Astronomy Hangout

The recent emergence of video hangouts through tools like Google+ and Ustream have really bridged a gap in virtual communities. Streaming videos make communities more human and live. They are immediate, allowing you to attend without leaving your own home.

Video streaming has been going on for some time now. We’ve been able to watch and get addicted to seeing litters of puppies grow, having person to person conversations via web cams, see conference talks as they occur. But tools like Google+ Hangoug have come on the scene to provide togetherness for groups of people who would not meet otherwise, and to share experiences they couldn’t experience on their own.

Recently, I’ve been attending some of Phil Plaits, the Bad Astronomer, Astronomy Hangouts.  Attending Phil’s astronomy hangouts allows us  to see through telescopes that are otherwise inaccessible to us, and to hear astronomers talk about the wonders of astronomy firsthand. It’s fun to see the astronomers live, and to get firsthand, yet shared views, through various telescopes. During technical difficulties that arise inevitably, either from the telescopes or the web cams plugged into them, the astronomers show photos they’ve taken, and talk about star clusters, types of stars, the differences in telescopes for viewing planets versus deep sky objects, the challenges of finding certain sky objects, challenges in astrophotography, etc.

Virtually Drinking Skepically

Equally exciting, but very different, is the Virtually Drinking Skeptically hangout. This video chat based discussion group meets at least twice a month. If you’re skeptic-friendly and enjoy interesting discussion, geekery, and other silliness, then check them out. It’s always wonderful to meet up with like-minded people, and seeing them via webcam is almost like being there in person.

These types of groups are popping up all over the place, where groups of people can meet over common interests, and talk as though sitting in a room together.

In the past few months I’ve been helping to build a secular Buddhist community, which has been growing, and we are scheming to have live, video sangha meetings, where  Buddhists can share their practice, get tips from those with more experience, and converge in this thing we call life. Stay tuned!

One problem with Google+ Hangouts is that there doesn’t seem to be a good listing of them that makes it easy for us to find Hangouts by topic. You have to see someone’s post or invite about a hangout in Google+.  Though if you know of a listing, let me know.

Ustream is nice because there are channels you can look for and see when they’ll have live streaming, but these are not always interactive like the Hangouts.  Most are simply streaming an event. Some people are also using Adobe Connect for group gatherings, but of course being Adobe there is a service fee if you want more than a few people, and again not main listing.

But video hangouts are definitely bridging the gap for meeting virtually, and bringing immediacy to people who can’t otherwise meeting up in person.

Dana Oceanlane

While I’ve been blogging about Second Life (SL) for some time, I realized in talking to folks, particularly in Facebook that many people don’t know what it is or have misconceptions about SL. So, here is my view of SL, based, of course, on my own experience.

First, what SL is not. Second Life is not a game, though some people play games in it. For those of you who want a fast-action gaming environment, SL is probably not for you.

So, what the heck IS SL? It’s a free 3D social networking platform, with almost as many purposes and functions as you probably can imagine. SL is a virtual universe, with a vast variety of worlds that people have created called SIMS. Most just refer to them as land or worlds. What kind of worlds? I have found that SL very nearly mirrors the physical world and then some.

A big use of SL is in education, where teachers unite land classes with virtual classes. SL provides a platform for universities to extend themselves globally. During the typical school year, I attend Saturday astrophysics lectures (free) that are held by the Meta Institute for Computational Astrophysics (MICA) which is a professional scientific and educational, non-profit organization based in SL, but with an intent to expand its presence in other venues as the virtual worlds evolve. Additionally, there are many universities in SL, and you can visit their campuses. Science is hugely popular in SL!

Me as Arlyn Pleides

Second Life is also full of worlds where you can role play under certain themes, such as my favorite, Star Wars, or early Greeks, medieval settings, the ever popular vampire and goth places, etc. Roleplaying is sometimes what people bump into in SL, and they may erroneously get the idea that all of SL is like that. Not so, but if you are interested in roleplaying I wrote a blogs about it: What Role Are You Playing Today? and Bouncing Between Roles.

The biggest draw for me in SL has been social networking. In SL there are interest Groups you can join, and these groups often have scheduled discussions, events, and socials. In fact, that is what got me into SL in the first place. My introduction to SL was through Sun Microsystems where I as given the fun job of interacting with Java developers in SL. I lead chats and interviews with authors, did Q&As with developers, etc.

From there I branched out on my own to see if SL offered groups in one of my other big areas of interest Buddhism. Lo and behold, SL has a large, thriving Buddhist community. You can join groups in the many different Buddhist traditions, as well as the very new Secular Buddhism. Just do a Search in SL on your topic of interest to find Groups or Places.

Of course, like the physical, SL also has an active sexual community, something I have never been interested in. Linden Labs has done what they can to separate these groups from others by marking those worlds as Adult, and requiring that people be over 18 to enter them. If that is your thing, there is plenty available.

In the five years I’ve been an active SL citizen, I have rented houses and apartments, lived on rented land, owned my own land, and now I live in an active community called UUtopia, owned by the Universal Unitarians. They are a friendly bunch, and secular so there are Christians, Buddhists, Atheists, Pagans, and a variety of others living and socializing together.

Second Life is full of variety. There really is something for everyone. The trick is to search your interests right from the start so you are not just wondering around. IM me inworld, Dana Oceanlane. See you there!

My house on UUtopia

Twitter is likely one of the biggest, if not THE biggest, source of finding out what’s going on in the world directly from the people involved. I would not call Twitter a news source, but it’s definitely become the voice of the people in all walks of life.  It’s truly been a phenomenal tool.

Facebook (FB) has become a leader in allowing groups of common interest to form, including hate groups. That fine line between freedom of speech and dangerous hatred gets traveled a lot in FB. It’s been absolutely amazing for me to be able to connect with like minded people over various issues, and to provide support to those who can not have conversation of common ground for fear of verbal and physical attack.

Networks like LinkedIn also provide much professional support. For those of us who have lost jobs to reorgs, cutbacks, and other causes find ourselves among supportive and helpful people in our networks. The support one can get is truly heartwarming.

And most  businesses now have new thriving communities that they wouldn’t have had without social media. These communities are engaged in such a way that fosters an element of a friendly human touch that just didn’t exist a few years ago. For the community, they have the advantage of being able to communicate with each other about the usefulness, or lack thereof, concerning business products, platforms, etc, in addition to providing each other with product or platform support.

Of course, there is the downside to social global connections too. Tempers flare wildly at times, and people get offended. For many, the anonymity is the ideal cloak for their rudeness and belligerent behaviors. These people get to be known as trolls. They get kicked out forums, dropped from being Followed, and sometimes their pages or groups are shut down. It’s also easy sometimes to feel overwhelmed by the truly baffling viewpoints out there, some people’s ignorance glowing like shiny objects in a night sky. Sometimes the most vocal people are the very ones who should be silent.

But, what generally rises to the top is the heartwarming concern of others, the willingness to provide vocal support, the eagerness to educate and enlighten.  I met some of my closest friends via social and virtual networks, amazing people I would not have met otherwise.

I sometimes feel pessimistic about our society, especially here in the US, and with the state of our economy, political strife with the world, and global climate changes. But Facebook and Twitter often remind me of how many intelligent, caring people are out there, how many are activity working towards a better world for all of us.

These are amazing times for social media, and because of that, amazing times for the world at large.

Like Minded Facebook Community

The Like button has become hugely popular, so whenever someone agrees with a comment they can click Like. But there is more going on than people simply liking what others are saying. Facebook is a meeting of like minds on many levels, within many different areas of interest, and people provide tremendous emotional support for expressing their like-mindedness.

Communities around specific interests or concerns emerge over time. For instance, many have ecological concerns, and express their opinions about what’s happening with the environment, wildlife, and human interaction with the planet. As people share comments in their status, others share links to articles or videos. Meanwhile, more discussion ensues around these interactions, eventually creating a topical community.

But one thing that’s been missing from Facebook communities is the Dislike button. We don’t always agree with each other, and sometimes we want to show that we agree with the dislike of certain content. Additionally, as opinions are frequently expressed and content provided to bolster those attitudes, others are sometimes offended, disagree, or get downright angry.

Some controversial discussions are ongoing, heated, but entirely useful. After all, expressing opinions can raise awareness about many facets of life. While most conversations take place between “friends”, others are able to chime in if they are friends of friends, who may be in complete disagreement with you.

Yet, areas of controversy are often places where people need emotional and mental support. The religion/non-religion debate is one of them. I’m often asked by my Christian friends why I post so much atheist status snippets, articles, and videos. Am I trying to convert them? Am I trying to convince them of dropping their beliefs? No.

The many posts I put out there on the issues around religion are intended to support the growing community of atheists, and to raise awareness about religion in general. There are many people out there who can’t openly express their disbelief in a god(s) because they could be thrown out of their family or circle of friends. Facebook is one of the few places where they can read the thoughts of like-minded people, and get responses for their own concerns without hitting the ridicule of family. In addition, there are doubters out there who just need to know that others have traveled that same path, and that it’s ok.

Many comments to status posts fall in with “I couldn’t agree more!” or “You took the words right out of my mouth.”

Let’s face it. We live in a frustrating world, and it’s nice to know when others see the issues the same way we do. It’s great to meet with like minds, even if there is discord and arguments from time to time.

Facebook, I think, is one of the most vocal communities out there. Of course, there are many lurkers who just read what others are saying, who don’t quite get what all the fuss is about, and that’s fine. There are plenty who are ready and willing to read what you say, and agree wholeheartedly, or point out where your thinking might have gone astray.

The Facebook communities are endlessly fascinating, both in how they are similar to physical life and how they differ. Log on and say hello!

Married couple playing checkers

This weekend I had the pleasure of meeting two friends in person who I’ve known for a few years in Second Life. We met in the Skeptical Buddhist Sangha, and they have been really supportive in the new island  I’ve been creating, Secular Community.

To my delight, they were exactly what I expected, the people I had come to know, trust, and enjoy, and  interestingly they even look just like their avatars.

I have met many people over the years, where our relationship began online then transferred to in the physical, and some of these have been the most sincere, enjoyable friends I’ve made.

It’s interesting because I talk to a lot of people who feel that the online presence is deceptive, untrustworthy, and that everyone is really a 600 pound man behind his computer persona. Not true. That’s not to say there aren’t some, but it has not been my experience at all. In fact, I find the communities and the individuals I meet online to be very sincere, honest, and friendly.

Of course, that may have a lot to do with the types of places and the people I attract online. In Second Life, I tend to hang out in Buddhist communities, and the island I have created for secular people. People come with a sincere interest in learning core Buddhism, and people come to the Secular Community with a real need of support for their lack of beliefs, with fear of their physical communities, and with confusion over family who still have a multitude of beliefs that foster anger and prejudice.

Additionally, I have found support in online groups, such as the Divorced Women group, and a support group I created for people with heel injuries. I have found there to be a lot of sincerity in people, and real friendships blossoms out of common interests and need for support. Many of these interactions can translate well back into the physical world.

This is not to say you can trust everyone online or that all people in these types of groups are going to be sincere. There are many who hide behind anonymity, and use it to behave badly. And some go online with the intention of playing out a persona. But when friendships form over the course of time, it’s generally based on mutual sincerity and common interests, just like in the physical world.

Online communities have really allowed us to broaden the possibilities for friendship as now we can connect globally as well as locally. The Internet allows us to share common interests and concerns, provide support as well as friendship, and has increased human communication in many ways. In addition, friends and family find it fun to meet in virtual communities and mingle with other, like the couple in the pix above. They are married in the physical and in SL.

It’s wonderful to meet friends in the physical after sharing an virtual community with them, people who I likely would never had met had it not been for places like Second Life.

Cruel Pig Pen

Food animals are on my mind a lot lately. I have viewed some intensely disturbing video of how farm animals are treated, from pigs that are kept in such tight areas they can not even roll over and never walk a single day in their life, to cows that are brutally beaten, have broken bones and backs, and are made to suffer cruel, agonizing deaths.

The attitude that it doesn’t matter because they are going to die anyway is deeply disturbing. Many people ignorantly think that animals don’t feel pain, fear, or trauma. The attitude that humans are superior to other animals, and that we have the right do do with them as we please is also incorrect and very destructive and disturbing.

In our modern day society of grocery stores and easy access to food in the US, a wonderful convenience, has also been a detriment to our animal sensitivity. Our growing population and food needs worsens the situation. We are so far removed from the source of our bacon and steaks, that we hardly even consider them animal products. Steak and hamburger are not cow in people’s minds, but simply delicious dinners.

I am advocating that we get a grip on our diets, our meat consumption, and most of all our long lost empathy for animals. We need to get back to understanding what is involved in farming animals humanely, but also cutting back as much meat in our diets as we can. A benefit in our evolution is that we can live on vegetarian diets. We don’t have to have meat.

Realistically speaking though, the world isn’t going to go vegetarian. So we must rally our efforts into protecting farm animals from cruel living conditions, chemicals, and humane methods of dying in the end. The first step is increasing awareness to animal cruelty that is happening in the farming industry. Secondly, we need to support local farmers who treat their farm animals humanely, even if it means paying more. Lastly, we have to push for regulation, farming animal standards, and enforcement.

Please educate yourself into this problem. This blog follows with a list of links and book titles that can get you started. Then educate family, friends, and others you come in contact with in person and through the internet. Share the information, cut back on your own meat intake, and encourage others to follow suit.

Please, please Pass the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act,  and share this link on your Facebook and Twitter pages.

I led a discussion in Second Life earlier today in the Secular Community, and in addition to some sources I had, others provided some very good ones. Here is the list we came up with:

• Animal Welfare Approved
• Peta:   Please also join their Facebook page
• Animal Rights and Protection Agencies that are organized by state.  Please go through these lists and check out the ones that you can.
• ASPCA
• Farm Animals Protection Project
• Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production
• Standards Booklet (PDF)
• Protecting Animals
• Certified Humane
• Local Harvest
• The Human Society, Farm Animals
• Animal Voice

Books recommended in the talk today. Some of these are available for Kindle as well, so you can spare trees:-)

• Animal Liberation by Peter Singer
• In Defense of Animals: The Second Wave by Peter Singer
• The Compassionate Carnivore: Or, How to Keep Animals Happy, Save Old Macdonald’s Farm, Reduce Your Hoofprint, and Still Eat Meat by Catherine Friend
• The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan

Video

• Earthlings, Part 1
• Food, Inc. Trailer
• Farm Animal Abuse
• The Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty

Please sure this blog and all of it’s sources to help raise awareness about this insipid problem that is getting worse as all the time.

Care2.org Act on Banning Drilling

While I was busy raising a family, then starting a career, the world turned and churned even though I wasn’t paying attention.  I filtered information that came to me so it only concerned science and technology. Now, that my kids are grown, my career is doing well, and I have the energy, I decided to poke my head out in the world to see what was going on. UGH! Mayhem, freedoms being violated, ignorance running rampant, and the loonies seem to be taking over.

There are issues I can’t and won’t ignore any longer. I became concerned mostly about two big areas: Violations of Separation of Church and State, and Environmental issues.

My initial reactions to how bad these situations are was like most other people who feel equally angry, frustrated, and appalled. I ranted, complained, and spewed ideas. By nature though, I am a doer, and all this whining, though justified, only increased my feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. I decided to act!

Fortunately, I’m getting politically active at a great technology period in history. The Internet makes getting details about problems and issues easy, and it is the ideal medium to act and get involved in initiating change. While people still hold signs of protest aloft the old fashion way, many more are rallying people of like minds en masse virtually. Social networks and sites provide tools to email protests and support for bills and causes as easy as clicking a button.

Sites like Care2.org, Defenders of Wildlife,  Secular Coalition of America, VoteHemp.org and The Environmental Defense Fund not only provide online petitions, but they also provide a thought out email you can send your state Representative, Congress persons, Senators, and even the President to either protest or support a bill or issue.

From Facebook Page

Sharing links to these sites in Facebook allows you to spread a cause virally, reaching thousands, and even millions of people.

For instance, I was livid when I heard that Discovery Networks was giving Sarah Palin a show on Alaska. I was not alone. Defenders of Wildlife created a petition I could sign in protest, as well as a letter to the network executives I sent through a button click.

From there, I shared that link on my Facebook page with over 200+ friends, and I posted it to twelve other pages with thousands fans who would likely want to add their signatures in protest.  I specifically targeted Facebook pages that protested Sarah Palin, and pages about wildlife conservation and wolves specifically. In this way, Defenders has collected nearly a million signatures. Whether or not Discovery cares about all these unhappy viewers remains to be seen.

Interactive Web Board

Petitions and letters to government officials are great for getting your opinions out there, but we also must go that extra step at times. For combating the issue of violations of church and state, I felt I had to do more. Lo and behold, I discovered a site via a Facebook post about the Secular Coalition of America, a 501(c)4 advocacy organization whose purpose is to amplify the diverse and growing voice of the nontheistic community in the United States.

I went to their site to learn more about the current issues, the laws and wording in the US constitution regarding these problems, and I signed up for Action Alerts. Additionally, I discovered the Executive Director Sean Faircloth was speaking in my area about grassroots and starting SCA branches in each state. Now, I have an organization to speak my concerns and lobby on my behalf.

I signed up to donate monthly, and spread the word virally through social networks like Facebook and Twitter, plus Second Life(SL). I own the Secular Community in SL, and have created an interactive board with the SCA website on it. Additionally, I am informing SL citizens about this organization, sharing the problems of violations of church and state, and hope to grow awareness in a huge way.

Signing petitions, sending emails to the right government officials, donating money to causes, and spreading the word via social networks and web sites alleviates helplessness and hopeless while initiating much needed change. If we don’t find the right outlets for our voice, our opinions won’t be heard. Virtual political activism makes it easy for people to come together in a causes and support or protest. Your voice and your money does go a long way in making change happen.

Religion has been growing in frightening, threatening, and in fanatical ways.  Religion is infecting our schools, taking over cities and governments, and breaking our constitutional rights. Children are murdered because “God asked me to prove my faith by offering what I love most,” and behind the most vile terrorist attacks are religious fanatics. Non-believers are discriminated against in once friendly organizations like Boy Scouts of America, atheist school children are bullied, and Jewish children have been hit over the head with Gideon’s bibles.

Now, more than ever, non-believers feel the need to unite in communities. Many live in towns that are overrun by fanatical Christians, and they have no friends who understand their world view. They feel isolated, overwhelmed, and frightened by the religious dogma pushed at them. Fortunately, they are not alone.

Virtual havens for non-believers are appearing in places like Facebook and Second Life. Additionally, those of us living in more progressive areas also feel the need to unite non-believers into communities. Standing for nothing is being replaced by standing for freedom, freedom of religion and freedom from religion.

Non-believer communities are growing each day on Facebook through pages, such as Happy Atheist, Atheist Alliance, Atheist Revolution, Positive Atheism, Card-Carrying Atheists, Religion – The number one obstacle to world peace, we CAN find 10 million Atheists on facebook, Atheist, The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, The Secular Buddhist, and many more. On these pages, non-believers share their frustrations and fears over government officials engaging in prayer, and breaking constitutional rights with events like National Prayer day. Non-believers share history and facts about the falsity of religious texts and mythical characters.

Through mediums like YouTube, many people are expressing anger and outrage in the Creationism versus Evolution debate, while many non-believers patiently address the many misconceptions and incorrect science of believers.  Thinking advocates like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitches are influential icons, leading the way for speaking out.

While many non-believers come out the closet, many fear openly admitting their lack of belief in a mythical God. Instead, they flock to virtual havens like Facebook, and the free 3D worlds of Second Life. By simply registering for a free account and choosing an avatar, non-believers have all the anonymity they want and need.

In Second Life, there are many groups non-believers can join, such as Atheist Center, Dawkins Atheist, Secular Buddhist Land, SL Humanism, Atheists United, Atheists/Freethinkers/Secularists, and Agnostics of SL. Some of these groups have a home base in SL, while others meet at various places. By joining these groups, members receive notices of events, discussions, etc.

This year I created a SIM (an island in SL) called Secular Community for non-believers and free thinkers. Originally, the title had been Secular Buddhist Community, as I saw a real need for a place where modern day Buddhists could share common interests and concerns for problems of ecology and wildlife, and who wanted core Buddhist teachings without the superstitious beliefs of some of the other Buddhist traditions.

However, Secular Buddhists are also atheists, agnostics, or Humanists, so I decided to open the community to include all non-believers. As more people have arrived, I discovered they came from all over the globe, with much relief and happiness to find a place they can discuss their concerns and share their fears and frustrations.

Virtual conversations happen now between non-believers and the religious through places like those mentioned above, and through Twitter. These discussions are not always friendly. Sometimes it’s a battle of closed-minded wills. Yet, for those who are on the fence, for those who have doubts, for those who are simply unaware, these discussions can prove fruitful and freeing, sometimes downright liberating.

Religions need to be exposed for the dangers they pose, for the scams they are, and for the false hopes and real fears they create. While we raise awareness in the world, we provide much needed support for each other. Additionally, we now stand for freedom and the preservation of separation of church and state.

It’s easy to fall into cynicism when discovering how badly religion is influencing our government, dragging down our society, and corrupting morals left and right. But recently, I had the opportunity to listen to and talk with Sean Faircloth, Executive Director of the Secular Coalition of America in a meeting for learning about this organization and starting a grassroots branch for California. I felt inspired with renewed hope.

In addition to pointing out the many problems with religion in our government currently, Sean also pointed out the power of groups, and the determination of the Secular Coalition of America. It became clear to me that non-believers have to unite and work on this problem together. While we are a minority, we are a growing, large group, and we need to be more vocal and united in our efforts.

As these virtual havens have evolved on the Internet, many of us encourage non-believers to come out of the closet, while educating believers into seeing past the myths and stories. Additionally, there are many religious groups, such as Jewish people, Hindus, and Pagans who also feel Christianity violating their rights as individuals and groups.

While we were nearly invisible in the past, non-believers are becoming visible now in both virtual and physical communities. I want to stress to all of them that we need to unite and fight this problem of religion invading our government peacefully and with intelligence. We have the US Constitution to back us up, as well as organizations like the Secular Coalition of America, American Atheists, American Humanist Association, Atheist Alliance International, Secular Student Alliance, and others.

One of the things Sean stressed was the need for peaceful, level-headed discourse. While it may be tempting to tell people their beliefs are lame, organizations must focus on the legal aspects, and keep the argument on what rights are being violated. Aside from organizations, we can do a lot in setting an example of intelligent arguments, exposing religions through facts and documented anecdotes, a refrain from being insulting or falling into defensiveness.

In spite of the many problems of the world, we are fortunate to come together in these virtual havens to support and help each other, to increase awareness concerning the problems with belief, faith, and religion, and to unite and multiply efforts to donate money to our lobbyists and causes, to voice our concerns, and to alert the public to violations of the separation of church and state.

Together we can take a stand for our freedoms.

Dana Noure, in Second Life Dana Oceanlane

Redwood Forest

I have been in Second Life for 3 years. I started there as a part of my job, leading talks for Java developers. But it didn’t take long before I developed a personal interest in that multiverse, started exploring the many places there, and the variety of communities. Pretty much, any interest you have will be of interest to others, and very likely there is at the least a group devoted to it, and at the most an entire SIM or several.

Joining groups is a good way to get invites to events for your various interests. I had joined several for my interest in Buddhism. And interestingly, I found that the Buddhist world in Second Life closely mirrored the one outside, in the physical world.

All the Buddhist places I visited were made to look Asian, with big statues of Buddhas everywhere, prayer flags, mediation cushions, and sand gardens. That’s all fine and lovely. Really pretty stuff. But my trip through Buddhism had taken a slightly different route personally.

Though I started in Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism like so many others, I decided I didn’t agree with the teachings, and I moved onto Zen. While that was a slightly better fit, I still found it too laden with ritual, especially Asian rituals, and not on the practical level I thought the Buddha’s teachings to be.

Later, I discovered Theravada Buddhism, but again it is steeped in Asian ritual and some superstitions I don’t agree with. What I wanted was to practice the valuable Buddhist tools and path, without cultural infiltrations, metaphysical beliefs and superstitions, and the praying and chanting.

Watermill/Waterfall Area

Second Life, I discovered, had a group called the Skeptical Buddhist Sangha. The title enticed me, and when I went to their discussions I found myself right at home, talking about teachings, but in a skeptical manner, not just accepting everything as is. This, to my mind, was much closer to what the Buddha taught, and is more in alignment with modern day people.

The Skeptical Buddhist Sangha’s discussions are great, and there was a small piece of land to go with it. But when I bought a SIM, I thought it would be neat to create an entire community, with an environment that reflected the needs of modern day Secular Buddhists, who don’t follow a specific tradition, and embraced the concerns of today, such as our ecology.

So, I created the Secular Community island to augment the Skeptical Buddhist Sangha. There we have regular meditations with both chairs and cushions. You won’t find statues of Buddha all over the place, as we want to discourage the practice of praying to the Buddha, and making him some kind of god. In addition, there are home rentals, where we ask folks to hold the 5 precepts.

Mindful Gardening Area

In addition, we also have a wonderful Redwood Forest, a fun drum and dance circle, a mindful gardening area, yoga and tai chi for mindful movement, a Scientific Research area, and several areas that are just beautiful to sit in and watch wildlife. And, of course, there is a group you can join, Secular Buddhist Land.

We have wind turbines and solar panels to energize the place, are growing hemp fields for cloth, paper products, plywood and biodegrable plastic, and provide transportation via free horses, bikes, canoes, and rowboats.

We hope to grow this community of Secular/Skeptical Buddhist, who want to study and practice the teachings, and enjoy socializing and living on the island. It’s been fun and creative to try to put together the kind of environment we feel reflects who we are in this modern day world.

Secular Community Island

Events Calendar

Skeptical Buddhist Sangha

Facebook Page

Transformed to Winter

Change is easy in Second Life. I just transformed my SIM from a lovely, sunny tropical paradise into a winter wonderland. All it took was swapping out a few textures, and the entire landscape morphed from the sandy beaches to fluffy white snow. With the installation of a few weather generators, I can create rain, snow, and even lightning. Virtual change is fun and easy. In-person, change is also on the horizon in all kinds of ways, but for many people it’s not so easy.

No matter how one feels about President Obama’s stance on various issues, it’s become clear he is an initiator of change. I must admit, I am impressed with the way he and his staff have embraced virtual technologies to make it easy for people to help in his campaigns. Additionally, while his messaging is going out to the public on all typical streams, they’re also going out on all the social networks. At the bottom right navigation on his web site is Obama Everywhere, which lists 16 virtual tools you can use to follow him. Never in the past have we had a president who is so accessible, who answers emails.

It’s refreshing to see a president embrace technology so thoroughly and take advantage of its strengths. You don’t need to suffer through the news to get to hear Obama speak on an issue. His site has many of his recent talks, and you can search him on YouTube.

“Reform” is top priority for President Obama, and he makes this clear on his site and in his messaging.

I like change. Real improvement and growth can only come from change. We’ve watched over the last few decades as the Internet went from a cryptic, confusing place, to a virtual environment with many types of social networking tools. This all came through change.

Virtual mediums have not only made it easier for the president to address so many, but it’s made it easier for us to get our opinions and concerns out there, to commiserate with others, and to get clarification on issues.

If you want to get involved politically, it’s never been easier. President Obama’s site makes it easy for you to find out how you can help with various programs in your area, how you can find out about other volunteers in your area, and a letter you can sign to get Congress to support this plan health reform.

Really, if you think about it, there is nothing in the universe that does not change. To cling to old ideas, beliefs, and hanging onto tired out systems because they are familiar or because of fear of the unknown, just creates more unhappiness and stress.

President Obama’s site is called Organizing for America. The first paragraph reads:

“Organizing for America, the successor organization to Obama for America, is building on the movement that elected President Obama by empowering communities across the country to bring about our agenda of change.”

Agenda of change . . . I like that, both virtually and in-person.