Monday, July 23, 2007

When hell freezes over

Hell, or the Inferno and Linden Hills in SL is sadly closed whilst we search for a new home.

Thanks to Larry Pixel and NMC for hosting us for 10 days, we wouldn't have been able to do it without you.

For those of you like to know such things, we had 286 unique visitors in the 10 days. Given there were about 3 visits where I, or the team+students were the only people in the sim, I would guess we had either a lot of repeat visitors, or a lot of people that came and spent quite some time there.

For the record, we had one feedback card saying "wasted opportunity" and one saying "wow this great." All the verbal feedback was very positive.

I'm including the assignees to Hell we received. These are mostly, but not all from students. I will add a couple of comments at the bottom. Please note, although in Dante's version of Hell you are sent to the place for the worst sin you've committed there are repeats in our list: each person acted as their own Minos and assigned people as they saw fit, and that was at different levels for different judges.

Level # 1- The Virtuous Pagan

Rudi wrote: My choice is Gandhi, I choose him based on the line "Here rest souls who are not in torment, the virtuous pagans. They lived without the revelation of Christ, but still lived just lives." Gandhi being a Buddhist and living a just life, but without Christ would put him in this category, by definition.


Fifel wrote: Aristotle-because if you interpret Dante literally Aristotle is a poet.

Tesa wrote Mel Gibson for alcohol abuse

Level # 2- The Lustful

Rudi wrote: My choice for level two is Bill Clinton, the line "they gave up reason to be caught up in their passions" defines his loss of reason to cheat on his wife, just to fill his carnal passion. Glen agreed, writing: Bill Clinton for his desires to constantly reach out side of his marriage for sexual desires. Fifel wrote: Bill Clinton-he lusted after someone who was not his wife.

Peach wrote: Pamela Anderson, They focus on the desires of the flesh. All of her substance is at the very surface of her being. Her gratification comes from satisfaction of her physical desires.

An anonymous student wrote: This level is for people who get caught up in their passions so I would have to say people that are into pornography of any kind. We can name a few celebrities who are in porno like pamela anderson use to be or all the girls in the playboy mansion including the old man.

Tesa wrote Paris Hilton for her sexual desire.

RavenPhoenix suggesed both Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles for their continuing affair whilst married to others. She added Garth Brooks, who left his wife for Trisha Yearwood, with whom he was having an affair and Rev. Jesse Jackson, Jimmy Swaggert, Jim Baker, and any other "minister" or "evangelist" who had adulterous affairs while preaching the laws and commandments of God to others...

Level #3- The Gluttonous

Rudi wrote: My choice for level 3 is Chris Farley, the line "The souls here, guilty of gluttony, did nothing more with the gifts of God than to consume food and drink" defines my reason.

Fifel wrote: Ted Kennedy- because he drinks way too much; Dom DeLouise he eats too much

Glen wrote: Michael Moore for his compulsive eating

Tesa wrote: Anna Nicole Smith - she ate too much

RavenPhoenix wrote: Roseanne Barr..."ate & drank and produced nothing but waste" says it all. Paris Hilton...because being a glutton has nothing to do with size. She takes...and gives nothing of value.

Various students suggested George Bush for his alcoholism, despite his reform

Level #4- Hoarders & Wasters

Rudi wrote: My choice for level 4 is Kim Jong-Il, he hoards his money and lives lavishly while his country starves, the line "the Hoarders amassed their wealth all for themselves" made me think of him.

Tara wrote: Paris Hilton - Paris is vary wasteful and has no regard for the value of anything. Peach agreed writing: My first impression would be Paris Hilton. She is consumed with hoarding all the riches she can get her hands on. Wealth comes to her very easily and she throws away very easily. She has a beautiful Bentley which she has been seen running into trash cans and damaging without any concern. "E Entertainment News"

An anonymous student wrote: The hoarders are considered to use all their wealth for themselves and many celebrities can be catagorized in this circle. For example, Donald Trump. The wasters are those that use their money on fruitless ventures and materials and I would put Paris Hilton in this circle because all she does is party all day and does nothing productive for herself. And if she did, it would be perfume and purses which are material things.

Fifel wrote: Donald Trump hoards all of his money for himself and Terrel Owens because he's wasting his God given talents.

Glen wrote: Jimmy Hendrix for wasting hist earnings on drugs that eventually killed him.

Tesa wrote: Jessica Simpson - wasting money to buy expensive bed covers

RavenPhoenix wrote: Imelda Marcos!!! How many pairs of shoes did she have when they were exiled from the Phillipines???

Level #5- The Wrathful

Rudi wrote: The Webster definition of wrath is "strong vengeful anger or indignation," based on this my choice for level five is Bing Crosby, rumor has it he used to beat his children pretty regularly.

Tara wrote: Stalin - Stalin was a very irate and furious man, and by definition that is wrathful.

Peach wrote: Al Sharpton is a prime example of the wrathful. He is constantly arguing against any principle someone brings up. Rosy O'Donnell is the same way. If you have ever watched 'The View' she is always the one talking. She continually has to make a point. On her previous show she completely disrespected a guest because he had a different stand on a political view than she did. www.nrawinningteam.com/norosie.html

Glen wrote: Rosie O'Donnell for her constant arguing and how it seems she believes she is never wrong. Always yelling.

Tesa wrote: Mike Tyson. He was always angry

Level #6- The Heretics

Rudi wrote: The Webster definition of heretic is "a baptized member of the Roman Catholic Church who disavows a revealed truth." My choice for level 6 would be John Calvin, who was one of leaders of the new way of thinking during the reformation.

Tara wrote: Seurat, Socrates - Seurat and Socrates were both nonconformists.

Peach wrote: Those that profess a belief and lead other people in that belief but do not practice it themselves are heretics. The Jim Bakers, Pat Robinsons, Jimmy Swaggerts, Oral Roberts are all heretics. They profess to be Christian but in reality they are only such by word and not deed.

Glen wrote: This is a hard one. Galeleo could have been a heretic for his theory of the solar system and the telescope which all went against the Catholic beliefs.

Tesa wrote: Adolf Hitler, for the people he killed

Level #7- The Violent

Rudi wrote: In this level I would put Nick Drake, a musician in the early seventies who killed himself he would be in the Violent against Self in the Wood of Suicides.

Tara wrote: Jack the Ripper -Jack the Ripper was VERY violent in his actions, that were not called for by any means.

Peach wrote: Jeffrey Dahmer is one of the first to come to mind in regards to violent acts. His acts encompassed all three type of violence. He would rob a young man of his innocence by raping him then murder and then mutilate him and eat the remains. Charles Manson falls into this category but I will save the discussion for another level later. Kurt Kobain falls into the category violence against self because he took his own life. He shot himself in the head as a result of habitual drug use. Many others have been in the media with mass suicides such as David Kouresh, the leader of the Branch Davidians. He was guilty of leading many people to their deaths blindly. This also reserves a place for him in a lower level.

An anonymous student wrote: The first name that came to mind for this circle was Osama Bin Laden. The reason I feel he would be in this circle is because he declared war on countries and people around him.

Fifel wrote: Saddam Hussein but without an explanation

Glen wrote: Kurt Cobain for blowing his head off with a shot gun

Tesa wrote: Denise Richards because she threw her laptop at her S.O.

Level #8- The Fraudulent

Rudi wrote: In this level I would put Charles Manson, he is a Seducer. And the text explains "Their sin is that they drove others to serve their own evil wills and now they are themselves driven by evil." This explains him to a T.

Tara wrote: Martha Stewart - Martha Stewart is a fraud, and went to jail for it. She lied about being fraudulent and got caught.

Peach wrote: Any who deceive another to gain advantage over them belongs in level 8. The fortune teller who builds false hope in someone by telling them just enough clever pieces of information to lead them on in order to get money from them, anyone that would sow discord among a group to lead them away from what is right, thieves that steal others possessions. These all belong in this level. David Kouresh fits into this level. He made people lose faith in their government and in their families. He was very charismatic and people believed that he was Jesus Christ. All the while that he was teaching his doctrines he was also having sex with young girls and robbing them of their innocence.

An anonymous student wrote: In this circle there are different categories that one can classify the sinners. For example, hypocrites would be one. I would but a few presidents in this circle. But if I had to name one it would be President Bush!

Fifel wrote: Jim Baker because he wasn't really a minister he just took money from people

Glen wrote: Baby Face Nelson for his involvement with the 1934 robbery of the Peoples Savings Bank

Zyzzy wrote: George Bush clearly belongs here, with the frauds and liars, not with the gluttenous.

Anya wrote: I'd place here people like credit card company executives, who entice people by offering them more and more credit, leaving the unwary in a situation where ultimately they can't afford to pay more than the interest; also, all those who prey on others through "get rich quick" schemes which actually defaud, such as ponzi scheme operators.

Tesa wrote: Ashley Simpson for lip syncing

Level #9- The Treacherous

Rudi wrote: On this level I would put Michael Corleone, from the Godfather movie, he is a Caina, whose sins "were treacherous against members of their own blood." In the Godfather 2 he had his own brother Fredo killed.

Peach wrote: These are those that are treacherous to their family, country, and friends. These are the Saddam Hussein's, Osama bin Laden, Charles Manson's. They are the ones that would murder anyone that became an obstacle to their objective. Saddam Hussein killed his own family and citizens as did Osama bin Laden, Charles Manson brainwashed and forced once innocent people to kill the epitome of innocence, an unborn child along with its mother.

An anonymous student wrote: The sinners or souls that would fit in this circle lack all love and therefore are denied any warmth. I think that the people that fit into this circle are those people who are satanic. A lot of rock stars would fit in this category because they make the music that are satanic.

Fifel wrote: OSAMA BIN LADEN and Satan of course-the most evil of evil

Glen wrote: Joseph Stalin who killed an est 20 Million people, mostly by starving them.

Destiny wrote: George Bush, for the Iraq war.

Tesa wrote: Lindsay Lohan, because you can't trust her

Various students suggested Rudi, one of their classmates, for griefing and pushing the other students in his class around.

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George Bush seems incredibly popular to be sent to Hell - it's a question of how deep he goes!

There are a few that seem to be in the wrong place to me:
  • Is Osama Bin Laden treacherous for attacking a country other than his own? Violent, certainly, but treacherous? Not sure.
  • Surely Mel Gibson's alcoholism makes him circle 2 rather than circle 1?
  • Is lip-syncing really fraud at the level you deserve to go to the 8th circle of Hell?
Mind you, these quibbles are just my ideas - the students and visitors were the judges and fascinating reading it made too.

We're still hoping to hear about a new home for the Inferno - in the mean time if you'd like to suggest a few people for the different circles, we'd love to hear your comments.

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