Well, I decided to try my hand at erotic writing. Many advise against using your real name and true incidents in writing erotica, but somehow those cautions don't seem particularly relevant to Second Life where many of the more rigid social conventions really don't hold sway. However, since this blog has always basically been PG-13, I didn't want to publish here, so I created yet another blog. Initially I linked the new blog from this one, but a wise and knowing friend pointed out that, in spite of the content warning, it could still catch some ppl unawares. This led me to unlink it.
For any of you who are interested in my short erotic tale, it is here:
http://dreamaware.blogspot.com/
As for the blog title, "Lucid Dreams" (or dreams you know you're having)... I personally have never had any problem daydreaming. For those of you who do (that is, those of you who want to daydream more, but don't know how), my blog links a "how-to" site on lucid dreaming. This blog promises that its techniques will allow you to control your dreams and make your dreams what you want when you want. LOL.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
It Was A Very Good Year...
Weather has a huge impact on wine. Severe weather can damage vines, and the temperature and the sun in a given region impact the flavor and character of grapes. Though winemakers may have the technical means to compensate for inferior years, no tweaked wine can surpass a well-made wine from superior raw materials. This is why vintage charts remain important in spite of technology and the improvements in mass-produced wine.
The information in Gudrun's Simplified Vintage Chart is gleaned from a number of sources (for, as I said in my previous post, I can't drink 35 bottles of wine a day). It includes only those vintages that you are still likely to find in the stores you might visit. It also includes vintages from areas not often included in charts (such as Austria where Michele's favorite wine comes from, a wine that is full-bodied and flavorful, not at all resembling the German wines that have simlar names). Unfortunately, I can't find current charts on lesser known North American vintages: those from the Great lakes region - Michigan, Ohio, and the Niagara Falls area - and from the Finger Lakes area, the Hudson Valley, and Long Island in New York.* Wine is now produced in all 50 states, and most ppl don't realize that, prior to 1850, the nation's leading wine-producing state was... Ohio, LOL.
Most vintage charts also provide an indication of when to "hold" a wine vs. when to drink it. Assisted by Mother Nature's effect on the way the grapes happened to grow, I have simplified this decison as well, at least for the time being and until there are new vintages to be considered. In general, for the years in this chart, you should hold your Bordeaux, Burgundies, and Rhones, and drink everything else (though of course you can drink the others too if you want to and have absolutely no self-control).
Incidentally, the blending of young wine with a selection of older reserve wines is the bais of most Champagne making. Only about 10 percent of Champagne is vintage dated, and this typically indicates an exceptional wine. This might be an example that producers in other regions could perhaps follow. A good bottle of Champagne in a specific style can always be had. Also, Champagne tends to keep for a very long time.
*NB ~ Anthony J. Hawkins did a comprehensive chart of North American wine (and the world), but it ended in 2002 and I haven't yet found an up-to-date chart for these regions :=( If anyone has one, please share it with me.
The information in Gudrun's Simplified Vintage Chart is gleaned from a number of sources (for, as I said in my previous post, I can't drink 35 bottles of wine a day). It includes only those vintages that you are still likely to find in the stores you might visit. It also includes vintages from areas not often included in charts (such as Austria where Michele's favorite wine comes from, a wine that is full-bodied and flavorful, not at all resembling the German wines that have simlar names). Unfortunately, I can't find current charts on lesser known North American vintages: those from the Great lakes region - Michigan, Ohio, and the Niagara Falls area - and from the Finger Lakes area, the Hudson Valley, and Long Island in New York.* Wine is now produced in all 50 states, and most ppl don't realize that, prior to 1850, the nation's leading wine-producing state was... Ohio, LOL.
Most vintage charts also provide an indication of when to "hold" a wine vs. when to drink it. Assisted by Mother Nature's effect on the way the grapes happened to grow, I have simplified this decison as well, at least for the time being and until there are new vintages to be considered. In general, for the years in this chart, you should hold your Bordeaux, Burgundies, and Rhones, and drink everything else (though of course you can drink the others too if you want to and have absolutely no self-control).
Incidentally, the blending of young wine with a selection of older reserve wines is the bais of most Champagne making. Only about 10 percent of Champagne is vintage dated, and this typically indicates an exceptional wine. This might be an example that producers in other regions could perhaps follow. A good bottle of Champagne in a specific style can always be had. Also, Champagne tends to keep for a very long time.
*NB ~ Anthony J. Hawkins did a comprehensive chart of North American wine (and the world), but it ended in 2002 and I haven't yet found an up-to-date chart for these regions :=( If anyone has one, please share it with me.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Wine - A Beginning
Wine Aroma Wheel
Okay, here we go, and this won’t be the end of it. I have been drinking Meukow Cognac watered with Crispin hard apple cider, and, OMG, boy (or boi), is it good!
France has the lowest death rate from heart disease in the industrialized western world, despite the French habits of smoking, eating fatty foods and shunning exercise. Only Japan, with its low-fat diet of fish and rice, has a lower rate. Is this because of wine consumption, or is it merely portion control? Who knows... In any case, I can’t drink 35 bottles of wine a day, which is the equivalent of what the mice drank in the well-known longevity experiment.
One notable observation is that post mortem studies show that dead alcoholics have relatively "clean" arteries. Of course, for this group, the dangers of alcohol abuse greatly outweigh any benefit from alcohol. We’re not gonna go there, LOL. :=P
But wine is a very good thing, something that humans have imbibed for thousands of years. Wine is a mild natural tranquilizer, serving to reduce anxiety and tension. As part of a normal diet, wine provides the body with energy, with substances that aid digestion, and with small amounts of minerals and vitamins. It can also stimulate the appetite. In addition, wine serves to restore nutritional balance, relieve tension, sedate and act as a mild euphoric agent to the convalescent and especially the aged. (Gawd...)
Some wines taste better, but a lot of ppl have trouble describing wine. For your benefit, and as my first installment on wine, I present the following, gleaned from the University of California at Davis Wine Aroma Wheel (and the Ashland Vineyards site). The wheel itself is a little hard to decipher, hence this representation, but with a little practice you will soon be coming up with even more better descriptive terminology than what is offered up here. :=)
If you would like to purchase your own copy of the Wine Aroma Wheel, please visit the UC-Davis Bookstore to purchase a copy for $5 plus shipping & handling.
Okay, here we go, and this won’t be the end of it. I have been drinking Meukow Cognac watered with Crispin hard apple cider, and, OMG, boy (or boi), is it good!
France has the lowest death rate from heart disease in the industrialized western world, despite the French habits of smoking, eating fatty foods and shunning exercise. Only Japan, with its low-fat diet of fish and rice, has a lower rate. Is this because of wine consumption, or is it merely portion control? Who knows... In any case, I can’t drink 35 bottles of wine a day, which is the equivalent of what the mice drank in the well-known longevity experiment.
One notable observation is that post mortem studies show that dead alcoholics have relatively "clean" arteries. Of course, for this group, the dangers of alcohol abuse greatly outweigh any benefit from alcohol. We’re not gonna go there, LOL. :=P
But wine is a very good thing, something that humans have imbibed for thousands of years. Wine is a mild natural tranquilizer, serving to reduce anxiety and tension. As part of a normal diet, wine provides the body with energy, with substances that aid digestion, and with small amounts of minerals and vitamins. It can also stimulate the appetite. In addition, wine serves to restore nutritional balance, relieve tension, sedate and act as a mild euphoric agent to the convalescent and especially the aged. (Gawd...)
Some wines taste better, but a lot of ppl have trouble describing wine. For your benefit, and as my first installment on wine, I present the following, gleaned from the University of California at Davis Wine Aroma Wheel (and the Ashland Vineyards site). The wheel itself is a little hard to decipher, hence this representation, but with a little practice you will soon be coming up with even more better descriptive terminology than what is offered up here. :=)
| General | Specific | More Specific |
| Fruity | Citrus | Grapefruit |
| Lemon | ||
| Berry | Blackberry | |
| Raspberry | ||
| Strawberry | ||
| Black Currant (Cassis) | ||
| Tree Fruit | Cherry | |
| Apricot | ||
| Peach | ||
| Apple | ||
| Tropical Fruit | Pineapple | |
| Melon | ||
| Banana | ||
| Dried Fruit | Strawberry Jam | |
| Raisin | ||
| Prune | ||
| Fig | ||
| Other | Artificial Fruit | |
| Methyl Anthranilate | ||
| Spicy | Spicy | Licorice/Anise |
| Black Pepper | ||
| Cloves | ||
| Floral | Floral | Geranium |
| Violet | ||
| Rose | ||
| Orange Blossom | ||
| Micro- | ||
| biological | Yeasty | Leesy |
| Baker's Yeast | ||
| Lactic | Yogurt | |
| Sweaty | ||
| Sauerkraut | ||
| Other | Mousy | |
| Horsey | ||
| Sherry | Oxidized | Oxidized |
| Pungent | Cool | Menthol |
| Hot | Alcohol | |
| Chemical | Pungent | Sulfur Dioxide |
| Ethanol | ||
| Acetic Acid | ||
| Ethyl Acetate | ||
| Sulfur | Wet Wool, Wet Dog | |
| Sulfur Dioxide | ||
| Burnt Match | ||
| Cabbage | ||
| Skunk | ||
| Garlic | ||
| Natural Gas, Mercaptain | ||
| Hydrogen Sulfide | ||
| Rubbery | ||
| Petroleum | Diesel | |
| Kerosene | ||
| Plastic | ||
| Tar | ||
| Earthy | Moldy | Moldy Cork |
| Moldy | ||
| Earthy | Mushroom | |
| Dusty | ||
| Woody | Burned | Smoky |
| Burnt Toast | ||
| Coffee | ||
| Phenolic | Medicinal | |
| Phenolic | ||
| Bacon | ||
| Resinous | Oak | |
| Cedar | ||
| Vanilla | ||
| Caramel | Caramel | Honey |
| Butterscotch | ||
| Diacetyl (Butter) | ||
| Soy Sauce | ||
| Chocolate | ||
| Molasses | ||
| Nutty | Nutty | Walnut |
| Hazelnut | ||
| Almond | ||
| Herbaceous or | ||
| Vegetative | Fresh | Cut Green Grass |
| Bell Pepper | ||
| Eucalyptus | ||
| Mint | ||
| Canned/Cooked Green Beans | ||
| Asparagus | ||
| Green Olive | ||
| Black Olive | ||
| Artichoke | ||
| Dried | Hay/Straw | |
| Tea | ||
| Tobacco |
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Musings on Play in a Parallel Universe
Immersion in a make-believe world is a means of escaping our responsibilities and concerns, as an antidote to the everyday work and worry of our advanced society.
The propensity to absorb oneself in make-believe originates in childhood, when a simple prop could make one a princess, a movie star, a soldier, a hero or a villain. As adults we immersed ourselves in music, books, storytelling, movies, television, or structured games, and each of these pursuits probably required progressively less imagination. But once upon a time, radio listeners had their imaginations piqued by some fundamental sound effects created by plungers, tom-toms, rain boxes, canvas, silk, tin cans, rubber balloons, pillows, cellophane, and bottles. Then movies and television presented us with complete pictures of stories, at first amateurish, but later technically sophisticated. Now, in the computer age, the “tools” of immersion have become powerful and complex, simultaneously requiring both less and more imagination to create a truly immersive experience.
Computer games have given us the ability not only to imagine, but to participate in an alternate reality and to actually influence it. But some of these alternate realities no longer fit the definition of game. They can’t be won or lost and have no end state. But they are fun and addictive. They are truly virtual worlds in which we can actually live an alternate life.
Early computer gamers indulged their fantasies in text based games while mastering clearly defined environments. But technology advanced, reality caught up with fiction, and people became truly able to “jack in” to a virtual world in a sensual and even affective way. An electronic image can give you an actual presence in a virtual reality that is not truly physical, but is certainly relational and definitely emotional.
Classification schema of game-players abound: One set of classifications might be the achiever, the explorer, the socializer, or the killer. Another might be the role-player, the storyteller, the power-gamer, or the war-gamer. All immerse themselves, but to different degrees and in different ways. How does this relate to Second Life, a “game” in which others as well as one’s own self have a presence?
One type of Second Life “resident” uses SL mainly for extension of his or her real life or RL. These individuals cannot or do not want to differentiate SL from RL - they want to extend their RL into SL. This player mixes SL and RL freely, meeting fellow players for lunch in the real world, possibly engaging in business transactions with them, or dating. There is not much imagination at work or role-playing going on. This can become serious business vs. simple fun and enjoyment.
The extensionist has no real “second life.” This can make her just a little threatening to the virtual worlds of others, because she tends to bring RL needs and arguments to it, and tries to enforce RL customs and rules, sometimes diminishing the freedom of others and inhibiting herself as she does so.
A second type of resident is the immersive role-player. For this person, SL and RL are separate – different lives with different rules. This is the basic intention of role-playing games, but it is antithetical to the extensionist idea of what a virtual world could or should be. This can be dangerous to the role-player’s very virtual existence. The extensionist does not always understand or accept the kind of separation the real role-player requires, and, if the role-player’s persona is not sufficiently outrageous and unbelievable, can label it deception and fraud.
To deal with these realities, the role-player may hybridize. The hybrid player may seem to be an extensionist, but actually is not. This player has a pseudo-life that may closely resemble that player’s real life, differing only in some minor or perhaps some pivotal way. There is no desire or willingness to merge SL with RL. But there is danger here as well, and that is that there is always the possibility of emotional damage to other players whose own imaginations rely upon the truth of the way others represent themselves.
This brings us to Gudrun’s non-mutually exclusive Second Life Paradigm of Existence in a Virtual World:
Parenthetic markings are intended to differentiate players of differing motivation. All of this, of course, is intended to be confusing. :=P
The propensity to absorb oneself in make-believe originates in childhood, when a simple prop could make one a princess, a movie star, a soldier, a hero or a villain. As adults we immersed ourselves in music, books, storytelling, movies, television, or structured games, and each of these pursuits probably required progressively less imagination. But once upon a time, radio listeners had their imaginations piqued by some fundamental sound effects created by plungers, tom-toms, rain boxes, canvas, silk, tin cans, rubber balloons, pillows, cellophane, and bottles. Then movies and television presented us with complete pictures of stories, at first amateurish, but later technically sophisticated. Now, in the computer age, the “tools” of immersion have become powerful and complex, simultaneously requiring both less and more imagination to create a truly immersive experience.
Computer games have given us the ability not only to imagine, but to participate in an alternate reality and to actually influence it. But some of these alternate realities no longer fit the definition of game. They can’t be won or lost and have no end state. But they are fun and addictive. They are truly virtual worlds in which we can actually live an alternate life.
Early computer gamers indulged their fantasies in text based games while mastering clearly defined environments. But technology advanced, reality caught up with fiction, and people became truly able to “jack in” to a virtual world in a sensual and even affective way. An electronic image can give you an actual presence in a virtual reality that is not truly physical, but is certainly relational and definitely emotional.
Classification schema of game-players abound: One set of classifications might be the achiever, the explorer, the socializer, or the killer. Another might be the role-player, the storyteller, the power-gamer, or the war-gamer. All immerse themselves, but to different degrees and in different ways. How does this relate to Second Life, a “game” in which others as well as one’s own self have a presence?
One type of Second Life “resident” uses SL mainly for extension of his or her real life or RL. These individuals cannot or do not want to differentiate SL from RL - they want to extend their RL into SL. This player mixes SL and RL freely, meeting fellow players for lunch in the real world, possibly engaging in business transactions with them, or dating. There is not much imagination at work or role-playing going on. This can become serious business vs. simple fun and enjoyment.
The extensionist has no real “second life.” This can make her just a little threatening to the virtual worlds of others, because she tends to bring RL needs and arguments to it, and tries to enforce RL customs and rules, sometimes diminishing the freedom of others and inhibiting herself as she does so.
A second type of resident is the immersive role-player. For this person, SL and RL are separate – different lives with different rules. This is the basic intention of role-playing games, but it is antithetical to the extensionist idea of what a virtual world could or should be. This can be dangerous to the role-player’s very virtual existence. The extensionist does not always understand or accept the kind of separation the real role-player requires, and, if the role-player’s persona is not sufficiently outrageous and unbelievable, can label it deception and fraud.
To deal with these realities, the role-player may hybridize. The hybrid player may seem to be an extensionist, but actually is not. This player has a pseudo-life that may closely resemble that player’s real life, differing only in some minor or perhaps some pivotal way. There is no desire or willingness to merge SL with RL. But there is danger here as well, and that is that there is always the possibility of emotional damage to other players whose own imaginations rely upon the truth of the way others represent themselves.
This brings us to Gudrun’s non-mutually exclusive Second Life Paradigm of Existence in a Virtual World:
Parenthetic markings are intended to differentiate players of differing motivation. All of this, of course, is intended to be confusing. :=P
La raison for participation in SL is some element of personal fulfillment in one or more of these categories. This grows out of the simple desire for an enjoyable experience and the individual pursuit of goals and desires while opposing external interference.
At no time in real life does one person reveal the totality of their personality to another. This is not deception: each one of us knows that there is much going on within us that is not being revealed. One can only express their true desires and feelings to the extent they are compatible with what others are willing to accept. Otherwise, discourse becomes discord, isolation, or worse.
In any life, most of us do not always tell people what we really think of them. Conversely, we may not want to hear from them what they really think of us. We might guess at their true feelings, but really do not care about them except to the extent they affect our relationships. Most everyone participates in this kind of politeness and deference.
In living our second lives, we must keep a firm grip on the fact that the social self that others present to us is not the whole of their personality. As in real life, we mature, and the reactions of others as we present ourselves to them affects our feelings toward ourselves and our self conception. Of course, we also dynamically mold an image of ourselves for others. In our interactions we "take the role of the other" to evaluate the way we come across in any given situation, and we adjust our behaviors (and perhaps more importantly, the amount of information we divulge about ourselves) accordingly. And we must keep in mind players’ differing reasons for participating in a virtual world.
Much of the fun of a virtual world is the illusion. When all illusion is worn away, are you left with something that feels almost like a job? It’s probably a bad thing when playing a game makes the player feel annoyed and obligated. Is that what we’re here for, LOL?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
