Lunch-Box Trees and French Bread Trees

**********************************************************************
When I was a little girl, I loved the Oz books written by L. Frank Baum. The actual books bear little resemblance to the Hollywood film (which I never liked at all) and have the advantage of incredibly beautiful illustrations by John R. Neill, 'The Royal Illustrator of Oz'. One of the first books I read was 'Ozma of Oz', a tale that contained detailed information about the Land of Ev, where Lunch-pail trees flourished.

The first description of these marvelous Trees is as follows:

...'Lunch' could be read, in neat raised letters. This tree seemed to bear all the year around, for there were lunch-box blossoms on some of the branches, and on others tiny little lunch-boxes that were as yet quite green, and evidently not fit to eat until they had grown bigger. The leaves of this tree were all paper napkins, and it presented a very pleasing appearance to the hungry little girl.‎'

This tree captured the imagination of a very young girl, but I have discovered that I was not the only child who found the concept of such a tree irresistable. Although I have read all of my favourite Oz books countless times, the magic of them remains fresh and vibrant.

Enter the age of computer games and FarmVille where, much to my delight, a 'French Bread Tree' was released as part of the Bastille Day celebrations. The French Bread Tree is a Level 1 Tree, which means that it is available solely in the Marketplace and as a Limited Edition, soon will be unavailable. If placed in an Orchard, however, one can obtain Mystery Seedlings from it which can be grown into 'Big French Bread Trees'.

As an immature Tree, the bread is not particularly attractive or distinctive. Although it includes diverse shapes, all are unbaked and therefore have the same dough texture. It is when it is ready for harvest that the French Bread Tree is displayed in all of its glory and I feel that L. Frank Baum would have appreciated this variation on the original.

Colouring Eggs for Easter

N.B. The Sheep Pen in the screenshots is not mine. I do not own any 'flasher sheep' yet. There is one Ewe in the centre of the bottom row that changes colour. Each screenshot shows it in a different instant as it changes colour rapidly from moment to moment!

************************************************************************
An extremely popular online game known as Farmville recently introduced an 'English Countryside' option as a method of giving players the opportunity to own a second farm and one that specialised in crops grown in England. Some of my favourite flowers are included and the entire theme of the farm is 'British', albeit rather stereotypical in nature. In Harvest Moon fashion, one is asked to restore vitality to a small village by assuming management of a dilapidated farm as well as a failing Pub. One therefore can craft both drinks and pastries, using Crops harvested from the 'English farm'.

A very interesting new twist to the game is the ability to breed sheep, but these are not ordinary Sheep. There are sheep in fantastical colours, ornamented with dots and stars. As with the 'fantasy trees' in Farmville, I initially was put off by the blue sheep with red dots. In the same manner in which I gradually came to appreciate the fantasy trees to the point where I wished to cultivate and produce MORE of them, I became seduced by the fantasy Sheep.

Breeding is not an instantaneous act. It requires special Potions and the presence both of a Ram and an Ewe. When a lamb is born, it must be fed 10 bottles of milk before it will grow into its adult form. One must ask Neighbours both for Love Potions and Bottles. Lambs can become ordinary or extraordinary Rams or Ewes, depending on their bloodlines and chance.

One can become quite obsessed with sheep-breeding. At first, I laughed at my Neighbours who constantly begged for more Bottles but now I have become quite as needy as any of them.

'Easter Egg' is an old gaming term that refers to special, hidden objects or events that can occur or manifest when triggered. The special Sheep that can be raised in Farmville could be considered 'Easter Eggs' in the gaming sense but, beyond that, breeding Sheep is very much like colouring Eggs for Easter. The brightly coloured, decorated Rams and Ewes that emerge when they become adults are very appropriate to the season and actually resemble coloured Eggs. I expect this was deliberate on the part of the developers and it is both clever and appealing.

Although virtual coloured Sheep, however fantastical and extraordinary, cannot take the place of real Easter eggs, the sheep breeding option in Farmville as well as the Crops of traditional Springtide flowers, gladden the heart and spirit.

The Spirit of Christmas, Fabulous and Free

(Screenshots of Fantasy Kingdoms, showing special Christmas Quest reward prompt, Traditional Christmas Tree with lit candles and magical Holiday Sweets and Ornaments Crops)
************************************************************************
Christmas or Yuletide should be a time of universal rejoicing, a brilliant Star in the firmament of our lives in the often dreary winter season. In all Northern cultures, even before Christianity, there was a Winter Festival to celebrate the rebirth of life at a season when visible signs of death dominated the landscape. Although the Roman festival of Invictus Sol, or the Ever-Victorious Sun, near the time of the Winter Solstice, was an invention of one of the later Roman emperors, it actually was founded upon more ancient mystery cults.

In contemporary Western 'culture', we are bombarded with the propaganda of desperate consumerism, urging us to BUY, BUY, BUY for Christmas. In fact, the current Christmas episode of the popular television series, 'Family Guy', is a brilliant allegory about the effects of the greed of big businesses AND consumers alike on Christmas. (If one can tolerate or ignore the superfluous vulgarity of the occasional release of unpleasant noises from the human body, it definitely is worth a view or two. That guy really needs a good editor. What could have become a classic is marred by farts and belches from the human 'commentator'...)

At the same time that Christmas is being suffocated by aggressive commercialism, the anti-Christian or 'Atheist' groups are busy making mischief everywhere, protesting against any public demonstrations of faith in the Spirit of Christmas or any decorations that could have religious Christian connotations. It appears to be solely Christianity that is targeted by the atheists, by the way, a fact that strips their 'cause' of any virtue whatsoever.

Jung wrote about universal symbols in the collective unconscious and the fact of the matter is that most 'Christian' symbols of Christmas are replete with significance for EVERY ONE. Whether it is the Holy Family, the Lord adored by Beasts, the Infant King, the Blessed Virgin, the Star of Bethlehem or the Christmas Tree, ALL of these symbols can be found in mythology and folklore throughout the globe throughout the centuries. This, of course, is the source of ANOTHER group of protests from the fundamentalist Christians who declare that Christmas is a Pagan Festival and should be shunned and avoided by all devout Christians!

With all of the anti-Christmas Spirit in the air and the endless assaults by commercial enterprises urging us to BUY, BUY, BUY, it can require almost superhuman efforts not to become depressed during the holiday season, especially if one is poor, alone, ill or disabled. Indeed, Advent Masses almost always include prayers for the poor, the isolated, the ill and the disabled and concerted efforts are made by almost all Churches to deliver food and gifts to members of these groups.

Another source of Christmas spirit is available to those who might not be able to interact with others in the ordinary way. With the blossoming of wireless internet connections and Facebook, there are ways to interact with others in celebrating the blessings and beauty of the Christmas season.

Facebook is a social application that is free to users and was designed primarily to allow friends and family to share information about their lives, whether through photographs, videos or written messages. In the past year or two, however, free games have proliferated on Facebook and some of these are very creative in their efforts to celebrate traditional holidays.

Even though I take a personal interest in games, there is far too little time to explore all of the available options on Facebook. For me, however, it is the 'farming simulation games' that provide the best methods of social interations through gaming as one is encouraged to share with Friends and Neighbours rather than defeating or even killing them!

For sheer, breathtaking beauty, I would recommend Fantasy Kingdoms to every one who loves the visible aspects of the Christmas spirit. From magical Crops that grow Ornaments and Holiday Candy to incredibly exquisite Reindeer and Evergeens, Fantasy Kingdoms is a treasure trove of artistic delights.

Farmville may not be as exquisite as Fantasy Kingdoms but it offers a number of entertaining options, including a Workshop that can be 'harvested' daily for Gifts and a Christmas Tree where Gifts are stored and then traded for special holiday items.

These games are free and user-friendly. You do not have to be a gamer or even a computer expert to enjoy them. Although they do offer special limited items that require currency (Farm Cash or Kingdoms Cash) that is difficult to amass in the course of gameplay and therefore are designed to persuade players to invest real money in the game, there are plenty of items that can be purchased with currency Coins or Mana) earned by playing the game.

Fantasy Kingdoms and Farmville are two of the games offered on Facebook. There are many, many more that celebrate the Yuletide season by offering special items and activities.

Much has been published with respect to the dangers and pitfalls of internet friendships but for all the individuals one 'meets' who are not worth the time of day, there are far more who are wonderful people. Many could be described as 'poor, alone, ill or disabled', in fact, but rather than becoming depressed by their situations and the trials they are forced to endure, they involve themselves with activities that raise their spirits and the spirits of others.

Fantasy Kingdoms for Real People

***********************************************************************
I was enticed onto Facebook initially, as are most people, I suspect, by a friend who wished to share photographs from her own REAL life with me. She was a fan of Harvest Moon and Rune Factory as well as my Guides for a number of years but has become a real friend, and, I must add, one who moved heaven and earth recently to take one of my purebred Himalayan kittens. (In doing so, flying him all the way to Texas, she has earned my eternal gratitude.)

In any event, she set my guide-writing persona upon another path when she asked me to write a Guide for an extremely popular Facebook farming game named Farmville. When I began to play Farmville, I found other farming games such as Lovely Farm and Fantasy Kingdoms that were far more beautiful and I introduced my friend to these... It is rather ironic in a way that she now plays Fantasy Kingdoms rather than Farmville.

Many of the philosophical arguments for and against simulation games can be reserved for another time. Where a game like Fantasy Kingdoms is concerned, however, some very positive values become apparent during holiday seasons. Once upon a time, before the age of technology and computers, people who had no families and those known rather depressingly as 'shut-ins' often would become more painfully aware of their isolation and loneliness during holiday seasons. Those who could not share in the joys of decorating their own home or the appreciation of the decorations outside their homes would be oppressed by the knowledge of their limitations and lack of mobility. Now, however, there is a solution that can be extremely fulfilling in its way.

The online 'farming simulation games' such as Farmville and Fantasy Kingdoms, being based on Facebook, are geared towards expansion of an individual's social network. 'Sharing' is fundamental to all of these games. You are persuaded to add as many 'Neighbours' and 'Friends' to the game as possible. As they are free games, inviting a friend to participate involves no outlay of cash nor even information if the friend chooses not to share real data on Facebook. The way that these free games make money is by offering exclusive items that usually require purchase of a special currency using REAL cash. You can earn this special currency in the course of playing the game but it is a slow process and players often desire the exclusive items enough to invest real money in the game.

Investment of real cash in an online Facebook game might be perceived by many as foolish, but there is a compelling argument in favour of it. Console games and PC Games are not free for the most part and can cost up to 50 dollars in some cases. Free Facebook games on the other hand REQUIRE no purchase. Players reap the benefits of playing the free game, but how can the developers work on new games if there is NO investment in their products? Spending five or ten dollars to purchase exclusive items, when seen in this light, becomes more of an act of patronage of the arts than wanton foolishness.

A few years ago, I became involved in Second Life, a free virtual reality and my greatest pleasure in the game for the most part occurred during the holidays when players would create breathtaking or delightful items, then sell them or give them away or simply allow others to enjoy them. Second Life was based on the premise that the users of the game would create the world themselves. The experience therefore was very uneven. Wastelands or lands filled with rubbish could be found next to amazing wonderlands. Unfortunately, the star of Second Life has waned because of the economic recession... It is possible that as Facebook has become more involved in simulation games, that these games have taken the place of Second Life for some. After all, both on Second Life and Facebook, you can meet real people and interact with them.

Although the items themselves are created by the developers of the games on Facebook, players use them to create their own unique landscapes. Many of the so-called farming simulation games thus are interactive works of art. This is very much the case where Fantasy Kingdoms is concerned. The combination of the exquisite items created by extraordinary artists at SneakyGames and the use made of them by players can be spectacular.

At the heart of all Facebook games is the concept of 'Neighbours'. You are not encouraged to play the game in isolation, although you can do so. Many items and options are 'unlocked' only if you acquire Neighbours. The more Neighbours that you have, the better your gaming experience will be.

Although your gaming 'Friends' and 'Neighbours' may not be people that you know in your real life, interactions with them often do create real relationships. A person's personality is seen in the way that they treat others even in games. Free Gifts are very much a part of online Facebook games. There will be a list of items that can be sent to Friends and Neighbours on a daily basis. Some people never send Free Gifts but others make it a part of their daily Facebook routine. In helping others, the players of course help themselves, as 'Thank You Gifts' are encouraged in return.

For individuals with busy real lives, finding time and energy to experience virtual realities on Facebook can be a challenge, but for those who are isolated or disabled, it can be social salvation, especially during the holidays. After all, even if your 'Kingdom' is a virtual one, you can obtain extraordinary emotional and aesthetic satisfaction by decorating it for the holidays. Receiving virtual Gifts can be very satisfying as well. Knowing that REAL people are thinking about you and will go to the trouble to send you special items is a link with other people, even if the items exist only in a virtual reality.

Farmville may not be as gorgeous visually as Fantasy Kingdoms but it can be a lot of fun during any holiday season. The developers always release new construction projects and there are holiday Quests for Christmas with rewards in the form of special Yuletide items. Farmville has become far more entertaining now that the Crafting option has been included in the game. Although each of these games require a bit of time and energy, I find that I enjoy both Farmville and Fantasy Kingdoms, unlike my friend in Texas.

Many of us cannot afford to spend much money decorating for the holidays this year but in Fantasy Kingdoms, every one is a Prince or Princess with the power to distribute largesse and create a Winter Wonderland.

Note about Screenshots: The three screenshots are taken from Fantasy Kingdoms and feature special Winter items. The Magical Crop for the Winter Season is 'Ornaments'. When first planted, they are coloured glass ornament bulbs scattered on snowy ground. When they are fully mature and ready to be harvested, they are a glorious display of different ornaments, including a Golden Star, Red Ribbons and a Toy Drum. Each Crop in Fantasy Kingdoms has very distinct stages of growth and many players 'freeze' Crops at different stages to create interesting landscapes. For example, the FishTail Fern, when it is newly planted, can be used to create a lovely rock-like path.

The Christmas Tree that displays lit candles when it first is planted will be an undecorated evergreen covered with snow. It is only when it is ready to be harvested that the lit candles and pinecones will appear.

The little Ornament House is a special seasonal Item as is the Candy Cane Lightpost.

Holidays and Online Games

On the day when the United States celebrates 'Thanksgiving', Farmville, the popular online game on Facebook, announced a 'double mastery' event that would extend through the holiday weekend, ending Sunday night.

My first reaction was disgust. It was an obvious marketing ploy to entice players away from their family and friends back to their computers at a time when gaming should have been very low on the list of priorities.

'Mastery' for the uninitiated, is a concept that allows one to gain points whenever a specific Crop is harvested. Bushels of the Crop randomly are produced whenever any Crop is harvested and Mastery increases the probability that one will obtain Bushels. In the simplest of terms, Bushels of Crops can be used to craft Items and can be traded to other players for monetary rewards. Giving double Mastery points over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend therefore would encourage players to plant and harvest Crops when they otherwise might have left their fields fallow for four days.

Farmville, a 'free' online game, is owned by Zynga, one of the most aggressive online gaming entities. The object of the enterprise, from Zynga's perspective is to persuade players to bring new players into the game and to encourage them to spend REAL money on it. When you are playing Farmville, you never are allowed to farm in peace. Every couple of seconds, a prompt will appear, telling you of some item your farming efforts have uncovered, and suggesting that you 'share' it with friends and neighbours. Nothing wrong with the concept of sharing, but 'sharing' is the means by which messages from Farmville are posted on players' profiles on Facebook. If you are not careful, your entire Facebook profile can be swamped by Farmville messages, giving outsiders the impression that you spend more time and energy on virtual farming than you do in living.

After my initial disgust at Zynga's blatant strategy to exploit a festival weekend, I began to think of all the people who would spend their holiday alone... I have spent many holidays alone, away from my home, surrounded by strangers on different continents at different times in my life. How much less lonely I would have been if I had the ability to 'join' a virtual community like Facebook, to entertain myself with the illusion that I was planting and harvesting Crops and setting a Table for a feast, sharing the rewards of my labours with 'friends and neighbours' throughout the virtual globe.

I never will find online games more attractive than games created for consoles or handheld systems. I dislike the intrusion of the game creators in my virtual life. 'Free' games require advertising of some kind and marketing to persuade the users to invest in them. There is nothing wrong with that. An individual who is willing to spend twenty to fifty dollars on a DS or Wii game should be willing to invest the same amount in a 'free' game that they play regularly. After all, how can the developers of these games be paid to continue creating new options if no one ever invests in the game? I have a very limited income but I do not expect to receive something for nothing in this world.

It is interesting to visit the farms of other players and to see how every one uses items differently. Some of the landscaping I have seen in games like Fantasy Kingdoms, Lovely Farm and Farmville is incredible. Players have created real works of art in many cases. On the other hand, the vagaries of the internet can be extremely annoying and frustrating. Online games on Facebook often fail to load or lose items or load so slowly that one is in danger of falling asleep (literally) while waiting for a screen to load. These games change constantly, as does Facebook itself and the need to coordinate changes on both sides can bring enormous problems to every one. Nonetheless, it is rather heartening to realise that the whole world truly can be connected in the celebration of a festival even when people are isolated in reality.

Strawberries and Illusion in Reality

****************************************************************
Strawberries in any supermarket are red and luscious in appearance, but in fact are shot through with brilliant red dye in order to make them appealing. In my innocence, I did not realise this initially. I simply thought that Strawberries had degenerated as a Crop and naturally had come somehow to taste like cardboard and to be hard as rocks, even when ripe red.

This morning, I was cutting Strawberries purchased at a local supermarket when I came upon one that was pallid, almost white in spots, as though it had contracted a variety of leprosy special to fruits. Evidently the dye had missed parts of this pathetic fruit. It made me think about reality and illusion and I decided to write about it, taking a photograph of a portion of this Strawberry next to one that had been fully blasted with the brilliant dye.

In fact, it was only when some one purchased Strawberries recently from a farmer's stall in the country and brought them to me that I finally recalled what natural Strawberries WERE. I remembered as a child how, in Nepal, we grew Strawberries on the compound and how they almost dropped from the vines when ripe. The proper method of removing the little green hat they wear was to pinch it between two fingernails and pull it off, thereby wasting none of the fruit. The taste was sweet and the texture succulent. These roadside Strawberries had all these qualities...

Playing Facebook farming simulation games recently in order to compare and review them, I thought of how the Strawberries in a game called Farmville are dull and small unless fertilised by a neighbour. When fertilised, they are large and attractive, causing the player to lust for real strawberries.

Farmville is virtual reality, but how real are the fruits sold at Supermarkets after all? Where is the dividing line between illusion and reality? Consumers are bombarded with marketing devices through the media as well as being deceived visually by the appearance of items in shops. Even when laws require disclosure of ingredients, few consumers actually bother to read the 'fine print'.

Yet, the fruits sold in supermarkets, although they provide some semblance of taste and a small amount of nutrition, are almost as false as the Fruits harvested in Farmville. Sadly, a child who never tasted a fruit that ripened naturally on the vine would believe that these dyed, processed items represent the 'real deal'.

I recall experiences I had with vegetarians who purchased false meat deliberately in order to recreate traditional meals. The 'meat' was made from soy but rather than using it in its natural form, they purchased soy 'turkeys', 'roasts' and soy 'sausages'. These ersatz meats never really looked like the items they were intended to replace but evidently, some people prefer to add a layer of illusion to their lives, especially where food is concerned. After all, most people know that real butter is white, but how many individuals would be happy to spread white butter on their toast?

In many cases, illusions are tools for seduction, whether it is prompted by an advertiser or seller or by oneself. Any illusion that makes an item or a task more attractive is embraced happily by most people. In most cases, there is nothing sinister about these illusions but I am beginning to believe that the effects are cumulative.

I always have been very conscious of the illusions and propaganda that are promoted deliberately by the media where 'news' is concerned and actively fought in the trenches to dispel these falsehoods. It became very discouraging, however, when I realised that the majority of readers or viewers of the news actually do not care whether it is true or false as long as they believe it will not affect them personally. How many people outside of Palestine cared about the Israeli violence against the Flotilla for Justice, a genuine humanitarian effort to deliver necessities to a people in desperate straits? How many Americans actually know where Gaza is? The entire 'war against terror' is based on carefully constructed propaganda designed to promote the interests of the military machine and civilian firms like the notorious Halliburton and KBR who make billions by working with foreign forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere throughout the world... The interests of the Israeli State often are placed above domestic and even international American interests in the U.S. in Congress as well as 'on the street'. The simple mantra taught to the general public to the effect that 'Israel is our friend' is enough to whitewash any number of crimes against international law and humanity. True friendship allows criticism and disapproval but the U.S. 'friendship' with Israel is a one-way street that does not allow even a breath of criticism against ANYTHING that the Israelis do. The most courageous Jews in the U.S. such as Norman Finkelstein, who dare to criticise Israel and its policies are villified regularly in the media for doing so and are defined as 'self-hating Jews' as though Israel and Jewish were one and the same. The Jewish organisation of Neturei Karta is compelling proof that this is NOT the case:
Neturei Karta

For those interested in learning a little more about Norman Finkelstein:
Norman Finkelstein

I try to steer clear of politics in these posts, but it infuriates me to see how easily the general public is manipulated in the name of patriotism to embrace dangerous falsehoods, especially where international affairs are concerned. Education is another venue for propaganda and history textbooks in schools and universities change each decade or so with the tides of political and social propaganda. Students who question the official dogma, even at university level, especially in the area of a topic that is 'sensitive' often run the risk of being punished for doing so. If the student is a child, the official response can be extremely intimidating.

This is far from the topic of dyed Strawberries, however... It saddens me always when I lose friends who cannot countenance political disagreement and I hope this little outburst will not cause me to lose MORE friends. In my view, as previously stated, true friendship allows disagreements, even on matters close to the heart. A friend who will not allow such disagreements basically blackmails his/her friends into silence with the implicit threat that should he/she dare to speak out, the friendship will be terminated.