Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here

In the Divine Comedy (La Divina Commedia, by Dante Alighieri, 14th Century), as Virgil and Dante arrive at the gate of Hell, Dante notes that it bears an inscription, "Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate", or "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."  This inscription implies the horror and torment of total despair.  It suggests that upon entering Hell, all hope is lost.  So it is - or should I say can be - with SL.

Yes, SL can be fun and interesting.  SL has some amazing content to explore.  SL provides a platform for people from all over the world to communicate, create, and roleplay.  The problem with SL is that it's insidiously seductive.  It sucks you in by feeding into your fantasies, needs, or fetishes.  The environments, situations, and games we create in SL can mesmerize us into a false sense of reality if there is an emotional, social, or psychological need that one thinks is being met by these SL experiences.  Whether or not these needs are appropriate or moral is certainly questionable and I will discuss them in greater detail in another blog post.  Suffice to say that the sad fact is that what you do and how you conduct yourself in SL can destroy your real life if you let it.  Don't let it.  If you're unhappy, dissatisfied, or whatever - address your problems, confront your demons.  Correct what's wrong in your real life by taking appropriate action and not hurting your loved ones or yourself.  Get help.  Remember who and what is truly important in your life.  Remember who you really are.  Don't buy into a hopeless fantasy that can ultimately destroy you and your loved ones.  The answers are not found by escaping into SL.  The answers to your problems are found by actively pursuing solutions to improve your real life.

Take SL for what it is... a temporary amusement.  Don't get involved in "relationships" that can devastate a real life.  Heed the warnings in this series (four parts):  Virtual Adultery and Cyberspace Love

More on SL and gaming addictions can be found in my February 19th blog here:  Gah!

I'm driven to blog about this issue because it is a very real concern that has affected the lives of people I know and/or care about.  If you know someone who seems to have a problem with online/sex addiction, please, PLEASE try to help them.  It's terribly painful to watch someone you care about degenerate and not be able to help them.  So first I posted things to my SL profile...and I blog now... and hope that they read what I've written.

A little levity based on truth...  Sarcastic Gamer

If you are interested in reading the Divine Comedy, an epic poem which can be described as a complex allegory that includes a variety of themes, it is available online at:  The Divine Comedy at the Electronic Literature Foundation.

Randomness

I've not been in-world much this week and when I have been there, I've been mostly AFK.  I did shoot a few photos during the short time I was engaged in some sort of activity, so here they are.  I love the first one... it reminds me of saints' prayer cards...

My angelic self gazing toward heaven and lamenting the decadence and depravity around me :P

So angelic...don't let the black streak in the hair fool you... *cough*

Slinking around...

Studio shot.

Studio shot for the Clothes Whore blog.

And of course...Epi sleeping :D  Pasqua's keeping watch :)

Uhm...

I know I said that there would be no more animals for a while BUT... I did say that I was going to post a photo of Epi with her saddle on, so... yeah... Here it is :D  Thanks to Auntie Khlo for the lovely tack!  (Tack is saddle and bridle in equestrian lingo.)  Don't anyone say anything about my feet not reaching the stirrups... 

Epi resplendent in her violet tack!

Day 8 in the Life of Epi and Pasqua

My girls on day 8.  Look at how big they are now!  Okies...that's enough with the animal photos for awhile :D  I promise that other stuff will be blogged!

My Menagerie... and Some Snapshots from Lomas (LOL Ya Gotta Love Virtual Reality)

Sigh.  I so detested those damn Breedable things... and now here I am all gushy over my babies Epi and Pasqua...  It's all their fault - Khloie, Slayer, Akasha, and Abby.  They thought they'd piss me off by giving me one, but it so backfired LOL.  The second I laid eyes on the just born Epi (don't you love that they named her after me?) I was hooked.  She was too darn little and cute :/  So of course I had to have a bunny too - it's almost Easter after all.  Baby Pasqua was born just an hour after Epi.  They are both white with violet eyes :D  They share the corral in Lomas and are happy and loved by all of us.  My horse Michael didn't quite know what to make of the wee Epi but he's become very protective of her and the tiny Pasqua now.  My kitty Uriel stays in my studio (he's an indoor cat LOL) so he's not met the two new babies yet, but I'll bring him down to meet them soon.

And no, there will be no breeding.  That is not negotiable LOL.  Epi turned 7 today and can be ridden - that's as far as it's going :D  Photos of Epi in her beautiful violet saddle and bridle that Auntie Khlo bought for her will be forthcoming.  In the meantime, here are my babies (click each photo to see them larger):

Just born Epi! (Photo by Khloie)

Just born Pasqua!

The scene when I arrived to discover I was a mamma... Slayer, Khloie, Abby, Akasha, and me...and my namesake :D

Michael meeting Baby Epi on Day 2.  I'm sure he was thinking "WTF?"

Auntie Akasha visiting with me and my babies on Day 4

Me and My Girls on Day 4

My Girls and I yesterday - Day 6

The Handsome Michael, named after the Archangel :D

The Adorable Uriel, also named after the Archangel :D

Uriel relaxing in the studio...He still misses his old friend Schultz...and so do I...

Here are some photos from our fun during doubles in Lomas... complete with icky low prim hair!  I hate having to keep my ARC at 800 or less :/

Beach Babes with Bad Hair: Akasha, Khloie, and Epi

Epi and Khloie meditate...

Our Tiki Refuge - that's Khloie to the right.

The Tiki Bar - and La Epi snoozing in the hammock.

And finally, some random shots from Lomas :)

Nice view, eh?

Sun and Shades... and Deep Thoughts.

Me & Akasha - and her blunt - discussing life.

Hermanas

Khloie, Epi, & Michael playing in the water - and Mr. Peepers soaring above us!

Me in my studio. Always thinking...

Me...and Me!

Erin Go Bragh!

Happy St. Paddy's Day to all!  I'll post over the weekend - I'm out!  Have fun and be safe tonight!  And remember:  Guinness is good for you!  Slainte!

La Epi in an emerald garden...getting her Celt on :D

Bleh...

I haven't felt much like posting. I think the state of the world is getting to me. Things are not good, people. If you pray, do so. If you don't pray, then manifest positive energy. If you can't do that, then just think positive thoughts. Be kind. Have compassion and empathy. Forgive. Love - for real. Get out of your isolated little worlds and care about something other than yourselves and your own immediate gratification. Get real. Life isn't about your individual pursuit of pleasure or fun at everyone else's expense. Pay attention to what matters - and who matters. Everything and everyone else is just transient shallow bullshit.

From Chic to Shabby Chic!

Angels & Demons Photography has moved! Yep, it's been a hectic week moving to a new sim, but my new studio is super cute!!! It's very different from the one in Elior, which had a NYC studio gallery look and feel. This one is a bright little seaside cottage - in the sky! Just in time for summer! My new studio feels as much like home to me as the first one did because it reminds me of the seaside cottages here in NY. Come visit me! Don't be surprised if you find me there RPing/working in a bikini! \o/

Here it is!

Ta dah!

Outdoor activity!

Outdoor fun!

Inside with my cycling photo gallery :D

 

Love the collage! Thanks Khloie!

My equipment - OK, only some of it :)

Alcove!

What a surprise...It's pink :P

:D

Relax!

And here's the original studio/gallery:

The cycling galleries' original home.

A more natural me...

Epi-licious au natural.

Serial Killers of SL

Further to my post of February 19th, here's a wee poem about those I call SL "serial killers" and their victims.

           One after another
           Dolls
           Collected
           Broken
           Discarded

           One after another
           Tears
           Fall
           Silent
           Disregarded

           One after another
           Hearts
           Collected
           Break
           Deceived

                (c) Epifani Easterwood 2011. All rights reserved.

Last Night

So last night Khloie got a new bunny look and I got some mad new hair courtesy of my friend Akasha.  Sadly, I didn't get to take a pic of her sporting the new Medusa-reminiscent locks because she needed to log.  We're scheduling a photo shoot to make the most of said tendrils.

La Epi all aglow in Akasha's garden.

The Khlo-Bunny

Cartoon Fun

I was going through recent photos and came upon this one that I thought I'd share:  Adam (with his awesome new look) and I beating on Steve in Danger Point some late night during the first week or two that I returned to SL.  There's actually a photo of me being beaten on by Steve and Adam as well, but I choose not to post that one :D  I love being able to make the photo look like a proper cartoon with my photo editor!