I was this close to taking out a new stream last Friday to celebrate my return home that night. But with short notice who'd come?
Anyway there's a big weekend coming up for Bay City for their third anniversary. It's also my second since the gallery opened there. Am doing a dance party featuring music from the 20th century (I'm that ecclectic normally anyway). Again it will be to raise money for Relay For Life, with donation of creations and a kiosk to divvy up between two teams I represent. So if you like what you see: buy. If you like what you hear: tip for a good cause.
Things to do:
Poster for Bay City event. Theme will be purple.
Replace slideshow, box and listgiver at Retro Metro in Sistiana with new ones from Fishiversary and post to 7Seas' forum. Note it's back to a 1-minute rez time for bait and rod purchases; there must have been a griefer lockdown in Nova Albion at some point that it was changed to no-rez.
Refine the Gallifrey Ten swim trunks. I think a smaller denser pattern may look better.
More important than the swim trunks are to finish off the first wave of sketches for Artifictions and draw another couple of racing snails for shirts. One will be purple.
Dance and fish at Bacchus on the Beach. I realize that new fish or no, I'll never become a Hall of Famer and unlock the omega level if I let my alts fish.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
That Does It! I'm Going Home!
Yes, some things are worse than a neighbor with bedbugs. Staying at dad's is definitely high on the list. Being devoid of a gamer's mousepad or Photoshop are certainly among them as well. When you can isolate the bed from "visitors" with a non-toxic spray, why suffer in a state of deprivation and verbal unpleasantries?
So I'm going back home tomorrow morning. I'll move back out for another week when it's time for a second treatment.
If the home video market made DVDs of all the films I had on cassette I'd have my shelves cleared so fast... ah well
So I'm going back home tomorrow morning. I'll move back out for another week when it's time for a second treatment.
If the home video market made DVDs of all the films I had on cassette I'd have my shelves cleared so fast... ah well
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Someone's Karma is About to Hit the Fan
As you may have read from my post from March 18 (Giving & Getting), Dr Who fandom in Second Life has its pro's and cons. With the help of that network I was able to determine which TARDIS system best suited my needs - as well as carry off its functions with just the right level of immersion.
I also wrote about the sense of community in some places and lack thereof in others. These were all based on personal observations without any favoritism or personal gain; of course based on those experiences I have made my choice of favorites for one aspect or another.
Well, you can understand my surprise when someone shared this link with me on the premise of some big exposé over TARDIS sim by victor1st Mornington. I was shocked by what I'd read, but because so much of it was libelous and written out of personal bias.
I felt that most supporters of TARDIS sim and its goings on responded poorly in several comments. Let's face it: not everyone who writes on the Internet can write. So with a couple of exceptions their responses amounted to rhetorical drivel. I had an answer of my own as an objective party, but Victor1st has locked the blog's commenting capability.
So here are some facts to set things straight...
The claim that the TARDIS (aka New London) community leaders have tried to pull people away from Katrina is untrue. Kat, Laredo, Saxondale, etc al have never brought this up to me, publicly in general local chat, or in group activities.
New London's activities and interests have kept to their products and own sim's events plus - of course - Dr Who and related fandom. That's a full plate and I doubt they have anything to fear about losing their support base. They have a community and it's very nice. The recent memorials for Nicholas Courtney and Elisabeth Sladen were heartfelt and done out of a need and not for any petty competition.
As for minors, note that before seeing Victor1st's post, I had already blogged how it was so much more prevalent in the Katrina-based Dr Who group that I just had to leave it. The group chat was at times an embarrassment. You'll get minors everywhere since Dr Who is technically a Kid's Show by British standards (yes, I just said something about America's).
You may also remember from my blog post how alienated I felt on Katrina (I've since learned that I'm not alone apparently), and no one is around on Who Island most of the time. So there's a lot of ranting over a community presence which simply does not exist. I'm sure Katrina's owners may be nice themselves, but their presences aren't always what people see...
...I don't think. Since that blog post I ventured up to a group one evening who were clearly NOT trying to blow eachother up. After 10 minutes of what I thought was reasonably sentient banter, I was told that they had enough of typing and were going back to voice. Seems they were just tolerating me. Back to square one with Katrina: in to buy something then leave. Maybe in time I'll activate the RP setting and land there to refuel by the Cardiff Millennium Center.
The ranting against Ebak's radio listening parties was way out of line, and I'm afraid Victor1st has a responsibility to retract and apologize for any statements he's made about them. They are not a project coordinated by the owners of New London, who simply provide the space and access rights for those who do. Furthermore, they never ever claimed to have exclusive permission to play Big Finish's Doctor Who audio dramas. Just as Victor1st said in his own blog: anyone in Second Life is authorized to play them as long as there is a link back to their website. There most certainly is in the listening room, and all banners and posters displaying the radio listening events prominently display the Big Finish logo. This is by fans for fans, and should not be seen as anything else.
I can't say what sort of support experience Victor1st or friends of his may have experienced with a New London Systems (NLS) product, because one of NLS' own officers recommended Hands of Omega for the features I wanted in a TARDIS. He objectively gave me a rundown on how each system functioned and features available so that I could make an informed decision. You have to admire right there the integrity and objectivity to help someone over hardselling one's own product. They certainly have enough people using their system who could badmouth them anywhere and don't. NLS announce updates and upgrades regularly. It's more than I can say for my previous system.
As long as they make me feel at home in New London and throw their club parties and other fun events, as well as give fans a place to gather for special occasions, they'll get my Sim donations & Radio tips and support as a fan. They've earned it; none of them are personal friends. To me they're the best haven for Doctor Who fans in Second Life at this time.
TARDIS sim's management were just recently made aware of it, and promptly went into lockdown with a number of disclaimers. Can't blame them under the circumstances. They didn't name names, I'll give them credit for that, but for the first time since I've known them, they had to refer to communities outside of their own.
I certainly don't have any personal grudge against Victor1st Mornington over this. Something happened and he's behaving very human. However he must address the issue and instigator directly. If he's had some sort of Dalek vs Cyberman bitchfest with Kat Kassner then fine. The blog post was a lot of acid spit out over a lot of little things, but also based on geography and guilt-by-association. The person who gave me the link probably took Victor1st's word without knowing first hand the facts. Many time-honored expressions apply now as they did in their time: "Two wrongs don't make a right," "Absolute power corrupts absolutely," "With great power comes great responsbility." It's all a matter of rising above one's gut reactions and doing the right thing. He's offended people who never did anything to him; he's made false accusations which hurt strangers. It does matter, and in time these actions will come back to haunt him. Maybe he can take that breath, rise above those gut impulses and do the right thing. He can't make Katrina's social circle look any better to me; I can't expect that from anybody and I'm certainly not a consensus; people like that need a place too. But someone's credibility has flown out the window, and as more people find out the validity of what's been written, the dominoes will tumble.
I also wrote about the sense of community in some places and lack thereof in others. These were all based on personal observations without any favoritism or personal gain; of course based on those experiences I have made my choice of favorites for one aspect or another.
Well, you can understand my surprise when someone shared this link with me on the premise of some big exposé over TARDIS sim by victor1st Mornington. I was shocked by what I'd read, but because so much of it was libelous and written out of personal bias.
I felt that most supporters of TARDIS sim and its goings on responded poorly in several comments. Let's face it: not everyone who writes on the Internet can write. So with a couple of exceptions their responses amounted to rhetorical drivel. I had an answer of my own as an objective party, but Victor1st has locked the blog's commenting capability.
So here are some facts to set things straight...
The claim that the TARDIS (aka New London) community leaders have tried to pull people away from Katrina is untrue. Kat, Laredo, Saxondale, etc al have never brought this up to me, publicly in general local chat, or in group activities.
New London's activities and interests have kept to their products and own sim's events plus - of course - Dr Who and related fandom. That's a full plate and I doubt they have anything to fear about losing their support base. They have a community and it's very nice. The recent memorials for Nicholas Courtney and Elisabeth Sladen were heartfelt and done out of a need and not for any petty competition.
As for minors, note that before seeing Victor1st's post, I had already blogged how it was so much more prevalent in the Katrina-based Dr Who group that I just had to leave it. The group chat was at times an embarrassment. You'll get minors everywhere since Dr Who is technically a Kid's Show by British standards (yes, I just said something about America's).
You may also remember from my blog post how alienated I felt on Katrina (I've since learned that I'm not alone apparently), and no one is around on Who Island most of the time. So there's a lot of ranting over a community presence which simply does not exist. I'm sure Katrina's owners may be nice themselves, but their presences aren't always what people see...
...I don't think. Since that blog post I ventured up to a group one evening who were clearly NOT trying to blow eachother up. After 10 minutes of what I thought was reasonably sentient banter, I was told that they had enough of typing and were going back to voice. Seems they were just tolerating me. Back to square one with Katrina: in to buy something then leave. Maybe in time I'll activate the RP setting and land there to refuel by the Cardiff Millennium Center.
The ranting against Ebak's radio listening parties was way out of line, and I'm afraid Victor1st has a responsibility to retract and apologize for any statements he's made about them. They are not a project coordinated by the owners of New London, who simply provide the space and access rights for those who do. Furthermore, they never ever claimed to have exclusive permission to play Big Finish's Doctor Who audio dramas. Just as Victor1st said in his own blog: anyone in Second Life is authorized to play them as long as there is a link back to their website. There most certainly is in the listening room, and all banners and posters displaying the radio listening events prominently display the Big Finish logo. This is by fans for fans, and should not be seen as anything else.
I can't say what sort of support experience Victor1st or friends of his may have experienced with a New London Systems (NLS) product, because one of NLS' own officers recommended Hands of Omega for the features I wanted in a TARDIS. He objectively gave me a rundown on how each system functioned and features available so that I could make an informed decision. You have to admire right there the integrity and objectivity to help someone over hardselling one's own product. They certainly have enough people using their system who could badmouth them anywhere and don't. NLS announce updates and upgrades regularly. It's more than I can say for my previous system.
As long as they make me feel at home in New London and throw their club parties and other fun events, as well as give fans a place to gather for special occasions, they'll get my Sim donations & Radio tips and support as a fan. They've earned it; none of them are personal friends. To me they're the best haven for Doctor Who fans in Second Life at this time.
TARDIS sim's management were just recently made aware of it, and promptly went into lockdown with a number of disclaimers. Can't blame them under the circumstances. They didn't name names, I'll give them credit for that, but for the first time since I've known them, they had to refer to communities outside of their own.
I certainly don't have any personal grudge against Victor1st Mornington over this. Something happened and he's behaving very human. However he must address the issue and instigator directly. If he's had some sort of Dalek vs Cyberman bitchfest with Kat Kassner then fine. The blog post was a lot of acid spit out over a lot of little things, but also based on geography and guilt-by-association. The person who gave me the link probably took Victor1st's word without knowing first hand the facts. Many time-honored expressions apply now as they did in their time: "Two wrongs don't make a right," "Absolute power corrupts absolutely," "With great power comes great responsbility." It's all a matter of rising above one's gut reactions and doing the right thing. He's offended people who never did anything to him; he's made false accusations which hurt strangers. It does matter, and in time these actions will come back to haunt him. Maybe he can take that breath, rise above those gut impulses and do the right thing. He can't make Katrina's social circle look any better to me; I can't expect that from anybody and I'm certainly not a consensus; people like that need a place too. But someone's credibility has flown out the window, and as more people find out the validity of what's been written, the dominoes will tumble.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The TARDIS Upgraded
I spent money like a pig this past weekend. I really did.
I suppose for most of its users DCL's upgrade was a good thing. I suppose the new HUD for the sonic was what they'd prefer: custom graphics over blue dropdown menus. And maybe with today's hearing-impaired society the selection beeps on the HUD were at a comfortable volume. Personally I don't plan to go deaf from a HUD.
I wasn't overly thrilled with the fact that landing now meant forming the box around me instead of sending it ahead. I didn't need a travel system for something an emdash HUD could do just as well.
I liked running around the console, pulling this lever here and pressing that button there, seeing the destination on the display...
When asking around last month, a rep from New London Systems gave me a rundown of their TARDIS line and answered many questions. I could certainly see the benefit of switching from an external database server to an inworld notecard system; it's something New London has touted as being less laggy. Also it's a wise method if a system owner or their server host decide to shut down. With the lack of support presence and bugfixes throughout the year it seemed to me that this could happen with DCL; as many of you know I had that concern when I started shopping around.
At any rate, he was very objective about what he felt would better suit my needs and suggested Hands of Omega (aka HoO).
A Hands of Omega user plus (I think either) one of their developers or QA testers were both very helpful. They explained its compatibility with Horizons' systems, which most of you may recognize as a form of holotechnology. This would enable me to switch between TARDIS designs in seconds while maintain configuration & position (I still plan to make a den or trophy room, which should always line up with some doorway). It used a self-contained travel system while they maintained a network server. With reputable support, HoO wouldn't just disappear and leave users in the lurch. Seemed like the best of both worlds.
Last but not least of the big systems was Novatech, which it seemed required the use of a sandbox to do anything substantial with it.
I was content to wait until May and following an RL crisis to make the change, but last week's upgrade made the move easier at this time.
Happy with this arrangement I think, except I spent money unnecessarily on a TARDIS for the classic sounds, which were in the style I settled on in the end for my default. I took Seven to a demo platform and showed her some styles I liked (she remarked that the Eccleston/Tennant one was "alien." It was something I mused about since I almost regarded it to be distinctly alien; the new TV version is the opposite: very human, with its cranks, levers and spigots). She relayed some feedback and we settled on a wooden version of Tom Baker's console room. VERY classy, with rollback shutters to conceal unused controls and displays.
I can't say I fancy some of the exteriors available which I've selected during my travels. For those unfamiliar with the Doctor Who mythos, a program called a Chameleon Circuit automatically camouflages the TARDIS into something ordinary upon materialization so as not to attract the attention of local inhabitants. Except in the show it's broken (or the TARDIS just likes police boxes), so it looks the same everywhere. In Second Life, depending on your system, you can choose from any number of objects to land in (HoO and Novatech each offer dozens to choose from). I don't think bumping into a small cabinet should count though. Or an office chair. I feel one should stil emerge or enter. I'll need to see how big the juke box is and whether it opens up before I consider it...
Added a room finally, but man those trophies gobble up the primcount (except for Razzap's blakslee trophies, a mere 3 apiece, with Bacchus Beach about the same). Will be scaling those back to maybe the best snail race one, the best Cheep Cheep one, etc. Alas as grand as the Blakslee solar system trophy may be, that will have to wait a bit longer to be flaunted.
Guess I'll have to look into a sofa, add a video screen... And if I decide I want another style TARDIS, the doorway should line up perfectly.
Yes, that nice wood finish has made the transition from Smith's much easier. I'm sure we'll meet again but for now I'm good. Click to see it larger.
I have to say the folks of HoO were very good about helping me through setting up the Horizons system and answering all questions (it's not that I'm that dense; I just use my brain for other things). There were also two helpful videos on YouTube from Victor1st Mornington to get new users started. Consistently positive customer service is not something I'm used to in SecondLife from a group. Anyway they've definitely made me a satisfied customer, and with their larger contingent of users there's a much larger public network to choose from. And gosh I love it: I can land in Livingtree or anywhere else rezzable via coordinates.
I suppose for most of its users DCL's upgrade was a good thing. I suppose the new HUD for the sonic was what they'd prefer: custom graphics over blue dropdown menus. And maybe with today's hearing-impaired society the selection beeps on the HUD were at a comfortable volume. Personally I don't plan to go deaf from a HUD.
I wasn't overly thrilled with the fact that landing now meant forming the box around me instead of sending it ahead. I didn't need a travel system for something an emdash HUD could do just as well.
I liked running around the console, pulling this lever here and pressing that button there, seeing the destination on the display...
When asking around last month, a rep from New London Systems gave me a rundown of their TARDIS line and answered many questions. I could certainly see the benefit of switching from an external database server to an inworld notecard system; it's something New London has touted as being less laggy. Also it's a wise method if a system owner or their server host decide to shut down. With the lack of support presence and bugfixes throughout the year it seemed to me that this could happen with DCL; as many of you know I had that concern when I started shopping around.
At any rate, he was very objective about what he felt would better suit my needs and suggested Hands of Omega (aka HoO).
A Hands of Omega user plus (I think either) one of their developers or QA testers were both very helpful. They explained its compatibility with Horizons' systems, which most of you may recognize as a form of holotechnology. This would enable me to switch between TARDIS designs in seconds while maintain configuration & position (I still plan to make a den or trophy room, which should always line up with some doorway). It used a self-contained travel system while they maintained a network server. With reputable support, HoO wouldn't just disappear and leave users in the lurch. Seemed like the best of both worlds.
Last but not least of the big systems was Novatech, which it seemed required the use of a sandbox to do anything substantial with it.
I was content to wait until May and following an RL crisis to make the change, but last week's upgrade made the move easier at this time.
Happy with this arrangement I think, except I spent money unnecessarily on a TARDIS for the classic sounds, which were in the style I settled on in the end for my default. I took Seven to a demo platform and showed her some styles I liked (she remarked that the Eccleston/Tennant one was "alien." It was something I mused about since I almost regarded it to be distinctly alien; the new TV version is the opposite: very human, with its cranks, levers and spigots). She relayed some feedback and we settled on a wooden version of Tom Baker's console room. VERY classy, with rollback shutters to conceal unused controls and displays.
I can't say I fancy some of the exteriors available which I've selected during my travels. For those unfamiliar with the Doctor Who mythos, a program called a Chameleon Circuit automatically camouflages the TARDIS into something ordinary upon materialization so as not to attract the attention of local inhabitants. Except in the show it's broken (or the TARDIS just likes police boxes), so it looks the same everywhere. In Second Life, depending on your system, you can choose from any number of objects to land in (HoO and Novatech each offer dozens to choose from). I don't think bumping into a small cabinet should count though. Or an office chair. I feel one should stil emerge or enter. I'll need to see how big the juke box is and whether it opens up before I consider it...
Added a room finally, but man those trophies gobble up the primcount (except for Razzap's blakslee trophies, a mere 3 apiece, with Bacchus Beach about the same). Will be scaling those back to maybe the best snail race one, the best Cheep Cheep one, etc. Alas as grand as the Blakslee solar system trophy may be, that will have to wait a bit longer to be flaunted.
Guess I'll have to look into a sofa, add a video screen... And if I decide I want another style TARDIS, the doorway should line up perfectly.
I have to say the folks of HoO were very good about helping me through setting up the Horizons system and answering all questions (it's not that I'm that dense; I just use my brain for other things). There were also two helpful videos on YouTube from Victor1st Mornington to get new users started. Consistently positive customer service is not something I'm used to in SecondLife from a group. Anyway they've definitely made me a satisfied customer, and with their larger contingent of users there's a much larger public network to choose from. And gosh I love it: I can land in Livingtree or anywhere else rezzable via coordinates.
Monday, March 28, 2011
I'm a Doctor, Not an Architect
So I had it all planned out for that special table. Victorian style wooden flat files with a raised board for displays. It was looking great. I was planning the woodgrain for it. I had designed ornate black iron handles for the drawers.
Then the light went on.
3 prims per handle, 2 per drawer, 4 drawers, knob for pull-out board, 2 props for back of display board, 2 brass cradles for hinged props, 2 hinges for raised board, 8 pieces of wood... 23 prims not including tins of charcoal & pastels and other vendor elements.
I'm not in Hydrangea. This is a tiny rental in Clockhaven with a primcount limit.
At this writing, that version of the furniture is sitting incomplete in my backyard in Hydrangea. It was back to the drawing board...
I'll need to create the drawers on textures. Ditto the brass cradles. Draw the knob for the pullout? Maybe keep that one as a prim. 7 prims total for the furniture. That could work!
Came out to ten. Still need to make the cradlethingie side. I think perhaps I'd like to offer the big one for sale. It's going to be nice. Just cant use it myself...
Then the light went on.
3 prims per handle, 2 per drawer, 4 drawers, knob for pull-out board, 2 props for back of display board, 2 brass cradles for hinged props, 2 hinges for raised board, 8 pieces of wood... 23 prims not including tins of charcoal & pastels and other vendor elements.
I'm not in Hydrangea. This is a tiny rental in Clockhaven with a primcount limit.
At this writing, that version of the furniture is sitting incomplete in my backyard in Hydrangea. It was back to the drawing board...
I'll need to create the drawers on textures. Ditto the brass cradles. Draw the knob for the pullout? Maybe keep that one as a prim. 7 prims total for the furniture. That could work!
Came out to ten. Still need to make the cradlethingie side. I think perhaps I'd like to offer the big one for sale. It's going to be nice. Just cant use it myself...
Friday, March 18, 2011
Giving & Getting
Japan relief stuff...
I think for Japan it's easy: a designer shirt with Anime style art on it.
What could I make for Relay for Life?
I can think about Giant Snail Races shirts, both for Racer to raise funds toward track expenses and for their RFL group.
What about New Babbage? My art isn't wearable in the steamlands. Not for anyone in character. No ties, no T-shirts. Yeah I can make brass 3D glasses, but would you buy them? Even for charity?
Hmmm... I hadn't thought of that. Designer 3D glasses. More things to sketch and plan...
Time to move forward with fishiversary items after the fundraising stuff is over.
Isn't SL8B coming up soon as well? Sheesh.
Tonight if I'm home soon enough, it's both RedNoseDay on the web (I hope) and a party with the TimeLord Club.
I dropped the big "Dr Who" group. I hadn't felt a friendly vibe with them. Their group chat is more often than not a cringefest. You get your share of blatant teens signed up as adults on Timelord Club chat as well as any Dr Who group (technically Dr Who is a kid's show, but technically the group and its primary doings are on mature property), but their contingent are friendly and pleasant for the most part, and always ready to help a sincere stranger. Ditto the sims. On Katrina I'm less likely to strike up a conversation with anyone; they're too busy blowing eachother up anyway. Just buy whatever then jump back out. Not that they don't play blow-up on TARDIS every now and then, but New London just doesn't seem "blow-upcentric". Doctor Who isn't about wearing exoapparati and blowing stuff or people up. I was impressed with how folks recently converged on Adipose Square on their own in TARDIS to pay respects to the recently departed Nicholas Courtney. There I sense a community.
I think for Japan it's easy: a designer shirt with Anime style art on it.
What could I make for Relay for Life?
I can think about Giant Snail Races shirts, both for Racer to raise funds toward track expenses and for their RFL group.
What about New Babbage? My art isn't wearable in the steamlands. Not for anyone in character. No ties, no T-shirts. Yeah I can make brass 3D glasses, but would you buy them? Even for charity?
Hmmm... I hadn't thought of that. Designer 3D glasses. More things to sketch and plan...
Time to move forward with fishiversary items after the fundraising stuff is over.
Isn't SL8B coming up soon as well? Sheesh.
Tonight if I'm home soon enough, it's both RedNoseDay on the web (I hope) and a party with the TimeLord Club.
I dropped the big "Dr Who" group. I hadn't felt a friendly vibe with them. Their group chat is more often than not a cringefest. You get your share of blatant teens signed up as adults on Timelord Club chat as well as any Dr Who group (technically Dr Who is a kid's show, but technically the group and its primary doings are on mature property), but their contingent are friendly and pleasant for the most part, and always ready to help a sincere stranger. Ditto the sims. On Katrina I'm less likely to strike up a conversation with anyone; they're too busy blowing eachother up anyway. Just buy whatever then jump back out. Not that they don't play blow-up on TARDIS every now and then, but New London just doesn't seem "blow-upcentric". Doctor Who isn't about wearing exoapparati and blowing stuff or people up. I was impressed with how folks recently converged on Adipose Square on their own in TARDIS to pay respects to the recently departed Nicholas Courtney. There I sense a community.
What Are You?
I help little old ladies cross the street.
I stay with someone who had a bad fall until help arrives.
I help pull people apart when tempers run high.
Do you turn away and keep walking?
What are you?
I stay with someone who had a bad fall until help arrives.
I help pull people apart when tempers run high.
Do you turn away and keep walking?
What are you?
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