Of course, I can’t drill down the figures any further to ascertain whether those visiting from Syria are searching for naturism in general, or SL naturism, or simply Second Life in general.
Whatever it is, it’s heartening to know that for all of the issues facing Syria right now, there are those for whom the matters of naturism, or Second Life, or both, are an issue. Within naturism, we’re all one big global family of humanity. The same values exist within Second Life. Stay well and stay safe, my friend/friends, whoever you are, and I wish you peace and good health.
Ella
edited to add: there’s a total of 127 views from Syria in the entire time that SLN has been published, with 1/3rd of those views today. As I checked the figures further, it was a delight to see both Palestinian Territories and Israel sit cheek by jowl on the viewing stats as well! 🙂 When rid of the politics, we’re just people with the same hopes, fears, wishes and aspirations. That’s naturism for you, that’s Second Life for you!
For some women, it’s shoes. For others, it’s jewellery. For a third group of women ‘accessories’ mean bags. I fall firmly into the bag category and can never pass a great looking bag without purchasing. Sweet Outfits Creations have a free grip bag gift out now.
I do like to treat myself on holiday, and bags are something that will regularly be on display at local craft shops. Why I like these shops is that the artefacts on sale are often handmade, so it’s unique, and it’s a case of servicing the local economy. I always support such shops, hoping that they will survive and thrive and produce quality stuff that means that I’m not paying ‘big business’ and my conscience is also clear in terms of me not having supported some sweat shops around the world where ‘designer’ label items are produced in horrendous conditions for just a few cents/dollars and then passed on with a huge mark-up.
I do also tend to find that I often end up buying a bag with which to bring home the trinkets I’ve bought while away. In this respect, cheap and cheerful fits the bill.
If you’re like me, you’ll fly on budget airlines, where there’s a strict baggage allowance. We’ve all experienced people really pushing the envelope with their luggage, attempting to squeeze silly bags into the overhead lockers. I look at these people disdainfully, I’m afraid. If it was going to be that problematic, why didn’t you check it into the hold?
There I am, with little more than my passport, boarding pass and Kindle in the smallest handbag you’ve ever seen.
Of course the flight home is a different story! 🙂 I have become one of those sweating, panting travellers shoving a stuffed to capacity bag into a locker half a dozen rows away from where I’m sat, hoping that beautifully packaged gifts make it home in one piece.
While not ‘naturist’ in any respect, for me this grip bag is synonymous with the flight home from many trips abroad.
There’s just a couple more days of ‘free group join’ at La Vian & Co, which Barbara blogged here, and as you can see I’ve headed over there myself to pick up not all, but a selection, of what’s on display, including this dress. As Mr. Pookes & I often holiday late-season, it’s not uncommon for us to arrive back at one of London’s airports inappropriately dressed for what is often early autumn, deftly stepping over puddles, shivering in the drizzle, as we try to remember where we parked the car on arrival at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted or Luton. I do recall one near-midnight return where we both went up and down rows of cars for twenty minutes, pressing the key fob until the lights flashed. Welcome home to reality!
Why a referendum, when it should be a matter for government? Due to the way in which Ireland’s constitution works, it is necessary to hold a referendum to get the consent of Ireland’s people prior to altering said constitution. Previous referenda have been held in Ireland to permit divorce, and to consent to the Lisbon Treaty regarding Ireland’s membership of the European Union. Famously, Ireland’s voters rejected the Treaty of Lisbon at the first time of asking, thereby stalling reform right across Europe. Not that I thought that was a bad thing. As a eurosceptic, I don’t want ‘closer union’ in a continent wide sense. Let’s be friendly, certainly, but one currency, the euro, doesn’t strike me as a fabulous idea, and I rather like each country having its own currency and unique laws as opposed to a one-size-fits-all approach.
Of course, the European Union went back and asked Ireland a second time, and got the Treaty of Lisbon passed at the second time of asking, since when -surprise surprise!- there hasn’t been a third referendum to ask the Irish if they still think it’s a good idea, if they still agree to it or disagree to it. And this, in part, is why I don’t like the EU, steamrollering across sovereign states until, like a child in a tantrum, get their way.
Incidentally, before I go on, The European Court of Justice case 274/99 ruled it was illegal to criticize the, corrupt, criminal, fascist EU. 😉 So you know where to find me, boys, if you want to pursue me for hate crimes against your corrupt, unaccountable institution.
Let’s get back to Ireland.
Friday’s referendum now pits the Catholic Church, still an institution of great power and influence in Catholic, conservative Ireland, who argue that equal rights for same-sex couples should be rejected, against the country’s government, with all of Ireland’s major political parties saying that it’s a civil matter.
This blog has always taken a fairly soft-feminist line, urging society to adopt a more equal view in every respect. Although our tone has often been from a female perspective, we would extend that to all forms of inequality. Same sex couples should be afforded the same rights as the historical view of a couple being a male and a female.
We’re against a gender pay gap. We’re against a gender-based ‘glass ceiling’ in respect of jobs open to women. We believe that #blacklivesmatter. We believe in same-sex couples being allowed to marry. Hopefully, when the votes are counted, Ireland will follow Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark,France, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,New Zealand,Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdomand Uruguay in permitting people who are in love to get married.
It seems as though virtual worlds, the Nintendo experience notwithstanding, are able to separate away from what can still be a church influenced RL society with great ease. It seems that we, as players, are much more open to being ahead of the curve in how society thinks now as opposed to how a small number of men, influencing their flocks, think from a 2000 year old perspective.
Let’s hope that Ireland chooses to vote for equal rights on Friday.
ترحيب، أصدقائي السوري
the sl naturist 