Herald Manages Insomnia

I love chat history: I can go back and see what I missed, and every once in a while, copy a chat and preserve it because someone said a few things worth preserving.
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Arth Karas = open Chat
Valimar Sim East Plaza
2007-09-11 03:02:27

Edited 2007-11-17 for privacy.

You: Mr X, you asked for an insomnia cure?
You: Actully, I do have insomnia cures.
MR X: Chamomille
MR X: turkey and warm milk
You: 1) get comfortable
You: 2) shut off the lights
You: (actually #1 is a big step:
You: most people don't know when they are uncomfortable -
You: or don't know how to self-massage, say feet, shoulders and neck
You: so that those parts that carry so much stress relax.
You: so get comfortable, get dark. then
MR X: yes...my neck is killing me.
You: 3) let the body get, part by part, relaxed and heavy
You: neck?
You: MR X, here we go
MR X: taking a hot shower before will help too
You: take your hands off the keyboard.
You: place them on your own shoulders
You: squeeze
MR X: ok...yes
You: hard as you can
You: then relax
You: with very stiff fingers
You: press in again,
You: relax
MR X : I guess I was getting pretty worked up about my project.
You: then press in and slide fingers forward.
MR X: Its still very rough
You: across the tendons and muscles there.
You: I understand.
MR X: yes
You: Can you let it go?
You: the page?
MR X: yes... that's why I'm here
You: shoulders relaxing?
MR X: yes.
You: good.
You: neck next
You: this is a very specific rub
You: with middle three fingers
You: find the skull bone right behind your ears
You: press in and drag down several times
You: following the strong tendon there.
MR X: yes
You: down the same stroke, but vibrating hands to front and back.
You: slowly as you go down
You: zig-zag across the tendon.
MR X: yes...I've done this before but always on someone else :~)
You: good man!
You: you know how effective it is for headache!
MR X: yes
You: then, lightly all over head through hair
You: stroke or scratch,
You: whatever you like
You: scratch
You: all over the skull.
You: . . .
You: last phase
You: from those bones behind your ears
You: stroke down and back
You: to the top of the spine,
You: then slide forward across the shoulders.
You: several times
MR X: yes...I'm feeling much more relaxed now.
You: excellent.
You: so, ready to try sleeping?
MR X: yep...after a nice hot shower ;~)
MR X: thank you my friend
You: We have great wealth between us here.
MR X: I see so much needing to be done.
You: in know-how and warmth
You: and great friends.
You: of course the is a lot to be done.
You: but you get to decide when to handle it.
You: otherwise, it all sits on you
You: saying "do me now!"
MR X: yes...exactly.
You: and I go -"no"
You: "you I handle Tuesday at 7"
You: "and that one I handle Friday at 5"
MR X: I am learning comprimise :~)
You: "and these others are all for tomorrow at 10":
You: Very good management trick:
You: place your projects in time, so they have a place to exist separate from you.
MR X: yes... that's very wise.
You: I've been a manager for, Lord, 35 years now
You: I've learned a few things.
You: and you ARE doing great things.
MR X: well...I guess I 'm kind of hard on my self
You: Sometime soon, I show you arts of recruitment and delegation.
You: only way for a one-man-show to become a duet.
MR X: yes...I really would like that!
You: Phoenix Seelowe innately does this really well.
You: but, later.
You: Maybe even 9 pm meeting tonight.
MR X: ok...sounds great!
You: your shower and bed need you.
MR X: yes indeed!

I never did tell MR X the last steps:

4:
Close eyes and look at the inside of your eyelids:
Any distractions, simply place them in time.
Watch the faint dark colors
that swirl behind your eyelids, then

5:
Let morning arrive!
(I set my alarm clock to
tell me when it is morning -
I don't have to wake self to
guess or look)

Love, Arth

Herald in Valimar

I was delighted last week when the Sheridenne, the role-playing leader and coach at Builders of Valimar chose my write up of Aulë, my role in that Second Life group and sim, as an example of how to write up a character.

Due to privacy considerations of other players and workers there, that Google Group is going to be made private, most likely. But, I want to share this openly, to avoid a catch-22: Can't be in the group till you have a role, can't have a role till you are in the group.

Below my siganture, here is today's http://groups.google.com/group/builders-of-valmar/web/the-nine-questions

Sheridennes able blog is http://ladysheridannekelley.blogspot.com/, and you can e-mail her from there. She or I would be delighted to hear from you.

Love, Arth
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The Nine Questions

Here are Nine Questions. They are used to help us all get a better understanding of the characters. As a start, consider your own character and see how many of these you can answer.

Just make a copy of the table, paste it into Word and then add your answers. Once completed, please email it to me or Rajani through this site.

To stimulate your thinking, here are the Nine Questions completed for Aulë

Thank you, Sheri

Question	Answer
1. Name of person assigned to play the part.	Arth Karas
2. The formal name used regularly by the character.	Aulë ("Inventor" in Elvish) Curumo (the Smith), Aratar (Exalted) Lord of the Valar (Powers), of the race of the immortal Ainur (Holy Ones), offspring of the thought of Eru Illúvatar (The One Father of All)
3. Additional names and/or titles used for the character	Aĥûlêz(Ancient Valarin: Invention), Mâlon ni Noldor (Elf-Friend of the Noldor), Mahal Khazâd (Dwarvish: Dwarf-Maker), Patriarch of House Aulë in Valimar.
4. A one or two sentence description of their role	Older than time, the fifth most powerful being in all Eä (Creation), Lord over all substances of which Arda (Earth) is made. Gifted in & delighting in workers & works of skill & invention, arts & crafts, magic & science, stone & mineral. While Arda exists, Aulë will inhabit & sustain it with other Valar.
5. Their habitat – where they typically would choose to live, play, work	In the Timless Realm, Aulë dwelt with other Ainur & Eru Illúvatar, singing his part of The Song of Creation. He was near & saw clearly the first Vision of the World, of what was, is, & is to come. Aulë willingly left the Timleless Realm to aid in the building of Arda (Earth) in preparation of the Coming of the Children of Illúvatar (Elves and Men). In the First Ages, Aulë MADE & fashioned all lands & habitats of Arda, in fellowship with the host of Valar & Maiar & despite the meddling of Melkor. He is comfortable & is found ANYWHERE: day, night, air, mountains, underground, earth, water, ice or fire. In later ages, he is usually in & around his Forge in Valimar (City of Valar) in company of his family, peers, protégés, students & friends. His palatial home, crafted of webs of light, is very near the city. While easily found in their chosen domain, the remote & oft hidden continent of Aman (the Undying Lands), he & the other Valar might travel to Middle-Earth as invisible spirit or may take some other unassuming living form there. In the final ages, Aulë's role is undetermined.
6. Their relationships with others (spouse, children & how they get on with other races, individuals or groups of characters)	Aulë works & plays well with others: The other Valar assist, admire & rely on his work & willingness. Openly & genuinely friendly & admiring of creativity & skill wherever he finds it, & often found learning & teaching, Aulë has little love for incompetence, but will patiently assist the willing. He wearies of repairing the mischief of the hated Melkor (Mighty) & his misguided Balrogs (terrors), Orcs (monsters) and minions, who seek to mar & destroy, imprison & subjugate. He is not a willing battler, but the tools, builds, weapons & defences he makes are legendary. Particularly fond of the crafty Noldor Elves & Dwarves (his secret creation, ultimately approved & adopted by The One), & of his many proteges, vassals & aides among the Maiar (Makers) of the Ainur (Holy Ones), Aulë loves (even though he often neglects them for his work) his family: his Wife & Valier (Valar Queen) Yavanna (Giver of Fruits) Kementári (Earth Mother), their son Oromë, (Trumpeter), their daughter Nessa (Youth), & their houses.
7. Their key vision and values	"Of the fabric of Earth has Aulë thought, to whom Ilúvatar had given skill & knowledge scarce less than to Melkor; but the delight & pride of Aulë is in the deed of making & in the thing made, & neither in possession nor in his own mastery; wherefore he gives & hoards not, & is free from care, passing ever on to some new work." ~~ The Silmarillion, Ainulindalë, by JRR Tolkien
8. Their key motivators	Enabling of creation, creativity, craft, skill & education thereof, & sharing works of all types, whether of beauty, of utility, of protection or offence, or of any cleverness & cunning.
9. Their typical behaviours	Making stuff. Helping others make stuff. Fixing stuff. Help others fix stuff. Giving stuff. Helping others give stuff. Delighting in well-done stuff. He is carefree (rarely insisting on ceremony or protocol or formality), quick with words (he invented at leat two languages), a fast friend (even if he chooses his friends & protégés poorly), he seeks & gives good counsel & aid, especially in the arts & crafts, magics & sciences.
References	references: JRR Tolkien: The Aulindalë, The Valaquenta, The Silmarillion, The Book of Lost Tales. http://www.glyphweb.com/Arda/default.asp?url=http://www.glyphweb.com/Arda/a/aule.html http://home.netcom.com/~heensle/lang/elvish/elvish.html http://www.uib.no/People/hnohf/valarin.htm

Herald in Battle.

Yesterday, I learned I hate to attack another, even in play.

I made an appointment with an expeerienced battler to learn the basics of mock battle in Second Life. After some delay, we are gathered, and equipped. When our sensei, Sjeyanne, asks us to spar, I cannot speak. I dread to say "Rahan, engarde", nor, even worse, "Aria, I am ready to fight you." I am relieved when SJ offers to spar with me, but even her, a stranger who knows there is no anger, only the desire for a skill that she uses everyday, she says "ready", I am looking at her, and I want to throw down my weapon and leave - I have no wish to hit her. But I take up my sword and tell her "Ready", but in truth, mon ami, I am never ready.

My son is an expert battler on computer games. He loves them. I was never a challenge for him, even from age 10. He is a RL expert, regularly placing well in computer fighting tournaments. Here I face another true expert, and am cut to the ground in mere seconds. Then I am caged - of all things that I hate, I hate nothing more than cages. Not for me, not for any one. I apply the /1 reset remedy, and, oh no, my HUD settings are destroyed! This is true injury to me - I will need to take time fix this sometime.

But I continue with the horrible lesson. She compliments me on my weak hits, like a good teacher. I cannot even see her move, she is so fast: her experience is great, she handles her mouse and interface expertly, in battle after battle trying to teach me. I cannot see myself, I cannot see her, I press buttons randomly. Phuii. This is frustratng and terrible. I have no improvement,and no idea what to do.

I whine, like an ungrateful child. I tell her I cannot see, I cannot tell wheat is happening, "I hate this" to her. Rahan and Aria are in the distance, merrily bashing one another. SJ is understanding and helpful, even showing me new ways so I can see Arth and her. You see part of this instruction - you make the world dull and flat, with no sky - then, ironically, you are fast enough maybe to fight. I am still 3 times slower than her. I improve a little, still losing every spar and falling to my face in the hated cage. I sudeenly realize I must immediately go.

On my return, we are in another place, a new area with more people. I have one small success: with the new system, I learn an interface trick that even my sensei does not know in mere seconds.I pray, please God, I don't want to fight, but I am committed to learn, for so many I truly respect admire this part of SL. And my prayer is granted:

Idiot Anthony appears, gun in hand, firing, and my practice is disrupted.

You handled him expertly: communicative, with exact truth. Arian acts on instinct and shoots him, creating some escalation. Most others have no idea what to do. I quietly IM him to teach him to see truth for himself on who has harmed him. He says Arian hit him. I tell him I will talk to her. He leaves, apparently satisfied. I IM Arianwen that Anthony might file abuse on her, but I don't think he is smart enough.

Then, I don't recall whether this is before you leave or after - he comes back with another to shoot us all, completely disrupting our sparring again. I am SHOUTING at him in IM and threaten to BAN him from SL. But he hits Arian hard. He leaves and says he nor his friend will not return.

Anthony is a liar. Moments later, I am covered in a 10x10x10 box on the sparring floor. The boxes say he made them and owns them - I learn this by left click - edit. I look at my bumps and hits - it is empty: the boxes are not physical, merely annoying. I can file abuse for this by right click - more - more - report abuse, but I do not. I shouild have. My HUD tells me he is nearby, so I find him (using a programmed particle that, untill today, I only used to find my best friends) standing on a neaby hill, Once again, he lies and says it not his boxes. The boxes are gone now. I see his profile - he is player since October 06. "Anthony, you have been here too long to be such a n00b." He says he doesn't come in much. "Good thing", I say. He claims he is invisible and doesn't know what is happening - (is he lying? did someone "orbit" him?). I tell him to log off as his remedy.

One moment later, there is a huge ocean liner on the tournament floor. I have no doubt. Right click object, -more-more-report. Yes, it is Anthony. Send a photo. Copy paste chat to report window: multiple object grief. 10 seconds, report is done. Anthony will get a warning from SL. If he already has warning, he will get suspended or banned. SL is reliable in this.

His profile indicates I can eject him and the liner from the area. I do. The SIM reports I have no permissions, yet he and the liner and gone in seconds. A moment later, he is back with another large weapon. With no hesitation and with no feeling of anger or joy, I trap him and eject him again. He is not even pretending to be making errors now, simply taunting me. I am "grass" he says (I have no idea what this means) and he continures to call me grass. His profile now has one word in it, the very word I wear constantly: Ask.

An expert griefer is baiting me. Who knows why? A million reasons could exist, and there is not point in my guessing: he is the one who needs to find why to truly handle things. I simply need to be effective in removing this annyoance, like swatting a bug. Further eject will not deal with him. Reports will, surely, but most important, remove his target: me.

Of course Anthony returns. I freeze him again. I politely ask those remaing in the arena (none of them are the people I came with - they have all left already) to file Abuse reports on Anthony at the slightes provocation, and tell them how to do it: either from your menu > Help > bumps screen if you have been fired upon, or from object > right-click > more > more > report if there is a large object in the way. Anthony is chattering inanely in IM - I am grass, he could report me, but he is not grass. I tell him I have lost my patience with him, and that is very hard to do to me. "I am done with you, Anthony."

I leave the sim. I have left him behind me. I have also left behind an illusion, thank God: whether I am sucessful (as trapping and neutralizing Anthony after failed diplomacy) or unsuccessful (as using swords in SL) no battle is attractive to me.

I will still learn weapon battle, it is an important part of roles I must play. God help me.

Love, Arth.