Shye's Ruminations

it's been SOOOOOO LOOOOONNNG.....

2009-10-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

since I've posted here, regularly. Same is true of my lovely partner, Alysa, and her blog. So, we figured, why not join forces in one blog, where we can shame eachother into posting every so often. I'll still keep this blog open. Who knows... I may post here again. In the meantime, you can find my musings, and my muse, over at Pondering Pixels: http://pondering-pixels.blogspot.com

Hope to see you there. We've only just started it, so I hope it begins to take shape in the coming days!

~Shye~

One Year

2009-01-05T09:42:00.000-08:00

It's been a year since I partnered with Alysa.

Our love has evolved and changed.
We care for each other.
We listen to each other.
We learn from each other.
We share our thoughts.

She is the most important person in my Second Life. I think of her every day in my First Life.

I love you, Alysa. Thank you for being a part of my life.

-Shye

OMG.. It's Aliiiiiivveee

2008-08-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

Hyang's blog, that is...

And since it's been a month since my last post, I thought I should post about SOMETHING...

Hyang has a new OS X port of Cool Viewer. Check it out.
http://hyangreflections.blogspot.com/2008/08/this-blog-still-alive-yay-and-now-here.html

Rouge

2008-07-05T21:28:00.001-07:00

Codebastard Redgrave got a new sim.

It's quite a unique build, as you can see from this one aerial shot... and it has Codie's signature all over it. I tp'd in and checked out the club really quick, and wandered around the sim for a little while. The design is not one to explore, so much as experience. There aren't places to get lost or wander in... but the prim-light design is a marvel to behold. It was also lag-light with 47 people in the club.

This one is worth checking out. Visit the club. Look at and/or purchase some of Codie's artwork... and walk on the lovely girl-shape that is the terrain.

I'll be back again, when not so tired.

-SK-

Grand Opening for Blacklist: Cataclysm

2008-06-19T13:20:00.001-07:00

Ok, so, don't "click for details" - this is a copy of an in-world poster.
Our grand opening celebration is Friday, beginning at noon SLT and running all day long... 4 DJ's, a live musical performance, and lots of contests, prizes, shopping, freebies.... don't miss it!

SLArt

2008-06-16T10:52:00.001-07:00

One of my passions before finding my Second Life (tm) was working in digital media. I enjoy the creative flow of dipping into a virtual space and pushing pixels around to make something dynamic and interesting. My tools of choice were Photoshop, Poser and Bryce.

When I came into Second Life (tm), I largely left Poser and Bryce behind. There is a "social creativeness" to working in SL that you can't get in Poser. Even if you're just snapping pictures of scenery or people at random, there are (or can be) "people" nearby, communicating... participating in some small way. Building can also be collaborative. Whether the participants each get a few buildings to contribute to a sim, or two or more people work together closely on one build, the final whole is a collaborative effort born of the consciousnesses of different people... and in SL, those different people bring with them differing cultural senses of design that can make for a very interesting virtual space.

The candid "photography" in SL, though, leaves out that bit of control that I enjoyed in Poser. So I like to do more formal work, on occasion. It's easy enough to snap pictures of me, manipulating my avatar as needed. What is harder is getting others to be more participatory... to have a more true collaborative work. Posing, collaboratively.

I've been itching to do something more collaborative in SL photography for a while. Candid shots are all fine, but to make a picture tell a story you need props, poses and scenery. And of course, willing participants.

Alysa and I worked on some pictures on the docks at Blacklist: Cataclysm. Blacklist has always been a rough place... so what better setting than the docks to pose with guns? I had a lot of trouble with my SL viewer (thank you, Linden Labs). It made capturing frustrating. Alysa showed great patience for my troubles, as I managed to only capture about 6 useable images (the rest corrupted by poor viewer software). The image above was one of the first captures of the day... processed heavily in Photoshop to add some motion blur, alter contrast, add some muzzle flash, and paint in highlights and shadows. This is the kind of collaboration I enjoy... working together on poses and settings, each taking several snapshots to process and compare.

I do have some images of Blacklist which I will post very soon... but get there if you haven't and see it for yourself. Our grand opening party is this coming weekend. More info, soon!

-SK-

Building...

2008-05-28T11:14:00.001-07:00

We've been busy...

First we laid the roads... then we tried them out.
Then we laid the bar... then we tried it out... ;)

I'm so happy to have a new, exciting project to work on.. and even happier to share the fun in building with Alysa.

Alysa, Lianna, and I have been busy since Sunday, starting to build on the new Blacklist, Cataclysm. The bar is done. Alysa did a nice job on it, and we were able to have a nice snuggle there when it was finished. Then, she resized it twice, as it seemed a bit too big. Now, I think its just right. Yay!

Lianna has been busy building shops, and doing a nice job.

I have spent FAR too much time making hilly roads, curving streets, building bridges, and coming up with texture sets for the build... I am eager to actually put up a new structure. I'm sure I will, before the week is out.

Hirundo has come around and offered to help build. She made a nice little lighthouse for our port.

More info as time allows.....

-SK-

New Home

2008-05-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

The future home of The Blacklist.

"Cataclysm".

o.O

2008-05-21T18:29:00.001-07:00

*shrugs*

It's how I feel.

-SK-

Marking time...

2008-05-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting my blog, lately.

Sometimes, Real Life gets you down. Sometimes, it really sucks. In the last month, I lost a real life friend... suddenly and unexpectedly. The stress from that caused a mild relapse of an ongoing health issue of my own. The grief and disappointment of real life carries into the virtual world, and it affects your perceptions and interactions there.

I went into SL to escape, and found another set of stressors. Some real, some imagined. During this time, I've been working with Alysa on tearing down Blacklist, making models with Alysa and Lianna, selling land, making plans....

I'm feeling less stressed now, on the grid... quite happy and relieved at recent revelations and self-discoveries, and taking things as easily and naturally as one should, after bending the ear of one who cares here in SL.

My real life stress has gone from an 8.5 to about a 3... and I am feeling remarkably better... so its all good!

We're making serious progress on the Blacklist move. Stay tuned for an announcement this week.

-SK-

I'm still here!

2008-05-07T08:36:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for a while.

Real life has been busy and stressful. My hours in Second Life are a bit reduced, and split between enjoying time with my SL Friends and planning an All New Blacklist.

It's been 9 months since the birth of Blacklist, Shaitan. We're moving on... but in a good way. We're dismantling parts of the city and putting land up for sale in Shaitan as we prepare to purchase an island.

We've brought back the original builders of Blacklist, Shaitan - we're building scale models of our visions of Blacklist's future. The builders will choose the best aspects from each model, then a new, final scale model will be built for the new island. We've had lots of great ideas, and we're all getting excited about a big, new build for Blacklist. I have no snapshots of the models to post, here. Look for them in Shaitan. As I write this, one model is on the roof of the Blacklist bar, the rest are on the ground in NE Shaitan.

These are exciting times. I wish I could give an ETA on the island build - but I can't. With some luck, we'll have a new home in the next couple of months.

Cheers.

-Shye

Exploring with Alysa

2008-04-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

Alysa and I spent almost two hours exploring the final frontier..... Privateer Space.

This is one of the most incredible sims I've been to. I discovered it a while back, but held off exploring until Alysa and I could do it together.

We had a lot of fun together, exploring the lunar surface and mines in moonbuggies, flying together in a spacebug, and separately in other spacecraft as we explored the almost boundless reaches of the privateer sim's asteroid fields, planetary landscapes, space stations, pirate ships, and its clever nods to space films, television shows and literature from past decades. Check it out! You won't be disappointed!

-Shye

Missing Friends

2008-04-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

There are a few people who I've connected with in Second Life so closely, that I take thoughts of them outside the grid and into Real Life. For the ones who remain in-world, I still have that almost tangible connection. For the ones who have left the game, the close ones, the connection is not ephemeral. I mourn the loss of their presence, in a way.

We all have friends come and go. Some of them are special. They are missed.

Lisa, Elum and Hirundo... I'm thinking of you, and hope first life is treating you well.

Take care. Love you all.

Downtime, failures, and #$*%^#: An Open Letter to Linden Labs

2008-04-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

Lindens:

I have to laugh, every time I get that Quality Survey popping up when I log in to Second Life (tm). Really, you should know the answer. Besides buggy viewers, lack of response in the Support Portal (urgent tickets left unanswered for days or longer), it only takes a few moments going through the SL (tm) blog to get an idea of why people might not feel that their SL (tm) experience is improving.

Mined from the SL (tm) blog since April 1:

Apr 1 Phone Support Issues - unavailable
Apr 1 Various Inworld Issues - TP, transactions, logins failing
Apr 2 Various Issues - transactions, logins, TP
Apr 5 Various Inworld Issues - region down, login, TP and transaction failures
Apr 5 SL Down
Apr 6 Intermittent Region Issues (TP, rezzing, appearance, inventory, transactions)
Apr 6 SL Load mitigating begins
Apr 7 Logins and transactions intermittent
Apr 7 Gray Profiles
Apr 8 300 regions down
Apr 9 Support Portal "501" errors
Apr 10 Non-English character display error
Apr 10 700 Regions Offline
Apr 10 slow/stalled logins and transactions
Apr 11 login failures, stuck presence, group and search failures
Apr 11 load mitigation
Apr 11 Obj-Obj e-mails failing in-world
Apr 11 Failed TP and region crossings
Apr 11 Database failures affect logins, transactions, rezzing
Apr 13 Support Live Chat unavailable
Apr 13 Database failure: login timeouts, failed TP, failed rezzing
Apr 14 Logins, transactions and rezzing failures

Linden Labs really needs to get on the ball. Stop adding eye-candy like the pointless UI redesign. Fix the grid and patch the viewer.

The entire month of April has been an extended April Fools Joke. Make Second Life whole again.

The Art of Partnership

2008-03-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

Or... art of my partner ;)

I captured this adorable shot of Alysa as she fell off a rooftop and into a trashcan.

Isn't she cute?

:D

Crashes

2008-03-29T07:11:00.000-07:00

I spent some time shooting at "head crabs" in Blacklist with Livie, last week. I had the bright idea to try and run them down with my car. Livie jumped in and started shooting from the passenger seat.

We seem to have really angered those head crabs, because the next thing we knew, we were airborne... the little car with Livie and I on board sailed over the buildings of Blacklist and fell off the giant skybox that makes up our city. The car sailed on, two sims away and 700m down, before crashing near a castle.

Amazingly, we survived with only minor scrapes and bruises. We flew back to Blacklist to get revenge on those crabs...

I hate those things.

Photoshoot

2008-03-29T07:05:00.001-07:00

Sys asked Alysa if she would mind posing for some photos. Alysa brought me along, and, after Sys finished with Alysa, she shot us both dancing.

You can see three raw shots, above, followed by a finished product made by Sys, at the bottom.

It was a fun morning. I enjoy the shoots with Sys... and that she likes to shoot Alysa and I is nice. :)

Login Failed, and We Care

2008-03-25T11:41:00.001-07:00

This post has been brewing for a few weeks, at least.

I spent the day "Ruthed" last Saturday.
Naked, too.

Now, I have no problem being naked. In fact, I'm naked a lot, in SL..
But I like choice.

So, I was Ugly Ruth, and unable to wear any texture clothes... I could only attach prims. For almost the entire day. Finally, I got an answer from Linden Labs support on how to reset my avatar and begin being me again. I am sparing you the pics, by the way.

Sometime around last weekend, I also had a viewer crash. Nothing unusual there... I get a few a week... and another few disconnects. I got an odd message on login, after I waited the requisite 8 minutes for a relog... you can see it above...

I know what an "agent" is... and I know where I was... shouldn't Linden Labs?

Around this time, I got the survey that you see in the other image. I've seen it before... I always answer "Worse". Linden Labs doesn't want to know "why" my experience is getting worse... because I am a Mac user. Their survey dislikes Mac users. But they know that their survey dislikes Mac users. I feel better, knowing they have been hard at work on this bug. For a month. Really... it explains why I couldn't get Shaitan restarted last month. All their technicians were too busy figuring out a web form.

We now return to your regularly scheduled blog....

Exploring the Grand Canyon

2008-03-10T07:39:00.001-07:00

Me, Hyang and Joni (Viola around, somewhere) exploring a sim-sized map of The Grand Canyon. These maps are really cool. Search for Rumsey in the Second Life map, and you'll find a series of sims by David Rumsey, with huge topographical 3D maps and globes to explore.

It's fun. It's educational. It's cool. :)

Check it out.

Accidents Happen

2008-03-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

I heard a commotion outside.. the screaming of little engines, squealing of tires, sounds of small crashes... So I looked out the window. And on the streets of Blacklist, I saw these little tiny race cars. Jo and Livie were racing around the streets. With the new addition on to Blacklist, there is more room to race.

These little cars are just perfect for our narrow streets. I pointed my camera out the window, and snapped this pic of Livie, before she sped off down the street...

Alysa and I loved these cute little cars, so we went off to go car shopping. Less than thirty minutes later, we were speeding around the streets of Blacklist, her in her cute red car, me in my little black convertible.

It seems these cars go really fast... so fast, you can get into trouble taking corners. So, it wasn't long before this happened...

Well, at least the cars are "copy"... so after the damage is done, we just discard the broken cars and take new ones out of inventory.

:D

Stay off the sidewalks... lots of cars racing around Blacklist, and not all of them stick to the roads.

Nerd Test / Geek Test

2008-03-03T06:10:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Hyang ;p

75% Geek

Rawr!! My Partner. Oh.. and the shop, too...

2008-03-02T05:01:00.000-08:00

Alysa. My partner, my lover, and my best friend in Second Life.

I love this pic of her... she looks strong, confident... and sexy at the same time. Here, in front of her shop at Blacklist.

Rawr!! indeed.

Livie paints the town

2008-03-02T04:57:00.001-08:00

Livie dropped by to check out our new build in progress.

She has this cool new toy... sort of a can of spray paint. I warned her about tagging our new buildings... I mean... they aren't even finished, yet!

Still... before she left... she just had to do it.

Tagging the church.... *sigh*

Outdoors at Blacklist

2008-03-02T04:52:00.001-08:00

We had a bit of a mixup.. Yoshi thought we were having an event for her to DJ at, but we had changed the date. We thought, why not have her play anyway... impromptu event. Alysa and I wanted to build, though... as well as host with Yoshi. So...

We moved the event outdoors, out of the the bar. We were over at the water tower, next to the build site.

It's a nice spot for a party, and we held Punk Hop there as well.

Look for more events at the water tower. These were loads of fun. Dancing, talking, building...

Artillo

2008-02-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

Ok.. you KNOW some crazy shit happens at Blacklist...
But I don't think you knew this...

Funny stuff happens when Arti is around. Last week, it was people dancing on bicycles to the tune Fat Bottomed Girls. That was interesting, dancing on a pole while attached to a bike... but... it was tame.

I don't even remember how this one started...

A horse in the bar... followed by a unicorn... a bull... then I put on my dragon avie (I had a bit of a hard time on the pole with that one, lemme tell you)... the picture above was taken before the entire herd of cattle walked through the door.

Arti is the orange demon with the flaming hands. He likes to give hugs. Watch out for that. Second and third degree burns are no fun.

I left immediately after Artillo's set. I don't know if anyone stayed behind to clean up...

o.O

Expanding Blacklist

2008-02-25T08:46:00.000-08:00

Ok.. so.. I was minding my own business... at my home in Blacklist... changing my clothes... naked and unarmed... when all of a sudden...

Zombies attacked!

It seems we placed our house a bit too close to the hellmouth from which zombies spawn in Blacklist. I managed to survive the attack by running around the bed (I'm faster than the average zombie, thank goodness). But, it was clear that we couldn't stay there!

While thinking of where we might move our house, Blacklist rented it's last available vendor spot. So, with the need to build more shops, and the need to move our home, it was clear there was only one solution.

Expand Blacklist.

I would guess we have expanded the surface area by nearly 20%... just Alysa and me... building shops, moving home, laying down streets, a dump, and planning other things to build there.

Building with Alysa is something I love to do. The two of us got 80% of the work done in just two days.

We did have one major holdup... we deleted our old home... and it appeared that it vanished... but walking onto the empty lot where it stood resulted in crashing your nose into an invisible wall! o.O

I filed a support ticket with Linden Labs, asking for a restart of the sim. More than a day later, there had been no response. Alysa and I took it upon ourselves to "restart the sim" so that we could continue our work. ;)

You can see a bit of a preview of our new space in the pic. You are free to wander around Blacklist and see it for yourself... it's currently still under construction. I'll post more pics, soon.

See you around town.

Awesome Friends, Part 4

2008-02-25T08:33:00.000-08:00

In my posts on "Awesome Friends", you've met Lisa, who means so much to me in SL, for so many reasons. You've met Hyang, who has a special place in my Second Life as well. You've met Alysa, who became my partner. Now, meet Samirah.

Sami and I rezzed within a couple weeks of eachother. We went through noobhood together. She's smart, sexy, and loads of fun to be around... regardless of her work with explosives as Blacklist's resident "mad scientist".

She's always fun to talk to... she makes me laugh... but she makes me think as well. We have spent a lot of time together in Blacklist. Last week, however, she took me to another place... a beautiful sim with a Chinese design (Chinese Campus)... her in her panda avie. We sat in front of the fire, drinking tea, for at least a couple of hours.

Sami is 13 hours ahead of me, so we don't get that kind of time, often. And leaving Blacklist to explore interesting new places has been a rarity. It was such a nice treat, to get a taste of the culture in which she lives.

Thank you, Sami.

Happy Days, Part 2

2008-02-16T18:48:00.001-08:00

We came back online, and Alysa seemed tired. We didn't quite know what to do. I mentioned someplace I'd like to take her, but it wouldn't start for an hour... what to do... what to do...

Alysa said she wanted to "kill things". Well... all we have in Backlist to kill are zombies... apparently they were not good enough. She kind of went wild... pushing me on the exploding manhole cover.. shooting at oil drums... really causing a ruckus. So, what could I do? I can't ban my partner from the sim! So, I just shot her with my barrel gun. It slowed her down for a minute, anyway.

Then, to kill 40 minutes before the show, we went to the Blacklist Gallery to continue construction there. Mostly tinkering, now. The major build is done.

With Alysa barely awake, I TP'd her to see Frogg and Jaycatt. Our bad luck, we ran smack into a griefer. It was about 10 minutes before someone dealt with him, and the show could go on.

Alysa had never seen Frogg and Jaycatt. She seemed to really enjoy them, and I did too! They play nice music and have a good time joking between songs. They draw such a crowd, and it was very laggy there. We chose not to dance... we just sat and enjoyed the show. I'd like to get them to come to Blacklist, sometime. I think it would be fun.

We went for a quick shopping excursion, then home to slip into bed.

There I am, the white neko.
She is the dark one.
Mijn meisje.

A quick cuddle as her eyelids grew heavy and she slipped from consciousness, drifting off to sleep.

Sweet dreams.

Happy Days, Part 1

2008-02-16T18:17:00.001-08:00

Lately, it seems, Alysa and I haven't had much time to ourselves. With a 6 hour time difference between us, by the time I get home and online in the evening, Alysa is getting ready for bed. If we're lucky, we get an hour of sleepy chat each weekday, it seems.

Today, we spent an entire day together. And we made the best of it.

Shortly after I logged in, Sysperia showed up in Blacklist and offered to do a photo shoot for us. How could we turn that down? We spoke a lot about art as she took some snaps and discussed the processing she did. We were cut short before our second location, but Sys promised to get back to us and finish another time.

I love her work. You can see her first pic of the day, above.

Alysa decided she wanted to live in the city... so after our photoshoot, we began moving into our new home, which she built yesterday. I made two couches, Alysa made some shelves and accent pieces... and we had a long overdue chat that was comforting for both of us.

Then we started working on the bed. We bought an awesome bed from Rustica, but we're adding another system of poses. It takes time... but we're getting there.

Of course, we had to enjoy a few of the poses we got adjusted.
That was overdue, as well... ;)

After our breaking in of the poses, we both needed a break... we had been online for over 8 hours. We each took about 45 minutes away from the computer... got something to eat, closed our eyes, and came back for a nice evening...

Blacklist's Mad Scientist, Part II

2008-02-13T05:34:00.001-08:00

Ahh... The Blacklist's Mad Scientist has redeemed herself.

She's still playing with explosives, but now they are of the celebratory kind. Samirah has made some really nice fireworks. They are still in development, but she put on a private show for me.

I look forward to seeing them in use at a Blacklist celebration, soon.

Nicely done!

Blacklist's Mad Scientist

2008-02-12T12:16:00.000-08:00

You remember when I made the snowmen? All seemed ok, until they started in throwing snowballs at passers-by... then it was an all out war. Who could foresee the consequences of making a snowman?

Well, a little over a week ago, Hyang and I developed an exploding manhole cover. At first it was just one. Then, two. Then, whole sections of street exploding when you walk over them...

Now... I face consequences again...

My oldest friend in Second Life, Samirah, has stumbled onto our xplodo script (thanks, Chalice), and has used it to inspire the creation of weapons of mass destruction. She has been testing these weapons from her little Chinese shop for a week. Please, I beg you, avoid the west side of Blacklist at all costs... save yourselves!

Actually, these are the coolest explosions I've seen in Second Life. Kudos, Sami.

Building Big, Building Small

2008-02-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

Alysa and I have been building again...
Building something big...

We have recently been so impressed with the art exhibitions of Sysperia and Ruska, and some new work by Yppy, that we were inspired to get involved. I've long been the creative type... but beyond building for myself and for Blacklist, I've not explored other outlets.

So, we're building a Blacklist Gallery. I want Blacklist to make an impact in the SLArt world. We can't build the gallery in the city limits, as Blacklist is already texture-loaded. So we're building on the ground on Blacklist land. I've set aside 4,000 square meters of land for the gallery. We're building it open and airy. I'm very pleased with the results so far. Look for an opening before the end of March.

Sometimes, you need a contrast in life.

Building on the scale of the treehouse or the galery is great fun, but it's also a bit tiring. Sometimes, I like to be able to see an entire build without having to move my avatar. Big builds often get out of selection range, even if you disable camera constraints. Its just tricky, sometimes, to work that way.

So, we take breaks, now and then, and work on smaller projects. Alysa built a new shop building that accommodates four vendors, and is pretty compact. I renovated a space to accommodate three vendor spots, as well. These are on a much smaller scale than those other projects.

Taking it even smaller, we're building little hangout areas, "Dump Couches" or hobo hangouts, to be placed around the city. They are for sale in Alysa's shop, "Rawr!!" as well (she changed the name - still the same great stuff).

Here, you see us relaxing for a moment in one of these little hangout spots.

I love building. Big and small. And building with Alysa makes it that much more fun.

So, check out the new locations in Blacklist... and check out the gallery as well... SW corner of Shaitan. We'll be installing teleports and putting it in search, soon.

See you around town.

-Shye

One Month

2008-02-03T22:57:00.001-08:00

Alysa and I partnered one month ago. It seems like only a week.

We've been keeping SO busy, upgrading Blacklist, building things, and making a home for ourselves in Shaitan. Sometimes, it seems there is little time for ourselves. It's a bit frustrating, but I'm loving that Blacklist is so busy now, and that I have someone to share in the joy that it brings me... another who likes to build and maintain the place. We're the only ones actively building and upgrading now. I couldn't do it without her.

That's not to say that people aren't helping... or that they aren't around. There are people helping organize and host events. There are DJs who do a fantastic job. There are friends who step up as investors when needed. But the building, lately, has been up to Alysa and me. Adding in the event planning and hosting... and well... it keeps us busy. I rarely seem to leave Blacklist at all, any more.

We make it a point, however, to end the day with a quiet cuddle at the treehouse. We chat, and share our thoughts and feelings. It's a wonderful way to end the day. I love those times. They melt the stress away.

1 month... and we're still together! We've only driven eachother a *little* bit crazy.

Love you, Alysa.

The Garden and The Tree

2008-01-22T08:21:00.001-08:00

Alysa and I put the final touches on the Garden of Exiles - repairing some soft sculpted rocks and adding some cuddle poses. We stopped to cuddle and enjoy the spot for a few moments before being torn away to other things. I'm so happy with the spot... a peaceful place to relax, cuddle and chat.

Something else we've been doing is building a home. We bought some waterfront land in Shaitan, adjacent to Blacklist and the Garden of Exiles. We were thinking of what to build, when Alysa suggested we resurrect my treehouse (see the second post in this blog). I had taken down the tree shortly after we began building Blacklist. You can see it under re-construction in the picture above. Construction is actually complete, now. I'll post more images as soon as it is furnished.

The treehouse is back from the depths of my inventory... and it mostly is none the worse for wear.

Celebration II

2008-01-20T03:36:00.000-08:00

Alysa and I celebrated our partnership yesterday, and invited our Second Life friends and the public to attend. We had a really nice turnout, and we only crashed the sim once!

Seriously, SL was not cooperating... sim crashes, lag, asset server issues... but we fought through the lag and enjoyed the day.

Lisa made a special appearance in Second Life, just to wish us well, and to give us her gift. Her gift was a Partnership Wish, a note with her thoughts of us, and her thoughts of her partnership, and her best wishes. It was a very personal and touching note, as was the visit from her.

Our celebration ran long, and blended into the Punk Hop. So the party ran for about 6 hours.

Thank you to all for the gifts of your attendance, other gifts, and being a part of our Second Life. It all made for a wonderful day!

Celebration

2008-01-17T10:21:00.000-08:00

Well... the party to celebrate the partnership of Shye and Alysa has made it to the top of the event board at The Blacklist. It's our next event!

We're already partnered... sort of eloped in the Garden of Exiles... *grins

The party is a celebration for all of our friends, and all the friends of Blacklist. It should be a fun time! Hope to see a buncha people here :) Saturday, 11AM SLT, with DJ Sjo!

-Shye

Lisa

2008-01-17T10:10:00.001-08:00

If there is anyone I care about in Second Life as much as my new partner Alysa, it is Lisa. I've written about her before. She is truly a special friend in SL.

Lisa has been taking time off for herself, lately. She came online for an hour a couple of days ago, and I was so happy I was online. We chatted non-stop for the whole hour... it made me late for my rl job... ;)

So much to catch up on... so much to talk about.

Come back soon!

Partners

2008-01-05T07:17:00.001-08:00

Last night is a blur.
The last week has been a bit of a blur.

I've known Alysa for several months. We've grown closer and closer, sharing our time and ourselves. Time passes like the wind, swooshing by without a care. Moving fast. Never slowing.

For a few moments last night, time stood still. Alysa Paravane became my partner in Second Life.

New Things at Blacklist

2008-01-02T09:36:00.000-08:00

I came across this Russian Roulette game, and had to track it down for the bar at Blacklist. It seems just the kind of game for the crowds we attract. Here you see Hyang and I playing a round, as Alysa watches on, nervously.

Alysa and I rebuilt the bar. It looks much like the old one, so I have no photos. A few minor changes, and fixes that make the camera behave better inside the building. We had to rebuild from scratch, because we couldn't edit the one we had. Still, it was only a few hours work, and the results are satisfying.

Also new at the Blacklist: Aside from our Sunday events with Artillo, we now have a Punk Hop with new blood: new host Lynn, and new DJ Keliana. They did a great job last Saturday, and I'm looking forward to future events with them. Check out Blacklist on Saturday and Sunday nights for a good time.

Also, this week, Hyang has scheduled a couple of ad-hoc events, for Thursday and Friday with DJ Balp. These are for 1PM SLT. So come on down!

Stay tuned for more event information. Things are picking up at Blacklist. More events, more people and more fun.

See you there.

End of Holidays

2008-01-02T09:28:00.000-08:00

The Holidays are over. We've cleaned up the decorations at Blacklist and freed up about 500 prims. I left the snowmen you see here for an extra day, for Lisa to see. She saw. They're gone. They were the snowmen that people loved to hate, as they were quite good at throwing snowballs at passing avatars.

Now, as long as we don't get an Easer Bunny throwing eggs, we're in the clear... hmmm....

The Garden of Exiles

2007-12-28T04:36:00.001-08:00

Okay... it's been a while since my last post.

I blame it on the Jolly Old Fat Man. You know how it is... feeling you need to compete with his gift-giving.... you spend the entire holiday season shopping, and stressing about shopping. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. Despite the shopping rush, I know I did.

The last couple days, I've been working on something new.

It started when I looked from the deck of my skybox, and saw... nothing! Nothing, where Alysa's home should have been. All sorts of things passed through my mind, as to what sort of holiday tragedy could have claimed her home... perhaps a holiday fire started in the Christmas tree? It happens all the time, you know.

I looked on the map and saw a green dot below. I thought, perhaps, she was strolling through the charred remains of her tiny skybox, ashes floating down on her like dirty snowflakes. I jumped over my railing in a single bound, and floated down to the ground. There was no smoke, no ash. Alysa was not looking, teary-eyed at the burned ruins of a skybox.

No...

She was planting trees.

I asked her, surprised, where her skybox was. She said, matter-of-factly, "I deleted it, of course, to make room for the garden!"

So I started to help, a bit. Before long, we had filled her 512 parcel, and she bought the adjoining parcel - which also filled quickly. I bought a third parcel, and we joined them into group-owned land, so we could use all the prims for the garden.

It started from a small garden and it grew... it has two sides, light and cheery, and dark and dreary. Cuddle-spots are all around. There is a waterfall, a pond, a cave.... and the most comfortable hammock in all of Second Life.

Since we are both involved with Blacklist, and since this is on adjoining land in Shaitan, we decided to call it, "The Garden of Exiles."

We'll be installing teleports in Blacklist soon.

Come check out The Garden of Exiles. But please, don't feed the squirrel.

Unscheduled Maintenance

2007-12-19T14:11:00.000-08:00

Catching up with old friends

2007-12-19T12:19:00.001-08:00

I logged in yesterday, and saw my old friend Livie on radar, in Blacklist. I so rarely get to some of my old hangouts, that I sometimes forget about the friends I used to see there. Livie was out of Second Life for a while, and I've not found the time to track her down and tie her up for a chat, recently - though she's been back for a while, now! ^.~

It was nice to chat at Blacklist, for a bit... then we ported to Misp for a quick ride on some quads. It was only an hour... I'll have to work on the tying her down part, if I want more ;)

Since she hates pouncing so much, I found an alternative... which she doesn't seem to mind.

/nuzzle Livie

:D

Silent Noir

2007-12-18T07:47:00.000-08:00

I just came across this new sim: Silent.

It's a "noir" sim. Done almost completely in black and white. I haven't had a chance to explore it, fully. I only had a half hour before real life took me away.

I invited Hyang to come have a look with me, knowing she likes to explore interesting places - and this place has such a unique look. Amazingly, amateur Second Life explorer that I am, I found this place before she did.

The pic above is un-retouched. It is the raw capture from Second Life, only resized. It seems eerie to wander around this sim, all in black and white.

Check it out. It's very cool.

Dirty Snowmen

2007-12-17T21:02:00.001-08:00

Ok... it's bad enough that the snowmen of Blacklist have taken over in Shaitan, but now they've been seen cavorting with a snowman at the Palace. And from the looks of it, we may have some kind of dangerous hybrid on our hands before long.

So, watch out, citizens of Shaitan, and citizens of Digeut... there could be more cold trouble headed your way.

Snowball Fights

2007-12-14T07:05:00.000-08:00

The city is under siege.

These snowmen... I never would have thought that the simple purchase of a weather machine for our fair city would result in this! The snowmen have become animated... and angry. They seem to be breeding, too.

And they don't like each other very much.

My advice: Stay out of the line of fire. These guys mean business!
----

This was so simple and so much fun to make. Thanks to Alysa for her help. She encouraged simplicity, and it worked.

Come check out the snowmen of Blacklist. Wear a hat and gloves, and join in the fun!

/me mrows

-Shye

Surrounded by Snowmen!

2007-12-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

What have I got myself into? I'm surrounded by an army of snowmen, all armed with snowballs!

Alysa and I decided the season was right for a snowball fight. But we wanted it to be different. Sure, we have snowballs available for anyone to throw at Blacklist.. but we wanted snowmen! We built an army. Ok... a small army, but of big snowmen.

These guys were fun to build... all with different faces and different poses. All we have to do now is place them about the town and make some snowballs.

You can see how we like to build. The second picture is of us building, relaxing on the couch in the Blacklist bar as we do so. Sometimes, the work doesn't go as fast that way... but it's fun!

Look for the snowball fight in Blacklist, Shaitan... coming soon.

We also have plans for the land down below the city. Keep an eye out for an announcement soon.

/me purrs
-Shye

I love cuddles!

2007-12-10T06:52:00.000-08:00

I love cuddles.

Here you see lovable neko Alysa, me, and Sindy... relaxing at the Palace.

For a while, there were four of us. Jo made a threesome of purple kitties, with Sindy cuddling up with us all. Some Second Life glitch made Alysa's tongue stick out during the time Jo was snuggling... so I got not good pictures of the four of us. Her tongue kept getting in the way. I asked her to put it away until later... =^.~=

/me purrs

The Sewers

2007-12-10T06:43:00.001-08:00

The sewer tunnels are complete at Blacklist. Alysa and I have moved on from construction of the tunnels, to "decorating" some of the rooms in the labyrinth.

We started with a room for the hobos. Usual hobo stuff, there... old mattresses, beds, burning barrels, etc. We then moved on to a neko cuddle room. I love the way it turned out. There is a cuddle basket for up to 6 kitties, a big, intimate, pink cuddle pillow for two, and a couple of other sexy things for the kitten in you. Lately, we moved on to a dungeon... small, dark, some Luis Royo artwork on the walls, and a complement of Deviant furniture for your deviant nature.

A word of warning: These rooms are in a maze of old, abandoned tunnels under Blacklist. The tunnel system is oriented in three dimensions. It's easy to get lost. Bring a pack with some food and water, as it may be days before you find the surface again!

Neko Shopping

2007-12-07T23:03:00.000-08:00

Nekos are ubiquitous in Second Life. They're everywhere! Those damned kitties breed like nobody's business, and now you can't swing a dead cat without knocking over at least three of them!

So, there are so many nekos now, it's no longer special to be one. It's no more special than being human or demon. I don't know what the preferred minority in Second Life would be, at the moment. What do you become to be different?

Rather than puzzle over that, I switch between the forms I am comfortable with. Human and Neko. And occasionally drow or dragon. I was neko, consistently, for so long, that I can't stop emoting like one... and I miss my tail when it isn't attached. I've found so many interesting uses for it... =^.^=

Though nekos are a dime a dozen now, there is something nice about their numbers: There are so many places to shop for neko gear now! One of the older shops is Deviant Kitties. They just opened up a beautiful new sim... wonderful to explore (but hard to shop). They have wonderful hair at DK, some designed for nekos and some appropriate for human use.

Alysa and I went to DK to shop for hair. She made a new punky neko winter outfit, and needed hair to go with it. While wandering through the hills, we came across some snowmonsters... I ran and hid from them, rather than taking pictures! As my running came to an end, I looked to my left, and there was Rufus. Rufus was giving out freebies (little stuffed Rufuses, of course). Gotta love him for that. So Alysa and I stopped to have our picture taken with him, before scampering away on our next neko adventure... or shopping spree...

Holiday Bear

2007-12-03T05:53:00.001-08:00

A huge holiday teddy bear has taken up residence in our basketball court.

I think, most likely, nobody is going to play ball with him. He has a bit of a height advantage.

Here you see Joni, Alysa and myself climbing around on the bear.

Stray Nekos

2007-12-03T05:47:00.000-08:00

I've been neko for most of my Second Life, but have taken a bit of a break from it, until lately. I've dived right back into it for the moment, getting all nekoed up again.

Alysa and I strayed on over to Straylight to capture this pic.

Awesome Friends, Part 3

2007-11-19T09:31:00.001-08:00

This post continues a series about "awesome friends."

You've met Lisa... my rock, who anchors me in Second Life.
You've met Hyang, my funny and mysterious good friend, the one who seems to rile me up with all her goofiness.

Now meet Alysa.

I met Alysa with the start of Blacklist. Hyang invited her to have a look around. I saw her tinkering with a build, gave her a group membership, and invited her to build something that could be a permanent part of Blacklist.

In addition to her building, it seems that she, herself, has become a permanent part of Blacklist.

Alysa is cute and quiet and shy, until you get to know her. Once you know her, she may remain cute... but she has a sharp tongue on her, and a quick, sarcastic wit. It was quite a shock, the first time I was skewered by that sharp tongue of hers. But then, I'm perfectly willing to duel, as I can have a sarcastic side, as well.

We've collaborated on a couple of building projects, now... I've worked as a model for her clothing in her store... we decorated the city for Halloween...but the work is play with a fun person to share it with.

We've done more than work, of course... we chat, go places, explore, and have a good time.

She's quickly become an awesome friend, here.

Happy Birthday, Alysa!

Niiiicceee Kitty.....

2007-11-18T21:34:00.000-08:00

Sindy got a new kitty. Or... was it kitty's idea?

I wouldn't want to argue with this one.

:D

Under Construction II

2007-11-18T21:30:00.000-08:00

There is new construction going on at Blacklist... underground.

This is more kit construction than anything, using Arcadia Asylum's awesome builds, we're installing subway and sewer tunnels. There will be a maze of underground tunnels, pipes and rooms to explore.

Tread carefully... the construction isn't finished. There could be holes that lead to... nowhere...

Windlight, revisited

2007-11-16T11:46:00.000-08:00

I remember trying out Windlight the last time it was available, and being less than impressed. Sure, the atmospheric effects were cool, but my FPS took a dive. Most disheartening, though, was the harshness of light on an avatar's skin.

For those who spend thousands of Linden on skins and shapes, and clothes, etc... trying to look their best in Second Life, for whatever reason... the early version of Windlight was evil. There was no way for an avatar to look good, with existing skins. Everything was just harsh.

The new Windlight viewer is available. They have made many improvements to the graphical presentation... water is so real, you think you can reach out to it and touch it. Atmo is wonderful... control over the atmosphere is also nice.

I just had to go to Surfline Rezzable, strip off my clothes and go for a dip in the luscious water, under warm, blue skies.

The harshness of light on skin still needs a little work... but there is improvement.

Performance on my MacBook Pro leaves a bit to be desired, however. Low framerates, and slow rezzing were issues in my hour or so online with it. Bugs abound, it seems, as well. But, this is First Look. I imagine it will get better.

It *is* beautiful. Give it a look. Then go back to your regular viewer until its ready for prime-time.

It's been a long time...

2007-11-16T11:30:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since my last post.

It was also, until recently, a while since I took a single day off of Second Life.

I had to travel for business. I realized, as I logged off the night before my trip, that the next few days would be my first absence from Second Life in over five months.

Five Months.

150 Days.

At least, two hours online every day for 150 days. Sometimes, as much as 12 hours.

Being away from Second Life, just for a couple of days, was liberating. I had known that immersion was taking its toll. I was taking things in my Second Life as seriously as I was taking things in my First Life. Don't get me wrong... I value my online friends... I really do. Second Life is more than a game, it is a social experience.. so you should value the people you meet there.. and you should appreciate the wonders of sharing of yourself with others from far-flung places. It truly is a wonderful "place" to be.

But there's no place like home.

A few days away, and the fog has lifted. But evil lurks in Blacklist. A Hellmouth has appeared in the city. Walk near it, and zombies spawn from it, and chase you down. They are merciless in their pursuit. The pic above shows Hyang and myself, taking a breath after a wave of attacks... standing at the ready for more. One thing we didn't anticipate, however: Zombie attacks apparently destabilize the sim. A prolonged attack can result in lag, disorientation, and, in some cases, crashing and relogging, fully armed, in a welcome area.. covered in blood.

You've been warned.

Good Friends

2007-10-24T21:32:00.001-07:00

Okay... so this is actually a meeting to discuss plans for Halloween. Talking about autumn holidays requires us to take action to stay warm.... right?

Alysa, Lisa and I sit together on the couch in the Blacklist bar to talk about events for the holiday... DJ's, contests, scavenger hunts, etc. We've been busy decorating for the festivities... now it's time to start planning in earnest.

I wish my real life meetings were so casual and cozy...

One of Those Days...

2007-10-15T11:24:00.001-07:00

Ever have one of those days?

:D

Defining Friendship, Resolving Conflict

2007-10-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

Nearly everyone here has differing attitudes on friendship and sex in Second Life. There are as many approaches as there are people, and the boundaries can be fluid. The way one approaches these things defines the handling of friendships, relationships and intimacy. And the scale of definition is an infinite continuum, paving the way for mis-matching styles between Second Life residents.

Some people come here to explore virtual relationships. Some come to have pure sex, with no attachments. Some try to find a balance. Some have no interest in sex. Many will also move along the scale, making adjustments to their approach to find a more comfortable style.

I was recently introduced to the term "special friend" here in Second Life. Probably, most are already familiar... but I have never been one for defining myself or others so clearly, here. The first I heard of it was in recent weeks.

I've always used the term loosely. You know... you may have 75 people on your friends list, but 65 or more may be "casual" friends, who you don't interact with as much as the other 10 or so. Those 10, I've defined as "special friends", meaning, people I like to spend time with. They aren't necessarily lovers... just closer friends than the rest. It seems that some people have a very different definition of the term. I've become mindful of that, lately. Of course, the terminology and definitions can't cover the range of human emotion... that's why I've personally never bothered to define them.

So, why do I bring this up? Why is it important enough for me to write a long and rambling blog entry? I got caught in a mis-match of playing styles with a friend. The mis-match created conflict, and a lack of good communication on both parts caused that conflict to grow and fester for far too long. Our friendship was nearly killed by an inability to coordinate our expectations.

I almost let a friendship die because of a miscommunication.

Define yourself.

Disturbing Reflections

2007-10-11T12:35:00.000-07:00

I had an odd night, last night.

I have many friends in Second Life. I have Blacklist. I have things I could do...

But last night, I was bored. I was feeling sorry for myself, and stressing about feeling sorry for myself. Six months ago, I'd have turned off the computer and done something else. Instead, I stayed online, sat by my virtual self, and pondered things that should be left unpondered in this virtual world. Then I went places I really didn't want to go, looking for things I didn't want to have or do, before returning to the railroad bridge in Shaitan, sitting alone, pondering again.

What is the point of a game that causes stress and angst? And why can't I recognize this coming, before it's too late?

Alysa counseled me, early in the evening, giving me much to think about. And Lisa knocked some more sense in my head, shortly before I logged off.

It's time to reflect.

I'll be back. Soon.

Awesome Friends, Part 2

2007-10-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

Here continues my series of posts on friends in Second Life.

I've had to wait to post about Hyang. I honestly didn't know what to write. And, I still don't. She's private and mysterious, moody and playful. Sometimes she's incredibly sexy, sometimes... not so much. She's tall, short, thin, fat, stacked or flat, human, neko, drow, dragon, rabbit, hedgehog or fuzzball... If it weren't for her tag, she could walk up to you, and you would have no idea who she is. And really, I've known her for over six months, and I still don't know who she is... ;)

With Hyang, you begin to expect the unexpected, but even so, she still manages to surprise you. That's what makes it fun to be around her. Hyang is one of the interesting people in Second Life that people gravitate to. She's one of the things in Second Life that keeps me coming back. I'm happy to count her among my friends.

Changes

2007-10-08T06:22:00.001-07:00

If you recall, some of my earliest postings in this blog were about my treehouse. I was proud of the accomplishment, it having been the largest and most complicated thing I had built.

The treehouse is gone. The sim I lived in was auctioned, so I had to leave. I can't resurrect the tree on the Blacklist land... at least, not without taking back many of my donated prims. So, for now, the pieces of the tree reside in my inventory. Waiting.

So, I built a skybox in Blacklist. Blacklist has really been my home, anyway. And I could build a nice skybox with about 200 fewer prims than a resurrection of the tree would take. It's made of three connected cylinders on two levels, and has an Asian motif. The box has fewer than 25 prims, and I'm putting together some low-prim furniture (some built by my friend Alysa), so I can live comfortably under 150 prims.

I'm happy with my new home, and I have an awesome neighbor. Lisa is in shouting distance. I wonder if she cooks...?

Living, Loving, Leaving, and Lost in Thoughts

2007-10-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

In the last week, I've had three people who I'm close to come to me and say, "I need to take a break from Second Life". Two of these friends said this at the same time.. one in IMs while I was already talking to another.

I don't know how to react. I'm numb.

On one hand, I understand these thoughts. I've entertained them myself, from time to time. I would never talk anyone out of the decision to leave. It is their decision to make, and theirs alone. On the other hand, I'm selfish. These are friends who I've bonded with, shared fun times with, shared some love with. Losing them would create a dark void in my Second Life. I don't come here to see places... I come to be with friends and share good times.

In real life, we're more apt to face our demons. In Second Life, it's easy to run away. You can hide from your problems rather than face them, by simply not logging in. Running away, however, merely shifts the burden to those who are left behind... leaving them wondering...

I've tried to find balance... moderation is the key. Living your First Life to its fullest is the number one priority. But Second Life, and the bonds that are forged there, should not be so easily dismissed. The connections are real, and they are unlike anything you find in real life. They exist on an entirely non-physical level... they are sometimes ephemeral, sometimes long-lasting. But they can seem as compelling and as raw as real life.

Sillyness @ Blacklist

2007-10-02T12:50:00.001-07:00

You've heard of cats and furrballs? Apparently, dragons have the same problem. Who'd have guessed? In the top image, Hyang is the dragon, I am the furrball (and I had *such* high expectations for myself...). Jo and Sami look on, apparently not too sure what to make of the scene.

In the second image, an old acquaintance, missing for some time, comes to visit at the Blacklist. What better way to celebrate than with a pillow fight? Don't we look *so* innocent? That's me on the left, Hyang, and Allysia.

Here there be Dragons... Part III

2007-09-27T06:45:00.001-07:00

The dragons seem to have made Blacklist their home. And they've invited some friends. The only empty space big enough for them is by the water tower, and that gets crowded, as well.

The four dragons spent an hour or so breathing smoke, fire and steam on eachother, flying around the city, and wandering the narrow streets of Blacklist - pouncing and nuzzling, and killing campers. Moody creatures, these dragons.

The second image is of Hyang and I, in the full adult versions of the dragon species that you saw in Part I of this series of posts. The other dragons had left the city... this just seemed like a good photo opportunity.

Here there be Dragons... Part II

2007-09-25T11:35:00.001-07:00

Something strange has appeared at The Blacklist Bar... up on the roof, where so many people will be unaware... until its too late...

These two eggs appeared... giant things... then two more... I think they're dragon eggs!

Hyang and I both got lucky, and won the dragon lottery. We both ended up buying a second dragon avatar, after picking up our species of choice. Hyang chose Steam and Spirit. I chose Astral and Fire.

In the top image, you see the first two eggs. In the bottom, we've hatched, and are roaming the city, watching over our puny friend, Jo.

So, on your next visit to Blacklist, you may find one or two of four dragons, guarding the city... or... setting it ablaze...

Confused States

2007-09-24T10:53:00.000-07:00

We all try to find our way here in Second Life. It seems, there can be struggles here, as in Real Life. The feelings that come about from these struggles are real. The friendships that you struggle to hold onto are real. And the surprising new friends that show up, out of the blue, well... they are real, too.

I see struggles of others here. Those struggles impact me... I care for people, here. It's not love... at least, not for me - not in Real Life. The thing is, life in SL moves so fast... our brains aren't made to adjust so rapidly to changing feelings. When that wall starts to crumble, and the immersion grows, you take on the persona of your avatar. You start to feel the love. And the loss. And the confusion. It takes effort to put both feet firmly in RL, and regain a footing. When you can't seem to make that effort, the help of SL friends can ground you.

You met one of my grounding influences in my previous post. There is another, recently. A special friend of the last few weeks. She's much more than a pleasant diversion. She grounds me... keeps me from floating away, lost in thoughts.

I'm grounded, now. I've identified my demons. They are chained nearby. Just out of reach.

More later.

Awesome Friends, Part 1

2007-09-20T07:37:00.001-07:00

I've been meaning to post about some of my friends for a long time. Some of my friends here in Second Life mean a lot to me. How do you boil the essence of that meaning down into a blog post? That's why its taking so long. I was going to make one long post that talked about a half-dozen or so of my friends... but that wouldn't do any of them justice. Instead... when the mood hits me, I'll post on just one.

That's me on the left. You already know me. Move along... Lisa is on the right... Click the pic to zoom in on her hotness. :D

Lisa is the first person I "connected" with in a sincere way in Second Life. Sexy, funny and flirtatious, and caring and real. Sure, there's the fun, in-character stuff... but Lisa was there when I had a real-life crisis... not some SL drama... she was a virtual shoulder to cry on. I never expected to find that here. I found it in Lisa. I think I've been able to return the favor, in small ways.

I met Lisa way back in March. I walked into a crowded club, and "heard" this "voice" flirting with the crowd. I was taken by her outgoing personality immediately... before I even saw where the "voice" was coming from. Before I even saw her on the stage, she welcomed me warmly to the club. I stayed for a bit, chatting and flirting, as others came and went. I made it a point to go back to that club the next night. And the next. It wasn't long before we became fast friends.

Cuddling and chatting with Lisa, while the world moves on by in Second Life... the time just flies by. She grounds me, and yet I can feel high when I'm with her. She's an awesome friend.

Blacklist Opening Party

2007-09-17T10:37:00.000-07:00

Top picture: hmmm... I can identify Sindy, Punkkitty, me, BooT, Hyang, Alysa and Bally. I can't see clearly who the others are.

Second picture: Alysa, Hyang, me and Celti. Yes, I'm the only naked one.

The day has come, finally... and it has gone.

We opened Blacklist yesterday. Kicked it off with a big party. We had enough people that we danced in the streets instead of the bar... As you can see.. as the day wore on, some of us got a little frisky and started to strip and dance on the flatbed.

For over two hours, we had people coming and going, dancing and partying, and exploring our city while solving the riddle contained in a scavenger hunt. A total of 3500 L$ was awarded to the solvers of the riddle. Lisa wrote awesome background for the hunt, Bally provided the technical gizmos needed, and I had to work on a couple of items that served as clues.

As near as I can tell, we had around 100 people wander in and out during our event. And we had 32 people here at once. The sim lagged a little, but it was tolerable. Not bad, considering all those avies were dancing on the same street corner.

So, we're open now. The first party has ended... but the partying has just begun.

We Interrupt This Program...

2007-09-11T12:07:00.000-07:00

No picture for this post. No event or person to talk about. Nothing like that. I'm waxing philosophical.

Second Life is a huge social experiment. I would guess that it has not evolved as Linden Labs intended. They merely uncorked the bottle. The genie spilled out, and the world has taken on a sort of evolutionary, swarming, artificial intelligence.

The value of Second Life is in its openness. The freedom to explore - not only a virtual world, but one's self, as well. You can truly be all you can be in Second Life. There are no limitations. There are no inhibitions. Only a few liabilities. Social constraints do not apply. The rules are lax. You can be free to live dangerously... to live life on the edge. What happens in Second Life stays in Second Life. It's kinda like Vegas.

Sometimes, shit happens. You become immersed. You lose perspective. Second Life becomes real. Real life is pushed to the background... a dark blur in your periphery. Maybe because First Life sucks that week... and Second Life is more fun. It can be unhealthy. And when you start taking Second Life too seriously, your Second Life friends notice.

This Social Experiment called Second Life slaps its residents around, from time to time. Usually, it is momentary unpleasantness. Then you go on living your dual life, like nothing ever happened. Sometimes, it leaves a small scar - a reminder to watch your step in the future.

Most of the time, though, Second Life is a fascinating virtual world. You make real and lasting connections... develop attachments to virtual friends from different countries around the globe. You can work, side by side, with these distant friends - creating fantastic virtual landscapes. Global, virtual collaboration! Bringing together people with different cultural backgrounds and completely different lives to accomplish something beautiful. How cool is that?

Second Life removes political and social boundaries. It removes distance. It sets everyone in-world on equal footing. It is a fantastic socio-cultural learning experience. The "place" of others in this world matters not. It's about making connections with diverse people. This is something that, not long ago, was not possible in any meaningful way.

I yearn for this type of philosophical discussion in-world. So many people see the whole thing as a toy or a game. On the surface, it is... but the power of diversity is at hand. Don't let it pass you by. Interact. Talk sociology. Talk culture. Philosophize. There is a world of knowledge at your fingertips. Give a little, and take a little.

Linden Labs must tread carefully with their creation. Their genie has escaped and evolved. The social experiment is in the wild. It cannot be stopped. The genie can't be put back in the bottle and the bottle cannot be capped. Nor should it be.

Ninjas, Nekos and Catwalks

2007-09-11T11:39:00.001-07:00

I've been a neko in Second Life for quite some time... but I do like to change things up a little. I've been looking for a good ninja outfit for a while. Seems if I can't be a neko, ninja might be the next best thing, no? Or.. maybe... neko ninja!

Anyway, my new friend Alysa took me gun shopping (see her Lost in Thoughts blog posting on that ;p), and then took me shopping for Ninja stuff! I know, ninjas and guns... not a great mix... but I believe in being prepared!

Whether its the neko in me, or the ninja.. I'm not sure.. but I kinda liked the idea when someone installed catwalks in the new Blacklist. Gives me places to creep around. We needed to make some adjustments to the initial layout, to minimize the impact on the city... but its very cool.

So, next time you're in Blacklist... beware! You could be being stalked from above. Nekos and Ninjas in Blacklist.. Oh My!

-Shye

Here there be Dragons...

2007-09-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hyang and I, in dragon avies, blowing off steam, you might say... as we ponder some tasty visitors to Blacklist.

Big Feet

2007-09-10T10:44:00.001-07:00

My neko friend, Livie, is being all kitten-ish. But her feet don't fit in the box! Maybe she's not a kitten, but she looks cute in the box, anyway.

New Projects, New Friends, and Paradigm Shifts

2007-09-04T12:51:00.001-07:00

The Blacklist is a bar that has existed in Second Life, in some form or another, for quite a while. Its last incarnation expired in July, when the old Dark City evaporated from Deviant. I never went to the bar in its heyday, only in it's waning moments. But, I hear, it was quite the hangout.

Three of my best friends and I decided to bring the club back, and rebuild a city around it. This is not a recreation of the original Blacklist. It is not a replication of the original Dark City. The build is our own...

It started with Hyang... who had the crazy idea to bring it back. Hyang mentioned this idea to me back in July... said we needed to talk to Bally... one of the builders and owners of the original Blacklist. Hyang was talking about the bar... not the city.

I mentioned the idea to Bally the next time I saw her. She started talking about building a city, building attractions, vendor spots, etc... and how the original Dark City grew from a tiny spot on the map to most of a sim...

Never did I imagine, in August, that Hyang, Bally, Lisa (another dear friend with connections to the original Blacklist) and I would embark on an adventure to build a new bar... and build a city around it.

With about $500 USD between us, we purchased a 16k parcel of land in Shaitan, bought a few building supplies, bought another 1k of land to bank its prims, and kept some money on account to pay tier fees until the city is self-sufficient.

Hyang and Lisa didn't want to build... they just wanted the excitement of something new. Bally and I got excited about the build... and expected a build time of 6 - 8 weeks.

We set to building on August 23... Bally and I, with Hyang looking on. We had a surprise visit from Darkchylde, the original builder of Dark City, who left SL some time ago, as we were laying the first prims.

Then I talked to my roomie, Hirundo. She's relatively new to building, like me... we do okay, given time. Then Viola came on board. Then I convinced Nedreck to join in... then Selena and Alysa. Ned contributed some Lindens, then Jo bought some land... the build progressed for 10 days, by which time all of the major structures were complete, most of the secondary structures were well on their way, and a process of optimizing the prims began in earnest.

I still can't believe what we've done in less than two weeks. The Blacklist, except for a few details, is complete. The city is 90% finished. Only detail work and prim shaving remains. And signing up some vendors. And holding a gigantic party...

Along the way, I've met some new friends... Viola, who I sorta knew before.. but not really... Selena, who seems to have a knack for building that she didn't really tell me about when I asked her to join us... Alysa, who has an adorable sense of humor and good building sense, as well... All new friends in an all new place.

Each of us brings something to the project... whether it be money, ideas, skills, or management ability. Only a few of us knew each other well at the start, yet we worked harmoniously. Each of us has friends who have visited. Those friends have brought friends. The old Blacklist group members are finding us... checking us out... our traffic is good, and we haven't even announced ourselves to the grid.

We have the Blacklist bar. We have a working cinema. We have a macabre doll factory... a liquor store, a chinese restaurant, a hobo village, a hotel, a working basketball court, and shops which echo in their emptiness (until we fill them).

I find that I'm happy in Second Life, again. I was in a rut. I would log in, not wanting to go back to the same old haunts. Don't get me wrong... I've met some good people at those places. And I still go back to them. But I have something else now. Something new and fresh. With new faces as well as old friends.

It's a paradigm shift. Once, I went to other people's places, and accepted a world as they wanted it to be. Now, I have a place where I can influence not only the game... but the playing field and the rules, as well. It's not a God thing, because I am but one member of a team. But this team has created a world, defined its shape and purpose, and made something good and exciting.

Welcome to the new Blacklist, Shaitan. Opening for business, sometime this month... (but stop in any time you like).

Under Construction

2007-08-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

Before, I mentioned thinking of "bigger things". What's bigger than a 105m tall treehouse? Well... a few friends and I have gotten together and invested. We're opening a new club... or... a new version of an old club. But it's more than that. We're building a city around it.

Of course, we need to take breaks from building, every so often... what better way than to dance on the bar with a few friends...

It's coming back...

The Blacklist

Stay Tuned.

Added Links II

2007-08-21T11:58:00.001-07:00

This is Elum... Koot Space Bunni. She has blog, but lost her muse. *pokes the bunni. ;) Elum's awesome, even if she's muse-less....:p. See the link to her empty blog. More about Elum and other awesome friends soon... =^.^=

Added Links

2007-08-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

This is my good friend Hyang. When I get bored in SL, she'll always have a place that I should check out. She posts pics from some of her SL explorations in her blog. Check it out... under "Links".

The Treehouse

2007-08-15T04:56:00.000-07:00

In my first post, I spoke of "redefining" who you are in Second Life. I think all residents do this, at some point. You get in a rut... do the same things... go the same places.

You get bored.

One solution is to get out and explore... find new places.

Another is to make a place of your own.

This is my place. Building it consumed me for a week. Like most projects, it will never be done. It will evolve.

My treehouse @ Fieldore

Illuminated by Straylight

2007-08-15T04:33:00.001-07:00

Straylight is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful builds I've seen in Second Life. Beautiful sculpted trees and water, a well designed landscape... but most of all... the natural feel to the light. The atmosphere lives and breathes here.

As a bonus, you can buy the sculpted trees and water for your own land.

Check it out. Search for Straylight on your map.

This Second Life thing...

2007-08-10T07:26:00.001-07:00

Shye Kidd... Wandering Neko

If you had asked me before I got hooked on Second Life, what the attraction might be, I would have answered, "pfft.." Or something like that. But having been laid up with an illness for a couple of months, not able to do much out of home until the last month or so, I've gone from "pfft.." to "hmmmmm..." Second life is a pretty cool place, despite the lag, the grid instabilities, etc. The most interesting thing is... it is what you make of it. Getting bored in Second Life? Look around. Explore. Relate. Build. When you're tired of what you are - redefine. Try that in real life...

That's about as "personal" as these posts will become. Everything else will be in the context of Second Life resident, Shye Kidd. Maybe a story of her 105 meter tall treehouse.

Maybe a story of bigger things.

Who knows?