10-12 Person, Pattern, and Practice

Calvino Rabeni was Scribe for this series - January 10-12, 2010

2010.01.10 01:00 - Sound of Rock

The Moon Fargis sessions are known for a massive but temporary build-up of virtual "natural" features such as plants, water, ice, and rocks.  In a similar "vein", the discussion was about the power of music as a medium for public expression of emotional and spiritual sensibilities.

Stargate Tone: well...star didn't look at Jimmy either with 'that eye', but loved his spirit and loved to listen to him
Stargate Tone: as well loved to see and listen to this couple, but yes; the girl is the power and the man is the support
Qt Core: you know, during the concert i found myself several time in an almost meditative state with the musing making ripples in my mind
Stargate Tone: and see them to be the most good 'example' of honestly lived music and complete harmony 'working' together

2010.01.10 07:00 - Watch Out for that Chiropractor Following You

About Self, dreams, the UK slang word "poof", the Buddhist Pure Land sect, and chiropractors as a metaphor.

The Self discussion seemed pretty innocent and touched some of the things that may happen with self-reflection.

Adams Rubble: I find it helpful to look at myself from different directions which might be looking at how I am looking at myself
SophiaSharon Larnia: maybe some are made that way, or maybe learned through childhood, a some benefit gained in the past by reacting a certain way
Eliza Madrigal: yes some of us seem to require more tools than others... to set things out and see.. writing, for instance
Geoff Baily: nature vs nurture?
SophiaSharon Larnia: yes but maybe some with a more jumpy nervous system:)
Adams Rubble: It is useful to re-examine the tools we are using to see
Eliza Madrigal: :))
Eliza Madrigal: True, Adams
Geoff Baily: absolutely true Sophia
Eliza Madrigal: Or the proportions we are using, in using the tools... I used to blog and write quite a bit, for instance... doesn't seem too helful right now but I keep going
Adams Rubble: I find writing very important
SophiaSharon Larnia: thats just now, Eliza, maybe it wont stay that way
Adams Rubble: It helps me to discipline my thinking
Eliza Madrigal: sometimes I look back to see that what I write when I don't 'feel' it was useful, was actually more clear
Adams Rubble: I rarely read what I have written (giggles)
SophiaSharon Larnia: :)
Eliza Madrigal: That seems a tool in itself! :)
Geoff Baily: don't think the method matters too much, its the curiousity and continual questioning that maters
Eliza Madrigal: hmmm, yes Geoff
Geoff Baily: and discipline yes that too
SophiaSharon Larnia: I stopped writing because I was telling myself the truth in it, things i didnt know until I started writing, and then I started to lie to myself, because i didnt like what i was seeing
Adams Rubble: we need to change or hone our methods as we go along
Eliza Madrigal: wow.. that's something to see, Sharon
...
Geoff Baily: always changing, eh Eliza??
Eliza Madrigal: Well, maybe not lies but ways in which we fool ourselves maybe :)

2010.01.10 08:00 - Guardian Retreats

During this meeting the Guardians discussed the topic of retreats and the idea of creating a new virtual "cafe" style for informal meetings.  I think the idea is to try to make the Kira SL area support more informal and social "presence" as a reminder basic PlayAsBeing ideas.

2010.01.10 13:00 - Beyond concepts

The topic of self-observation (and its many ramifications) continued in this session.

The Guardian for this meeting commented:

 This meeting was a bit slow to get going but then began to discuss the hesitations toward practice, including self doubt or judgment, but also perhaps the fear of going beyond the concepts and images which seem to offer stability of a sort.
As often occurs, the discussion seemed to become a bit more free-wheeling after the goc (me) left after an hour. 

 Concepts always seem to put in an appearance - at least for a while - when talking about "self."

Maxine Walden: Fael, are you thinking that our attempts to make concepts are ways of trying to 'freeze' things?
Fael Illyar: bound... another expression of permanence :)
Trevor Berensohn: I've had jobs where I really had to alter how I behaved.. almost manage ppls perceptions of me
Trevor Berensohn: It was only fun when I saw it as a game though
Mickorod Renard: breaking from the concept that one has the idea that people expect you to be a certain person,,other than your real self is hard
Trevor Berensohn: Eventually I felt bogged down by the culture there, and moved on
Archmage Atlantis: We are more, more than any concept, yet concepts are useful tools

...

Fael Illyar: Attachments don't exist without reason. They are sometimes useful.

...

That was the easy part.  The discussion went to another level at that point and looked at the idea of making certain choices about self.  The feeling seemed to be, that it goes beyond easy formulas of the "just say no to identification" variety.  At a certain point the ethical dimensions can't be dismissed.  Near this edge, it was suggested, there is the possibility of worry, madness, demons, compassion, and what sort of choices should be regarded as having integrity.

2010.01.10 19:00 - Dreams, Plans, Places, Pomo

This session seemed nicely "grounded" in relationship, history, place, and profession, and had a comfortable feel.  So grounded, in fact, that I even invoked phenomenology and then - "postmodernism".

Fox Monacular: well, some degree of specificity is often needed when you talk about stuff on a certain level of abstraction....
Fox Monacular: but seriously, who can just sit down and read husserl or guattari without extensive background in academic philosophy?
Calvino Rabeni: Yes, and often for the life of me, I can't find that element
Calvino Rabeni: in which to ground the statements being made

Pomo is the "odd member" of the intellectual family, relative to PaB - Father?  Daughter?  Maiden Aunt?

POMO, if you are listening - come by more often, pull up a chair on the porch, and enjoy the party.  Just remember to speak to us slowly and use short, complete sentences :)

2010.01.11 01:00 - Avatars want to be Human

What does it take to be "real"?   Why do we do what we do?  A simple, focused, two-person discussion that was willing to look at complex questions right where they live:  being a human using an avatar in Second Life.  At the end the avatars were allowed to act out their repertoire of expressive behaviors.

There's a critique of the possible deleterious effects of SL immersion, and some ideas about what do do about that.

And then - curiouser and curiouser:

Calvino Rabeni: Humans have natural curiousity
Tarmel Udimo: yes but I guess I was curious about why you like my curiosty about the 'topic'
Tarmel Udimo: are you curious about the difference between you and your AV?
Calvino Rabeni: Yes a bit, but more than that, I am curious about your intelligence
Calvino Rabeni: As a dynamic thing
Calvino Rabeni: This is what gets people into SL to begin with I think
Tarmel Udimo: that's an interesting idea
Tarmel Udimo: SL+intelligence

2010.01.11 07:00 - In Touch Out There

This session had a nice fullness, like a ripe mango harvested from the tree of life:

Geoff Baily: ah Being me, ......
Eden Haiku: Being you?
Geoff Baily: sometimes everything becomes very clear and brilliantly bright and sparkly
...
Eliza Madrigal: with relationships and settings and words helping us to honor... notice and value
...
Eliza Madrigal: People talk about the abundant resources of the internet, for instance... but it has always been that anything we need is 'everywhere'... does no good at all if we don't see/hear, etc ?
...
Geoff Baily: important to give away ones achievements to others
Geoff Baily: its not for personal benefit or ego boosting
Eliza Madrigal nods...
Eliza Madrigal: generosity
Geoff Baily: that we do what we do here
Eliza Madrigal: it expands us