Musings in Search of a Muse

The Sanctuary has been moved to the larger portion of my three connected lots in Nangrim, SL (that's a cute way of making an address in Second Life ... gotta promote that sometime). This means the Workshop now takes up only 1/2 the space it once had, but I made some improvements to make the space more usable and interesting. The new pond (gotta have one) uses the same amount of area as the old pond, but the larger lot lets it be more interesting. I put in a beautiful weeping willow tree, some great rocks, and I'll probably put out a picnic table.

Unlike the old location, I didn't put up walls to improve the view, though I still might. I just feel bad spoiling the view for others. I suppose I can make the walls one-way transparent so I have a scenic view and my neighbors can see into my beautiful lot. I am getting low on "prims" (an object allotment that is the equivalent of bandwidth) so I'd probably have to take down the workshop walls I put up.

A lot of the prims are being used by the Memorial Park. On a whim I put in a wishing well. Eventually, I'd like to have it take donations. The picnic area I put in takes a few more prims than I would like to give up, but it is worth it. If you are an SL member, there is free food, so stop by. Use the link above or search Places for Park or Memorial.

Kala is still updating the Habitat and she put in a store so we can raise some money for the group. I spent some time yesterday creating custom variations on furniture for the store. Tonight I need to take pics of the new items so we can advertise the goods. If I get the time I'll make a few coffee tables and maybe some lamps. As with the custom pieces mentioned above, most of these will not be available on my personal store site at SL Boutique.

If I can get Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 to cooperate, I might tackle upholstered furniture. The package was a great price (BestBuy) but apparently the transparent textures it creates do not meet the requirements for SL's texture graphics. My initial need was to create an attractive banner for the InfoStation at the Park. I had hoped to be able to create my own clothes since selections for men in SL are generally for the younger set, are of poor quality, and limited selection. So I'll just concentrate on furniture for now and hope that Kala can start making clothes.

Superman is Back! The movie could have been generally better, but it did a good job of humanizing the Superman character. The Christopher Reeve movies left me cold. They were two-dimensional, though with great music and effects. The current incarnation keeps the same John Williams score and vastly improves the effects plus exudes a lush visual style that should garner the film an Art Direction nomination.

There's a plot twist almost worthy of M. Night Shyamalan's best efforts so I won't reveal it here, suffice to say that we should have seen it coming. As usual, the basic plot leaves plenty of opportunities for sequels, but the plot twist alone merits one.

I may not visit the theater for another showing, and I don't anticipate buying the DVD, but nonetheless this is a fine film.

Over lunch I popped out to a local big box and bought Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 to take care of my more advanced graphics needs. I really liked MS Picture It!, but my copy semi-disappeared in the recent crash and didn't do a few things I wanted it to do anyway. It was time for an update.

For a brief time, I taught an earlier version of Elements at the local Gateway computer store and found that despite a higher learning curve that MGI PhotoSuite (a previous Gateway favorite and very easy to use for great results), it performed very nicely. The press I've seen about the current version touts more features and easier use, but so far the manual is as daunting as ever. Like most software, I'll just have to leap in and use it. Mostly I need to do some textures with transparent parts for builds in Second Life. With any luck, it will encourage me to start using my highly-expensive digital camera more often. I miss having the photo bug.

I spent a fair bit of time yesterday adding to the Lydia Rose Memorial Park in Second Life. I cleared some of the land and added:

• a swing set with 4 swings
• a teeter-totter with a tulip theme (I'll have to post pics ... totally forgot about it)
• butterflies -- lots of butterflies
• an info station so people can gather notecards and Weblinks to learn about Lydia Rose and her ailment

Not sure where the idea to put in park toys came from, but I think it was "inspired," if you get my drift. I probably won't add other big elements, though who knows? Kala suggested a carousel, but I haven't found one that I really like. One goal is to refine the cows on the lot then find a way for them to wander the property autonomously. I have a emu-like bird that will wander, but only if there are fences. The info station needs some updates and a sign, but that won't be a problem. I'll get that done tonight.

One of my neighbors dropped by last night before I signed off and said he liked the park, but during our conversation I got the distinct impression he doesn't like "furries" - non-human avatars (AVs). He actually "eek"ed when I turned into the cute orange baby Pegasus AV I have. Part of me wanted to point out that he had bright pink hair and was wearing yellow socks, black dress shoes, cargo shorts, and a t-shirt.

Well, to each his own. Check back for more park updates. Or if you have SL, click on the park link above and visit.

The great director/actor/producer Mel Brooks is 80 years old today! When I heard the news this morning I instantly thought about his masterpiece, Young Frankenstein. It is a true Hollywood classic. Of course, Blazing Saddles and To Be or Not To Be are also classics, and along with many of his other works, are landmarks in American culture. Certainly, none of these are solo efforts, but one of Brooks' great talents is meshing the gifts of others into his own genius to make a whole that becomes greater than the sum of it's parts. That sounds trite, but this example shows it is a truism.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Brooks! May you live as long as you want but not want as long as you live!

For the most part, yesterday was a good day. I was feeling pretty good health-wise and emotionally, work was a good kind of boring, and life in general was ... er, good!

But it all fell apart when I took my SL girlfriend Kala to see the Lydia Rose Memorial Park. Well, it kinda started earlier. I was tired, my blood sugar was off, and I worked on a memorial fountain for an hour without being very happy with it. But I really, really miss my little girl so the trip to the park was probably not a good idea.

Maybe I need to take a break working on the park. Lydia loved cows so I've been putting cows in it. And kitties. Tonight I want to put in some external Weblink "signs" to direct people to learn more about leukodystrophy, the disease that took Lydia's life, and the charity that I contribute to, the United Leukodystrophy Foundation. Eventually I'll take out classified ads to publicize the park, but not quite yet.

I'm very happy that I was able to recover all of my music during the recent crash of my 'puter, but even before that my new iPod wouldn't accept all the videos I had purchased from iTunes. That is my project this week .... find out all the videos and contact Apple about this problem. Got a solution? Please post a comment. Maybe that will speed things up and help others.

A few weeks ago I stopped into TeaZer University in Second Life (SL) for help on setting up a group and using group land. One of the instructors was a "furry" -- someone who uses an animal-appearance avatar (AV). She appeared as a pink-accented tiny unicorn. Absolutely adorable. Figuring she was a very clever builder-programmer, I didn't bother asking if she had bought the AV or not.

Then I found out. Yesterday I was poking around at SL Boutique after updating the items in my store when I came across pony avatars that looked just like hers. Naturally, I bought one. Then I added a halo and spectacles (my humaniform AV wears them). When Kala (my online girlfriend) signed on later in the day I "buzzed" her back at the Habitat. It took her a little while to notice it was me, but then she thought I was so adorable. Her first question: "Can I ride you?"
::::heh heh::::

Well, it was possible so I took her shopping and bought me a saddle. I can't fly while under saddle, and the weight of a full-size AV is a bit of a strain for even trotting, but it was still fun. So much so, that Kala got her own pony. She also got a halo and we both got unicorn horns for when we aren't feeling so pure, plus apples to munch on. We spent the rest of the day trotting around one of the Second Life Anniversary centers.

Wow ... full-size dinosaurs, historical excavations showing the first editions of SL, art both static and performance. What a wild place. And we had a great time horsin' around. We were always snuggling and playing with the animation effects that came with the ponies. I love spending time with Kala, but she was extra fun last night. Not looking at her superb example of femininity AV took off some pressure and we had a generally good time.

Everyone loves ponies! I got so many compliments and rewards cantering about the 'verse. And I spent time with other ponies "wowing" other residents. It was a blast. I look forward to spending more time in pony-mode, though I'm sure it won't always be fab to do so. I am working on a dragon-themed humaniform AV and I have furries of other types (tigers, etc) that I've yet to use. Other than being orange much of the time, I usually blend in. And that gets dull.

For other excitement I was able to buy two more plots of land (here) near The Sanctuary. Tentatively called Lydia Rose Park, I'm loading it with animals in a tranquil, public park-like setting. I put up a memorial to my daughter this morning, but I already have plans to update it - make it nicer. Tonight I'm going to put in transporters to go from place to place since the lots aren't contiguous.

Before yesterday I knew it, but it wasn't until I bought another 512 M² of land in Second Life last night that it really struck me: I pay $25.00 above my $9.99 membership fee each month for owning as much land as I have (original plot, expanded plot next door & group-owned plot). I really should sell some of it, but I'm having too much fun. And when I get the new plot "plotted" I'll post some pics.

Since I'm installing a pond at the group-owned lot I might not do a pond back at the Sanctuary. I don't know. I have some great ideas, but then I always have ones that are great to me and potentially impossible to implement. Maybe I'll turn my private land into a workshop and store. Stay tuned ....

It is refreshing to see that I don't have to miss Judge Alex on the tele. One of my co-workers just announced that his brother has four kids by three different women. That's a typical case for Alex Ferrer as he decides who perpetrated the lesser of several wild evils that brought them to his televised morals court. Apparently, the situation is far more prevalent than I expected as it is right at my doorstep.

Sometimes I wonder if the country is on a moral decline or a moral landslide. Polarized social factions based on race, language, religion, and many other factors seem to accelerate this trend.

Not sure where I'm going with this rant, but I'm kinda upset. Maybe when I cool down.

An odd thought struck me at lunch when I was using my mobile to catch up on the news about the alleged terrorists in Miami arrested yesterday: What if they were our boys?

Here's what I was thinking .... some American intelligence authority set up a group to act like terrorists, hoping to get ties inside al Qaeda. But the op was about to be burned so the case officer had the men "arrested" to maintain their credibility and allow the scheme to be tried again. These men would then disappear in the Supermax prison, never to be seen again, and then relocated. Possibly even used again in some fashion.

It is certainly possible, but is it probable? The Administration would need some serious gonadi to carry out something like this. Normally I would say this isn't likely, but with the delicate dance it has been having with communication and finance records of the world's citizens, I'd have to rethink that position.

Just something to make you go "Hmmmmmm."

That's interesting ... I agreed with Senator John Kerry on something. In a recent post I mentioned something about they Iraqi people being worthy and standing for themselves. Not a new thought and apparently not original, either, as Mr. Kerry made much the same point when announcing his bill intended to bring our boys and girls back home by July 2007.

Well, I guess I can't disagree with the man all the time. I still think that Mr. Bush is marginally better as a president, but the Senator is a bright guy with real Hill cred. I'm glad he is taking a stand and I back him nearly 100%. The timing may be bad, but it is a great idea.

Well, about the only thing I didn't get done yesterday was to reestablish my wireless network. My computer and TiVo recognize the network, but the router isn't taking the connection from the modem. Worse yet, the TiVo won't connect via the phone line I've been trying to cancel.

But I built a beautiful end table for my cottage in Second Life and finished the footbridge. Kala (my girlfriend) was duly impressed. What didn't impress us was that the "all-night parties" SL is famous for didn't exist last night. We hit a half-dozen clubs -- some I'd never seen before -- and busted each time. Kala was in a dancing mood and had a wonderful new outfit to show off, but alas, we went mini-golfing instead. At least that was fun, 'cause there was kissin' at every corner. I wonder if that was the property owner's goal and not the game itself.

But I did see X-Men III. Rather a waste of time, actually. The effects were the typical "spectacular" but the story didn't do anything for me and the acting was more or less phoned in. They tried to start and resolve too many stories at once. I should have stayed home and watched my last Netflix rental, Good Night and Good Luck. Maybe I'll get to that tonight, but I really need to make time to keep TiVo happy.

But it was a good day off and I have another one Sunday ... when I catch up on the laundry I didn't do yesterday.

Curling up in front of a good fire is a fine way to relax after a hard day's work. I just finished building a footbridge and placing it on the property. That was a lot of fun and I look forward to selling quite a few of them.

I suppose I should do something about cash soon, 'cause that chair in the bottom-left corner cost me $150 and I'd like a second one. It doesn't really coordinate with the couch or the cottage, but it is close enough. Both items are from the Nevermore store and are some of the best pieces in SL. The bedroom at the house has pieces from the same collection as the couch.

And yes, that's a pic of my darlin' Lydia Rose on the mantle. Why I hadn't done that before I don't know. The other pic is me and Kala snuggling.

All in all, The Sanctuary (what I call this plot that I own) is lookin' pretty good. Of course, it did before but change is a constant in SL. Who knows what I'll do next. After all, I don't really need a cottage.

If you have SL installed and would like to vist The Sanctuary, then click here. The cottage is locked, but you can peek in the windows then enjoy the pond. The Carpentry Lot is next door (click here) and you can often see work in progress or catch me there.

• Call the doctor's office 1st thing to see if I can sneak in a day early.
• Do some laundry. I don't really need to, but I should get ahead on this task.
• Watch my last movie from Netflix. To conserve costs and time now that I'm addicted to Second Life, I'm cutting back on a few things.
• Go see X-Men III now that the theaters should be less crowded. I have a great multiplex not to far from my house. It is family owned and I think that makes everything nicer. Certainly the staff is great.
• Restore my wireless network. Now that the 'puter is fairly well up and running I've got to make it mobile again. Otherwise I'm stuck in the spare bedroom. And I still have to re-create my iPod playlists before synching again.
• Clean the house. Or at least vacuum. The carpet is getting crunchy. Thank goodness I don't disturb spiders or I'd be covered in bugs.
• Create a group with Kala in SL so we can share land more efficiently. We had fun yesterday working on the house. She put in an elevator after doing some major mods to make more room. But we found time for a bit-o-snuggles. It may only be virtual, but it is still fun. Soon, I've got to do some landscaping but I've got to finish my other property first.

This morning, as every morning it seems, the war in Iraq was all over the news. Several thoughts rampaged through my mind, not the least of which is that I should start waking up to music instead of NPR. Or if I must listen to news (as a news junkie, it is a must), then there needs to be more balance. The war isn't the only news, after all.

Another thought struck me when I heard that one of Saddam Hussein's lawyers was brutally murdered: Why are we bothering with these people? With history as my guide, I find it clear that only a tyrannical butcher can maintain order in that forsaken land. Clearly the people are unable to do so themselves, or perhaps unwilling. I lean toward the latter, because as the revolutions in America and France have taught us, the people can make a difference. This sad despair has been long brewing in me, going back to my first pre-war feelings. But pulling out now would be a total waste of American lives. We need a new strategy, but more importantly, we need a people worthy of fighting for. ::::sigh:::: Peace & Prayers

A post from earlier today promised some pics from Second Life. Here they are ....


Going clockwise from top left ...

That's Kala. She's a sweetheart and a total babe. While I'm often orange, she opted for a highly realistic "skin" -- right down to freckles and a mole or two. That's her favorite hair, too, though she often puts on pigtails just for me. We were at Siggy's Water Works, a place that sells in-ground pools that, unlike many other bodies of water, one can really swim in. With lots of pools, slides, and boards, it's a great place to visit.

The blue chick is ultra helpful, but as I don't know her that well I won't divulge her name. She convinced me to go orange. Anyone can be normal - why not redefine colored? The other person is wearing a costume I don't recognize, but the variety and quality of clothing in the SL 'verse strongly rivals what can be found in RL.

There I am, skydiving, just about to pull my chute. I'm sure it would be better with a graphics card upgrade, but skydiving is still a lot of fun -- even the splats when you don't pull your chute on time.

Then there's a pic of me and Kala getting formally romantic. I had just bought her that outfit and she was feeling kinda grateful so we snuggled for a bit and .... well, it was romantic. I was shocked (yes, shocked) to find that people can go beyond snuggles and actually have sex in SL. It's like a strange, picture-filled version of phone sex (so I hear). As mentioned in another post, I know strippers in SL, but I also know escorts (not necessarily professionally ... get your mind out of the gutter). Relationships can be rather real, it seems. I have neighbors that are married, though he's really in Ohio and she's in Florida. Another couple I know really are married and they SL together.

As I get more pics I'll post them, but I hope to not turn this into an SL blog.

Admittedly I seldom try, but often Internet access to most anything is blocked from all computers in my employer's building. Even the break room computers are filtered for e-mail, most shopping, and even some news sites.

Oddly, I can watch without any problem the Animal Cams at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Makes me wonder what the quality monitor folks think. They "see" a motion capture of my computer's display while I'm assisting a customer when the call is recorded ("This call may be recorded for training and quality purposes."). Often, I'll have the Webcam output on my screen between calls and I bet it shows on the recording.

Of course, today the filters aren't blocking Blogger, so I'm taking some down time to write this post rather than do crosswords or join the "adult" conversation that is within earshot. Not like I take the time and home since Second Life entered my First Life.

I drastically changed my schedule so I can have Thursdays off for doctor appointments, car maintenance, and such, and the first available time with my doctor is a Friday.

Why do people take cameras (or camera phones) to funerals?

Japan's obsession with camera-equipped mobile phones has taken a bizarre twist, with mourners at funerals now using the devices to capture a final picture of the deceased.

"I get the sense that people no longer respect the dead. It's disturbing," a funeral director told the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.

At one ceremony several people gathered round the coffin and took out their phones to photograph the corpse as preparations were made to begin a cremation, she was quoted as saying.

"I'm sure the deceased would never want their faces photographed," she said. But
others called it a form of a memento in the modern age.

"Some can't grasp 'reality' unless they take a photo and share it with others ... It comes from a desire to keep a strong bond with the deceased," social commentator
Toru Takeda told the paper.

When my current laptop is dead, bring on the Macintosh! Last week it the OS just up and died. There was very little warning and I have to take blame for not heeding it, but I was a bit more concerned with getting Comcast to provide a reliable Internet connection.

So, Windows died completely at one point and required a complete reinstall. As I expected, documents and files I created remained, but now it's like an installation and a half with thing strewn all over the hard drive. What I'm dreading is resynching my iPod with iTunes. All the songs are there -- and I bought a program to copy from the Pod to the HD just in case -- but my playlists, ratings, and frequency stats are gone.

If there's an upside, Windows is running a whole lot faster. Probably because it hasn't had a year or so of Patch Tuesday's to sort through. Not sure if I want to run the updater. Before I make that decision I'm going to finish moving files and making sure programs work.

And getting used to OpenOffice. I decided not to reinstall MS Office. It was getting very recalcitrant of late and I wouldn't be surprised if it contributed to the downfall of Windows. And pricing Macs is taking up some time, too. If I had $1500 I'd wave good-bye to Mr. Gates and hello to Mr. Jobs.

Well, it looks like I'm still ignoring my usual online activities as I stay consumed with Second Life. I just formed a partnership (officially boyfriend/girlfriend) with a rather nice woman named Kala. Our goal is companionship at this point, as we explore the SL 'verse. She's having a blast building a homestead for us to share. I'm always fiddling with my pond property and learning to build furniture and structures. It really is a "second life" with lots of possibilities not available to my Real Life (RL).

For example, yesterday I spent an hour or so skydiving. Not something my innate talents or RL health would permit. Kala has her own sailboat. In RL, she's landlocked and wouldn't have that opportunity. Another great benefit of these possibilities is that I meet a diverse range of people. Not that I don't in RL, mind you, but in SL I'm friends with strippers, ministers, Goth-folk, and even "furries." You'd have to see SL to understand the latter.

As mentioned in a previous post, SL is awful darn close to the idea of the Matrix movies, but everyone is in on the secret. I absolutely love to fly and briefly considered getting an airplane or helicopter last night, but figured I can fly without one, what's the point? Besides, Kala has a Ford Mustang repli-car that drives up to 240 SL MPH and can also fly. I can always borrow that (though the first time I took her out the beastie ejected us for unsafe flying).

Visiting other lands is fabulous, too. Last night I found an island that looks like it is going to become a sort of Jurassic Park. There's a 3-story tall bull elephant staring over a waterfall that makes Angel Falls look like a faucet drip. Kala wants me to visit a Gorean town. Apparently, there are many adherents to that culture (based on John Norman's Gor books). From what I've read and heard almost all of it flies in the face of my hard-core Christian beliefs so I'm not sure I'm will go. There's just so much else to do in SL I've got to start making priorities.

Like clearing out my apartment in an ancient Irish castle. I rented a space for a month on a whim (long story) and have had a great time building furniture and decorating, but I never use it and the friends I have that could use it (another long story and this is a family audience) don't need it. Besides, I just built a small English cottage on my pond and I can furnish it as needed. Right now there's a rug inside designed for relaxing and snuggling, but if I ever need a bed, a couch, or even a dining room, I can "take" the rug and "rez" new things. Wish I could do that in RL!

When I get home from work (where I've managed to access Blogger today for some reason though not fully) I'll post more pics. And I promise to get back to Blogging in general 'cause I miss it and my SL profile promises that people can learn about RL me by visiting here. So, on to the next post!

Well, aside from a couple days in the hospital, I've spent most of my online time in Second Life (SL). Look at the pic and you'll see why ...

Kala, on the left is a neighbor in SL. Really she lives in Florida. She tells me she really looks like this. Okay, I believe her but in SL you can look like what you want ... even animals. Usually, I'm orange with wild hair.

Selene, on the right, is an entertainer/model I met. She popped by The Sanctuary (that's what I call my plot of land) one day and spent an hour or so swimming and sunning with Kala and me. In this view, I'm floating in a tube and they sat on the edges. I built an awesome pond surrounded by trees, filled with critters, a decadent Roman-style spa, and more. Kala is furnishing a house she bought and put on another plot of land that I have

So I spend a lot of time there and exploring the world of SL. Last night someone told me about skydiving. Gotta try that. Really, I haven't scratched the surface. So far I've been out an a sailboat (with Kala, who is becoming a main-squeeze), cliff dived off a waterfall, swam with octopi, mini-golfed, been sandwich danced (and that's all the detail you are getting), danced like I knew how, built houses by hand along with furniture, and more. The addiction may wear off, but I still plan to spend a lot of time in my home with Kala (good friends so far --- she thinks I'm handsome) and in my pond as well as exploring.