Oscar
THE LEGACY OF
DE LA RENTA
the
FERGUSON
EFFECT HOW DOES ECONOMICS PLAY A PART IN IT ALL?
A
LEGEND GONE
REMEMBERING THE GREAT JOAN RIVERS
DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND NV JEWELRY IS BRINGING MORE THAN JUST BLING
publisher’s NOTE THE END IS NEAR! Now since I am dressed up like Darth Maul, one of two things is happening, 1. We are either in a galaxy far far way (where every day is Star Wars at Work Day) or, 2. It’s October 2014 and this is our big Halloween Issue. Greetings Nu Vibez' readers and if you guessed that it's not a galaxy far far away, then you are correct. Our radio staff is dressed to impress for Halloween as some of our favorite iconic characters. And if you are saying, “hey wait, radio staff? WHAT radio staff?”… Then have we got news for you. Avatar PR and IMOOGI TV have now expanded our media coverage to the realm of radio! So ladies, gentlemen, cyborgs, furries, vampires and all the rest of you sentient beings … we give you … IMOOGI RADIO, FIRE 108! Like our TV network, the radio station has great talent hosting talk shows, with DJ's spinning tunes and innovative program management to keep it fresh, informative, interactive and engaging. From The Morning Zoo Crew (waking us up with their hilarious and very edgy show) to
Hip Hop Hitterz dropping the best in new and old school urban tracks -- there might just be something on the station for everyone. For more info on the crew and programs see the IMOOGI radio article in this special Rocktober Halloween edition of Nu Vibez. Finally, what else can I say except this issue has it all, great photography, articles, brands and giveaways. However, as good as this issue, and the others to follow this year, are … my friends … THE END IS NEAR. Of course under normal circumstances “the end is near” is never a positive statement, but in this case it is. The end is near because we are swiftly approaching the end of 2014, and for this highly eventful year, the end is near. However when one END IS NEAR, we must never forget, a new beginning is just as near! So while we are about to say good bye to our buddy 2014, I have it on good authority that 2015 will be much cooler. Warmest regards, Scorpinosis Nightfire Nu Vibez Publisher and Founder
editor’sNOTE
The wind has chilled, the leaves have turned, the days grow short and the fires burn.
The time it comes, for witch’s flight, when ghastly ghoul’s come out at night.
It’s fall once more when darkness creeps, mystical things awake as the veil retreats.
So keep close your soul, hold true your heart, for when evil tolls, your journey starts.
Happy Halloween and please join us in welcoming Ji Nirvana, Editor-in-Chief of Roleplay Guide Magazine, to the Nu Vibez team as she steps in to take on the role of Art Director. We know you’ll enjoy the clean, engaging and entertaining style of design she brings to the magazine as we move into the 4th quarter of 2014. So many amazing things are on the horizon for you, here with Nu Vibez as well as with all of our other brands. Keep your eyes on us so you don’t miss a thing! Welcome Ji, we’re so thrilled to have you here with us! All my best, Filipa Thespian
NuVibez magazine
tm
PUBLISHER Scorpinosis Nightfire EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Filipa Thespian ART DIRECTOR Ji Nirvana CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Filipa Thespian Ji Nirvana Lorcanboru CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS Cobra Momiji Heather Bloom HillarySwift Filipa Thespian Lacy Muircastle SaraMae Xaris Scorpinosis Nightfire SALES & MARKETING Scorpinosis Nightfire Filipa Thespian SUPPORT Ji Nirvana SaraMae Xaris Yolanda Hellman
www.
NuVibezMag .com
The goal of this publication is to provide an unique insight into the world of entertainment and lifestyles be it in virtual communities or real world neighborhoods. Covering the issues important to people whether they are avatars or human beings, NuVibez circulates to a large population of readers online and in virtual worlds. NuVibez is published for those whose interests are varied but focused on being entertained and educated on current events, new entertainment venues, artists and finding ways to improve their online experiences. Opinions of the columnists are those of the authors and do necessarily reflect the views of the owner or staff, nor does NuVibez Magazine assume liability for claims of advertisers. Letters to the editor, address changes and other correspondence to: nuvibezm@gmail.com Advertising inquiries and submissions need “Advertising� in the subject line and emailed to: nuvibezm@gmail.com.
contents
ABOUT THE COVER This month NuVibez features new radio station iMoogi Radio along with some of its staff and management.
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COVERSTORY: Taking Over the Airwaves
iMoogi Radio is revolutionizing Internet radio by offering indie artist a place to be heard by a mainstream audience and 24-hour programs like the Morning Zoo.
FEATURE ARTICLES
20
Green with NV
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Can We Talk
ALSO INSIDE
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The Ferguson Effect
Breakout designers Mui’Kenn and Saphire, of NV Jewelry, are making accessories unlike any other.
NuVibez Magazine remembers the comedy legend Joan Rivers who broke barriers becoming one of the first commedienes in the industry.
August brought unrest to a small suburb outside St. Louis. But are economics the real catalyst for why things escalated in Ferguson, MO?
4 10 28 60 64 70 78
The Legacy of Oscar
Fashion Icon and beloved Couturier Oscar de la Renta was know for his use of vibrant colors and elegant designs.
Publisher’s Note Editor’s Note More Than a Game: Love On the Couch: Ask Hillary Why She Stayed Sitting with Ebbe, pt. 2 Dating Younger Men
NVious Diamonds are truly a girl’s best friend and nobody knows that better than Mui’Kenn Ronas and Sapphire Cobalt, the duo behind NV Jewelry.
By Lacy Muircastle and Filipa Thespian
You’re wearing the perfect gown, amazing shoes, and the most unique and intricate jewelry and accessories. The men are in their tuxes and the sim is full of elegant guests -- you can positively feel the hum and excitement of this big society event. Everyone sparkles and shines and it’s so exciting, if a little difficult to wade through the thick lag sauce, but you don’t care because you feel FABULOUS and you look AMAZING … until the announcement comes over voice, “please remove your jewelry, heavily primed accessories and scripted items to reduce lag…” UGH!
20 October 2014 - NuVibez Magazine
You had taken such time to put together your stunning look. You focused on every little detail and created something that shows off your taste and sophistication with the perfect accessories. You were so excited to go to this event … to see and be seen … and now, everyone is asked to strip down to nothing … the indecency of it all … when will it ever end?!? Well let me tell you dear readers … it ends TODAY! Nu Vibez Magazine was fortunate to obtain an interview with the illustrious and difficult to pin down duo behind some of the most amazing mesh jewelry
THE DYNAMIC DUO Mui’kenn (left) and Saphire.
on the grid today … Mui’Kenn Ronas and Saphire Cobalt. “The classics inspire me. The glamor of the early days of the movie industry is a never ending source of that inspiration that fuels our work at NV Jewelry,” Saphire shared with us. So why do we here at Nu Vibez Magazine feel this jewelry is so significant to event coordinators and audience members? Think of it -- in days gone past, jewelry like this would have consisted of hundreds of tiny little prims each with multiple facets, each facet covered with a texture, and each prim would be glinting back at each person on sim with scripts running bling. Heck, one of these old-school necklaces could take down a sim when coupled with just a
few more of a similar nature. Not NV Jewelry! What looks like hundreds of prims, in most cases represent a prim count (or LI) of only four, maybe five … yes, FOUR or FIVE! “I had an idea of who (from RL) I wanted to emulate in style and went around gathering parts from all over SL to put myself together in a way that reflected the look I was after. This was a natural lead-in to designing and creating within the fashion world for me. I love to play with outfit templates too and feel this is another layer of fun in adding to my image of a classic star,” Saphire continued. “Over time, this ‘playing’ with templates and creating styles brought us to
NuVibez Magazine - October 2014 21
NO LAG. Mui’kenn and Sapphire have really taken jewelry in Second Life to a whole new level. These jewels can be worn anywhere without worry of causing lag. Why? There are no textures or laggy scripts yet each gem sparkles.
where we are today, creating truly unique and totally custom mesh jewelry for Second Life residents,” Mui’Kenn added. For those who do not understand why this is important, picture if you will, a simple cube which has 6 sides (i.e. facets) – seems harmless enough. Then, we texture that one cube’s 6 sides giving us 6 textures for the server to load.
small and say we have only 50 people on sim (again, low for a society event). Now your one necklace is being called on 50 times (once per person on the sim), forcing the server to load those prims & textures 50 times. Well, do the math, that’s 5,000 prims, with 30,000 facets rezzing textures (yes, that’s 30,000 textures to load) … BAM! LAG SAUCE GALORE and we haven’t even discussed the scripts yet.
Still seems simple enough. Ah but a necklace has more than one prim in it so leaning to the conservative side, we’ll say our necklace has 100 prims in it (that’s low for many upscale jewelry pieces). The server must now read and load 600 textures on 100 prims. Let’s add other audience members now. Keep it simple and
“We came across a smattering of mesh jewelry from other creators. This got us to thinking about how we could do the same thing, but in a unique way,” said Mui’kenn. “The idea of creating 3D mesh gems was the catalyst for starting our company. With some technical assistance from our dear friend Shaz, our company gemologist, we
22 October 2014 - NuVibez Magazine
came up with gems that we feel are truly unique in SL.” This combined with Saphire’s creative designs, and Mui’Kenn’s intense skills in creating mesh, lead to NV Jewelry’s unique look and feel. “Each piece is named for a glamorous star, and inspiration is garnered from jewelry designs in the real world, such as the pieces you see worn by movie stars of yesteryear and some of today,” Mui’Kenn shared. “Emulating that style of high fashion jewelry is the cornerstone of our company where we don’t just make jewelry, but strive to inspire experiences and memories through our creations,” Saphire concludes. When you slide that stunning diamond and sapphire necklace around your slender throat, you will feel the weight of the quality of the piece, not the lag. There is no scripting beyond the ONE used in the color and resize hud and no textures are used, it’s all just color. No bling is required because when you look at it, it’s reflecting light and depth all by itself. How all of that affects you when you’re wearing it, wasn’t apparent to the ladies when they first came up with the jewelry. A friend of theirs had to spell it out for them when she realized what they had. Don’t believe us? Head on over to their store where you will find each piece actually on display! While you’re there, don’t forget to stop and admire the centerpiece of the store which is itself, a stunning piece of low-prim/low-
lag artwork in its own right. Apparently Mui’Kenn‘s, brother Mar’Kenn has a knack for statues and Saphire thought it would be cool to have one as an art-deco center piece. Thus, “Vickie” was born! Laying back with a smile on her face as she is draped in a thread of 440 diamonds with a giant emerald at each end. She is a sight to behold when you think about the fact that the gems are unscripted, without textures, and reflect light so naturally, and represents ONLY 50 PRIMS! What a true testament to the talent behind this team of content creators, their supporters, and their brothers Mar’Kenn Tatham and Robin Colinsgrove of Armana Designs!
So, while everyone else is forced to remove their glamour and glitz to save the sim from lag at that high society event, you will be able to slip into your smile of selfsatisfaction, knowing that you are the most stunning person in the room because you are wearing NV Jewelry and you won’t need to remove your jewels to save the sim! Visit the store: http://maps.secondlife.com/ secondlife/Sunset%20Vally/232/12/1503 NuVibez Magazine - October 2014 23
more than a game
keeping it
REAL By HillarySwift Resident
Have you sought love online? Have you sought love in Second Life (SL)? Has real life (RL) love let you down too many times? Well, you are certainly not alone. If you joined SL to seek that elusive love of your life, be assured the likelihood is no better than real life. Though, it does and has happened, the particular characteristics of online environments, makes it very tough to rely on the ideal of “what you see is what you get� that we tend to need when trying to figure out if this man or woman is the one for me. Just consider profiles for a moment. While we have all seen the profile picture from hell, most of the time, people put their best face forward. Few people are
28 October 2014 - NuVibez Magazine
really prepared to post the picture of their morning face, with bed hair, bleary eyes and drool stains, onto any site where they are seeking love. They know that first impressions count and they need to show off their assets rather than display their frankly ordinary side (and we all have very ordinary sides!). This has been the case for dating sites and social media hookup sites for a long time now. Imagine now how tough it can be in SL when the image a person displays, their avatar, is by design, an idealised version of personhood (assuming the user is being human at that point). There is no chance that viewers of idealised humans won’t be impressed
FINDING LOVE online is not much different than finding in the real world. It has it’s ups and downs. But dating online presents other obstacles that are present in the real world. Either way find the one isn’t an easy feat.
ALICIA CHENAUX
by what they see on their screen. Gorgeous is gorgeous, that’s not hard to figure out. It takes several steps of hard thinking to do a reality check and wonder about the person behind the avatar. Some, very few SL users, put a RL picture on their profiles. Even when a picture is there, many are not actually of the user themselves. Many images are of famous people or just ordinary folks who probably have no idea their image is now on display as being the “real” person
behind an avatar in SL. I know this from personal experience with SL users I am familiar with. They are nothing like the RL image they display on their avatar’s “1st life” section, they are often not even the same sex! The attempt to verify just who this person is that you have taken a shine to can be devilishly difficult. Not only are many SL users shy of revealing their real selves because let’s face it, SL may be their fantasy escape from grisly reality and they do not wish to mix the two, but also because they may have already experienced their own relationship disappointments and drama and are reluctant to risk being involved in another roller coaster romance. Using voice to verify the person is at least the sex they say they are can be a great help. It is not foolproof of course, but the trouble to fake voice verification would probably mean it is likely 30 October 2014 - NuVibez Magazine
to be fairly reliable. To do more than this requires a move out of SL. Using live cam to verify the physical person is really the only way to figure out just what they look like and a bit about how they behave. This step is vital if you are open to the idea of developing a serious relationship with anyone online, especially if a physical meeting is difficult to arrange due to distance. But no amount of voice or vision will guarantee you real knowledge of the other person’s life circumstances. People who wish to deceive are likely to ensure you only ever talk to them or see them when it is most convenient to hide what it is they wish to hide. It may be that they only ever voice or cam with you when it is very late (so their real life partner and the kids are in bed). Or they only ever let you see or hear them when they are at a specific location, like a hotel or library (so you don’t hear or see their real world). Then there is the capacity that people have to carry off a particular persona over a long period of time. Honest folks tend to reveal their ups and downs and likes and dislikes without fear or favour, they know it is just the way things are, it is normal to have a bad day now and then, they accept difference and they allow you to have your mood variations and opinions without judgement. Red flags should wave vigorously if your love interest started out as all charming and eager then once you are hooked they cool off rather suddenly. This is not good news, but very common and one of the hardest things to cope with for those genuinely seeking true love. Online, and SL is not the fountain of love any more than real life. Good relationships are based on the same aspects as they are in RL, shared values, similar interests, respect, compassion and openness are no less needed online than in RL. It seems ironic, but even in SL you have to keep it real, if you want to have real love.
remembering l
legend and icon joan rivers BY HEATHER BLOOM
LEFT: Joan began her career in the 1960s, getting her big break after her first appearance on the Johnny Carson Show back in 1965. FACING PAGE: (from top) Jim Connell, Jake Holmes and Joan Rivers when the three worked as a team “Jim, Jake & Joan.” The trio toured nightclubs in the U.S. and appeared in the film “Once Upon A Coffee House” in 1964. This was Joan’s first motion picture.
Can we talk? So goes the catch phrase that made Joan Rivers a legend, although this ground-breaking lady never needed an audience’s permission to be honest. She was that nosy next-door neighbor you couldn’t decide whether to desperately avoid, or invite inside for coffee. Her passing came right on the heels of another iconic comedy figure: Robin Williams. Each brought something to the game that made their stand-up stand out, but next to Carol Burnett, Joan Rivers was the talent I lived most vicariously through…making those jabs I thought, but could never dare say. I never had the opportunity to meet her in person, but a few of my friends have. One was working as a stage manager for Ms. Rivers at a local casino. She had nothing but praise for the acid-tongued comedian, describing her as a “warm, quiet woman…the polar opposite of who she is on stage.” 36 October 2014 - NuVibez Magazine
My friends Audra and Darla went to a live taping of “Fashion Police” in June. These are two ladies who live life! I adore and admire their lust, zest, and chests! Joan Rivers was the first female celeb I ever heard of who was openly ‘out there’, crazily candid about her plastic surgeries. This may explain why her endoscopy wasn’t referred to by the press as a “procedure”…possibly to assure her 2 million-plus Twitter followers and fans that she needed no more improving. At age 81, she was fresh, feisty, and fashionable, at the top of her game, and looking more glamorous and attractive than ever. Not only was she the fearless leader of her “Joan Rangers” on E’s “Fashion Police”, but she was also a brand master with her hand in almost every modern money-making cookie jar around: A QVC product line including clothing,
“LIFE IS VERY TOUGH. IF YOU DON’T LAUGH, IT’S TOUGH.” — JOAN RIVERS
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jewelry, and accessories, books, projects, perfume, a reality show, and charities galore. Joan knew faces. And she knew fashion. She earned the right to dis the designer charlatans and pitch a fit about cheap fabrics and ill-fitting frocks. I’m almost feeling cheated now that I will never have a chance to be called out on the red carpet by her. By the way, do you know why they call it staying “fit”, getting “fit”, being physically “fit”? Because clothes = FIT. We have a fit when a favorite outfit doesn’t fit properly. Buttons must button evenly; zippers must zip all the way up without puckering. Who is responsible for these body-conscious styles, anyway? Why aren’t we all walking around in flowing robes with bell sleeves and luxurious fabrics? Ever hear the saying, “Dress not for who you are now, but for who you want to be?” Some
cultures have had a handle on this for centuries. “Let’s dress like angels before we die!” Brilliant. (Wings: optional). I like to think fashion is more dynamic and evolved than ever, but isn’t the skinny jean just a modern version of the corset? Seriously… the equivalent of the orthodpedic compression stockings nurses wear to prevent varicose veins, they push all the blood up your legs to your waist, forcing your stomach to spill out over your belt loops and your eyes to buldge like a crazy prison inmate. You know who I mean…lol. Of course you can get lipo for those skinny jeans and Daisy Dukes. While Joan Rivers made no secret of her own affection for Botox and other work, the argument has always been about it’s necessity. Plastic surgeons can tuck your tummy, suck your fat cells, and carve you into celebrity perfection if you have the right plastic to pay for it. You don’t have to be rich or well-known to justify it. Many normal, non-famous folks have greatly benefitted from cosmetic procedures. Breast reduction can relieve backaches and improve posture, abdominoplasty helps with rapid weight loss or sagging skin post-pregnancy, eyelid lifts can improve vision, and otoplasty (or ear pinning surgery) can save one from a litany of “Dumbo” insults.
TOP: Joan and the late Robin Williams on stage together for “We Are Most Amused,” a show celebrating HRH Prince Charles’ 60th birthday back in 2008. MIDDLE: On stage, Joan made people laugh all over the country. She joked about everything from herself to the age old top of brains over beauty: “No man has ever put his hand up a woman’s dress hoping for a library card.” BOTTOM: Joan and daughter Melissa Rivers stop for photographers at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York Spring/Summer 2014.
NuVibez Magazine - October 2014 39
making waves:
Online radio newcomer imooogi radio is revolunizing how we listen to music BY COBRA MOMIJI & SARAMAE XARIS
I
t's Monday morning and after a lazy Sunday who wants to go back to the daily grind. Hot coffee helps but it's not enough to get us in the mood to leave backyard barbeque, football and chilling.
So with only coffee and the drive to work between you and your boss (who hates Monday too) what’s a person to do? Well a growing number of listeners are waking to the Morning Zoo Crew's online radio show on IMOOGI Radio along with all the other shows and DJ's in the station's full 24 hours of programming. What's different about this internet station however is that it's staffed, owned and patronized by virtual world avatars and real-world humans. Avatar PR and iMoogi Enterprises are at it again
pulling together yet another multi-media outlet for the delivery of amazing talent be it mainstream or indie. Everyone gets a fair shake here and the listeners know their voices are heard! “Yes, there are a number of options available in the realm of online radio, but none quite like iMoogi Radio,” stated Scorpinosis Nightfire, CEO of Avatar PR. “When you listen to iMoogi, we want you to experience a well-oiled machine — a highly professional radio experience to rival that of the top stations in mainstream radio today.” “Well, not only that,” added owner of iMoogi Enterprises, Filipa Thespian, “but one that cares about building up indie talents, giving them a chance to find their mainstream potential.”
“There was a time in radio, where it was the make-it or break-it of each new star … the time of Elvis and The Beatles,” said Filipa, “if you could get the attention of the DJ, get him to listen, God willing to spin it on the air … you could quickly skyrocket.” Today, main-stream stations only play the top 100’s of their genres for the most part. It’s nearly unheard of to find the dulcet tones of indie “unknown’s” caressing the airwaves. Online radio stations do not tend to run a programming schedule to give the listener a feel of coherence and organization and you will find literally anything grating the fiber optics leading to your speakers. “iMoogi Radio’s goal is to bring you the best of
both worlds, opportunities for ‘the little guy’ to mix it up with the well-known and the comfort of having a professionally run station guaranteeing you quality programming,” Scorp concluded. Do not miss your chance to join in the fun on iMoogiRadio.com. From the Morning Zoo Crew to the Midnight Metal Madness, it’s 24/7 audio candy with fun and funny DJ’s and hosts and you can even join them in the studio, inside Second Life! As they say at iMoogi, “Become an iMoogi today, iMoogiRadio.com.”
BEYOND FERGUSON
Communities from across the U.S. are showing their outrage over the death of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Mo. Brown, an 18-year-old black man, was shot and killed by a white police officer on Aug 9. Similar notable incidents include Trayvon Martin in 2012 and Oscar Grant in 2009. PHOTO BY SIERRA ROMEO
THE FOLLY OF FERGUSON A look at the economics of how the wealth gap is widening and why history continues to repeat itself By Scorpinosis Nightfire The shooting of unarmed teenager Mike Brown by police officer Darren Wilson put Ferguson Missouri on the international map. With new eye witnesses and video footage confirming the initial accounts of the teenager being killed after he had surrendered to officer Wilson, all bets are off on how this story will ultimately play out. However what we do know for sure is that there is a problem in this country and Ferguson is a
THE BRASS TACKS
5.3%
In an attempt to understand the pre-existing conditions that allowed the Mike Brown killing to turn into riots, researchers dug into statistical data on the differences between whites and blacks in Ferguson. Now what they found was
An economic comparison of overall wealth, home ownership, unemployment, income and poverty between Black and White households.
Unemployment Rate
11.4%
classic example of this problem that most of us have tried to either hide, deny exists or just not care about.
Poverty Rate
As of July 2014, the unemployment rate for Black households were up almost twice the national average of 6.1% white households were below.
27.2% The national poverty rate is 15%
9.7%
Median Household Wealth
Median Income The average income for a Black household is 60% less than that of White households.
$59,754 WHITE
$35,416 BLACK
72.9% - WHITE
43.5% - BLACK
Black households typically accumulate less than one-tenth of the wealth of White households. In the last 25 years, the wealth gap has tripled.
Home Ownership Typically home ownership among Blacks is much lower than Whites. Home ownerships is often an American's greatest asset and a component of overall wealth.
$6,446
$91,405
SOURCE: THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, PEW RESEARCH CENTER, BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS AND SENTIER RESEARCH
NuVibez Magazine - October 2014 47
ABOVE (CLOCKWISE): Police in riot gear and local SWAT teams standoff imposed a curfew just days after Mike Brown was shot by a Ferguson police officer. Outraged residents took to the streets. FAR RIGHT: Mike Brown’s mother Lesley McSpadden along with an named relative, stand on stage at the St. Louis Peace Fest, a day before she buried her son. PHOTO: BRETT MEYERS People across the U.S. stood in solidarity with Ferguson with numerous rallies in different cities including Dallas, Oakland, Calif., Washington D.C. among others. PHOTO: HELLIUM FACTORY
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shocking and even a St. Louis native myself that grew up hanging in Ferguson with friends and family was not prepared for the following facts*: • A typical black household has accumulated less than one-tenth of the wealth of a typical white one. And it’s only getting worse. • Over the past 25 years, the wealth gap between blacks and whites has nearly tripled, according to research by Brandeis University. • That’s in large part because home ownership among blacks is so much lower. Housing is often Americans’ greatest asset and a major component of their overall wealth. • Blacks also typically have lower incomes than whites, which also makes it harder for them to save and build wealth. The median income for black households is less than 60% that of white ones. • Unemployment is also a major problem. The jobless rate for blacks is twice that of whites. The gap has been at least that large for years. • All of these factors combine to push many blacks into poverty. America’s 15% poverty rate masks the underlying racial differences. More than one in four blacks live in poverty, while fewer than one in 10 whites do. The economic situation in Ferguson mirrors the national picture, with poverty, unemployment and low income pervasive among its black residents. The Mike Brown shooting didn’t start the fire that turned a vibrant Quick Trip gas mart into twisted melted metal, glass and charred stones as the compiled stats reveal. However it did pull the scab off a sore that could no longer hide under a bandage of feigned equality and tolerance. *Statistical data excerpt :The Real Economy 5 Disturbing Stats on Black-White Inequality BRETT MEYER / YOUTH RADIO NuVibez Magazine - October 2014 49
A CORNERSTONE OF
couture Oscar de la Renta was a world-renowned and beloved couturier, who dressed many of Hollywood’s leading ladies, First Ladies of the White House and royalty. He rose to international stardom after being one of a few couturier to dress former First Lady and style icon Jackie Kennedy. He may be gone but his legacy will live on in his works. To Oscar de la Renta with love...
by filipa thespian
THE BUSH CENTER
B
orn in Santo Domingo in 1932, and having spent half a century in the forefront of Haute Couture, Oscar De la Renta was one of the most renowned fashion designers in the world … and now he’s gone. He was 82 years young.
“He was a true, true gentlemen, in the truest sense of the word – a real bright light – and this is just a terrible terrible loss for the fashion world,” said Alina Cho, fashion journalist and editor at large at Random House, to CNN. “Oscar was the epitome of classic elegance, shunning the garish runway garbs that so tempted other designers. To be dressed by Oscar de la Renta was to be dressed as royalty," reminisced Kylie Sabra, fashion designer and owner of Sabra Style in Second Life.
The “Sultan of Suave” as he was so often called, began his international rise in the 1960s when he became one of the couturiers who dressed Jacqueline Kennedy – and his career dressing First Ladies and leading figures from on-screen to real-world royalty began. Diagnosed with Cancer in 2006, it was announced last year that he was totally clean 54 October 2014 - NuVibez Magazine
ROYALTY and A-List stars weren’t the only women wearing stunning gowns by Oscar de la Renta. Several First Ladies of the White House donned his elegant frocks including Jackie Kennedy and Laura Bush. His designs were not only elegant but colorful. He had a knack for marrying vibrance and elegance.
THE BUSH CENTER
from the deadly disease. And yet, his wife, Annette de la Renta confirmed to the NY Times, that his death was from complications of cancer. “Cancer is a monster and the fight is going to be long and hard. Today there are more cancer survivors than ever before. They are living longer but in the end it is still a terrible death,” said Kaiila Mahoney, long time organizer of one of the largest Relay For Life (RFL) teams in Second Life (SL). Former first lady Laura Bush stated Monday night, “we will always remember him as the man who made women look and feel beautiful.” He had designed her daughter Jenna’s wedding dress. “It is always sad to hear of the passing of a legend. His
creations were not only pieces of fashion to be worn but rather pieces of artwork to be displayed,” shared Avante Model Adriel Huntress when asked her thoughts. “He paved the way for designer's who followed and despite not being here in body, his spirit and soul will live on in the designs of all who he inspired.” We know the now, but what about the in the beginning? The youngest of seven children and ‘lucky’ enough to be the only boy, at 19, Oscar de la Renta studied painting at the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid, Spain. For extra money, he would draw clothing for newspapers and fashion houses which gained the notice of Francesca Lodge, wife of John Davis Lodge, U.S. Ambassador to Spain at the time. She commissioned De la Renta to
design a gown for her daughter which appeared on the cover of Life Magazine that very fall. After that, he grew interested in the world of fashion design and began sketching for the top Spanish fashion houses leading to an apprenticeship with Cristobal Balenciaga, one of Spain’s most renowned couturiers. And that, is as they say, was that! “Myself and the entire fashion community both RL and SL mourn the loss of Oscar de la Renta,” stated Anastacia Konstantin, designer for LivGlam here in Second Life and owner of Opium Evolution NuVibez Magazine - October 2014 55
THE HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL
Production House, one of Second Life’s leading fashion show production organizations. “He brought such elegance and beauty from his Latin roots. His designs were worn on every runway and every awards show. He was truly an icon in Fashion and we will all feel his loss. I am sure he is now in heaven designing for the royals that have been awaiting him,” Ana concluded. Creator of the ivory tulle gown worn by Amal Alamuddin when she wed George Clooney in Venice, De la Renta was determined to stay at the top of the Haute Couture charts, achieving fame in two pivotal areas, as a couturier to socialites and as a “red-carpet king.” What really kept him at the forefront was how he embraced the cultural shifts and technology, unlike his counterparts in the industry. He was quite the social media networker apparently. Many may know of the vintage fashions created in Second Life by Sonatta Morales, but few know that she works for a large fashion house in RL and has studied fashion RL as well. When 56 October 2014 - NuVibez Magazine
asked for her thoughts on Mr. De la Renta, she had to say, “Oscar de la Renta left us but his legacy will live on. He made dresses we all would love to wear, and to be loved like that in the fashion world is surely an achievement. His work was chic and precise, a fashion designer who knew how to make a woman look elegant and glamorous without resorting to silly gimmicks. He wasn't exactly a revolutionary in terms of fashion; de la Renta was instead, a man of balance and temporal beauty.” “He made First Ladies and red carpet celebrities glow in a magical kingdom of fine taste and discreet luxury,” Sonatta continued. “I was quite moved to see that de la Renta appointed Nina Ricci's artistic director, Peter Copping as creative director of his brand before passing away. He was careful with his choice and I'm sure he left his name in good hands. As Oscar himself once said, ‘the trees you plant you may never see in their full glory, while the ones you enjoy now were put there by people who may never have seen the results of their work.’”
“It is very upsetting to know one of the greatest fashion designers in the world has passed,” expressed Avante model Kramer Snookums. “He has done so much for the men and women in fashion and his legacy will live on forever in the fashion world both here in Second Life and in RL.” At New York’s 92Y ‘Fashion Talks’ series in June of 2013, Mr. De la Renta told the audience, “the only realities in life are that you are born and that you die. We always think we are going to live forever. The dying aspect we will never accept. The one thing about having this kind of warning
“He was a visionary, a fashion genius and as a child I remember taking magazine pictures and hanging them on my wall. One of my favourite designers, he will be missed,” shared Solde Rothmanay, fashion designer, photographer and blogger in Second Life. Kimmera Madison, owner and desinger of Tres Beau in Second Life, is sadden about the loss of such a bright light in fashion. “The loss of Oscar de la Renta is very very sad. In my eyes he was a pillar of the fashion world and will always be an icon of elegance and a
“IN MY EYES HE WAS A PILLAR OF THE FASHION WORLD AND WILL ALWAYS BE AN ICON OF ELEGANCE AND A REGAL SENSE OF STYLE”
— Kimmera Madison Tres Beau
[cancer] is how you appreciate every single day of life!” “We hope that someday, cancer will be as treatable and survivable as diabetes or high blood pressure. But until then we have to continue the fight and fund research in order to find the cure,” RFL’s Kaiila Mahoney adds. “Please, join the fight against cancer in any way you can,” she pleads. “Help those who can find a cure and prevent such tragic losses as that of this great man. Please go here http:// acscan.org/research and sign the petition to Washington for more funding for cancer research and consider joining a Relay for Life team near you either in Second Life or in First Life,” Kaiila continues. “Each year, residents of Second Life raise hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars for this pivotal research from their amazing efforts and events held on the grid. You CAN make a difference!”
regal sense of style,” Kimmera said solmenly. “He knew how to dress a woman to accentuate her inner and outer beauty, and he made ever woman who wore him, walk taller and radiate from within. As many greats, such as Coco Chanel and Christian Dior, before him, He has left his stamp and it will always be honored and admired.” Always remember to cherish each day and each person in your life, don’t let something like Cancer need to be the catalyst to learning how to live your life, rather than just exist. Get up, get out and get moving. Life is what you make of it and I for one intend to make it a thing of beauty, as did this great man. Oscar de la Renta, you will be sorely missed!
NuVibez Magazine - October 2014 57
THE WANDERING FAUN
Welcome back to The Couch, a column that started in August 2014, in NuVibez that invites your queries about life. Whether you are asking about Second Life (SL) or Real Life (RL) or the many ways they cross over, or whether it is about yourself or someone else, your Couch Coach will dig into your issue and hopefully shed a little light so you can get closer to understanding this endlessly bewildering thing called human behaviour. Here are a couple of issues drawn from the various SL forums that have perplexed SL. They may be issues you have had on your mind. Of course names have been changed to protect identities, so there is no point looking for these folks online. Unreal Diva wonders about her avatar’s appearance. 60 October 2014 - NuVibez Magazine
“My avi is a petite sexy woman who likes to look adorable, so how do I decide what to look for when shopping to get the looks I'm looking for?” Oh UnrealDiva, you are in great company there. You say you are very new to SL and the array of available skins and attachments are overwhelming to choose from. They are indeed, plus they are changing all the time. AS technology advances and browsers change and are able to handy various formats for avatars, you will naturally change where you shop and what you buy. You have made a good though by deciding on the ‘appearance theme’ you want for your avatar. You could make it a bit more specific, like consider age, ethnic appearance, other aspects of coloring and so on. Different
interested in her. “I recently lost my partner but I go hang out in good dance clubs, some swanky places, yet the guys never ask me to dance. Am I that ugly? What am I doing wrong?”
GET YOUR GROOVE ON AND MAYBE YOU’LL FIND A GROOVY GUY.
Being a wallflower, WallFlower, is not always so bad because it gives us a chance to see what’s going on around us. Unfortunately in SL what one sees is not always what one gets. You may be observing guys not talking or asking you to dance, but you cannot see whether they have half a dozen instant messages going on simultaneously, or whether they simply have SL idly in the background while they watch the football on television.
VANITY MIRROR
makers tend to do some things better than others. You don’t say whether you are male or female in RL, not that it matters much, but it might influence your choice of avatar appearance too. The purpose you want your avatar to look a certain way is also relevant. Do you want your avatar to be an escort or dancer? Do you want your avatar to become a vampire or some other role play character? An avatar can still be petite, sexy and adorable yet be pasty white and dressed in gothic garb with discrete fangs. Also consider that a lot of what appeals to the eye in SL is the way an avatar moves. So investing in the right animation overrider (AO) will be important to achieve the sexy and adorable look you want. WallFlower is struggling to get a guy
It may be the case that you have to take the initiative and ask some fellows first and see what response you get. You will quickly see if they are away from their keyboard or show some interest. Also take a careful look at your profile. Does it display defensiveness, a tendency to depressiveness or display a lot of past hurts? These are not going to be flames to which the male moths get attracted. Revealing realistic things but not too much to strangers that have not yet earned the right to intimate facts about you is best. Highlight the things you like to do best and hopefully guys that read your profile that like that too, will contact you with interest. Also remember that SL is not going to be more successful in the search for love than real life, if that is what you are after. If it’s just dancing, don’t forget that there are lots of great and groovy dance animations you can do solo even in a dance club. WallFlower get your groove on and maybe you’ll find a groovy guy. NuVibez Magazine - October 2014 61
WHY SHE STAYED The real dangers of domestic abuse BY HILLARYSWIFT RESIDENT
The most obvious question asked of women when someone learns that she is suffering in her relationship, is “why doesn’t she just leave?” Hopefully, with the wealth of information around these days, those that blurt out this question quickly realise they just asked one of the most pointless questions of all time. The response to the question is neither simple nor is there sometimes any coherent answer for a range of good reasons. “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Is the way Leo Tolstoy opened his novel on the story of the tragic life of Anna Karenina. This great novel detailed both the best
of relationships and the most tortured of them and through this portrayal gave us insight into some of the reasons why women stay in the relationships they are in. The place of women, children, financial support, family loyalties, expectations and social acceptability are just some traditional reasons why women stay. Most of these reasons are still current. It is important to remember that the worst of unhappy relationships are dysfunctional due to abuse. The abuse may be mainly physical, or mainly psychological or a combination of both. Both kinds of abuse can cause death of the victim. Physical abuse, (actual hitting, beating, tying up, threatening with weapons and so on) is clearly potentially fatal as it continues and escalates. Psychological abuse, (threats, shouting, name-calling, restrictions on behaviour, humiliation, and so on) is less obviously directly fatal until one includes the mental mood state of depression that will accompany both physical and psychological abuse. In fact in psychological abuse the depression and hopelessness might be even more acutely self-directed because there is no way of avoiding the damage once the abusive value system and attitudes have intruded themselves into the victim’s head. Whether physical or psychological abuse is present, the abuser may use various 66 October 2014 - NuVibez Magazine
techniques to ensure the victim stays. One of these is apologising after the abuse. Another is victim blaming. When the abuser appears to genuinely feel remorse for their behaviour with assurances they will not do it again, the victim, who still loves them, and may be further bound to them by children or finances, will be inclined to give them another chance, and yet another. The victim hangs onto these slivers of hope offered up by the abuser that things will change. When family or friends like the abuser, and make excuses for them, it can be even harder for the victim to not give the abuser another chance, indeed, many second chances. This dynamic further damages the victim because they ultimately may come to blame themselves for not giving another chance, when they could have. To avoid their own self-blame for perhaps being intolerant or impatient or expecting too much, the victim stays hooked. Victim blaming is particularly damaging to victims. ‘It takes two to tango’, is a well-known saying and even the most victimised person will admit that they may contribute to the dysfunctional dynamics with their partner. However, being part of the dysfunction is not of itself either a ‘cause’ of the dysfunction, nor is it a ‘cause’ of the abuse. The abuser though, knows that any possible chance to blame the victim for their contribution, will take the
BOTH KINDS OF ABUSE CAN CAUSE DEATH OF THE VICTIM. focus off them. The attention gets deflected to the victim and the abuser can then appear to justify their abuse on the basis of provocation or even selfdefence! The pernicious damage done to the victim from this tactic is that the victim learns that they are never good enough, they are really the bad one and their sense of self-worth suffers sometimes to the extent that they take their own lives due to a deep sense of worthless hopelessness. There is so much more to the dysfunction that people find themselves in when they enter the rocky road of relationships, but here is a glimpse into why my leading question is so inadequate to begin to address the needs of victims and their abusers. Hopefully you follow Tolstoy’s lead and find out what makes the woman you are talking to, uniquely unhappy.
inside linden labs
sitting with
EBBE By Lacy Muircastle
As you’ll recall, in a recent issue we published the beginnings of this interview that we called “I See Pixel People.” It scratched the surface of the interview that follows. Here at Nu Vibez, we keep a very close eye on what’s going on in this wonderful pixelated world in which we live and feel when there are answers to be had, take it to the top of the food chain! As most of you are aware, Linden Lab is working on a new virtual world platform which has caused a bit of a storm in a teacup. To which my IT buff son said to me, “Mom, it’s called innovation, don’t you know…” Well, we interviewed Linden Lab’s new CEO, Ebbe Altberg with some very pointed questions to find out just what is what. NVM: What attracted you to Linden Lab? EBBE: In college I studied both computer science and art, and Second Life appeals to me as a fantastic mixture of technology and creativity. I’ve been close to Second Life and Linden Lab for a number of years. I first tried Second Life when it was still in beta, my son later became a very active user of SL (and the teen grid), and I met Philip Rosedale early on through a good friend of
mine, who happens to be on Linden Lab’s board of directors. When the board approached me about joining Linden Lab, the opportunity was too exciting to pass up. Not only does Linden Lab’s work fit well with my interests, but the company’s been successful where no one else has and created the most successful virtual world ever. That, combined with the financial strength of the company, put us in a really unique position to continue to lead the virtual world’s space. NVM: What makes your job hard? EBBE: Complexity! Building, improving, and supporting a true virtual world is incredibly complex. The number of things we need to do, NuVibez Magazine - October 2014 71
and do well, is much broader than what most companies deal with. With Second Life for example, you have 3D creation tools, inventory systems, real-time text and voice communications systems, an e-commerce platform, a stable virtual currency, a user-to-user economy, the ability for users to actually cash out, an international community who are using the virtual world in an amazing range of ways, to name just a few aspects, and that’s all operating on a live service that runs 24x7. The complexity can make things challenging, but it’s also closely related to what makes Second Life great and working at Linden Lab exciting.
also best for Second Life users if the next-generation is made by us. While we can’t promise 100% backward compatibility, we want to make some pieces of Second Life - like L$ balances, identity, and social graphs - work cross-platform.
NVM: So, if Second Life is all that, why make a totally new virtual world, isn’t that putting Second Life at risk? NVM: Have you chosen a name for it yet? EBBE: To be clear, we’re not “putting Second Life at risk” by EBBE: As for a name for the working on the next-generation next-generation virtual world, virtual world. Second Life is the we don’t know yet. best and most successful virtual world ever; today it’s better than NVM: Why not integrate the it ever has been, and we’re new with what is already going to continue to improve it available? as well. But, there are a number things we can do better if we EBBE: To the extent it’s possible start from a clean slate, rather and makes sense, we will. than constraining ourselves with Identity, L$s, and social graphs the technology and decisions will work across both Second made over the past 11+ years. Life and the next-generation Someone is going to make the next-generation virtual world, and we believe that not only should it be Linden Lab, but it’s 72 October 2014 - NuVibez Magazine
virtual world. Some more modern content, like meshes, may also be transferable, but will probably require some adjustments. That said, we’re
building the next-generation platform without setting 100% backward-compatibility with Second Life as an absolute requirement. Our main goal is to create something really wonderful, and we don’t want to constrain how great we can make things by saying that it also has to work with everything from Second Life’s 11+ year history. NVM: Platform versus product – what is Linden Lab’s definition of what Second Life is and what the new version is intended to be? EBBE: Great question! Second Life has sort of straddled the line between product and platform, and I think that’s created some challenges for us. For example, right now Linden Lab acquires and on-boards all new users through a singular entry point; everyone comes through the
same funnel. Additionally, the SecondLife.com homepage and our marketing generally positions Second Life as a consumer experience (because that successfully converts new users). That approach makes sense for a product, but the reality is that Second Life is more of a platform; all experiences and content inworld are created by users. I think that the better approach for us could be to treat it more as a platform and empower creators to acquire their own audience of consumers more directly.
WE HAVE NO INTENTION OR DESIRE TO APPROPRIATE THE CREATIONS OF OUR USERS OR SELL THEM WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT. improve our integration as the hardware evolves; we’re actively working on DK2 support right now, and our next-generation virtual world will work across devices (VR headset, mobile, PC, etc.).
NVM: Another hot potato is the TOS debate; please clarify what Linden Lab’s intention is with all the amendments to the TOS? E.g. is it to join the Metaverse as a whole, and NVM: What is High Fidelity’s to break out of the ‘walled role in the new LL platform? garden’ situation that Second Life currently finds itself EBBE: None currently. We in? That is, do the latest have a good relationship with changes mean that Linden the High Fidelity team and we’ll Labs has returned all rights keep each other updated on to us for our content, and what we’re doing, but at this although you need us to give time we don’t have any plans for LL the right to have it in the collaboration. database and serve it to us and those of our choosing, as NVM: Will Oculus Rift be well as potentially using it to usable in Second Life or only show off the world of Second in the new platform? Life to grow the community, that LL has no intention EBBE: The Oculus Rift is nor desire now or ever, of actually usable in Second Life claiming our rights or taking today! In fact, if you go to the our content from us? SecondLife.com homepage, you’ll find a link to this blog post: EBBE: The recent update to the http://community.secondlife. ToS was made for two reasons. com/t5/Featured-News/UsingFirst, we needed to add the new the-Oculus-Rift-with-SecondSkill Gaming Policy. Second, Life/ba-p/2728824, about our we wanted to clarify Section open beta. We’ll continue to 2.3. As we explained in this That’s also the way we’re currently thinking about the next generation virtual world - more of a platform than a product.
blog post: http://community. secondlife.com/t5/FeaturedNews/Updates-to-Section-23-of-the-Terms-of-Service/bap/2777874, and as established in the first paragraph of Section 2.3, Linden Lab respects the proprietary rights of Second Life’s content creators and prides itself in its success in providing platforms on which users can create original content and profit from their creations. We have no intention or desire to appropriate the creations of our users or sell them without their consent. The updated section still provides Linden Lab with the rights that we need in order to operate and promote Second Life, so we retained much of the language as the previous version. However, it now also includes limits that better match our intended meaning, and we hope will assuage some of the concerns we heard about the previous version. NVM: Where do you think the most significant growth will occur for Linden Lab in the next few years? How do you expect to manage that? Will it have any impact on any other areas? NuVibez Magazine - October 2014 73
EBBE: We’ve recently seen some encouraging metrics for Second Life, and as we continue to improve it, I’m optimistic that may continue. However, I think our biggest opportunity for growth for the future is the next-generation virtual world we’re working on. The next-gen platform should avoid some of the problems with Second Life that currently limit its growth - for example, it will be easier to use, accessible from multiple devices, more performant, etc. - and should be better able to capitalize on the strong interest we continue to see for virtual world experiences. NVM: With the number of privately owned sims shrinking at a rapid rate, what is LL’s marketing plan for SL’s membership base to regrow the community? EBBE: I’d recommend against trying to draw conclusions from private region numbers as a singular data point, out of context; the speculation we’ve seen from some in the community stemming from that figure often includes some pretty off-base assumptions. Recently, we’ve seen some encouraging signs across a few metrics we pay attention to that do more directly correlate to the size and activity of the user community. It’s too soon to read too much into that, but we’ll certainly continue our marketing efforts to acquire new Second Life users as we continue to 74 October 2014 - NuVibez Magazine
LINDEN LAB RESPECTS THE PROPRIETARY RIGHTS OF SECOND LIFE’S CONTENT CREATORS improve the platform. NVM: Online education seems to have missed the boat with regard to using what SL can offer, with only the UWA doing anything of any significance and the Open University seemingly having disappeared, does LL have any plans to developing this market? EBBE: I don’t think that’s a fair assessment, actually; there’s a lot of educational activity happening in Second Life today. I’ve spoken with a number of educators who are actively using SL, and there are quite a few. Drax profiled a chemistry professor at Texas A & M who uses SL in her classes, the University of Michigan School of Nursing is using SL for training, San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science uses SL for historical role play, and there are many more examples like this. Virtual worlds clearly hold
significant value for educators, and we’d definitely like to support that vertical both in Second Life and for the nextgeneration platform. NVM: Bearing in mind some of the contentious law cases that have arisen in the past, what does LL have in place or plan in order to help protect us from content theft in world and on marketplace? EBBE: We greatly value creators and want to help them to be successful in Second Life. We have processes in place to handle cases of intellectual property infringement, but thwarting unauthorized copying is an ongoing challenge, in part because of how the technology works and in part because we don’t want to limit the creative power that all Second Life users have. Well there you have it dear readers, “right from the horse’s mouth” so to speak. We just have to look at the changes in computer technology, cellular phone technology, and gaming consoles to realise that it was only a matter of time before SL too would be caught up in the tidal wave of advancements in technology. I think most of us would agree that it would be better for Linden Lab to come up with a real solution to things such as Lag, rather than a competitor do it, in order to make the transition into the next generation, easer for all residents to bear.
MO RIZA
NOTHING BUT A NUMBER The rules of dating have changed but is dating a younger person just a man’s game or are women in it too? By HillarySwift Resident The world news regularly features age gap pairings. Yet another one appeared today of a wealthy octogenarian tying the knot with a twenty-something Playboy model. It’s more than a cliché, it is real life, and it happens on a regular basis. Of course, just because it appears to be doomed to those of us observing, and sighing, because we have seen it all before, we should not dismiss the likely hopes of the pair that they are finding true love with this spouse. Pairings between people of big age gaps has been something we all find fascinating, mainly 78 October 2014 - NuVibez Magazine
because it is not all that usual. With mass media we hear of more of them, and perhaps the incidence has increased a bit over the decades, but it is still rather uncommon. Much more regular is the pairing of people who are within five years or so of each other’s ages, with the man almost always the older party. There are good biological reasons for this traditional pairing model to be the norm. Most people pair up for the first time in their youth, well within breeding age for women. There have been demographic changes over time, with
recent decades seeing the age of first pairings getting higher, and more recently dropping a bit again. But people initially pair up to breed and make a home for raising children with relatively few exceptions. Some people make conscious decisions not to breed, and for them pairing up can come at any time, and indeed does. Still it is likely to happen younger rather than older, but the pressure to catch the best of a woman’s eggs is not an issue. For those who are beyond the rush of egg fertilisation, the age of pairings is less of a motivating factor in mate selection. Both eyes and hearts are likely to be more open to partners of greater age gaps, and for men this can include a woman who is older than they are.
Quite apart from the fascination men are portrayed as having for older women, best shown in coming of age films, once the breeding seasons are set aside, some men still find older women appealing. Of course for women who have emerged from the binds of breeding, men much younger than them can also be appealing because they no longer need a man to look after them while they are vulnerable and heavy with child. At least for some people, pairings like this can be a worthwhile solution to finding love in unconventional places. The decades of women’s increasing financial independence has also assisted in creating a time when women do not need to assess a man’s potential as a breadwinner. Men can be assessed purely for their relationship compatibility. The disadvantage of this is,
not surprisingly, that pairings can just as abruptly end when the relationships ceases to be compatible because there are neither children nor financial binds to hold the couple together through rough patches. While pretty young things, fancy women, will always adorn the arms of men with wealth or status who choose to transact their offerings for the youth and exuberance of their woman, it is a welcome thing to see mature women of substance with younger men with their arm around them who adore their mature woman for their stability, genuine compassion, experience, worldliness and depthless capacity for care. Yes, I am a fan of MayDecember pairings, the older woman-younger man version, for all the right reasons.
VALDIMIR PUSTOVIT NuVibez Magazine - October 2014 79
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