Cyberspace on Caffeine

Happy Solstice!

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 23:57:43 GMT

As noted yesterday, today is the summer solstice! Hope everyone got outside and enjoyed the sunshine! (Apologies to my southern hemisphere readers - hang in there - your days will now get longer!)

Some fun facts you may or may not have known about the solstice can be found here, thanks to our friends at Discover Magazine.

I got out to the park today - was a perfect day - low 80's F and a few white clouds with a light breeze.

I took some pictures - a few here - see em all on my Flickr page (link in the sidebar). As always, click to make em big!







To see how people all around the globe celebrate(d) the Solstice, click here, thanks to our friends at National Geographic!

I hope your Solstice was full of sunshine (even if you live in the southern hemisphere)!

Caffeine!

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:00:14 GMT

The title of this blog alludes to my eternal addiction to caffeine. I thought it was time for a fun post about my favorite chemical compound and drug of choice.

I recently came across this picture: Considering using it as my userpic here.

I actually don't think I have a physical addiction to coffee as much as I joke about it. I do tend to rely heavily on it to get me through the afternoon slump that is 3-5 pm. (And to stay up later so I can be online, of course.) But I have gone days without it (shocking but true!) with no ill effects. And especially in the summers I can completely forego my morning jolt and not indulge until the afternoon. But I do enjoy it!

If you've ever wondered just how much is too much caffeine, the folks over at Energy Fiend have created a fun (?) calculator to help you out and keep you safe! Click here to check it out: Caffeine Calculator. The rest of the site is interesting as well.

There's been a ton of studies out lately that tout the benefits of caffeine, but I won't bore you with them here.

Chemically, caffeine is a rather attractive molecule. So attractive that at least one small company makes jewelry in the shape of the molecule! I saw these first-hand at the National Science Teacher's Association Conference last fall. They are prettier in person and though I wanted a necklace, I did not have the money. Nobody I tell believes me when I hint that I want one for Christmas or my birthday, lol. Click here to see them: Caffeine Jewelry

There's always lots of humor to be found in fellow caffeine addicts. Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert understands the importance of coffee in getting through a day at the office like nobody else. The strip below hangs next to my desk at work:

Ok, that's it - nothing too deep - just a light-hearted look at my favorite molecule!

Don't forget to get outside tomorrow as it's the summer solstice here in the northern hemisphere. The day with the most hours of daylight. For my Australian readers - it's the winter solstice - they day with the least amount of daylight - so get outside and enjoy what there is of it.

Paraskevidekatriaphobia Anyone?

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:35:33 GMT

Yup, it's Friday the 13th! Personally, just another day. But to millions around the globe, a day fraught with peril and doom! (But what a fun word to know!)

Historically, both the number 13 as well as Fridays have been seen as unlucky or ill omens. For more detailed info, click here:

http://www.snopes.com/luck/friday13.asp

Putting both pieces together to fear and/or revile Friday the 13th, seems to be a more recent invention, and one relegated to Western, Christian-dominated cultures.

I had always heard it linked to the end of the Templars in Europe, on Friday, October 13, 1307, when King Philip of France ordered all the seneschals in Europe to arrest the Templars on charges of heresy on the same day.

However, there is little written record of Friday the 13th being specifically unlucky prior to the 1800s.

We humans tend to fufill our own prophesies and look for connections when no causality is implied. When the Apollo 13 mission suffered near-catastrophic failures, people blamed the "bad luck" on the number of the mission. We seem to want to impose order and reason where there is none.

One survey, quoted in this article from National Geographic,http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/02/0212_040212_friday13.html
cites one fourth of the respondents associate the number 13 with bad luck.

Personally, I feel we make our own "luck" - generally by making wise decisions and listening to our intuition or "gut".

Do you do anything differently on Friday the 13th? Let me know in the comments!

Reflections on a Year in Second Life

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 02:24:45 GMT

I've run across a few things recently that sort of sum up for me what second life is like.

The first is a song you may have heard on a Mac advertisement, but that I first heard on my favorite RL radio station. It's called New Soul by Yael Naim. The lyrics are a great statement for what joining SL was like for me:

I'm a new soul
I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit bout how to give and take
But since I came here, felt the joy and now fear
Finding myself making every possible mistake

See I'm a young soul in this very strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit bout what is true and fake
But why all this hate? try to communicate
Finding trust and love is not always easy to make

If I ever invest the time and money into machinima software, this is a song I want to make an SL machinima to.

The second thing is a wonderful post Torley made today: click here to read it.

SecondLife has allowed me to grow in ways I never dreamed possible and in a very short time. I've forged connections - deep and lasting connections - with people I would never have met otherwise as they live far away and often in distant lands.

I've been able to transfer lessons learned about myself and about dealing with other people to real life, and that is just a wonderful gift.

SecondLife has challenged me on multiple levels, and it continues to draw me in and keep me engaged intellectually and emotionally every single day.

Before SL, I was existing - just getting through each day.

Now I am LIVING. Both lives. It's been a wild, crazy, amazing ride - I don't want to get off any time soon!

Today I am thankful for:

1. A wonderful year in Second Life.
2. All the amazing people I have met during the last year.
3. Air conditioning.

Autobiography of an Avatar (age 1)

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 01:54:22 GMT

**WARNING - LONGEST POST EVER **

I joined SL because I'd heard about it from Kathy Schrock - the Technology Educator Guru. I filed it away in the back of my mind as I was neck-deep in grad school and working full time. Then a classmate of mine in grad school mentioned how addicting it was - no, she didn't mention -she RAVED about it. And I knew that she and I were a lot alike. So... I took the plunge. I signed up. Fully intending Susannah Clary to be an educator in-world. I had zero desire to explore the social aspect beyond professional networking. I got through Orientation Island the first night and the next day, looked up my grad-school friend. She had an apartment on Eduisland 2 and a lot of fun "stuff" to play with. I was hooked.

At that time, new avatars were assigned to an Infohub as a "home". I was assigned to Bear Dream Lodge Infohub. Ever-after known as "Bear". That made ALL the difference to my SL experience.

(Bear was actually built by Torley Linden's wife, Ravenelle Zugzwang and a friend of hers. At the time I did not know that, but it meant that
Torley and Ravenelle did come back and visit from time to time.)

Bear was populated with the most amazing, eclectic mix of avatars. And unlike the "welcoming centers" I've observed of late, people sat around Bear and had Meaningful Discussions and Crazy Fun.


Mostly people sat around on "the wall" and talked.                             And sometimes they got a bit silly. :P

I listened for a while then started chiming in. And even though I was an utter newbie, people listened to me! Nobody made fun of my newbie-ness, beyond some gentle joshing, and everyone was super-helpful - handing out folders of clothes, giving me landmarks to freebie places. One woman I met in my first week would just randomly hand out lindens to me and some other newbies. She gave me 500L one day for no reason at all. I had found a home and never returned to Eduisland - this was just too much fun!

Now this was in those transitional days of SL (ok so they're ALL transitional days): after the days of "First Land" and "First Lindens" and before the dawn of VOICE.  This meant those with Linux (which was not supported for voice for the longest time), those that are deaf (hi J1mmy wherever you are!) and those whose spoken English trailed their written skills were not discriminated against. Everyone was on equal footing.

I quickly made some good friends, and some pretty deep connections (some of which remain today). I found the generosity of avatars who had never met me to be simply astonishing. EVERYONE was generous with their knowledge and skills - teaching me everything from the tricks of prim skirts, to building basics, to simple scripting (thanks Will!).

One memorable example stands out: I was looking for my first house, having found some great beach-front property to rent (thanks Tevor!). Will and I were wandering around a sim with beautiful, huge, houses. A woman came up to us on the path and asked what I was looking for. I said I did not know, but something small as I only had 500L. Before I realized it, she had given me 5,000L and flew away! I never even got her name. She said "I have more than I know what to do with - get something nice."

So I've tried to "pay it forward" whenever possible. Nye was the first Mentor I met at Bear and I always thought it would be neat to be a mentor because he just seemed so cool (stop laughing Nye). The day I turned six months old (the age limit to be a Mentor), I applied and was accepted. I don't often have spare lindens to share, but I have taught quite a few people the basics of SL including basic building.

My first home was a tiki hut. Which I painstakingly picked out (thanks for buying it for me Will!) and decorated. And never spent any time in at all! Mostly I sat on the beach, or the dock I made with some help, or the balcony with friends, talking til the wee hours of the night. Some of those friends and I got really close - it was like college when you'd stay up late talking, telling your new best friends everything. I fell in love with the sim I was living on and still live there today - eventually becoming good friends with the owner and now working as Estate Manager for him.

I have very few pics from those early days (I've more than made up for that in recent months). But here is one of me in perhaps July of last year on my first land:

I tried my hand at building, and built a skybox with no right angles. It was a lot of fun and I found some unique pieces to decorate it with:

When I wasn't at Bear, or on my beach, I was out exploring SL. My new friends from Bear new the NEATEST places! (thanks Tevor!) Like SpacePark! My very first "pick" and it's still in my list today. Simply one of the most amazing sims in all of SL. Constantly evolving, always tranquil and totally cool. I've taken "dates" there to orbit in each other's arms and talk all night, I've done some tai chi after a long day managing a club, and sometimes, just orbiting alone in meditation. I eventually met all three of the creators (or Inspirators) of the sim - cool guys every one.

I also explored on my own. And inevitably stumbled into some seedier sims. HOWEVER...in one of those, in my very first week, I met one of my best friends. (waves to Peng!) And he showed me what became my "home away from home away from home", ROB's (Roll Over Beethoven's). ROB's is a Classic Rock dance club. And it's owned by another awesome friend, Laz. (Hi Laz!). Some of the most quick-witted, fun-loving people I have EVER met in SL congregated (well still do) at ROBs. Some of the best DJ's too. Just all-round good people. Often silly, we even donned bat wings and danced on the ceiling once or twice:

After a while, Laz decided to open a new club on adjoining land. He called it OneWorld - the idea being that SL brings everyone together in one world, no matter where they are from in the RL. He tapped me to run it. I paid tier on it and managed it as I saw fit. I did everything from hiring DJs, to sending notices, to being Hostess and training others. When gambling was outlawed, income nosedived, and I never made a linden.   But it was great fun and great experience.

I made a lot of good friends from all around the world, and once taught a sim-ful of people how to thank the DJ in Dutch. Laz eventually bought an entire island (sim) and moved OW there. He also started up several other new clubs and moved them to the island. I had to step down from running OW as school had started back up and it was simply too much work.

Socially, I made some choices that hurt a few people, though that was never my intention. Connections formed fast and thick in those early days (well they still do but I am more aware of the process now) and Jamoke and I realized just how connected we'd become. He asked me to be his "SL Partner" and I accepted. We built (well he mostly built) a phenomenal tree house with rounded pods. I did most of the fishtank which was the shape of one of the rounded walls.  He built a lighthouse and we were blissfully happy for a few months. What goes around comes around, and we parted ways.

I found a new plot within the same estate (thanks Lefty!) and promptly found a windmill for my new beach:

I met a new neighbor who helped me modify it a bit (thanksTenet!) and he quickly became a great friend. I also met another neighbor, Sammy, who remains one of my closest girlfriends. Shortly after this, Lefty asked me to be his Estate Manager, and I was able to rent my current, larger, plot with that income.

I was searching for more answers to who I really was, and found myself increasingly curious about bdsm in SL, as so many of my neighbors were into it. I met Stray in SpacePark and we instantly clashed. But sparks are sparks, and things progressed. He allowed me to explore being submissive, but it simply wasn't me.  And eventually I had to part company with him, though he remains a friend. (hugs, Stray!)

And then one day, I discovered the word "femdom". I stumbled into Bouddicea, sat on a couch, and just observed. And felt instantly at home in a way I never had before. My journey from that point on is about where this blog picked up. More or less. I'm still figuring out just who I am and how femdom fits into me and I into it. And that meant a few more people and I parted ways, but most remain friends (waves to norbert and vanni -hugs!).

If I've left your name or story out, I apologize. Some things are private, and I've met so many people, it is impossible to mention you all. As lengthy as this post is, it is very much a summary.

The next post will be more reflective...this was more factual -as-seen-through-my-filter.

We Were All Newbies Once

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:02:06 GMT

I spent some time today going through old pictures in my inventory, trying to find ones that document my growth from utter newbie to today. (I promise the "1st year in SL" post is coming very soon!) Amazed at what I thought looked "good" a year ago!

I took a break from that to catch up on other blogs (see the sidebar). And what had Torley posted recently? Why a survey about newbie avatars! FINALLY, Linden Labs is doing something about the utter hideousness (is that a word? Well it should be!) of newbie avatar choices. Torley's giving his readers a "sneak peek" at some of the ideas they are tossing around. It sounds like there will be a more formal survey and/or announcement on the SL blog in the near future. But if you'd like to feel like your opinion matters now - in the planning stages - go take the survey here: http://torley.com/do-these-avatars-rock-suck-other-you-be-the-judge

Some are incredibly...awful. Others are wonderfully diverse! People who are not white! People who are clearly not under 30! Avatars that are not human! And Nye, if you are reading this - you have to take the survey just to see the one I affectionately call "boxy". The commentors to Torley's blog post have some very good points, but it was refreshing to see at least baby steps in the right direction!

Maybe it has something to do with the new CEO, M Linden, and his recent newbie avatar experiences. Click here to read all about his first week in-world as CEO: http://blog.secondlife.com/2008/05/27/my-first-week/

Do YOU have embarrassing ~~baby~~ newbie pics lurking in your inventory? Post 'em here so we can all laugh together. Ok, I'll start.

Sigh....just...sad. I think my photography skills have improved since then too.

Today I am thankful for:

1. People who thought I was beautiful even though I looked like the picture above. yikes!
2. School's officially done, though I have a work day tomorrow.
3. My migraine went away (boo to high pressure fronts - yay for 20 min naps!)

Rez-Day!

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:27:34 GMT

Yesterday was my SL rez-day; my one-year SL-birthday. I cannot believe it's been an entire year. I think if I added up all the days I was not in-world for even a few minutes, the number would be countable on my own two hands. I know that within a week, I'd made several good friends (three of whom I still keep in touch with today) and felt I'd found a home in Bear (Bear Infohub).

I want to blog more thoroughly about my first year in SL when I have the mental faculties to do it justice. I've just come off a 60 hour work week followed immediately by a 15 hour work day yesterday. I am beat. So...lengthy, introspective post will be coming soon.

However! Advance notice here - I will be hosting a rez-day party on my beach this coming Saturday, 7 June. Time to be determined (if you look at the map in the sidebar you will see my scheduling dilemma). I now have a cool fun trivia game (thanks lance!) and there may even be a beach movie streamed in! If any of my DJ friends reading this would care to put together a few hours worth of songs (not necessarily beach songs) or could donate a stream for a few hours and walk me through how to stream (I once knew how!) that would be awesome! Otherwise we'll find some music to dance to and throw all the dance balls I still have out on the sand. Mostly, just come and hang out and have some fun reminiscing and seeing old friends. The LM is in my picks under ~Me, or look for the invite soon.

But, so you are not left empty-handed with this post, I have an awesomely fun video for you to watch! The sound adds a lot, so do turn that on. It's work friendly-ish, just...different. Check out the whole website when you're done (peter - you HAVE to watch this one!). It's about 7 min, but seems less than half that long!

clicky here: http://blublu.org/sito/video/muto.htm (Thanks to Lefty for the link!)

Today I am thankful for:

1. Graduation is OVER! woot!
2. I got all my grades turned in and finished the permanent record files as well.
3. Friends who find fun things to make me smile (i.e. trivia and the above video)

Ethereal Teal

Sat, 31 May 2008 14:04:56 GMT

Wow...ten days since my last post and already the last day of May! Time flies when you're under stress!

But today...a visual treat! One of the first places to ever make it into my picks in my SL profile was Teal. (Thanks Will!)

Teal is so much! But it's primarily about particles. Particles in SL are actually generated client-side, meaning they are generated by your computer. So how you see Teal may be different than how I see Teal. The key to optimal viewing (and there are signs posted everywhere to remind you of this) is to go into preferences on the edit tab and on the graphics tab there, move the slider for particles all the way to the right. Or as far to the right as you can go without crashing your machine.

The primary mode of transport around Teal (Ethereal Teal is the actual name of the (PG) sim) is by balloon!

Once seated in the balloon, you can choose to visit all that Teal has to offer. I suggest starting off in St. Mark's Square. A well-done replica with a few buildings you can enter and explore.

Another fun way to get around teal is by gondola. Unfortunately, the last two times I've visited, the boat-rezzer was not working. Hopefully Jopsy will get that fixed straight away (more on Jopsy later).

The next place I take people when showing them Teal is the caves. It's an incongruous bit of Middle Earth, but great fun if you are a fan of LOTR (Lord of the Rings for those who are not fans).  At the center of the meandering caves is a fun treat! I could spend hours just zoning out to the ever-changing particles within the sphere. There used to be chairs to sit in so you could do just that, but standing works just as well in SL.



A lot of the fun stuff in Teal is up in the sky! (That's where the balloon comes in handy.) There's a cloud chateau and a floating citadel to explore.

But the main draw to Teal is particles as I mentioned above. There are two places to view the particles, the Cloud Chateau and the Fireworks display. Be aware that the fireworks only run sundown to sunrise sim time. I actually HAVE spent hours just watching the particle shows on this sim. With my new graphics card, I was finally able to get some amazing shots to share with you. I took over 30 pictures, but I will only inflict a few on you today.







Click to make em big and tell me they would not make awesome desktop images?  Particles are a blast! And there's SO much you can do with them besides make pretty pictures! They add movement and a measure of realism to SL.

If you catch the particle bug and want to learn how to amaze your friends, never fear! The main draw to Teal is Jopsy's Particle Lab!

The particle lab is an interactive tutorial that will walk you through everything you ever wanted to know about how to write a particle script! There's even a handy sandbox in the middle to try out your new skillz!

All of this was created by the AMAZING Jopsy Pendragon. He was away from SL for a while, but came back several months ago and keeps tweaking things and making Teal more amzing every time I visit. I was lucky enough to run into Jopsy shortly after he came back in the sandbox above. He was very nice and helpful to everyone there even though he was busy working on his own projects.

There are more treats hidden around Teal I did not mention here...there's a shop of silly things (peter -check out his Fae Wings), a beach for snuggling with your sweetie, and if you can find the oracle you will laugh for days!

Want to go explore Ethereal Teal rightnow? Click here! http://slurl.com/secondlife/Teal/128/128/30

Today I am thankful for:

1. Friends and family new and old that make SL so much fun every day.
2. Challenges like scripting particles that make SL so intriguing and mentally stimulating.
3. Yesterday was my last teaching day...only four more days of meetings and graduation to get through and summer can begin!

Here Be Dragons...

Wed, 21 May 2008 14:36:44 GMT

Time for another cool SL sim spotlight post! I've known about this sim for what seems like forever, but have not been back in quite a while. The Isle of Wyrms (Wyrm being the Old English word for dragon) is a phenomenal place to visit. When you first arrive, you are in the cathedral:

Inside, you can find all the information about dragons and other related creatures. Also hedgehogs. (To my understanding, the sim owner/creator has a vested interest in a RL hedgehog rescue organization and just loves the little creatures.) But it's mostly dragons. There are dragon eggs arrayed on one wall - one for each breed of dragon. By clicking the eggs, you can choose to preview that dragon avatar in one of three forms - hatchling, wyrmling, or dragon. Wyrmlings are smaller than full grown dragons. The selected dragon avatar will then temp-rez in the middle of the room.

At any given time, you can find humans and dragons to converse with in the cathedral. (note the eggs along the wall in the first pic)

A hatchling is much smaller than a wyrmling (shown above).

The three sizes of avatars vary in cost, as one might expect. But here's the real catch. You can actually only purchase the wrymling or hatchling size! The full-sized dragons (and they are HUGE) are only made available four times each year - on the equinoxes and the solstices. AND - it's by lottery. That's right - only 210 dragons will be made available for the summer solstice. Rather an ingenious marketing ploy - but once you start exploring the Isle of Wyrms...you won't care! There's a group to join and find out about all the fun events they have - and many welcome human avatars too for those days you just don't wanna put on the scales.

There are also wyverns available - dragon-like creatures that walk on two legs and can wield a sword. Only two varieties are currently available. In the picture behind the wyvern eggs you can see just how much customization one can do to one of these avatars. It's all hud-driven and very easy to do.

Once you purchase an avatar, you are given an egg to rez and then open and copy the parts into your inventory. If you'd like to do it RIGHTNOW you can walk across the bridge....

And through the portal into the sandbox below:

There is so much more on this sim! It's really a whole community and culture unto itself. And if it all seems a bit daunting, never fear - there's a wiki and even forums on the Internet to help you get acclimated. You can even preview each breed of dragon there and find out more about the lore surrounding each one to help you choose which one you want to become. http://www.daryth.com/draconica/index.php/Main_Page

This time around, I went with the ice dragon. I actually love winter and the ice dragon just looks really sleek. Plus I was rather amused by the contradiction of an ice-breathing dragon. I took my egg home to unpack it:

And then proceeded to "wear" my new avatar: (warning! don't forget to go into appearance and SAVE your current avatar shape, skin, hair, eyes, etc...for easy changing back to human) It breathes snow and ice! And it looks really awesome in flight!

So...get thee to the Isle of Wyrms (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cathedral/124/89/102) and get thee a dragon! See ya at the next drum circle! And please post pics here of your new avatar!

Today I am thankful for:

1. Dragons!
2. Friends new and old.
3. Finally getting my Master's Degree! woot

And Now for Something Completely Different...

Sun, 18 May 2008 15:03:45 GMT

I came across this website while reading the forums of a site I belong to. It was under the "Off-Topic" section of threads, so don't assume anything!

It's part of a British advertising campaign for K-Y Touch massage oil, so part of it is shameless plug but it's mostly funny.

It cracks Me up. You'll need Flash installed and headphones (or speakers if you live alone - this is NOT a work-friendly site!).

Are you British in bed? http://www.areyoubritishinbed.co.uk/...ectflash=false

Do run through it more than once just for laughs, as you'll get some different questions each time.

The first time I did it I was dubbed: 56% Congolese! (who knew?)

"You are wild & unpredictable!

Like the murky waters of the Congo, your lovemaking is wild and unpredictable, and always, always, deep. You are very possessive of your territory in the bedroom and always put up a fight before being conquered."

BEFORE BEING CONQUERED?! EXCUSE ME?! hmph!

Well anyway, good for a laugh or two! Go run through it and post your results here - I wanna know! *wink

Today I am thankful for:

1. Wonderful supportive friends who make me laugh.
2. New shoes!
3. Caramel lattes with three shots of espresso....ahhhhh... bliss!

Lost in the Metaverse

Fri, 16 May 2008 17:06:26 GMT

One of the great things about Second Life and the Internet in general, is being able to connect with people from all over the world - finding like-minded individuals you might never meet otherwise. Making some genuinely deep connections is amazing but comes with risk - you have to put a bit of yourself out there to get something back in return.

There is an added risk with knowing someone deeply online however. They can choose to become truly lost to you. They can quite literally drop off the face of the Earth. Most of the time you don't even know their real name. When they are gone, they are gone completely as if they never existed at all.

I have lost a number of online friends in recent weeks for various reasons. Most of them have decided that SL was becoming too much of an impediment to their real lives and was having a negative impact on their real life relationships. Fair enough - especially if there was romance involved in any way with someone they'd met online.

But why lose the friendships? If we truly believe our lives are enriched by knowing our online friends, does it not make sense to keep them around in some way? To maintain contact? To me, when someone becomes lost to Me on purpose it sort of negates what we'd had ... what we'd built. I know that isn't true. And most of the time it isn't just ME they've blocked out - it's all online contact with everyone. I don't take it personally.

But they leave a hole all the same. And each one that goes makes it just a bit harder to trust the next.

I've had a few romantic involvements in my almost 12 months in SL. All but two I have remained good friends with. It may take time, but eventually we get to a point where the friendship that came first reasserts itself and we carry on.

But two have chosen otherwise - chosen to be selfish and childish. And I'm not sure if that says more about them or about myself that I end up with such needy flawed people. These two left with no discussion - not a hint of adult behavior to be seen - and simply cut off all venues of possible contact on my end. One has continued to watch me from afar (a bit disconcerting) and ever once in a great while will let me know he is.

But essentially - once someone chooses to become lost...they are. And I find that difficult.

Forgive my melancholy mood today - I promise a much more upbeat post this weekend. Honest!

Today I am thankful for:

1. Good friends to get me through tough times.
2. Having had the friendships and relationships I've had in SL - each has taught me something and given me more.
3. The continued stretch of true spring weather - and no rain today on the school's outdoor walk-a-thon!

I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together...

Wed, 14 May 2008 21:50:36 GMT

No I am not the walrus. Are you?

In trying (mostly in vain) to explain my addiction/obsession with SL to those who have never been in-world, I have tried to explain how SL spills over to RL in a really good way. I found after only a short time of being in-world (well ok - short time on the calendar - but it seemed like a lifetime of experiences) I was happier and more confident and relaxed in my real world interactions. I was able to take what I was learning about myself in SL - and what I was enjoying about interacting there - and applying both consciously and subconsciously to real life. I sounded like I was a junkie justifying her addiction. But I meant every word. It was just hard to explain. (Kinda like certain Beatles lyrics?)

Well...science (or what poses for science in popular culture anyway) has come to my rescue! Check out this article from Time Magazine:

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1739601,00.html

Go on...go read...I'll wait.

No really - go read it or you won't get what I am saying the rest of the post.

...............

Back? Ok, good.

I can't believe they were able to quantify what I've known instictively from almost day one in SL.

The parts that touch on physical attractiveness are intriguing as well. I've had numerous conversations with friends in SL about the sterotypical ideal of "beauty" most avatars ascribe to. Some friends of mine deliberately craft their avatars to resemble their real-world selves - down to every lump and gray hair. But most of us don't. And I think both approaches are fine. Most people will end up with an avatar that represents their individual idea of what is attractive on some level. And being attracted to an avatar's appearance, we know we share a similar aesthetic with the soul behind the keyboard.

Personally, I deliberately created my avatar to be the same height I am in RL. Same color eyes. ONE of my (number deleted to protect the innocent) hairstyles is the same as my real hair. But the shape of her...well that is the shape I had in college. Almost exactly. And it does motivate me somewhat to work a bit harder in RL to get back to that shape. Somewhat.   Maybe I need to tape a photo of my avatar to the treadmill and the fridge? That will ensure I NEVER become the walrus! *wink

Today I am thankful for:

1. Good friends who send me links to cool articles!
2. Having a student who not only got a perfect score at the State Science Fair, she also called me at home to tell me.
3. Being appreciated for who I am on some very deep levels by some really great people.

Spring is in the Air

Mon, 05 May 2008 02:27:21 GMT

Spring has truly arrived in the northern hemisphere (and I say that not just because I got a mosquito bite today). As I was uploading these photos, it struck me that the half-dozen or so of you readers in the southern hemisphere (where exactly? why see the map to the left) are facing impending winter! I think SL has spoiled me for timezones as well as hemispherical differences in seasons.

As promised, I did manage to get to the park and take some pictures of spring. Today was a quintessential spring day - 60 degrees F, cloudless blue sky, very little breeze.  The trees have all managed to sprout new green leaves. The colors of green are so TENDER - gentle and sweet, if those adjectives can be applied to a color. Here, see what I mean?



The one thing I can't impart to you here is the total experience - the breeze in your hair, the sun gently warming your face, the sounds of six or more different birds calling at once.

But the flowering trees? Wow - they added such unexpected punches of color! Here, take a look:



Spring flowers are among my absolute favorites. The park had planted some,



but the wildflowers are always my favorites:



I love finding the unexpected on my walks through the woods. Like two flowers alone in the middle of a sea of grass, or a stunning fungus nearly hidden on the forest floor.



As always - click em to see em big - and all 41 shots (raw off the digital) are on Flickr.

That's it today - nothing deep and insightful - just pretty pictures of spring. I think the fungus may become my next desktop image...which is your favorite?

Today I am thankful for:

1. Spring flowers and weather!
2. burgers on the grill
3. a second life full of friends to get me through days when first life is pretty sucky

May Day

Thu, 01 May 2008 14:05:27 GMT

Holy crap, it's May! Where the heck did April go?

(Those of you that know My RL a bit know exactly what's been sucking my time and energy the last month or so. Still no answers - but maybe soon. HUGE thanks and hugs to all of you who keep praying - it is deeply appreciated.)

Today is a day to celebrate spring and new life - traditionally a day to celebrate fertility whether you call it May Day or Beltane. (want more info? click here: http://www.theholidayspot.com/mayday/history.htm)

I always feel rather blessed to live in a climate that provides such distinct seasons. The meterological first day of spring is March 20, but for me, May 1 has always FELT like spring. Around here, it's quite likely there will be snow on the ground come March 20, and we almost always have a day or two with snow in April. But May...ahhh .... that 's when the trees have sprouted tiny, light green leaves, the flowers and flowering trees are in full bloom and the days grow warm enough to shed jackets and sweaters. A time for new beginnings and fresh starts and growth.

I'll try to get out to the park this weekend and get some pictures to share.

May is a time of transition and change for me at work as well. My 8th graders graduate and go on to high school (10 different schools this year between the 30 of them) - for them it's a time to enter into the next phase of their life - and it's my job to help guide them through it.

I've gone through a lot of changes in SL as I've noted before. I'm feeling rather settled in my current incarnation, however. Perhaps its time to consider what changes need to happen in my RL. Because there are some looming and long overdue. And I have changed in this past year - quite considerably on the inside at least.

Today I am thankful for:

1. Spring weather and flowers
2. Support of good friends
3. A functional cell phone (finally!)

Blurring the Lines

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:17:08 GMT

Most people I meet prefer to keep the line between SL and RL firmly drawn in the sand. Yet even the most avowed will eventually find themselves letting little things slip through the cracks. The more we get to know people in SL the more comfortable we feel and the more we tend to reveal of "us" - our RL selves.

I call it "blurring the lines" between SL and RL. I find that as much as I'd (on some level) like to keep the two very separate, I simply can't do it 100%. There are things that make me, ME.  Just as there are things that I really don't see are relevant.    And as I stated above, the more I know you and the closer I feel to you, the more you will learn about the RL, "atomic" me.

To each their own of course, and yes, you CAN get to know the person behind the keyboard without any RL details at all - their personality will come through no matter what. And we have the unique opportunity in SL to only show the parts of ourselves we want others to see. I don't judge anyone on their choices of where to draw the line - or where and how to blur it - just an observation.

On a much lighter note (yet still related!) content creators in SL often find amusing ways to blur the lines. Case in point is this gas station draven and I stumbled across while shopping the other day.

Now personally, I do not understand the obsession with motor vehicles in SL - it's SL people - you can FLY! But I do like my Green Turtle Sloop, so perhaps I should not protest too loudly. (Although I don't own a boat in RL and I do miss sailing so ...um....yeah.) However, this store was actually selling signs - neon and otherwise, not cars. If you can't read the red and yellow signs - click the photo to make it bigger. This place just cracked me up. I am still chuckling.

Such a fun example of "blurring the lines" and a much appreciated bit of humor.

Today I am thankful for:

1. Finally being able to open the windows in the house for fresh air!
2. Humor
3. Love

I Must Be Nuts!

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 23:36:38 GMT

I guess all my joking around about my life being pretty "squirrely" lately caused the universe to be a bit too literal!

Upon arriving home from work today I was greeted by my 11 year old saying "Mom! There's a baby squirrel on our porch!" And there was. And she'd named it Buddy. And fed it bread crumbs. It was SOOOO cute! Barely old enough to have its eyes open. He apparently fell out of the 30 foot tall maple tree in our front yard and momma squirrel was nowhere to be found.

Luckily we have a non-profit organization nearby that takes in injured wildlife and rehabilitates it. I called and they said to bring it out. So one old shoebox with holes poked in the lid, one old kitchen towel, and a 40 minute drive later we safely delivered Buddy to his new home. They'll feed him formula until he's old enough to feed himself. They said he was about 4 weeks old and seemed to be in good health. So good deed done for the day. :D

Yes, of course I took pictures first! Here ya go:

Awwwww...isn't he cute?

Today I am thankful for:

1. The wild animal rescue place!
2. A long-overdue stretch of beautiful spring weather.
3. Seeing the first flowers and flowering trees of the season today! (Both were pink!)

Perspective Part II....or....We've Come a Long Way Baby!

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:51:58 GMT

I believe this video was originally posted on the SL blog back in August 2006, approximately 10 months before I joined SL. My guess is a large majority of my friends and readers have NOT seen it - if you have, my apologies.

It's a video showing what SL looked like in its infancy - all the way back to August, 2001!

It's readily apparent that most (all?) the developers were male - the only way to terraform was to drop grenades on the ground and EVERYONE was issued a gun! LOL

There was RAIN! (But it did not discriminate between indoors and out!)

The Ators were kewl! I kinda wish those were still around to blow up. But ew....the avatars!

Anyway, as we all bitch and moan about the latest hiccups and problems with new features and new viewers and being forced to upload a newer version, maybe we should pause and see just how far we've come. I for one am grateful to all the hours LL employees spend working on such a complex interface.

This video kinda helped put things in perspective for me. Seeing what LL has accomplished in less than 7 years is pretty amazing in my view.

Enjoy!

Today I am thankful for:

1. The past 30 days.
2. The first 70 degrees F day in what seems like FOREVER!
3. My migraine is gone! :D

Fishing! Or....Neighbors Part II

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 23:31:07 GMT

I showed draven my neighbor's fishing system today. I think he was a bit skeptical at first but like a good boy he gamely followed me across the bay and over a hill to the pond behind Blitz's place. We spent a few hours (yes HOURS) sitting on Keme's dock fishing our hearts out.

Blitz and his kittty stopped by to chat. A few of the furries across the mountains shouted over some friendly comments and we got to meet the newest residents of the sim as they set up house on the other side of the pond.

I don't think draven had experienced anything quite like it before - he commented that he never knew there could be this kind of FUN in SL (meaning I suppose non-sexual-activity-type fun)!

The system is pretty cool - you can fish with a one-Linden rod or with a L$250 rod that lets you earn experience points as you catch fish. And yes, you actually catch FISH! And garbage (like a bikini top or an old boot). And special rare items like blueprints or tiny scuba-people. The fish (and scuba people) are wearable pets. They swim around your head or torso and emit the occasional bubble. You can set their options and even name them (via floating text). Too much fun! The more experience points you rack up the higher the level you achieve. Higher levels allow you to catch rarer fish and other items. Apparently there are fishing contests around the grid using this system and there's even a group to join so you can find out all about it.



If you look closely you can see my little scuba guy and draven's manta ray swimming round our heads. And yes that IS a replica of Stone Henge in the background - I told you Belvedere was unique! LOL

Mostly though, it was a really nice way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon - fishing on a neighbor's dock and just hanging out with friends.

If you are one of those people who just hops around the same three or four sims and maybe hits the same few stores to go shopping, you owe it to yourself to get out there and see just what SL has to offer. Like draven, you may just be amazed at what's out there!

And if you live in a place where you don't know a single neighbor - shame on you! Go introduce yourself and make some new friends. You never know - they may just put in a dock and let you fish!

Today I am thankful for:

1. Lazy Saturdays
2. Friends & Neighbors
3. draven

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighbo(u)rhood

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:57:38 GMT

It continues to amaze me how SL is able to bring together diverse people from all over the world. We join groups (ok what is up with the continued 25 group limit? hello?) and form little communities within the larger metaverse. I know I have met some truly amazing people that I simply never would have without SL.

I rent a parcel on a 4-sim estate called Belvedere. It was the first place I ever lived in SL, thanks to a friend knowing someone else who lived there. He thought I'd like it and fit in, and despite only knowing me a few weeks, he was right! (Thanks Tevor!) I have moved to different parcels within the same estate, but have never left Belvedere. It truly is my SL neighborhood.

Belvedere is unique in that it caters to creative thinkers. The parcels are not square - they are irregularly shaped to fit in with the streams and hills scattered throughout. There is "neutral space" between each parcel that belongs to the estate and is generally landscaped. Natural boundaries. Creativity is encouraged, the only limit on housing being one of height so as not to restrict others' views. As a result, Belvedere is an amazing visual treat to explore - and it is always changing as people adapt or re-build their structures.

Personally I have lived in a tiki hut, a giant treehouse I built with my then-partner, a windmill on a beach, and now a cave-like grotto filled with waterfalls. I have neighbors who have lived in a giant space ship, a beanstalk that reached from the ground to above cloud level, a house anchored to the ground by a huge chain, lighthouses, a gypsy caravan, and all manner of creatively built houses and structures. Hardly a box-house to be seen.

I used the term "neighbor" because that is what the Belvedere residents truly are. I've lived there since last June and MANY have been there much longer. So people actually get to KNOW their neighbors. That was one of the goals of the owner. The funniest part for me was learning that the sim owner (who yes, also lives on the estate) lives about an hour's drive from me in RL! We are neighbors in both worlds lol. He hired me a few months ago to be the Estate Manager so I try to help him deal with any issues that come up. But those have been amazingly few - people in Belvedere are mostly just really good people!

And just like the neighborhood of my youth - people drop by each other's homes or gather from time to time at one another's places to just hang out. Or somebody may stream music and invite some neighbors over to dance. One night at my parcel, I looked around and realized I was chatting with neighbors who lived in Australia, France, the US, and England. I open my home to my friends and neighbors to use when I am not there. And they do! Some come to snuggle in the grotto, others come to just sit on my dock and watch a sunset. I love that!

One neighbor put in a fishing system that lets you actually catch fish! Another built a waterfall and beach area on some of the "public" land between plots that anyone on the sim can use. That's the other added attraction - if it benefits the whole estate, you can beautify the public land between plots.   The other unique thing about Belvedere is the rent - you pay per prims used - not square meters. You can always add more prims as needed. So the plots are smaller but the creativity is through the roof! erm...sky rather - the sky is FULL of amazing things as well.

The people are as diverse as their homes. There's furry and human and elf and demon. There's gay and straight and bi. There's vanilla and bdsm. And there's every combination concievable. All living together in relative harmony on the same estate! Some pretty successful designers of various merchandise in SL also live in Belvedere - and while I'm sure at least a few could well afford a larger place or maybe their own sim, they continue to live here - and I have to believe it's due in large part to the sense of "belonging" one gets in a true neighborhood.

So for those that scoff at the idea of a metaverse, I humbly offer Belvedere as a shining example of how it can work. How SL can bring together very diverse people from all around the world. Living, loving, creating, appreciating, and just being together. We're all nighbors in the metaverse, even if half of us spell it neighbours. *wink

Today I am thankful for:

1. Belvedere!
2. Awesome neighbors!
3. having health insurance

It's a Zoo Out There! (and In Here Too!)

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 04:03:10 GMT

Whew! Busy week in both lives. Can't believe I last posted on Monday and today is Friday (well for a few more minutes anyway).

My school is smack in the middle of a fairly large suburb, but on wooded land. When I look out my windows, all I see is nature - and that often includes animals. Today we had a group of 5 white tailed deer stop by to forage after the long hard winter. We see deer periodically, but never so many - and they came back three times during the school day!

The reaction to the deer was universally the same - an irresistable urge to watch them and and an almost instantly awed hush. Even my principal was very excited to see them.  To many in this area of Ohio the deer are pests - there are too many and they eat bark off trees and wreck havoc in gardens. But today everyone felt honored to be granted the opportunity to watch these creatures in their natural habitat. I was able to walk outside and get fairly close - probably within 12-15 meters or so (definitely withing SL talking range lol). However, my little digital camera was not really up to the task of photographing them accurately without a tripod. I got a few halfway decent shots (you can tell they're deer anyway):



** Unlike most of my pics - these do NOT look good big - they will only get grainier - sorry.

One shot turned out almost ethereal and ghost-like. These (like 95% of my pics here and on Flickr) are unretouched other than some cropping - straight off the camera.

In SL, I recently re-visited a site I had not been to since my first few weeks in SL. It's a fun little zoo on a pg sim! It's called  Escapade Zoo & Safari Park. The animals are decently done for the most part and there's lots of nice places to sit and relax. There are also information boxes by many animals - if you click them you get information about that species!

Toledo has a really good zoo, but it's just been too cold and damp lately to even consider going. This virtual zoo filled the bill and even has a couple of things no RL zoo has! I've only added a few pics here - click on the link to my Flickr page on the left and you can see them all.





Some of the animals have looped anims - the koala for example wakes up and eats a few leaves then goes back to sleep (see the zzzzzz?). There's even a train to ride and a nicely landscaped garden area as well with a peacock roaming about, just like the RL zoo of my childhood had!

Go visit it today: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Apollonia/66/196/22

Today I am thankful for:

1. Being able to get so close to nature at my work.
2. Buds on the trees and temperatures above 50F.
3. My students pulling off a phenomenally good musical earlier tonight!

The RL (Rhythm &) Blues

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 01:34:36 GMT

Sometimes people who have never seen SL ask me why I am so addicted to it. Now I realize that to "get" SL one must "experience" it, but I found this video that reminds me why some people turn to SL and just why SLEX is such a draw. If the following video makes you laugh because you can relate....umm yeah....nuff said - we know why you have SL-sex!

(OK JEEZE people I am KIDDING! SLex is NOT why I come to SL! But this video just made me laugh.)

This has been called a REAL R&B song....enjoy and nope - words are not work friendly - video probably won't get ya fired but do put on your headphones or wait til you are home.

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

Today I am thankful for:

1. My tulips have poked their lil green leaves above the ground! Yay!
2. Two of my students being published in a professional science journal for their 7th grade science fair projects they did last year - AND being asked to present at a statewide professional science conference. The ONLY two students from NW Ohio to recieve that honor (out of all the best state-wide projects from last year grades 7-12)!
3. Students (14 year old boys no less) who not only study for a science test over spring break but actually call me at home to clarify a question about it! (yeah I do love my job)

Greenies!

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:38:48 GMT

As promised in an earlier post, today I introduce you to a sim from the genius minds of the folks of Rezzable....GREENIES! I discovered Greenies ages ago - I think fairly soon after it opened. It's utter insanity and a complete blast! I always assume that everyone knows about it because it has become SO popular. But I still run into folks (and not just newbies) who have never heard of it. Looking for a fun place for a first "date" or just to explore with friends? Greenies is your sim! Click here: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Greenies%20Home%20Rezzable/187/14/24

When you land, you are in an underground tunnel of sorts - complete with trash...although the trash seems rather....large....you know something isn't quite right but luckily someone has painted large arrows to show you which way to go:

You follow the arrows and find a ragged hole in a wall....walking through it you find yourself in a nicely appointed house. A little bland, but decently decorated:

Wandering out the front door of this house, you suddenly realize the reality you are now in... that's right....that house you were in, was a DOLL HOUSE! You have been shrunk to a mere fraction of your normal size!

As you begin to explore the larger (real?) house...you notice strange green aliens all over the place. (Greenies!) They are the same size you are now and seem to have gotten into a bit of trouble around the house:

Of course they seem to get in trouble mostly because they are curious. You'll find Greenies in all sorts of places and if you look closely, you'll often see the joke the creators' inserted into the scene:

This post probably should have followed my post on perspective. Being shrunk to Greenie-size is an interesting experience. Seeing the world from that perspective is a lot of fun!

If you've totally embraced Greenie culture, never fear! There's a shop! (This is SL after all - one can buy almost anything!)

You'll notice I am flying in that picture. That's because the sheer scale of the build makes flying a heck of a lot easier! Also helps to set your draw distance as high as your machine can handle it. Mine was at max (512m) for all of these shots.

There's a LOT more I did not include in this post. Some of my favorite hidden jokes I did not post -see if you can find them! (Look EVERYWHERE!) Do check out the milk bottle in the kitchen - it's your ride up to the spaceship where there's a cool dance floor with great music a few times a week. There's a group to join as well if you want to be kept updated on events. Just search groups for Greenies.

If you already knew about Greenies, well - go see it again. Take someone new! And if you haven't been there yet - GO! What are you waiting for?

Today I am thankful for:

1. My neighbor getting the burning couch out the front door before it burnt the house down at 1:30 am last night.
2. Dog-walking weather!
3. Sims like Greenies that showcase what can be done in SL with a bit of creativity.

Connections

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 02:26:21 GMT

A few recent conversations have got me thinking about connections between people. Until very recently in human history, the sum total of human experiences said that in order to make a connection with someone (be it platonic or romantic) one needed to be in close physical proximity to that person. Scientists have tried to quantify this (come on - who out there has NOT secretely watched those late night Discovery Channel shows on the "Science of Love"?) by saying it's eye contact, physical touch, the physical appearance, and/or pheremones that attract a person to a potential mate.  Which seems perfectly logical and rational.

However...

How many of you have developed a connection with someone in SL? A connection so deep it feels as real as your RL connections?    My more cynical readers (yes I know who you are) are reading this thinking, "oh come on - it's all make believe in SL - it's not REAL - you are just fooling yourself, Susannah". I don't think so. I've talked to too many really intelligent rational people who have experienced REAL connections with people in SL.

How then would science explain that phenomenon? One friend of mine believes that the electricity in our bodies travels through our computers across the miles of cyberspace to emerge on someone else's computer and into their body. Another says its more metaphysical - that there are forces and things at work we do not yet comprehend with our science. As a teacher of science, I look for evidence. But certain experiences have taught me that there are different forces (powers?) at work in our universe - things we do not understand. We may one day be able to quantify them and diagram them for school children to understand, but for now, I do accept that there are things we just don't understand right now.  However, that does not make them any less REAL.

But I still look for evidence - for proof. And lately I've been faced with some pretty startling examples in my own Second Life. I have maintained connections with a lot of people in SL that I met nearly 10 months ago. Some of them can IM me after months and we can pick up right where we left off and have some great conversations.

This past week, one of those friends was talking to me and suddenly asked about another friend (and almost-boyfriend) of mine from the time when we'd all first met. I replied I had not heard from him in several months. And truthfully he'd not been on my "mental radar" either. The VERY NEXT MORNING .... I had an email from that very same guy. And we talked in SL later that day - just like old times - very out of the blue. Coincidence? I don't believe it was. Can I explain it? Nope. The first friend (who did the mentioning) later told me that similar things happen to him all the time - both in RL and SL. I think they happen more often than we want to admit or even recognize.

draven and I often talk about how it seems we almost "summoned" each other out of thin air - so exactly are we what the other needed at this point in time. He had been gone from SL for 6 weeks following a break up. Something told him to come back. Next morning there was a talk - he had other things to do but he felt he NEEDED to go to that talk - even though the topic did not particularly interest him. I saw him sitting alone after the talk and called him over without even knowing why - I had four ims plus open chat going plus trying to edit the transcript of the talk. We've not looked back. Connection? Yup - got that in spades - and it only grows stronger. Why? How? Unclear.

Perhaps the way humans connect is NOT by eye contact or touch or even pheremones. Perhaps it truly is "all in the mind" - our brains amassing a collection of feelings and thoughts about a person that together equal "connection".

Some have told me they think it's easier to make those connections in SL precisely because the RL stuff does not get in the way - we don't get hung up on the physical appearance of a person or what car they drive or the way they slurp their soup. We see only the essence of that person - their soul comes shining through and we connect with that.

However and whyever it works, I am glad of it. It's a huge part of why I come back to SL every day. Connections with so many truly great souls - all over the world. If you're on my friends list - you are one of those I am glad I connected with.

I want to leave you with something to think about regarding the power of our thoughts. Many of you may be familiar with the work of Masaru Emoto on the effects of thoughts on the formation of water crystals. For those of you that aren't, click here for more info: http://www.life-enthusiast.com/twilight/research_emoto.htm Basically Mr. Emoto exposes purified water to specific thoughts - then freezes them and observes their resulting crystals under a microscope.   The pictures speak volumes. In one experiment he taped words to bottles of pure water overnight. Here are some examples of what he found:


"You make me sick I want to kill you"                     "Thank you"

He also found that distance did not matter when people "prayed over" water. The results were the same.

If mere words can affect water molecules and prayers can affect water over long distances, and you consider that WE are mostly made of water....the implications are astounding, yet dovetail nicely with what many have experienced in "connecting" with another person thousands of miles away via the Internet - using only words and our thoughts to communicate.

If you have a "connection story" to share, please add your comment below. I love to hear them!

Today I am thankful for:

1. My students doing SO well at District Science Day today.
2. Weather warm enough to allow me to drive around with the window down!
3. All the connections I've made in SL.

Botanical at Straylight

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:15:37 GMT

SL is currently closed to logins as I write this - and if you are in-world you are being warned by LL to not do much. So what better time to blog about a really cool site in SL!

The Botanical Gardens at Straylight are amazingly beautiful. The lights and shadows are all done with transparent prims. Trees have their own shadows. Some trees drop leaves. It's all very dreamy and romantic - a great place for a stroll with your sweetie (or someone you wish would become your sweetie lol). Great sense of realism - very well done sim!

Not entirely sure these picture do it justice - but if you make them bigger (just click on them) they look pretty amazing!

(And should you fall in love with the scenery as well, there's a shopping area where you can purchase some of their amazing prim water, trees with shadows, even grass and ground covers. )

Wanna go see? Click here: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Straylight/182/53/25

Today I am thankful for:

1. Getting all my grades posted a full four days ahead of schedule!
2. Melting snow....means spring really IS coming, right?
3. The Thai take-out place that is 1/3 mile from my house....mmmm curry.....

The Importance of Being Silly

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:57:34 GMT

I have often said SL is my playground - I love to build, tweak scripts, and find fun and silly things to do. SL lets you do so much you can't do in RL. It's why I've never lived in a "house" (a round treehouse, a tiki hut, a windmill, and a cave yes - square box of a house? no). Why simply replicate RL?

I get a little sad and down when I see people who seem to have forgotten how to have FUN. If you can't have fun in SL, where can you?  SL is an escape from the stresses of RL - why recreate the same stresses in-world? Whenever I find myself getting too wrapped up in the drama swirling around and getting a bit negative (yesterday morning perhaps?) I try to seek out something new and fun.  It's why I was a goofy huge Easter Bunny avatar for an Easter-themed dance with vanni and why I rolled draven around in a giant hamster ball (and pushed him off a ledge 600m up!). A day that I laugh so hard I have tears in my eyes is a GOOD day. Laughter is cathartic and the best stress reliever around. Some of the people I am closest to in SL are those that make me laugh every time.

The Rezzable folks seem to really get that - I will blog some of their sims soon (they are the folks behind Greenies among other fun things).

Today I wanted to share some utter silliness with you. Thanks to the group SL Things to Do, I found a REALLY COOL store that sells bizzare and abstract avatars. Now my old friend (and fellow Mentor) Nye has always had THE BEST avatars - I do think his box and barrel of Soylent Green were some of the best memories I have from my very first "home" - Bear Infohub. So today when I found this store I immediately tp'd him there. Turns out he'd found it a few days earlier! LOL But we both had fun laughing and oohing and ahhing, not to mention buying! Everyone needs friends who are always up for some utter silliness at a moment's notice. Luckily the avatars there are REALLY cheap - some as low as 20 Lindens! AND the proceeds all go to a charity that promotes world peace! How cool is that? If you want to visit the store in person, here is the slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vanaheim/222/46/66 And the best part is - everyone who sees you in a silly or different avatar says "Oh cool!" and leaves with a smile on their face.

Here are some pics of the avatars I picked up today:



TINY SILLY AVATAR                                                     SOLAR SYSTEM (you ride in the little spaceship)


JELLYFISH (under water of course)                           MULTI-COLORED SILLY AVATAR


GREEN SILLY AVATAR                                                 ATOM OF LITHIUM AVATAR

Today I am thankful for:

1. Silly avatars!
2. Getting a coupon in my email for 40% off all cds at Barnes and Noble (with membership discount I got 50% off! woot!)
3. The dealer agreed to fix/replace my broken sunvisor in my new (new to me) car.