Hmmm...
I don't think I've ever seen a guitar player with convincing animation in Second Life. And while I've seen a mock-up Wilburys concert once, it was a bit weird and I'd have just wanted to dance to the music regardless of who or what was on stage.
The pressure's on to put together something special this Saturday for my set at the New London Festival. Well for someone like me it's pressure. I'd like to hover a giant build over the audience. I'd want it to produce lightning and storms... Yeah I think full contol of local environment via the saucer is what I'd do.
I guess I'd contol the colors and meteorological activity by a HUD.
It's not something I'd do as a habit, but being a special event there are expectations and I want to live up to them. After all I do it for everyone's enjoyment. Give them a good time from their real lives.
If I could script. Right now it's can only be an idea.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
A Good Week for a Change
It's been a good week. While it's easy to be moved to write when there's misrepresentation or bullying to bring to light (I'll gladly leave irrational hate and fibbing for the schemers to spew forth), it's always great when things fall into place.
Removing certain groups from my list was very therapeutic. I have one friend left whom I made in "that place" and I get a strong impression they're too polite to remove me but may prefer that I no longer existed in their world. So far it's been only me saying hello. I could be wrong, but I might remove a weight off their shoulders if I don't see a change. It's times like these I'd like to be proven wrong, but conditional friends are barely any friends at all, if not grounds to be a friend when the tide turns.
We had an 80s Night at the beach on Monday. Best dressed avatar contest in addition to 7Seas'. I even made a plastic-look headset for the occasion. The playlist was both easy and tough. I had ripped a lot of CDs the day before and in minutes had almost three hours of music picked. The tricky part was deciding what to leave out. In the end everybody had a great time with many not having heard some songs since they were hits. It always feels good when you know you've made someone's downtime worthwhile. That's why I do it. This is all about downtime.
New Albert Hall's working out as well. I try to put something Who into that one for obvious reasons. I've been invited to participate in London Fest. I'd play a 90 minute set from one band (got dibs on Electric Light Orchestra). Will see what I can prepare for that one in the way of multimedia accompaniment as it seems customary. If anything it compensates for not having a Burn2 plot.
Furnished the treehouse as much as I'd want to. Who needs a bathroom or a kitchen in Second Life?!
More good news: deleted Google+
What negative occurrence can we turn into something positive? The most unhappy news of all: the mortality of Abbotts Aerodrome. Cubey Terra announced that it's up for sale in September. This is more than just property, and many of us wish Linden Lab would strike a deal so it becomes property of LDPW with mole attractions and continued trips to Nova Albion and Hau Koda. Even with a little arranging planes can start from Hau Koda back to Abbotts as well as out to Calleta's Hobo infohub (should they ever manage to stabilize the northern Sansara corridor).
We can only hope to continue to see that grand tower as a symbol of the best our earliest mainland settlers had to offer...
Removing certain groups from my list was very therapeutic. I have one friend left whom I made in "that place" and I get a strong impression they're too polite to remove me but may prefer that I no longer existed in their world. So far it's been only me saying hello. I could be wrong, but I might remove a weight off their shoulders if I don't see a change. It's times like these I'd like to be proven wrong, but conditional friends are barely any friends at all, if not grounds to be a friend when the tide turns.
We had an 80s Night at the beach on Monday. Best dressed avatar contest in addition to 7Seas'. I even made a plastic-look headset for the occasion. The playlist was both easy and tough. I had ripped a lot of CDs the day before and in minutes had almost three hours of music picked. The tricky part was deciding what to leave out. In the end everybody had a great time with many not having heard some songs since they were hits. It always feels good when you know you've made someone's downtime worthwhile. That's why I do it. This is all about downtime.
New Albert Hall's working out as well. I try to put something Who into that one for obvious reasons. I've been invited to participate in London Fest. I'd play a 90 minute set from one band (got dibs on Electric Light Orchestra). Will see what I can prepare for that one in the way of multimedia accompaniment as it seems customary. If anything it compensates for not having a Burn2 plot.
Furnished the treehouse as much as I'd want to. Who needs a bathroom or a kitchen in Second Life?!
More good news: deleted Google+
What negative occurrence can we turn into something positive? The most unhappy news of all: the mortality of Abbotts Aerodrome. Cubey Terra announced that it's up for sale in September. This is more than just property, and many of us wish Linden Lab would strike a deal so it becomes property of LDPW with mole attractions and continued trips to Nova Albion and Hau Koda. Even with a little arranging planes can start from Hau Koda back to Abbotts as well as out to Calleta's Hobo infohub (should they ever manage to stabilize the northern Sansara corridor).
We can only hope to continue to see that grand tower as a symbol of the best our earliest mainland settlers had to offer...
Monday, July 25, 2011
...if you can call this normal...
She's put banlines around her building and I'm gonna ask her for a refund? Yeah right. Over 2 weeks left on the Clockhaven meter, almost a month since I said good riddance. That's a lot of rent lost. On the bright side: good riddance. To hipocrisy, false politeness, and juvenile behavior not attributed to urchins. The only thing I'll miss there are Edward Pearse's events at The Clarendon for Radio Riel and Blackberry Harvey's DJing in Sweetwater Square.
I got this nice piece of furniture built for the shop. Guess I could put it up in The Marketplace. I just use my old SLEX box. But what if I need another box? Will I get an SLEX box or one with the Second Life logo on it?
I really should put more stuff on the marketplace, like the silly noses and inner tube... The classic deco gallery building... Yeah I'm just all over the place, aren't I?
First *OFFICIAL* DJ gig at Bacchus on the Beach worked out well last week, except that putting the music on random lumped the newer material together. No more random. Second DJ gig at New Albert Hall in TARDIS was a hit on Saturday. Just shifted my repertoire up by a decade for them. Filled in last night at Bacchus when thunderstorms grounded Dat in RL. Madhu's regrettably will be on hiatus for the next couple of weeks (also another grounding in RL of a sort; come back soon Carter!), freeing me up to DJ at Bacchus more, so for the next two weeks I'll be providing their music on Mondays and Tuesdays.
The Starship Diner event last Friday was... quiet. My usual time for events is Saturday after Livingtree fishing but because of the weekly summer fireworks I moved my parties to Friday evenings. Everyone's usually doing something else on Fridays, including myself. There were birthdays and rezdays I inadvertently scheduled against - one which I would have liked to attend if I could be in two places at once. Ah well. At least I got to see an old friend from the VRML days; we pummeled him with information in a frantic effort to get him up to speed.
Made the Taco Supreme Dalek finally. Debut it at Show n Tell. He's a new Super Ultrarare at Retro Metro in Sistiana. The Purple Relay Dalek remains available for a donation until all Relay for Life vendors self destrict sometime next month. After that: no more purple Dalek. Unless someone copies him of course. Hey, it's their soul.
The heatwave hit a dangerous high for my medical category and I remained sequestered from Thursday through Saturday at home. Got credit for working remotely. I hate working from home; it's like tainting my computer. But there was plenty to do. Caught up on some DVDs at the same time, half-listening to them from the side.
Today back into the real world, hitting the office following a doctor's appointment.
Going to see what I can do with my backyard in Hydrangea. Moved my sandbox beneath the diner. I think I'd like to put my conservatory in the backyard. Yes, I have a conservatory. Doesn't everyone?
It's nice that other than that and the matter of an intrusive tree I have to bring up to the "treehouse estate," there are no real points of concern.
Oh yes, Burn2. If I get a campsite, I win. It always comes down to the best ham. Some endorsed darling will get them over me (although "endorsed" SHOULD mean that their spot was already paid for via their benefactor, right? Endorsed means covering materials and venue, the means to make and exhibit their art). I'll design some vehicles for the DMV. They think I'm going to script them. They've never seen my résumé.
I got this nice piece of furniture built for the shop. Guess I could put it up in The Marketplace. I just use my old SLEX box. But what if I need another box? Will I get an SLEX box or one with the Second Life logo on it?
I really should put more stuff on the marketplace, like the silly noses and inner tube... The classic deco gallery building... Yeah I'm just all over the place, aren't I?
First *OFFICIAL* DJ gig at Bacchus on the Beach worked out well last week, except that putting the music on random lumped the newer material together. No more random. Second DJ gig at New Albert Hall in TARDIS was a hit on Saturday. Just shifted my repertoire up by a decade for them. Filled in last night at Bacchus when thunderstorms grounded Dat in RL. Madhu's regrettably will be on hiatus for the next couple of weeks (also another grounding in RL of a sort; come back soon Carter!), freeing me up to DJ at Bacchus more, so for the next two weeks I'll be providing their music on Mondays and Tuesdays.
The Starship Diner event last Friday was... quiet. My usual time for events is Saturday after Livingtree fishing but because of the weekly summer fireworks I moved my parties to Friday evenings. Everyone's usually doing something else on Fridays, including myself. There were birthdays and rezdays I inadvertently scheduled against - one which I would have liked to attend if I could be in two places at once. Ah well. At least I got to see an old friend from the VRML days; we pummeled him with information in a frantic effort to get him up to speed.
Made the Taco Supreme Dalek finally. Debut it at Show n Tell. He's a new Super Ultrarare at Retro Metro in Sistiana. The Purple Relay Dalek remains available for a donation until all Relay for Life vendors self destrict sometime next month. After that: no more purple Dalek. Unless someone copies him of course. Hey, it's their soul.
The heatwave hit a dangerous high for my medical category and I remained sequestered from Thursday through Saturday at home. Got credit for working remotely. I hate working from home; it's like tainting my computer. But there was plenty to do. Caught up on some DVDs at the same time, half-listening to them from the side.
Today back into the real world, hitting the office following a doctor's appointment.
Going to see what I can do with my backyard in Hydrangea. Moved my sandbox beneath the diner. I think I'd like to put my conservatory in the backyard. Yes, I have a conservatory. Doesn't everyone?
It's nice that other than that and the matter of an intrusive tree I have to bring up to the "treehouse estate," there are no real points of concern.
Oh yes, Burn2. If I get a campsite, I win. It always comes down to the best ham. Some endorsed darling will get them over me (although "endorsed" SHOULD mean that their spot was already paid for via their benefactor, right? Endorsed means covering materials and venue, the means to make and exhibit their art). I'll design some vehicles for the DMV. They think I'm going to script them. They've never seen my résumé.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Relay for Life Weekend
What an inspiration Relay For Life weekend was. I wore the tag for Giant Snail Relay team, seeing how clammy the other tag had become and how I was told I wasn't needed. Tindy had done practically all the work on the Snails' campsite, so I had a feeling no one would be relaying for them. Racer suggested I put out my Snail shirts and Whoish vendors to bring in more donations; the team went gold level on Saturday. Total raised at this writing for the American Cancer Society by Second Life: US$373,098.
At first there were others participating. We rooted for the first lap passersby, waving flags. Survivors and Caregivers. I knew so many people running and walking by us, and they appreciated our cheers. It seemed I was wrong about the track and the impression that it was this long road which took 24 hours to complete. More like 45min-hour, with special theme laps where we put on silly things or changed form (like the animal lap). Running by interesting builds and people cheering you on... Proud I managed to raise 10,000 Lindens before the weekend festivities began and another few thousand during the relay from the roadside donations. By the end of the event most of the luminaria lining the road were lit. I'd been reunited with so many people I hadn't connected with in ages: folks from past SL events, other causes, show n tell, previous neighbors, 7Seas fishers, Office Hours, Whovians, and so on.
It was clear that I would be the only one to run for the team. As I've said, there were others who like me claimed more than one team tag, but they ALL represented the other. After the first half a day, no one rooted from the campsite. It was deserted for most of the weekend.
But the major thing is I got to run. And run. And run for all I did. I've helped raise over 12k, about 5k of it for Giant Snail Relay's tally, maybe more; vendor sales sporadically continue. I got to cheer people who did all they did without any personal agendas save success. That's the spirit!
As expected, New London had been omitted again from inclusion by the Dr Who Fans Relay team, so they were unaware of the Relay weekend (Victor continues to be oblivious of an ever growing conflict between two concepts: being in charge and community obligation). When I invited Laredo Lowtide to check out the luminaria and how fans could light them in Elisabeth Sladen's name as well as for family and friends, I could tell the very setting of people running past and the luminaria - with their dedications to loved ones struggling or long gone - was something they would want to become a part of one way or another next year. The management is so busy - maintaining TARDIS sim is a fulltime job. Maybe they need some sort of public events coordinator or something. They certainly have enough group members if not active events participants to make their own team. Hell if the Snail Races can do it with no one on the campsite for most of the weekend, I think a good gaggle of Whovians could maintain a team presence on the track as well as put something fantastic together for a campsite. The Doctor after all is the mother of all humanitarians.
I'm sure next year will be different. It always is after the first time. I know more people involved, am involved with more people who are involved, and Who knows what happens in 2012? :)
Remember I have a year-round kiosk in Hydrangea near the diner sign. While RFL is a seasonal campaign, cancer hits whenever it hits.
At first there were others participating. We rooted for the first lap passersby, waving flags. Survivors and Caregivers. I knew so many people running and walking by us, and they appreciated our cheers. It seemed I was wrong about the track and the impression that it was this long road which took 24 hours to complete. More like 45min-hour, with special theme laps where we put on silly things or changed form (like the animal lap). Running by interesting builds and people cheering you on... Proud I managed to raise 10,000 Lindens before the weekend festivities began and another few thousand during the relay from the roadside donations. By the end of the event most of the luminaria lining the road were lit. I'd been reunited with so many people I hadn't connected with in ages: folks from past SL events, other causes, show n tell, previous neighbors, 7Seas fishers, Office Hours, Whovians, and so on.
It was clear that I would be the only one to run for the team. As I've said, there were others who like me claimed more than one team tag, but they ALL represented the other. After the first half a day, no one rooted from the campsite. It was deserted for most of the weekend.
But the major thing is I got to run. And run. And run for all I did. I've helped raise over 12k, about 5k of it for Giant Snail Relay's tally, maybe more; vendor sales sporadically continue. I got to cheer people who did all they did without any personal agendas save success. That's the spirit!
As expected, New London had been omitted again from inclusion by the Dr Who Fans Relay team, so they were unaware of the Relay weekend (Victor continues to be oblivious of an ever growing conflict between two concepts: being in charge and community obligation). When I invited Laredo Lowtide to check out the luminaria and how fans could light them in Elisabeth Sladen's name as well as for family and friends, I could tell the very setting of people running past and the luminaria - with their dedications to loved ones struggling or long gone - was something they would want to become a part of one way or another next year. The management is so busy - maintaining TARDIS sim is a fulltime job. Maybe they need some sort of public events coordinator or something. They certainly have enough group members if not active events participants to make their own team. Hell if the Snail Races can do it with no one on the campsite for most of the weekend, I think a good gaggle of Whovians could maintain a team presence on the track as well as put something fantastic together for a campsite. The Doctor after all is the mother of all humanitarians.
I'm sure next year will be different. It always is after the first time. I know more people involved, am involved with more people who are involved, and Who knows what happens in 2012? :)
Remember I have a year-round kiosk in Hydrangea near the diner sign. While RFL is a seasonal campaign, cancer hits whenever it hits.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
A Blog Post in Search of a Title
Relay for Life weekend. With my involvement in the New Babbage campsite build trashed (apparently *not* due to any Amishesque shunning), I've dropped hints about participating in the relay itself (which I've wanted to do since Dr Fran told me there was an actual relay) in a public forum, which have thus far gone unresponded to. I gave their RFL team captain the benefit of the doubt that they could have been too busy to come back after the first post and accosted them by IM. I want to parricipate. It's been a day and no word.
I'm also handing the computer over to Snurky Saturday afternoon for a Tiny Snail crosscountry on the Relay For Life sims. With Tindallia Soothsayer's help they have a course. Please give Tindy kudos when you see her. She makes the trophies, co-designed the home track (the good parts), built the SL8B parcel for them, planned the RFL course, made the tiny snails available for a donation to race this weekend, and more I know I've missed.
I'm 99% sure where I'll call my home for a treehouse. A 2-way interview went on yesterday and I showed the estate owner my choices of prefabs. Confirmed that any boughs extending into common land would be fine. A common sense covenant and a diverse, active community - but not isolationist or separatist. Here we are all wearing RFL purple (as always clicking will show a fullsize picture):
I'm also handing the computer over to Snurky Saturday afternoon for a Tiny Snail crosscountry on the Relay For Life sims. With Tindallia Soothsayer's help they have a course. Please give Tindy kudos when you see her. She makes the trophies, co-designed the home track (the good parts), built the SL8B parcel for them, planned the RFL course, made the tiny snails available for a donation to race this weekend, and more I know I've missed.
I'm 99% sure where I'll call my home for a treehouse. A 2-way interview went on yesterday and I showed the estate owner my choices of prefabs. Confirmed that any boughs extending into common land would be fine. A common sense covenant and a diverse, active community - but not isolationist or separatist. Here we are all wearing RFL purple (as always clicking will show a fullsize picture):
Won't count New Toulouse out yet for other things. I still like the idea of having a shop of prints, only not where I can see banlines. If that were fixed in New Babbage then their landscape wouldn't be reduced to the look of a cheap mainland parcel.
How does one enforce quiet catch for a 7Seas fishing area? Is this now an option on the server? I know: rtfm
How does one enforce quiet catch for a 7Seas fishing area? Is this now an option on the server? I know: rtfm
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Google+ Gets a Lesson in People Skills
Google+ is having an identity crisis. It doesn't know whether it wants to be a social network or a datamining racket. Despite its having been around since the 90s it somehow fails to realize that there are many levels of personae on the Internet and that there is no simple black and white when categorizing them for inclusion.
Let's go over the key categories so Google has a point of reference. They obviously haven't been looking at their own search results (and they used to be the cool search engine)...
1. RL. That's it. Real name. Actual location. They're either posted for business networking or for staying in touch with family and friends. Fair game for knew-you-when types and people from Jr High you don't miss. Also fair game if you met someone on a dating site or went into RL Mode with a virtual relationship and they're stalking you and your friends list.
2. Real but Protected. This can take many forms, particularly initialled or using a false name known only by your "inner circle" for the purpose of convenient remote interaction with a specific group of people and no access to profile specifics from outsiders. Can be confused with 3.
3. Virtual identity. A combination of 1 & 2. It protects the offline identity but serves a genuine purpose for people who have forged relationships and contacts online. Even in some cases the virtual identity is used for business contacts on an overt level while individuals may know eachother offline. Virtual and real are not so different except that one gets the bills; online they take on the same nontangible form. I've been using them since 1996. I have more friends and acquaintances online, particularly since all my local friends moved away from the area. I've touched many lives and have been enriched by many lives. No corporate entity has a right to judge the quality of my life based on my onliine name or profile image, which says at least as much about me than someone who posts a picture of their cat or baby.
4. Role Play identity. This in itself is a grey area category, and unfortunately the Virtual identity is lumped together with them. While this may be important to the player and their gaming friends, a roleplay identity limits their interactions to them and other game contacts. Out of Character discussion involves rules strategies and story. All considerations aside of how much time gamers spend and the limitations of their networking, they almost always have a voice in a game-related forum and dont really need or rely on general social networking sites.
5. The Façade - may be a blogger or reviewer who keeps their actual identity a secret, even may satirically take on the identity of a fictional character but obviously so. They are often witty but mostly of service to their genre community. For example "Dr Longscarf" compiles the best news links that come to him that day for Dr Who fans. He kids about being a timelord. We know he isn't one, and he's good for a debate or two when the situation calls for it.
6. The impersonator. Fake accounts for known fictional characters and celebrities. I'm following Queen Elizabeth II on Twitter. I know it's not her, but she's funny. So's Tony Stark. I can see where a social networking site such as Facebook and Google+ would object to them, and in many cases it's an act of griefing to pose as someone else. But to confuse these with types 1-3 or even 4 is ludicrous.
Google+ has to do right by the virtual community. It IS a community. Unless the US$300,000 mark we're closing in on for Relay for Life doesn't count either?
Let's go over the key categories so Google has a point of reference. They obviously haven't been looking at their own search results (and they used to be the cool search engine)...
1. RL. That's it. Real name. Actual location. They're either posted for business networking or for staying in touch with family and friends. Fair game for knew-you-when types and people from Jr High you don't miss. Also fair game if you met someone on a dating site or went into RL Mode with a virtual relationship and they're stalking you and your friends list.
2. Real but Protected. This can take many forms, particularly initialled or using a false name known only by your "inner circle" for the purpose of convenient remote interaction with a specific group of people and no access to profile specifics from outsiders. Can be confused with 3.
3. Virtual identity. A combination of 1 & 2. It protects the offline identity but serves a genuine purpose for people who have forged relationships and contacts online. Even in some cases the virtual identity is used for business contacts on an overt level while individuals may know eachother offline. Virtual and real are not so different except that one gets the bills; online they take on the same nontangible form. I've been using them since 1996. I have more friends and acquaintances online, particularly since all my local friends moved away from the area. I've touched many lives and have been enriched by many lives. No corporate entity has a right to judge the quality of my life based on my onliine name or profile image, which says at least as much about me than someone who posts a picture of their cat or baby.
4. Role Play identity. This in itself is a grey area category, and unfortunately the Virtual identity is lumped together with them. While this may be important to the player and their gaming friends, a roleplay identity limits their interactions to them and other game contacts. Out of Character discussion involves rules strategies and story. All considerations aside of how much time gamers spend and the limitations of their networking, they almost always have a voice in a game-related forum and dont really need or rely on general social networking sites.
5. The Façade - may be a blogger or reviewer who keeps their actual identity a secret, even may satirically take on the identity of a fictional character but obviously so. They are often witty but mostly of service to their genre community. For example "Dr Longscarf" compiles the best news links that come to him that day for Dr Who fans. He kids about being a timelord. We know he isn't one, and he's good for a debate or two when the situation calls for it.
6. The impersonator. Fake accounts for known fictional characters and celebrities. I'm following Queen Elizabeth II on Twitter. I know it's not her, but she's funny. So's Tony Stark. I can see where a social networking site such as Facebook and Google+ would object to them, and in many cases it's an act of griefing to pose as someone else. But to confuse these with types 1-3 or even 4 is ludicrous.
Google+ has to do right by the virtual community. It IS a community. Unless the US$300,000 mark we're closing in on for Relay for Life doesn't count either?
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Home Hunt Front
Unlike the fiction I've been serializing, New Babbage proper does not have a patch resembling a residential district.
I took a close look at New Toulouse's covenant. It wouldn't be the right place for the sort of treehouse I have in mind. Otherwise seems very nice: themed but not role play, similar to Bay City in that respect. Don't know about the prospect of a zombie hunt though...
Even before the owner of New Caledon expressed animosity against Bay City, I had seen their estate and it didn't appeal to me. Someone suggested Winterfell, but aren't they reputed to be dark or gothic? I'm so not that. Update: they aren't from that era. More knights and dragons and the like.
I visited some of Antiquity this week. It didn't seem as though their sims were structured like a cohesive community.
Maybe it's just not the era to look to for a Victorian treehouse? That could be!
Well when I get home (writing this while waiting for the LIRR to arrive) I'll join the last half of the Clarendon event then work on those portraits for New Babbage. Wonder if they'd be interested in auctioning them off to give to the winners at the end of the big RFL event?
I think maybe some protein first and foremost when I get off the subway near home...
I took a close look at New Toulouse's covenant. It wouldn't be the right place for the sort of treehouse I have in mind. Otherwise seems very nice: themed but not role play, similar to Bay City in that respect. Don't know about the prospect of a zombie hunt though...
Even before the owner of New Caledon expressed animosity against Bay City, I had seen their estate and it didn't appeal to me. Someone suggested Winterfell, but aren't they reputed to be dark or gothic? I'm so not that. Update: they aren't from that era. More knights and dragons and the like.
I visited some of Antiquity this week. It didn't seem as though their sims were structured like a cohesive community.
Maybe it's just not the era to look to for a Victorian treehouse? That could be!
Well when I get home (writing this while waiting for the LIRR to arrive) I'll join the last half of the Clarendon event then work on those portraits for New Babbage. Wonder if they'd be interested in auctioning them off to give to the winners at the end of the big RFL event?
I think maybe some protein first and foremost when I get off the subway near home...
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