There's supposed to be some sort of disclaimer here for people too stupid to realize that this is what passes for an unofficial, unlicensed "fan site" for Second Life.
Did another batch of stories last night, narrowing the window of stuff I still need to record.
Then comes the tagging and sorting project to figure out groups of stories that go together... kid-friendly stories... science-fiction stories... fantasy stories... poetry-like stuff...
And I'll get serious about the hunt for places in Houston to torment people with live readings... Houston Library Downtown appears to do that, but it's all published and professional types, whatever that means anymore, right?
Coffeehouses... bookstores... public parks?
Oh, and I've got to get with McGuff about heading back to Garf's show. I think we've taken a long enough break.
We'll see if I've still got it in me.
(Not the speed and skill, mind you. I'm wondering if that I've still got any desire to do these things "out there" instead of being content to keep it among friends here.) (more...)
(For more information about this project, read this page)
SUNDAY
The blog I'm adding to the blogroll today is Huckleberry Hax.
He posts some of his poetry and writing up here, and there's a recording of a chapter from his latest boot for folks to enjoy.
I missed the in-world reading, so it's good that writers like Huck share their stuff in blogs and other archives where we're free of the lag and Voice glitches and streaming failures and... well... your clothing is still downloading, right?
(Maybe I should try recording and posting some stuff some day?)
I'm going to feature a few more writers here in the blogroll, but if you've got an archive of your writing out there on a blog, let me know so I can queue you up for inclusion on the blogroll... well, that, and so I can read it, too.
(Oddly enough, tomorrow's is going to be another archive of SL poetry... and then it'll be someone who's not a bully.)
No, she doesn't write much of it, but it makes for a nice break in the day when she does post a new one.
What? I need more reason that that?
Fine. She's got a nice ass.
There. Happy now?
Makes you wonder who else posts poetry and limericks and suchnot out there... who the closet scribes and scriveners are... who's looking inside themselves and tearing the words from their hidey-holes...
What hidden talents and obsessions does that person have that you're unaware of?
There are many sides to a diamond, and sometimes the most interesting are hidden by the mount.
(Tomorrow's blog is going to be a mean and vicious bully... NOT!)
A bit of art, a bit of this, a bit of that... a long-running journey into Second Life as well as an exploration of the self... a constant internal debate that we all have, but Chestnut shares... wondering... wondering...
She doesn't sound off on every major issue, but when she does, it's a well thought-out and reasoned piece. (Her position on the LEA and art and private support of arts is a good one... and done without rancor or fury.)
Plus, there's the pretty stuff... just like Honour, when she visits somewhere, I know I need to check it out for myself.
(The next few blogs will likely be internal debate blogs from more friends.)
WEDNESDAY
The blog I'm adding to the blogroll today is Prim Perfect's blog, Saffia Widdershins at the helm.
Good source of general news, trends, and decorating advice... but also serves as the base for the Designing Worlds show on Treet.TV to showcase beautiful locations across the grid, such as the always-on-the-verge-of-closing Laurel Arts Isle:
This is about as alarmist as Saffia gets... usually she's got a more gentle approach to worrisome trends in the virtual worlds or questionable stewardship of the virtual world by its Linden managers.
It's a long dark road ahead...
Got a light?
(The next two blogs will be introspective blogs... yeah, I know... quit shuffling the deck!)
Doesn't post often, but when she does, it's worth a read.
Some introspection, but a lot of WTF? when the Lab is loading the machines in the breakroom with Stupid Juice again.
And it's not angry rants, but well-thought consideration and argument against what's wrong... but there's been times she's recognized something right and praised the Lab or others for it.
Always, the hope that wiser heads will prevail and see the issue... but it happens so rarely, sadly.
(Tomorrow, we're going to get snapshots of a virtual life where the pictures tell a thousand words.)
FRIDAY
The blog I'm adding today is DrFran's blog of snapshots and quick observations, peeks into a life in progress.
We met back in the Podcast Island days of yore, both enjoyed the Barney And Flo Show And Tell over the years, and it's good to keep up through snapshots and blogograms when things get busy.
You peek in there, I peek in here... it's The New Way Of Things.
Who do you do that with instead of flooding them with IMs every day?
(I'll be adding another life-in-progress blog tomorrow along with a roundup for Week 4.)
SATURDAY
The blog I'm adding back to the blogroll today is Girl Wonder Speaks by Tymmerie Thorne.
Fun and funny, poking at the flaws and oddities of Second Life without rancor or malice... having a good time in spite of it all.
A tsunami wave couldn't drown her enthusiasm, whether she's exploring some Destination Guide featured location or pondering the next shoe sale, and it's infectious.
She's getting the SL Bloggers Group back up and running, so drop her a line to be a part of... of... um...
Well, I'm not sure, but still... it's something to be a part of.
(I'll get the roundup posted, and then tomorrow will be another introspection-adventure blog.)
Suggestions for blogs are welcome. My Google Docs Spreadsheet has a lot of room to fill, and my Google Reader is wanting the material.
A source of ambiguous stimuli is an excellent tool with which to examine the self.
What you are thinking of most will appear... what you want... what you fear... what you need...
I didn't write much yesterday, so it was easy to chew off another week of the backlog and get it recorded for the podcast.
Then, I rest and daydream on the topics I've got in the hopper:
Very little results from that, but what does usually ends up in my drafts and snippets folder.
Sometimes when I wake up the next day, that folder produces a completed story, or I change the ending of one I just wrote that didn't end as well as I wanted.
"cop out" lines really suck, but sometimes that's all there's room for to cap off a story.
Okay, so I crashed in the middle of storytime yesterday, but...
The monkey covered.
Thanks to everyone who came by to listen, and remember that the Crap-o-Matic is going away soon. Be sure to join the "100 Word Stories" group for future announcements... or be sure to not join it so you can get some peace and quiet for once.
Today's TOPIC THURSDAY.
What should I write a 100 word story about today?
Maybe today will be a writing day.
I didn't write much yesterday, but I did sneak in a recording session that chewed another week off of the backlog.
I've still got from August 2012 through February 2013 to record, but if I keep up the pace, I'll have that all in the can and ready to go.
(Of course, if I rebrand the site and use a new URL, that's all screwed up, right?) (more...)
Starting March 1st, Google owns your ass. So if you want to know if something makes your ass look fat, you have to check with Google first.
Ah, privacy! We hardly knew ye!
You'll notice that my icon on Twitter, Plurk, Second Life, Facebook, Google Plus and pretty much every site out there is the closeup of the glowing gear-eye.
It's fairly recognizable. Even when it's teeny-tiny chiclet-sized in the upper-right corner of Viewer 3.
And that's why I made it... it's consistent and it's easy to spot.
The Five Islands, SecondLie, and 100 Word Stories also use consistent and recognizable icons.
When folks pick profile pictures and icons that are easily-recognizable and shrink gracefully so I can recognize them, I appreciate it.
Go down your friends list with the little icons turned on and cover the names... how many can you quickly identify?
Finally... if you've got orange in your profile pick, pick black or white or some other background color. The orange new message indicator doesn't appear well on an orange background.
Burke's got more hearts up there at AvaHeart, including some really good ones by more artists:
She's still working on adjusting the vendors... after a talk with Haley, I think we're going with 49L for each heart so you can easily pick up a variety of them, give them as gifts on Valentine's Day, etc.
(But if you want to contribute more to RFL, feel free.)
Each says a lot about the creator... their whimsy... or worries.
Here's Doc's:
Cool.
(And, whew. No mitre saw!)
I'll be sending out a valentine as Feb 14th approaches... yes, it'll have the landmark and notecard in it. Gotta love those spam-o-grams, right?
One of the risks of multiple poetry events a day every day is that the same stuff might get dragged out and read over and over again... OH GOD, NOT THAT AGAIN! WHERE'S MY VOGON AVATAR????
Which is why Karli's event last night was a relief... I've rarely heard Karli read, so a new voice out of the tumult was welcome. The night's theme of "trees" and had contributions from various writers/poets/artists in SL and of massive poetry-famousness.
I liked the balance, and when something means a lot to someone, you can feel the passion for the piece come out in their voice.
(As for The Giving Tree, well, I think it was a total sucker and should have been shouting WHY DON'T YOU CARVE A COFFIN FROM MY STUMP AND DIE, YOU RAPACIOUS MOTHERFUCKER?!?!?!? at the boy-turned-oldster.) (more...)
I had a late start this morning, but after much of a muchness of madness, the 100 word stories podcast weekly challenge is up and ready for your enjoyment!
(For more information about this project, read this page)
SUNDAY
The blog I'm adding to the blogroll today is by Darrius Gothly.
If there's something amiss with Search or Marketplace or scripts or other important content creator tools/resources that will affect merchants, Darrius and the gang will give you a good perspective on it.
I think of him as one of the Post-SecondLifer types, having ridden the hypewave and gold rush days, now out of the day-to-day drama but still taking a 10,000-foot view of SL and other gaming/virtual platforms with a critical eye.
Where people still in the platform might still have some sense of loyalty to the platform/company or stake in its future obscuring or blinding their critical thinking processes, you get a fair perspective from Ron without the spite or malice.
Also, his selection of topics to ponder, such as his recent Sexism in Gaming post, apply to issues in SL quite well.
TUESDAY
Today's addition to the blogroll is Qarl Fizz, formerly Qarl Linden.
He's a part of the weekly MetaReality Podcast show, an active developer in handy useful things in Second Life, and an outspoken critic of the Lab when it comes to their many high-profile whatthefuckaretheydoingnows.
When the Lab released Mesh in a somewhat crippled state, he started up a project to create the necessary deformer for fashionistas and has released it for testing.
He also released a prim-alignment tool as a test of the Lab... and the Lab failed the test miserably with a rather incredible irrational rejection of the tool.
What confuses me is that he's able to say what he can say despite the heavy shackles the Lab typically imposes on employees, current and former, through contracts and NDAs.
Whatever the case may be, the guy's still got ideas on how to improve the product, service, and administration of the platform, and the few times he posts they're well-worth reading.
After a year of exploring and learning photographic techniques in Second Life, she's settled down a bit due to system issues. Equal parts introspection and extrospection. (Is that a word?)
She's recently shared her frustrations on her site, but attempting to find some way to enjoy SL buy making her own art... when she's not in technological exile in Farmville, I suppose.
THURSDAY
The blog I'm adding to the blogroll today is Bryn Oh.
Bryn is an artist. A good one. A quirky one.
And unlike many of the biggy-glowy-twisty-shifty primcrafters on the grid, she actually tells a story with her work and has a distinct style.
And without her, Honour and I wouldn't be the bickering nitpicking dastardly duo we are today. (Can I unmute her now?)
But the big question that comes from her experience is: Should the Lab provide direct support to artists in Second Life?
She posted her request for assistance for her Immersiva sim - the Lab rejected it - and then followed up with a community fundraiser.
And she's found a patron/sponsor for the next six months.
But... what is Second Life without art... is it just a cash cow for the Lab to tinker and experiment with us on fancy overpriced Lite Brite boxes with our dollies and dragons?
I. Don't. Know.
Whatever the result, here's hoping all this passing-the-hat doesn't get in the way of the most important thing of all: her art.
If someone tells you that Second Life is just sex and shopping for imaginary shoes, tell them about this place... in their own words:
A part of the Community Virtual Library, The Seanchai ("Storyteller" in Irish) celebrates the Celtic tradition of stories told around the hearth or in the pub to friends, family, and welcomed strangers. The Seanchai Library brings stories of all kinds to life, in Second Life.
Where else can you hear Poe from Poe's Raven on Poe's birthday, making a spectacle of himself?
The blog announces upcoming events, so if you're feeling frisky, you can go shopping for an outfit or custome that fits the theme of the night. Or, you can load the book or story into your Kindle or e-reader... stop by the bookstore on the way home for more of that author's work...
They also document the funds they raise for their chosen charity of the month.
SATURDAY
The blog I'm adding to theblogroll today is Virtual Writer's World, which is a blog and forum and website full of resources for writers, in-world and out there in the wild.
They're the host of the Daily Dashes over there at Milk Wood, and when I can't make it to the dashes in-world, I'll post my stuff over on the site... and on my Google Plus... and my Twitter feed... and the podcast... and...
Oh. Right... this is supposed to be about them.
If you're telling yourself that you want to write but feel like you can't, be sure to go by this site, take time to read through the advice and resources, and give the dashes a try... you don't have to be in-world and feel the pressure... set your own pace... relax... no pressure...
Suggestions for blogs are welcome. My Google Docs Spreadsheet has a lot of room to fill, and my Google Reader is wanting the material.
