The Hunger Games

I have read the books, watched the first movie -truly cannot wait to make time and watch the second one- and only until recently I was forced to question the fact of our attraction to the storyline and misadventures of poor Katniss, on a recent post at Upworthy -page and facebook group worth following-; is it the hot guys, the gratituos violence these kids have to endure for the "greater good" by their government to keep the peace or is it maybe the scary fact that the story is a factual reflection of our society and where it's headed?

When you really sit and think about it, the model of society depicted in the story already exists nowadays: a working class that barely gets by, while the money and power our governments claim to lack, while they raise our taxes and keep us entertained with either the shiniest gadgets or the media remains in the hands of a chosen few. We have come to accept this as normal while children worldwide die of hunger in third world countries or worse, work for the top brands to manufacture the clothes and products we are told to buy; we have grown indiferent to this reality, even coming to accept it as normal.

I am not suggesting a revolution and my words should not be taken as an encouragement to do so, but we surely need to stop pretending we cannot make a difference, or that it is simply beyond our power or reach; imagine if every single person in the world stopped for a second and decided to get involved in changing the quality of life of those less favored -the scary concept lies in the fact that possibly we may be inside the group and not even be aware of it-, or maybe actively volunteer with a support group that is trying to make a change, this being in  SL or RL.

The world we save and change will not only be enjoyed by us, but for generations to come we may never meet, because when you really think about it, some of the rights and benefits we enjoy today, were started and made a fact by those who never even met us -like the 40 hour week law we all take for granted-.

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Fabrice

There are many people in your life who come and go, some produce a lasting effect, others stay by your side a big long while and there a few who come and go, serving a purpose but causing a dent and impact so large and profound that makes them stay by your side forever, this was the case of Fabrice.

The truth seems to be forgotten or blurred when a person dies, suddenly there are no wrong doings in your past and you become an object of admiration and good memories, it is in fact one of the ways our brain has to cope with loss while keeping your memory alive, luckily this was not the case of our friend Fabrice.

A Friend to countless many and a mentor to a good few -myself included-, Fabrice made his mission in second life to make it a friendlier and better place for the gay community, specially so for the gay archipelago, one of his first and most -I dare say- beloved project; most of the freedoms and recognition that our community enjoys nowadays were the produce of Fabrice's hard work, who I had the privilege of considering a friend and a mentor.

A humble man, who engaged in projects and venues because he had a dream and a vision, giving gay SL as a whole and a community a voice, not wanting recognition of any kind other than seeing all of which he envisioned take shape and benefit countless many; taken away from us a little too soon without the privilege of proper closure, I count myself among the many who still mourn your loss.

I would not be half the man I am today if it hadn't been for your guidance, friendship and support. Merci pour votre amitié mon cher Fabrice, vous ne sera jamais oublié

Please take a moment today to remember the great Fabrice, on the anniversary of his passing in RL.

https://www.facebook.com/spikecls

Size matters

The following article may hurt some people's sensibilities, so if you are easily offended or impressed, I suggest you do not continue reading; with that said here are my two cents when it comes to the general idea of beauty and sizes when it comes to SL male avatars, specially on the gay scene.

Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder and this cannot be more accurate when it comes to avatars, I've lost count on the number of times I have gone shopping with someone for a quick makeover only to find them switching back to the most horrible combination of fashion and shapes and hair anyone could think of.

My oldest son insists that some people are just happy with the way they look and for them, THAT is the definition of pretty, but I am still in awe when I go to public beaches and find some just over compensating; big penises that you can literally drag on the floor and are juts too big, avatar shapes that just are too buff and simply look wrong, or worse, the new species I like to call the "pinheads", Lou Ferrigno type of mesh avatar shapes with a tiny "average sized avatar head.

I guess people in SL should be cut some slack, given that it is in fact a user created environment and this plainly decides how reality around you is shaped, created and led -this including your overall look-, but some things are just too big or too obvious to ignore or at least to not mention them in a blog post. Personally I do not need to over compensate, I am happy with what mother nature gave me and in SL, my avatar is a true reflection, not only of my facial features but on how I am sized "everywhere".

3 foot long penises are not hot, desirable and will NOT make anyone in their right mind jump at the chance of having a go at it -trust me on this-, having a penis going through your head or stomach while having sex is unrealistic at best, do yourself a favor and ask for help, keep proportions accurate for your avatar size and shape and be mindful of others when you do this, specially if you are planning on cruising; there are a lot of places you can go to if your funding is limited or you just have no idea what the "right look" is for you, so this is when looking for help comes in handy.

Size DOES matter, specially if you are just TOO big.

https://www.facebook.com/spikecls

T.O.S

Has it really been 3 months since I last posted? I guess when I do say I am taking a hiatus, I happen to be serious; a few things in life got complicated and that as always, demanded my attention first and foremost, hopefully I will be back -this time for good- to keep you all informed of my comings and goings in SL, or at least as seen from my perspective.

Of the many things that managed to catch my attention while I was away, the SL facebook community played an important role, largely due to the fact that it was the only mean to keep in touch with my loved ones while I dutifully stayed away from all distractions, so I could get my RL end sorted.

The avatar profiles and entire SL community presence in social platforms, was shunned and considered outcasts at first, -Facebook got smart- but it is safe to say that as things stand now we not only have found our niche and space outside SL, we are surely here to stay. It is not all rosy and blissful though, since SL is known -specially the gay community- for the heavy loaded drama, produced by those either scorned, seeking attention, bored, psychotic or -in worst cases- all of the above.

My interaction with Facebook is very straightforward, I see it and use it as a tool, not as an extension of SL, since it clearly isn't and that is where most people stumble and fall; Second Life and Facebook are two very separate companies, with very different Terms Of Service and regulations concerning their usage, all of them -yes even the small print- we all agree to abide by when we first sign in, and as long as you actively use their services and keep your accounts active you are still on a tacit agreement with them.

That is why I was more than surprised when a number of my facebook contacts -people I haven't even met in SL not even once by the way-, started a witch hunt looking for someone who apparently was going around reporting pictures -which either contained some form of nudity or adult content-, this of course got viral within a few days and people immersed themselves in something that I could only define as a "salem's paranoia", amusing to witness at first but after quickly losing its shine, it became annoying; so I proceeded to remove those I either didn't know, or hadn't spoken to in a big long while.

Since I do not generally get into the habit of writing about things I have no idea about, here is a quick link about Facebook's terms of service, so you can better inform yourself on how to use the service without becoming a target -pay special attention to number 3-

It is time to stop the whinning, the tantrums and the pouting around the corners as if we were 5 year olds because someone reported content we thought we would get away with; you don't like it? start your own page and post your adult content or whatever you so please there, THEN link it to facebook so people who so choose can access it, no one is above the terms of service, just because you are ignorant of them, does not excuse you from failing to follow them, these rules and regulations allow these companies to provide a service that is equal and fair to all users, and if you do not like it, take your business elsewhere.

I haven't had content reported in over 2 years -and I do try and push the limits on what is allowed, I admit it- and the reason behind it is because I do follow the rules that I agreed upon, but then again that's me. By the way the picture has NOTHING to do with the theme, is just me and my friend Cyrus partying; a touch of random for you.

https://www.facebook.com/spikecls