Celestiall Nightfire

Wow! I agree with Tamara... love the picture you put up. *smiles*

The Science Circle Presents: Science Friday: 11 AM - 1 PM SLT Host: Celestiall Nightfire SL - Ira Flatow RL Today at Science Friday: 1. Close-Up With a Comet 2. Is Healthy Soil the Low-Tech Solution to Climate Change? 3. Decoding Secret Communication Between Plants 4. App Chat: Being Social Without Leaving a Trace 5. Food Failures: Concocting Condiments 6. Sylvia Earle’s ‘Mission Blue’ 7. Bridging the Rift: Oculus' Answer to Virtual Reality http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Shamash/49/55/22 Fabulous Friday gathering to listen, discuss and enjoy science! Join us! *smiles*

Ren Toxx wrote: There's an Abuse Report category that deals with verbal abuse; use that, putting a sample of the abuse in the description. However, if it was just a one-time thing and you're not sure whether it's something Linden Lab would consider, then simply chalk it up to having met yet another jerk (that he might be somewhat popular is essentially irrelevant to LL, and anyway if he displays the same bad attitude to others, it will only be to his business' disadvantage) and move on. This ^^^ Exactly. There are people who will be big jerks. Some of those people also run businesses. Unless the verbal abuse is egregious, I doubt LL will be interested. Just like in RL if a store owner yells and curses at a customer, not much anyone can do about it, except never shop there again. (and tell others about the bad experience) There's no laws, or rules, that say people must behave in a civil and kind manner toward one another. But, it sure would be lovely if people did.

jacquezlaveau wrote: Is anyone else having this problem. No. But, I did get caged (repeatedly!) and taken to 2500 ft and dropped, when I was a newbie in a sandbox. Happened on day one and two in SL. (Grrrr.....would still like to get those punks! lol )

Hello, Conceded, and congrats on making money in SL! I had my first 'tax paying" job when I was 16 (had other jobs before that since age 11!) and it's normal. Also, if you're smart enough (and you are! : ) to figure out things in SL you can figure out the tax stuff. Here's a good description of the W9 form: https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Jobs-and-Career/What-is-the-Purpose-of-an-IRS-W-9-Form-/INF19259.html Here's the important part that applies to you: "If you have your own business or work as an independent contractor, a client may request that you provide a W-9 so they can accurately report the payments they make to you."

nahladahl wrote: How do I change my forum avatar picture to be a picture of my Second life avatar? <---------- I'm taking about that picture thing on the side right there. Hello Nahla, waaay back a forumite named Suella created a helpful thread to explain the process. Here it is: http://community.secondlife.com/t5/Your-Avatar/How-to-create-a-cool-forum-avatar-badge/td-p/707025 Have fun! *smiles*

AnneMarie Alcott wrote: followed by a lecture about it being a real museum. It's just someone roleplaying that they run a ST museum. (Real museum my ass. Good grief) They're taking the RP WAY too serious. Just look up other ST places to visit in SL, there are others, and most are welcoming.

Madelaine McMasters wrote: Celestiall Nightfire wrote: Do you find how a food looks affects how it tastes? I do. I also find that how a thing looks affects how it sounds... And with only two ears, we can locate sound sources in 3D space... And what we've already heard affects what we'll hear next... http://gizmodo.com/this-audio-illusion-will-make-you-never-trust-your-ears-1593113324# Ain't Nature grand? (Seeing/hearing may be believing, but it's not knowing). Maybe by the time the snow flies I'll have time to attend one of your Science soirées! ;-). Great links Maddy! *laughing* I also find smell and texture are an important part of what I like foodwise. A multi-sensory experience. Would love to see you anytime, and will for sure look for you when the snow flies. (Which up in your neck of the woods should be next week ; )

Persephone Emerald wrote: Dang! I missed this. Sounds like a good group. I've been looking for live readings & broadcasts in SL lately. Hi Persephone! The Science Circle hosts science radio, "listen & discuss" groups twice a week. On Friday: 11 AM SLT - 1 PM SLT (Science Friday from NPR Radio) On Sunday: 10 - 11 AM SLT (The Naked Scientists from BBC Radio) This link will take you to the Science Radio circle: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Shamash/49/55/22 This next link will take you to the main landing for The Science Circle, where you can learn about our different activities. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Shamash/134/126/22 We'd love to have you visit and join us!

Naked Scientists Radio Discussion! Today The Science Circle presents: The Naked Scientists (Radio BBC) Sunday 10 AM - 11 AM SLT The Naked Scientists have food on the brain this week, as today's show will be all about the science and psychology of eating. Do you have any strange food combinations you love? Do you find how a food looks affects how it tastes? Join us for an interesting hour! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Shamash/49/55/22 "For the Love of Science!” (*Note: Avatars need to be clothed, as the sim is Mature ; ) I host this hour of science, discussion, and fellowship. *smiles* Visit, and check out the sim too! There are wonderful nooks, crannies, a pub, and places to gather for talk and relaxation.

Freya Mokusei wrote: Oops, sorry Celestiall I hadn't seen your link to the same study. Keeping up with a thread at terminal velocity ain't so easy. Wasn't trying to steal any thunder. I've enjoyed your posts to this thread a lot! Can second your anecdotal experiences, as much as that helps. Yay! *smiles*

3- 5 PM SLT! ~ Swing ,Jazz, & Rockabilly ! ~ The Swamp Jazz Club! Music infused with snippets of history and cultural references. You will be treated to vintage classics and contemporary tunes, from an eclectic array of musical genres. Jazz, Jive, Blues, Swing, R and B, and Funk fusions will have you toe-tapping and tripping the light fantastic. Tonight's set will be two hours of amazing swing, jazz, and rockabilly. Dress is Elegant to Formal. I take requests and dedications. Join us! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Mystic%20Valley/36/84/32 This club is a beautiful, funky, jazzy build worth exploring, and home of the Pixel Fusion Band! : )

The Science Circle Presents: Science Friday: 11 AM - 1 PM SLT Host: Celestiall Nightfire SL - Ira Flatow RL 1. Listening In on Elephant ‘Mating Pandemonium' 2. Behind the Scenes at the City Morgue 3. Giving Viruses a License to Kill… Cancer 4. Can An Experimental Therapy be Used to Treat Ebola? 5. “Lucy” Debunked 6. Close Your Eyes and Listen to The Night Sky 7. Can Science Build a Better Piano 8. Algorithm Turns Everyday Objects Into Microphones http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Shamash/49/55/22 The fabulous weekly get-together, for listening, discussing, and enjoying our Science fix! Join us! *smiles*

KFC Yootz wrote: OK, an odd topic but I wonder, is SL capable of, you know...fast action at all? Example 1 - I decided to try and get into car racing as there are some great builds out there. Providing I avoid sim crossings I can go fast - in a straight line. But if I try and turn a corner at speed, I totally lose control of the car. Granted, I'm using arrow keys on a keyboard - but does everyone have this problem, or is it just me? Is there some knack to driving fast on SL? Similarly, on a motorbike, I cannot stay on the track at all if I try a corner. There are good vehicle scripts that allow you to control your vehicle better, so it could be you have a generic outdated script engine. The older outdated scripts made it nearly impossible to control the vehicles. I also use the arrow keys when driving my SL vehicles, and it takes practice. After some practice I've been able to do fast turns and high speeds with my SL motorcycle. (Also have driven motorcycles, cars, boats, planes, and spacecraft in SL. BTW, all the vehicle scripts are based upon the same script, with just different "flags" set in the script to indicate whether is goes on water, land or air. You can read more here if you're interested in the details: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Vehicle_Tutorial KFC Yootz wrote: Example 2 - I once attended a NFL match on SL. It seemed to be lagging so much I couldn't even see anybody moving on the field. How is this sport possible? I know there are leagues dedicated to it here...but it seems to me that the entire game is players moving only a few steps jerkily. Is it just my viewer, or have others encountered real problems when it comes to fast, video game style action? I know nothing about this activity in SL. But, all SL avatar movements are done by scripts and animations, so I imagine that they have scripted animations, and the players are using those to move around. A lot of script usage, plus avatars together, and you'll get lag. If the scripts and animations aren't smooth, or transition smoothly, it would look jerky yes.

Lewis Luminos wrote: Grendels Children has some good pets (although some of them are a little dated now, they've been around for years and years). They've recently updated the Drakelets; little baby dragons that sit on your shoulder and fly around you. Yes, and Grendels Children is an old and well known fabulous place in SL! Even if someone isn't interested in pets per se, they should visit this wonderful location. (I have several of the little dragons, and other creatures from Grendels : ) So many creative things at Grendels!

Perrie Juran wrote: Celestiall Nightfire wrote: kiramanell wrote: ThomasGalbreus wrote: Imagine a new user stumbles upon this thread (which is linked in blogs etc.). Not only see they porn in SL vigorously defended, but also those who have a problem with it repeatedly told to go and stay away. Will help the stigma a lot. In one of the many, many replies, someone mentioned BDSM folks were, overall, psychologically more healthy than 'normals.' I can see the validity of such a statement. Not about BDSM per se, but that ppl like you, obsessed with porn and sexuality in general, tend to be more mentally unstable than ppl with less obsessive attitudes about sex, and sometimes pose a danger even (like an activist killing ppl at an abortion clinic or something). I mean to say, I'd probably feel more unsafe around you, in SL, than with someone just wearing their silver collar, is all. Take from that what you want. Hello Kira, I had posted a link to some research done on mental health, and BDSM practitioners, on page 159 of this thread, here's a link to my comment: http://community.secondlife.com/t5/General-Discussion-Forum/Linden-Lab-is-building-a-NEW-virtual-world/m-p/2792194#M190552 (Later in this thread, Freya also posted that link, so yes....it's not news that BDSM people are better adjusted mental health-wise than their counter-parts in the general population. But, apparently news to Thomas) I'm not going to make a judgement one way or the other regarding the "mental health" of those who engage in the behaviour. My own experiences, which I will admit are very limited, with people who are involved is a mixed bag. However if you are basing your statement, "That BDSM people are better adjusted mental health-wise," on that article I willl quote from the article: "The study is somewhat limited by a self-selecting response pool and by the fact that BDSM practitioners could have been answering in ways to make themselves look better and avoid stigma, Wismeijer said — though the fact that the participants didn't know the reasons for the study ameliorates that concern somewhat." At best it could be said based on that Study that there is a possibility. That particular study seriously lacked any of the necessary controls for it to make valid conclusions regarding this topic. eta:clarity Perrie, I bolded a pertinent section above. Also, the study says: "They also sought participants who didn't do BDSM via a women's magazine website, a personal secret website and a university website." (Control group) "None of the participants knew what the surveys were about, other than they were on "human behavior." "We did not have any findings suggesting that people who practice BDSM have a damaged psychological profile or have some sort of psychopathology or personality disorder," he said." (He being researcher Andreas Wismeijer) ---------------------------- All voluntary social science studies have "self-selecting" groups, as it's not possible to do the study otherwise. I think the study shows more than a possibility of BDSM people being normal, and that further studies will show the same. In addition, I think that studies will also show that BDSM people have (on average) have higher IQs, are better educated, more apt to explore, adapt, and be creative. (Yes, I'm basing that on my own personal experience which is anecdotal, but I think the sampling of people I've encountered is a representation of the whole.)

kiramanell wrote: ThomasGalbreus wrote: Imagine a new user stumbles upon this thread (which is linked in blogs etc.). Not only see they porn in SL vigorously defended, but also those who have a problem with it repeatedly told to go and stay away. Will help the stigma a lot. In one of the many, many replies, someone mentioned BDSM folks were, overall, psychologically more healthy than 'normals.' I can see the validity of such a statement. Not about BDSM per se, but that ppl like you, obsessed with porn and sexuality in general, tend to be more mentally unstable than ppl with less obsessive attitudes about sex, and sometimes pose a danger even (like an activist killing ppl at an abortion clinic or something). I mean to say, I'd probably feel more unsafe around you, in SL, than with someone just wearing their silver collar, is all. Take from that what you want. Hello Kira, I had posted a link to some research done on mental health, and BDSM practitioners, on page 159 of this thread, here's a link to my comment: http://community.secondlife.com/t5/General-Discussion-Forum/Linden-Lab-is-building-a-NEW-virtual-world/m-p/2792194#M190552 (Later in this thread, Freya also posted that link, so yes....it's not news that BDSM people are better adjusted mental health-wise than their counter-parts in the general population. But, apparently news to Thomas)

Madelaine McMasters wrote: Celestiall Nightfire wrote: Monalisa Robbiani wrote: Really, that's whyFacebook,Google, Apple, Disney,flickr, Yahoo,Skype etc. are niche products whileSL has billions of users, private and corporate. Oh wait, it's the opposite. It's the adult content that cripplesSL to a niche for "socially inept weirdos" you better not talk about. None of those products are creative virtual worlds. Those other products aren't even comparable to each other, let alone to SL. Those are ridiculous ananolgies. I'm not a socially inept weirdo, nor are the people, with which I associate in SL. On the contrary, they're mostly highly social, educated, and cosmopolitan people in RL...and they happen to also be in SL. If you identity with the "socially inept weirdo" label, then that's your own personal problem. (perception) Wait! When did this happen? Can we still be friends?! Bahahawaha! (your post made me laugh out loud) Also, I include you in that people "with which I associate" group. Hahaha ; )

Thomas Galbreus wrote: And yes, I find having a woman walk around in a slave collar indicates a fragile male ego. If you think that is an insult, report it. First, no one is a slave, unless they're doing some "role-play". It's mutual and consensual. Hence no slavery. Second, most BDSM hasn't nothing to do with slavery, or slaves, and activity prohibits that very thing. The emphasis on mutually consensual actions for all parties is paramount. Moreso, than in most vanilla relationships. You're mistaken as to the "ego" aspect of the men involved. While it's true that some may have fragile egos, I'd wager that most have healthy, confident egos. Also, that the healthy confident male egos within the BDSM population is higher than the general population. (I'm using my own expereince with dominant males in the BDSM culture, which is anedotal, but it sure beats yours, which I wager is none ; )

Thomas Galbreus wrote: Celestiall Nightfire wrote: why are you making slurs (hornets) against those who disagree with you? "Stir up a hornets' nest" is a common saying in German ("in ein Wespennest stechen") for causing unexpected, often angry perturbance, not so in English? Yes, we use that phrase in English. But, you implied that the "hornets" were doing something wrong, when they responded, when it was you who poked them with insults early on in this thread. Thomas Galbreus wrote: I used freedom of speech by expressing my opinion on general behaviours and lifestyles - with Drake1 explicitly asking for it. If people get angry becasue they take part in what I criticize, I can't help it. No one is "explicitly asking for it" when it comes to posting insults to them. It's just wrong, so don't compromise your character. (Remember that? You were concerned about people's charcter.) I also call BS on your lack of responsibility for people getting angry, when it was in response to your baiting and insulting. Thomas Galbreus wrote: If someone insulted, it were those who called me "moron", "ass", "troll" etc. Yes, of course, and it was wrong for people to post those things to you. But, how does that have anything to do with your own behavior? Other people doing something wrong doesn't excuse you to do it also. Thomas Galbreus wrote: Yes, I tried an Open Sim grid. I have sympathy for Open Sim, and I might investigate further now with the new computer, but at the time it seemed not very lively there, and vehicle scripts were not working very well. I think I like vehicles. Good, there's a lot of fabulous builds out in Open Sim, and in the various grids out on the web. The lack of population, well there's many factors for that, and it's often discussed. I also like vehicles, and it's true they don't run as well in OS grids. But, many of the grids out there are improving, so keep exploring. (I belong to some science grids, and Sci-Fi roleplay grids, and some others in the larger hypergrid areas.. : )

Monalisa Robbiani wrote: I didn't, that's why I put quotes. It's what the media and the general population thinks aboutSL. I disagree. The media spits out sensationalism to get readers, viewers, or whatever they need. But, the general population is savvy enough to know that media distorts, and I really don't think I've seen any media about SL, that wouldn't have generated interest as opposed to non-interest. In other words, the media has helped SL grow, as opposed to not growing. I think it's a fallacy to asume that SL was going to be the next "big thing" on the web, and if things only were different, there'd be millions more residents here. I don't think it would have happened, as the nature of SL and this platfrom, will not appeal to the larger populance. Media be damned.

Monalisa Robbiani wrote: Really, that'swhyFacebook,Google, Apple, Disney,flickr, Yahoo,Skype etc. are niche productswhileSL has billions of users, private and corporate. Oh wait, it's the opposite. It's the adult content thatcripplesSL to a niche for "socially inept weirdos" you better not talk about. None of those products are creative virtual worlds. Those other products aren't even comparable to each other, let alone to SL. Those are ridiculous ananolgies. I'm not a socially inept weirdo, nor are the people, with which I associate in SL. On the contrary, they're mostly highly social, educated, and cosmopolitan people in RL...and they happen to also be in SL. If you identity with the "socially inept weirdo" label, then that's your own personal problem. (perception) (Edited to note: that Monalisa was making the point of "media", and not herself in her above post. I shall leave my original comment as worded, but wish to knowledge her point, which she cleared up in subsequent comments)

Thomas Galbreus wrote: Also quite funny: It seems the last one who talked about other aspects of the future virtual worlds than porn here was actually me in this post, but it got buried in the hornets' anger. This thread wasn't focusing on porn, until you did. Also, why are you making slurs (hornets) against those who disagree with you? Why aren't you the hornet? Also, if you don't like to see people getting angry, then perhaps you should stop insulting them. (like you did with Drake) As for what future virtual worlds could have, or what SL has now, I don't think you have a clue. Have you visited other virtual worlds? How about Open Sim grids or other grids? You state on your profile that you've rarely been inworld, as your computer wasn't able to handle SL. So, I don't think you have a good grasp of what is out there in SL, yet you think you're capable of making a decision, as to what the new SL should have. I don't think you are.

Monalisa Robbiani wrote: Despite all that, I am still in favor of creating 2 separate virtual worlds, one with and one without adult content. But not because of "anyone think about the children!11", but because I consider that a more viable marketing model. We'd end up with one busy world (the one with adult content) and one empty. Because, in the adult content world people would be able to do anything. Thus, they'd have freedom and their creativity would flourish. In the non-adult content world, people would be stifled, as everything they did would have to be within PG or PG-13 mode. No detailed skins, or anatomically correct avatars. No sex, period. No edgy art , music, or creative spaces. Middle-school World is what you'd have. Like the old Teen Grid, which the teens fled from in droves, to come to actual SL. With the non-adult SL, they'd flee like rats from the sinking ship. I'd be willing to wager money on which world would flourish and which one would sink.

Thomas Galbreus wrote: Celestiall Nightfire wrote: Madelaine McMasters wrote: 12.47% of their traffic takes place on adult sites Amazing that the small country of Germany has that high percent of world-wide porn consumption. Yet...they restrict it to minors...so surely all that porn is being looked at by adults. ; ) If I understand it correctly the statistics are about national traffic which says nothing about world-wide consumption It says, "The Worldwide average share of adult traffic is 7.65%," (some countries have a small percent and some higher) Germany comes in with , "12.47% of their traffic takes place on adult sites." That means that Germany has a higher percent of their traffic devoted to adult sites (porn) than average of all countries. So, perhaps you should be focusing your efforts on the people within your own country, and stop trying to regulate the morality of people in other countries. As for world-wide consumption, estimates range from 30% to 14% of all Internet searches. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/03/internet-porn-stats_n_3187682.html http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-23030090 That's a huge number considering how many people have Internet access. Perhaps you should create a time machine, so you can go backward in time. As the Interent is here to stay, and it's only going to get worse. ; )