Quick Update on Major Developments

Wanted to let all the readers here know that I've created a group for you and others who enjoy either reading my words, hanging out with me, or attending events that I'm involved in. The group name is Lorelei's Liaisons. It is free to join and I won't be spamming the members at all. Just the occasional update letting you know of events and parties I'm hosting, as well as when I make a significant update to the blog. Also, since one of my pet peeves are unimaginative, even embarrassing tags, you get a cool tag! When you join my group, your tag will be "Dangerous Liaison" which is fun and one you will hopefully enjoy wearing.

The other development is that I have become affiliated with a new publication and website called MOFSL. You can find the website at MOFSL.com. It stands for Ministry of Second Life, and will include pics and info about most every aspect of Second Life. It is a way for new and old members to get to know the world a little better. There is also an account on Flickr where our pictures will be posted and accessible. Look for the distinctive logo, it is new now, but I suspect you will be seeing it more and more as time goes on.

More updates soon on surfing, shopping and relationships going on in the life of Lorelei Larsson. Remember, go to groups and search for Lorelei's Liaisons and join! Until next time....

Let's Go Surfing Now... OR... In Search of the Perfect Wave

Boog and I have been working hard in SL lately. I currently am working at a club called Parrot Bay on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings from 7 to 9 SLT, and I also work at a club called Rumours on Saturday nights. In addition to this, Boog and I have been taking lots of classes, learning a lot. We’ve purchased a photo studio and are soon going to launch a business together.

All work and no play… well, you know the rest. Boog and I were in serious need of some fun and relaxation, so we went on a quest for fun. At first, we tried snowboarding at a place called Salzburg. The sim was gorgeous and the facilities top notch, but unfortunately, the snowboarding equipment was severely lacking. So, we dropped our heavy clothes in favor of swimwear and went searching for a beach and surfboards. By the way, I'm back to being a neko. Note the ears, spots and tail. Boog and I are a pair of kitties.

First stop took us to a nice sim called Bishara Island. We couldn’t use their surfboards there without a group tag, and though we clicked and made the request, many hours later we still had not received an invite. Despite the fact that we never got to surf at Bishara, it was a lovely place, and I intend to go back and explore it more thoroughly again soon. One thing they had there which I’ve not seen yet in SL was a mini-golf course.

They also had a gorgeous and very well done under water grotto. Swimming underwater and seeing all the coral and colorful fishes, hearing the whales singing, was something that I will certainly go back and experience again soon. A restful, soothing experience, but not what we were needing at the moment.

Undaunted, and still in search of surfing thrills, we went to a personal favorite of mine, Junkyard Blues, which now occupies a full island sim. Being a group “Dawg”, I was immediately able to use the public surfboards, and was having a great time, but Boog didn’t have a tag. Not a problem, we just flew over to the dance floor and jammed to fine blues, danced on top notch dance balls and talked until I saw one of the Junkyard Dawg hostesses, whom are on duty for the most part 24/7. I asked Shellie for a tag for Boog, and she graciously supplied him with one immediately. We spent the rest of the evening riding the waves of Junkyard Beach.

This was one of the best times I’ve had yet in SL. Boog and I are already shopping for our own surfboards. Who knows, maybe we will give up the luxury of Tales of Desire and go become full time Junkyard Blues Beach bums. After all the fun we had last night, it is a tempting proposition. Here are some shots of Boog and me having a blast surfing the waves.

Readers of this blog have been riding my ass over the last month or so at my lack of updates. The first question they always ask me, after the general how-do-you-do’s in IM is always, “How’s Boog?”.

Well, dear readers, Boog is fantastic. Believe it or not, he and I are still together and haven’t spent more than a day or so apart in the last two months, we see each other every day. In SL terms, I think it is some sort of a record.Sure, we have our moments, but we seem to be doing just fine. I don’t know where we are going, but we are enjoying the ride, exploring and learning this world together. More updates soon…

Some Words of Warning for New SLitizens..... OR..... Lola

It has been about six weeks since the last post to this blog. I had a major drama in my SLife, and I survived just fine, learned a lot. However, there was an action that I wanted to take, but my love for another made me reluctant to do it. As a result, I froze, unable to act at all. Finally, here is my action, my latest update on the adventures of Lorelei in the wonderland of Second Life.

I think in terms of Second Life age I am now fully a middle aged person, wizened and somewhat cynical from my experiences. What is striking to me, is the similarities to RL, but in slightly different manifestations. This world of SL is doing a lot of boundary crossing, on many different levels. It is making our world smaller allowing many who might never travel past their borders to meet and explore people on the other side of the globe. Most times, despite the differences in culture, language and economics, we find that we are all human, and when it comes down to the most basic natures and needs, very much the same.

While most people are good and kind, both in RL and in SL, there are also people who are dangerous and not what they appear to be. And even the good ones who would never intentionally cause pain to others, are weak, flawed humans. We all are. Sometimes even very kind people can hurt others very much.

One thing that bothers me about SL is the phenomena of men masquerading as women. This is rampant across SL. I worry about the psychological damage caused to young people who become emotionally attached to a person masquerading as a different gender than what they actually are. After emotional ties have been formed, THEN the truth is revealed. I know for a fact that this is happening over and over again in SL.

I personally am aware of a “woman”, initials V.C. who is, in fact, a man. This is just one example of the sort of devious and manipulative type that seem to have found a haven in SL. This person trolls sex holes looking for sexy but very young (in SL terms) people to prey on, and forms relationships with those people, lovingly creating a very manipulative environment. Only after the hooks are well set in the victim’s brain does the truth come out. This “woman” is actually a youngish Dutchman, so unsure of his sexuality that he can’t make his mind up between men and women, neither in the virtual world nor in the real one. But what he does do is manipulate and use people in SL, and I have seen it first hand. He may not know how to love, but he knows how to control, and that is where the thrill for him lies.

New people in SL need to be aware that there are predators trolling around, ready to insidiously worm their way into other peoples psyches, only to use and control them. There are many people in SL seeking the one thing that really gets them going, which is controlling others. The thing that puzzles me is why people willingly allow this to happen. Yet, I’ve seen how slow and subtle the process is, and most don’t realize what is going on until they are in too deep to see the situation objectively. So then, dear readers, guard your heart well on your journeys in Second Life. It may be a virtual world, but the emotional pain can be very real, and it cuts like a knife. More updates coming soon…