“They say that love hath a bitter taste. But what matter? what matter? I have kissed thy mouth.” ~ Oscar Wilde, Salome

I know many people who would snicker at the notion of establishing a blog under the guise of a digital persona. For these people the terms “real life” and “online” have solid separation. The grocery conveyor belt of their virtual and meat-based selves have hard plastic space bars assuring their mental and physical sundries do not overlap.

Having no such borders to speak of, my “real life” and my “online” existences are much more blurry at their edges. This is likely the result of being a thirtysomething, single, spoiled shrew of some education and experience who was born into the privileges of living in an industrialized nation that allows such opportunities as working from home via teh interwebs. My meat and my metaverse are all intermingly and scream like wet cats over the notion of being ranked or pulled apart.

So, Ms. Salome Strangelove, who is an established presence in the online world of Second Life (TM) is the author of this blog and it is her voice and her mind that speaks here. To what extent Salome is a part of her typist’s whole is something neither of us are quite sure of any longer. And, for the record, yes, the notion that both of them might be barking mad has been presented for consideration and is not completely ruled out.

Such schisms of the human mind are common, even if we do not always recognize them. In the “real world” most people do not don the same behavior at all times. Different groups of business associates, friends, or family can alter our manner. In teenagers and online circles this is called “influence” (as in, “I don’t want you talking to that tramp anymore, she’s a bad influence”) but usually it is simply referred to as “appropriate behavior.” I could go on, but by now you either know what I mean, or you don’t. Far more brilliant minds than mine have written plenty of psychobabble and published thesis after thesis on this little nugget of the human oddity. Besides, let’s face it, once a psyche theory becomes a basis for Billy Joel lyrics, I’m pretty sure we can consider it a norm of the human condition.

In summary, this is Salome’s blog, established as a place to voice ideas, reviews, and information about virtual living. This experiment is separate from (but I’m sure often related to) my SL business ventures and other online mischief. At the same time, being a creature of fierce privacy, it leaves my meat space at the door, except for the obvious baggage that poor Salome has inherited by default.

Which is all just a long way of saying: Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate.