Seven blunders of the world that lead to violence: wealth without work,
pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without
morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, politics
without principle. -Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
Monday, January 3, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Happy New Year!
They say life in Second Life is six times faster than real life, and that means that since I've written here last, there have been enough items to cover a year and a half. Let's bullet point a few:
--My term ast leader of the Representative Assembly of CDS ended November 1. The term was productive and busy, and I am proud of the work that was done. For many reasons though, it is no longer healthy for me to be part of the CDS community. If you'd like to know more, we can talk privately. Most of my land there is for sale.
--Al Andalus continues to thrive. The Gonzaga University Sim relocated to join our estate, and now host the Aurora Hall and Theater. We'll have a dance there after the holidays! The Montserrat Abbey connects the Gonzaga sim to the Al Andalus sims, and the effect is very much like real life Granada, where the Alhambra sits just apart from the modern city.
--Arizona State University, through Kaseido Quandry, will be conducting a class from the Almunecar sim this term. These university affiliations help us meet the educational mission of our sims, as we continue to learn about how democracy can work in virtual worlds.
--Ischia is the new home of A Little Romance Horses and Equestrian Supplies. Okay, there aren't actually any supplies for sale yet, but Satir has created a lovely barn! And, not unlike my experience with Ozimals bunnies, the Amaretto horses have captured my heart and make it a little hard to let them go. The herd is a bit out of hand though, so if you want some pretty horses, come see me!
Rose seems to have lost some of her delight in the virtual world, but she's not a quitter. 2011 has much potential; I'm looking forward to what it holds.
Happy New Year!
--My term ast leader of the Representative Assembly of CDS ended November 1. The term was productive and busy, and I am proud of the work that was done. For many reasons though, it is no longer healthy for me to be part of the CDS community. If you'd like to know more, we can talk privately. Most of my land there is for sale.
--Al Andalus continues to thrive. The Gonzaga University Sim relocated to join our estate, and now host the Aurora Hall and Theater. We'll have a dance there after the holidays! The Montserrat Abbey connects the Gonzaga sim to the Al Andalus sims, and the effect is very much like real life Granada, where the Alhambra sits just apart from the modern city.
--Arizona State University, through Kaseido Quandry, will be conducting a class from the Almunecar sim this term. These university affiliations help us meet the educational mission of our sims, as we continue to learn about how democracy can work in virtual worlds.
--Ischia is the new home of A Little Romance Horses and Equestrian Supplies. Okay, there aren't actually any supplies for sale yet, but Satir has created a lovely barn! And, not unlike my experience with Ozimals bunnies, the Amaretto horses have captured my heart and make it a little hard to let them go. The herd is a bit out of hand though, so if you want some pretty horses, come see me!
Rose seems to have lost some of her delight in the virtual world, but she's not a quitter. 2011 has much potential; I'm looking forward to what it holds.
Happy New Year!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Al Andalus News
Al Andalus has created a new community site at www.alandalus.spruz.com so if you want to follow more of the day to day, check in there! Today I'm on the Radio! Go here for details to listen.
http://www.cbc.ca/dnto/
A couple of other recent articles: Al Andalus in the Christian Science Monitor, by Ethan Gilsdorf:
A virtual world that breaks real barriers
www.csmonitor.com
and in Joshua Fouts' article in Saudi Aramco World
http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/201004/al-andalus.2.0.htm
Work in the CDS sims continues, and the CDS Oktoberfest continues through this weekend.
We are planning a fun party in the Isles of Ischia for Halloween, decorating and filling up stores with festive goods goes on this week... feel free to join us!
http://www.cbc.ca/dnto/
A couple of other recent articles: Al Andalus in the Christian Science Monitor, by Ethan Gilsdorf:
A virtual world that breaks real barriers
www.csmonitor.com
and in Joshua Fouts' article in Saudi Aramco World
http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/201004/al-andalus.2.0.htm
Work in the CDS sims continues, and the CDS Oktoberfest continues through this weekend.
We are planning a fun party in the Isles of Ischia for Halloween, decorating and filling up stores with festive goods goes on this week... feel free to join us!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Al Andalus Renewal
I'm finally back from weeks of traveling and it is time to get Al Andalus on its feet again. The owner of AA, Virtual Democracy Inc, is not led by Micael Khandr as Executive director, and he'll be calling meetings this week to help get the group organized in self government. I'm going to do what I can to get the financial tools in order so someone can take that on, too.
The important thing is that AA as a democracy will take a new direction. So long as it is perceived as "Rose's" project, what it can do is limited. So if you are reading this blog, and participate in AA, you should be asking yourself what you want to see in the way of organizational design, and what you are willing to take on. I've committed to not abandoning the project, but I need others to step up now and run it. That was what I was to have gained from the merger.
I'm confident that there will be enough interest to keep the project alive and thriving.
The important thing is that AA as a democracy will take a new direction. So long as it is perceived as "Rose's" project, what it can do is limited. So if you are reading this blog, and participate in AA, you should be asking yourself what you want to see in the way of organizational design, and what you are willing to take on. I've committed to not abandoning the project, but I need others to step up now and run it. That was what I was to have gained from the merger.
I'm confident that there will be enough interest to keep the project alive and thriving.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Sometimes, it is just time to move on.
Here is what I wrote last week before the Al Andalus Citizens met to decide the fate of the merger with CDS. They decided to sever the relationship. I'll be posting the exciting things AA will be pursuing in the next few posts, but I know there are many who don't understand.
Directions
This morning I went for a walk along the seashore. The sun was bright, the gulls loud and the gentle waves washed against my feet. It seemed like the perfect thing to do, no pressure, no fear, no real problems. To be sure, I knew the ocean was full of issues, jellyfish this week, riptides and currents, even sharks are not uncommon. In the same way, the land has issues: not far away dangerous traffic sped along the inter-coastal highway, strangers lurked in shadows of houses, sometimes fish hooks or glass or other litter glinted sharp along the beach. But they were known issues, things that care and understanding could avoid.
As I walked south, toward the end of my island, I noticed that last night's storm had brought another crop of Sargasso grass to the beach. Fresh seaweed, spongy and soft, grows in the warm gulf and periodically washes ashore. Infrequent visitors don't understand the cyclical nature of the grass, and don't know that by tomorrow or the next day or next week, the tide will pick it all up and wash it back to sea. Change is the only constant.
So when I crossed the stretch of sand that took me to the waters edge, it didn't bother me that there were bits of seaweed at the high tide line. I just walked over it, hoping not to hurt any of the billions of organisms that make the fertile grass home, and began my stroll along the edge of the warm water. A hundred yards down the beach, I saw that more grass was building, a few inches stacked on the dry sand, but still thought very little of it. By the time I'd walked the first mile though, the seaweed had formed a wall, three to four feet high, and the ocean was crashing hard against it. It was too tall for me to climb across, and the water was too deep to wade through. I had no choice but turn back, retrace my steps and give up the walk along the sea for the day. I didn't give up my walk, just had to choose another route.
The merger between CDS and Al Andalus has been like that walk. At first, there seemed to be nothing that we couldn't work around, the issues were small, the desire to work together high. But as the year went on, it became more and more clear that an impasse was being built. First it was how we selected representatives, and how many of our citizens were counted. Then it was notices, events, money, record keeping, and now even our ideology is suspect. Together, we've built a wall that no one can safely cross or maneuver through, and no one wants to back down. With any single issue, it would make sense to keep working, but all of them together have created an environment of dispute, anger and animosity. It has been a long time since I was able to log onto SL without being hit with one or the other from someone. That isn't how I want to spend my time. I don't believe it is how our community wants to spend its time. The question we must answer? Is it time to turn around and choose a new path?
Directions
This morning I went for a walk along the seashore. The sun was bright, the gulls loud and the gentle waves washed against my feet. It seemed like the perfect thing to do, no pressure, no fear, no real problems. To be sure, I knew the ocean was full of issues, jellyfish this week, riptides and currents, even sharks are not uncommon. In the same way, the land has issues: not far away dangerous traffic sped along the inter-coastal highway, strangers lurked in shadows of houses, sometimes fish hooks or glass or other litter glinted sharp along the beach. But they were known issues, things that care and understanding could avoid.
As I walked south, toward the end of my island, I noticed that last night's storm had brought another crop of Sargasso grass to the beach. Fresh seaweed, spongy and soft, grows in the warm gulf and periodically washes ashore. Infrequent visitors don't understand the cyclical nature of the grass, and don't know that by tomorrow or the next day or next week, the tide will pick it all up and wash it back to sea. Change is the only constant.
So when I crossed the stretch of sand that took me to the waters edge, it didn't bother me that there were bits of seaweed at the high tide line. I just walked over it, hoping not to hurt any of the billions of organisms that make the fertile grass home, and began my stroll along the edge of the warm water. A hundred yards down the beach, I saw that more grass was building, a few inches stacked on the dry sand, but still thought very little of it. By the time I'd walked the first mile though, the seaweed had formed a wall, three to four feet high, and the ocean was crashing hard against it. It was too tall for me to climb across, and the water was too deep to wade through. I had no choice but turn back, retrace my steps and give up the walk along the sea for the day. I didn't give up my walk, just had to choose another route.
The merger between CDS and Al Andalus has been like that walk. At first, there seemed to be nothing that we couldn't work around, the issues were small, the desire to work together high. But as the year went on, it became more and more clear that an impasse was being built. First it was how we selected representatives, and how many of our citizens were counted. Then it was notices, events, money, record keeping, and now even our ideology is suspect. Together, we've built a wall that no one can safely cross or maneuver through, and no one wants to back down. With any single issue, it would make sense to keep working, but all of them together have created an environment of dispute, anger and animosity. It has been a long time since I was able to log onto SL without being hit with one or the other from someone. That isn't how I want to spend my time. I don't believe it is how our community wants to spend its time. The question we must answer? Is it time to turn around and choose a new path?
Saturday, May 29, 2010
As the Term Turns...
It really was the beginning of the 12th RA when I last posted in this blog, and now it is the beginning of the 13th. It has been an interesting term for me, one filled with surprises, mostly bad ones. But I'm not interested in dwelling on the past. I'm looking forward ... and there is a lot of reason for excitement.
This election was the first one in CDS without the necessity of factions to run for office. I've long been opposed to factionalism, especially in a community as small as ours, and that is the primary reason i've never run for elected office. That and the knowledge that I will do what i can regardless of title. But this last term made me change my mind. Too much was thrown out as fact without proper investigation. Too many people were cast out as "autocrats" "totalitarians" or worse, by people who seem to think they have the right to label others, primarily for their own aggrandizement. So i ran for office, one of 13 elected from a field of 15.
Now I'm trying to be elected leader of the RA. In prior, faction oriented terms, i'd have automatically been given the job based on the number of votes. But because we did away with factions, we also did away with the spoils of that system, and I'm fine with that. I think i have something to bring to the position though, so will continue to campaign for the position.
I'll write here more as the term goes on.
This election was the first one in CDS without the necessity of factions to run for office. I've long been opposed to factionalism, especially in a community as small as ours, and that is the primary reason i've never run for elected office. That and the knowledge that I will do what i can regardless of title. But this last term made me change my mind. Too much was thrown out as fact without proper investigation. Too many people were cast out as "autocrats" "totalitarians" or worse, by people who seem to think they have the right to label others, primarily for their own aggrandizement. So i ran for office, one of 13 elected from a field of 15.
Now I'm trying to be elected leader of the RA. In prior, faction oriented terms, i'd have automatically been given the job based on the number of votes. But because we did away with factions, we also did away with the spoils of that system, and I'm fine with that. I think i have something to bring to the position though, so will continue to campaign for the position.
I'll write here more as the term goes on.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
12th CDS Representative Assembly
Another election has come and gone in CDS, and tomorrow (eep, today) the 12th Representative Assembly of the Confederation of Democratic Sims is sworn in. In CDS, the people elect the Representative Assembly by faction, the factions then rank their candidates and the highest vote getter of the highest ranking faction serves as Leader of the Representative Assembly, in charge of calling meetings, setting and keepting to an agenda. The RA then elects from people outside its numbers, the Chancellor. The Chancellor is responsible for the day to day operations of the sims, land issues, and serves as the figurehead of CDS when needed.
We don't know yet who the Chancellor will be, and since my jobs are all within the purview of the Executives office, I don't know what I'll be doing this term, if anything.
But I have plenty to keep me busy. Al Garnata sim is my responsibility right now, and I am working with some great people to bring art and theater to the sim. The library group, including me :), had decided to move the library back to its roots... taking over El Partel Plaza and the "purple palaces"... back in the main Alhambra sim. While we've enjoyed the Tesoro Liberia, the owner of the building didn't like all the conversation involved in democracy, and abandoned it. The structure and collection still exist in the info island sims, so there is no need for us to repeat the build on our land. Soon, it will be a memory.
What happens with the land where the library sits now is yet to be decided. With Al Andalus completely sold out, it makes sense to expand the Al Garnata village. So if you are waiting for an AA residence, let us know.
And the talented Callipygian Christensen is creating an art enclave and gallery next to the Colonia Nova sim. This should be up and running by .. well, we thought December. So soon :)
The Land Sale held by CDS from November to January was a great success. I look forward to what the RA decides to do next, and wish whoever takes on the job the best of luck.
My other sim project, the Isle of Ischia, has recently been hit by a plague of bunny fever! My friend Keila Forager is breeding and selling Ozimals bunnies from a shop she calls Thumperville. Anyone who knows my weaknesses won't be surprised that I have fallen victim. I think I have 12 of the creatures. But they really are cute, only 11 prims per bunny and the script cost is very low. I remember when i first came to SL and wanted to buy a pet for a friend. I found a very fake looking kitten who not only was terribly prim heavy, it lagged every sim it was rezzed in. It is exciting to see how far animals have come in less than three years!
Finally, a couple of weeks ago I had the honor of working with Saffia Widdershins and company from Designing Worlds to create a show featuring the Al Andalus sims. If you ever get the chance to work with them... the Designing worlds team, prim perfect or prim graph, jump at the chance. They are delightful people and do a great job. See for yourself:
Hey, maybe if I'm out of a job, I can focus on ... more ... interesting things!
We don't know yet who the Chancellor will be, and since my jobs are all within the purview of the Executives office, I don't know what I'll be doing this term, if anything.
But I have plenty to keep me busy. Al Garnata sim is my responsibility right now, and I am working with some great people to bring art and theater to the sim. The library group, including me :), had decided to move the library back to its roots... taking over El Partel Plaza and the "purple palaces"... back in the main Alhambra sim. While we've enjoyed the Tesoro Liberia, the owner of the building didn't like all the conversation involved in democracy, and abandoned it. The structure and collection still exist in the info island sims, so there is no need for us to repeat the build on our land. Soon, it will be a memory.
What happens with the land where the library sits now is yet to be decided. With Al Andalus completely sold out, it makes sense to expand the Al Garnata village. So if you are waiting for an AA residence, let us know.
And the talented Callipygian Christensen is creating an art enclave and gallery next to the Colonia Nova sim. This should be up and running by .. well, we thought December. So soon :)
The Land Sale held by CDS from November to January was a great success. I look forward to what the RA decides to do next, and wish whoever takes on the job the best of luck.
My other sim project, the Isle of Ischia, has recently been hit by a plague of bunny fever! My friend Keila Forager is breeding and selling Ozimals bunnies from a shop she calls Thumperville. Anyone who knows my weaknesses won't be surprised that I have fallen victim. I think I have 12 of the creatures. But they really are cute, only 11 prims per bunny and the script cost is very low. I remember when i first came to SL and wanted to buy a pet for a friend. I found a very fake looking kitten who not only was terribly prim heavy, it lagged every sim it was rezzed in. It is exciting to see how far animals have come in less than three years!
Finally, a couple of weeks ago I had the honor of working with Saffia Widdershins and company from Designing Worlds to create a show featuring the Al Andalus sims. If you ever get the chance to work with them... the Designing worlds team, prim perfect or prim graph, jump at the chance. They are delightful people and do a great job. See for yourself:
Hey, maybe if I'm out of a job, I can focus on ... more ... interesting things!
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