Woodlin was a great place to hang out and live in Second Life, with great friends and great scenery. Sadly, our home came to an end. But it didn't mean we had to stop being neighbors.For the story, go to Community
Showing posts with label people. Show all posts
Showing posts with label people. Show all posts
Friday, March 5, 2010
Memories of Woodlin: Part Two
Woodlin was a great place to hang out and live in Second Life, with great friends and great scenery. Sadly, our home came to an end. But it didn't mean we had to stop being neighbors.For the story, go to Community
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Memories of Woodlin: Part One
Many residents in Second Life have memories of a special place where they made good friends and had great fun. For one reporter in SL Newspaper, one place stands out: Woodlin.For the story, go to Community.
Friday, October 9, 2009
New section for community news
What about a great place to visit or even to live?
Want to hear about those people in SL that make it such a great place to be?
Or maybe a community event you have heard of but don't know how to find?
Find all this and more in the new Community section from the link on the left.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Interview with Tygeria Mirabeau
Tygeria Mirabeau is the owner of the romantic-themed sim Mystery, and the head of the “Heart of Mystery” team that runs the place. A beautifully designed place, as well as the location of several live music events every week that always bring in crowds, Mystery was and remains a popular destination in Second Life, having recently celebrated it’s third anniversary.
I recently got a chance to interview Tygeria, and met up with her and her friend Amythe Moonlight.
Bixyl Shuftan: So, how did your story in Second Life begin?
Tygeria Mirabeau: (smiles) I began Second-life, well this life on Second Life, as a dancer. Working almost from day one in a club called Slide-on Inn. I was an Emphasis dancer and nothing more. From there I did a lot of freelance party planning and eventually helped to support and manage a club called Paradise 69 for a time with my, (sighs), intended. But the wedding on Christmas was not to happen, and the Club and my relation came to an abrupt end. But at same time I became a dance at Heaven Club and Casino.
I worked up to become the lead dancer/host, then to manager. Not a very exciting start, but throughout I posed for many photoshoots. For some reason photographers sometimes like my look. The notice and attention got me sought after in SL as a party planner and host for special events. Then that club closed down, and my was searching for a new home. This is when me and the Queen of Hearts Riverboat club became wed to each other. You already have me words on that from the magazine. That issue is the first one I wrote extensively. I have been with the Queen ever since, and through friends I met Amy, and here we are.
Amythe Moonlight: (smiles)
Tygeria Mirabeau: Amy thinks at times her role with me is small, or her do little to this dream, which was mine you, but now it is ours and she is vital to the history and to its future.
Bixyl Shuftan: Could you tell a little more how you meet up?
Tygeria Mirabeau: At a live artist concert, a mutual friend invited Amy and I, we met up and I ended up logged out of Second Life, with typical 'back then haste and flair,' could not log back in for hours. The next day, I IMed Amy to see her works and shop. As soon as I thought I had a good look at what she could do, I immediately asked her to build me the memorial shrine we have on Mystery, a place of reflection and remembrance of those we have lost. I remember she was scared and new to custom building for other than friends, and did not know what charge me.
Amythe Moonlight: (laughs) No I didn't. I had no idea.
Tygeria Mirabeau: When I got the price from her assistant at the time, Ayjay Carpenter, I told them, “That is a nice price, now give me a real one.” Hee-hee. That was our beginning. I had her do more and more piece work. Then Amy told me, she wished to be part of something but had no idea what. So I quickly gave her a dancer title at the Queen of Hearts. And to date, Amy is still the Dancer of the Queen of Hearts.
Tygeria Mirabeau: Or club bunny. Hee-hee
Amythe Moonlight: O.O
Tygeria Mirabeau: Amy from the moment we met is the fire that we at Mystery all need at times to keep going. And as I say in all my business, to lift people’s worry for a time. We do not make profit. All we do is live on donations and silent gifts here. But the work we do, the smile for the heartbroken, the shoulder for one to cry on, the hand to help the ones in need or ones lost, sometime it may seem we are caught in the mad rush to be the brightest or best. But that only bring more to the door. So we say, “It all right, come here, let’s talk, let us help, and lets have fun along the way.”
Bixyl Shuftan: As the club has been going on for three years, there must be a lot of stories to tell.
Tygeria Mirabeau: Stories? So many. Good, bad, hopeful and sad. Weddings are held here, for marriages that fail and succeed. Musicians start their careers in Second Life here. And there are final farewells. We loved many and lost many at the Queen of Hearts and Mystery, from Mannie Madonna who built the Queen to my beloved close friend Thea Eberhart, permanently offline. To the great successes that have come to us in even daily matters.
The staff have turned over many times, and still quality new faces come to replace what we lost, like SilverWolf Sweetwater and Emma Yorcliff and Karra Fitzpatrick.
And through the good times and bad there was my Amy. For my 48 hours straight in work for the Queen with only food and restroom breaks, to the times they do not directly need us there. But 1st life comes into to interrupt Second Life at times.
Bixyl Shuftan: 48 hours straight? That is a long time.
Tygeria Mirabeau: And I was away for a few months. ... (Giggles) Amy can tell you. I was, ummm, out of it.
Amythe Moonlight: 8 months I think?
Tygeria Mirabeau: I was recovering from a, failed surgery.
Bixyl Shuftan: I’m sorry. :(
Tygeria Mirabeau: and my Amy kept my dream alive. As Amy mutters, she had a little help with a member of the staff, Bloodrose Writer who gives the most wonderful events.
Bixyl Shuftan: Oh yes, the "Evil DJ" as you called him.
Tygeria Mirabeau: A DJ the likes of me and Amy will agree we have never seen before and for him to help us was great. Evil DJ is right, but he has not been around often. But just today we got word he will be back, and more often and on schedule within next few weeks.
Bixyl Shuftan: sounds good
Tygeria Mirabeau: As we talk Bixyl, you can see that my story is tied to the people who support me.
Bixyl Shuftan: Oh yes, you've mentioned some people.
Tygeria Mirabeau: And I somehow weave them into my dream and have them realize their dreams as I realize mine.
Bixyl Shuftan: I've noticed the Queen of Hearts has a good deal of live music. When did it start?
Tygeria Mirabeau: Once I dreamed of a place where I could sing in Second Life. And when I setup here in Mystery, then called Centering Place, I wanted to set that up in spite that I cannot sing. So live music at the club has been going on, with few stops at most, the entire time we been open on this sim.
Bixyl Shuftan: You mentioned some in your staff have been on duty for as long as 48 hours straight. What was the occasion?
Tygeria Mirabeau: (smiles and laughs, and looks to Amy)
Amythe Moonlight: It was our second anniversary wasn't it?
Tygeria Mirabeau: First and second.
Amythe Moonlight: Our anniversary events take a lot of planning and work. Tygeria barely stops at all at that time.
Tygeria Mirabeau: February and March are difficult times in 1st life, so we had lots of turnover at that time in staff, and it always falls down to me and me Amy.
Amythe Moonlight: So we work. :)
Tygeria Mirabeau: And work.
Amythe Moonlight: till it's done.
Tygeria Mirabeau: No story of the Queen of Hearts would be complete without a special mention to Ayjay Carpenter, the man behind almost of out crazy ideas and crazy dreams, the scriptor and landscaper of all you see here, save some special bits.
Bixyl Shuftan: Sounds like he's done a lot.
Tygeria Mirabeau: Yes, but like all my ideas, these always have not been done before, so he has a lot of hair-pulling. Bur he always comes up with an answer we can work with. So again I say Bixyl, my foxy reporter, my life is tied to the people who listen to me.
Bixyl Shuftan: What was his most ambitious project?
Tygeria Mirabeau: Ayjay’s most ambitious project will be on market this summer: a new vendor unit. And my Amy’s most ambitious project is a special low prim on-demand virtual housing system. Her build is being done in conjunction with Ayjay’s. But shah on detail for now. Hee-hee.
Bixyl Shuftan: You've had quite a number of events. Besides the anniversaries, what were some of the more memorable ones?
Tygeria Mirabeau: *ties a bow on foxies tail*
Bixyl Shuftan: (chuckles) A bow tie event? ;-)
Tygeria Mirabeau: Yes, we have hats, gothic romance, wings is a big one but the sim hates us for it, and all the colors and beach parties. At this cafe, we are to have events here soon. We are always trying new things here. Mystery is always changing, and we go around to update and change things. Even here. And now me and Ayjay and Amy are discussing changes and updates as we are here discussing now. This place is seasonal and ever changing. And this how we do it. Not just by build set and forget, but always, daily, weekly, monthly, look at what we want to do next, and go for it.
Bixyl Shuftan: Any upcoming changes that you are free to mention?
Tygeria Mirabeau: Well, the Employee Art Exhibition will be in July. Changes to the cafe and a beach party here, not on the Queen, next Friday. As season changes, the spring flowers will fade, and then we will go to summertime.
The Mystery Murderset may start, but that is a Mystery for now.
Bixyl Shuftan: You're planning a murder mystery, pardon the pun, on the sim?
Tygeria Mirabeau: Amy? I am innocent remember.
Amythe Moonlight: (giggles)
Tygeria Mirabeau: Amy please talk.
Amythe Moonlight: The Mystery of Mystery Manor is one thing we have planned. And also, yes, a series of murder mystery dinner parties in the manor and village. We are currently looking for interested parties to be involved. :)
Tygeria Mirabeau: The role as a fox still is available if foxie agrees. *smiles innocently*
Bixyl Shuftan: *chuckles* "fox story?"
Tygeria Mirabeau: Or Tail of Mystery.
Amythe Moonlight: I like that! Tail of Mystery!
(jokes and chuckling from all for a bit)
Tygeria Mirabeau: And lastly, we hope to have a wedding this season.
Bixyl Shuftan: Oh? Who's getting married?
Tygeria Mirabeau: Working on those parties at the moment, but it seems promising. I would say me and my Amy but her never gives the same answer twice. I loves my Amy, but her heart belongs to another so I cherish what me and my Amy do share.
Bixyl Shuftan: Anything to say about Jazzz Hermit?
Tygeria Mirabeau: My Jazzz, he is in Music College for performance and is in the heavy test time. I loves him and he had to choose, and I wait for him. He’s doing so well, he now doing full orchestrations and concerts. But he is sending us completed materials to keep the magazine going. I miss him so.
But now, we are enjoying some good success that are part of Jazz's doing. We are in top 20 my Amy, b-places?
Amythe Moonlight: Yes we are: http://b-places.com/bp_newlocations.php?p=2
It was about this time the interview concluded, and after a few pictures, we went our separate ways.
“It is nice to be able to make people smile and laugh and lift their burdens for a moment. But without help, good hard working friends, none of this would be possible. So to tell my story or the story of the Queen of Hearts, it’s nothing without their touch.”
Bixyl Shuftan
I recently got a chance to interview Tygeria, and met up with her and her friend Amythe Moonlight.
Bixyl Shuftan: So, how did your story in Second Life begin?Tygeria Mirabeau: (smiles) I began Second-life, well this life on Second Life, as a dancer. Working almost from day one in a club called Slide-on Inn. I was an Emphasis dancer and nothing more. From there I did a lot of freelance party planning and eventually helped to support and manage a club called Paradise 69 for a time with my, (sighs), intended. But the wedding on Christmas was not to happen, and the Club and my relation came to an abrupt end. But at same time I became a dance at Heaven Club and Casino.
I worked up to become the lead dancer/host, then to manager. Not a very exciting start, but throughout I posed for many photoshoots. For some reason photographers sometimes like my look. The notice and attention got me sought after in SL as a party planner and host for special events. Then that club closed down, and my was searching for a new home. This is when me and the Queen of Hearts Riverboat club became wed to each other. You already have me words on that from the magazine. That issue is the first one I wrote extensively. I have been with the Queen ever since, and through friends I met Amy, and here we are.
Amythe Moonlight: (smiles)
Tygeria Mirabeau: Amy thinks at times her role with me is small, or her do little to this dream, which was mine you, but now it is ours and she is vital to the history and to its future.
Bixyl Shuftan: Could you tell a little more how you meet up?
Tygeria Mirabeau: At a live artist concert, a mutual friend invited Amy and I, we met up and I ended up logged out of Second Life, with typical 'back then haste and flair,' could not log back in for hours. The next day, I IMed Amy to see her works and shop. As soon as I thought I had a good look at what she could do, I immediately asked her to build me the memorial shrine we have on Mystery, a place of reflection and remembrance of those we have lost. I remember she was scared and new to custom building for other than friends, and did not know what charge me.
Amythe Moonlight: (laughs) No I didn't. I had no idea.
Tygeria Mirabeau: When I got the price from her assistant at the time, Ayjay Carpenter, I told them, “That is a nice price, now give me a real one.” Hee-hee. That was our beginning. I had her do more and more piece work. Then Amy told me, she wished to be part of something but had no idea what. So I quickly gave her a dancer title at the Queen of Hearts. And to date, Amy is still the Dancer of the Queen of Hearts.
Tygeria Mirabeau: Or club bunny. Hee-hee
Amythe Moonlight: O.O
Tygeria Mirabeau: Amy from the moment we met is the fire that we at Mystery all need at times to keep going. And as I say in all my business, to lift people’s worry for a time. We do not make profit. All we do is live on donations and silent gifts here. But the work we do, the smile for the heartbroken, the shoulder for one to cry on, the hand to help the ones in need or ones lost, sometime it may seem we are caught in the mad rush to be the brightest or best. But that only bring more to the door. So we say, “It all right, come here, let’s talk, let us help, and lets have fun along the way.”
Bixyl Shuftan: As the club has been going on for three years, there must be a lot of stories to tell.
Tygeria Mirabeau: Stories? So many. Good, bad, hopeful and sad. Weddings are held here, for marriages that fail and succeed. Musicians start their careers in Second Life here. And there are final farewells. We loved many and lost many at the Queen of Hearts and Mystery, from Mannie Madonna who built the Queen to my beloved close friend Thea Eberhart, permanently offline. To the great successes that have come to us in even daily matters.
The staff have turned over many times, and still quality new faces come to replace what we lost, like SilverWolf Sweetwater and Emma Yorcliff and Karra Fitzpatrick.
And through the good times and bad there was my Amy. For my 48 hours straight in work for the Queen with only food and restroom breaks, to the times they do not directly need us there. But 1st life comes into to interrupt Second Life at times.
Bixyl Shuftan: 48 hours straight? That is a long time.
Tygeria Mirabeau: And I was away for a few months. ... (Giggles) Amy can tell you. I was, ummm, out of it.
Amythe Moonlight: 8 months I think?
Tygeria Mirabeau: I was recovering from a, failed surgery.
Bixyl Shuftan: I’m sorry. :(
Tygeria Mirabeau: and my Amy kept my dream alive. As Amy mutters, she had a little help with a member of the staff, Bloodrose Writer who gives the most wonderful events.
Bixyl Shuftan: Oh yes, the "Evil DJ" as you called him.
Tygeria Mirabeau: A DJ the likes of me and Amy will agree we have never seen before and for him to help us was great. Evil DJ is right, but he has not been around often. But just today we got word he will be back, and more often and on schedule within next few weeks.
Bixyl Shuftan: sounds good
Tygeria Mirabeau: As we talk Bixyl, you can see that my story is tied to the people who support me.
Bixyl Shuftan: Oh yes, you've mentioned some people.
Tygeria Mirabeau: And I somehow weave them into my dream and have them realize their dreams as I realize mine.
Bixyl Shuftan: I've noticed the Queen of Hearts has a good deal of live music. When did it start?
Tygeria Mirabeau: Once I dreamed of a place where I could sing in Second Life. And when I setup here in Mystery, then called Centering Place, I wanted to set that up in spite that I cannot sing. So live music at the club has been going on, with few stops at most, the entire time we been open on this sim.
Bixyl Shuftan: You mentioned some in your staff have been on duty for as long as 48 hours straight. What was the occasion?
Tygeria Mirabeau: (smiles and laughs, and looks to Amy)
Amythe Moonlight: It was our second anniversary wasn't it?
Tygeria Mirabeau: First and second.
Amythe Moonlight: Our anniversary events take a lot of planning and work. Tygeria barely stops at all at that time.
Tygeria Mirabeau: February and March are difficult times in 1st life, so we had lots of turnover at that time in staff, and it always falls down to me and me Amy.
Amythe Moonlight: So we work. :)
Tygeria Mirabeau: And work.
Amythe Moonlight: till it's done.
Tygeria Mirabeau: No story of the Queen of Hearts would be complete without a special mention to Ayjay Carpenter, the man behind almost of out crazy ideas and crazy dreams, the scriptor and landscaper of all you see here, save some special bits.
Bixyl Shuftan: Sounds like he's done a lot.
Tygeria Mirabeau: Yes, but like all my ideas, these always have not been done before, so he has a lot of hair-pulling. Bur he always comes up with an answer we can work with. So again I say Bixyl, my foxy reporter, my life is tied to the people who listen to me.
Bixyl Shuftan: What was his most ambitious project?
Tygeria Mirabeau: Ayjay’s most ambitious project will be on market this summer: a new vendor unit. And my Amy’s most ambitious project is a special low prim on-demand virtual housing system. Her build is being done in conjunction with Ayjay’s. But shah on detail for now. Hee-hee.
Bixyl Shuftan: You've had quite a number of events. Besides the anniversaries, what were some of the more memorable ones?
Tygeria Mirabeau: *ties a bow on foxies tail*
Bixyl Shuftan: (chuckles) A bow tie event? ;-)
Tygeria Mirabeau: Yes, we have hats, gothic romance, wings is a big one but the sim hates us for it, and all the colors and beach parties. At this cafe, we are to have events here soon. We are always trying new things here. Mystery is always changing, and we go around to update and change things. Even here. And now me and Ayjay and Amy are discussing changes and updates as we are here discussing now. This place is seasonal and ever changing. And this how we do it. Not just by build set and forget, but always, daily, weekly, monthly, look at what we want to do next, and go for it.
Bixyl Shuftan: Any upcoming changes that you are free to mention?
Tygeria Mirabeau: Well, the Employee Art Exhibition will be in July. Changes to the cafe and a beach party here, not on the Queen, next Friday. As season changes, the spring flowers will fade, and then we will go to summertime.
The Mystery Murderset may start, but that is a Mystery for now.
Bixyl Shuftan: You're planning a murder mystery, pardon the pun, on the sim?
Tygeria Mirabeau: Amy? I am innocent remember.
Amythe Moonlight: (giggles)
Tygeria Mirabeau: Amy please talk.
Amythe Moonlight: The Mystery of Mystery Manor is one thing we have planned. And also, yes, a series of murder mystery dinner parties in the manor and village. We are currently looking for interested parties to be involved. :)
Tygeria Mirabeau: The role as a fox still is available if foxie agrees. *smiles innocently*
Bixyl Shuftan: *chuckles* "fox story?"
Tygeria Mirabeau: Or Tail of Mystery.
Amythe Moonlight: I like that! Tail of Mystery!
(jokes and chuckling from all for a bit)
Tygeria Mirabeau: And lastly, we hope to have a wedding this season.
Bixyl Shuftan: Oh? Who's getting married?
Tygeria Mirabeau: Working on those parties at the moment, but it seems promising. I would say me and my Amy but her never gives the same answer twice. I loves my Amy, but her heart belongs to another so I cherish what me and my Amy do share.
Bixyl Shuftan: Anything to say about Jazzz Hermit?
Tygeria Mirabeau: My Jazzz, he is in Music College for performance and is in the heavy test time. I loves him and he had to choose, and I wait for him. He’s doing so well, he now doing full orchestrations and concerts. But he is sending us completed materials to keep the magazine going. I miss him so.
But now, we are enjoying some good success that are part of Jazz's doing. We are in top 20 my Amy, b-places?
Amythe Moonlight: Yes we are: http://b-places.com/bp_newlocations.php?p=2
It was about this time the interview concluded, and after a few pictures, we went our separate ways.
“It is nice to be able to make people smile and laugh and lift their burdens for a moment. But without help, good hard working friends, none of this would be possible. So to tell my story or the story of the Queen of Hearts, it’s nothing without their touch.”
Bixyl Shuftan
Monday, May 18, 2009
Fortune Telling in Second Life
By Bixyl Shuftan
Xymbers Slade has a rather unusual occupation in Second Life: fortune teller. Customers can get tarot readings from him at his SL home & office. I recently had a chance to talk with him about his unusual occupation. Arriving at Wyvernhome, the bottom floor was like a dragon’s lair, with it’s pile of gold and other treasures. The office had a feel of the arcane, with it’s pentagrams, crystal, mystical looking candles and other props. Xymbers greeted me in a sorceress avatar, and we both took seats for the interview.
Bixyl Shuftan: Are you also a fortune teller in real life?
Xymbers Slade: Yeah, it's what I do to make ends meet. Do what you can in this economy. I have an Associates in Liberal Arts, which is totally useless. Fortunately I have a pretty decent family that helps with bills. I pay what I can.
Bixyl Shuftan: And how did you get the idea to do fortune telling in Second Life?
Xymbers Slade: It's what I know. I have no talent for building or scripting. So I brought what I did have a talent for :)
Bixyl Shuftan: Was it difficult to make the transition? Anything that required a bit of effort to do here?
Xymbers Slade: Nah. I've been reading since 1996. Not difficult at all. Maybe the initial expenditure for a classified ad. Sort of get the party started. First step's always the hardest.
Bixyl Shuftan: How many people stop by to get their fortunes told?
Xymbers Slade: I usually get about 20 hits a week on the classified, maybe a quarter of those stop in for readings. It's a niche market, but I do it well enough that people willingly pay about 5000-7000 $L a reading sometimes. So I can make the 8000 $L rent on this place every month.
Bixyl Shuftan: Sounds good. Have you had some especially interesting readings?
Xymbers Slade: Two where I foresaw death, both turned out eerily accurate. Another where I thought I saw someone attempting a kidnapping... with my insight we were able to get the guy to show his hand before he acted.
Bixyl Shuftan: Now that sounds interesting. You helped foil a criminal?
Xymbers Slade: ... It was yet another one of those domestic situations you always hear about in the news and the people were using the children as pawns. I wouldn't call it a criminal foiling. The potential to foil, yes. The guy knew he'd been goaded into acting foolishly and backed off. At least, that was last I knew. That's all I'll say.
Bixyl Shuftan: What can you tell the readers of how a session of fortune telling generally goes?
Xymbers Slade: Mostly all I need is where you're from (so I know where to focus; just state is fine, or country outside the US), and hair and eye color so I have a basic idea of what you might be suggested by in the cards. Then it's whether you want a 5, 10, or 19 card reading, I shuffle for about a minute in real-life, and display the cards above me here.
Bixyl Shuftan: Yes I see. I notice some are upside down.
Xymbers Slade: Yeah, I read "reversed" cards ... some people don't. Cards have different meanings if they're upside down. The real trick is finding someone you're comfortable with. Ask the same question of 20 readers, you'll usually get 20 answers.
Xymbers Slade: Everyone has their own decks and their own interpretations. What the upside down Devil there in that sample spread means to me in that position will be different than what someone else sees it as.
Bixyl Shuftan: Are some people difficult to get a reading off of?
Xymbers Slade: Yeah. I can't read drunk people, or people impaired under drugs or anything. You have to be clean and sober for me to read you, and I WILL sense if you're not, which makes the reading even harder than normal (and if I draw the Wheel of Fortune in the reading, God help us both :P ) I have done this for so long I've really developed my empathy almost to a truly amazing degree. It helps with connecting to people for readings here through the Internet. Sometimes I'll get colored lines or images in my head of a particular person.
Bixyl Shuftan: For those readers who know little about tarot cards, could you give a few examples of the meanings of the cards?
Xymbers Slade: The scripted deck I use on the wall behind me has a random "fate" option, so I'll do a sample 5 card draw using that and say what those cards mean, whatever shows up. Fate often turns 'em upside down, I'll just give both meanings rather than the reversed ones.
Xymbers then shuffled the cards, and five reappeared on the board.
Xymbers Slade: First card that appeared ... the Chariot ... my card of speed ... usually to me showing people going fast from point A to Z without paying attention to points B-Y... if you don't pay attention, you're going to hit a rock and that chariot is going to flip. So in other words, slow down.
Second card that showed up ... 5 of Cups, my "Mountains out of Dust Particles" card ... people are focusing too much on a "woe is me" aspect ... if they don't pull their heads out of their a**es, bypass 'em and move on.
8 of Wands as the third card, my "River" card --- if you jump into a situation feet first, you're going to be swept downstream with little to no control."
Justice, which I HATE drawing in a reading, it's my card of "destiny", saying "This is what's going to happen, sit back, take it, and f**k you while you're at it." Drawn with cards representing stagnation, or a lot of chaos and chance, leads to frustrating situations people don't deserve.
Final card that popped up, 6 of Swords, my card of moving forward (or backsliding, if it's upside down)... slow and steady progress despite obstacles. Any progress is good progress.
I often focus on the negative in a reading. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. When I do see something positive, I worry a little. Tarot's supposed to be about exposing problems and situations that need to be changed and fixed. If it's positive, you don't need to change it.
So I can be pretty pessimistic in my readings. But on the other hand I don't sugar coat and if I say "dude, you're fucked, take it a day at a time"... yeah, I'll say it.
Er, if I have to say that, I will. I have in the past.
Bixyl Shuftan: How do people generally react to their readings?
Xymbers Slade: Mostly awed that what I say rings true to them. Tarot is generalizing, they take what the cards poke at and put it into a context in their head about things. But for the most part they're either awed that I was pointing in directions they needed to hear about or didn't think about, or we don't hit it off so well and the person walks off. Love hate relationship. I'm used to it. You have to take the bad with the good, some people I simply can't read, and others I've read once and I'd rather not read them again, either because they didn't listen the first time or some other silly reason that makes me reluctant to deal with them again. I can't read myself, for example. I have two or three readers I go to on here for my own readings.
Bixyl Shuftan: To your knowledge, how many fortune tellers are there in Second Life?
Xymbers Slade: I know of three that I go to, and I'm sure there are dozens more, both professional and personal. It's a hobby for a lot of people, it just turned into something I can do for money. Anything I make here goes right back into Second Life. The exchange rate is just not good enough to make me cash out unless I suddenly get an influx of people paying me five-figure $L costs. My best ever was 12500 --- they wanted to pay me in real life dollars and I said "Give me a price, I'll convert it to $L."
Xymbers then offered me a tarot reading, to which I agreed. The teller had a couple questions, “Where are you from so I know where to focus? Just state is all I need. ... And what do you look like so I know what you're represented by in my cards? Hair and eye color is all I need unless you want to reveal more.” After I answered them, Xymbers began shuffling a deck, “... one minute ... Want 5, 10 or 19 cards?” I answered, “Five sounds about right.”
The five cards displayed on the board behind Xymbers earlier went away, and five more appeared in their place, face down. The fortune teller drew them one at a time, “First card up ... Earth ... current situations ... “ the card was then flipped, “Queen of Cups, which I am not seeing as an actual person ... more of a mindset. This is suggesting to me that people's minds are far more open than they seem (even to them) --- so the power of words and suggestions will work far better than actions in the short run.”
Xymbers moved to the second card, “Card 2 ... Air ... next major influence ... “ and this was flipped, “10 of Swords, my card of grief and pain ... the picture on the card is self explaining, really... a major plot or plan or idea goes belly up, or a lot of little minor things beat the odds and all come together to form a major clusterf**k. A definite "What ELSE can go wrong" sort of thing.” Xymbers paused, “But I am seeing it as short-lived. It happens, it needs to be dealt with, it is, and people move on.”
And then the teller turned to, “Card 3 ... Fire ... next major obstacle ... “ and with the card overturning, “Temperance, my card of patience and of waiting for the right moment. This is suggesting waiting for something is not the way to go. You need to jump on your plans now before they fall flat on their face. If you have major things going on, kick up the time table by a month or two. Patience may be a virtue, but action will get results directly here rather than waiting for the opportunities to come back to you.”
Next was, “Card 4 ... Water... my ‘truth behind the scenes card’ ... “ and it two was overturned, “2 of Pentacles, my ‘juggling of situations’ card ... it's also my ‘happy on outside, not on inside’ card; I am seeing this as more a ‘You know there's better stuff out there but you feel blocked or frustrated that you can't get it all.’ You have your own stuff to juggle as is. You don't need to add any more. Else all those things at once turn into those 10 Swords.”
Xymbers then turned to the last tarot, “Final card ... Spirit ... final results if things don't change ... and I have absolutely NO clue who this is.” It was overturned to reveal, “The Empress, a strong woman in a strong position of power. It looks like she's just sitting here though, resting. She's not taking any action for or against. If you go to her for help you might get help, you might get beheaded. It's a crapshoot with her. But she's not evil, so that's a good thing. As an Empress she'd be much older than you, probably a good 15+ years. Definitely has the age and wisdom thing going for her. I was almost tempted to say it was Rita. But I don't get the sense that it is.” Xymbers meant Rita Mariner, the frisky Sunweaver group leader.
The teller continued, “Whomever she is, she holds more cards than she knows, but I don't see this Empress using them. She's got 'em, but doesn't know she's got 'em, and won't lose anything by losing 'em. I don't think anyone would dare oppose her, though. She's in a position of power, and everyone knows it.”
Xymbers concluded, “So, other than that, that's what I'm seeing here ... that 10 of Swords stands out to me as the strongest card here ... that it's got more to share. But I don't know what that could be.”
It was then Xymbers Slade had to take leave, and ported away to some other business in Second Life. How accurate was the reading? Time will tell.
Xymbers Slade also conducts work from a website: http://www.liveperson.com/the-silent-strider.
“We fortune tellers make pennies on the dollar. I make about $1000 in real life every ... 2, maybe 3 months. But it's my only way to make money and support what I can of myself, so I do what I can to avoid homelessness and the like.”
Bixyl Shuftan
Xymbers Slade has a rather unusual occupation in Second Life: fortune teller. Customers can get tarot readings from him at his SL home & office. I recently had a chance to talk with him about his unusual occupation. Arriving at Wyvernhome, the bottom floor was like a dragon’s lair, with it’s pile of gold and other treasures. The office had a feel of the arcane, with it’s pentagrams, crystal, mystical looking candles and other props. Xymbers greeted me in a sorceress avatar, and we both took seats for the interview.
Bixyl Shuftan: Are you also a fortune teller in real life?Xymbers Slade: Yeah, it's what I do to make ends meet. Do what you can in this economy. I have an Associates in Liberal Arts, which is totally useless. Fortunately I have a pretty decent family that helps with bills. I pay what I can.
Bixyl Shuftan: And how did you get the idea to do fortune telling in Second Life?
Xymbers Slade: It's what I know. I have no talent for building or scripting. So I brought what I did have a talent for :)
Bixyl Shuftan: Was it difficult to make the transition? Anything that required a bit of effort to do here?
Xymbers Slade: Nah. I've been reading since 1996. Not difficult at all. Maybe the initial expenditure for a classified ad. Sort of get the party started. First step's always the hardest.
Bixyl Shuftan: How many people stop by to get their fortunes told?
Xymbers Slade: I usually get about 20 hits a week on the classified, maybe a quarter of those stop in for readings. It's a niche market, but I do it well enough that people willingly pay about 5000-7000 $L a reading sometimes. So I can make the 8000 $L rent on this place every month.
Bixyl Shuftan: Sounds good. Have you had some especially interesting readings?
Xymbers Slade: Two where I foresaw death, both turned out eerily accurate. Another where I thought I saw someone attempting a kidnapping... with my insight we were able to get the guy to show his hand before he acted.
Bixyl Shuftan: Now that sounds interesting. You helped foil a criminal?
Xymbers Slade: ... It was yet another one of those domestic situations you always hear about in the news and the people were using the children as pawns. I wouldn't call it a criminal foiling. The potential to foil, yes. The guy knew he'd been goaded into acting foolishly and backed off. At least, that was last I knew. That's all I'll say.
Bixyl Shuftan: What can you tell the readers of how a session of fortune telling generally goes?Xymbers Slade: Mostly all I need is where you're from (so I know where to focus; just state is fine, or country outside the US), and hair and eye color so I have a basic idea of what you might be suggested by in the cards. Then it's whether you want a 5, 10, or 19 card reading, I shuffle for about a minute in real-life, and display the cards above me here.
Bixyl Shuftan: Yes I see. I notice some are upside down.
Xymbers Slade: Yeah, I read "reversed" cards ... some people don't. Cards have different meanings if they're upside down. The real trick is finding someone you're comfortable with. Ask the same question of 20 readers, you'll usually get 20 answers.
Xymbers Slade: Everyone has their own decks and their own interpretations. What the upside down Devil there in that sample spread means to me in that position will be different than what someone else sees it as.
Bixyl Shuftan: Are some people difficult to get a reading off of?
Xymbers Slade: Yeah. I can't read drunk people, or people impaired under drugs or anything. You have to be clean and sober for me to read you, and I WILL sense if you're not, which makes the reading even harder than normal (and if I draw the Wheel of Fortune in the reading, God help us both :P ) I have done this for so long I've really developed my empathy almost to a truly amazing degree. It helps with connecting to people for readings here through the Internet. Sometimes I'll get colored lines or images in my head of a particular person.
Bixyl Shuftan: For those readers who know little about tarot cards, could you give a few examples of the meanings of the cards?
Xymbers Slade: The scripted deck I use on the wall behind me has a random "fate" option, so I'll do a sample 5 card draw using that and say what those cards mean, whatever shows up. Fate often turns 'em upside down, I'll just give both meanings rather than the reversed ones.
Xymbers then shuffled the cards, and five reappeared on the board.
Xymbers Slade: First card that appeared ... the Chariot ... my card of speed ... usually to me showing people going fast from point A to Z without paying attention to points B-Y... if you don't pay attention, you're going to hit a rock and that chariot is going to flip. So in other words, slow down.Second card that showed up ... 5 of Cups, my "Mountains out of Dust Particles" card ... people are focusing too much on a "woe is me" aspect ... if they don't pull their heads out of their a**es, bypass 'em and move on.
8 of Wands as the third card, my "River" card --- if you jump into a situation feet first, you're going to be swept downstream with little to no control."
Justice, which I HATE drawing in a reading, it's my card of "destiny", saying "This is what's going to happen, sit back, take it, and f**k you while you're at it." Drawn with cards representing stagnation, or a lot of chaos and chance, leads to frustrating situations people don't deserve.
Final card that popped up, 6 of Swords, my card of moving forward (or backsliding, if it's upside down)... slow and steady progress despite obstacles. Any progress is good progress.
I often focus on the negative in a reading. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. When I do see something positive, I worry a little. Tarot's supposed to be about exposing problems and situations that need to be changed and fixed. If it's positive, you don't need to change it.
So I can be pretty pessimistic in my readings. But on the other hand I don't sugar coat and if I say "dude, you're fucked, take it a day at a time"... yeah, I'll say it.
Er, if I have to say that, I will. I have in the past.
Bixyl Shuftan: How do people generally react to their readings?
Xymbers Slade: Mostly awed that what I say rings true to them. Tarot is generalizing, they take what the cards poke at and put it into a context in their head about things. But for the most part they're either awed that I was pointing in directions they needed to hear about or didn't think about, or we don't hit it off so well and the person walks off. Love hate relationship. I'm used to it. You have to take the bad with the good, some people I simply can't read, and others I've read once and I'd rather not read them again, either because they didn't listen the first time or some other silly reason that makes me reluctant to deal with them again. I can't read myself, for example. I have two or three readers I go to on here for my own readings.
Bixyl Shuftan: To your knowledge, how many fortune tellers are there in Second Life?
Xymbers Slade: I know of three that I go to, and I'm sure there are dozens more, both professional and personal. It's a hobby for a lot of people, it just turned into something I can do for money. Anything I make here goes right back into Second Life. The exchange rate is just not good enough to make me cash out unless I suddenly get an influx of people paying me five-figure $L costs. My best ever was 12500 --- they wanted to pay me in real life dollars and I said "Give me a price, I'll convert it to $L."
Xymbers then offered me a tarot reading, to which I agreed. The teller had a couple questions, “Where are you from so I know where to focus? Just state is all I need. ... And what do you look like so I know what you're represented by in my cards? Hair and eye color is all I need unless you want to reveal more.” After I answered them, Xymbers began shuffling a deck, “... one minute ... Want 5, 10 or 19 cards?” I answered, “Five sounds about right.”
The five cards displayed on the board behind Xymbers earlier went away, and five more appeared in their place, face down. The fortune teller drew them one at a time, “First card up ... Earth ... current situations ... “ the card was then flipped, “Queen of Cups, which I am not seeing as an actual person ... more of a mindset. This is suggesting to me that people's minds are far more open than they seem (even to them) --- so the power of words and suggestions will work far better than actions in the short run.”
Xymbers moved to the second card, “Card 2 ... Air ... next major influence ... “ and this was flipped, “10 of Swords, my card of grief and pain ... the picture on the card is self explaining, really... a major plot or plan or idea goes belly up, or a lot of little minor things beat the odds and all come together to form a major clusterf**k. A definite "What ELSE can go wrong" sort of thing.” Xymbers paused, “But I am seeing it as short-lived. It happens, it needs to be dealt with, it is, and people move on.”
And then the teller turned to, “Card 3 ... Fire ... next major obstacle ... “ and with the card overturning, “Temperance, my card of patience and of waiting for the right moment. This is suggesting waiting for something is not the way to go. You need to jump on your plans now before they fall flat on their face. If you have major things going on, kick up the time table by a month or two. Patience may be a virtue, but action will get results directly here rather than waiting for the opportunities to come back to you.”
Next was, “Card 4 ... Water... my ‘truth behind the scenes card’ ... “ and it two was overturned, “2 of Pentacles, my ‘juggling of situations’ card ... it's also my ‘happy on outside, not on inside’ card; I am seeing this as more a ‘You know there's better stuff out there but you feel blocked or frustrated that you can't get it all.’ You have your own stuff to juggle as is. You don't need to add any more. Else all those things at once turn into those 10 Swords.”
Xymbers then turned to the last tarot, “Final card ... Spirit ... final results if things don't change ... and I have absolutely NO clue who this is.” It was overturned to reveal, “The Empress, a strong woman in a strong position of power. It looks like she's just sitting here though, resting. She's not taking any action for or against. If you go to her for help you might get help, you might get beheaded. It's a crapshoot with her. But she's not evil, so that's a good thing. As an Empress she'd be much older than you, probably a good 15+ years. Definitely has the age and wisdom thing going for her. I was almost tempted to say it was Rita. But I don't get the sense that it is.” Xymbers meant Rita Mariner, the frisky Sunweaver group leader.
The teller continued, “Whomever she is, she holds more cards than she knows, but I don't see this Empress using them. She's got 'em, but doesn't know she's got 'em, and won't lose anything by losing 'em. I don't think anyone would dare oppose her, though. She's in a position of power, and everyone knows it.”
Xymbers concluded, “So, other than that, that's what I'm seeing here ... that 10 of Swords stands out to me as the strongest card here ... that it's got more to share. But I don't know what that could be.”
It was then Xymbers Slade had to take leave, and ported away to some other business in Second Life. How accurate was the reading? Time will tell.
Xymbers Slade also conducts work from a website: http://www.liveperson.com/the-silent-strider.
“We fortune tellers make pennies on the dollar. I make about $1000 in real life every ... 2, maybe 3 months. But it's my only way to make money and support what I can of myself, so I do what I can to avoid homelessness and the like.”
Bixyl Shuftan
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Interview with SL Musician ZDiva Sorbet
By Nazz Lane A friend had introduced us shortly after I’d heard her perform for the first time. She’d wowed the audience that evening with a marvelous voice and a professional stage presence. Normally a solo artist, she’d appeared that day in a dual stream performance with her SL Partner Diesel Karillion. We chatted briefly after the show and discussed dates and time for a meeting. We both had busy schedule and it was a few weeks before we did so. We met in my office at this newspaper headquarters.
“Hello there! Don’t mind the get up, I’m doing a 70's disco gig at 6pm and I’m totally Gloria Gaynor’ed out.” She said as she arrived.
I commented that she hadn’t rezzed for me yet and she replied, “Trust me. I’m a walking disco ball, which is all good. Give the people what they want. I was a ferret for April fool's day. The venue owners wanted different. So I sat on my tip jar all night as a ferret and sang.”
“Isn't that what show business is all about.” I commented.
“Absolutely!” She exclaimed then added, “My mom was a lounge singer, and as a kid I grew up in bars with her band ... she would wear all the bling in the world, the costume jewelry to match. She said it was all a show, from sound to visuals. I think I’m channeling that.”
“When did you start performing?” I asked, and then quickly added for clarification, “In both RL and SL.”
“In RL ... around age ten, but not professionally. I come from a very musical family ... I took piano and cello since I was a kid and did recitals. Mom is a voice coach sang a lot with her and my brother at church things. I learned at her knee, than started doing my own gigs around town, mostly weddings, piano bars, tagging along with a piano player I know. It's a fun thing for me, really. Meet a lot of great people … SL is the same. I’ve only been singing in SL since July.”
“What bought you into SL?”
“A pal of mine who was singing here asked me to come in and I showed up ...Voila! It wasn't too much prodding needed. I'm a computer nerd by trade, I do websites in RL and the whole program fascinated me and the live music scene that he was talking about. How I loved it right from the get-go, I go listen more than I sing in SL ... enjoy the theatrics of it all ... the talent ... the diversity. “
“Is there one memory and venue here in SL that stands out for you?”
“Actually yes … While there are many that I'm endeared to for giving me my start in SL, namely Jade's Jazz Island and Heavens Tears. The one venue that stands out in my mind ... is on a SIM called Bosporus because I got to sing on a suspension bridge over a bay dancing my tail off on top of an old cab ... everyone around me having a great time. It was just so breathtaking. I thought to myself while I was singing ... can this get any better.”
“Do you write some of your songs?”
“I wish I did. I play instruments, and I sing, but songwriting is not one of my skills. I guess I can't have everything. One of the things I wish I could do for myself. I have to be happy with the idea that not all musicians can write their own music. Seeing jazz singer Diana Krall in concert this summer ... she sings all standards, other people's music, and she's okay with that. It has to work for me as I can't do it myself.”
“Is there one genre you prefer to perform?”
“If I had to answer… I'd say Broadway. However, there isn't much of an audience in SL, that I’ve come across anyway, that wants to hear a lot of it. I grew up listening to Broadway stuff... When I was living in NY, I'd make a trip to the city and catch the shows.”
“Where do you see yourself in six months to a year from now?”
“In RL, no place different … Just more oratorio under my belt and a nicer resume for soloist work around town. In SL, that’s hard to say. I have this weird fear... of over exposing myself. Like the people in my fan groups would tire of hearing my voice. I think I'm pretty lucky to be doing as well as I am in SL as it is. I can't really hope for much more. People, their tastes change … and the SL music scene is seeing new faces and hearing new voices day by day. So I may be lost in the mix. I hope I won’t.”
“If a new SL musician came to you for advice, what would you tell them?”
“New SL musicians come to me all the time and I love it. I've helped three of them in the last two months alone. Not sure why they come to me ... but they do and I’m more than happy to get them started. They ask questions about music, equipment, booking gigs, getting your name out there … but I do impart one piece of advice to all of them … don't let it stop being fun. I think that's paramount. When you lose sight of the happiness and joy that you can bring to people and it turns into drudgery … something you feel you have to do and it no longer is a fun thing … step back and regroup.”
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Interview with Lomgrem Smalls
If you’ve ever been at Luskwood (or the Cutlass Club), you may have noticed a resident so small, it’s hard to find him without looking for his nametag. This would be Lomgren Smalls. Having long been known for his six-inch high avie, and to a lesser extend occasional custom work on micro (and mega) avatars, he has made a little real-life news recently. I recently had a chance to talk with him.
Bixyl Shuftan: Where did you first hear about Second Life?
Lomgren Smalls: Well, I had heard about it several years ago, back when I hadn't even thought of joining. Probably a good three, four years, maybe more than that. I think it was probably during 2006, because that was my first year being at the El Goonish Shive forums at Keenspot (El Goonish Shive is an online comic).
Bixyl Shuftan: So what got you to take a look?
Lomgren Smalls: Well, I joined the Trillian Astra alpha back in early Jan 2007, or maybe Dec 2006. Trillian Astra is ... an IM client aggregator of sorts. It allows you to connect to multiple IM Networks. AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, etc. One of the first people to add me as a friend on the Astra network was a furry on here already, and finally convinced me to go ahead and try Second Life.
Thus, my born date is late January 2007 ... but when I tried it ... it was so laggy that my avatar never loaded. So I gave up on it again. I finally decided to try again on March 3rd, 2007. Made it in, things loaded, and from there, met new friends, etc, and haven't left.
Bixyl Shuftan: Sounds like things went well once you started.
Lomgren Smalls: *chuckles* As well as can be expected with SL.
Bixyl Shuftan: When did you first start building, and how did it lead to your work on avatars?
Lomgren Smalls: Heh. I started building and learning right from the start. My very first stop was Luskwood, on the recommendation of my friend from Trillian Astra. After a couple of days, I visited the Ivory Tower of Prims to learn about building. I remember thinking at the time that it'd be cool if I could build, but I never expected to be able to do this well at the time. I was building silly, simple little things at first for practice, like tables, chairs, the usual. And then I got it into my head to build something steampunk. So, me being the crazy kitty I am, I started on it as a major project, building in Perry. This actually took only a week for me to do, even back then ... and my first actual month in SL hadn't quite finished yet. Here's a pic, just check the date
Bixyl Shuftan: Thanks.
Lomgren Smalls: The picture was after it had been refined a bit and I was trying to package it for possible sale. But the last part of the original that I have was built and finished on Apr 1, 2007. I have tweaked it since then.
Bixyl Shuftan: Looks good
Lomgren Smalls: So, I was building from the very beginning. It took me about 6 months in SL to learn enough to make the original base of this av. But the main thing about me and building ... I love a challenge, and seeing just what I can do.
Bixyl Shuftan: Yes, looking at you, it's obvious someone did quite a bit of work on how small one could make an avatar. How did this begin?
Lomgren Smalls: Well, back to the El Goonish Shive forums, it was there that my online persona became a 6 inch tall male anthrofeline, if you want to describe it formally. So, naturally, one of the things I wanted to try and do in SL was make myself, well, myself. One of the first things I got was the original NorthStar micro, with help, as a kit. It was actually twice my current height, about a foot tall. But I customized it and eventually learned enough to make it move. I then took what I learned with that and made my own. Including my own animation and such to get it to work.
Bixyl Shuftan: How long did it take before it was fully ready?
Lomgren Smalls: Well, probably 20 hours at least, but I keep tweaking it and such. That was figuring out the scripting and figuring out how to shrink the head and tail down properly. The rest was me using the NorthStar micro as a pattern and trying to figure out how to improve upon it.
Bixyl Shuftan: I take it your micro was a hit with everyone on first sight?
Lomgren Smalls whispers: Hehe. A lot of people liked it, and I still get questions on "where did you get that?" and "how did you get so small?"
Bixyl Shuftan: *chuckles* What have been some of the more unusual reactions to your micro?
Lomgren Smalls: *chuckles* Well, they've ranged from the innocent to the adult... so... I've seen a lot
Bixyl Shuftan: Those who've read the paper for a while will recall you've also done work on macro avatars, super-large ones.
Lomgren Smalls: Yes, I've done some work on megas before, mainly to see just what was possible. Most people were saying even a 30 meter av was impossible. But, me being a builder, I knew what link limits and root prims were, and how they affected things. So, I was able to design and piece together a statue-style mega avatar that was ... a lot larger than anyone expected was possible.
Bixyl Shuftan: If I recall corectly, you built a mega-vixen about 224 feet tall
Lomgren Smalls: It was actually for Halloween, because I was becoming known as a micro ... and I built the vixen for a friend, and I made a mega version of my own regular av, around 65.5 and 68 meters tall, respectively.
Bixyl Shuftan: Did the work take about as long as your micro?
Lomgren Smalls: The vixen was built over the weekend before Halloween 2007, quite literally. My avatar was finished the Monday before. I recall Halloween being on that Tuesday
Bixyl Shuftan: Yes, I remember seeing her a few days later at Luskwood. Needless to say, she left quite an impression. ;-)
Lomgren Smalls: *grins*
Bixyl Shuftan: How easy is it to move in the megas?
Lomgren Smalls: Not easy. You literally have to fly them around. And hover, making them appear to stand on the ground.
Bixyl Shuftan: Do they lag a lot?
Lomgren Smalls: Not really. They are made of normal prims.
Bixyl Shuftan: So what other work have you done since then?
Lomgren Smalls: I do all sorts of work. I build stuff other than avatars. Everything here on my property, for instance. I've also built stuff for friends, castles ... let's see. I've done commissions, for micros, other avs... one of them was for The Phantom Creeps robot used by Rob Zombie in a few of his videos. So, just in general, a little of everything. Most recently, I've been finishing up some work on a couple of micros that I can actually sell, Relay for Life.
Bixyl Shuftan: What can you tell the readers about those?
Lomgren Smalls: Well, they're going to be based a lot on my current outfit ... because this is my "Relay for Life" outfit. The main difference is that the head actually is built by me, instead of being a shrunken version of the Luskwood Cat. I also have a female version of the av in progress, just needs a little more work.
Bixyl Shuftan: I've seen another micro done by you. About how many macros and micros have you made for others?
Lomgren Smalls: Macros ... let's see ... maybe 2-3, if that. Micros ... closer to 8-10.
Bixyl Shuftan: Changing the subject, you recenly got a real life job through SL. How did you hear about it?
Lomgren Smalls: Well, I had been looking for a better job for a while. And my friends here in SL knew about it. So, through a couple of the online Second Life papers, they learned of an on-SL job fair being held by the state of Missouri. And they told me about it
Bixyl Shuftan: Yes, and your getting the job made a little real-life news as well. The articles stated your micro made quite an impression.
Lomgren Smalls: Yes. I know people probably think I'm crazy for going to a job fair as a micro, but to me, it makes sense. 1: it's who I am. 2: It shows what I am capable of doing. Of course, I was dressed for the occasion, wearing a dark gray tux.
Bixyl Shuftan: Have your new fellow employees spoken much about Second Life, considering how you got the job?
Lomgren Smalls: A bit, yes, as I've talked to them about it. They're happy with me working there, I'm happy working there, my boss/etc are happy with me.
Bixyl Shuftan: Great ... As I recall, you were also on local TV news.
Lomgren Smalls: Yes, a couple of times. Never expected to be on TV at all. *chuckles*
Bixyl Shuftan: Besides the RFL avatars, any future plans that you'd like to share?
Lomgren Smalls: Well, I plan on making non-RFL versions (of the avatar), and hopefully making a version 2.0 of the av someday in the future.
To those who haven’t come across them, articles about Lomgren getting his state government IT job can be found HERE , HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE (short story with video), and HERE (a longer video with Lom in the second half). Lomgren mentioned there were others, but they were mostly taken from the articles above.
Bixyl Shuftan
Bixyl Shuftan: Where did you first hear about Second Life?Lomgren Smalls: Well, I had heard about it several years ago, back when I hadn't even thought of joining. Probably a good three, four years, maybe more than that. I think it was probably during 2006, because that was my first year being at the El Goonish Shive forums at Keenspot (El Goonish Shive is an online comic).
Bixyl Shuftan: So what got you to take a look?
Lomgren Smalls: Well, I joined the Trillian Astra alpha back in early Jan 2007, or maybe Dec 2006. Trillian Astra is ... an IM client aggregator of sorts. It allows you to connect to multiple IM Networks. AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, etc. One of the first people to add me as a friend on the Astra network was a furry on here already, and finally convinced me to go ahead and try Second Life.
Thus, my born date is late January 2007 ... but when I tried it ... it was so laggy that my avatar never loaded. So I gave up on it again. I finally decided to try again on March 3rd, 2007. Made it in, things loaded, and from there, met new friends, etc, and haven't left.
Bixyl Shuftan: Sounds like things went well once you started.
Lomgren Smalls: *chuckles* As well as can be expected with SL.
Bixyl Shuftan: When did you first start building, and how did it lead to your work on avatars?
Lomgren Smalls: Heh. I started building and learning right from the start. My very first stop was Luskwood, on the recommendation of my friend from Trillian Astra. After a couple of days, I visited the Ivory Tower of Prims to learn about building. I remember thinking at the time that it'd be cool if I could build, but I never expected to be able to do this well at the time. I was building silly, simple little things at first for practice, like tables, chairs, the usual. And then I got it into my head to build something steampunk. So, me being the crazy kitty I am, I started on it as a major project, building in Perry. This actually took only a week for me to do, even back then ... and my first actual month in SL hadn't quite finished yet. Here's a pic, just check the date
Bixyl Shuftan: Thanks.
Lomgren Smalls: The picture was after it had been refined a bit and I was trying to package it for possible sale. But the last part of the original that I have was built and finished on Apr 1, 2007. I have tweaked it since then.
Bixyl Shuftan: Looks good
Lomgren Smalls: So, I was building from the very beginning. It took me about 6 months in SL to learn enough to make the original base of this av. But the main thing about me and building ... I love a challenge, and seeing just what I can do.
Bixyl Shuftan: Yes, looking at you, it's obvious someone did quite a bit of work on how small one could make an avatar. How did this begin?Lomgren Smalls: Well, back to the El Goonish Shive forums, it was there that my online persona became a 6 inch tall male anthrofeline, if you want to describe it formally. So, naturally, one of the things I wanted to try and do in SL was make myself, well, myself. One of the first things I got was the original NorthStar micro, with help, as a kit. It was actually twice my current height, about a foot tall. But I customized it and eventually learned enough to make it move. I then took what I learned with that and made my own. Including my own animation and such to get it to work.
Bixyl Shuftan: How long did it take before it was fully ready?
Lomgren Smalls: Well, probably 20 hours at least, but I keep tweaking it and such. That was figuring out the scripting and figuring out how to shrink the head and tail down properly. The rest was me using the NorthStar micro as a pattern and trying to figure out how to improve upon it.
Bixyl Shuftan: I take it your micro was a hit with everyone on first sight?
Lomgren Smalls whispers: Hehe. A lot of people liked it, and I still get questions on "where did you get that?" and "how did you get so small?"
Bixyl Shuftan: *chuckles* What have been some of the more unusual reactions to your micro?
Lomgren Smalls: *chuckles* Well, they've ranged from the innocent to the adult... so... I've seen a lot
Bixyl Shuftan: Those who've read the paper for a while will recall you've also done work on macro avatars, super-large ones.
Lomgren Smalls: Yes, I've done some work on megas before, mainly to see just what was possible. Most people were saying even a 30 meter av was impossible. But, me being a builder, I knew what link limits and root prims were, and how they affected things. So, I was able to design and piece together a statue-style mega avatar that was ... a lot larger than anyone expected was possible.
Bixyl Shuftan: If I recall corectly, you built a mega-vixen about 224 feet tall
Lomgren Smalls: It was actually for Halloween, because I was becoming known as a micro ... and I built the vixen for a friend, and I made a mega version of my own regular av, around 65.5 and 68 meters tall, respectively.
Bixyl Shuftan: Did the work take about as long as your micro?
Lomgren Smalls: The vixen was built over the weekend before Halloween 2007, quite literally. My avatar was finished the Monday before. I recall Halloween being on that Tuesday
Bixyl Shuftan: Yes, I remember seeing her a few days later at Luskwood. Needless to say, she left quite an impression. ;-)
Lomgren Smalls: *grins*
Bixyl Shuftan: How easy is it to move in the megas?
Lomgren Smalls: Not easy. You literally have to fly them around. And hover, making them appear to stand on the ground.
Bixyl Shuftan: Do they lag a lot?
Lomgren Smalls: Not really. They are made of normal prims.
Bixyl Shuftan: So what other work have you done since then?
Lomgren Smalls: I do all sorts of work. I build stuff other than avatars. Everything here on my property, for instance. I've also built stuff for friends, castles ... let's see. I've done commissions, for micros, other avs... one of them was for The Phantom Creeps robot used by Rob Zombie in a few of his videos. So, just in general, a little of everything. Most recently, I've been finishing up some work on a couple of micros that I can actually sell, Relay for Life.
Bixyl Shuftan: What can you tell the readers about those?
Lomgren Smalls: Well, they're going to be based a lot on my current outfit ... because this is my "Relay for Life" outfit. The main difference is that the head actually is built by me, instead of being a shrunken version of the Luskwood Cat. I also have a female version of the av in progress, just needs a little more work.
Bixyl Shuftan: I've seen another micro done by you. About how many macros and micros have you made for others?
Lomgren Smalls: Macros ... let's see ... maybe 2-3, if that. Micros ... closer to 8-10.
Bixyl Shuftan: Changing the subject, you recenly got a real life job through SL. How did you hear about it?
Lomgren Smalls: Well, I had been looking for a better job for a while. And my friends here in SL knew about it. So, through a couple of the online Second Life papers, they learned of an on-SL job fair being held by the state of Missouri. And they told me about it
Bixyl Shuftan: Yes, and your getting the job made a little real-life news as well. The articles stated your micro made quite an impression.
Lomgren Smalls: Yes. I know people probably think I'm crazy for going to a job fair as a micro, but to me, it makes sense. 1: it's who I am. 2: It shows what I am capable of doing. Of course, I was dressed for the occasion, wearing a dark gray tux.
Bixyl Shuftan: Have your new fellow employees spoken much about Second Life, considering how you got the job?
Lomgren Smalls: A bit, yes, as I've talked to them about it. They're happy with me working there, I'm happy working there, my boss/etc are happy with me.
Bixyl Shuftan: Great ... As I recall, you were also on local TV news.
Lomgren Smalls: Yes, a couple of times. Never expected to be on TV at all. *chuckles*
Bixyl Shuftan: Besides the RFL avatars, any future plans that you'd like to share?
Lomgren Smalls: Well, I plan on making non-RFL versions (of the avatar), and hopefully making a version 2.0 of the av someday in the future.
To those who haven’t come across them, articles about Lomgren getting his state government IT job can be found HERE , HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE (short story with video), and HERE (a longer video with Lom in the second half). Lomgren mentioned there were others, but they were mostly taken from the articles above.
Bixyl Shuftan
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Interview with Jazzz Hermit
The romantic-themed sim Mystery is a place with numerous sites and attractions, notably the riverboat club “Queen of Hearts.” There are also quite a few planned events, such as the daily dance parties at the club and the bazaar sales. Helping sim owner Tygeria Mirabeau manage these, as well as editing the sim magazine, is Jazzz Hermit. Jazzz also describes himself as “mildly courting” Tygeria. I recently had a chance to meet up with him, and he talked a little about his time at Mystery.Read the interview in PEOPLE.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
"We Don't Allow YOUR Kind Here!"
You're looking around, having just found a place to explore or maybe somewhere to shop when all of a sudden you're rudely told to leave. Not because of how you're acting, your clothes, nor is this a roleplaying sim, they just don't like your shape.More in PEOPLE.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Is It OK To Cry Here?
By FoxM Ember We met at a dance club. I’d just ended my first of several (I’m not proud to say) “bad” SL relationships. She was waiting for someone, and was kind enough to allow me to sit near her and listened to me, when I needed to talk........................................
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Open the Box with Dana
Meet the crew - This week saw us doing new crew pictures since we have had quite a few join our team of intrepid reporters, we now have an office manager, Christina Munro. If you see any of the crew about be sure to say hi, without them we wouldn't have such variety of things for you to read. Thank you all for the hard work you all do.Well its that time again, no not time to get out into the real world but Relay (Relay For Life) time again and I have been helping out with quite a few things and finding out how it all works from behind the scenes to the point where I was overwhelmed.
I can honestly say I have a great deal of respect for all the organisers behind the scenes of RFLinSL they have to give 150% to getting everything just right and most of the time they get a lot of pressure from people, who have absolutely no idea of the work involved, and often forget that everyone behind the scenes does this voluntarily - I don't know how these people keep their tempers I know with the amount of disrespect I saw I could not do it, I am human after all.
All these volunteers have my utmost respect and admiration for all they do.
I have also been helping with the RFL Clothing fair run and organised by the Relay Raiders, each year this gets bigger and better, but again I get shocked by the attitudes. Some seem to think they have a right to tell the organisers what they can and can't do - talk about temperaments!
Its amazing what these volunteers do, it is absolutely astounding the hours and work put in, on every aspect, they do not deserve the disrespect some give them.
I appeal to all those involved please remember the organisers are volunteers for a great cause that is important to so many people, the way some have spoken to them and argued with their decisions would be enough to make me not want to do it again next year!!!!
Thankfully they have a lot more patience with peoples temperaments than I do!
Great job from a dedicated group of people.
We have spent some time this week exploring some new places and found Southern Fun a themed community and a beautiful place to visit you can find out more about them on their Sponsor page HERESouthern Fun is 8 sims with shops, ranches, homes and so much more well worth visiting for the beautiful surroundings and friendly people.
I guess this last couple of weeks has opened my eyes to how much of themselves people are capable of putting into Secondlife and just how many dedicated people there are here with us.
I know that not everyone appreciates them but I bet those that abuse these volunteers don't realize the damage they can do to a volunteers willingness to do this year after year.
So if there is a moral to this weeks Open the Box its remember 'Volunteers don't have to do what they do - give them the respect they deserve!'
Dana Vanmoer
Friday, February 13, 2009
SL In-World Transactions to be Taxed
As a result of the worsening financial condition of the world’s largest economy, a new tax is set to take effect April 1st, 2009. The little known details of this new tax, now included in the high profile U.S. Stimulus Package, will be applied to all web-based commerce conducted through servers housed in the U.S. This reporter has now confirmed that, because in-world currency is transferable and convertible, SL is among several simulations whose in-world transactions will be affected.President Obama’s $879 billion dollar stimulus plan, recently passed by both houses of the U.S. Congress, contains a number of tax increases found in the low-profile “Proposed Stimulus Funding Mechanisms” section of the bill. Included among these tax increases is a 16.75% sales tax on all transactions conducted in-world beginning April 1st, 2009. The provision, proposed by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Electronic Industry and Security, has garnered little attention to date, as these taxes amount to less than one-half of one percent of the total funding provisions in the package.
A representative of the administration, speaking on condition of anonymity has confirmed that in-world transaction will be affected and were purposefully targeted given large amount of SL transactions and the obvious revenue potential for the U.S. government.
“Given the fact that sims such as yours, are totally recreational and so can be construed as a ‘luxury’ purchase by those fortunate enough to have disposable income, it was reasonable to target these transactions. This is completely in keeping with President Obama’s stated mission of wealth redistribution.”
“The disparity in our world today between those that have the financial means to participate in online recreational games such as SL, and those who are less fortunate due to no fault of their own is glaring and shameful,” the source continued.
In addition to generating an additional and as yet untapped funding source for this package, this initiative also changes the strategy of the current U.S. administration’s position from creating an environment of encouraging economic fairness, to legislating it. However, reactions from SL residents who have been interviewed have been noticeably sanguine. Here are some comments from SL residents:
“I think it’s time for this kind of thing, I mean I’m not really rich in my mind, but I suppose for someone who’s unemployed and got 8 kids to feed and buy stuff for and only gets welfare, I probably am rich to them. It’s not really their fault, and I can afford it, so I suppose that’s fair.”
“I don’t really like it – but if it means more people will be able to live more comfortably and maybe even be able to buy a computer to enjoy what we do in here, then I’m OK with that.”
“I don’t live in the U.S., but I support it because it’s not fair that so many Americans have so much and can afford to buy stuff here in SL, while others don’t even have a nice house or flat screen television of their own. The rich have too much and if you have the money to buy stuff in here for fun, then in my book, you’re rich. Maybe 17% isn’t enough!”
Judging by the handful of reactions so far, it appears that SL residents will be willing participants in the U.S. administrations new initiative to achieve economic parity through the redistribution of wealth, be it real or virtual.
"Would that he had been able to endure prosperity with greater self-control and adversity with more fortitude!" C. Asinius Pollio
Submitted by FoxM Ember
Monday, February 2, 2009
Burning Ember - THE PODIUM
He hated public speaking, even here, in SL.
He was late, making last minute edits to the speech. He had decided to rez directly onto the stage. Bad idea…he froze. Paralyzed from the waist up, he felt his avatar’s knees weaken and legs soften like overcooked rotini soaking in a bowl of rich creamy Alfredo sauce. Each passing nanosecond ticked by tortuously, washing him with unrelenting waves of disorientation; he knew he was either totally and completely disconnected from reality – or irretrievably immersed in it, losing all sense of time, space and memory. He wasn’t sure. He couldn’t think..........
Continued in EXTRA EXTRA
Welcome back FoxM
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Begging in Second Life, is there a solution?
Imagine: you are a scripter or a builder, you are concentrating hard on an algorithm or trying to get a texture right and, while you are working away in Real Life, maybe on an important project in Second Life, the blue bar flashes on the bottom of your screen. Your concentration is broken. It could be important. That is why you left yourself logged in, isn’t it? So you open up Second Life.
Somebody, possibly only a day old in Second life, is asking to borrow L$1. What! You have been through this so many times before and so have your friends. No matter what the group is you belong to; SL Help Desk, blues appreciation or even one dedicated to philosophy, someone is begging. Not all the time but it feels like it.
Oh, yes, they say, “borrow”, “I’ll pay you back soon”, “It’s for a friend”. Do they have no idea what ONE Linden Dollar is worth in the Real World? There is no comparison. But they still do it. Recently, one asked for L$930. Well that, at least, is worth begging for! But they still got the same short shrift as all the others!
Some respondents on the group chat window get very angry; some just mute the beggar and close down the window. Others will lecture them on the morals of begging, still others quote the TOS. The responses are varied but follow a pattern...................
Continued reading Kims article in the PEOPLE section
Saturday, January 24, 2009
New reporters and new blood?
Yesterday I introduced you to Lizzy whose first story you can find in the people section, today I would like to introduce 2 more new members of the SLN crew:Christina can be found in the PEOPLE section and she will be helping newbies to find their way in the complicated world of SL as well as exploring the grid herself:-
First Day
There have been so many things written about Newbie's, and there are so many help tips out there to help make things easier for your Second life. I don't want to do a repeat of what has already been done, but I will probably repeat some of the advice that experienced avatars have given you or will give you. I suppose I will start with giving some personal experience with my first days in this virtual world of Second Life and then I hope to give a weekly update as to what you can do as a newbie..............
Continued in the PEOPLE section
Next Joan introduces herself:If You Build It?
If there is one thing I've learned in my period in Second Life, it's that the saying "If you build it, they will come." is not always as true as it should be.
I'm sure most readers who enjoy exploration will have at some point stumbled across an awesome sim or location, only to find it completely f****** deserted, without even a tumbleweed to grace it's empty streets. (And for those readers who find the word f*** offensive. I would suggest you are perhaps reading the wrong section.) It was at one of these places my first adventure into the world of reporting began, at the Vampire Succubus Club.
But by now your asking yourself, "Who the hell are you? I came for Penance Sautereau's special brand of hotness. Why am I reading you instead? Has a band of ingenious hackers seized SL-NEWSPAPER.com? Has the very fabric or reality itself been torn asunder?" .......................
Continued in the REDLIGHT section
Welcome to all our new Crew members
Dana
Saturday, January 10, 2009
What a week!
Actually its been pretty quiet all around, not helped by the fact so many friends have been hit by illness this week.I have spent quite a lot of time on Skybeam as they changed from winter to spring thaw and had fun rebuilding Breezes and Glitters houses, its nice to be there and actually be made to feel like part of the community even though I don't actually live there - you will often find me at their events as they tend to be at a good time for me - but what was I saying, oh yes community; I expect there are quite a lot of communities in SL now and as it grows larger there will be many more, it must be a challenge in a virtual world to try to keep a community working together, just like in RL, you will find the bad apples in the barrel but I find in any community a good core to it can help to strengthen ties and its a great way to make friends.
Coming up soon is another community project I always get involved in that of the RFL clothing fair, I have had some inside info on the plans and this year the clothing fair will be absolutely mindblowing - I can't wait. Of course you will be able to get all the up to the minute events right here and we will do our best to talk to as many involved as we can, but knowing the sheer size this time around, it will a real challenge for us and one I look forward to.
We are still looking for some new writers so if you love events in secondlife or are determined to show the world what there is in SL pick up an application from our main office HERE just drop it to me inworld.
We also love to hear your stories and experiences from newbie days through to love and heartache, these go under our reader submissions banner in the appropriate section. drop us a snapshot too with a line of text - we want to show everyone what wonders there are to see and do in secondlife and for that we need your input - SL is so large now keeping up with all the places to explore is impossible but every now and then we all find a gem worth visiting or telling others about, Bixyl and Gemma are really good at hunting those out and letting you know in the explore section, why not tell us about somewhere you have found?
Dana Vanmoer
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Reader Submission - I was thinking of getting an Island...............
The truth of it is I lost my island which would I still be there if the person I went in on the island hadn't completely ripped me off.
I posted on the Second Life Forum which has had good and bad comments. I was not asking for either. I just was looking at it as a place to vent my frustration with the whole ordeal because even not one Linden would look into this which is really Internet fraud.......................
Read on in the PEOPLE section
Monday, December 1, 2008
Whats in a name?
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Introducing Magdeleine Rossini The NOT SO Tranquil Writer
While setting up for the birthday celebrations Nazz Lane introduced me to a friend of his Magdeleine Rossini, now bearing in mind how hectic things were you might agree this was not the best time for me to pay attention BUT with Mags you just can't help it!To show you what I mean I asked her to write to me and tell me a bit about herself, for perusal at a later time, I wouldn't normally publish this sort of thing but to give you some idea what to expect I am going to print a little of that letter:
I descend from a long line of wordsmiths who totally rebuffed the idea of ever becoming "journalists". I learned at the knee of a fine "newspaperman" -- who, by the grace of God, married a bawdy Vaudevillian.
I'm fairly transparent in all my various worlds -- one to the other -- and as such, my writing is frequently infused with gobs of unvarnished maternalisms and absurd notions of hope. Can't be changed. Tried and failed.
"Well, Madam. You certainly didn't topple me over in a fit of glee with *that* introduction," Dana said.
"Wait! Wait!," Mags crouped out; her tone gone all whiskey-voiced from sucking in file vault dust. A chalky fist emerged from the abyss."I found it! Filed under 'Potato', where else?"
Dana did a quick read through, poised to grab the Mighty Red Pencil and get to work. "Mags, may I ask you a question?"
"Shoot," Mags replied.
"Why did you send me a clip about channeling serial killers in order to make searing investigations of their deep-seated feelings?"
Mags froze solidly. Fixed in space and time like a deer caught in the headlights. "Damnation! That one should have been under 'Porridge'." She proceeded to leave her "particulars below" in the event that she hadn't flummoxed the entire first impression. "Well, maybe they'll let me write some risible obits...."
With a letter like that I just couldn't do anything else but take her on, you will find Mags first column in the PEOPLE section.
Dana Vanmoer
Disclaimer: SL-Newspaper takes no responsibility for accidents that occur to their readers through laughing or choking. DV
Thursday, September 18, 2008
New Rape Crisis and Counselling centre opens
Many have read what Penance has to say in our Redlight section, she has strong opinions and a lot of experience but what many do not know is that Penny along with other volunteers run the Rape and Counselling centre in secondlife. I asked Penny to tell me about it:
dana Vanmoer: So tell me about the rape center and how it came about in SLPenance Sautereau: Well, one day my wife was asleep and I was feeling triggery.
This was about last august, early, No one in my list was on and I needed someone to talk to. So I searched for counselling or peer support for rape survivors figuring SL surely had something. I found all of three counsellors All of whom charged $1500L an hour. And over 60 rape fetish groups
Penance Sautereau: And I was horrified.
Penance Sautereau: So I built the original rape crisis and counselling centre in kot to put free counselling on SL, and to exist as a reminder that Rape is NOT sexy when it's real, and what these fetishists make a fantasy of is a horrific thing when it happens to you for real.dana Vanmoer: How did you find people willing to help?
Penance Sautereau: Well, my first volunteer came after finding our classified ad and volunteered. One of my SL wives was the second, everyone else volunteered after finding the place, wanting to contribute to what they thought was an idea sl sorely needed
dana Vanmoer: What has the response been like?
Penance Sautereau: Well generally positive, no griefers. We've thankfully only had a few people come needing us. It's the sort of vocation where you're happier to NOT be needed.
dana Vanmoer: Does that make you feel it is not needed here in SL? Or do you feel its because its not known that the help is there?
Penance Sautereau: Well I suppose more advertising could help, but we're the only result in search if you type in "Rape Counselling" so we're not hard to find
dana Vanmoer: I guess its a matter of if you are looking for it you will find it
dana Vanmoer: Are you or any of the volunteers trained to be counsellors?
Penance Sautereau: I'm not, but we specify that up front. Three of my volunteers are actually rl trained and certified though
dana Vanmoer: Do you give those that come for advice information for real life help?
Penance Sautereau: Always. Virtual counselling seems a good start for many because it's less personal, not being truly face to face, but we always recommend towards rl counselling when they're ready
dana Vanmoer: anything else you would like to tell people?
Penance Sautereau: Don't bottle it up, it'll eat at you. If you have these issues you have to talk them out, work through them. Burying them only hurts you. And we're here to listen, and help if we can. And to all you men, remember NO really does mean NO.
What this shows is that the help is out there if you need it. As Penny said RL help is the best eventual solution, but Secondlife allows those that would like to remain completely untraceable the opportunity to get help that they may not do in RL through fear of discovery.
Thank you to Penance for letting us talk openly about a painful subject.
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