2010.09.30 01:00 - Art and Cosmopolitanism

The Guardian for this meeting was Zen Arado. The comments are by Zen Arado. Present were Baeric Constantine, Calvino Rabeni. Cosmicflower Ushinawa, Karencreek Melson, Sharry Ragu and myself.

Text vs voice chat:

Zen Arado: Hi Karen
Zen Arado: have a seat
Zen Arado: have you been here before?
Karencreek Melson: thx
Karencreek Melson: no
Zen Arado: well - we have to ask you if you mind that the sessions are recorded?
Karencreek Melson: I dont mind
Karencreek Melson: dont use voice chat
Zen Arado: no - we don't use voice chat in these sessions
Karencreek Melson: text chat I am true to myself in
Zen Arado: interesting
Zen Arado: maybe we can express things better in text
Karencreek Melson: sometimes
Karencreek Melson: trains of thought can flow
Zen Arado: we have more time to think about what we are saying perhaps
Karencreek Melson: if one let them
Karencreek Melson: not me
Karencreek Melson: I type as I think
Zen Arado: yes
Karencreek Melson: trust my being
Zen Arado: depends how good you are at typing though :)
Karencreek Melson: hehe
Zen Arado: mine is pretty bad :)
Zen Arado: and slow
Karencreek Melson: I dont think about it
Karencreek Melson: no need to be perfect
Zen Arado: true
Karencreek Melson: most folks automaticlly fill in missing things
Zen Arado: sometimes I go to discussion groups where some can type very fast
Zen Arado: and I get drowned out
Zen Arado: if you know what I mean
Karencreek Melson: grins
Karencreek Melson: yes
Zen Arado: in the time it takes me to type a short sentence they produce a whole paragraph
Karencreek Melson: hehe
Karencreek Melson: I just type
Karencreek Melson: lines
Karencreek Melson: dont worry
Zen Arado: and by the time I read it they have typed another
Karencreek Melson: about the lenght
Karencreek Melson: try typing as if you were speaking
Zen Arado: yes - think you are right
Karencreek Melson: one piece after another
Karencreek Melson: holding it
Karencreek Melson: is trying
Karencreek Melson: not being in my experience
Karencreek Melson: letting it fly
Karencreek Melson: takes one
Karencreek Melson: to where they want
Karencreek Melson: to go
Karencreek Melson: but dont really know
Karencreek Melson: that is where they
Karencreek Melson: want to be
Karencreek Melson: ã‹¡
Zen Arado: we have a Wiki for this group
Zen Arado: http://wiki.playasbeing.org/
Zen Arado: tells you what we are about
Zen Arado: we have a little period of silence every 15 mins
Zen Arado: to kind of come back to yourself

Alone with others:

Karencreek Melson: smiles
Karencreek Melson: I am at one with my land
Karencreek Melson: spend many hours in quietness
Karencreek Melson: there
Karencreek Melson: alone or with company
Zen Arado: in SL?
Karencreek Melson: yes
Zen Arado: I should do that more often
Karencreek Melson: smiles
Karencreek Melson: my avatar is actually the whole sim
Zen Arado: I always seem to come here only to be in groups
Karencreek Melson: really at one with my land
Karencreek Melson: its embrace is my embrace
Karencreek Melson: I tell folks
Karencreek Melson: and their share their elation of what they find
Karencreek Melson: with me
Zen Arado: your avatar is the whole sim?
Karencreek Melson: yes
Karencreek Melson: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts
Zen Arado: could you explain that a bit more?

A ' living painting' - what a nice expression!

Karencreek Melson: what used to be a potential within
Karencreek Melson: has been realized in sl
Karencreek Melson: as a living painting
Karencreek Melson: all who come and linger
Karencreek Melson: become a part of it
Zen Arado: yes - I like that - 'a living painting'
Karencreek Melson: so many have come
Karencreek Melson: and found a safe place
Zen Arado: Hi Sharry
Karencreek Melson: that I seek now to only listen for the land
Karencreek Melson: Hi
Zen Arado: have a seat
Sharry Ragu: Hi Zen and Karen :))
Zen Arado: have you been here before Sharry?
Sharry Ragu: thank you
Karencreek Melson: ã‹¡
Sharry Ragu: I have Zen yes :))
Zen Arado: ok - so you are ok that meetings are recorded?
Sharry Ragu: I am, thank you :))
Zen Arado: great
Sharry Ragu: I have had such a frantic day at work.. just need to be ;)
Zen Arado: Karen was explaining how she finds SL to be a 'living painting'
Sharry Ragu: ahh.. yes I came in to see that...
Karencreek Melson: my land specificly
Sharry Ragu: surreal Karen?
Zen Arado: ah yes was going to ask you that
Karencreek Melson: Hi three
Karencreek Melson: saw you at Tempura
Zen Arado: Hi Houseovander
Karencreek Melson: hours ago
Karencreek Melson: hehe
Sharry Ragu: bye
Sharry Ragu: lol.. bye house :D
Karencreek Melson: not surpirsed in retrospect he would be here
Zen Arado: :)
Sharry Ragu: ehum.. gesture, sorry LOL
Karencreek Melson: the land speaks for me
Karencreek Melson: and I listen for the land
Karencreek Melson: that way I stay grounded
Zen Arado: can I come and see your land some time?
Karencreek Melson: sure
Karencreek Melson: anytime
Karencreek Melson: no invite
Sharry Ragu: it sounds very inviting Karen :))
Sharry Ragu: lol
Karencreek Melson: smiles
Karencreek Melson: it is
Karencreek Melson: it speaks for itself
Zen Arado: need to know where it is though - maybe send me LM in IM?
Karencreek Melson: that is why I have to stay grounded
Sharry Ragu: I can relate Karen, my plot is very much the same for me.. a blank canvas that shifts and changes with my moods..
Sharry Ragu: thank you :))
Karencreek Melson: my pleasure
Zen Arado: thanks Karen
Karencreek Melson: yw
Karencreek Melson: I came here because some members of your group
Karencreek Melson: came to my land
Karencreek Melson: to see my paintings earlier
Zen Arado: ah I see
Zen Arado: I have an art gallery in SL too
Karencreek Melson: that is good to hear
Karencreek Melson: art is needed
Sharry Ragu: SL I think is art in a multitude of forms... *smiles*
Karencreek Melson: I agree
Karencreek Melson: you are right
Sharry Ragu: thank you very much Zen
Zen Arado: you should come and look at my paintings some time
Karencreek Melson: I will
Sharry Ragu: I would love to too :))
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: Hi Dears <3<3<3
Karencreek Melson: Hi Cosmic
Sharry Ragu waves a hello

Our own pab exhibition:

Zen Arado: Hi Cos :)
Zen Arado: I see you were at the exhuibition
Zen Arado: Hi Cal :)
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: Yes, wanted to see
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: ;D
Zen Arado: you know we have an exhibition atm Sharry and Karen?
Karencreek Melson: no I didnt
Sharry Ragu: no, I didn't
Karencreek Melson: hehe
Karencreek Melson: same wavelenght
Sharry Ragu: totally :D
Zen Arado: it's about the puzzle of time I think
Sharry Ragu: oh what a concept!
Calvino Rabeni: Hello Zen, how is it?
Zen Arado: yes - it is our third
Zen Arado: great Cal
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: will read them lines, goes to have cup of tea ;)
Zen Arado: I haven't got an LM for the exhibition but it is just north of here
Zen Arado: not very far
Zen Arado: it is more about photographs though
Zen Arado: you were supposed to construct something in SL and then take a photo
Calvino Rabeni: Very artful, to me, more than photos.
Karencreek Melson: smiles
Zen Arado: yes - paintings are photos in SL I guess
Calvino Rabeni: and interesting constructions - sculptural forms
Calvino Rabeni: quite engaging
Zen Arado: Bleu did a great one of a chess set with people's photos on the pieces
Calvino Rabeni: I can see it being a destination for SL travellers
Calvino Rabeni: Do you know how long it will be up?
Zen Arado: yes Cal - maybe we should publicize it more
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: yeah I liked it too
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: and Lucinda had beautiful universe
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: galaxy
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: ;D
Zen Arado: not sure
Karencreek Melson: I must take my leave of you good people
Calvino Rabeni: These different exhibits - I wonder if they're saved ?
Zen Arado: there is a meeting to discuss the exhibits soon
Calvino Rabeni: Bye, Karen
Sharry Ragu: be well Karen :))
Zen Arado: ok nice to meet you Karen :)
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: You are leaving Karen?
Karencreek Melson: been a pleasure
Karencreek Melson: yes, late for me
Karencreek Melson: always good to see you Comsic
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: oh, okey, Enjoy on your night time travelling ;))
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: You too Dear ;)))
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: joy raising up from chest ;D
Karencreek Melson: May peace be with all of you
Zen Arado: you too
Karencreek Melson: it is
Karencreek Melson: L)
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: ;D
Zen Arado: I think exhibits will be saved Cal
Zen Arado: Storm saved the last one
Calvino Rabeni: I was thinking a holodeck would be a good way to save the different exhibits of the Art of Being
Zen Arado: I think they are underneath the present exhibition
Calvino Rabeni: That would be great to be able to bring them back in a flash
Zen Arado: yes true
Zen Arado: yes you could have the exhibition still around somewhere
Zen Arado: as long as we don't run out of prims
Sharry Ragu loves prims

Holodecks:

Zen Arado: but a holodeck only uses prims when rezzed I think?
Calvino Rabeni: They can be done as temporary ones
Calvino Rabeni: yes even then, lots of them don't count
Calvino Rabeni: some number, not sure how many, for "free" on the overall prim count
Zen Arado: I have a couple of those already so I should know about them :)
Zen Arado: a 'paradise blanket' and another one
Calvino Rabeni: Where did you get that blanket?
Calvino Rabeni: I heard of it
Zen Arado: I bought it somewhere
Zen Arado: handy if you have a small plot only
Zen Arado: I know a woman who uses it instead of building a house
Zen Arado: you have a choice of different modules that simulate different places or environments
Calvino Rabeni: I read the notecard you sent - it sounds fun, if the scenes are well done
Calvino Rabeni: I think I know where one is to try it out
Zen Arado: I'll show you it sometime if you want
Zen Arado: yes you can also try it out where they sell them

Cos's new costume and pab exhibits:

Calvino Rabeni: ! Cosmic changes into some strange creature
Calvino Rabeni: (!!)
Zen Arado: probably much improved over the version I have
Zen Arado: :)
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: ;D
Zen Arado: did either of you put anything in the exhibition?
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: not me
Calvino Rabeni: Noup
Sharry Ragu: pretty av Cosmic :))
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: ;D
Calvino Rabeni: You put a stream there, Zen, I think
Zen Arado: I just put one trying to simulate flow
Zen Arado: yes
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: thanks
Calvino Rabeni: I liked that it was dynamic
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: I bought this hour ago
Zen Arado: yes I was trying to show that reality is not static but dynamic and changing and impermanent
Sharry Ragu: very serene :))
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: I will give you lm where these are sold ;)
Sharry Ragu: oh thankyou
Zen Arado: a bit spiky if one got too close :)
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: there were many kind
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: different kind
Zen Arado: but maybe soft spikes:)
Sharry Ragu: :D thank you!
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: yes, they can go around ;D
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: <3<3<3
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: not stick you
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: ;D
Zen Arado: thinks I will have to do my avatar or wardrobe
Calvino Rabeni looks at his clock ... I'd best be going, nice sitting with you all
Zen Arado: nice to see you again Cal
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: <3<3<3
Calvino Rabeni: TY - Bye for now
Calvino Rabeni: <333
Zen Arado: bye
Sharry Ragu: lol.. I think it's naturalistic and earthy... it speaks to me
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: ;) yes
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: I loved this one most
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: It feels like naturalistic
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: but still when using this
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: I feel familiar with universe too
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: ;D
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: feeling like an alien
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: ;D
Sharry Ragu: :)) yes, I can feel that.. I think that's what it emanates :))
Zen Arado: it takes a lot of imagination for that design
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: from sun
Sharry Ragu: lol.. not alien!
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: or from other "sunny" place
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: no?
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: hmm
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: I feel to be like one... LOL
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: laughs
Sharry Ragu: well no, I see it as earthy.. :D
Zen Arado: wonder if SL fashion influences RL designs
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: maby I AM alien then
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: lol
Sharry Ragu: hahaha!
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: and this suits me better
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: ;D
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: okey
Sharry Ragu: well... not matter.. I lubs it :))
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: Dear ones
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: I need to go too
Zen Arado: you have something to swish when you turn your head :)
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: Hope to see you very soon again
Sharry Ragu: be well Cosmic, and thank you
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: are YOu Sharry when usually here?
Zen Arado: o bye Cos
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: in what time?
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: would be wonderfull to see you again
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: ;D
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: I live in finnland
Sharry Ragu: around this time to 6AM SLT
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: and now I am having midday

Australia:

Sharry Ragu: I live in Australia
Zen Arado: ah interesting Sharry
Sharry Ragu: and it is my evening
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: maby I can have your friendship?
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: then seeing when You are online?
Sharry Ragu: absolutely! :))
Sharry Ragu: ty
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: ;D
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: thanks ;)
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: now we can find each others ;)
Zen Arado: whereabouts in Australia?
Sharry Ragu: very welcome, and yes! thank you
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: ok
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: Now I fly away ;)
Sharry Ragu: Sunny Queensland Zen
Cosmicflower Ushimawa: see you soon
Zen Arado: bye Cos
Zen Arado: I lived in Brisbane for a while
Sharry Ragu: ahh... I am close to Brisbane
Zen Arado: I lived in Kangaroo Point
Zen Arado: near the Storey bridge
Sharry Ragu: lovely area.. they do a lot of abseiling there
Zen Arado: it was a long time ago though :)
Zen Arado: I alos lived in Sydney about 7 years
--BELL--
Zen Arado: Hi Baeric :)
Sharry Ragu: ahh.. was the Southbank up and running?
Sharry Ragu: ã‹¡
Sharry Ragu: hi B
Zen Arado: have you been here before?
Baeric Constantine: Good morning/afternoon/evening :)
Baeric Constantine: I have been here before
Baeric Constantine: and yes the recording is fine
Zen Arado: don't think so - they hadn't even finished the Opera house when I was there
Zen Arado: ok good
Sharry Ragu: wow! ok, so definitely some time ago! lol
Baeric Constantine: :)
Zen Arado: yes :(
Sharry Ragu: you miss it?
Zen Arado: I'm pretty old :(
Zen Arado: yes sometimes
Sharry Ragu: awww.. what's wrong with old?
Zen Arado: I came home (to N.Ireland) and never got around to going back
Sharry Ragu: you got distracted??
Zen Arado: well - young is preferable though :)
Zen Arado: I got a good job here
Sharry Ragu: with age comes wisdom... apparently ;)
Sharry Ragu: we are where we be
Zen Arado: still waiting :)
Sharry Ragu: haha!
Zen Arado: I liked Queensland
Zen Arado: people are more laid back
Sharry Ragu: I'm not sure if we would still be considered laid back, perhaps we are however the culture has changed I believe
Zen Arado: I used to hitch-hike a lot in those days
Sharry Ragu: mmmm... sounds like freedom
Zen Arado: remember riding a goods train from Townsville to Brisbane
Zen Arado: with a mate
Zen Arado: and no one worried about it
Sharry Ragu nods
Zen Arado: might not be able to do that nowadays?
Sharry Ragu: I think the rural places are still like that, the city has changed I think
Zen Arado: yes - big cities start to look the same all over the world
Sharry Ragu nods
Sharry Ragu: trends
Zen Arado: Sydney is very like London with a warmer climate
Sharry Ragu: I didn't like Sydney.. I found it too frantic
Zen Arado: yes and so big
Sharry Ragu: hugely big :D
Zen Arado: sprawls out about 40 miles
Baeric Constantine: London is cold, unforgiving, too cosmopolitan, too money orientated to be of any use to any one.
Sharry Ragu: reflecting, yes, I do like Brisbane :))

Cosmopolitan - good or bad? - 'Acquis communautaire' :

Zen Arado: I like cosmopolitan though
Zen Arado: adds more interest
Sharry Ragu: how would you define cosmopolitan?
Zen Arado: was interesting meeting all the different nationalities, at work
Zen Arado: having a mixture of different races?
Zen Arado: and thus different cultures
Sharry Ragu: mmm.. perhaps.. I was wondering if that is also 'multi-cultural'?
Zen Arado: yes
Baeric Constantine: it means multi-cultural, but more than that... it includes it, and loses its own identity in the process
Sharry Ragu: are they synonomous?
Zen Arado: it's the mix of cultures I was trying to express
Sharry Ragu: ahhh... that is a distinction
Baeric Constantine: as has happened in UK - people here no longer know what it means to be English
Sharry Ragu: then I would say that is also happening with the cities in Australia
Zen Arado: well - that happens too Baeric I guess
Zen Arado: some loss some gain
Zen Arado: but in N.Ireland I see people are very narrow and insular in many ways
Zen Arado: and racist
Sharry Ragu: what about complete loss Zen? total loss of cultural identity I think can be very disturbing..
Baeric Constantine: I am a firm believer in acquis communautaire
Zen Arado: simply because there has been very little imigration to here
Baeric Constantine: do not confuse protection of heritage as being narrow and insular or racist
Zen Arado: intereting Baeric
Baeric Constantine: Loss of heritage is wrong.... and when other cultures come here and we bend over backwards, it is wrong, they come here for our culture, so they either accept it or go back home
Baeric Constantine: acquis communautaire
Zen Arado: but places like London have always been prone to new influxes of migrants all through the ages
Baeric Constantine: I have no issue with that
Baeric Constantine: I have issue that we, as a nation, bend over to be more accommodating to them than to our own people
Zen Arado: even N. Ireland is a mixture of Scots Irish/ English
Baeric Constantine: we, the english as a nation are not called english anymore, and we have lost who we are
Zen Arado: interesting topic Bearic
Zen Arado: I'll think about it and maybe we can discuss it some more
Zen Arado: but I have to go now
Baeric Constantine: If I am from Scotland, I am Scots, if I am from Wales, I am welsh, but if I am from England, I am British? No! I am English.
Baeric Constantine: Okies
Zen Arado: nice to meet you Sharry and Baeric :)
Baeric Constantine: this is very close to my heart this subject
Baeric Constantine: sorry
Zen Arado: np Baeric - nothing to be sorry about - I would stay and discuss but I have been here 1 1/2 hours already :)
Sharry Ragu: be well Zen, thank you for talking :))
Baeric Constantine: ahhh
Zen Arado: you too :)
Baeric Constantine: welcome
Zen Arado: bye
Baeric Constantine: nice meeting you
Sharry Ragu waves