The Return of Last Names – Worth the Wait
Last names were a part of my second life, from the day I joined Second Life. I picked out a first name and picked a last name from a list, and I was set for life.
When last names disappeared, I took it personally. I yelled long and loud. I put up signs expressing my dismay. I put out gnomes with signs, ‘bring back last names.” I joined clubs created for the sole purpose of finding ways to get last names back for Second Life. And I waited, and waited. The wait was long.
When I heard last names were coming back, I expected it to be as before – pick a first name, pick a second name from a list, and be set for life. Everything back to normal. Imagine my surprise when I found that, not only had last names been returned, but along with last names came a bonus called, “name change.”
I could pick a first name, and pick a last name from a list, and for the rest of my second life I could change my name any time I wanted. I could change my first name, or change my last name every time a new list of names was published, or change both names — any..time..I..wanted.
I have to take my hat off to Linden Lab this time. They gave us what we wanted, and then some. The wait for the return of last names was long, but it was so worth it.
13th Rez Day – Blogging Second Life
13 – years in Second Life; 13, should I be worried?
13 – triskaideka; such a fearsome number, a symbol of bad luck, danger.
13 – triskaidekaphobia; fear of the number 13.
13 – Friday, the 13th; stay home, stay in bed, do not tempt the fates.
But not everything 13 is bad. For example:
13 American Colonies = 50 states; that is a good thing.
13 donuts in a Baker’s Dozen – I’ll take the extra one.
13 men on a dead man’s chest, yo, ho, ho ….
13 bottles of beer on the wall ….
13 days of Christmas – well, it sounds good.
13 hours on the clock — I can definitely use two extra hours each day.
13 Second Life activities:
(1) Flying; always, from day one, flying has been my number one favorite thing to do in Second Life.
(2) Checking out the names of people who appear on my radar screen; saying,”Wow! That is a cool name,” at least once a day.
(3) Exploring the mainland; much of it is still unaffected by sculpties and mesh. I miss the days when creation was still a part of Second Life, and you could stop and watch a genius at work, twisting prims to create an amazing finished product.
(4) Surfing the Marketplace and discovering retro and vintage items from early Second Life years, classic pieces that I loved then, and enjoy now. What a pleasure it is when I find a favorite item is still available for my later avatars to enjoy.
(5) Visiting Flickr photostreams of SL residents; starting at the earliest published photos and working forward to current date, watching the owner experiment with characters and personalities, to create an unique, one-of-a-kind avatar.
(6) Trying to walk around an avatar whose mesh parts are spread across six square feet, and not knowing which part to apologize to when you walk between the head and the body and run into the large teeth floating in the air; and pretending not to notice that the avatar is stark naked.
(7) Discovering new designers of good skins; and happily finding they have included a classic skin in their BOM packages.
(8) Fighting lag, chasing my runaway avatar [“wait, don’t go, come back”]; talk about getting away from oneself!
(9) Logging in and finding an IM from an old friend who has not been around for many months.
(10) Working on my platform in the sky; undisturbed, not noticing the minutes and hours passing, just doing my thing.
(11) Spending so much time in SL that I fall asleep in my chair with my hands still on the keyboard.
(12) Thanking Philip Rosedale’s parents for producing the child who would grow up to produce Second Life.
(13) Thinking of the Velveteen Rabbit when it said,”Real isn’t how you are made….It’s a thing that happens to you.” Second Life happened to me, to us, and First Life was made more real.
12th Rez Day and I am Green with Envy
I am now 12 years old, 12 years in Second Life. What can I say about 12 years of my life being spent in a place that does not exist?
The first thing that comes to mind is, “I wish I had joined Second Life earlier than 2007.” I wish I had known about Second Life in 2003, when it was first released to the public. Everything was constantly changing during those early years, because no one knew where Second Life would go or what it would become. Linden Lab experimented. Residents experimented.
Residents became other-type beings — furries, fairies, mermaids, animals, robotic creations — yes, these beings are still in Second Life, but they are not as visible now. They have formed their own communities and moved into areas separate from the general population. When was the last time you saw a furry out and about? Any robots moved into your neighborhood lately? I saw a mermaid swim past me not long ago, but she was the first I had seen in ages.
Now, many people are fashionistas, perfectly preserved beautiful dolls, standing around looking good and taking pictures of self looking good. And I guess I fall somewhere in this category myself. But I once was a mermaid. Then, I was a robot. I was even Dr. Who for a while. Now, I am a human avatar. My current avatar is the result of 12 years of my imagination, and I doubt I will ever change again.
Yes, I have been around Second Life for a while, and I have seen a lot. My Second Life years have proven more exciting than I expected. But when I meet someone with a rez date of 2002, I still feel envy. However, when I meet someone who was around in 2001, when the first Primitar crawled out of the virtual primordial soup and stood up on two prim legs, then I turn deep green with envy.
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Crash and Burn! Going Down in Defeat….
A few years back, at the end of December, I posted a listing of blogs which had impressed me during that year, blogs which, in my opinion, were worthy of special notation and/or praise. I called this post a “Gold Star” listing. This Gold Star listing became an annual December post, a way of closing down the old year and preparing for the new year.
Throughout the year, I would read blogs and follow blogrolls to other blogs, and then follow those blogrolls, working my way through the maze of bloggers, searching for the different and unusual, making notes along the way. The number of bloggers seemed to increase exponentially each year, and my self-appointed task began to consume my every waking hour, and often eating away at my sleep time.
The month of September of each year would find me starting to organize my massive piles of notes, to cull the very best from the rest of the good blogs. At first, this sorting process would seem insurmountable but, by November, a workable blog format would begin to emerge from the chaos.
During the month of December, this blog would be tweaked, added to, deleted from, proofed for punctuation and grammar, and rearranged for flow and readability. Finally, by the end of December, I would have a whole year’s work condensed into one blog.
This year, however, I must admit defeat, albeit reluctantly. The task is now greater than I am.
So, here ends my journey, my odyssey, my quest for the best. I have run my race. I now willingly pass the baton to anyone interested in picking it up. But I must caution you, the search for blogging treasure, those unique nuggets of golden thoughts, will become addictive and all-consuming, but well worth the effort for as long as you can carry the load.
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New KidBoy Shape at Junior Avi
Junior Avi has just released a new child avatar shape – maSon. Standing 4’11” tall, maSon is a classic avatar shape and is mod-copy.
This KidBoy shape is available at Junior Avi’s multi-color clubhouse store in Pryeri, and also on SL Marketplace
Join the child avatar community in Second Life, and reShape your Youth with a Junior Avi shape.
JUNIOR AVI – reShape your Youth
Junior Avi, a new line of children’s shapes, has opened its doors in the Pryeri sim. Owners, Tin Little and Nik Ninetails, currently offer six different classic avatar shapes, three for boys and three for girls. All shapes are mod-copy.
The Junior Avi target market is young children and pre-teens. The photo above is tamMy, a 4’11” girl. The boy below is diegO, also 4’11” tall.
Tin and Nik invite you to visit their multi-color clubhouse store in Pryeri. Join the child avatar community in Second Life, and reShape your Youth with a Junior Avi shape.
Junior Avi – Inworld store. Also available on SL Marketplace.
September’s New Release at Ample Avi
Yes, I know, it is now October. I seem to be running a wee bit late. But this shape is well worth the wait. Presenting, Plum Ripe.
Plum Ripe is just about plum perfect. She is classified as a Curvy Lush shape, which means she has a nice full body, while still retaining the natural-looking curves of her hourglass shape.
Plum Ripe, at Ample Avi, the Full Figured Shape Shop, in-world and online at the SL Marketplace .
SLIM CHANCE – a New Release at Ample Avi
SLIM CHANCE, a new release this week at Ample Avi.
Take a chance on a slimmer shape. All the curves you expect on an Ample Avi shape are yours on a slimmer torso.
Stop by the Ample Avi’s in-world store and check out SLIM CHANCE. And while you are there, pick up RITA, the Free Promo Shape, located just to the left of the New Release vendor.
Ample Avi, the Full Figured Shape Shop, in-world and online at the SL Marketplace .
Memories, like Mental Snapshots
I have been away for a few months, visiting coastal land-based folks in an area where I once lived. Though I have now settled back in my comfort level daily grind, my mind keeps returning to these lazy times spent by the big water, wearing a super sized floppy hat and dark shades to filter the hazy glare of the summer sun; and
BRAVELY defying the noonday heat, with flip flops melting in the burning sands, a cool bottle of Coke in one hand and a dripping ice cream cone in the other hand.
These memories, like mental snapshots, will keep me warm during the cold months ahead.