L'Amour Diversity Magazine Issue 25 August 2019

ISSUE 25, AUGUST 2019

Celebrating uniqueness not trends!

The Models of L’Amour Diversity Present

ARTIZANA

Publisher’s Note

Summer is officially upon the US. I am a California girl, so summers for us are really all year around. I love opening my doors early in the morning and smelling all the gardenias, and listening to the birds. But one morning, at around 8:15, I felt the familiar eerie silence and sure enough a few minutes later the rolling and rolling of an earthquake hit.

quake, I called my dog Tobbie and went in the door frame. About 5 to 10 seconds later we went outside. And still the eerie silence was all around, and all I wanted was for my daughter and her boyfriend to come home.

In other great news I am honored to once again be asked to judge the Luxe Paris Look of the Year competition, and they have a ton of great guys and gals in this one. Congrats to Richard De There are good and bad things about Grataine Suoh our current Mr. MMI, for all states and California just happens to have a lot of earthquakes. I used to being one of the finalists. You can read live in Florida, so I have had hurricanes more about LOTY in this issue. and tornadoes and honestly, I would rather not be warned that would drive Also, my dear friend Eta sat down with me to talk about her art and life on me bat shit crazy. LOL. Second Life.

The very next day, we had a 7.1 quake and this one was a bit more scary for me for a few reasons. This wasn’t the gentle rolling of an earthquake but more the sound of the glass rattling , books falling off shelves, etc. I usually have the instinct to run outside, but after about 35 seconds of a 40 second

n i m a h Ava J

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Celebrating uniqueness not trends!

ISSUE 25, AUGUST 2019 STAFF PUBLISHER Ava Jhamin EDITOR IN CHIEF Rienna Lenoir FASHION EDITOR Nani Xue WRITERS HadleyCarrington Lydia Fairmount Vickie Maidstone Jude Tatham Nani Xue Rienna Lenoir Sita Writer PHOTOGRAPHERS Ava Jhamin Mirza (Soulcrack3r) Jude Tatham Nani Xue DIVERSITY MODELS Trinity Aironaut, Jan Bacon, Resmay Bloodstorm, HadleyCarrington, Vichonette Constantine, Ava Jhamin, Kushy Kloud, Rienna Lenoir, Brice Meda Richard De Graitaine Suoh, Jude Tatham, Nani Xue

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Issue 25 August, 2019 | L’Amour Diversity Magazine

Editor’s Note Welcome to the August 2019 issue of L'Amour Diversity Magazine! We are coming into what is my favorite time of the year in the U.S., FALL. It is right around the corner for us here in my neck of the woods, and I can't wait. I'm a winter girl. Give me snow, snow and more snow. But before that, I'll take plenty of rainy, moody Autumn days please, so I can pull out all my comfy, bundle up clothes and be inside my awesome new house, looking out at nature and enjoying our fireplace...sounds like heaven to me.

In this issue, we are jam packed full of great things for our readers. We decided to focus on a little known holiday in August, International Forgiveness Day, which occurrs on the 1st Sunday in August. In honor of that fact, I decided to write an article on forgiveness which I hope you will appreciate. Nani Xue, our Fashion Editor took some amazing pictures of the L'Amour Diversity models in the stunning styles of Artizana. Lydia Fairmount discusses technology's affect on our lives, Sita Wrtier introduces us to the Blue Lagoon's Colin Scientist and Nani Xue tells us all about the beautiful LUSH sim and talks with its creator.

It should be a good read, so I hope you enjoy!!

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Table of Contents

14 Spotlight Story - Artizana

Meet the woman behind the beautiful ethnic style clothing that is Artizana, Dainie Fraina.

16 Editorial - Images of Artizana The L’Amour Diversity Models show us their wild side wearing Artizana.

42 Eta’s Art Gallery Ava Jhamin introduces us to Eta’s Art Gallery, featuring the artwork of Eta Goldsmith.

50 LUSH Nani Xue tells us all about the LUSH sim and its creator Uri Jefferson.

62 Forgiveness?

In honor of International Forgiveness Day, Rienna Lenoir explores this very complicated topic.

68 Technology - Curse or Miracle?

Lydia Fairmount talks about how technology has affected her life.

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74 Colin Scientist - Curator of Music

Sita Writer introduces us to Colin Scientist and his love of Classical Music. Meet the man behind the Blue Lagoon & Harmony Castle.

84 Jude’s Jewels - Tralala’s Diner Jude shares her experience in finding the post-apocolyptic sim - Tralala’s Diner.

90 47th Pazzo Style Challenge Check out the L’Amour Lustful Lingerie Show!

96 Splash Show Featuring Zibska

Get the inside scoop on this year’s Look of the Year Style Competition!

114 LUXE Paris Look of the Year Update Ava shares an update on the results of the LUXE Paris Look of the Year Contest and Luxe-Dot-Be Contest.

124 L’Amour Chronicles - Vickie Maidstone Vickie Maidstone tells us her history on Second Life and as a student of L’Amour University of Fasion.

128 The Big Store Takeover Jude Tatham tells us about her history as a shopping event coordinator and tells us how things have changed over the years.

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Spotlight Story

Spotlight Story I met Dainie Fraina when she asked if I would blog for her incredible brand, Artizana. I blogged for her in the past in the Designer Showcase event, so I didn't hesitate to say yes. I love her clothes, and especially the ethnic looks with head wraps. They literally will give me a fashion-gasm... lol.

I sat down with Dainie and went right to all the questions, so our readers can get to know this incredible, fun-loving woman.

Ava: How did you become part of the wonderful world of Second Life?

Dainie: I don't remember where I heard about SL, but I remember being curious about it and decided to sign up. When I We started talking and haven't stopped.

In June, I asked if I could do a story on her first logged on all my settings were wrong, and use her wonderful clothes for the and I couldn't see a thing. All the avatars August editorial. She said she would love were peach-colored blobs without faces. to, and so we began choosing the outfits I logged off. Three months later, I was following an alternate reality game (ARG) to showcase.

that originated on YouTube. The game led us to Second Life. I remembered the SL account I made a few months earlier.

I logged on and had a few fun days following around the players in our little ARG. The ARG fizzled out quickly, but I got hooked on SL! 13 years later I'm still here.

favorite types of fabrics are large, bold floral prints. I also use Indian, Southeast Asian and Bohemian fabrics. I always go for a wide range of bright colors. I find inspiration from my RL experiences and online. My blog team really inspires me too, they are a talented bunch!

Ava: What did you do when you first came to Second Life?

Ava: Do you make your own mesh templates, Dainie?

Dainie: I got involved in the urban club scene shortly after joining. I had a few different clubs over the years, I did some DJing as well. Those were fun times!

Dainie: I create original textures for mesh models that have been created by other residents. I've made a few attempts to teach myself how to create mesh models, but I haven't stuck with it. I still have high hopes I will learn one day.

Ava: What made you want to design clothes in Second Life?

Ava: Tell the readers what some of your Dainie: Curiosity, an entrepreneurial spirit, plans are for Artizana in the future? and a creative streak! Artizana started out as a home decor and furniture store in Dainie: No big plans for now. I'm trying 2007. I didn't start my clothing line until to get out at least one new release per 2010 when mesh was introduced to the month. I went over a year without grid. I ended up phasing out the home creating anything. My customers seem decor side of the business to focus on to be happy I'm back at it. It's still a fun fashion. I often think about getting back creative outlet, but I just don't have the into creating home decor and furniture, time to put into it like I used to. but I haven't fully acted on it... yet!

Ava: What amazes you the most about Ava: Tell me what was the inspiration for Artizana since you started the brand? the Artizana brand?

Dainie: I am always amazed by the styles Dainie: I've spent a fair amount of time my bloggers create using fashions from in West Africa visiting my former in-laws. Artizana. I work with some very skilled The beauty, fashion, art, languages, music, photographers and stylists. I have created spirituality, and culture, have always a gallery on Flickr of all my favorite looks resonated with me very deeply, even they have created throughout the years though I grew up in Canada. I explore (http://j.mp/muses-artizana). I am so a few other styles with my clothing line, grateful for their creativity, loyalty, and such as Bohemian, but African fashions hard work. have always been my greatest love.

Thank you, Dainie, for sitting down with Ava: What is your inspiration for your me and letting the readers of Diversity designs and use of textures? get to know more about the amazing lady behind the brand of Artizana!

Dainie: I use West African textiles and wax prints for many of my designs. My current

Richard De Graitaine Suoh LAKANA XXI Photographed at Merlin

HadleyCarrington Asterope XXI // Photographed at Merlin

Brice Meda (briceyokan) LAKANA IV Photographed at Merlin

Kushy (madamekerli) Marcia Collection - Tube Top + Shorts + Headwrap Photographed Merlin Theat deadlines to submit your picture and qualify for the weekly semi-fi

finals are: May 24th, May 31th, June 7th, June 14th and June 21th.

RESMAY (meishagirl) Uisce II BARIKA (dakar) African Headwrap Photographed at Merlin

Vichontte Constantine Solis (Bastille) Minimal - Backdrops

Jan Bacon (jan1 Ying) ISM (utopian) Photographed at Merlin

Nani Xue Agracia Collection Photographed at Merlin

Trinity Aironaut Nykhor II Sankolo (Cocoafly) - African Headwrap Minimal Backdrops

Rienna Lenoir (Rienna Rieko) Sankolo Collection - Mesh Dress + Headwrap Minimal Backdrops

Rienna Lenoir (Rienna Rieko) Jude Tatham [hh] Belia Beads Top and Panty Set Teal Phtotographed at Merlin

Ava Jhamin DUGUJE (infinity) BLESSING V Gele Headwrap Phtotographed at Happy Heaven

Eta’s Art

By: Ava Jhamin

t Gallery

Out on the Grid I don't know if the readers have ever noticed this, but all the stories I do for L’Amour Diversity are with people that I have either met, or from items that I have purchased or bloggers I have blogged for.

I think for me when there is a personal relationship there, it gives life to the story.

back, it was with someone I knew from the old AOL message boards who used to DJ in SL. Although, my first foray was not a happy one, I spent most of my time in a pink and grey world as I was using the SL viewer. After I learned how to walk in a straight line, I began to explore all the possibilities that were open to me in this double click world - I was hooked.

I met Eta Goldsmith at the Home & Garden event 2019, we were neighbors and hit it off from hello. I began blogging Ava: How did you come to do art in Second Life? her artwork and even used it in my interior home design for Home & Garden, raising even more Lindens for H&G. Eta: In real life, I have always been creative whether that was through music, Thank you, Eta, for doing this story, so the writing or art - creativity has always played a big part in my life. But strangely enough, readers of Diversity can get to know the amazing person behind the artwork.

I never really thought of being creative in SL - perhaps I used any talents I have Ava: How did you find the wonderful making my avatars, landscaping sims and world of Second Life? so on - or perhaps I was running around SL doing other things. As you know, SL Eta: Wow, that’s a few years ago! Thinking has its distractions!

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It wasn't until July 2018, that I really began to immerse myself more into the creative side of things. Taking photographs, learning about the photo tools and badgering just about anyone I knew for help and information.

Ava: What inspires you in your work?

Eta: I love angles - trying to see things from a different angle. I am always

amazed by the fantastic abilities of some people who are able to create here. I am especially amazed by those that use blender, as I even struggle with the free version of Pixlr. I pull my hair out trying to figure out Gimp and simply won’t go near Photoshop.

There are a lot of very stunning exhibits to see in SL and what I try to do is take a

photo or two and change them. I do not take away from the original view - I just make it different - making it mine.

Ava: Are you an artist in RL? Eta: Have I sold art? No. What I do is use mediums like encaustic art, working with colored beeswax and heat, with adults who have a learning disability. Encaustic art is a medium that has instant results

and requires no talent at its most basic level. Oh! Hold on - I have sold stuff!

But, that was to a biased crowd and I was raising money for the Adult Training Center where I worked! So, no, I am no artist in real life. I am creative for sure, but I would not consider 'artist' a fitting title.

Ava: Can you explain to the readers what

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goes on in your head when you create your pieces?

honor of buying a piece of my work, I hope they enjoy seeing it on their wall every time they log in. When they own a Eta: I get excited, I become animated, my piece of art or photography of mine, they head buzzes and I can't wait to try out my also own a little of me too. ideas. I am probably pretty insufferable, especially to my other half in SL, as I witter on about “what if I did this, or that.”

Ava: Do you have a creative process Eta? Eta: Yes, I do, and it works like this: I see something that I think is cool on my SL travels, so I go into photographer mode and take tons of pictures. Then I go through the process of choosing a few, if I am lucky enough, to turn into digital art.

What I am after will determine what process happens next - what type of effect I am after - I use Windows 10 and a free editing program to create my work. When I am happy, I then bring it back into SL and move it onto mesh canvas.

I also love photography and enjoy the almost transcendental beauty of some BDSM, like Japanese bondage (Shibari) - and I enjoy taking pictures that are not pornographic, but sensual. I try to make these pictures depict a moment in time hopefully I succeed sometimes.

Ava: What is your RL satisfaction regarding creating in SL? Eta: Having a go, to do so! There is no 'right' or 'wrong' way to do things - if you are pleased and satisfied, then it’s a winner.

Ava: What do you want people to take away from owning a piece of your artwork?

Eta: I paused when reading this question trying to think of the answer I wanted.

I guess, if someone has bothered to visit my gallery and then pay me the great

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Ava: Do you have a favorite piece that you created?

Eta: Ava, I suppose I would have to name the piece of art I created a long time ago, at the beginning of my journey and that would be 'Crossing Bliss'. It was taken at

Issue 25 August, 2019 | L’Amour Diversity Magazine

the homestead when I lived there, from of art to me personally and to the Second underwater, and it is a picture of the Life grid. I know that my own personal stepping stones used to create a walkway. life has been enriched by your artwork.

Thank you honey, not only for being my I have also loved working on the statues friend, but for sitting down with me today that are created by Mistero Hifeng and talking about your beautiful artwork

creating a series on the dynamics of Dominance and Submission called, 'Two Sides of the Same Story.'

and allowing the readers to get to know you better.

And that is where you and I got chatting Ava, at the H&G expo - that’s cool, I think!

Thank you so much for bringing your joy L’Amour Diversity Magazine | Issue 25, August 2019

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By: Nani Xue

LUSH

This month, my edition of "Out and Around the Grid with Nani" had an unexpected surprise. While normally I stick to the strange and unusual and role playing environments, this time I stumbled into something different. As I said at the end of last issue’s Amazon adventure, I was heading on a vacation and readers, that is exactly what I found.

While researching some photography spots that would fit into our fashion editorial theme for the month of Global and international forgiveness, I landed on LUSH Island Paradise and in so doing, stumbled onto a location that did the job.

This place hit the feel and atmosphere of so many different places all rolled into one. I don't think I ever really wanted to leave and as you can see from some of the fashion shoots it was beautiful .

I got lucky my first time visiting and I met the owner Uri Jefferson, he greeted me and we got to chatting and I decided to turn it into an interview!

was just sporadic when I felt like a night away from whatever else I was doing. I used to DJ in RL for about eight years but honestly was never really drawn in to the clubs or DJing in SL. I had found a spot through a friend and ended up liking what I heard while I was there and that led me to want to DJ again. So, I pulled out the music library and downloaded software and dove right in! About a month later I built my first club, Rouge.

I wanted a classier feel to clubbing and that eventually led to LUST, which I run now. The club provides a classy, flashy, expensive feel while being true to a real club experience, lights and all! When I built the island, it was only natural for me to build multiple party spots there and now we have five for people to come and enjoy!

Nani: Is this your first adventure in ownership? If not why would you do it again?

Nani: So, let’s dip our toes in with an easy Uri: No, definitely not. I've owned and question, what gave you the idea to open built and run different spots for years. It's LUSH? just something I've loved doing and will continue to do. What keeps me building Uri: This one actually came as a complete new and fun places, is a desire to see surprise to me. Unlike most sims I've built people truly enjoy themselves, as well as it the past, I had rezzed out a yacht that I fulfilling a desire to share my love of detail have for a club party and thought a little for which my builds have come to be island in the background would look really known. What makes me happy is seeing cool. Well, after adding a few trees and people happy and engaged in something plants, I wanted more, then more, then beautiful and fun! decided to go all out and make an island people could come to and enjoy! I've Nani: Did you "dream up" design, build, always enjoyed the tropics, and surfing, decorate and landscape LUSH all by and parties and the thought of combining yourself? them all just seemed to come together!

Uri: For the most part, I did come up Nani: How Long have you been around with the design myself. As with all of my the DJ and Club/ Entertainment Scene in builds, once I start on one, I'm very strict Second Life? in not letting myself go to other sims to see what they have. I don't want to be Uri: I would say I've done it heavily for influenced by them, it results in some about four years now and before that, it similarities and some total differences. I

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wanted to combine the feel of several places I've been or have seen lots of photos from. A combination of Hawaii, Jamaica, St. Maarten, St. Thomas with a whole lot of the tiki and pirate influence.

Piper (piperolivia) was hugely instrumental in the ideas of how this came out. I'd constantly be looking to her for things like, 'which of these two look better' or 'what do you think would fill this spot here,' she was very very helpful to me with the aesthetics of the sim appearance.

Nani: Has it been hard for you to find good staff?

Uri: Finding good staff is always a challenge, but I've met some really great people through some of my other endeavors and had a good idea of who I wanted to start off with right off the bat!

I've taken a very relaxed attitude with LUSH. I've seen far too many places run into the ground, or owners so nit-picky that they run off the people who should be helping them to grow. I didn't want that, I didn't want micromanaging, a ton of rules, very strict oversight, with LUSH I just want people to come and have fun, that's what it’s all about. So, I've been pretty laid back with what I want done, which has made picking and working with a staff much more fun and happy!

Nani: What would you say has been the most challenging aspect so far?

Uri: Without a doubt, the biggest challenge has been finding ways to combat the lag. In a sim with as much detail as LUSH has, it’s going to just naturally be an issue to contend with.

But, I honestly think I've done that pretty well. Most people say that the lag is really not too bad for them. Some of our parties get big, 50 or more people, and those are, needless to say, going to be laggy. But, that’s the effect that having that many scripted avatars on one sim has. It'd be laggy even on a blank sim. I think I've done well though, constantly replacing laggy pieces with less laggy ones.

I try to keep it as low as possible while maintaining the detail, so that everyone can really enjoy!!

Nani: What is the most rewarding part of owning LUSH? Besides the DOLPHINS! Uri: Haha yes, aside from the dolphins, hmm, tough one! Actually, the most rewarding thing for me has just been seeing people enjoy themselves. They can zone out or be hugely interactive, as long as they are enjoying themselves, I'm happy. I just want a fun environment, and there's been a lot of that here, so that's

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my reward, seeing people happy.

And that's the story of how a monkey stole my stiletto shoe on LUSH Island Nani: What do you enjoy most about Paradise.. Oh wait, no it wasn't. But until having this virtual community, how does it next time readers, be sure to wear your reward your RL? sunscreen!

Uri: I love the social interaction that this community has given me, the sense of completion that comes from building things that others can enjoy and the wild fun that can be had, but mostly the friendships made. It’s very rewarding to have the connections that SL in general has made possible, so it's been something I've cherished quite a lot.

Nani: So lastly, those things visitors should know- Maybe about the more "adult" nature secrets, or conduct, etc...

Uri: There is a LOT to explore and discover at LUSH. There are so many hidden things and places, I highly encourage people to look around and find all they can to enjoy! We're very lax on rules, we want people to just have fun, not feel governed. LUSH is primarily for human avatars, the exception being mermaids, which we are fine with in the water! Tails and ears on avatars we are fine with, we just ask that people be primarily in human form! Come have a good time, explore, party, get naughty, that's what it’s all about!!

Nani: One last thing, if anything, you want readers to know about you, personally.

Uri: Well, I'd just like to say that I'm here for the fun. That's why I've created LUSH. I don't want anyone afraid to talk to me or afraid I'm going to be real tough with rules. I'm easy to talk to and just want to share the fun! I love meeting new people and enjoying the fun we can all have together, so if you see me, say hi!! Hope to see you soon!

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PHOTOGR

RAPHY BY SOULCRACK3R

Op Ed.

We have all been hurt or disappointed by someone throughout the course of our lifetimes. When we are deeply injured by someone, choosing to forgive the person that hurt us, can seem not only difficult, but sometimes impossible. When I decided to be the one to write this article in honor of National Forgiveness Week, which is in August, I began to research how to explain the concept of forgiveness in an accurate, healthy way. I say that because the psychologist in me refuses to write platitudes that have no basis in fact or, as happens to me when I read or hear forgiveness being discussed, would make our readers think I am just offering a meaningless "leap of faith" idea.

I think many of us realize the whole concept of some magical moment of forgiveness just isnt reality. It's nice to say that we need to be able to "forgive and forget," but I dont think we can forget, nor should we, I think. Remembering pain that has happened in our past, in a way, helps us learn how to avoid similar situations in the future, which would further victimize us.

But at some point, we do need to be able to move forward from a position of suffering with the injury, to what I term "normal manageable pain" which, when properly addressed and worked through, helps enable us to let go and move forward.

In my search, I came across an article published on the International Psychoanalytical Association website, titled "Is Forgiveness a Useful Concept,"

by Dr. Henry Smith, M.D. We all have our own definition of what the concept of "forgiveness" actually is. As Dr. Smith points out, many view the concept

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of forgiveness as a sort of "denial or disavowal of a traumatic reality (internal or external), as if to say, ‘It never happened’ or ‘It doesn’t matter.'" But as we all know, injuries have happened to us and they DO matter.

In his article, Smith looks into the entymology of the word itself: "From a historical point of view, the Oxford English

Dictionary (1971) indicates that around the year 900 AD the verb to forgive meant simply to give, as in to give one’s love; thus even in its etymological roots it was an active form. It was not until three hundred years later that it came to mean to give up, as in to give up or let go of resentment, indicating that there was a gradual historical trend toward

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viewing forgiveness as a passive process or description of something that is not felt (to cease to feel resentment) – once more defined by its opposite, a trend that endures to this day." The definition that I have always heard, was that it had roots in finance, like forgiving a debt or no longer holding someone accountable for the debt or injury, basically letting it go. Smith suggests that the meaning of

presented with this entymology: the word forgive comes from the old English word forgiefan meaning to “give, grant or allow,” or “to give up” or “to give in marriage;” and is made up of the two words for meaning “completely” and giefan meaning “give”.

The modern sense of “to give up desire or power to punish” originates from use of the compound as a Germanic translation of Latin perdonare which in Dutch is vergeven, and in German is Vergeben…

In another article I found by an English pastor, who originally cited the Smith article he states that because the word originally meant to "give" you could use the word to "talk about a dad who "forgave" his daughter in marriage, or a man who ‘forgave’ his wife his love, just as much as you could say that a man might ‘forgive’ another man the debt owed to him or the punishment he deserved for having injured him." So, it would seem, if that were the original meaning of the word, forgiveness as a concept isnt about how I "feel" about someone who has hurt me, but rather is about changing the way I "act" towards them. To me the difference between the two is an enormous difference.

the word has changed. It didnt always mean to stop hanging onto the pain of injury or the need for reparations. His definition suggests that it actually used to mean something more similar to giving something from yourself - at cost to yourself.

Looking it up online myself, I was

Rather than feeling like I need to force myself to "feel differently," which I have always found to be incredibly difficult, because some injuries "feel" unforgivable. As I was thinking about this article, and also dealing with some issues from my own life regarding how to handle forgiving someone that has hurt me in the past, I talked to my RL best friend and her response straight out of the gate was,

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"Screw forgiveness. You can't forgive some things, because once trust is broken, you can never get it back." I agree with her point, but we do have to be able to move forward. Going back to Smith's article for a moment, he tells the story of a man who was abused by his mother, and asks "is this forgiveable?

Is it useful to ask or expect a person to forgive this?" He goes on to say that by asking this question, we begin to see the difficulty of using the term "forgiveness" to define a very complicated process of "coming to terms with a wide variety of circumstances, some of which may be dealt with by acceptance and letting go, but which may themselves be unforgivable."

Dr. Smith outlines through the course of his article, that we are so ingrained with a need to achieve some sort of nirvanic state of forgiveness, but he believes that from a therapeutic standpoint, it's really more a process of "doing the work."

He believes that by doing the work, we can get to a place of acceptance and being able to let go, but is that really forgiveness? He believes forgiveness to be a useless label, because we have a tendency to call an enormous amount of elements of the process of working through as forgiveness, that probably aren't really forgiveness. He posits that the concept of forgiveness in a therapeutic setting, at least from the standpoint of the disavowal can lead to "dangerous lapses in judgment," which can lead us to allow ourselves to be further victimized by the same person or others.

comes from the French word "mercit" meaning "reward, gift or kindness." So, all three of these words sort of tie together, as he points out in that they all come from the core word, "to give." He says, "And in turn this means that originally to forgive is to completely give something away (holding nothing back), to pardon is to give wholeheartedly, and to show mercy is to give a gift or to show kindness to someone…"

Our modern concept of a need to forgive, stems from various religious concepts.

An essay from 2004 in US News and Word Report, author C. Hsu writes, "Jesus’ radical forgiveness is the foundation of Christianity; Judaism’s high holidays … are focused on atonement; Buddhism calls for ceaseless empathy and compassion toward all beings, especially enemies; in the Koran, the angel Gabriel tells Mohammed to set aside vengeful anger.

And from the Bhagavad-Gita, a classic Hindu text: ‘If you want to see the brave, look for those who can forgive …’

All of these concepts come from very old texts. So, in my opinion, if we are going to follow such an old idea, then maybe we need to look at the old definition of the term, in order to put it into practice in our lives, the one about giving something to someone at cost to oneself. I'll cite our English pastor again as he put it exactly how I feel, "I don’t know about you, for me the hardest thing with forgiveness (as I have understood it) is not the ‘showing mercy’ to someone, or the ‘being civil’ to them when I see them again, or the ‘writing off the debt’, or the ‘spending of The English pastor I mentioned, did an my own money’ to buy a replacement for even futher search of the word pardon the thing they have broken, or the ceasing which comes from the french verb to seek the apology I deserved. All these "pardoner" meaning "to grant, forgive" by things I can do, even though it costs me. way of the Latin word "perdonare" which No, what I find really hard, and almost means "to give wholeheartedly." He also impossible in some instances, is the letting looked up the word "mercy," which also go of the feelings associated with that act

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of injustice or hurt." BINGO. That's the rub, isnt it? He asks, "What if forgiveness is not primarily about letting go of unforgivness, which is the negative feeling inside me, but is more about me bearing the cost of the hurt or injustice myself by paying off the debt that they owe me, whether this is an actual debt of money or an apology, or some kind of reparation, or a show of remorse?"

us, but rather changing the way we "act" towards them. Maybe it's okay to still feel angry with someone for what happened in the past, but still "forgive" them. The pastor goes on to suggest, "Perhaps as Paul suggests, it is possible to be angry but to avoid sinning if we ‘forgive’ them and bear the pain ourselves and resist trying to get even or make them see our side of the story or to do this or that to ‘pay us back’ even though we have every right to So, maybe it's not about changing the way demand it… (Ephesians 4:26)." we "feel" towards someone who has hurt

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Personally, I have found, that when I choose to act differently towards someone who has hurt me, that's when I am most easily able to begin moving towards being able to "let go." To me there is something about the "action" of me choosing to stop looking for restitution or, as he suggested, even trying to make them see my side of the story, that tends to begin the healing process in myself. I also think acceptance is a key concept in this process, because once we can accept that an event has happened and has a cause, even if we dont like it, we are then able to begin moving forward from suffering into that "normal manageable pain" I mentioned eariler.

I think another important component in the process of being able to let go, is to stop telling the story. I have noticed in my life, that when I get to a place of being able to stop telling the story of what happened to me, it helps me to be able to start the process of moving forward. I'm also sure most of us have experienced the situation where we have begun to move forward, we have stopped talking about it, but then we are presented with a situation where it comes up in conversation again by someone else talking about it and this brings the anger up for us again. So, it seems to me that the more we talk about

it, or other people talk about it or bring it up, it keeps us stuck or even brings it up, our suffering can begin again. I saw a quote from Steve Mariobolli that I think sums this idea up quite nicely, “Let today be the day you stop being haunted by the ghost of yesterday."

No matter what you call it, forgiveness doesnt just happen magically and I have found, that contrary to the popular adage, time does not heal all wounds. Some wounds stay with us for life, but how we choose to respond to those wounds and learn from them, I think, is what can make or break us. I agree with Dr. Smith's idea that it's better termed "acceptance" and "letting go." I agree that there are many facets to the process and a lot of work goes into making it happen. I know I can much more easily get on board with that concept, than I can some ethereal, magical idea of "forgiveness" that is just supposed to happen, which then magically changes how I feel towards someone who has hurt me. Or the concept that forgiveness somehow erases the injury from my memory and makes it all okay as though it never happened. Because it did happen and even when I am able to let go and move forward, the actual injury, will never be "okay."

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There isn't a day that goes by that I don't go into tuck my son in, say I love you, and I'll see you in the morning.

Then I proceed to roll him back and forth hunting for the BILLION electronics he just had to have in bed with him because one truly isn't enough. I often become annoyed thinking back to the days when if I wanted to look something up, you had to dust of the very large and extremely heavy book collection called encyclopedias. Libraries had a paper card filing system and if you wanted to watch a show on television you had to look it up in the TV guide and then GASP!!! Wait! So much at the touch of our hands these days has made us soft.

Or has it?

When my son was 2 years old, he was diagnosed with severe autism. A word that forever changed my way of life. Looking down into those tiny lost eyes that once held so much love and joy and being told you will likely never hear your son's voice, hear him say I love you to you, or anyone for that matter.

That he would never learn like others, never live like others.

What I soon realized is that people had been fighting against autism for years.

Doctors, hospitals, therapies, group homes, asylums, abandonment, years and years of torture and heartbreak fighting against something that punches back harder.

The moment a child is first placed in a mother’s arms their child's life flashes through their minds. All your hopes and dreams for them, where they will go to college and who they will grow up to be, what their wife/husband will look like and their children. With a single word, my world imploded on the inside, on the outside I said, "Fine, what's next." To me, you can fight anything that has a name.

It is said that Albert Einstein, who was also thought to have Asperger’s Syndrome - a form of Autism, once defined insanity as, "doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result." So, after breaking my fist against the wall of autism, I decided to stop fighting and instead began living autism. Now, what does that mean you may ask? I creatively changed everything I was taught growing up and

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disconnected from human interaction. You live in a world so fast paced that weekends are the only time you sit down and ask your loved ones how they are doing - if then! We have made drastic changes but are still falling into the same patterns. We are feeling, seeing and living as if expecting a different result.

You know what I feel?

Joy - the joy of hearing my son talk to me using a communications device to tell me where it hurts.

I see that he can and does learn, as he spells out sentences vocally answering questions I ask him of a story we read 10 minutes before. I live in a world where my child can walk into a restaurant, pick out his own food and then customize it, just the way he wants on a picture kiosk. I feel. I see. I live. All differently.

thoughts of how life “should be” and chucked it right out the window. I learned So, the choice is yours. Technology as much as I could get my hands on and a curse, or do you just need to find a even studied Psychology. different action to see the true miracle.

You decide.

Just between you and me, the founding fathers of Psychology are completely and utterly- clueless. Why? Because they listened but never heard, they watched but never saw, they walked but never lived. That's what it takes to live something instead of fighting something.

Now, what does all this have to do with technology you may ask? The answer is - everything. You feel it takes away from the merit and values of life, you see a world full of zombies becoming more L’Amour Diversity Magazine | Issue 25, August 2019

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People & Community

Colin Scientist –

By: Sita Writer

– Curator of Classical Music The Blue Lagoon

“ Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind' There is a certain flow of the sound – we know you can hear it… it is classical music and it is so beautiful. Those that love it, and those that are new to classical music will agree – it is a simple delight. It is a contemplative wonder that sometimes can go straight to your soul. There is a romance and elegance to it, as well as a complexity and passion… it is called classical for a reason. Colin Scientist is one of the few that keep this genre alive in SL and his ballroom and the multitude of events there are in fact, classic and fun.

Colin Scientist has been hosting and operating his classic ballroom for many years and one wonders how he found SL in the first place. As Colin tells it, “It is a strange story. I was searching for information about planning permission rules for a church project and one of the websites I found had a link to a sim in Second Life that had been set up to provide that sort of information. To visit it the sim, I had to join Second Life. The sim did not answer my questions, but I began to explore SL and got hooked!”

After exploring SL, Colin tells Diversity, “Initially building a classical music ballroom was just a fun building project, but I had been enjoying a weekly classical music event lead by a DJ I knew. Suddenly problems with his current venue, meant he did not have one to run it in, so I invited him to use the one my friend and I had built for a weekly event every Tuesday. He still DJs at our venue. I was also inspired

by Ger Y Lli and as Yavanna Llanfair did, I wanted to make my venue a place where classical music is streamed 24/7.

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Johannes Brahms.

Happily, with all his knowledge and love of classical music, Colin became a DJ. “About six months after I started, I decided to try my hand as a DJ, adding a second weekly event. Colin tells Diversity that although he does not have a favorite composer, “I especially like music by Mozart, Vivaldi and Joaquin Rodrigo. The concerto is my favorite type of classical music.”

One of the most interesting things Colin has learned and likes to share with others in SL is the fact that, “After establishing the Blue Lagoon Club, there was a period of discovery for me. I explored classical music from countries not previously associated with classical music, or newly composed music, or music by less wellknown composers - all of which our programs and DJs like to include. I have learned so much.”

Colin shares his main goal with us, “Most of all, I want new and old friends to enjoy the music we play and discover that there is far more variety in the realm of classical music than the most popular works and best known composers. It makes me so happy that although so much classical music is good to dance to, people also come to my events to just listen and chat about it.”

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EVENTS @ BLUE LAGOON AUGUST 2019 THURSDAY AUGUST 15 11 AM - 1.30 PM SLT PROMS@BLUE LAGOON Here is our program of classical music MENDELSSOHN, ELGAR & MUSSORGSKY events at The Blue Lagoon Club and at Harmony Castle for AUGUST 2019.

Join us as we stream a live concert from London including Mendelssohn's Join us every Tuesday with DJ AEL and The Hebrides, Elgar's Sea Pictures, and Fridays with DJ COLIN. Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.

Come to dance or sit and chat as you In addition, we will stream concerts prefer. We suggest casual dress. on many days from the BBC Proms throughout the month.

Blue Lagoon Club No formal dress code required. Please don't let not having specific dress ever deter you from coming.

FRIDAY AUGUST 16 11.30 AM - 1.30 PM SLT PROMS@BLUE LAGOON - QUEEN VICTORIA's 200TH ANNIVERSARY

BBC PROMS 2019

Join us as we stream a live concert from London including Sullivan's Victorian & As with previous years we plan to stream Merrie England, Mendelssohn's Piano a substantial number of concerts live from Concerto No 1 & Scottish Symphony and this year's BBC Proms, which run from July songs by Prince Albert.. Come to dance 19 to September 14, subject to demand or sit and chat as you prefer. We suggest and RL commitments. Our current plans casual dress. for August are included below, but may be subject to revision depending on Blue Lagoon Club attendance and RL commitments. Full details of the Proms series can be found FRIDAY AUGUST 16, 2.30 - 5 PM SLT at https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/r3j38g/ ITALIAN CLASSICAL BALL series. If a concert you want to hear is not listed in our plans please contact Colin Join us in the Grand Ballroom of Harmony Scientist and he will see what can be done Castle as DJ COLIN SCIENTIST plays a to stream it or record it for later. . selection of classical music by Italian Composers or inspired by Italy. Come to GORLEN PARK dance or sit listen and chat as you prefer.

We suggest but do not insist on formal We plan to continue events at GORLEN dress.

PARK this month - our popular summer venue and hangout place where you can Harmony Castle dance or relax as you listen to classical music. All the usual couples, singles SATURDAY AUGUST 17 11.30 AM - 2 PM and ballet dances are available there. In SLT PROMS@BLUE LAGOON - RIMSKYaddition, you will find MAHJONG, GREEDY KORSAKOV. RACHMANINOV, LYADOV & GREEDY and PENTADEE tables there, so GLAZUNOV you can come and play games and chat Join us as we stream a live concert from together while you listen to our classical London including Rachmaninov's Piano music stream.

Concerto no 1 and music by RimskyKorsakov, Lyadov and Glazunov. Come to

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dance or sit and chat as you prefer. We suggest casual dress.

Join us as we stream a live concert from London. Singer, songwriter, arranger and political activist – Nina Simone is a giant of jazz history. She’s celebrated here Blue Lagoon Club in all her guises in a concert led by Jules SUNDAY AUGUST 18 11.30 AM - 1.30 PM Buckley and the Metropole Orkest. Come SLT PROMS@BLUE LAGOON - YOUTHFUL to dance or sit and chat as you prefer. We suggest casual dress.

BEGINNINGS Join us as we stream a live concert from London including Beethoven's Symphony no 1, Clara Schumann's Piano Concerto, Sofia Gubaidulina's Fairytale Poem and Shostakovich's Symphony no 1. Come to dance or sit and chat as you prefer. We suggest casual dress.

Blue Lagoon Club MONDAY AUGUST 19 2.30 - 4 PM SLT PROMS@BLUE LAGOON - BBC SINGERS Join us in the Chapel of Harmony Castle as we stream a recording of a concert recorded in London’s ‘Musicians’ Church’ with English choral pieces spanning the 20th and 21st centuries including music

by Walton, Britten, Ireland, Musgrave, Vaughan Williams and others. Come to dance or sit and chat as you prefer. We suggest casual dress.

Chapel In Harmony TUESDAY AUGUST 20 2.30 PM - 4.30 PM SLT CLASSICAL ERA BALL

Harmony Castle THURSDAY AUGUST 22 11.30 AM - 1.30 PM SLT PROMS@BLUE LAGOON HOWELL, ELGAR, KNUSSEN & WEINBERG Join us as we stream a live concert from London including Elgar's Cello Concerto, Weinberg's Symphony no 3 and music

by Oliver Knussen and Dorothy Howell.

Come to dance or sit and chat as you prefer. We suggest casual dress.

Blue Lagoon Club FRIDAY AUGUST 23 2.30 PM - 5 PM SLT MASKED & FANCY DRESS CLASSICAL BALL Join us in the Ballroom of Harmony Castle as DJ COLIN SCIENTIST plays his selection of classical music to dance to. Come to dance or sit and chat as you prefer. We invite you come in formal dress with mask or in fancy dress.

Harmony Castle

SATURDAY AUGUST 24 11.30 AM - 2 Join us in the Ballroom of Harmony Castle PM SLT PROMS@BLUE LAGOON as DJ AELTHING AEON plays his selection RACHMANINOV, PROKOFIEV & SILVESTRI of music from the classical period. Come to dance or sit and chat as you prefer. We Join us as we stream a live concert from suggest but do not insist on formal dress. London including Rachmaninov's Piano concerto no 2, Silvestri's Three Pieces for WEDNESDAY AUGUST 21 11.30 AM - 2 PM strings and Rachmaninov's Symphony no SLT PROMS@BLUE LAGOON - A HOMAGE 2. Come to dance or sit and chat as you TO NINA SIMONE prefer. We suggest casual dress.

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Blue Lagoon Club MONDAY AUGUST 26 11.30 AM - 1.30 PM SLT PROMS@BLUE LAGOON SCHUMANN, BEETHOVEN & WIDMAN Join us as we stream a live concert from London including Schumann's overture Genoveva, Sjorg Widman's Babylon suite and Beethoven's Symphony no 6. Come to dance or sit and chat as you prefer. We suggest casual dress.

Blue Lagoon Club TUESDAY AUGUST 27 11 AM - 2 PM SLT PROMS@BLUE LAGOON - THE MAGIC FLUTE Join us as we stream a live concert from London of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute. Come to dance or sit and chat as you prefer. We suggest formal dress but casual dress is OK. Blue Lagoon Club TUESDAY AUGUST 27, 2.30 - 4.30 PM SLT MOUNTAINS, LAKES & RIVERS EVENING Join us as DJ AELTHING AEON plays a selection of Classical Music about mountains, lakes or rivers. Come to dance or sit and chat as you prefer. We suggest but do not insist on formal dress.

Blue Lagoon Club WEDNESDAY AUGUST 28 11.30 AM - 2 PM SLT PROMS@BLUE LAGOON MOZART, TCHAIKOVSKY STRAVINSKY & WIGGLESWORTH Join us as we stream a live concert from London including Mozart's Piano Concerto for 2 pianos, Tchaikovsky's suite no 4, Wigglesworth's Piano Concerto and Stravinsky's Divertimento 'The Fairy's

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Kiss'. Come to dance or sit and chat as you prefer. We suggest formal dress but casual dress is OK. Blue Lagoon Club THURSDAY AUGUST 29 2.15 - 3.45 PM SLT PROMS@BLUE LAGOON - DUKE ELLINGTON'S SACRED MUSIC Join us as we stream a live concert from London of Duke Ellington's Sacred Music Come to dance or sit and chat as you prefer. We suggest formal dress but casual dress is OK. Blue Lagoon Club FRIDAY AUGUST 30 2.30 PM - 5 PM SLT SUMMER CLASSICAL DANCE Join us in Gorlen Park as DJ COLIN SCIENTIST plays a selection of Classical Music for a Summer evening. Come to dance or sit listen and chat as you prefer.

We suggest casual dress.

Gorlen Park SATURDAY AUGUST 31 11.30 AM - 2 PM SLT PROMS@BLUE LAGOON - HENRY WOOD TRIBUTE Join us as we stream a live concert from London that explores the rich musical legacy of Proms-founder Henry Wood, who celebrates his 150th anniversary this year. The programme of works premiered and championed by the conductor includes music by Wagner, Ravel and Ireland. Come to dance or sit and chat as you prefer. We suggest formal dress but casual dress is OK.

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HOMES TO RENT IN GORLEN BAY If you like the scenery at Blue Lagoon Club and our other venues, why not rent and live here. We have relaunched our range of homes that now include unfurnished houses, skylofts and a few plots on which to rez your own home.

Many come with berths to keep boats and all come with the ability to rez a boat on the lagoon. For more details see the notecard below or visit our rental office or talk to Colin Scientist.

Four Winds Rental Office

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By Jude Tatham

w e J s ’ e d u J

s l e w e

It is time for another Jude's Jewels and this First off, don't be fooled by the name, this week I came across a sim that I HAD to tell isn't just a diner and what you will find you about! when you TP in is altogether darker and much more awesome. Tralala’s is a postapocalyptic-esque wasteland, but don't Imagine a world rocked by life changing circumstances and much of what we let that put you off! This place is like a magical box of delights. know and love is gone. Society has changed and the people that remain, try to build some semblance of a life.

The owner and creator of this hot spot, Tralala Loordes is an avid role-player. And So, across the land, small settlements and towns start to appear with people what she has created is a multi-faceted trying to survive and bring back a little of sim, perfect for roleplay and photographs what once was. Ladies and gentlemen, or quite simply an interesting place to explore and hang out. welcome to Tralala's Diner.

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What is interesting about Tralala's Diner, is that it is always moving. From the moment you arrive your eyes are drawn to crackling junk fires, whirling propellers, flickering neon lights and smoking stacks.

There are dry grass patches dotted around, rusty corrugated metal shacks, abandoned cars, rain drenched alleyways, cat-filled street markets and crude rooftop terraces.

are such intricate details and personal touches that I could really see myself living in such a place, should an apocalypse happen.

Another thing I love is the dark humor that you cannot miss. A loudspeaker screams out warnings in local chat, my favorite of which is 'Don't Eat The Meat.’ This warning is also plastered over the walls and buildings around the place and You cannot escape the Japanese feel and is obviously a long running joke. Claiming this place could easily be an offshoot of to serve the 'the best damn fried rat in the Tokyo. Yes, Tralala's could be gloomy, west...100% smooth skin free,’ you can't scary and shabby, but it really isn't. There help but snicker and perhaps gag at the

idea. I also noticed the place is overrun with cats.....do they find themselves on the menu also?

Along with the diner, there are the meat works, gas station, junk store and water tanks to explore, but it is the rooftop slums that make it worth the visit. These individual spots are decorated with such detail and care, you can see all the creature comforts someone living there might want and need to make their existence bearable; or least to distract you from what you are eating!

The Post-Apocalyptic theme is thrown around a lot lately, particularly in SL. Mad Max and similar movies make it almost trendy, but what is interesting is that apocalypse means 'end of the world' so there wouldn't be anything “post�....we would be gone, destroyed, out of here!

And on that sobering thought I bid you farewell for another month. There are other similarly themed sims worth checking out too, including Everwinter and Dystopia. But for me, Tralala’s has the edge. Make sure you add Tralala's Diner to your list of places to go this week.

Fashion

L’Amour Productions 47t

28th at 11:00 AM SLT. The Sim was Decorated in a Viva Las Vegas style, surrounded by the lights and streets of Vegas complete with parking blocks for the guests to sit on. The From the Urban Dictionary: “Camp” n. Judges sat at a lone roulette table. or “Campy” adj. refers to intentionally There were 7 contestants and exaggerated thematic or genre elements, especially in television and we saw a very creative array of interpretations on Camp fashion. motion picture mediums. “Camp” Mermaid Glam, Formal Musical style willfully over-emphasizes tribute, The Queen of bacon certain elements of the genre or complete with flying pig. Bright bold theme, creating an almost selfRainbow Balloon wear, shimmering satirical milieu. sequins, Gigantic red hat, I believe we So, We want to Take note of the King were also visited by one of the Village of Camp, Elton John and Rocketman Men. released this summer- Good icons to Our Winner was Hadley Carrington keep in mind, also Elvis, Lady Gaga, Prince and Madonna just a few great draped in balloons and rainbow colors, rollerskating her way into examples. We also added a few first place ready to skate off to the photos to show contestants from 2019 Met Gala Camp Fashion Theme winners circle and definitely bringing the party with her whereever she so from there they got to run with the Camp Fashion and make the style went after. there own.

We recently held our 47th edition of the Pazzo Style challenge. Our chosen theme was Camp Rocketman.

What does campy mean in fashion?

We held the competition Sunday July

By Nani Xue

7th Pazzo Style Challenge

S

Splash...A Graduation Story.

By: HadleyCarrington

Above: L’Amour University Professor Ava Jhamin Left: Producer Director Student HadleyCarrington

When I started producing and directing training, I had no idea it would be so much fun! I loved casting, requesting sponsorship, coordinating clothing for the models, everything!

I'm not sure when or where Splash came into my head, but when it did, I took NO time to get it all started! I know half the people I invited thought back on the movie "Splash," but that wasn't an inspiration for this show!

This one was literally about splashing. There was a pool on the runway and fountains on both sides that really took on that Splash theme. And at one time or another, each character in the script either fell into a liquid or something just outright crazy happened with a splash. Every little story had the word "SPLASH" as the last line. It was a lot of fun coming up with all the details.

My models were amazing. They were Jude Tatham, JewelOfDeNiel, Melinda Bayn, Thunderstormin, Brice Meda, Sheila Siren, Kushy Kloud (madamekerli), and Richard De Grataine Suoh.

They were all amazing, and I was so happy to have them all in the show. It went off with almost no glitches! We all worked hard to make it perfect!

Our sponsors for the show were Azoury & Zibska.

They were SO amazing as to give us clothes and shoes! The best part? Those are my two favorite designers, and it meant so much more to me that they would help! We worked hard on all the stylings. On two, I managed to get off by taking 2 people with no head and one with only a head. It was radical, and Zibska loved it! After the show, Zib, saw pics and said, “Sometimes I looked and said, why didn’t I think of that?” That’s a huge honor as Zib is a major designer and she allowed me to use my crazy brain to put together the outfits.

Another awesome thing, owner of Azoury, Aniki Seetan, came to the show! I was so excited and happy she could come and see what I’d done with

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her shoes. She was very sweet and said she loved it. That made my day! Her designs are outrageous, so that’s probably why I love them so much!

It was a great experience, and I’m happy to now be directing a newly founded model agency. I learned a lot to put into action on my shows. I love what I’m doing, and I hope it continues to be so successful! I always want to make a SPLASH!

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LUXE “ Look

By: Ava Jhamin

of the Year” 2019

Once again, I was asked to be part of the team at LUXE Dot-Be Look of the Year Competition and was thrilled. I love the people and this competition in general and am honored to be part of the team.

The LUXE Paris Look of the Year and the LUXE Dot-Be Look of the Year will each win L$50,000 cash and many other prizes.

This years finalists for the men (in no particular order)

Who will be the next LUXE Paris NASAO ELTON, Colombia Dot-B “Look of the Year” Winner, the YEBEN, Belgium challenges are in full force, ladies and NASAO ELTON, Colombia gentleman.

MICAH, Germany ERICK NAIDOO, Peru It was sizzling hot all over the country RICHARD DE GRATAINE SUOH, Spain and that included the contestants at MAXTOR FRISK, UK the AIM Theater, as the Look of the AHN AVION, USA Year finalist presented their countries DAMIEN CROW, USA in swimsuits.

TIAZ ESQUIRE, USA FROLIC MILLS, Venezuela Both LUXE Paris designers Parisian Skytower and Mika Palmyra and LUXE This years finalists for the ladies Dot-Be designer Boniefacio, created (in no particular order) an exclusive swimsuit for each of the finalists inspired by their RL national TRYSKA MOON, Brazil flag.

ANASTASIA COLLINWOOD, Canada RED JESS, Canada This challenge was the first of the QUINTE, China Look of the Year finale and it was AMANDA DAY, Denmark immediately followed by the Happy MELANY AGUILERA, Peru Sunny Afternoon Challenge. For this ISABELLE, Poland challenge, the finalists have been RESMAY BLOODSTORM, USA asked to prepare a LUXE Paris or LUXE SELENE SNOWPAW, USA Dot-Be outfit, expressing the joy of a SOPHIE VON BASTEN, Venezuela beautiful sunny day.

The final for Luxe Dot Be was held July 21, 2019 The third and last Look of the Year The Winners Are -challenge, Romance at the Ritz in Paris, took place on Sunday, July 21st, QUINTE and YEBEN! as the grand finale, with the unveiling of the LUXE Paris 2019 Look of the Year and the LUXE Dot-Be 2019 Look of the Year.

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Images courtesy of Jack Rock (Rockinman1)

The fifth LUXE Paris LOOK of the YEAR is Quinte from China and the first LUXE Dot Be LOOK of the YEAR is Yeben from Belgium. Selene Snowpaw was the first runner up for the ladies and Ahn Avion was the first runner up for the men. Miss Melany Aguilera from Peru and Nasao Elton from Colombia, the second runners up!

scores, assigned last week, and the total determined the winners.

On Sunday at the beautiful AIM stage the contestants came together for the last time in their final challenge, ‘’Romance at the Ritz’’, the finalists were most elegant, and rally lived up to the ambience that is this most beautiful Paris hotel.

The two winners were flabergasted that they won and especially since neither of them had any modeling experience at all. ‘’I am totally shocked’’ said Quinte, who was intensely trained her model friends in the past few weeks. ‘’I still wonder what’s happening to me’’ confided Yeben, a DJ in his ‘’normal’’ Second Life. It is not a prerequisite to be a professional model to enter the Look of the Year. Quinte and Yeben stood out in the crowd with the originality of their looks and the excellent performance on the runway.

The contestants were judged by the 13 judges who looked at their style, elegance, how they carried themselves etc. This score was added to the Swimsuits competition and Happy Sunny Afternoon challenge

The new LUXE Paris and LUXE Dot Be LOOK of the YEAR each received the tidy sum of L$50,000! They also won: One year of free shopping at LUXE Paris/LUXE Dot Be (a value of L$30 000), a fashion feature in

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The Second Life Enquirer and in magazines ModeLS, SL Confidencial and L’Amour Diversity (a value of L$30 000), a private dinner party for 20 at the Duplex Club (a value of L$5000), a scholarship at In-Nova Model Training (a value of L$4000), a gift card of L$3500 at ProPose, a gift card of L$3000 at Alma Makeup, a crown by Zuri Jewelry (a scepter for the man), a value of L$1500, an official picture by Jack Rock (a value of L$1000), an hour coaching with Ponchituti Boucher and a VIP invite to be part of AIM Modeling Agency.

official picture by Jack Rock (L$1000).

They will also get an hour coaching with Ponchituti Boucher and be interviewed by ModeLS Magazine and SL Confidencial.

Bravo to the winners but also to all the finalists who gave a fabulous show!

Also L’Amour Readers in October’s issue we will be doing a personal and close up of the winners Yeben and Quinte.

The two runners up in each category (women & men) also received a scholarship at In-Nova Model Training (a value of L$4000), a Zuri tiara or scepter (L$1000), a gift card from ProPose (L$2500 for the first and L$1500 for the second), a gift card from Alma Makeup (L$1000 for the first and L$500 for the second) and an

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L’Amour Diversity Images Magazinecourtesy | Issue 25, August 2019(Rockinman1) of Jack Rock

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of Jack Rock L’Amour Diversity Images Magazinecourtesy | Issue 25, August 2019(Rockinman1)

L’Amour Chronicles: Vickie Maidstone By: Vickie Maidstone

One of the students at L’Amour University of Fashion, Vickie Maidstone, wanted to try her hand at writing for L’Amour Diversity Magazine. She submitted an article about her experiences on Second Life and I loved it as soon as I read it. I thought, what a great way for the readers of Diversity to get to know all of the people that make up the L’Amour companies. So, in each issue, we will highlight a different person at L’Amour.

The Story Begins Searching on the internet one evening, back in October 2006, I did a search for virtual communities. At the top of the first page, was a listing called Second Life by Linden Labs.

I went to the website, read through what it was and signed up for an account. Then, I clicked on the download link and I waited while it installed and updated. During the sign-up process, I was able to create my own first name and recalled a lady Our first chronicle story features, I knew whose name I now have. In Vickie Maidstone who went through the Directing and Producing program those days, you chose your last name at L’Amour University of Fashion. She from a list, so I chose Maidstone, a name that is represented in England. is always there to help people and staff in any way that she can and has Thus, with my chosen name, I signed been working very hard to complete into the client and waited with bated her work in the program. breath. Next thing I know I landed in the water outside of the Hidden Lakes So get comfy and grab some snacks Welcome Center in Waterhead! and get to know L’Amour’s Vickie Maidstone.

I was able to make my way to the center and logged off to catch my breath a bit and thought, what a welcome to Second Life!

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Time marches on

Today

A period passed as I hung around the welcome center, getting used to what I was doing and chatting with other residents. One came to me and offered a place to stay for a time until I was able to find work and begin my journey in this strange world.

Over the past decade, I have had people come to me saying I ought to be a fashion model. Well, I didn’t know what to think because I’m just an average avatar. But someone said it to me again a couple of years ago, so I decided to try it out and went to modeling school. I have since gone on to learn how to be a Director and Producer of fashion shows.

I have always had an interest in Irish music and did a search for a place to go to that would offer such music. I found a place called the Blarney Stone Inn located in the DublinSL sims. I went and was hooked on the music there and have gone many times since.

One evening, I went and had just settled into dancing, when my IMs opened and I was asked if I could come host at a club for the first time.

I said, “sure! I’ll be right there.” So, I made my way to the Rockland Dance Club and was told just to greet while I was training to learn how to send notices and using the contest boards.

Ava: I get to know people on a different level as a teacher, I see Vickie as a caring, go getter who is always there when we do anything at L’Amour. Without even being asked, Vickie will always be there to lend a hand if needed. She and I have been working on giving her avi a new look, and I am going to love the final result of this one. I know Vickie appreciates all the people of L’Amour as we also appreciate her.

Over time, I developed my own rhythm of hosting and learning the many tricks of the trade, while gaining a reputation as one of Second Life’s best Hostess’s.

As my training continued, I learned how to do events, which I also learned while helping in the Relay For Life of Second Life. Eventually, I gained even more experience in starting with an idea to seeing an event come to life and the end results have always been rewarding.

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The Big Store Takeover By: Jude Tatham Like many of you out there, shopping is a regular pastime of mine when I am in SL and it can, at times, feel like an addiction. Everyday, new stores with new designs and new styles appear, and just like that, they draw us in and take our cash willingly. For me personally, there is something about going into any store and finding something new and interesting to wear and having the ability to reinvent my virtual self into anything I want.

It certainly makes my lack of real-life shopping options almost bearable.

But shopping has changed significantly in Second Life over time and in my 12+ years on the grid. I have watched stores come and go, styles and tastes change, and have found the need to look 'perfect' rise tremendously. Back in 2007, when I stumbled into SL, bling and flexi were the king and queen of fashion and everyone had system bodies, prim hair and were generally much more relaxed about how they looked. Then mesh came along and took the virtual world by storm. First mesh clothing, then heads, then bodies, furniture and houses, everything was now lower in prims and more easily accessible, not to mention more realistic looking than ever before.

With the changes in materials and

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the introduction of mesh, came a rise in new and unique designers.

Along with it, the demand for special sales, fashion hunts and group gifts increased spectacularly. Now, rather than a badly made prim prize as a group gift, consumers demanded full outfits, quality footwear, original make-up and perfectly quaffed hair.

All this without even spending a single Linden in store! The obsession with gacha exploded in-world too,

Issue 25 August, 2019 | L’Amour Diversity Magazine

with occasional yard sales turning into whole events, centered around buying or reselling the stuff.

Smaller stores struggled to keep up with demand and moved to the marketplace. Nearly 10 years on, the humble shopping fair or market has metamorphosed into the creature

they were in full swing and extremely popular. For eight awesome months, I got to work with some amazing designers including Zibska, Wicca's Original's (Wicca's Wardrobe back then), Lavian, Legendaire and many more. Seraphim, the information portal for all big events, was in full swing and I remembered being thrilled when they began promoting my event.

After taking a break, I returned in 2017. I decided I wanted back into the shopping event circus and felt I had grown and learned during my time away.

But things were very different now, getting designers interested in being involved in new events was very difficult. Most were already overstretched with multiple events.

Seraphim was not covering smaller and newer events and to be honest, even shoppers had event fatigue.

Needless to say, round two of my shopping experiences didn't last long.

As time has gone on, so many other shopping events have appeared; most good, some bad and a few darn right ugly. I have begun to notice that individual designers' stores are closing, most of them just doing events and that we all know as the shopping having stores on the marketplace. event.

A good friend of mine, who prides himself on doing original mesh, has The big names started it all also hung up his sketch pencil and Collabor88, Uber, On9, FaMeshed and Kustom9 - and these events had closed his store. So, with that in mind, some of the most popular stores in SL it posed the question - are shopping getting involved. Many were started events killing independent stores? up by virtual fashion agency moguls, As I walk around a lot of these events super models and even the clothes designers themselves. I myself started and see many designers offering variations of the same thing, I have an event back in 2015, right when L’Amour Diversity Magazine | Issue 25, August 2019

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to wonder, is the pressure to be part of the shopping experience out there driving great designers away, especially as there are often waiting lists for the big events? I asked a few fellow shoppers what they preferred; shopping events or visiting individual stores. I was interested by their mixed responses.

One shopper commented, "I regularly go to shopping events and when I see an item I like, I grab the LM and go to that store. My preference is individual stores because you don't have to face all the people and lag like you do in a big event."

Another shopper said, "I largely go to these events to see what's new and discover new designers that perhaps I hadn't noticed before. Events are great, because every item is new and fresh and usually up to date."

But not everyone was a fan of having it all under one roof, "I hate that some of the items are limited and you never really know where they are going to be available after the event is over. I like to know what I want and visit a place knowing that item is going to be there to buy."

I had to wonder if shopping events were taking some of the choice out of buying. With a host of designers usually offering just one or two items to buy, are our shopping choices being controlled subconsciously?

"Oh gosh yes!" one shopper exclaimed, "To be honest often the items at an event are all very similar,

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so it can be hard to find good, original looking items."

Another shopper agreed, "Everyone looks the same every month, because everyone is going to these events. If I see something I like yes, I will buy it, but I usually go and see what else this designer has made, trying not to go with the majority."

So, we love these events, but are also aware of the limitations of only shopping there. From a designer’s perspective though, could these events be helping their brand?

Moreover, as one shopper mentioned above, do these events give them the chance to be noticed?

"When I go to events, I feel like each designer is showcasing what they do, and it is up to the consumer to go visit their store and see what else they have on offer."

But I couldn’t help thinking about all those hundreds of new designers that have struggled to get on waiting lists and to get their brand out there.

Something I have noticed at most bigger events and some of the bigger flagship stores, is that there is always a group of people just standing around. I often wonder if they have all just gone AFK, or perhaps they are having a meeting, or maybe a guided tour of SL's shopping hot spots. I asked a couple of people if they ever went there with intentions to do more than just shop? For the handful I spoke to, the answer was a resounding no.

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"I am a focused shopper; I wouldn't come to an event for anything but that". “Ha no, people standing around is annoying and pointless. There are clubs and social hang outs for that.�

the SL economy. That was six years ago, so imagine what that figure is now, even if Second Life doesn't have quite the number of players it used to. Therefore, without a doubt, retail sales have certainly contributed towards that figure and continue to do so every minute of every day.

So, at the end of all this, my feet hurt from shopping, as does my bank account and I sit back and think about this virtual retail life. The evolution of shopping events seems to be natural and in line with the movement and change within Second Life. For some, events have come along at just the right time, saving some designers from obscurity. But for others, events put pressure on designers and limit what we wear and how we spend our money. I am however, glad to hear that individual stores are still a draw for many shoppers and that variety and choice is still a big factor in how we spend our Lindens, wherever that may be.

Back in 2013, Linden Labs announced that $3.2 Billion US Dollars was the amount spent on virtual goods within L’Amour Diversity Magazine | Issue 25, August 2019

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CREATIVE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS GRAPHICS Magazine Layout by Rienna Lenoir PHOTOGRAPHY Photos by Ava Jhamin (4, 42 - 47, 74 - 83, 96 - 111, 124 - 125) Photos by Nani Xue (Cover, 16 - 39, 50 - 59, 90 - 93, 140 - 145) Photos by Jude Tatham (84 - 89) Courtesy of Dainie Fraina (14) Courtesy of Uri Jefferson (53) Courtesy of Jack Rock (114 - 116, 118 - 131) Courtesy Mika Palmyra (117)

OTHER IMAGES 7 Image by Valentin Sabau from Pixabay 14 - 15 Ridderhof from Pixabay - mandala 62 Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 63 https://grallim.com 65 photo by Felix Koutchinski on Unsplash.com 66 Image by mohamed Hassan on pixabay.com 68 - 69 Image by Jonny Lindner from Pixabay 131 Image by Mediamodifier from Pixabay

REFERENCE LINKS By: Smith, Henry F. International Journal of Psychoanalysis. Oct2008, Vol. 89 Issue 5, p919-936. 18p. DOI: 10.1111/j.17458315.2008.00082.x. https://growingenthusiasm.wordpress.com/2008/09/02/forgive-is-an-action/

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The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Publisher. ®2019 L'Amour Productions. All rights reserved.

Second Life™ is a registered trademark of Linden Research, Inc.

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