Hello St John Parish

It's been a little over a year since Gabrielle Riel put New Toulouse up for sale. I still play tunes here and there at Shotgun Row Blues Café on occasion.  New Toulouse is beautiful but its soul is a shadow of its former self.  No one even thought to name the hurricane last fall.

As I've said in the past, it was a wise move for Riel to leave when she did. She was  "Toulouse'd out" and enjoying some revitalization with another genre.  On top of that she had a great deal on her plate offgrid.  The change to a scaled down gothic New England community kept her in the estate game but on terms she could better balance with everything else in her life.

It's now a year later.  Riel - typical of contiguous northerners - is accustomed to seasons augmenting celestial events which define the Wheel of the Year, and she's enjoyed re-creating the landscape several times on her sims. Occupancy has continued to flourished in Witchwoods; I have my wagon settled there at present.

Snowfall in St John Woods aka Witchwoods

But the pull of old time NOLA is a strong one, and Riel has made the decision to convert Witchport into an early 20th century parish not unlike the French Quarter.  Actually, not unlike the old New Toulouse Bourbon sim.

St John Parish is a beautiful place, this time featuring default builds by Riel and the inimitable Ecclectric Breitman, several blossoming squares, and of course a cemetery.

This is lowdown Nouveau Dixieland as we've known it, but on Miz Gabi's terms. There are no expectations hanging over her: this is all the Riel Thang, the best of the best with all that she loved about running NT those many years, while maintaining seasonal bliss in nearby St John Woods.  The residential sim (which was New Toulouse Algiers before it became Witchwoods) will maintain its current theme.

Welcome back. 

Returning From the Front

It has been a while, hasn't it?

I resolved to complete my essay about the plight of men's fashion on the grid before going back to  blogging.  I'm sure the drama stalkers are disappointed that I haven't posted anything they can attack in comments. Tooooo bad.

I had returned to Skybeam for the Autumn-thru-Holiday period, only on a massively scaled down basis. I went minimalist on a 512 with a gypsy wagon and nearby outdoor hangout. The latter changed with the seasons and proved quite a challenge when the snows came. Having left to enjoy the rest of winter on a snowy sim, I've swapped out logs and gazebos for a few deck chairs by the fire.

During my time away, AnnMarie was banned and her scourgemobile scripts undermined by sim updates. Unfortunately she's been let back in and her force of lumbering, overscripted pushy monsters are out in force.

This scourgemobile turned into my side and pushed me back about
half a region before I could AR it. I thought we got rid of these things!

Hands of Omega has not come out with either Smith TARDIS control room in a prim-friendly mesh blend. Color me an unhappy camper, much less a disappointed virtual time traveler.

I've finally started to make use of my Nova Albion parcel by modifying a prefab hotel into a swing club. It's what I've wanted for some time. RL is the only thing keeping me back from setting a debut date. Okay that and a decent drinks doling script. I originally was just going to put holiday novelty builds up and throw some party each season, but the swing club became an obvious choice, both because I cannot afford to rent/own any more land and Nova Albion could use a little life put back into it for its tenth year. I have the parcel so why not use it?

Toryn and I hang out at my art deco bar in Nova Swing Club

Relay For Life recruitment begins in February.  This year I'm bringing back Hearts & Souls. It looks as though several of my former teammates from 2012 will be joining. So glad things have come back together on most fronts.  I made a few Oz jokes because this year's theme "Journey of Promise" has immediately brought this to mind for many RFL participants for their team themes - it's a generational thing here in America. Well there's one itty bitty thing: Our team logo of a heart with an embedded clockface?  Yep you guessed it! I have an idea for the campsite and started planning it. However with some marvelous and unique talents coming back I'll be sure to leave plenty of room ;) All I can say is the committee better get our team name right. I'll be posting a list of each individual who publicly botches three simple words and misses the point that our team's hearts and souls work to help hearts and souls the world over.

My degree in any participation anywhere this winter relies on an impending hernia procedure and its aftermath. With an autoimmune disorder there seem to be many factors at play which other people don't have to worry about.  I won't be going home the same day.  Rather, once cleared (that I don't have any issues from the procedure or any infection) I'll go to rehab for about a week. It was to have been January 15th but insurance is still mulling over approving admission in the event I need to stay overnight before release. Yes, you heard that right: deciding - should I need to remain in the hospital overnight as determined by the surgeon - whether they would cover it. I'm so waiting for more healthcare reform to kick in here. Wish me luck we get this over with and healing goes well. I need to get back to working abs.  And investigating a floater in my dominant eye that won't go away. And my carpal tunnel. And digestive disorders. And...

The Plight of Mens Fashion on the Grid

I have nothing to gain from saying it, but it has to be said. I always calls em like I sees em, and when I feel I've been let down, I say it. Due to neglect in the genre, a lot of people are let down each and every day in every corner of every grid.

Those in question can do one of three things: shrug it off, get worse, or get better.

Finally, my piece on Men's Fashion in the virtual worlds.

https://sites.google.com/site/holocluckmenswear/

Images of Osprey Therian

Osprey far right during the Nova Albion 5th anniversary parade

A noob visiting a brownstone to participate in a photo contest. Osprey's events were my first sense of community and belonging in Second Life.  Nova Albion, a mainland community during an era of adfarms and eyesores was dominated with ultramodern builds. And then there was this old block in Grignano, owned by some of the community's earliest settlers. Osprey, Sal, HBA, the Graysons... a presence still felt a ways from the bustle of the Miramare infohub Osprey helped to maintain. Back in the day when the residents built infohubs and railway stations I would find Osprey's name a few times.

The vaudeville act TSMGO aka The Show Must Go On, which took place on an airship converted into a theatre over the lake in Phobos. Here yaks perform an interpretive dance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzyplcsH7IU

The Nova Albion anniversary parade. Os was a co-conspirator of those earlier parades.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNd4g4IJ3aA

Osprey's passionate pursuit of gamer cards as virtual sport:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I_AVfOLwyk


The die cut tin ducks (I think I know what I'd wear if there was a memorial event)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeIEKdnEASs

I remember those first days in spring 2008 and a media screen caught my eye upon leaving her photo gallery following one of the contest exhibits. I watched Bitstream Boogie, my first taste of SL machinima. Possibly that of most people:

Even as recently as a few days ago Os came into Second Life. I imagine to see it one last time or to set some affairs in order. It may be selfish to say - especially from someone who wasn't as close to her - that it hurts to know someone who barely brushed your life and made such an impact in it is dying a slow death, even moreso when you know their time has finally come. In truth Osprey started dropping off her presence in Second Life just as I made mine. But there is no priority in how someone touches a life or plants seeds of inspiration.

Osprey showed me early on that there was more to Second Life than avatars, Linden dollars and parcels.  This place has amazing potential limited only by the imagination, and much of Os' imagination brought people together and enriched them all.

A recent machinima of Osprey's ride into the sunset with some friends before MS claimed her in both worlds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcoDwBS0oSo

Farewell Osprey Therian, from your neighbor across the river.

Keep Calm & AR Lunatics on Witch Hunts

I got this drop down message from someone named Tantra Breen offering an NC called YOU ARE THE ASSOCIATE OF A COPYBOTTER!

I didn't open mine up. I AR'ed it with the drop down on the right and her profile on the left. Then I hit mute. Who knew what it had in it?

A few friends of mine got it. One did open it:

Hello,

We are compiling a grid-wide list of known copybotters AND ALL OF THEIR ASSOCIATES.

We have seen your name in association with Kyraxy, a KNOWN COPYBOTTER.

We recommend that your remove this person from your group, otherwise the entire members list will be put on our grid-wide ban list as associates of a known copybotter

It's terrible that a few people can ruin the reputation of so many, buyt it is your choice to associate with known copybotters, there has to be a price for sheltering them, conspiring with them or at the very least, condoning their criminal behavior.

In a few days we will come back and check on the associations, and if still valid, YOUR NAME AND ALL OF YOUR MEMBERS will be put on th grid-wide ban list.

Let's clean up SL and fight back!

TB

Ban the Botters United

I don't think a copybotter would have targeted me. I don't exactly have any award winning stuff out of my own things. I don't script. I don't create mesh. And I am almost 3 months behind on RL rent. Aren't copybotters rich and stuff?

All in all this message was a TOS violation on many levels. Still is, if she's still distributing her NC of Terror.

One of my friends confronted Tantra Breen. Apparently - get this - she has some sort of hitlist of copybotters, and if any of them has joined your group, you're not a potential victim but an associate and in cahoots!  Well that's just insane. Tantra Breen is just as much trouble to innocent residents as any copybotter at this point with their threats.

It couldn't have been one of my groups so I'll assume they got my name from one of the larger groups to which I belong.

Don't let some harassing psycho scare you. Just AR the nutjob.

What Just Happened?

After an unprecedented 8 hour sleep to mark the start of my week off from work, a backache ensued the likes of which I haven't had the privilege of tolerating without painkillers. It was so long ago since anything like that occurred that I could still take something for a muscle spasm.

The night before was confusing. As I worked on things for the campsite, many people were around me and just stared in quiet judgement. Only one person typed in full conversations. After about 3-4 hours someone hugged me. As it turned out they were in voice, talking to me without bothering to talk to me. I haven't had that happen in some time: that time in 2011 on Katrina sim, and before at TMA, which I stopped hanging out at when some people simply stopped talking to anyone who didn't use voice (apparently we didn't count in a conversation).  That's when I started to use the term "voice snobs."  There was someone who hired me a few times to DJ and it got to a point when, during a group meet for a project or fundraiser (I don't recall which; it was over a year ago), she asked in her only typed line if someone had voice. I've always felt she stopped having me play at her parties because I don't use voice.  And of course I was removed from RFL Kickoff Day lineup because it was all going to radio and a full on mixer was required.  It still remains to be seen if an invitation to play tunes at a beach party was conveniently forgotten because I don't interrupt songs with "thankyouverymuch".

I've said time and again to friends that if group limits weren't an issue I'd start "DJs without Voices" in an effort to fight against discrimination. We get tipped the least. People don't read text. There could be privacy reasons of any number of scenarios, medical, role play (I've heard voices coming from avatars which should at least attempt to squeaken up a little to not ruin the illusion), and of course technical. It's a shame because some of my favorite DJs JUST play and their typing a comment does not interfere with the music. It's just an ideal match.  That and personally that's when I finally am sitting long enough to eat a meal.

Privacy: the identity thing is bullshit. It's not for their protection but ours. For them I have a story: I saw an online community started in an effort to rival Cybertown back in 2005 where the owner ONLY had people in managerial positions if they spoke with you on the phone. For those willing to do that it was instant admin tools - and utter disaster for the site, which shut down as quickly as it sprouted up. You can't trust anyone on voice any more you can in text; conning didn't begin with the Internet.

Technical has become a class distinction which elitists basically feel to heck with you if you prefer to experience Second Life without crashing every other minute because we're expected to at least activate voice. That's when lag happens, and worse than atmospheric shaders. And for what, destroying an illusion? Hearing someone eating? Another's mouth moving to a baby crying in the background?  You pay for the gamers computer and you'll have a say.

In the meantime, if you're my friend: don't snub me because you're in voice. Talk to me. You know how. I can't imagine anyone not worth typing a little here and there to, or having a full conversation with - if they're worth being called a friend they're worth some verbal interaction.

This all runs parallel to my character's persona of having struggled from being regarded as an automaton confined to a room for years, then gradually gaining privileges and a means to function with a portable device, being accepted as a member of a starship crew, having that crew accompany him to court to prove sentience and win him equal rights under the law...

And then the confinement thing. That we went over last year about how no one should ever needle me to partcipate in Jail n Bail.  Someone I was getting up the nerve to ask for friendship confined me for a joke, and it wasn't very funny at all. Actually the confinement sported a texture of slurs.  I guess I've been sad for a few days; this started it. 

I should be happy and thrilled for Relay Weekend but things keep happening that make me sad. I thought about this as I lit luminaria beside an artist friend's installation because a handful of people selfishly lit all of them along the team's campsite and into the next. I always must remind myself that I need to focus on the bigger picture.

Add to this the fact that Firestorm - after about a thousand tweaks (clearly their vintage skin and hybrid mode settings aren't enough) functions with just one issue (where a filtered search in inventory does not remain at the top but scrolls down chaotically through a jillion opening folders), only to find it's a memory hog and bogs me down after a fairly short time. This time not just in SL but the entire Windows session is labored.  Relay Weekend won't be easy.

I'm going to try to sleep some more.

SL10B Cake Stage Tuesday 18 June 11am-1pm SLT

Like medals...

Sometimes things work out, and this was too important not to.

As it turned out (or so I've been told) a number of people had hassles, so Loon was taken off the team. 

I put out feelers for possible openings and was approached with several options for the cake stage. On Tuesday 18 June from 11am-1pm SLT I'll be there. The way on foot is a little daunting, so try this hyperlink if you'll be around and want to check out my set.  I reckon it will be a cross between this, that and the other thing.

On Friday evening from 7:30pm SLT I'll be providing the tunes for Bay City.  At noon SLT I'll be DJing for Burn2 for their Conception themed festival. They always celebrate on the playa opposite SLBirthdays, as the grid's founders were RL burners.


Seems Newsers have helped some talents with a series of exhibit-bound gigs.  Now that's community!

Swung by my would-be exhibitor's parcel and was pleased to find that it went to someone who made good use of it.

I would be remiss if I didn't thank those on staff who helped me get through this and regain a performance slot.  You're all terrific!

At the SL10B Cake Tree Stage