I, Avatar

This narrowly-framed gentleman, in spite of sinister appearance and habit, is the most gentle and creative Pighed Stonecutter, whose soon-to-be-published book I, Avatar will celebrate the vanity of Second Life. He has kindly invited me to participate, and we spent an hour taking photographs.
Spinoza chides us: "None are more taken in by flattery than the proud, who wish to be the first and are not." Tis an honest and painful sermon, esp. after I have spent so much money and lavished so much time on my cloak and cap and boots. But it cannot be so serious a sin to make one's self pleasing to another's eye, or to take pains in creating a delightful mein. One hopes our Qualities within might shine without, and the cloth only serve to frame them, as a curtain frames the stage. Second Life teaches us not to credit our prejudices, for our eyes behold at every turn a more fantastickal race of men and women (and other less classifiable creatures) than ever walked upon the earth. I have generally found intelligence and kindness behind the most ferocious and alarming face, and have observed that beauty and grace do not always go in hand. I am thereby convinced such unexpected pleasure and disappointment hone our judgment and sharpen our wit. The intoxicating unreality of the experience (for reality is a bland, watered drink, wouldn't you agree?) keeps one mindful of the great effort and great art embodied in every stranger you greet, and every strange place wherein you meet. Who would have expected fluent French from the founder of boar.com? Peut-etre M. Pighed sache ou je peux trouver des truffes.
When Goethe put Voltaire's Mahomet on stage, Schiller commented, "Appearances should never attain reality, and if nature conquers, then must art retire." I thank God and the Devil, and their armies of angels and daemons who inspire us, that art stands unconquered by nature in Second Life.

On writing a book:
but it's nice to get the first paycheck, because only a fool or one of the 12 apostles of Christ would write for any other reason. i'm proud of the fact i get the occasional royalty check, but they're not big enough to make writing books worth it. i'm not an apostle and so i must fall into the fool category.
Pighed