SNAFU

Despite a recent reversal by Google on its decision to retroactively ban adult content on Blogger, my blog will continue to reside at https://poultryreport.wordpress.com. Thank you for visiting here and your patience with the move to The Poultry Report's new home.

We've Moved!

The Poultry Report can now be found at https://poultryreport.wordpress.com

Blogger's Last Topless Tuesday

On or about March 23, 2015, the fine folks at Blogger will mark The Poultry Report as hosted on their servers as Private so that only I can see the content (source). My blog won't be alone. I'm sure thousands if not tens of thousands or more will disappear because someone has an issue with nudity and other adult topics. So much for free speech.

Click to embiggen or see it on Flickr.

So here is the last Topless Tuesday picture I will post on Blogger. Going forward, my blog will be hosted by Wordpress at https://poultryreport.wordpress.com

The move is in progress so the look of the new site might change. I'm still using the same template that I picked when I created the Wordpress version years ago when I experimented with it versus Blogger.

Perhaps it is easier to objectify bare chests on women than it is on men and likely this will always be so. It is an erogenous zone, after all. And as much as I decry the inequality between men and women on this issue, I often look at other women with a bit of lascivious glee, clothed or not. I like boobs but I can understand some of the reasoning behind Blogger's policy change.

I can't help wonder, though, if Google/Blogger will crack down on violent images. Which is more harmful ... a picture of a woman's breast being caressed or one being carved at with a knife? Frequent exposure to anything will desensitize a person to the stimulus it provides. That's one of the reasons the Romans held The Games. Let Citizens see violence and they will become accustomed to it. Frankly, I'd rather see more breasts and hope I don't get bored.

Since my efforts with The Poultry Report have to been focus on Second Life I'll abstain from delving into the nanny state concept behind all of this. Perhaps I'll tackle it in the future if I can find an SL tie-in.

Adieu, Blogger. Auf Wiedersehen. Arrivederci. Vaarwel. Good-bye.

Blog Moving?

Due to Blogger's new content policy I'll probably be moving my blog to another service. It is either that or remove all nudity from my posts, even the posts decrying the double standards for women and men when it comes to nudity. Right now I'm comparing services and prices and I'll post something here about where you can find my blog starting March 1st.

Late on the Monday Meme

Not only have I been slacking with my blogging, but I've totally blown off the Strawberry Singh Monday Memes. Until today, Wednesday. Here's the "Have you ever SecondLifed Meme" a few days late.

From the series of "Where's Uccie?" in the Bay City Post.

Meme Instructions: Copy and paste the following questions and answers to your post, delete my answers and input your own. Don’t forget to leave a link to your post in the comments so others can come by and read your answers as well!

I’ve done a series of “have you ever” questions pertaining to Second Life. So all of the questions will start with “Have you ever” and end with “in Second Life?”

Have you ever owned a sim in Second Life? 
No, but Angela and I rented a Homestead for a brief time.

Have you ever created content in Second Life? 
Yes, for retail sale, contract work, personal use, and for the Isle of Lesbos (many of which have been featured on this blog, like the Bath House.)

Have you ever driven a vehicle in Second Life? 
Yes. I'm fond of boats and planes but not overly fond of automobiles. I'm better with boats than cars iRL, too, though I've yet to try a plane.

Have you ever gone sky diving in Second Life? 
One of my first experiences on the Main Grid was taking skydiving lessons. For L$150 (a lot of money for me back then) a Canadian chap gave a parachute to me, took me up in a plane a few times, and taught me when to do what, including some tricks on how to find  the center of a scoring target.

Have you ever played a sport in Second Life? 
Not an organized one, but I have a vague memory of kicking around a soccer ball.

Have you ever gone clubbing in Second Life? 
If you mean going out dancing to live or DJ'd music at a venue created for the purpose, yes. If you mean beating helpless creatures for their fur, then no.

Have you ever fangirled/fanboyed someone in Second Life?
 Yes, though for the life of me I can't remember the name of the first person I fangirl'd. Of course, I'm a big fangirl of the LDPW Moles. What was a bit creepy was the first time someone fanboy'd me in public.

Have you ever taken a picture of your avatar in water in Second Life? 
More than a few times, like the picture above.

Have you ever taken a picture of a sunset in Second Life? 
Yes, more than a few. The one that comes to mind first was from my farewell to Lesbos blog post.

Have you ever taken a nude picture of your avatar in Second Life?
 You do know that many credit me with starting Topless Tuesday and you ask this question, right?

Have you ever dated in Second Life? 
Yes, and got married, too.

Have you ever had or attended a wedding in Second Life? 
Didn't I just answer this? Been to more than a few, including my own.

Have you ever drank, smoked or taken drugs in Second Life? 
Yes, no, and no.

Have you ever engaged in sexual activity in Second Life? 
You mean today? Really, you don't seem to read my blog.

Have you ever been to Bukkake Bliss in Second Life? 
Who hasn't been there? Sure, I can think of a few.

Second Life Yearbook Photo Challenge

Strawberry Singh is back with blogger memes and I had a few minutes to kill, so ...

"Share an image of your Second Life avatar smiling for a yearbook photo" (orignal post here).

I decided to re-create my high school senior yearbook photo but thought "maybe I should't post a blank image." Since 5th grade my picture never appeared in school publications because I always refused to participate. Starting in 8th grade we all had to have our photos taken for security reasons. Sure, years after I was kidnapped,* they wanted a photo. Locking the school door after the fire started, I guess, or something like that. We all needed photos.

In my senior year we were all to go to a studio in town for those really nice formal sittings that seniors get, but since I wasn't going to do that I had to line up with the 11th graders and let the visiting photographer snap a pic and try to talk me into getting those cheesy portrait packs to give copies to friends and relatives. Didn't happen. It is very rare I even appear in the family photo album. One of the reasons I got a camera was so I could be behind it.

The funny part is, my senior picture got lost. The guy couldn't handle the concept of separating it from the juniors sets and managed to separate me all the way to the cutting room floor. So what I re-created for here is more or less what I looked like at the time. Set your Way Back Machines® for 2006.

Click to embiggen or see on Flickr.

You can't see it from here, but my hair was down to my butt. I wore the cheapest eyeglass frames possible, no makeup, and the only clean hoodie I had. In Real Life it was a zip-up bright green one whereas all my usual ones were dark colors. Sorry, but this one is blue. One of my many Disney t-shirts capped the outfit. Jewelry? I owned one necklace and no earrings. Since people could grab you by the necklace, I almost never wore it.

The photographer often commented "I'm glad you unzipped your jacket" while constantly leering at my chest and trying to take a few shots with my torso showing. One of his really nice Broncolor lights met an untimely death "by accident" while I was zipping my hoodie on my way off the auditorium stage where the pix were being taken. Oops. Maybe the most expensive leering he's done, I'm sure. At least he didn't cop a feel or I would have heard what a Mamiya 645 sounded like when hitting the hardwood.

Second Life should have a yearbook because every Profile photo is a special statement. Sometime when you are bored, perv some profiles and I think you'l agree.

*Read through the blog a bit and you'll learn about this.

Santa, Ever, and That Poem

While I was walking back from the Real Life pharmacy it seems that I missed another visit by Santa to Bay City but a reporter for The Post was hot on the jolly old elf's trail and posted the appearance (original here) at Ever Dreamscape's memorial in Bay City - Dennis (SLurl), giving the big guy some private time.

Readers of this blog probably remember that Christmas 2013 was Ever's last with her friends and family in Our World and in Real Life so they probably can imagine that this holiday season is that much less festive without her. It was also last year that Ever let me post a copy of her special adaptation of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clarke Moore. I ran across it the other day and thought of sending a copy to the Bay City Alliance group (and still might) but after talking with a few people I thought it would be okay to freshen Ever's work a little to reflect the changes in Second Life over the last year. So here goes ...

A Visit from St. Ebbe 

Twas the night before Christmas and all thro' the lot,
Not a creature on radar not even a bot.
The stockings were rezzed by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Ebbe soon would be there.
The moles were nestled all snug in their dens,
While visions of mesh danc'd in their heads.

 My alt, who was ruthed, and I in bald cap,
Were just logging off for a long restart's nap.
When out on the sculpty lawn there arose such a clatter,
I stood from my totally G-rated bed (“honest”) to see who was griefing with pixellated matter!

Away to the teleport I flew like a flash,
Clicked on my mini map, and waited to crash.
I turned up my draw distance and opened an AR,
With graphics on high I could really cam far.
When what to my V3.67891-2a did soon rez,
But a sleigh full of prims and eight noobs (one wearing a fez)

With a prim-endowed driver, probably named Luv4Debbie,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Ebbe.
More rabid than vampires his coursers they came,
And he gestured, and shouted, and call'd them by name:
"Now! dasher101 now! dancer22 now! prancertheromancer13 and hotchickvixen24
"On! cometcutie92 on! cupid4U69 on! donder95 and blitzenishawt;

"To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
"Now animate! Animate! Animate all!"
So up to the skybox the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of premium gifts — and St. Ebbe too:
And then in a frame, I heard on the roof
The freebie clicky heels of each little goof.
As I opened my pan zoom, and was camming around,
Down the teleport St. Ebbe rezzed with a bound:

A new shopping bag was rezzed on his head,
And he look'd like a newbie confused and full of dread:
He was skinny and tall, sliders raised to the max,
And I activated my laugh gesture, then waited for rez of my new mesh slacks;
A wink of his eye, wow he must have a face animation
Made me wonder if I 'd be better off gaming on Playstation.

Not a chat or IM, he went straight to his work,
And rezzed freebie crap all over; wow what a jerk,
And after his avatar had seemingly froze
He walked into a wall, then up the teleport he rose.
He sat on his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew, like the down of a thistle:
But I then heard him shout, ere he drove off the sim,
"Happy Second Life to all, don't leave for Skyrim!"

Best of the season to everyone from The Poultry Report. Treasure your family and friends as they are they best gift you can ever receive in any world.

My Blog Stats - November 2014

The renowned Daniel Voyager often publishes his blog stats so I thought I'd give mine a whirl. Here goes, for what it is worth ...

From this data it appears I'm popular with Russians, Brits, and vampires that like bikinis and boobs. Is this how Woodward and Bernstein started?

Meauxle Bureaux

Every Autumn the monarch butterflies flock to Mexico, but where to moles go? I don't know, unless they are Linden Department of Public Works (LDPW) Moles. They go to Meauxle Bureaux (SLurl), a fun region where each Mole has a home (and Abnor Mole has a pub). Intrepid Poultry Report correspondent Zyx Flux explored and sent these pictures (Click to embiggen or see them on Flickr).

(SLurl) A broad area with a fountain and reflecting pool separates the main building from a lovely park. Adorable vendor stalls add to the festival atmosphere that fills the little town. It would be quite daunting for a little pixy (I'm at the bottom, center) but Moles are friendly folk so how scary could their town be?

Sadly, none of these lovely flowers were really for sale. Nor were any of the items in the other vendor stalls, but you could borrow a bicycle to explore Meauxle Bureaux.

The park looking West from the fountain area. That may look like a portal that you might see on Linden Portal park (SLurl) but it isn't. Still magical, though, like the rest of the park.

The main building (it must have a name, but I can't find it) looks a bit like the Moles are still moving in, but you can see the magic already. Click some of the pictures for landmarks to some great LDPW builds (like The Cornfield!). An upper gallery has portraits of some beloved Moles you should know.

Little pixy; Big tavern. Abnor Mole's "home" is a warm and inviting public Public House. You can play billiards or "Cards Against Humanity," watch television, or just hang out. Plenty of comfy seats and lots of great Mole pix add to the atmosphere.

Some homes are occupied already, like this choice end unity that Garden Mole claimed, but some are still empty. I look forward to returning often to see the creativity that each of these master builders add to their space.

Explore everywhere, try different Windlight settings, and take lots of pictures. There is so much to see and you might even meet a Mole or two. Try to find Michael "It's good to be the King" Linden's house.

Zyx sent so many pictures, quite a few blurry from a shaking camera or repeats of several scenes. It's quite obvious she is very excited about the new Mole homes and meeting Frost Mole (see here) like I did yesterday (see here). Yesterday I gave some LDPW Mole Fan Club t-shirts to Frost and Abnor and Zyx gave a petite-sized one to Frost. You can get copies of the shirt at the Arboretum in Bay City (SLurl) and use Search to join the group (free!).

Women in Games

From left-to-right, coverage from iMore, Gameranx, and Circa.

Maybe I'm not helping the stereotype many males (and some women) have about women and gaming. Maybe I should help more.

The other day I closed the Topless Tuesday in SL Flickr group. My intent behind TTiSL was to challenge the right of male avatars in Second Life to bare torsos anywhere they wish while female avatars must remain fully-clothed in many places. Considering the number of frankly pornographic images – usually of submissive women and dominant men – regular sent to the TTiSL Flickr group queue and the general disregard for the group's other standards, I felt it was time to give up.

Bare boobs. Right. What was I thinking? As some of my first thoughts when I see a nude or partially nude woman are often less than pure I'm likely at least partially guilty, as well. Like many people, my first thoughts are seldom "My, she's brave and empowered" when I see a lovely pair of breasts.

Second Life is not a game. The gaming industry is not a game. This is all Real Life, people. What we do in-world and at our keyboards and out in Meatspace shows who we are. The relative anonymity of social media and assumed roles in on-line activities are weapons. Sadly, many mis-guided and selfish misogynistic individuals (and some women can wear this description) wield these weapons to hurt others. It is an easy means to get quick attention and praise from the like-minded and thus gives a quick sense of satisfaction and self actualization – both false – without revealing the truth that such actions are cowardly and pathetic. One needs real strength to aim these weapons to dispel myths and falsehoods, a strength that so few seem to exercise.

So it is time I step up my game, so to speak.

Brianna Wu fights back.

First, I don't apologize for the nudity on this blog or on my Flickr feed. I have breasts in SL and in RL. I like them. Others like them, too. Deal with it. They don't define me, though, and mature people should not use them as a measure of who I am. These pix have been the easy way out, in a fashion, of participating in Our World and moving forward, that is no more. I will increase my efforts to write on a variety of topics starting right now.

Second, time has come to get back to being active in Second Life. Anyone can put on a bikini (or take one off) and lay on a beach. It takes a Resident to leave the beach (and dress in accordance with ToS).

Third, though likely not last, it is time I stop being a girl in a game and grow up to be a woman that has Game. That'll help, right?

Topless Tuesday FX

Unable to come up with anything truly creative, I shot a simple image in-world and tossed it to my iPad for editing in a new app I bought, Tangled FX. You might know the images that come from this app – wistfully whiskery like this lion at left. How the software works I don't know, but you'd think the uses would be pretty limited, but if you play with the controls and have some patience, you can get something different from what most folks buy the app to do. Like my picture above. Less whiskery but certainly different from the original (shown below).

Three-point lighting thanks to some projector prims in an all black studio and a simple pose from somewhere in my collection. Details, details, details. This is why I'll never be a serious fashion photographer, right?

Look for more Topless Tuesday pictures on Flickr here and check out a great use of the Tangled FX app by Andy Ihnatko here. The SVphotography Blog is another great source for cool pictures with this app.

The Ancient Greek Regions

It all started with a post by The Lab on the profile feed ...

See the original post here.

So I sent a Poultry Report staff photographer out to take some pictures around the Sea of Fables and here's what she sent back ...

Sea of Fables - Bohol (SLurl)
A quaint little village with houses anyone may use (great as changing rooms).

Hera's Island - Sargasso (SLurl)
Silent Mole's 101 LI tribute to the goddess Hera in her apple garden.

Bacchus Island - Baffin (SLurl)
Atlas with his burden overlooks Hercules about to battle Ladon in the Garden of the Hesperides.
Near by is the old Teen Grid Transfer Station, the last stop before "graduating" to the Main Grid.

These are just three places in the Greek Isle regions, a former part of the old Teen Grid, but now accessible to all explorers. Sailing is encouraged – there's a timed course, actually, and a Rez Zone on Hephaestus Isle (SLurl) – and numerous islands to explore. Brush up on your Greek mythology and history or just have some fun. You might even explore the Labyrinth (SLurl) if you dare. It is one of the most ambitious builds of classic Second Life with a nice reward at the end. If you like the village in Bohol, visit Posiedon Island - Celebes (SLurl), a place familiar with those who have tried The Grid Hunt (AKA The Magellan Hunt; SLurl).

Don't forget to thank a mole from the Linden Department of Works when you see them for the Greek Isles and the numerous other LDPW builds dotted around Our World. Plenty of private islands are featured by The Lab in social media but the workhorses (workmoles?) of the community make sure there are plenty of great but under-promoted places to visit.

Etv @ the Arboretum

One of the fun uses of MySecondLife.com is to quickly tell a story. If you saw these photos below posted on the site today, though, you would have seen them out of sequence. That is a frequent bug of late but at least the service is working.

Am I on?

Where are you pointing that thing?

(*whispers* in three ... two) A new exhibit at the Bay City Arboretum of Rather Atypical Vegetation has some residents worried. A new plant frightening in appareance is outside the main entrance.

So I asked the plant, who identified himself as Phil O'Dendren, "Are you, ineed, dangerous?"

Reporting from the Arboretum in Bay City - Dennis for Etv News, this ..... erggffff

(silence)

How Do I Love Thee?

One of the less truly useful features of the My Second Life microblog is the "Love" option on each post. What does it really mean? Maybe if I used MyFace or FacePlace or something like that I'd be able to answer my own question. Perhaps I should explain how I use the "Love" option.

Take this post (shown above) by ZZ Bottom (AKA Foneco Zuzu) from the Live Stage at SL11B (SLurl) featuring staff member Ruby Vandyke. I clicked "Love" because I know Ruby. She's not a close friend. She's not even on my Friend list. But we've talked often during the Second Life Birthday so I liked the picture. If "Like" had been an option then, yes, I would have clicked that. Strength of feeling doesn't usually matter when I "Love" a post or not.

My usual criteria to click "Love" are ...

... do I know the subject?
... is it a really nice picture?
... is Toples Tuesday the topic?
... exploration pictures would rate "Very Loved" if that was an option.

What sorts of posts do I NOT "Love"? Generally, serial pictures of people at parties or events or dancing. Posts that are likely controversial and I'd rather not be in the way of constant "Someone replied ..." notices tend to go un-Loved.

I certainly don't expect people to "Love" my posts unless they really want to do so. There are a few who I know don't "Love" my Topless Tuesday pix and I understand their reasons. Fine. Not a problem. I'd rather have a discussion going on a post than see a "Love" notice. That tells me that people are more involved in what I post. Yes, I'm guilty of not doing that myself, but I'm working on it.

Topless Tuesday Again?!?

Yes, it seems all I do is blog about Topless Tuesday.  I've blogged nothing since last Tuesday (though the pic from then was highlighted on Busted Magazine's blog) but it wasn't from lack of trying. Okay, it was partly from lack of trying. But I've started a semi-secret job at Second Life's 11th Birthday (SL11B) and pix are under an embargo right now. That also means that a chunk of my otherwise free time has been taken up so I have less time to ...

Who am I kidding. I'm lazy. Here's your picture:

Click to embiggen or see other sizes and more pix from other Topless Tuesday revelers on Flickr.

A Model for My Second Life

Just yesterday esteemed Resident Vick Forcella pointed out on MySL that according to a Grid Status report the Profile feeds are undergoing maintenance and he further notes that this notice was opened in September 2013 but has never been closed. This probably means that someone forgot to update the status of this post. Regular watchers of the Grid Status page will tell you that other instances of maintenance on my.secondlife.com have been opened and closed since giving credence to the idea of a forgotten post.

Or maybe it never was closed for a reason. Perhaps MySL is dead and we haven't been notified of it, another in a long line of projects started and abandoned. "The Feed" was born from the Avatars United purchase by M Linden then Rodvik Linden killed it by "gutting the team" as a friend in the know put it last night.

The Feed no longer needs maintenance. It is beyond that. The system needs to be replaced. I'm not a programmer, but I did find a model that would might work.

Or at least some of the features in the iOS 8  flavor of iMessages should be adopted. And I have some other suggestions (please add yours in the comments).

• Tired of receiving a generic Notification every time anyone responds to an unidentified thread? You should be able to opt out of a thread's Notifications without going through entry-by-entry deleting your contributions.
• Attachments and in-line preview of same. I would say that almost a quarter of the messages I see posted have a link to YouTube but I really hate clicking on said links unless I have an idea (other than "oh, another moody song") of what to expect. Other residents post links to Flickr or Snapzilla or Marketplace pages. 
• Why does clicking the Visit Location link on a post generate another browser tab/window? Just have it pop up in the Viewer (if it is running) or as an in-line map (if the Viewer isn't running).

This isn't a call for something dramatic like file sharing (but imagine being able to post your custom Windlight file for all to use!) or a stand-alone application for just messaging (might as well just buy Plurk if that's gonna happen). This is a call for replacing a broken-beyond-hope system that was thoroughly inelegant to start with and improving the end experience in the process.

Fitted Mesh Meme

Thus far I've missed all the previous What’s your Digits? memes from Strawberry Singh. Not sure how I did it as I love the idea, but it happened nonetheless. What am I talking about?

Meme Instructions: Share your avatar’s digits and/or answer the following questions about Fitted Mesh and what you think the future holds for our Second Life avatars. If you decide to share your digits, feel free to add your image in the Digits Flickr Group.

Wracking My Braaaiinn for inspiration.

My Digits are dull. I use the so-called "Standard Mesh" shape in the medium size and I'm 6.09 feet (1.86m). My prim boobies skew the shape and my prim feet/hands don't matter in this respect. So skipping forward with the challenge at hand ...

1. What are your thoughts about Fitted mesh?
Many thoughts: A work in progress. I have far too many clothes as it is. The medium "Standard Mesh" shape is okay with me (an alt is a large and another is an extra small). If I need something to wear and it is "fitted" I might give it a try. Certainly in no rush.

2. Have you tried any of the new fitted mesh avatars released by Linden Lab? What do you think of them?
Yes, I have tried The Lab's new starter avatars and they certainly have some challenges, not the least of which is an automatic backlash from established Residents, a group well known to not just resist change, but to actively fight it. Very few of the clothes and none of the accessories (or items like hair) work well on traditional avatars without seriously reshaping the body. The surprise hit for SL photographers has been the pair of zombie avatars. Well made, versatile, and they look great with Advanced Lighting. Some of the most creative pictures I've seen in a while have included this gruesome twosome.

3. Have you tried any fitted mesh avatars/bodies created by residents?
Fitted mesh bodies for women seem to be popping up everywhere and almost every week I hear about a new one, but I have tried a demo of only one. Meh. Of course, the idea is still being fleshed out (if I may pun) so for an early effort I'd say it looked pretty good. I'm holding out for increased quality. In the meantime I have a lot of system layer clothes I still like to wear..

4. Have you tried a mesh head? What are your thoughts about mesh heads?
The SLink mesh head demo that I tried was of good quality, but even with changes in skin and makeup I couldn't personalize it enough to look like "me." Perhaps Second Life is on it's way to cookie cutter avatars like other virtual worlds have so standard faces will be the norm. Perhaps we need to wait for Avatar 3.0 or the fall of Second Life to have avatars that don't need all these body attachments.

5. Do you foresee a lot of changes to our current Second Life avatars because of fitted mesh?
No, but then again I haven't given it much thought.

20 (More) Questions

Navel Gazing in the Tub

It was quite amusing when I saw that for this week's blog challenge meme, Strawberry Singh mentions the almost-required ASL (Age Sex Location)-type question when you meet someone at a club in Real Life because I've thought about that for a few days now. Many places in Second Life are just Internet Chat Rooms with 3D avatars – people standing around spouting gibberish all the while Instant Messaging others one-on-one with the inevitable ASL after the now standard "Nice avatar bb" comment. I well and truly don't like that environment so I am generally not one for "clubbing" regardless of venue. Sadly, this means I missed many opportunities to hang out with a dear friend who is no longer with us.

My regrettable loss.

Perhaps I need to get back into the Second Life social scene, getting past the too often annoying banter, pointless gesturbators, mindless programmed dance moves, and the personal IMs that I equate with someone texting me without permission. So let me plunge into these 20 Personal Questions (which, like previous such challenges, I'm doing without having read anyone's – not even Strawberry's – responses) like I'm being hit on at a disco.

Meme instructions: Answer the following 20 personal questions about your Second Life. Don’t forget to share a link to your post in the comments!

01: When and how did you discover Second Life?
About nine years ago an off-the-wall shrink thought she could use Second Life to help me overcome some phobias and work on social skills that said phobias kept me from developing. I landed on the Teen Grid and mostly holed up on one sim, flying around and looking at stuff only when others weren't around.

02: Did you know about virtual worlds before or was this your first experience with them?
I had read about virtual worlds – my father was a big Sci-Fi nut who collected pulp magazines – but hadn't tried one. We had free AOL accounts while I was growing up so I lurked in chatrooms picturing in my mind the endless scrolling lines of gibberish as them as real places.

03: Has Second Life met your expectations?
Having had no expectations, yes!

04: If you could teleport back to the first ten minutes of your avatar’s slife, what would you tell yourself?
"TAKE THE BLUE PILL!!" Oh? After I logged in? Kinda late to change pills at that point. Right. I'd tell myself to relax, go with the flow, and meet people. Learn to build sooner and really make an effort to script. Lastly, "Keep your frakin' Inventory organized from the start!!"

05: How long did it take you to master avatar flying and driving vehicles in world?
Has anyone really mastered driving vehicles? Some vehicles are better than others and I do well with most that have hulls or wings, but not those with wheels (an aunt told me "If it has testicles or tires, it will be trouble). Let's call it a work in progress. Flying just my avatar is something I relish and think I'm pretty good at. Two of my alts never take off their wings.

06: Do you have a mystery alt?
Who doesn't? I share two with my Real Life brother, a male and a female. We both contribute funds to upkeep and feel free to form them in any fashion we wish regardless of the other driver, but they are loners and will not engage in close relationships. We think of these as our "getaway" characters.

07: Is your SL avatar a reflection of you, or someone you wished you could be?
My primary character, Uccie (Uccello Poultry), is closer to my RL self than my other characters but each is such a part of me that they frequently show up on my blog, like the entry from May 9, 2014. No matter who I am at the time, each character is inconstant in both appearance and behavior, adhering tenuously at times to a basic form and function. Best is example is Uccie – I'm a redhead iRL and while my meatspace body is getting thicker as I get older Uccie's blonde-haired cyberspace body is still as perky as an 18-year old.

08: Is there an individual you met in SL that inspired you in your RL? How?
Yes, several. Threshin and Ever and Angela and Parker and Marianne and Alx and Katta and ... Holy Carp, there are so many. Each has pushed me and pulled me in different ways at different times such that I'm not the same person I was eight years ago when I first hit The Grid. I should have learned when Parker passed away in Real Life that I need to tell these people how much they mean to me but but that nugget of wisdom passed me. Now Ever is gone and I never explicitly told her. Talk about an inspiration.

09: Do you feel it is easier to create stronger bonds/relationships with people you meet inworld as opposed to the real world?
Yes, though I don't get out of the house iRL. Back in the day when my phobias kept me in the house that would have been true, too, but once circumstances are such that I am not home 24/7 I feel I could do fairly well in starting and building relationships. The ready free-form nature of Second Life characters (I keep using that term, don't I?)* can easily lead one to be disingenuous.

10: Did you ever imagine or believe people could fall in love with someone they never met before Second Life?
Yes. Anything is possible, right? The Amish have a saying: "Kissin' don't last but cookin' do," meaning that what matters most the caring, emotional aspect of a relationship. Perfect example? Damien Fate and Wahsu Zebrastripe. They met in SL, fell in love, married in Real Life, and produced Baby Linden (read about it here).

11: How has your perspective of dating changed (or not) since you started playing second life?
No, not really. Then again, my SL relationship with Angela is pretty open and I don't date in Real Life.

12: How has your perspective of employment changed (or not) since you started playing Second Life?
Not employed in either world. Well, iRL I live with my step-mother as her home care aide, drawing no salary. So I work, just not in the traditional sense.

13: Name three things in both your lives that overlap each other significantly.
For one, my Real Life fashion sense has expanded since living in Second Life. I've gone from wearing the most nondescript outfits possible so people don't notice me to wearing brightly colored Crocs and hospital scrubs and even shorts and tank tops. Not all at once. I'm not that fashion-impaired.

For another, my musical tastes have grown in both worlds thanks to the DJs I know in-world.

A third? Can't really think of one. Sorry. There might be one.

14: If you could live your life more immersively in a virtual world, would you? (Kind of like the Matrix.)
Yes. What comes to mind is actually being able to speak iSL ... being able to Sign at my computer and have my avatar speak as if I wasn't a Mute iRL.

15: How do you think behavior changes for people if they’re inworld vs in real world? Why do you think that is?
Anonymity in-world means that people's natural tendencies can be magnified – a troll is a troll; a griefer is a griefer – or they can explore various aspects of themselves. It is easy to think "oh, that's a guy playing a woman," but it may be true for reasons that belie your first impression. There are a number of gay men and women that use avatars to explore their feelings or trans-gender individuals that acclimate to their choice via Second Life. Think about Furries. Holy Carp! Think of the children!!

16: How has second life consumerism changed your perception of spending habits, the value of money, the need to be “bleeding edge” with fashion?
It is not uncommon for me to make bad shopping decisions in either world. Search my blog for the word "closet" and you'll see I don't really understand fashion, but Second Life is helping me learn about it.

17: Do you think virtual worlds like SL drive and redefine human interaction or do they narrow and limit it?
Any limits one finds in Second Life are user-imposed. Well, there are certain software/hardware-imposed limits, but generally speaking, SL is a wide-open frontier. People have dragged Real Life conventions with them ... shopping malls, discos, lecture halls, homes, etc.. The Na'vi role play regions that popped up after the movie Avatar hit theaters? Still totally derivative. People say they want something different but they seldom strive for it.

18: If technology progressed tomorrow to allow you to send emotions to people the way you’d send text or voice messages, would it enrich your SL experience or infringe on it?
That certainly sounds dangerous and that makes it very attractive. I'd say that ability would enrich the experience, but with the caveat that it could be abused and misused. Some people can't handle drinking, others can't handle gambling, and I bet there are some that would have a lot of trouble with emotional transference (more than is possible now) such as you suggest.

19: Name three skills you attribute to having learned or honed in Second Life alone.
My writing has the added dimension of better dialogue and character depth.

Editing images and graphics electronically was a little-developed skill of mine before SL.

Um .... a third? Why do you always insist on a third?

20: If your grand kids googled your Second Life Avatar’s name, would they be intrigued, disgusted, proud, or something else?
This is why Uccello will always be a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma, stuffed inside an avatar. She's the Turducken of virtual personalities.

About ASL ... that is how this 26-year old woman living in New England speaks in Real Life.

#  #  #

* In virtual spaces characters are the combination of avatar (appearance) and the personality they manifest (behavior). One could assert the same applies to meatspace as well. When I'm in my one nice dress with grown-up shoes I'm probably at a funeral or a wedding so my behavior reflects the circumstance. When I'm in hospital scrubs and wearing my neko ears and tail ... you get the idea. If you are going to a Goth club, you don't dress like like Snow White, right?

Alien Conspiracy Continues

Sunrise at a mysterious monument in Luna Point, SL.

Luna Point, SL (SLurl) - Another wreck of an alien space craft was discovered today in Luna Point, SL near a mysterious monument and local sea life has been affected. Reporter Uccie Poultry used a submarine from The Report's fleet to investigate.

Regular readers of this blog should be familiar with The Poultry Report's pointless obsession on-going investigation of aliens from other (virtual?) worlds visiting Second Life and the conspiracy of the Linden Department of Public Works (LDPW) to co-opt alien technology for unknown and possibly nefarious purposes. If you aren't aware of this extensive coverage, click here to catch up with the rest of us.

The downed spacecraft, pictured above through the front port of the submarine, bears a striking resemblance to the spacecraft at a no-longer-secret LDPW space launch facility in Mare Secundus (SLurl) and another wreck in Gaigano (SLurl).

As seen in the following images, the presence of the alien technology is affecting the local wildlife (as mentioned earlier, if you had really been paying attention).

Cubes are sprouting tentacles and losing their natural plywoody coloration

Octopi and other creatures are taking on un-natural hues and behaviors. 

Beware the cave. Approach only when the inhabitants are asleep (you can tell by the eyes).

Continuing efforts to elicit comments from Governor Linden and Michael Linden (King Mole at the LDPW) will ... er ... continue.

The Hue & Cry of Color

This week's blog meme challenge from Strawberry Singh, "Color Meme," seemed easy at first.  How hard could it be to follow do as she requests?

Meme instructions: Blog a picture of your favorite color or a variety of colors that you like. Don’t forget to leave a link to your post in the comments and share your picture in the Blog Memes Flickr Group.

But when you like rainbows, how do you pick a color or a variety of them? My first thought was to take a picture of me in my rainbow bikini. Too obvious. Or in one of my other rainbow outfits. Still obvious. Then I remembered a dream from last night that was so real. I was my dusky blue pixy Zyx but the setting was Real Life. O M Goodness that was fun! Flying while looking pretty fly, turning heads but holding off inappropriate advances with a deathly stare, and generally reveling in my blue pixiness.

So into Second Life I bounded as soon as I could to take a picture. Out came my favorite silks, touched up my ear shading, and stopped cold when it came to a background. Discarding Zyx's usually haunts I took her to The Faerie Court at the Fantasy Faire (Slurl) where I could get some color in the background. Working with my Animation Override for live poses, fighting the lag that Advanced Lighting gives, and timing it all to work with the shifting colors of Elico Ember's marvelous build, my shooting ratio hit 10:1 so I gave up and picked the one above.

Yes, blue is a favorite right now, but give me a few minutes. That will change.