The Dream is real

Sneak peek: Summer Seale’s new “Summer” sim

Lots to say about this slideshow, but it’s late and I must turn in.  I’ll update later; for now, enjoy the show!

Burning Life: Let’s get it out on the table

Burning Life, the grid-wide celebration of unbridled* creativity, opened yesterday.  There’s a great unofficial Burning Life blog in addition to the official Linden Lab wiki/blog hybrid.  

I swung by last night to check out the fun and found that the section I explored resembled much of the welcome area and organization of the real Burning Man event.  I also stumbled across a creative build by AM Radio and chatted with both AM and his friend Astra (I’ll try to grab a snapshot later).

I would have spent more time there except, well, the lag was out of sight.  Perhaps not by 2006 standards, but definitely by 2008’s.  I just don’t have any interest in walking on the end of a rubber band…especially when I can enjoy plenty of pixellated creativity across the grid without such hassles.  

Hopefully things will lighten up later in the week (Burning Life is only open for 1 week – another brilliant move) and the sims will be passable.  I really want to see what’s there…much of it won’t be recreated after the event is over.

 

*Unless you’re Cheen Pitney.  Like we’re going to forget that one!

[UPDATE: Looks like I’m not the only one with this opinion!]

Blog Love: Shopping Cart Disco’s “SL Secret” series

Just like the Post Secret blog in RL, Shopping Cart Disco offers up “SL Secret,” a window into the culture, drama and souls behind the grid.  Each weekly entry offers up a handful of graphic “postcards” that say the things we’d never say in public…even the pixellated version of what stands for public in Second Life ™.  Here’s a sample entry:

 

from Shopping Cart Disco's "SL Secret" series

If you find this interesting, there’s a lot more where that came from.  Highly recommended!

Walkabout: AM Radio’s “Radio” at Welsh Lakes sim

It’s always a joy to see whatever AM Radio is up to. He’s taken the “radio” theme to its logical conclusion – a radio dish farm! Come check out the work of one of the finest builder/artists on the grid.
posted by Morris Vig on Welsh Lakes using a blogHUD : [blogHUD permalink]

Today, SL campus…tomorrow, the real thing

Yup, tomorrow I enroll in an “executive masters degree program” at Ohio University. First time back as a full-time student in 15 years. Wow….
posted by Morris Vig on OHIO Outreach using a blogHUD : [blogHUD permalink]

Moment of reflection

My day started by listening to the choirs at the memorial ceremony at the Pentagon. As I walked in to work, I saw a single American flag representing each innocent life lost on 9/11 was planted on the Statehouse lawn. It was haunting yet magnificent.

I’m ending it mulling over the tragedy of the World Trade Center. Today’s a day to reflect and pay tribute. Only SL lets me do so in such a vivid way.
posted by Morris Vig on New York NYC using a blogHUD : [blogHUD permalink]

Who knew?

With all of the “transformative changes” going on in my RL, it took an IM from Isolde Flamand to remind me that my rez day was 2 days ago.  Guess I’m already into another trip around the pixellated sun.  Incredible…

Transformative changes

Change is always difficult; I remember how I agonized when my change in RL circumstances forced me to close Oyster Bay and radically downshift my “second life.”  

Well, it’s gonna happen again.

I’m being forced to contemplate a couple tremendous changes in my RL…more on them as I choose to share.  Suffice to say that I have absolutely no idea what they will do to my lives – first or second.  Fortunately, I’ve kept my SL® existence pretty low-key recently, so I won’t have to force an unpleasant change of circumstances on those who I really do care about like I did last time.  

To my friends: Bear with me…I’m just surfing on top of the waves as they come crashing in…

The Rings – A new CARP/Diabolus inworld performance

[From Josina Burgess…reproduced verbatim]

Come as an avatar – leave as a human being. Dare you become Homo Sapiens V2.0?

The Rings is virtual reality’s first protest rock opera. It has grown over months from new forms of international artistic collaboration. The new show is created by the CARP/Diabolus team of international artists as a follow up to the successful The Wall. Music has been specially written and composed for the show. There are spectacular images and effects and a team of live performers.

The Rings celebrates the miracle of the Metaverse. It asks – is this where humanity can at last unite? Can we overcome the force that pushes us towards global destruction and blames victims for the pain they feel? It reminds us that we can be guided towards optimistic action by great humanists and philosophers.

The Premiere is Saturday 6 September
1 pm SLT (10pm CETS, 9pm BST).
2nd show at 2.30pm.

There will be regular performances on Fridays and Sundays at 2pm SLT. After some performances there will be Rings discussion circles, involving campaign organisations active in Second Life.

A new camera system has been developed to focus audience views in special scenes on closeups of the action.