2009.05.06 01:00 - Turning to the Dark Side

The Guardian for this meeting was Tarmel Udimo. The comments are by Tarmel. I was alone for the first quarter and then i was joined by Strannik Zipper. We talked movies and their meaning.

 Tarmel Udimo: Hi Strannik
    Strannik Zipper: Greetings
    Tarmel Udimo: how's your day been?
    Strannik Zipper: pretty good - yours?
    Tarmel Udimo: good, struggling with a wee cold but still good
    Tarmel Udimo: Been working my way through the Star Wars films in my down time
    Strannik Zipper: ah - well that is one way to use downtime - I'm a fan myself
    Tarmel Udimo: hehehehe
    Tarmel Udimo: pretty big storylines
    Strannik Zipper: yeah - some interesting comments in there as well
    Strannik Zipper: ideas
    Tarmel Udimo: yes
    Strannik Zipper: I've been re-watching the Matrix Trilogy
    Tarmel Udimo: ahhh another favourite
    Tarmel Udimo: also good ideas
    Strannik Zipper: yeah - lots of metaphors
    Tarmel Udimo: and they both talk about 'the one'
    Strannik Zipper: right
    Tarmel Udimo: we are all ones:)
    Strannik Zipper: and in both cases "the one" isn't what they think
    Tarmel Udimo: we just don't realise it
    Tarmel Udimo: yes
    Tarmel Udimo: each character is flawed
    Strannik Zipper: after this I will have to watch my other favorite trilogy: Lord Of The Rings
    Tarmel Udimo: we are so into the same movies:)
    Tarmel Udimo: they all have spiritual elements and big picture cosmic stuff
    Strannik Zipper: I just wrote a blog posting about cyperpunk fiction, culture and tech:
    Strannik Zipper: http://strannik.com/geekpilgrim/node/64
    Tarmel Udimo: looking
    Tarmel Udimo: nice article
    Tarmel Udimo: and I do remember the Lawnmower man
    Strannik Zipper: I will probably have about 15 articles by the time I'm done
    Strannik Zipper: including one about Spirituality and Philosophy
    Tarmel Udimo: is this a way to kind of frame your own understanding/progress through the computer internet world
    Strannik Zipper: Its more of a way to share SL with people who don't really understand what it is
    Tarmel Udimo: nods
    Tarmel Udimo: so do you do this in RL ie work in SL?
    Strannik Zipper: Well I have a business, and now I have an SL office and meeting center
    Tarmel Udimo: So what is bluehost?
    Strannik Zipper: It is a webhosting company

We are joined by a guest and I introduce her to PaB and continued looking at the message in the movies.

Tarmel Udimo: Hi Pikachu
    Pikachu Nakamura: Hello late night strangers
    Tarmel Udimo: have you been to Play as Being before
    Pikachu Nakamura: hello (in voice)
    Strannik Zipper: greetings Pikachu
    Pikachu Nakamura: lol, sorry, I apparently have a gesture equipped.
    Strannik Zipper: at least its a polite gesture
    Tarmel Udimo: we use text because we record our sessions here
    Tarmel Udimo: is that OK?
    Pikachu Nakamura: Fine with me, I rarely find anyone on voice worth talking to anyway, am I interrupting anything?
    Tarmel Udimo: not at all
    Strannik Zipper: nothing too intense - we were skipping around, subjectwise
    Tarmel Udimo: can I give you a note card explaining what we do here?
    Pikachu Nakamura: Yes please, that was actually my next question.
    Tarmel Udimo: we get together and talk about Being:)
    Tarmel Udimo: or everyone's version of what they think or have experienced as such
    Pikachu Nakamura: Would you happen to have an LM as well? I know a friend of mine who might be interested in such a place.
    Pikachu Nakamura: Much Obliged
    Strannik Zipper: Anyway Pikachu - we were talking about film trilogies, and the quotes they have that relate to Being
    Tarmel Udimo: nods
    Strannik Zipper: Star Wars, The Matrix, etc.
    Strannik Zipper: I was thinking about #1 - right in the beginning where Obi Wan is trying to see the future, but Qui gon advices him to "attend to the living force"
    Tarmel Udimo: yes nice
    Strannik Zipper: which apparently can only be experienced in the present
    Pikachu Nakamura: Perhaps Obi-Wan was a Jedi with ADD.
    Strannik Zipper: hahaha
    Tarmel Udimo: hehehehe
    Tarmel Udimo: well the whole idea of the Force is about being totally present and in the moment
    Tarmel Udimo: as the way to connect to it
    Strannik Zipper: more like Anakin - Obi Wan telling him to be mindful of his thoughts (he was getting majorly distracted)
    Tarmel Udimo: yes a powerful inditement on the use of anger allowing your emotions to overrun you
    Tarmel Udimo: in fact that's my favourite ep
    Tarmel Udimo: the 3rd
    Pikachu Nakamura: I myself get easily distracted with m 5 senses, someone who is force sensitive, especially someone like Anakin, could very easily be distracted by the force.
    Strannik Zipper: first it was fear and attachment, which led to his anger
    Tarmel Udimo: yes agree Strannik
    Tarmel Udimo: yes Pikachu
    Tarmel Udimo: it would have been tough for that character and yet he did have a choice
    Tarmel Udimo: at every step of the way he choose the path he ended up on
    Tarmel Udimo: we can feel compassion for him
    Tarmel Udimo: espacially as we have all been in those situtations
    Pikachu Nakamura: I think I had more compassion for him as Vader than as Anakin.
    Tarmel Udimo: really why?
    Pikachu Nakamura: Well, as Anakin, I suppose I am partial to the first 3 movies of Star Wars.
    Pikachu Nakamura: ALso because Vader was a broken man, emotionally and physically.
    Tarmel Udimo: nods
    Pikachu Nakamura: Whereas Anakin was an arrogant, haughty, showoff.
    Strannik Zipper: There are a few quotes where after he turns to the dark side, Anakin is considered as almost dead and gone, twisted by the dark side
    Strannik Zipper: at which point he is completely ruled by his passions
    Tarmel Udimo: before you arrived I was telling Strannik that I had been watching Star Wars
    Tarmel Udimo: and in fact it was for that very reason
    Tarmel Udimo: to see how Anakin's character had been developed
    Tarmel Udimo: he's kind of 'set-up' from the beginning when he starts life as a slave and leaves his Mum
    Strannik Zipper: the training in the force actually just amplifies the disposition of his soul
    Tarmel Udimo: I mean its just a movie but I was curious about that
    Pikachu Nakamura: A movie is as much a story as a book or any other medium.
    Tarmel Udimo: (yes but not all filmmakers are creating films that have depth that's why i was qualifying:)
    Strannik Zipper: right - and some of them are more than just stories - they contain many life and philosophical lessons
    Tarmel Udimo: nods
    Strannik Zipper: I was also thinking about Akira - the young boy whose unresolved issues also get magnfied by receiving great power
    Tarmel Udimo: Akira?
    Pikachu Nakamura: I've never compared Akira to Star Wars before.
    Strannik Zipper: It is a lovely Cyperpunk Anime movie from 1988 - a classic
    Tarmel Udimo: nods
    Tarmel Udimo: yes I am aware but not as familar
    Tarmel Udimo: in fact don't remember the story
    Pikachu Nakamura: I've only seen it once a few years ago.
    Strannik Zipper: A young lad named Tetsuo gets zapped with a force that opens potential human energy (supposedly latent in all)
    Tarmel Udimo: nods
    Pikachu Nakamura: Thank you for your company, I must get to bed, as it is late in my part of the world.
    Strannik Zipper: as the power grows within him, his schoolyard scuffles and mistreatment from his youth, cause him to turn his resentment into a vengeful force
    Tarmel Udimo: nods
    Tarmel Udimo: good night Pik, sleep well
    Tarmel Udimo: and what happens in the end?
    Strannik Zipper: he ends up not even being able to control his own power, and it consumes him and his loved ones (although there is sort of a rescue in the end, just as there was for Darth Vader)
    Tarmel Udimo: hummm
    Tarmel Udimo: all good reasons to keep working on ourselves
    Strannik Zipper: right
    Strannik Zipper: so we don't become giant blob that threatens Tokyo :)
    Tarmel Udimo: hehehehehehe
    Tarmel Udimo: well I'm heading back to RL to keep watching
    Strannik Zipper: OK - enjoy!
    Strannik Zipper: may the force be with you!
    Tarmel Udimo: thanks for showing me your article I look forward to reading the rest
    Tarmel Udimo: and you too:)