he and I are both DJ's at Sanctuary Rock whom apparently had crushes on each other for a while. Eventually, Damian & Elena poked me to ask him out. A few dances later... the magic just fell into place. :-)
Living in a Bubble
On the flipside of all the beautiful things in this world, there are some bad eggs to mess everything up. One of these is more like an itchy rash that you can't manage to get rid of no matter how much you scratch or drop medicine on.
US folks have at least -heard- about the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church. For those who are not aware, this 'cult' as I prefer to call them believe that homosexuality is the worst sin in the world. These are the idiots who protest outside military funerals because they feel that God hates America (and other countries) whom embrace the homosexual lifestyle. Heck even their website is 'Godhatesfags.com'. UGH!!!!
First off, the Baptist Church does not sanction Westboro, so calling them Baptist is a misnomer to begin with. Secondly, those within this 'Church' tend to site only specific passages from the Bible without reading their true meaning. Certain words just sound good for their cause. They -also- take perfectly beautiful songs about America and change the lyrics to things that mention things such as how military are wiping their asses on the American flag.
Yeah so... we're all going to hell, yanno. I hope they're glad that the American military whom they are condemning constantly fight for their right to Free Speech and Free Press. If they hate America so much, maybe they should all pack up and move somewhere else. I hear there's a plenty of room over in North Korea.
06 April 2008
.:CoLLisions:. Now in 3 Locations!
Yup I got 3 lil' areas with my stuff posted now. No mainstore to speak of yet but I feel I'll gradually get to the point of needing one once I have enough product to display.
At ShenS:
Head up the stairs to the second floor to see my wall. :-)
At Divine Oasis:
Turn left from the main plaza and go towards the smaller shops. My cart is in the center.
At Sanctuary Rock:
Yep I finally decided to get an area at the SR Mall. It's not in the most primo spot, but beggers can't be choosers. After teleporting to the center, turn left, then left again under the steps to the LAST vendor spot on your left.
***EDIT*** I moved my SR vendor space 2 slots over, so the spot is a -little- bit easier to find now. :-)
They aren't much as of yet but I plan to add more items and spruce up things in time. :-)
At ShenS:
Head up the stairs to the second floor to see my wall. :-)
At Divine Oasis:
Turn left from the main plaza and go towards the smaller shops. My cart is in the center.
At Sanctuary Rock:
Yep I finally decided to get an area at the SR Mall. It's not in the most primo spot, but beggers can't be choosers. After teleporting to the center, turn left, then left again under the steps to the LAST vendor spot on your left.
***EDIT*** I moved my SR vendor space 2 slots over, so the spot is a -little- bit easier to find now. :-)
They aren't much as of yet but I plan to add more items and spruce up things in time. :-)
03 April 2008
Sometimes You Get Pleasant Surprises...
...Like This!!!!
Okay so while checking my offline messages yesterday, I catch two IMs from the owner of Sanctuary Rock, Daisy, and the GM, Mirari both apologizing about my RezDay last week. They both had read my previous post and then decided to give me a Belated RezDay setup. Of course I had no idea they did this until Ozark pulled me over before my set at 6pm and *POOF* there's this sign right in front of me! It may have been put up 6 days after my RezDay, but hey I'm not one to turn down a party.
Later on during my own set, ironically, a familiar face popped in for about 15 minutes. Wyatt of all folks was simply passing through and like some fickle finger of fate, he came over during my set. We chatted for a little bit and then he logged out. At least we spoke on pretty good terms (he even admitted sneaking a peek up my skirt) and I think things will be okay on that front.
In fact we had no much fun at the next event that Mirari and I decided to test out a pair of Sine Wave's newest dance poles.
(That's JP checking out our bods sliding up and down those poles, too).
I wanna thank everyone who has been so generous (and had to listen to me in various emotional states) over the past week. It's definately turned out to be an incredible RezDay celebration. :-)
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