Get a second life

Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown exponentially and today is inhabited by a total of 1,517,472 people from around the globe.And more are joining every day.

Once you enter the world of Second Life, “you'll discover a vast digital continent, teeming with people, entertainment, experiences and opportunity. Once you've explored a bit, perhaps you'll find a perfect parcel of land to build your house or business”.

You can join for free. The first step as a new resident is to create an avatar, a personification of the person you want to be in your Second World. You decide your character, your look, your personality, your role in your second life.

You can acquire land, but this costs a minimum of US$9.95 per month. Your land is a blank canvas; you choose what you do with it. “Build a dream home, or a thunderdome. Create a dance club or a giant bathtub. Develop a small shop or a gigantic shopping center. Or plant some trees and construct a secluded retreat in the pristine virtual wilderness.”

You can also acquire currency on the exchange (there are official and unofficial exchanges), with US$1 equalling about 250 Linden Dollars, the currency you will use in your Second Life. The exchange rates fluctuate with supply and demand. With your currency, you can start trading. You can buy, sell and even make a profit (convertible back into real currency).

Here are two ways to change the world through Second Life:

1. Second Life is a fantasy world. Many people’s fantasies are to be strong, sexy, super-intelligent, athletic, successful, rich… But why not enter your Second Life with the prime aim of “changing the second world”. Become an agent for good in the second world. Be a charity fundraiser, and try to persuade residents to tithe; or create a catalogue of “Good Gifts” which people can purchase to increase their karma; or develop a carbon offset scheme, to encourage residents to be environmentally sustainable. Become a second life social entrepreneur. Who knows, this might even influence what you do in your real life.

2. Second Life relies on the volunteer support of its Residents to make the world a better place, and offers several Volunteer Programs. Why not become a Second Life Volunteer? To do this, you must be an active Second Life Resident with a desire to help your fellow Residents; you must have been in-world for at least two months; and you must have a relatively clean Linden Rapsheet.

Find out more at: http://secondlife.com

And if this doesn’t appeal to you, why not try to change the next world. Wash away your sins with a special soap; re-live the ten plagues with finger puppets, such a Testamint, pray with a credit card rosary… For a bit of fun, go to: http://shipoffools.com

Snakebite: doing the RIGHT thing

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), our planet contains approximately 3,000 species of snakes of which 600 are venomous. Snakes are found in all parts of the world apart from Antarctica, but are most common in equatorial and tropical regions.

There are no accurate figures for the incidence of snakebite or for the number of deaths caused. But snakebite is a serious problem.

A recent estimate suggests 2.5 million envenomations and 125,000 deaths annually. The two regions where snakebite is a particular problem are Southern Asia and Africa.

A study in Bangladesh suggests an annual incidence of 4.3 bites per 100,000 population, with a 20% fatality rate. A study in India suggests 10,000 deaths annually. In Sri Lanka in 2000, more than 37,000 patients were treated for snakebite in government hospitals. A community-based study in South East Nepal estimates 162 deaths per 100,000 population.

In Africa the incidence of snakebite varies greatly – from 300 to 500 bites per 100,000 population in forested regions to 50 to 100 bites per 100,000 in dry savannah and the Sahara.

So what happens if you are snakebitten. The traditional “Boy Scout” response would be to use a tourniquet to stop the blood flowing, to cut the skin to allow the venom to come out, or to suck it out with your mouth. None of this actually works. A tourniquet could cause body tissue to become damaged through lack of oxygen; a snakebite reduces the blood’s clotting power, so making an incision could lead to catastrophic bleeding; and sucking the venom out in practice does not work.

So instead of doing the WRONG thing, you need to do the RIGHT thing, which according to a leading WHO expert is the following:

R is for “Reassurance”. Tell the victim that only 20% of snakes are venomous, and that anyway with treatment, survival rates are really good.

I is for “Immobilisation”. Keep the affected part of the body immobilised, as this reduces blood flow – and the spread of the venom throughout the body.

G and H are for “Get to Hospital”. As quickly as possible, so that the victim can be treated.

T is for “Tell the doctor” of any symptoms. This can be done by the victim or by those looking after him or her.

Treatment requires the use of anti-venom. This is made by injecting horses with snakebite venom. Bu giving a human being anti-venom as a side effect can cause a strong allergic reaction, which itself will need treatment. But anti-venom IS the answer to snakebite.

With 30 deaths annually in Europe and 15 in North America, snakebite is only a marginal danger to people in these regions. But what can we all do about it at a global level?

1. Spread the word virally. Tell people that fatalities are preventable provided people do the RIGHT thing. Do this by circulating this e-mail to your address book, requesting recipients to do the same. Provide a viral solution to a venomous problem.

2. Ask governments in the worst-affected regions to make sure that there are supplies of anti-venom and doctors and paramedics trained to deal with snakebite. Send one letter to one health minister of one government. If you are visiting that country, it might even save your life!

Of the major world’s killers, snakebite may not create the most serious threat, but death from snakebite is largely preventable.

Find out more from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_bite
www.who.int/bloodproducts/animal_sera/en