...Naaaaaame that diner!
The natural first choice to me was "The Eat n Run Diner," which was the working name when I had Plano last fall.
But then, you have to think about it. Even when I had my overhead light scripted as a danceball, even with the Zorba line rezzed, people would naturally gravitate toward the bunny ball. Maybe it should be called "The Bunny Hop Diner."
"The Hydrangea Diner" is as obvious as it is obviously bad.
"Cluckey's Diner"?
The "Route 2 Diner" is another double obvious.
The Region Crossing Diner (Assets Served)
Are we getting silly yet?
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Mission Accomplished...
...though it was a tense auction. They'll never be the same for me after Turtle Dove. The important thing is that I got the land, which will be my future home and my future playground.
Now comes the big question:
What do I call the diner?
Now comes the big question:
What do I call the diner?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Don't Breathe
On Sunday morning I took down The Golden Yak Diner.
For 2-1/2 months it was my winter getaway, with its cozy interior and panoramic view of the snowy landscape outside.
I carefully packed the diner in its designated folder, naming the sections of parking lot asphalt, preserving the Stargate entry lines, the two signs, the booths...
Starting this month I'd pay $5 for tier until the land I'd kept vigil over from afar for months went to auction. I'd use the time to fashion a permanent diner for said land - which is larger than what I had in Anilis and more irregular - as well as a home.
And the sign. Most likely similar to Anilis/SL6B...
Many months ago I found the perfect spot for my diner. As was my habit, I'd fly over mainland roads. So many large chunks had been abandoned due to the mass migration to Zindra. It was almost perfect. Let's face it: Heterocera Atoll's dried grasslands...
I set the Plano parcel for sale and started downsizing the content on Anilis.
There's a nice catlady who lives nearby. It has a decent view (orientation of the diner could be critical). Like Anilis, the property is oddly shaped, almost triangular. Two thirds of it borders protected land. It's at a fork in the road. The third border is marred by banlines, which is easily solved (mwahah); one of the protected sides is a region crossing (the story of my life).
When I confided in its location with Marianne (only one of two people), it turned out to be a parcel she was familiar with. Seems she & Pygar used to skateboard down the ravine back in the day (which makes me wonder just how long it's been abandoned). She even knows the catlady! I smell destiny!
I'll continue this after the auction.
A big, gnarly hunk of land in Hydrangea, bordering Bridge Road to the north & Route 2 to the south; I'll see about having a smooth connection between the road and my diner's parking lot.
Still waiting for the system to charge my card, but that should be a non-issue. Gonna have to assess the land for terraforming & pay my respects to the catlady, introduce myself as the new neighbor.
Previous major land purchases were made with an input from vibes. I always had very good vibes with Anilis, and it was sad to part ways with the area. This time around it seems like much of Hydrangea feels cold and soulless, that it's waiting for me to wake up the region.
For 2-1/2 months it was my winter getaway, with its cozy interior and panoramic view of the snowy landscape outside.
I carefully packed the diner in its designated folder, naming the sections of parking lot asphalt, preserving the Stargate entry lines, the two signs, the booths...
Starting this month I'd pay $5 for tier until the land I'd kept vigil over from afar for months went to auction. I'd use the time to fashion a permanent diner for said land - which is larger than what I had in Anilis and more irregular - as well as a home.
And the sign. Most likely similar to Anilis/SL6B...
Many months ago I found the perfect spot for my diner. As was my habit, I'd fly over mainland roads. So many large chunks had been abandoned due to the mass migration to Zindra. It was almost perfect. Let's face it: Heterocera Atoll's dried grasslands...
I set the Plano parcel for sale and started downsizing the content on Anilis.
There's a nice catlady who lives nearby. It has a decent view (orientation of the diner could be critical). Like Anilis, the property is oddly shaped, almost triangular. Two thirds of it borders protected land. It's at a fork in the road. The third border is marred by banlines, which is easily solved (mwahah); one of the protected sides is a region crossing (the story of my life).
When I confided in its location with Marianne (only one of two people), it turned out to be a parcel she was familiar with. Seems she & Pygar used to skateboard down the ravine back in the day (which makes me wonder just how long it's been abandoned). She even knows the catlady! I smell destiny!
I'll continue this after the auction.
A big, gnarly hunk of land in Hydrangea, bordering Bridge Road to the north & Route 2 to the south; I'll see about having a smooth connection between the road and my diner's parking lot.
Still waiting for the system to charge my card, but that should be a non-issue. Gonna have to assess the land for terraforming & pay my respects to the catlady, introduce myself as the new neighbor.
Previous major land purchases were made with an input from vibes. I always had very good vibes with Anilis, and it was sad to part ways with the area. This time around it seems like much of Hydrangea feels cold and soulless, that it's waiting for me to wake up the region.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Wavering Admiration
Sometime last year a job opportunity inworld was announced. This was during my temporary exile from bedbugs. I was living with my father while my apartment underwent several stages of treatment. I was broke from the expenses preparing for treatment & owed the co-op 2 months' maintenance. I know: too much RL. Well, that part of it is documented in the archives anyway.
Anywho, here was an interesting opportunity to work part time at a second job, not only at something I liked but in a place I liked as well.
I went all out and updated my resume. I revealed my RL identity. I expressed how I could use the extra income while engaged in a pursuit I'd enjoy in a field I enjoyed etc etc. Because let's be honest: After a hard day's work and with dubious health, it was going to have to be something I'd enjoy.
I didn't expect the answer I got. They thanked me for applying of course. Then said there were any number of people who would jump at the chance to work for the organization for nothing.
That had to be just about the most off-putting blow-off I'd ever gotten for a professional job. Why offer a salary then? Sheeeeeesh.
So many thoughts come to mind. Their hiring a groveler for less than the offered fee. It's fine until the fan's lofty misconceptions are pierced. Play Misty For Me meets Mark David Chapman chosen over someone appreciative but mature & objective, who has their heart for the genre.
You know what they say: You get what you pay for.
This reminds me: I've cowered over the prospect of selling my art as mentioned back in October. I guess I'm shy about the wrong things. I still need money to catch up on living expenses as well as offset medical bills. I guess I'd better hop to it.
Anywho, here was an interesting opportunity to work part time at a second job, not only at something I liked but in a place I liked as well.
I went all out and updated my resume. I revealed my RL identity. I expressed how I could use the extra income while engaged in a pursuit I'd enjoy in a field I enjoyed etc etc. Because let's be honest: After a hard day's work and with dubious health, it was going to have to be something I'd enjoy.
I didn't expect the answer I got. They thanked me for applying of course. Then said there were any number of people who would jump at the chance to work for the organization for nothing.
That had to be just about the most off-putting blow-off I'd ever gotten for a professional job. Why offer a salary then? Sheeeeeesh.
So many thoughts come to mind. Their hiring a groveler for less than the offered fee. It's fine until the fan's lofty misconceptions are pierced. Play Misty For Me meets Mark David Chapman chosen over someone appreciative but mature & objective, who has their heart for the genre.
You know what they say: You get what you pay for.
This reminds me: I've cowered over the prospect of selling my art as mentioned back in October. I guess I'm shy about the wrong things. I still need money to catch up on living expenses as well as offset medical bills. I guess I'd better hop to it.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Winterfaire Continent: Second Life's White-headed Stepchild
Just as with last year, people bought their land, plopped copies of their shops down with a little Christmas decor, then forgot about them.
The people across the way from me proved somewhat clueless. First, there was this dark castle which they took off after a day. Then, they made this absurdly tall building with superglow on top. That old "they'll see it from a kilometer away" mentality. Does it ever occur to such people that MOST viewers are NOT set to any great draw distance? By the time the building rezzes folks are already in Turtle Dove. Not only that, the top of their building is too high to rezz and fades away into the sky. At the bottom in an openair plaza they had a sexbed. One of them was seen parading around topless. Yes, in a PG region. They were ARed by a few people. Gone.
This went for several prefabs which included the sexbed. They settled on a chalet behind some Linden pines until after New Year's, when they derezzed everything but some dual dancing poseballs.
The guy who outbid me for the south lands put ugly cubes and temprezzers, which bogged down the land and were returned to him after several complaints. He has replaced this with an irritating "art" installation of noise and temp rezzers which once again hog the region's resources. Guess he thought no one would notice. Well maybe on Prancer they wouldn't.
I consider the diner idea a success. Unlike last year's makeovers, customizing The Golden Yak for an event or holiday amounted to sticking new cutouts on the window or updating its sign. March will see me at sandboxes perfecting the build, adding a counter and stools, designing a retro neon sign, and so on.
Until then I have one more event planned before my winter getaway closes. Mark February 27th down and watch the Yak's illuminated sign for details.
At the moment the diner is in Mardi Gras mode. Cap'n Shinez' ship is on the roof. That extra piece of land for prims has served me well; last year I had to make sacrifices to keep the noobs.
You have through this Sunday to get beads from the float noobs and original Mardi Gras shirts from the freebies replicator inside.
I've just learned the final weekend has 2 reasons to celebrate: Purim and Holi. I'd better get the decorations ready :)
The people across the way from me proved somewhat clueless. First, there was this dark castle which they took off after a day. Then, they made this absurdly tall building with superglow on top. That old "they'll see it from a kilometer away" mentality. Does it ever occur to such people that MOST viewers are NOT set to any great draw distance? By the time the building rezzes folks are already in Turtle Dove. Not only that, the top of their building is too high to rezz and fades away into the sky. At the bottom in an openair plaza they had a sexbed. One of them was seen parading around topless. Yes, in a PG region. They were ARed by a few people. Gone.
This went for several prefabs which included the sexbed. They settled on a chalet behind some Linden pines until after New Year's, when they derezzed everything but some dual dancing poseballs.
The guy who outbid me for the south lands put ugly cubes and temprezzers, which bogged down the land and were returned to him after several complaints. He has replaced this with an irritating "art" installation of noise and temp rezzers which once again hog the region's resources. Guess he thought no one would notice. Well maybe on Prancer they wouldn't.
I consider the diner idea a success. Unlike last year's makeovers, customizing The Golden Yak for an event or holiday amounted to sticking new cutouts on the window or updating its sign. March will see me at sandboxes perfecting the build, adding a counter and stools, designing a retro neon sign, and so on.
Until then I have one more event planned before my winter getaway closes. Mark February 27th down and watch the Yak's illuminated sign for details.
At the moment the diner is in Mardi Gras mode. Cap'n Shinez' ship is on the roof. That extra piece of land for prims has served me well; last year I had to make sacrifices to keep the noobs.
You have through this Sunday to get beads from the float noobs and original Mardi Gras shirts from the freebies replicator inside.
I've just learned the final weekend has 2 reasons to celebrate: Purim and Holi. I'd better get the decorations ready :)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Someone Get LL to TRULY Help My Friend
I have a friend from my VRML days whom I persuaded to try Second Life. She had spent the last four years in an immersive MMORPG and was pleased she could be her character in SL too. She got land and enjoyed getting back into 3D creation. Things seemed fine.
She plunged back into her game for a couple of months for whatever reason and found on her return to SL that access was blocked until she paid back tier. This is entirely understandable and she was ready to pay.
She's not in the USA, and initially used gift cards to pay for tier. For some reason the payments weren't going through. She put in a ticket, spoke with live chat... inexplicable error to staff it seemed. For TWO WEEKS and many many hours of live chat, phone, and tickets, it became apparent that gift cards were no longer accepted. They gave her an extension while she set up a PayPal profile. Except not being in the USA and not having a credit card, extra time was needed to verify her bank account. Finally 3 months of membership and tier was paid.
It became clear that owning mainland was ill suited for her needs. She had to sell her land and get down to basic as soon as she got back in.
She got in. After one day: BAM! She was locked out. She owed the new month. She had to wait for payday.
What happens next seems a bit foggy, but by this time we were in early December. She would systematically pay, get in for a day, then be locked out for some other fee which wasn't presented previously. She could barely get in long enough to set the land for sale (which sold in a day) before she was locked out and she couldn't access her account on the site to change her membership status to basic.
She was finally able to do this. She found a rental and enjoyed it for a week or so, then:
BAM! Locked out for the umpteenth time.
They wanted one more tier and fee out of her in February for January.
But wait: if she wasn't perpetually locked out, she would have gone basic in December.
SL is **liable** for her inability to change her status with them. This has nothing to do with using the grid's resources. She was not allowed to edit her membership. Can you believe such a thing?
This can't be legal.
SL should and MUST waive that month.
"my ticket has said work in progress for over a week"
She means her latest ticket. Yes, they are lingering on this. Thank goodness she got out of premium when she did or they would have filched another month of money from someone for whom money does not come easy.
**PLEASE**
Someone in the organization must be able to do right by her. She doesn't deserve this. Tickets didnt work, phone didnt work, and chat didnt work. There must be a responsible Linden who can reach out and end this AND satisfactorily compensate her by waiving this latest charge.
I work in Tier3 support for RL. That translates into "damage control." A subscription site. If there's one thing we can give people whose account or service was botched, it's free time. I would have had these people's ass in jeopardy by now believe me. And that restriction from account status is damning and would have long been fixed.
So Linden Labs: Please be professional. Reach out to her. SL is a wonderful place where she can truly flourish. Don't ruin what little spirit or faith she has left in your organization. Don't break up friends from a place they can both exist. Be the good guys you see yourselves to be. Pick her up off the floor and let her back in.
Thank you.
She plunged back into her game for a couple of months for whatever reason and found on her return to SL that access was blocked until she paid back tier. This is entirely understandable and she was ready to pay.
She's not in the USA, and initially used gift cards to pay for tier. For some reason the payments weren't going through. She put in a ticket, spoke with live chat... inexplicable error to staff it seemed. For TWO WEEKS and many many hours of live chat, phone, and tickets, it became apparent that gift cards were no longer accepted. They gave her an extension while she set up a PayPal profile. Except not being in the USA and not having a credit card, extra time was needed to verify her bank account. Finally 3 months of membership and tier was paid.
It became clear that owning mainland was ill suited for her needs. She had to sell her land and get down to basic as soon as she got back in.
She got in. After one day: BAM! She was locked out. She owed the new month. She had to wait for payday.
What happens next seems a bit foggy, but by this time we were in early December. She would systematically pay, get in for a day, then be locked out for some other fee which wasn't presented previously. She could barely get in long enough to set the land for sale (which sold in a day) before she was locked out and she couldn't access her account on the site to change her membership status to basic.
She was finally able to do this. She found a rental and enjoyed it for a week or so, then:
BAM! Locked out for the umpteenth time.
They wanted one more tier and fee out of her in February for January.
But wait: if she wasn't perpetually locked out, she would have gone basic in December.
SL is **liable** for her inability to change her status with them. This has nothing to do with using the grid's resources. She was not allowed to edit her membership. Can you believe such a thing?
This can't be legal.
SL should and MUST waive that month.
"my ticket has said work in progress for over a week"
She means her latest ticket. Yes, they are lingering on this. Thank goodness she got out of premium when she did or they would have filched another month of money from someone for whom money does not come easy.
**PLEASE**
Someone in the organization must be able to do right by her. She doesn't deserve this. Tickets didnt work, phone didnt work, and chat didnt work. There must be a responsible Linden who can reach out and end this AND satisfactorily compensate her by waiving this latest charge.
I work in Tier3 support for RL. That translates into "damage control." A subscription site. If there's one thing we can give people whose account or service was botched, it's free time. I would have had these people's ass in jeopardy by now believe me. And that restriction from account status is damning and would have long been fixed.
So Linden Labs: Please be professional. Reach out to her. SL is a wonderful place where she can truly flourish. Don't ruin what little spirit or faith she has left in your organization. Don't break up friends from a place they can both exist. Be the good guys you see yourselves to be. Pick her up off the floor and let her back in.
Thank you.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
The Winterfest Auction Debacle
Okay, Marianne and I had looked over the Winterfest continent. For sentimental reasons she thought it would be neat to grab property which would utilize last year's Dasher landmark. What really caught her eye was the southeast corner of the continent on Turtle Dove, where the river emptied and created a kind of peninsula (1). Marianne bid on the peninsula for the heck of it and got it for a great price.
To the immediate northwest, on the northern shore of the river, was a great spot (2) I could use, and we could potentially consider some collaborative doings - or convenient alternative seating if she planned fireworks. At any rate we'd be neighbors and there was a guaranteed L-section of mirth.
The northern border of the dream parcel would be perfect for the entrance of the diner. My longtime plan of a diner would see fruition there and be a frequent spot for events. After last year's experience of running out of prims to make the Mardi Gras scene, I'd bid on a second parcel for prims.
I sold my Shermerville NW parcel. It wasn't working out for me. Too suburban for my urban sensibilities and too small to really get into. I would make the winterlands my getaway for the 2-1/2 months I'd have them and apply the land sale towards future tier and the auctions.
The backup parcel (3) was acquired easily - a piece on the northeast corner of Turtle Dove and two parcels north of the LivingTree Outpost.
Then came the Dream Parcel's time for a bid.
I was ready that day. I had one window up with the live JAVA countdown and another to hit the button to confirm a substantial bid and guarantee the land. It was a Saturday afternoon and the bids for it hadnt changed during the final ten minutes. It was in the 6000s...
14 seconds into it I hit the confirmation button, and with 12 seconds left to go the second window said bidding was closed.
CLOSED???
That couldnt be. I went to live chat. They couldnt call up the auction profile. They suggested I make a ticket. Meanwhile some common, dullsville shop building was placed on it.
The other possibility was a strip of land due west of LivingTree Outpost and serving as the other side of the river mouth (4). The current backup would become the primary piece and the strip would double up as a gingerbreadish thing with seating towards Marianne's place and a breathtaking sunrise, and prims. I took a shot of the sunrise and moonset there one quiet evening.
That wasnt to be. Some lunatic auctioned it up to over L$45k. Marianne and I thought they'd lost their mind whoever they were. On the last day I took a crummy small inland piece for the prims (5).
About a week after all this, I got a message from someone who works for Linden Estate Services. They wanted to do something for me for the trouble. The strip was unclaimed and they were willing to set it for me for the price the dream parcel sold for. He said it would take some reconfiguring to prepare it and he'd get back to me.
After some follow ups he admitted they saw I had gotten a second parcel already and was willing to set it for sale when *ahem* I was ready to grab it. They didnt exactly say this but I admire them for trying. I guess a compromise is a compromise.
It was a dramatic moment. I got the Email IM. I rezzed in Avaria 700 meters up. I aimed for the spot in Turtle Dove on the map. As I plummeted I made the sale with just enough time to hit Page Up and reverse my fall and land neatly on the ground.
The land was still for sale. It couldnt be bought. He came on in his tester avatar and the same thing happened. He checked. It would have to go back to auction, which it went that evening with about three other unfulfilled parcels.
I went in for the kill and overconfident as it had been below 5k. Someone beat me out and won it for 16001 Lindens and promptly put creepy cubes and laggifying temp rezzers on it.
The winner of the strip land had his objects returned after complaints of hogging resources and it appears my neighbors to the west of the diner have either left or had their things returned; an owner had walked around topless and they sported a sexgen bed on the top floor of a chalet, their third or fourth building there. It changed each time they were ARed for something. No grasp of the concept of PG or mixed company. They must get into a LOT of trouble in RL.
The Golden Yak has been doing well. My third dance party was last night. I'm thinking the next one in two weeks. I already have a theme ;)
I never got around to making the grill and bought a food replicator instead, with a smaller, all-purpose replicator for freebies. The place turned out great just the same. I love sitting at a booth and taking in the scenery. Sevhen and I chat there often. And I just keep adding more stuff to the replicator.
I keep wondering what would have happened if the Golden Yak Diner was where it was originally intended, with a back shoreline and a hop skip and jump to LivingTree Outpost. We could have had a joint fishing contest or something. Well, what's done is done, and as expected the continent has been deserted post-Christmas. There's a crater where the sexgen users used to be. Some skeletal remains on the strip land.
The Diner will continue to welcome folks for the next two months.
As for the Lindens, they went into hiding. They haven't made any further gestures to make up for the mess one borked auction created. I can think of a few things they could do, like guarantee a certain abandoned parcel would not be picked up by LDPW and would go to the dollar auction on an exact date which corresponds to my annual bonus (I hear I'm getting a nominal one this year, but it IS one). Or offer a trade which they claim they never make, except for the fact that they do for capital improvement purposes (if you own land they need to continue a road or railroad). If they wanted to do something they certainly could. But details on that's for another blog.
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