Thursday, July 31, 2008

King of the world!


I have to admit that ever since seeing the movie, Titanic, I've always fantasized about doing this "king of the world" stunt. Now, just having been on board a cruise ship a couple of months ago, I can tell you I'd be terrified to try it in real life...but isn't that what a second life is for?
So, aboard a crude imitation of the Titanic ship, Bo and I tried it out under the sisterly watchful eyes of Anna. Could we have fallen overboard?
Yep. But it's Second Life and nothing would happen save a bruised ego and a laugh or two. Then, you'd fly up and try it all over again! You can't always do that in real life but here, in this immersive 3D world you most certainly can--and with friends from around the world by your side!
Life, whether real or virtual can be sweet :)

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Salsa, baby!

The Friday Night Gang gathered at Kayla's island paradise for a night of Salsa last night. Toro! And, we even had a bull! There was dancing, laughing (as always) and for some reason the boys brought out their toys.

Soon there were alien avatars, transformers, little deputys, cars, weapons,motorcycles and even a Zeppelin balloon. Yes, you read that right!

I had an unfortunate accidental "wardrobe malfunction" moment too. At least it was amongst friends! Ha ha but methinks Krpt, Apache and Bo saw a wee bit too much more of me than ever planned. Simon thankfully missed it and Charlie...hmmm where was Charlie?

It all ended with Bo becoming a model. He sweetly modeled my beach shorts line for pictures for my newest store. Muuuah, Bo!

Next week it's Christmas in August at my house! Maybe Santa will come so I can sit on his lap and whisper my Christmas wishes...never too early to start!

Rock of Ages




You can take the girl out of the 80's but you can't always take the 80's out of the girl :)
Ok we all have vices, 80's hair bands are mine lol and fortunately, in Second Life life seems to be in a time warp. Most of us boomers must dominate the demographics because 80's concert venues abound. Great for me!
So, I spend lots of hours doing the rounds at concerts by tribute bands, sometimes alone, sometimes with friends but no matter I always have a great time! This past week alone I heard Alice Cooper, Bon Jovi, 3 Doors Down and a german band called Kreation. I missed Evanescence but will catch them another time.
And, I'm even thinking about being a singer in a cover band....hey, why not. Isn't that what a second life is all about?
Stay tuned...

Sunday, July 20, 2008

A Devil of a Time!






Every Friday night our gang holds a theme party. This week I hosted an Angels, Devils, Sinners and Saints dance. No one came as a saint but I think the angels outnumbered the devils!
It was a great time. People came from all over--from as far away as Australia to Germany, UK, Portugal and the USA.
Our crowd keeps growing --the more the merrier: Albi, Leo, Coughdrop, Simon, Apache, Kayla, Tomcat, Charlie, Anna, Genevieve, Third, Marimar, Paribus... did I forget anyone? MIA were regulars Bo and Enkryptor. Next week's theme is Salsa--Ole!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Points of View


While riding a ferris wheel today, I thought about a movie I once saw called Roshomon. The film is about how several people recall an event from their own vantage points, which influences their perspectives. On the ferris wheel, when you are ground level, you don't see much more than what is before you...but as you rise higher and higher, you begin to see buildings that you didn't know where there and pathways never explored.

It is like a whole new world yet it is the same world. It's all how you see things really. Life can be narrow, like a tunnel where you can't see left or right but only ahead. But, we need to see things in shades of grey. We need to see the periphery in order to gauge the larger picture. To only march on, eyes straight ahead is to rob yourself of scenery and people you would not have seen otherwise.

There is a street in San Francisco. It's the most winding road ever built. It's not practical but it's fun. The narrow twists and turns force you to slow down to enjoy the experience. We should do that in our lives as well. Slow down and enjoy different views of your world. Sit on the other side of the road, change where you are seated on the couch, sleep on the other side of the bed, drive to work a different way. Change it up!

And, perhaps like the ferris wheel, you will see the world in a whole new way---full of wonder, potential and possibility :)

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Life Goes On at Inishmore



July 7, 2008 will be the first anniversary of owning Inishmore. The island is not the same as it once was, the dreams are different too but life goes on. Had an impromptu party with some friends and we had a great time until...well, don't know how I did it but I accidentally deleted the ground we were all dancing on and we all tumbled into the ocean! haha everyone loved it!
Later on a few friends, Enkryptor, Anna and Tom joined me for some chat in my underwater cove. No, things are not the same but the one thing you can always count on is change. Whenever I start to get a bit melancholy, I think of how the apostle Paul endured all sorts of change in his life and endured what I will never experience. And yet, despite his torture and persecution, he had the courage to say...
"I have learned in whatever state I'm in, to be content." Philippians 4:11
How many of us can say that? How many of us practice that? It is a simple gift to ourselves to be content despite whatever life throws at us. So, do we take that gift or do we sour when things don't go our way? Let's not wither on the vine of discontent. Why not grasp life and be content...no matter what...no matter where...no matter in what state. Go for it!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Can you Support Abortion and still be a Christian?

I read the following article and thought to myself, "how can this be?" How can Christians park their faith on the curb just to support a popular candidate? How do they justify this to themselves---and to God? I am incredulous...ok, perhaps naive to believe that all Christians who say they are Christians will embrace,practice and follow the tenant's of the teachings of Jesus, but stunned all the same. How can one support extinguishing life yet in the next breath pray to the God who gives us all life?
Read on:
Most Members Of Obama's Catholic Advisory Council Members Support Abortion Rights, Opinion Piece Says25 Jun 2008
Wall Street Journal columnist William McGurn writes in an opinion piece that Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) "sent a clear message" to Democrats who "gravitated" toward Republican candidates because of their opposition to abortion rights by appointing Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) as the head of his National Catholic Advisory Council. According to McGurn, although the council's National Leadership Committee does include some Roman Catholic lawmakers whose "pro-life credentials are impeccable," such as Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), most members of the council have a "seal of approval" from NARAL Pro-Choice America, with 17 of the 21 senators, members of Congress and governors on the committee having a 90% to 100% approval rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America.To further support his thesis that Obama's Catholic advisory council would be better suited to informing voters about how "extreme" Obama's position on abortion is rather than encouraging Catholic voters to support him, McGurn points out that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D), one of the committee's co-chairs, recently was asked by her bishop to stop receiving Holy Communion because of her support for abortion rights.Obama has said that although he supports abortion rights, he acknowledges a "moral dimension" to abortion, and has said that he is willing to listen to abortion-rights opponents and that he wants to work to reduce the number of abortions, according to McGurn. However, Obama's arguments are a "tough sell" to Catholic voters, McGurn writes, adding that Catholic voters who are supporting Obama "have to get around" the Catholic Church's position that abortion is an "intrinsic evil" and is "always and everywhere wrong"

(McGurn, Wall Street Journal, 6/24). Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company. © 2008 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112655.php

Actions Speak Louder than Words!

Obama: Equal Pay for Women... Just Not on My Dime
Posted by Bobby Eberle
July 1, 2008 at 6:00 am
Sen. Barack Obama talks a good game. There's talk about hope and change, and hope and change, and even more hope and change. What exactly is he hoping to change? No one really knows, but one thing is clear: the more we get to know him, the more we realize that his actions are quite different than his "hope and change" rhetoric.
As an example, take his recent speech about pay discrimination between men and women. Obama told the audience in Albuquerque, NM that he supports "a Senate bill to make it easier to sue an employer for pay discrimination." Yet, upon a review of Obama's payroll, we learn that women are paid less than men. Keep talking Sen. Obama.
As reported by CNSNews.com, "While Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has vowed to make pay equity for women a top priority if elected president, an analysis of his Senate staff shows that women are outnumbered and out-paid by men. That is in contrast to Republican presidential candidate John McCain's Senate office, where women, for the most part, out-rank and are paid more than men."
In his speech, Obama spoke about how his single mom worked to raise her family. He spoke of hardships of his grandmother, and also his wife. He set the stage beautifully by noting the successes of these women... then what did he do? He blasted Sen. John McCain, saying, "But when you look at our records and our plans on issues that matter to working women, the choice could not be clearer. ... It starts with equal pay."
It starts with equal pay? Did he seriously say that with a straight face? As CNSNews.com notes in their analysis, "On average, women working in Obama's Senate office were paid at least $6,000 below the average man working for the Illinois senator." CNSNews.com also points out that "of the five people in Obama's Senate office who were paid $100,000 or more on an annual basis, only one -- Obama's administrative manager -- was a woman."
In contrast, women outnumbered men on McCain's Senate payroll by 30 to 16. The women were paid an average of $3,000 more than the men.
Obama sounds less and less like an advocate of hope and change, and more and more like a typical politician. In his speech Obama said, "We can't afford an economy where folks keep working harder for less. We can't let the women in our workforce get paid even less for doing the same work." Oh really? It appears that Obama, as an employer, has no problems doing exactly what he is speaking against. I guess he means "other" employers. Certainly we shouldn't look at what his own hiring practices really are, right? This is just one other part of his record that he'd prefer be kept out of the spotlight.
Near the end of his speech, Obama said, "I want my daughters to grow up in an America where they have opportunities that are even greater than their mother had, or their grandmothers, or their great grandmothers -- an America where our daughters truly have the same opportunities as our sons."
Note to Obama's daughters.... Don't go to work for your dad.

sad, isn't it that in this new century, already nearly a decade into it that women are still behind in the game!

A new life has begun! II Cor 5:17

A new life has begun! II Cor 5:17
God's GPS