Abstract
The paper begins by analyzing the meaning of gods and sacredness in the Hindu tradition, then it introduces the character of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. It discusses his use of flute music to seduce gopis (lit., "herds-women"), and analyzes the character of gopis (Krishna's female devotees) for what they say about women's sexuality in the Hindu tradition. The paper presents various stories from Hindu literature many focusing on Krishna and his favorite gopi Radha, and analyzes the different states of emotion and sensuality described in that literature, defining and explaining Hindi terms. The paper briefly reviews modern Krishna worship, too. In conclusion, the paper finds that this loving side of Krishna was merely one more extension of his warlike nature - a means to destroy the wicked.

From the Paper
"Over the past twenty years, Hindu Gods have become something of a cottage industry in the West. Ranging from detailed anthropological treatments of regional traditions, to critical translations of fundamental sources on the Goddess, to text-based overviews of the history of Goddess cults, these studies have done much to compensate for a prior penury of scholarship concerning the distaff side of the Hindu pantheon.
"Maria Powers (1980) has argued, the contemporary analysis of the rites, rituals, and beliefs of a non-Western society often has a Western cultural bias. However, an explanation based on Western presuppositions does not provide us with a correct analysis. The conceptual framework, social constructs, necessitating interpersonal relations, and roads for spiritual fulfillment of a non-Western society differ strikingly from those of a Western society."

Tags:avatar, Vishnu, Radha, flute, gopis, Hindi, passion, erotic

Abstract
The paper relates that religious life in Nepal is a rather complex one; a Hindu royal family traditionally rules the country, and the monarch is considered to be an avatar of Vishnu. However, the paper notes that Buddhism came to Nepal in early days of Buddhism as can be expected considering the geographic proximity of this country to northern India where Buddhism originated. The paper relates that first accepted by Newars, who are "as close to an indigenous population" as we will probably ever find in the scarcely understood history and legend of Nepal (Crossette 128), Buddhism became a part of lives of many other minorities and ethnical groups of the country, among them the Sherpa. This paper looks at the role of exorcism in Sherpas Buddhist tradition.

From the Paper
"Religious life in Nepal is a rather complex one. A Hindu royal family traditionally rules the country, and the monarch is considered to be an avatar of Vishnu. However, Buddhism came to Nepal in early days of Buddhism as can be expected considering the geographic proximity of this country to northern India where Buddhism originated. First accepted by Newars, who are "as close to an indigenous population" as we will probably ever find in the scarcely understood history and legend of Nepal (Crossette 128), Buddhism became a part of lives of many other minorities and ethnical groups of the country, among them the Sherpa. This paper will..."

Tags:buddhism, nepal, exorcism

Abstract
This essay will critically analyze the poem, "Body Politics," by Canadian First Nations poet Louise Halfe. The thesis will be argued that in this work Halfe reconfigures the contemporary feminist preoccupation with body politics within a framework of aboriginal identity. In particular, it will be shown how Halfe employs imagery of nature - through the poetic avatar of an urban Indian woman - to critique the predominant, and implicitly unnatural, paradigm of feminine beauty in our urban civilization. In the process, as will be seen, the poem fashions the paradigm of a First Nations feminine self whose body imagery is defined by natural realities.

From the Paper
Analysis of Louise Halfe's "Body Politics" This essay will critically analyze the poem, "Body Politics," by Canadian First Nations poet Louise Halfe. The thesis will be argued that in this work Halfe reconfigures the contemporary feminist preoccupation with body politics within a framework of aboriginal identity. In particular, it will be shown how Halfe employs imagery of nature - through the poetic avatar of an urban Indian woman - to critique the predominant, and implicitly unnatural, paradigm of feminine beauty in our urban civilization. In the process, as will be seen, the poem fashions the paradigm of a First Nations feminine self whose body imagery is defined by natural realities.

Tags:poem, indian, canadian

Abstract
The paper posits that Thomas de Zengotita's "Mediated: How the Media Shapes Your World and the Way You Live in It" is a hyperbolic book whose chief flaw is that it fails to convincingly argue why postmodern selfhood is substantively different from modern and premodern selfhood. The paper relates that De Zengotita, an anthropology PhD who is also a journalist, blogger, and sometime method actor, combines all of his interests in this book, whose thesis is that media saturation has resulted in the creation of 'mediated' people whose mannered and self-centered sensibilities are disconnected from reality. The paper discusses how de Zengotita argues that we are our poses: our iPod playlists, our memories of television, our emotions as imitation of genuine emotions, our Facebook avatars.

Tags:media, internet, reality

Abstract
This paper investigates whether the three-dimensional virtual worlds, such as "Second Life", a computer mediated community, can generate real-world revenues using existing traditional marketing models. Next, the author relates the history and the three-dimensional environment of the Linden Lab's proprietary website "Second Life", consumer behavior theory, experiential consumption behavior and the potential of using this platform for real world marketing. The paper concludes that "Second Life" does offer traditional marketing opportunities; however, companies must be aware of the past use of this site by terrorists and must develop a set of best practices to prevent identity theft and credit card fraud. This paper contains an appendix with photos.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Purpose of the Study
Definition of Key Terms
Background/History/Overview of Situation
Consumer Behavior Theory
Consumer Perceptions of Value in Hyperreal Environments
Concepts of Experiential Consumption
Brand Value in the Cyber-World
Implications/Issues/Opportunities/Threats
Implications
Issues
Opportunities
Threats
Conclusion and Recommendations
Appendix: Sample Screen Shots from Second Life

From the Paper
"Following its debut to the public in 2003, Second Life has enjoyed rapid growth and is inhabited by millions of Residents from around the world today. Linden Lab is the proprietary software firm that developed Second Life which is now a massive multi-user virtual world in which users create much of the settings that the users themselves encounter routinely. According to Hogge (2006), although the environment is virtual, there is some serious real money involved in Second Life, with hundreds of thousands of dollars being spent every day in Second Life, in the form of Linden dollars, exchangeable privately, or on the LindeX, at a rate of roughly L$300 to US$1. In this regard, Hogge adds that, "Second Life is not a game. One can 'play' it, sure, but this is creative play, and there is no defined goal. Rather, Second Life is a space, much like the web space, whose contours create their own terms of engagement" (p. 50). Likewise, Van Horn emphasizes, "One of the unique features of Second Life is the economy it has built around the virtual 'Linden Dollars' or L$. "Today, you can go to various currency exchange websites and swap Linden Dollars for U.S. dollars. Currently, the exchange rate is L$1,000 equals $8.92" (2008, p. 407)."

Tags:avatar constraints community, educational institutions, popular venue

Abstract
This paper discusses the ways in which two members of the theosophical society, William Judge from the West and Subba Row from the East, approach the Bhagavad Gita. The paper specifically looks at how, with respect to their backgrounds, their interpretations vary considerably. The paper also examines a number of similarities in Judge's and Row's understandings, which are explored in greater depth.

From the Paper
"Consistent with the dominant Theosophical position, Judge believes that the Gita needs to be interpreted as an allegory. Judge believes that it is important not to interpret the Gita literally but rather, read between the lines and find the hidden meaning within the text. This view is consistent with the Theosophical mandate in that they seek out esoteric works from a variety of religious and philosophical sources in order to expound their inherent meanings. In his discussion about the Great War found in the Gita, Judge states, "No doubt such a conflict did take place, for man is continually imitating the higher spiritual planes; and a great sage could easily adopt a human event in order to erect a noble philosophical system upon such an allegorical foundation." It is difficult to determine with any degree of accuracy whether or not the Great War found in the Gita was a historical event. It may very well have been the best setting to present a didactic exposition of the teaching. In any event, the intention of the author(s) remains open for interpretation."

Tags:ahimsa, allegory, avatar

Abstract
The Internet is one of the fastest growing methods of communications, used for a variety of reasons. The paper shows that with the increased growth of internet communication, people find that the Internet is also a way to meet and socialize with new people. This is often done through chat rooms which have many advantages and disadvantages. The paper examines this new type of social interaction by exploring the pros and cons. It shows that people are attracted to this form of communication as it allows them to play with power, anonymity and different identities. The flip side, however, is that this behavior can become addictive.

From the Paper
"Because people can remain anonymous in a virtual world they can also feel free to explore with different types of their identity. You can alter your style of being just slightly different or indulge in wild experiments with your identity by changing your age, history, personality, physical appearance, and even your gender. According to the Nua Internet Surveys (2002), the number of women on the Internet is growing fast. However, the majority of the people that participate in virtual worlds such as The Palace are men. When you go through the rooms in The Palace you will notice a lot of feminine dolls. This could be because many men feel free (because of anonymity) to be female.
Gender swapping appears to be commonplace in the virtual world (Suler, 2002). In The Palace, I found more males switching gender than females. This may be because it may be difficult for some men to explore within themselves what society labels as "feminine" characteristics. These males may rely on the anonymity of the Internet to express their "feminine" side, which they feel they must otherwise hide."

Tags:e-mail, avatar, SNERT, Palace, cyber-sex, cyber-r0mance