2009.08.31 07:00 - The Garden Grew

doug Sosa: hi kall
Kallie Kira: hi Doug :)
Kallie Kira: how are you?
doug Sosa: :)
doug Sosa: good, but a bit stiff. After retreat lots of weeds to pull - or harvest.
Kallie Kira: how do you mean?
doug Sosa: the garden grew durng the week.
Kallie Kira: ah, you mean literally :)
doug Sosa: morning pema.
Kallie Kira: hi Pema :)
Pema Pera: Hi Doug and Kallie!
Kallie Kira: how are you?
Paul Namiboo: Mornig Doiug, Kira
Pema Pera: and hi Paul, nice to meet you!
Kallie Kira: hi Paul :)
doug Sosa: Morning paul.
Kallie Kira: have you been to this group before Paul?
Paul Namiboo: Yes, but not usually at this time
Kallie Kira: ok, great ... confirming you know the structure and that sessions are recorded :)
Paul Namiboo: Yes indeed, but I AM a newbie
doug Sosa: pema, how can Paul type with one hand?
Kallie Kira: we're a friendly lot, you'll be fine :)
Kallie Kira: he has a drinking animation on that rides over the typing
doug Sosa: cup off coffee?
Pema Pera: I don't know, Doug

Kallie Kira: how was the retreat fellas ?
doug Sosa: well, when the bandwidth is good enough for real espresso :)
Paul Namiboo: My new friend Pila Milligan gave me as a gift a botle of wine -- do yuou know how I can look at it (clicked on it in "objects" but no picture?
Pema Pera: ah, yes, Kallie answered :)
doug Sosa: morning gen.
Pema Pera: Hi Gen!
Kallie Kira: hi gen :)
genesis Zhangsun: Hi!
Paul Namiboo: Hi Gen
genesis Zhangsun: Sorry to burst in I am off to a team meeting!
doug Sosa: Gen, my friend Paul..
genesis Zhangsun: enjoy your session
genesis Zhangsun: hi Paul!
Kallie Kira: ah, you 2 know each other, ok

doug Sosa: My responsibility this morning is to report a bit about the retreat.
doug Sosa: Yes, even in RL.
Kallie Kira: yes, I asked a few lines back how it went ... do tell :)
doug Sosa: here are a few notes from tings I've said in the last few sessions.
doug Sosa: Wonderful friendliness, not in a big deal way, just comfortable and tolerant. People listen more than talk. sat just like here rather rustic and shockingly bright blue skies It was time out of time in some ways. little overhead for maintenance so we really got to be together. fish, shrimp, scallops, soups and salads. Healthy, tasty instead of, for me, being the most different day, it was the most like my normal life yes, of course, given my weird sensitivities. The texture of the space in terms of body presence is so different, sitting in this group and that In the retreat the modesty and muted colors were obvious Piet had a Paul Klee shirt and it seemed to me a wonderful expression f play and deconstruction. I suggested we take Klee as a mascot and actually use the paintings. He was a sophisticated buy of play and deconstruction It is easier to sit here than at the retreat. Something about gravity in the retreat sitting mean you have to think through posture and keep quiet and look like you are
doug Sosa: those probaably don't make much sense out of the conversational context, but they give some texture.
doug Sosa: It was like sitting in the doctor's waiting room., all quiet, except that we were getting to know each other and had a task. There was a rhythm from Piet setting up the next round, then we individually thought and reflected and in some cases dreamt about the task, then we all together entered conversation about our experience. This rhythm repeated throughout and was very settling.
Kallie Kira: remarkably, it does make a type of sense, it gives a feel and context to the event
Kallie Kira: thank you

Kallie Kira: additional thoughts or conclusions?
Pema Pera: thanks, Doug!
doug Sosa: Of curse the real part was the reflection and then reporting on our experiences.
Pema Pera: Hi Benedizione!
doug Sosa: not cure course :(
Pema Pera: Good to see you back again
Benedizione Vita: thank you :)
Benedizione Vita: Hello Pema
Pema Pera: we're talking about the retreat we had in RL last week
Benedizione Vita: yes I heard a bit from doug last night
doug Sosa: Hi bene, I've been reporting on the retreat some of which you heard last night.
doug Sosa: oops the problem when looking at te keyboard nd not the screen !
Pema Pera: :)
doug Sosa: As I ws thinking this morning, the retreat was like a long 9 sec.
doug Sosa: I think we were terrific at being with each other, but we have so much to learn about how to talk about the numinousnes of consciousness, perception, thoughts, andd what leads to what.
Kallie Kira: sounds like a very amiable group :)

doug Sosa: The kindness and respect in the room was likea single organism.
--BELL--
doug Sosa: of course each of my neorons is as interested in being connected to yous as to others of mine.
doug Sosa: neurons..
Kallie Kira: wow, connection at such an intimate level :)
Pema Pera: yes, I was really surprised to see the group bonding so early on, right from the start of the retreat
Pema Pera: I've been to many workshops and meetings like that, but I don't think I've ever seen such a balanced atmosphere
Pema Pera: it seems that we were well prepared through all the meetings here in SL
Kallie Kira: perhaps because people "knew" each other intimately prior to the event

Pema Pera: Hi Corvi!
doug Sosa: And the simple rhytm and the space there held us.
Kallie Kira: exactly
Kallie Kira: hi Corvi :)
Paul Namiboo: Hi Corvi
Pema Pera: yes, Kallie, definitely
doug Sosa: hi cor.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Hi all.
Pema Pera: Good to see you again in this world, Corvi!
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Grins...it's good to see ya'll in any world.
Pema Pera: (Corvi was also in the retreat)
doug Sosa: there was a sense that , for myself, i was with others I ought to know, but didn't quite, so, like at a party and someonesays "so good to seeyou again"and i haven't a clue. The people, most, had not met in RL
doug Sosa: So the bodies were new.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: but the people are the same in any avie
Corvuscorva Nightfire: including those of flesh and blood
Kallie Kira: yes, think I understand Doug .... I had a kind of disconnect when I met pab people in rl

Paul Namiboo: Corvi, are you a birder -if it's not impolite to ask?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: It's not at all. I'm not, but I love the stories of crows and ravens both as stories and studies...I think they're neat.
doug Sosa: ah, avie..
Corvuscorva Nightfire: laughs
Corvuscorva Nightfire: avatar
Corvuscorva Nightfire: avatar=avie
Paul Namiboo: I find that, outside of swimming, the best way for me to find time to think is waiting to see a rare bird -- so I recognoized your name
Corvuscorva Nightfire: nods, smiling. The family of birds that includes crows and mynas is Corvus.
Yakuzza Lethecus: hey everyone
Pema Pera: that reminds me of my teenager days in Holland, Paul, as an amateur astronomer, waiting for the clouds to open briefly to see a few stars; similarly a kind of natural meditation
Corvuscorva Nightfire: or rather the genus
Pema Pera: hi Yak!
Paul Namiboo: Yes indeed, and most of the Australian birds called wrens, creepers etc. are basically crows -- a very successful group
Paul Namiboo: Can any of you tell me how to see my wine bottle that
Paul Namiboo: is in my inventory?
Benedizione Vita: I had best be off, but I wanted to pop in for a bit
Benedizione Vita: interesting discussion on crows/ravens--I read an article on them just yesterday
doug Sosa: bye..:)
Benedizione Vita: good to see you all :)
Kallie Kira: hi Yakuzza :)
Pema Pera: Kallie here is by far the most experienced in SL, Paul, but the basic idea is to open your inventory and type "wine" in the little window on top
Corvuscorva Nightfire: and good to meet you, Benedizione
Pema Pera: by Bene!
doug Sosa: Book review in the NYT.
Yakuzza Lethecus: bye bene
Pema Pera: you open by clicking on "inventory", the blue tab in the bottom right on your screen
Pema Pera: if the name of your wine bottle has the word "wine" in it, it should appear as one of the visible items -- does it?
--BELL--
Paul Namiboo: It has the word wine, but it's not visible. I don't remember if I accepted it formally -- would that make a difference?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: yes
Pema Pera: that may be the problem then, yes
Corvuscorva Nightfire: here are a couple.
Pema Pera: :)
Paul Namiboo: Thank you Corvi. I'll try it

Kallie Kira: can you share your ongoing thought process since the retreat, how are you carrying that experience forward?
doug Sosa: Like at a party and no body can find a corkscrew.
doug Sosa: I find that my boundaries between experience and normal categories is more permeable, fluid, even foggy.
Paul Namiboo: When I click it I get the itrem propertires screen, b ut no visible -- do I need to attach it to see it?
doug Sosa: For exampe, the soidity of objects, which is a projection into perception, is more questionable. Not that I would fall off my hang glider..
doug Sosa: solidity..
Pema Pera: (there are two ways, Paul: you can indeed wear it, and then you'll see it; or you can "rez" it, make it appear somewhere, but to do that you have to go to a place where you have "rezzing rights")
Kallie Kira: I am glad to hear your idea about permeability, I sometimes wonder about how gauzy things seem on certain days :)
Pema Pera: :-)
Pema Pera had this image of gauzy things when doug offered to connect his neurons with ours :-)
doug Sosa: can't help myself :)

Paul Namiboo: Well, I'm now sloshing in tea and wine, and work calls -- so thank you all for ypour patience -- see you again soon, I hope.
Pema Pera: bye Paul!
doug Sosa: we'll bring glasses next time!
Kallie Kira: lol yes :) what I'm trying to point to is how things run together, that the "lines" of things kind of disintegrate ... maybe you are referring to something else
Corvuscorva Nightfire grins at the sloshy Paul...it ought to be a very good day at work.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: enjoy!
Paul Namiboo: If I keep drinking the last of my neurons will go! Bye
Corvuscorva Nightfire: snickers.
Pema Pera: lol Corvi!
doug Sosa: he is still drinking out in the woods!
Corvuscorva Nightfire lauhgs.
Kallie Kira: hey, don't drink alone!!
Corvuscorva Nightfire: heh
Pema Pera: Doug, do you want to tell us where you met Paul in RL, or would you prefer not to?
doug Sosa: Sure. We have been building a strategy center and Paul and otehrs are working on sustainability issues and thought that the strategy room idea might jump start the effort, so we have partnered up.
doug Sosa: At stanford.
doug Sosa: The core group of about ten has started to meet in SL.
doug Sosa: Cause half are in europe.
doug Sosa: It was amazing to me, at 77, he "got" SL in about ten minutes, tone, style..
doug Sosa: he has a licence for night flying and i think that is a great skill for egtting around in SL.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I think he has a great imagination.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: which might be the same thing.
Pema Pera: yes, and a keen interest
Corvuscorva Nightfire: it will be interesting to ask him his experience.
Pema Pera: I hope to leave; still in Berkeley, but I have to start packing to leave for my flight back to New York in a few hours. Good seeing you all here!
Pema Pera: *have to leave
Corvuscorva Nightfire: enjoy your flight.

--BELL--
doug Sosa: yes, not same urgency, but morning calls. Thanks all. Bye.
Kallie Kira: bye :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: bye Doug
Kallie Kira: bye :)
Pema Pera: bye everybody, and thanks Doug!
Yakuzza Lethecus: they´ve been too fast
Corvuscorva Nightfire: yeah
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I wonder if ya'll have had any interesting experiences in the 9 seconds lately?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: or learned something new?
Yakuzza Lethecus: not in the 9 seconds, but thanks to eliza i found stim´s lectures :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: oh!!!
Yakuzza Lethecus: i stared listening to his recordings
Corvuscorva Nightfire: tell me about htat?
Yakuzza Lethecus: but i only made it through the first hour so far :)
Yakuzza Lethecus: second i toss you the link
Corvuscorva Nightfire: thanks
Yakuzza Lethecus: http://berkeleymonastery.org/steven/fall07.asp
Corvuscorva Nightfire: wow
Corvuscorva Nightfire: theres's alot there.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: that will be fun chewing, I think.
Yakuzza Lethecus: always more then an hour :)
Yakuzza Lethecus: so now i know why many people around stim´s sessions are talking about practice and homework :)
Yakuzza Lethecus: lol
Corvuscorva Nightfire: grins
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I had heard a rumor about homework at the retreat.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I mean that he enjoys giving it.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: so you listened to an hour..what did you hear?
Yakuzza Lethecus: don´t ask me :), i just listen and i don´t expect anything
Yakuzza Lethecus: even i come here without intention of learning something
Yakuzza Lethecus: obviously i always have the intiention to learn something unintentionally :)
Yakuzza Lethecus: so when he mentions different types of buddism then it´s very interesting for me
Yakuzza Lethecus: i can´t make conclusions it´s all new material for me around here and i still have to learn the language
Yakuzza Lethecus: i didn´t know about budidism,awareness,zen,retreats exept the names.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: nods
Corvuscorva Nightfire: well I'm only just half a half step ahead of you.
Yakuzza Lethecus: thats why i don´t talk most of the time
Kallie Kira: maybe the concepts transcend buddhism?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I certainly hope so.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Look, Yakuzza, I don't know anything about Buddhism, I've never sat for more than 90 seconds contemplating anything....and I don't know much atall..but I suspect that the thing we're trying to talk about is big enough and difficult enough to grasp that few people are more than a half step ahead of that.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: so..you might as well join the conversation!
Kallie Kira: lol, for sure
Yakuzza Lethecus: my interest is how i can learn about these things more implicitly, i like the environment, it´s very open around here and i don´t even feel the pressure that i have to talk :)
Yakuzza Lethecus: but i am talking right now :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: nods, smiling.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: i like the idea of not expecitning to learn.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: it makes sense,r eally..I like letting the ideas wash over me, too.
Yakuzza Lethecus: i think thats how we learn even the most things in our live, intentional learning created many problems for me
Corvuscorva Nightfire: nods
--BELL--

Corvuscorva Nightfire: for me, what's more meaningful than learning as a concept
Corvuscorva Nightfire: is engaging, understanding and practice
Corvuscorva Nightfire: for anything I'm trying to um..."learn"
Yakuzza Lethecus: that is a concept of learning :)
Kallie Kira: :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: snickers.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I like to wrestle with ideas.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: rather than learn them.
Yakuzza Lethecus: yeah, i think my problem are the schema´s i have in mind
Yakuzza Lethecus: there are things that trigger emotions that are not related to the topic
Corvuscorva Nightfire: nods nods.
Yakuzza Lethecus: when i real life half a year ago sombody would have talked to me about meditation i think i would have just smiled and went away
Corvuscorva Nightfire: nods, laughs.
Kallie Kira: lol, tell me about it
Corvuscorva Nightfire looks around the room and just rolls on the floor.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Pema and his gateway drugs.
Kallie Kira: ha ha
Kallie Kira: hilarious concept
Corvuscorva Nightfire: "just try it for 9 seconds..think about this...no big deal..." *slips you an idea.*
Kallie Kira: first one's free
Corvuscorva Nightfire: is laughsing and laughing on the couch at home.
Kallie Kira: lol
Kallie Kira: like I said, a hilarious concept
Kallie Kira: rats, I have to go
Corvuscorva Nightfire: awww
Corvuscorva Nightfire: nods.
Kallie Kira: bye you guys :) see you soon :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: bye, Kallie..good to see you.
Yakuzza Lethecus: bye