How strange that my first diary here turns out to be a Top Comments diary, given the amount of writing I've been doing here in recent weeks. But I was fortunate enough to strike up conversations with the delightful TC crew in va dare's brilliant TC essay on Racism in Appalachia and other places, and was thrilled at the invitation.
Of course, they've had a devil of a time getting emails to me about mentoring me through the process the first time, because I've taken a short unplanned break from dKos by immersing myself in Second Life. Anyone who's a SL regular will tell you about their first week or so being a rather obsessive and sleep-deprived time.
Follow me into Lower Foldistan for more.
Second Life is a 3D online virtual world in which your in-world self, or "avatar," can walk (or fly) around residential neighborhoods, live music clubs, shops for clothing, SL gadgets, house-building parts, and scripts for animating just about anything you can imagine. Anyone unfamiliar with Second Life should start with Moody Loner's excellent series of How-To Diaries on Second Life; the one I linked to is the most recent, and has links to Second Life software and to his earlier diaries.
Here's a current image of my SL Avatar, Zathras Afarensis. As Zathras--along with my wife's avatar--I have, in the last week, spun around, suspended in mid-air, to view the frescos and friezes of the Sistine Chapel; boogied with General JC Christian his own self and a wonderful, motley crew of other Wellstoneites to wind down from the more recent primaries; watched Barack Obama speaking on a virtual video screen at the Unofficial Obama Headquarters; gone land shopping with my wife, and built a house on the shoreside land we found; fit photo files from our RL trip to Yellowstone in 2000 onto 3-D virtual photo "frames" she had sculpted for them; and flown over a replica of the Second Temple of Jerusalem, one of the largest single simulations I've seen in SL. It seems to go on forever.
In the interest of full disclosure, in the couple of weeks I've been "in-world," it has proven to be rather addictive and far too fascinating. While our own now-grown foster kids are on a RL vacation to their birth father's, we took a virtual vacation without leaving our La-Z-Boys. But I've met wonderful people I'd never encounter in RL from the Netherlands, Japan, and all over North America, attended virtual "church" at the Koinonia UCC, fired a "poultry cannon" at the Cafe Wellstone, and soared overhead as virtual floats paraded through the Dublin simulation for St. Patrick's Day.
Oh, and dancing. Have I mentioned the dancing? Lots and lots of animated avatar dancing with my honey--line dances, waltzes, swing dances, salsa, and the odd Irish jig. We haven't danced this much in years.
Is it worth it? I think so. A quick search through the Groups you can join reveals ample opportunities for online activism and the pursuit of all manner of artistic and musical interests. For visual artists, it is a nearly endless canvass in which the only limitation beyond what the software lets you do is your own imagination.
And as I put the finishing touches (links, etc.) on this diary, I am also, in another window, hanging out for Punday Night at Callahan's Crosstime Saloon on the New Conch Republic sim. Bliss.
Here are just a few of the cool spots in Second Life; clicking the links will take you to that location in Second Life if you have the SL software installed.
Democratic Party of Second Life
Unofficial Obama HQ
Hillary Clinton 2008 SL Campaign HQ (Unofficial Site)
Cafe Wellstone Club
Wellstone Donkey Democratic Club
Lonely Yak Texas Roadhouse
The Blarney Stone Irish Pub in Dublin
The Sistine Chapel at Vassar
Abyss Museum of Ocean Science
The Second Temple--be sure to grab a kipa before walking over to the Temple
Koinonia Congregational Church
Fairweather's House of Unfortunate Events
So what are your experiences in Second Life? Share your amusing anecdotes, SLURLs to your favorite hangouts and tourist sites, and most particularly, any free gadgets you've found!
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Nominations received in our TopComments AT gmail.com account - send your nominations each evening before 9:30 eastern and don't forget to include your UID!
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No nominations from me tonight, I'm afraid; I've been having too much fun putting this diary together!
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From St. Louis Woman:
When I read Inland's response - Well to Chumley's comments on Bob Johnson's 'Obama's Speech Reveals a Remarkable Consistency' I almost fell off my chair--it is really, really smart and funny.
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From Elise:
Ptolemy has a brilliant comment - st Century Feminism in Avila's great diary, Feminism and the Kitchen Sink.
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From lineatus:
jhutson sets it up and inland nails it
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From RickMassimo:
I made a semi-funny, but antirove hit it out of the park in karateexplosions's diary "The Pastor Quotes You're NOT Hearing This Week": Wright calls on racists to repent, the godly.
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From Green Chile Democrat:
This comment - Do NOT feed the animals. - was soooo funny but so right on by PBJ Diddy who relates the media monsters with armpit farts in TocqueDeville’s diary "This isn't a controversy - It's a Full Scale Attack by the Media.
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From watercarrier4diogenes:
Hot one for tonight if it's at all possible. First read this - Maroon Tip Jar, from Rieux, the author of the diary. Then read this - Just as fair warning which he links in the above comment.
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Top Mojo - excluding search-identifiable tip jars and first diary comments (top 30 of each plus ties):
1 Swiftboat? Maybe. But Obama is no Kerry. by Melody Townsel - 217
2 I have not been a supporter. by Miss Blue - 164
3 the world will be listening and watching by teacherken - 147
4 Actually, it's worth knowing that the rule of law by Yellow Canary - 135
5 yep. Just words. by Timroff - 120
6 Somehow, it's not quite the same... by haruki - 119
7 The by DarkSyde - 113
8 I was on the speech thread.... by Jen K in FLA - 113
9 Hilllary disqualified herself... by Ken in MN - 110
10 then you might be interested in this by teacherken - 107
11 I completely agree by TocqueDeville - 106
12 It's easy to vote for someone who says the hard by justiceleague - 103
13 And once again, by strengthANDwisdom - 103
14 I agree, too. But is is TRUE he is under attack by la urracca - 102
15 Welcome aboard, Blue. by Melody Townsel - 96
16 Imagine having an articulate, sincere, brilliant by Dont Just Stand There - 83
17 Replacing W w/ Obama would be like by RFK Lives - 82
18 and in better news by MFL - 81
19 But they are just words... :) by Yoshimi - 76
20 It was a speech from the Rose Garden by beachmom - 75
21 Similar journey here by lgmcp - 75
22 That speech really blew me away. by Sean Casey - 75
23 I'll be happy to hear... by NMLib - 74
24 I had the same reaction by janis - 74
25 Excellent diary LarsThorwald. Your enthusiasm by HoundDog - 73
26 DKos in NOT polite company by Jeffersonian Democrat - 72
27 Her endorsement of McCain by ZinZen - 71
28 Thanks ACLU by m4gill4 - 71
29 I strongly disagree with you by gchap33 - 71
30 Exactly my reaction by global citizen - 69
31 You speak for a lot of women, Avila, by not a cent - 69
Top Mojo - everything included:
1 Tipjar n/t by TocqueDeville - 628
2 Thought I'd have to hold my nose. by Miss Blue - 554
3 TIPS FOR THE GHOSTS OF TED SORENSONS PAST by LarsThorwald - 529
4 Tip Jar by RFK Lives - 318
5 The mid-night mumblings by Granny Doc - 315
6 Tips for outrage... by Penman - 315
7 You can't put your finger on it. by wmtriallawyer - 305
8 asbestos jammies on by Avila - 303
9 I know it's a "Debbie Downer" kind of diary by Inky99 - 278
10 Tip Jar by karateexplosions - 224
11 It is so far past time,,, by Miss Blue - 220
12 Swiftboat? Maybe. But Obama is no Kerry. by Melody Townsel - 217
13 Would have expected no less from Obama by tanqexe - 216
14 tips/thoughts -- please help me keep this by paddy henry - 213
15 Maroon Tip Jar by Rieux - 175
16 I have not been a supporter. by Miss Blue - 164
17 the world will be listening and watching by teacherken - 147
18 I believe now, more than ever by MingPicket - 144
19 Actually, it's worth knowing that the rule of law by Yellow Canary - 135
20 yep. Just words. by Timroff - 120
21 Somehow, it's not quite the same... by haruki - 119
22 The by DarkSyde - 113
23 I was on the speech thread.... by Jen K in FLA - 113
24 Hilllary disqualified herself... by Ken in MN - 110
25 I completely agree by TocqueDeville - 107
26 then you might be interested in this by teacherken - 107
27 And once again, by strengthANDwisdom - 104
28 It's easy to vote for someone who says the hard by justiceleague - 103
29 I agree, too. But is is TRUE he is under attack by la urracca - 103
30 My god by Mia Dolan - 102
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Going out to Prairies, the Highlands, the Lowlands, and all the ships at sea,
Progressive Witness