2009.01.18 13:00 - The Rules of Play as Being

Wol Euler was guardian for this session, filling in for Maxine Walden. The comments are by Wol.

This was a long, cheerful, and highly interesting session. I arrived to find Scathach and Claire at the Playgoda. Riddle soon joined us.

Wol Euler: hello claire
Wol Euler: hello scath
Scathach Rhiadra: Hello Wol:)
Scathach Rhiadra: Hello Claire
Claire Beltran: Hello to you both...
Claire Beltran: I fear that you find me in a rather bad state of mind.
Wol Euler smiles. I'm glad you came, Claire, in whatever state of mind.
Wol Euler: I find that I need company more when I'm in a bad state than a good one.
Scathach Rhiadra nods
Claire Beltran: Yes... me, too.
Wol Euler: well, then :) where better for you to be right now, than here?
Wol Euler: hello riddle, nice to see you again
Scathach Rhiadra: Hello Riddle
Riddle Sideways: hi Wol
Riddle Sideways: hi all
Riddle Sideways: gosh, coming into SL after many days sure gives lots o missed events
Scathach Rhiadra: :)
Wol Euler grins and nods.
Riddle Sideways: sorry, I have lots o RL interruptions goingon
Wol Euler: no worries, we'll sit and meditate.
Riddle Sideways: :)

And so we did, for several minutes.

Wol Euler: I was just wondering whether RL meditation groups get antsy if nobody speaks.
Claire Beltran: Haha!
Scathach Rhiadra: probably not:)
Claire Beltran: Probably.
Wol Euler: ha!
Claire Beltran: Well... it depends...
Wol Euler: nice pair of answers.
Wol Euler: Claire, why? Scath, why not?
Claire Beltran: If it's a bad silence, or an uncomfortable one.
Claire Beltran: There are different qualities of silence.
Wol Euler: oh yes
Claire Beltran: the best kind being one that people can share when they're doing an activity together, or even just being together.
Scathach Rhiadra: for me, if they are meditating, its probably silent meditation, so they wouldn't expect anyone to talk:)
Wol Euler: could be :)
Wol Euler: sitting together in silence can be very friendly, warm
Wol Euler: and calm
Scathach Rhiadra nods:)
Claire Beltran: I need to learn to be more comfortable with *talking*, myself.
Riddle Sideways: a. there is that calm of being silent together
Wol Euler smiles. Striking a balance, I guess, Claire.
Riddle Sideways: b. toward the end of hour waiting for somebody to break the silence
Riddle Sideways: antsy wondering if leader has gone to sleep :)
Wol Euler: :)
Wol Euler: and who dare wake her?
Riddle Sideways: all those go thru mind
Wol Euler: silence in groups does seem much easier in SL than in RL, I find.
Riddle Sideways: silence could also mean Scath has lost SL connection
Wol Euler: ha!

Neela, Allan and Thud drop in. 

Riddle Sideways: Hi Allen
Wol Euler: hello again allen
Allan Whiteberry: Hello Everyone
Allan Whiteberry: Are you finished for the day?
Wol Euler: no, just starting
Allan Whiteberry: OK, what is the topic today?
Riddle Sideways: am not sure why we sink in the outer row of tiles
Riddle Sideways: sorry, not the topic
Riddle Sideways: WB scath
Wol Euler: wb scath, and hello neela
Scathach Rhiadra: sorry about that, I managed to turn off the power to my PC:)
Riddle Sideways: hate that
Wol Euler: O.O
Neela Blaisdale: Hi Wol, can't see you yet
Wol Euler: hello thud
Scathach Rhiadra: Hello Neela
Scathach Rhiadra: Hello Allan
Wol Euler: take a cushion, the sinking effect only works while you are standing
Allan Whiteberry: Hello Scathach
Riddle Sideways: wonder why we should have a sinking here
Allan Whiteberry: --
Allan Whiteberry: lag.......
Wol Euler: it's related to teh autologging, sorry to say. Avs above a certain height (percentage) are pressed down by the autologging listeners. No idea why.
Wol Euler: if you are short, it doesn't affect you.
Wol Euler: really odd.
Thud Lorakeet: ah. . . i'm apparently rather tall now
Riddle Sideways: hmmmm, short people don't sink :)
Wol Euler: ratio of surface area to volume is lower :)

Riddle starts us off in earnest. Kirkra seems to join us, but is silent and then quietly vanishes.

Riddle Sideways: I was litening to NPR weekend editions "I believe" this morning
Riddle Sideways: a 7 yaer old's essay really go me
Riddle Sideways: he wrote 100 things he believes
Allan Whiteberry: What did he (she) say?
Riddle Sideways: it should be on npr.org
Neela Blaisdale: Sorry computer trouble
Riddle Sideways: sorry, typinn problems
Riddle Sideways: gotnew keyboard
Riddle Sideways: have not plugged it in
Allan Whiteberry: 100 things would be difficult to come up with
Wol Euler: hello kirkra, I didn't see you arrive
Allan Whiteberry: without stating the obvious
Riddle Sideways: he read about 30 in the interview
Riddle Sideways: "believe in G-d"
Riddle Sideways: believes war should not start
Allan Whiteberry: Was that a typo, or did you intend to write G-d?
Riddle Sideways: meant to... thatz the way I write
Allan Whiteberry: why?
Riddle Sideways: I can type about "Being" but have trouble spelling the name of g-d
Thud Lorakeet: can you tell me more about Play as Being?
Riddle Sideways: itz a Jewish thang
Wol Euler: I'll give you a notecard, Thud
Allan Whiteberry: interesting
Wol Euler: Kirkra, come and join us please. It feels like a job interview with you sitting alone over there.
Scathach Rhiadra: :)
Thud Lorakeet: thanks wol. very interesting.
Wol Euler: some sessions are more disciplined (shall we say) than others, we don't always stick to topics directly related to meditation
Riddle Sideways: many times we play tho
Wol Euler: my sessions (friday 1 am) are usually 97% play
Wol Euler: the 7pm sessions tend to be very serious and rigorous
Riddle Sideways: most times playing with words
Thud Lorakeet: is it ok to be chatting? or is there some other objective?
Riddle Sideways: it is ok
Thud Lorakeet: thx. riddle
Thud Lorakeet: nice to meet you btw
Riddle Sideways: soon some deep moving relivant chat will come along
Wol Euler: :)
Riddle Sideways: many times at about 10minutes before I have to leave
Riddle Sideways: it will get real exciting
Riddle Sideways: :)
Scathach Rhiadra: :)
Thud Lorakeet: i'm absolutely fascinated by this place
Wol Euler: SL?
Riddle Sideways: thanks
Thud Lorakeet: yes, as well as this particular location wtihin it
Wol Euler: I think you met Storm Nordwind last time, he built it.
Thud Lorakeet: i don't recall.
Riddle Sideways: SL gets many groups/clubs in it
Thud Lorakeet: yes. i've joined a couple already. my interests here are somewhat scholarly as well as . . . entertainment?
Thud Lorakeet: if that's the right word
Wol Euler smiles.
Wol Euler: as good as any other perhaps
Riddle Sideways: this group crosses religious, science, arts and reality
Wol Euler: I've just noticed, Claire, you are the oldest of us all. Rezzed in 2006.
Thud Lorakeet: it's interesting that i found my way here by chance.
Claire Beltran: Hmm.
Allan Whiteberry: So did I
Riddle Sideways: most of us found our ways here
Wol Euler: one might suggest that there is no "chance", that the universe wanted you here.

And with that Allan vanishes! The conversation turns to tarot and totem. 

Wol Euler: the concept appears to have shocked Allan
Scathach Rhiadra: :)
Thud Lorakeet: well, given that the tarot was part of my objective it's certainly the universe speaking . . . again
Wol Euler nods
Thud Lorakeet: if one takes the time to listen
Wol Euler: I believe that it does, but most of us have our TVs turned up too high to hear it.
Wol Euler: (for various values of "TV")
Thud Lorakeet: grin
Riddle Sideways: true
Riddle Sideways: that was my very thoughts toward the clock radio this morning
Riddle Sideways: when I could not hear the birds
Wol Euler: ah

Claire leaves us. 

Claire Beltran: I think I must be off for now... I need to get some rest.
Riddle Sideways: ok, Claire
Wol Euler nods and smiles. Goodnight claire, take care.
Scathach Rhiadra: bye Claire, take care:)
Riddle Sideways: I was talking with a couple of people last night
Riddle Sideways: she was describing a native american deck of cards
Claire Beltran: ^-^/
Wol Euler: bye, be at peace
Riddle Sideways: bye
Riddle Sideways: I imagedn drawing the squirrel card
Wol Euler: mm?
Riddle Sideways: she was talking about the wolf card
Riddle Sideways: talking with her hands
Riddle Sideways: and knocked my imaginery squirrel card of onto the floor
Wol Euler: :)
Riddle Sideways: what does that say in tarrot
Thud Lorakeet: i'm sorry -- were you addressing me? i stepped away
Riddle Sideways: no, I was just chatting
Riddle Sideways: but I was hurt that she said there was no squirrel card in the native am deck
Wol Euler: huh
Wol Euler: they are so common and so characterful, I am surprised at that.

Spirit guides; and a challenge is issued. 

Riddle Sideways: everybody always wants their spirit guides to be big great creatures
Riddle Sideways: what if you ended up with a turtle
Wol Euler: they live for hundreds of years ...
Riddle Sideways: true, that was bad example
Wol Euler: in a way that was my point, there is surely a positive characteristic that one might bring out about any choice.
Wol Euler: "cockroaches are tough and fast and resilient", for example
Riddle Sideways: yeah, I can't think of a creature that doesn't have the positive points
Riddle Sideways: except of mosquitoes (sp?)
Wol Euler: ha true.
Wol Euler: well, ok, all you phenomenologists! Let's try.
Scathach Rhiadra: maybe fleas?
Wol Euler: what is a positive attribute of a mosquito or a flea?
Riddle Sideways: mos. wake you up from dreaming
Scathach Rhiadra: they have an inoddinate effect on humans, despite their size
Riddle Sideways: like a pinch
Wol Euler nods
Thud Lorakeet: are we assuming a human point of view? if one is a mosquito or a flea. . .
Wol Euler: either or, thud :) Go with it.

In a brilliant feat of intuition, Riddle and I discover and proclaim The Rules Of PaB.

Wol Euler: rule 1: there is no "right answer"
Wol Euler: rule 2: there is no "wrong answer"
Thud Lorakeet: well, then there must be something positive
Wol Euler: exactly :)
Riddle Sideways: rule 3: there is no rule 3
Wol Euler: yes!
Scathach Rhiadra: :)
Thud Lorakeet: fleas and mosquitoes are amazingly agile creatures
Wol Euler: ha, we shall print that up and distribute it
Wol Euler: yes, thud, htey are almost impossible to find though they are right beside you
Riddle Sideways: pls obey rules in any order
Thud Lorakeet: indeed. stealthy and quick
Wol Euler: and I do admire (aesthetically) the way they hover in calm air in the evening sunlight
Riddle Sideways: Flea has been around for millions of years
Thud Lorakeet: they remind us of our own corporeality
Riddle Sideways: adapted to all conditions
Wol Euler: so what could be the beneficial effect, the special enabling, that a mosquito would bring to someone whose totem animal it was?
Thud Lorakeet: alacrity, a keen ability to disappear when in danger,
Wol Euler: persistence
Wol Euler: and a kind of calm, they don't dart about or get angry like bees and wasps
Thud Lorakeet: gracefulness
Wol Euler: mmhmm
Riddle Sideways: as today is Ali's bday, I answer: "float like a mosquito, sting like a mosquito" :)
Wol Euler: ah!
Wol Euler: heheheh

A difficult and most disturbing question is asked. 

Riddle Sideways: ok, this is a hard one
Riddle Sideways: what if I slap at and kill my totem?
Wol Euler is aghast.
Scathach Rhiadra: well if it was your totem, would you not have to avoid doing that:)
Wol Euler: it it was your totem, it might not bite you. My grandmother claimed never to have been bitten by a mosquito in her entire life.
Wol Euler: maybe it was her totem!
Wol Euler: and we never knew.
Thud Lorakeet: it is most certainly therefore not mine. they love me
Scathach Rhiadra: ah, possible
Riddle Sideways: might need to learn those lessons
Riddle Sideways: they might really be little who's and trying to getour attention
Riddle Sideways: we need to understand buzz
Scathach Rhiadra: :)
Wol Euler smiles and nods

The conversation drifts in the direction of science fiction, but a new visitor brings us back to philosophy.

Riddle Sideways: if life was to start up on a planet with extreme gravity
Riddle Sideways: a mosquito would do better then us big objects
Riddle Sideways: many little items grouped
Wol Euler: far too tall for the gravity, I'd think it would create short flat animals
Wol Euler: hello Miss
Riddle Sideways: Hi miss
Thud Lorakeet: hi
Miss Popstar: hi
Wol Euler: imagine the giraffe, why it would never be able to stand up again if it fell over
Scathach Rhiadra: Hello Miss
Miss Popstar: i am new here
Miss Popstar: is this a group?
Wol Euler: yes, but the meeting is public if that's what you mean
Miss Popstar: ok
Miss Popstar: what kind of group is it?
Wol Euler: the group meets four times a day to talk about meditation and the meaning of life
Miss Popstar: oh
Wol Euler: I can give you a notecard, just a moment
Miss Popstar: like philosophy with karma
Wol Euler: very much like that, yes :)
Wol Euler: karma without dogma
Miss Popstar: do you discuss continental non-logocentric ideas?

Surely that is the question of the day! 

Wol Euler: I've no idea, what are they?
Miss Popstar: that od Jacques derrida?
Wol Euler: oh him, gods forbid.
Wol Euler: :)
Miss Popstar: yes
Miss Popstar: i admire his work
Miss Popstar: especially Glas
Wol Euler: it is probable that somebody will touch on his work in some session at some time, but he hasn't come up yet as far as I know
Wol Euler: but you could start!
Miss Popstar: ok, errr...do you believe in 'being' ?
Wol Euler: personally, yes; but wiht the qualification that I am not certain of what either "belief" or "being" really is
Riddle Sideways: this group explores many sides of Being
Miss Popstar: without the sense of erasure that is prescibed by the SL community, but that of being as belief, as in we hold belief in being here
Riddle Sideways: often using a capitol B
Wol Euler: you should meet Gilles Kuhn, a werewolf who comes to these 1pm sessions sometimes
Miss Popstar: ok
Wol Euler: you would have many points of reference in common, I htink
Miss Popstar: hmm
Miss Popstar: even though he's \ werewolf?
Miss Popstar: lol
Wol Euler: by the way, I should ask: We publish these meetings on our website, may we have your permission to include your name and comments in the record?
Miss Popstar: yes
Wol Euler: ty
Miss Popstar: yw
Wol Euler: and yes, we are not at all fussy about species. We have two lions and an eagle and a teddybear who attend regularly

This concept appears to have shocked Miss, as she vanishes without ceremony. 

Scathach Rhiadra: :)
Riddle Sideways: but folks I need to be about my day, thanks all
Thud Lorakeet: bye riddle
Wol Euler: likewise, riddle. enjoy the day.
Scathach Rhiadra: thank you Riddle, bye
Thud Lorakeet: i must also be off. thanks again wol
Thud Lorakeet: bye scathach
Scathach Rhiadra: I must be off too, namaste
Wol Euler: my pleasure, thud. nice to see you again, looking well and handsome :)
Wol Euler: bye scath, goodnight
Thud Lorakeet: why thanks. . . always a work in progress.
Wol Euler: sure :)
Wol Euler: so are we all, in SL and RL too. that's the joy of it
Thud Lorakeet: exactly.
Wol Euler smiles
Thud Lorakeet: a very entertaining place. i shall return. . . .
Wol Euler: we'll be here.
Wol Euler: goodnight, take care