Torley Lives

If this were a manual typewriter, I'd have a harder time going at it, but it's not, so onwards ho (and not of the streetwalking kind either)! I've been trying to catch up on mah email backlog, so if you haven't been replied to yet, please pardon me. Similar situation goes for my inworld explorations. If I don't reply to your IMs quickly and if I'm actually at the keys,?it's likely because I am not multitasking as well as I should.?I have many?destinations with fascinating people?to explore in my daily journeys through the gridverse — half-planned, half-spontaneous — and a lot to catch up on. One avatar can only do so much. For?this, I also bid your pardon. I say thankee.

To let ya know, I've become accustomed to dropping the abbrev. "RL" and using "OL" instead, meaning "Offline Life". For what is Second Life to me? It is REAL.?I refer not to the fantastic aspects of gun-toting, watermelon-rezzing, bad-driving fun, but rather: the very real intercourse (hehe) of people's thoughts + feelings connecting?through the network. I roleplay some obvious things — I'm not really a timetraveller, and I'm not really as snarky as I might sometimes come off (semi-jesting on that, sai). But, when I'm talking to you, that's really me talking to you. I could elaborate, but simple 'n' clean is the way I'll put it, fresh like lemonlime watermelon soapsuds sparkling up the new dish of the day.

I am me, and that's all I can be.

Will my feelings be hurt if you bash my nonexistent builds? Prolly. Will I smile if you tell me a joke that I can actually decipher? Probability, yes. I just hope that if you've made me laugh, that I can amuse you too. Humor's at best a multidirectional street, full of enjoyment for both or more parties involved. Second Life has more than its fair share of humor, and while I don't really think laughter is the best medicine, it's a potent punch to the sinuses when you chortle and snortle your way out of the end of a sucky day. I believe SL can be helpful therapy in this day — nuffin' like seeing something absolutely ridiculous (and not altogether offensive to the self) rezzed in a sandbox or other location, and breaking into a wide grin. When I say "LOL", I actually am doing that most of the time. (It may have to come as surprise to ya that I was not so good-humored as a childe, oy… I'm making up for it.)

(Any rumors of rampancy and/or rampancy WILL be plausibly denied. For now. )

The Linden family is working intense days – as asset server shiznit is gonna be worked on in the morn. As Haney sez: "Second Life will be down Wednesday, December 22, from 6 AM PT to 10 AM PT for maintenance of the asset server."?I hear their Christmas break may be shortened for the benefit of us, alas, so my heart goes out to them for their most excellent efforts in keeping the grid up-and-flying. here's a pic of me, getting sucked into yet another TP gone wrong and sent to a type of phantom zone:

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One prob of several that must be challenged! I'm also experiencing a strange rezlag that makes objects appear long after I've actually dragged them inworld, and severe attachment lost at times. I may have taken a fancy to donning a blindfold, but that does not change the fact that I have?high hopes?my broken profile?gets fixey — I can still see that. But…

Do I see Second Life as a game? Yes, but not just. Like I've said many a time before, I tend to be an AND person, not an OR person, and when I can sample the whole kinky buffet and come back for seconds and even thirds, that's where I wanna be.

And just remember: I'm really Jade Lily's alt.

I have gone on a great many adventures in my last few days of Second Life.

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• This fantastic seating device is a hybrid chair-aerial vehicle. It started out as furniture that Nephilaine Protagonist (informally, 'Laine) designed for the Second Life Public Library, and with her graciousness and the power of Rickard Roentgen's scripting, has become my personal throne for deploying neon watermelon joy. In the background you can see a rezmap created by Strife Onizuka — quite the thing to watch when the 3.5 m^2 tiles are arranging into formation.
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• Ben Linden's fishing game is finally finished –?at least, in a playable state.?It is a devilishly tricky game, in part because the infodisplays aren't in a constant position as you mouselook (I wish SL had a better way to overcome that for the purposes of games-in-within-a-game, vehicles, and more). See if you can name who's who here. Hint: the fellow in the chair?is taking a break from?Gigas WebShop
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• I was happy to attend the marriage of Willow Zander and Fred Extraordinaire.?Madiera Westerburg, dear Gramma, in the background officiating. Even in the cold winters it is a wonder that the warmest of love can be found, and I wish this couple much happy lovin' and ubersl00tiness. Speaking of, Willow now has a dedicated sim called — appropriately enough — Slootsville.
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• The girl with the orange hair is Ryntha Suavage. I got to know Ryn through Aimee as we were gettin' all *PREEN* — forthcoming winter line, more later! –?and I think she's a real creative talent to watch for. I like her style and her attitude, and heck, she just posted about some of her new works. People like her inspire me to explore more.
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• I am sitting next to quite the trio. From left to right: Jai Nomad, Siggy Romulus, and Trimming Hedges. If you're wondering why we appear to be cut out of different cookies, it's because we are.
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• Lights of the world, faded but never forgotten! This is Fleabite Beach's new memorial on Darko & Paris Cellardoor's land in Plum. It's currently being built as a testament in honor of lost loved ones. The lamp you see here is a physical manifestation of a childhood fantasy of mine: I once dreamed of having a gigantic light to climb up on and dance on the top. Now, I have no excuses. Or, had — it was temporarily rezzed and has since been returned to my Inv. Although, I do think the final structure would be beautiful with some shining lanterns or soft overhead display so that it'll all glow… virtual light.
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• Here, Angelina Neva and I are looking at Robin Soujourner's gingerbread houses at Practical Magic Ganymede (194, 222). I was very pleased to find how detailed and yummy they looked. In other words, the very antithesis of a one-prim, low-qual texture job.?Efficiency?is one thing — scrumtrilescence is another!
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• Hank Ramos,?David Fate, and Richard Stern have?got a good thing going in a new Living Cities project in the Phobos sim. Looking at the appearance of this transport, I don't think it's quite finished (the seats look oddly chalky and blocky) but it's a fun ride around. It even goes underground, with opening circley portal thingies! I like rides like this because you can have a tour of a place and chat with friends without having to stop to navigate (hesitating and breaking the flow).
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• AnneDroid Lily, also exploring, comes to visit me as I climb Steller Sunshine's beanstalk. A real challenge it was — several hours passed and I was unable to make it to the top without falling. Steller called out words of encouragement from the top, but I never got to see her "in person" ("in alien"?) at the time. A note: if you are a tall avatar,?the spiral path at the top seems to make it an improbable task to climb your way around, 'cuz your bod will get wedged between the levels. While I did not successfully complete the challenge, I stalked away from this particular stalk with one very important lesson. One which cannot be described in words. So, I'll just say: EEEEEEEEEEEE!
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• Ah, it's about time something fun happened in Jessie for me. This pic?doesn't show it, but I'll describe:?each and every previous time I'd been here, the notorious "warzone" had been as peaceful and quiet as Waterhead or Zermatt (politics not included ). But yesterday, when I took a jaunt there with Artemis Fate, we were promptly accosted by a newbie armed with scads of open-source weapons and wearing a cyanesque blouse. I believe he was more shocked at us observing that fact casually than any of the many deaths he experienced: by gunfire, by killer-box-turret, by being suffocated in a giant watermelon sphere, etc. In a certain connection: it was Art who was responsible for introducing Ryn to SL. I encourage newbies bearing arms to use them in Jessie when appropriate, thus avoiding stumbling down the dark path of common sandbox GREEFER KIN. Welcome to Second Life, I say!
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• A revisit to the Island Sandbox in the wee hours, where I like to go free and unwind.?Seated next to me is Cid Jacobs, an avid reader of my blog — I say thankya –?who remarked that time dilation dropped to .6 as my new field of watermelon dreams grew. Thanks to Ananda Sandgrain and Alan Palmerstone for contributing the newest pieces to my lypopene-saturated collection.
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• The zany creations of my cat sis Flea. A fun collection ranging from cat paws to… er… cats with their paws up to… umm… seats with cat prints to… ahhh… giant fish that a cat (or many cats) could conceivably consume. That, and the cheap hotel sign. BTW, that tree in the background is 400-odd prims. Note what happened to me… it could happen to you!
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BONUS PICCIE
I suppose there's something to be said for good taste. Literally.
Come to the House of Pain, where you can be a cenobite-into-watermelons like me! *grins*

Dear Linden Family,

First off, I'm not even sure what the designated purpose of an "open letter" is — but heck, it sounded like a good idea at the time to say something and somethings publicly. Half of this is planned — the other half is totally off-the-cuff-say-what-I'm-feeling-right-now-hot-spontaneous-action. So here goes!!

The holiday season rapidly approaches. Not that it necessarily has anything to do with this, but it could, because holidays are intertwined with SSP — the Spark, Spirit, & Passion that comes with celebration. And I have said before that I am very much "in celebration of Second Life". And I still am, even MORESO.

Lindens, you have put so much work & play into Second Life. Alt-guessing games of former Residents aside, it is absolutely wonderful to know how involved you are with the world, despite how busy you are kept fixing bugs, adding new features, consuming vast quantities of pizzastuffs, etc. The whole story never gets told, and there's a lot going on behind-the-scenes (behind-the-machines?), but what is known is that Second Life is surprisingly functional for a product that should really not even work at all, if you think about it — and is made even more unique because you Lindens actually come inworld on a regular basis to help us out, "face-to-face". I dislike generic, robotic tech "support", so it's sweet to know that you're actually traversing the gridverse, as well as the forums (and the IRC chan too, from what I hear ).

Even with the problems I've experienced at present — I won't be redundant and repeat them here,?'cuz I know you're working on them :)?– it is still a modern miracle to me how Second Lives are lived, and how we can connect across the globe, from Austria to Australia to China, all the way back to the US of A in San Fran. We're connected around the world; and through this emotional technology, we become more human, learning more about each other, learning more about ourselves.

It's been a real yayzerama meeting you Lindens?inworld. Even though I've only been in SL for a relatively brief period, I already have my fair share of exciting meet-the-Linden stories to tell. OMG!!! WHAT A TRIP!!! Like the time Bub said some stuff to me regarding a Saedaku Flamebringer, which if I reprinted here, would violate the Big Six. Oh well, he can sure pole dance. And watching Char build the new stage in Brampton! That was a real treat, 'cuz I used to think you simply rezzed one out of your Inv., but this was like, handcrafted arrangement! I went all LOLy-poly when Cory turned into the sun (with cloudrain!) at a recent Town Hall. And Jeska getting a makeover? Classic. Or how about the time Sabin played a jovial game of "Guess the Linden alt!" in the Welcome Area. (No prizes were awarded that day, but was still fun. ) Aaand Hamlet… how could I forget dear Ham! The exhuberantly jovial?journalist whose NWN is as present here as solid steel is?on a skyscraper. *waves*

And this extends to more serious issues, like:?the time Jill saved me with a magic teleport so I could move my avy limbs around again; Nova coming to my rescue in the sandbox when some misbegotten greefer was setting off firebombs; and Robin taking care of technical difficulties at the SL Public Library.

And speaking of the library, that's where I met my love, Jadey (formally known as Jade Lily, and maybe formerly known as that as well ). She is so adorable, and sweet, and an amazing human being. I LOVE MY JADEY! <3 If I had never come to Second Life, I never would have met her. And long before my rezday, 2004.11.11 for Torley Jr., she had already?contributed to?Second Life?in so many ways!?I treasure Jadey, she's PuRe MaGiC! I didn't expect this?– Partnering –?to happen to me when I first entered the world all?shiny (!) and nu, but life happens — Second Life happens. People connect here. They really do.

In case it isn't obvious yet (I do have a problem with?the obvious), I?value SL on?many levels. It's like some big-ass pyramid that spins arounds and then extends into the 4th dimension. Like a tesseract, but kewler. And with multimedia, that blasted keyword of the early 90s! I have made so many friends here — oh my, that list continues to grow…

<1ST LIFE>
The story of how I came to SL is a synchronicitous one, involving many things happening at the right time AND place — including cyberspace! Back in May '04, I got hyperacusis from a noise-related incident, and was unable to continue my profession of composing techno music. Growing increasingly depressed, I headed to the library to read the many books I never had a chance to because "I was too busy". Well, I didn't want to waste my 1st Life doing nothing. I caught up on a lot of the Stephen King and cyberpunk fiction I'd missed for ages, and in doing so, my imagination expanded, entertaining hopes for a brighter future. Of course, it was a lonely time — since reading a book isn't a terribly collaborative thing. Through a series of tangentially-related chain reactions that followed in the months to come, I found myself checking out info about this brave new world called "Second Life".?I was put off at first, reacting alarmingly to the?screenshots — which attracted yet repelled me at the same time, for how can fairytales come true? — not to mention to the fact I couldn't choose my real last name.?:p But I grew more inquisitive, and some evidence of my curiosity, such as this post at Ano's SLUniverse, still remains.

That curiosity, what a wonderful thing it is! I started to read about some creations that really piqued my interest, such as Fran and Launa's "Hug Attachment". I was like, "OMG! A game where you can hug people! That's rare!" Apparently, killing is common in MMOs, but where's the love? Continuing on, I prodded experienced Residents for more juice?via archaic?email;?they are now my good friends and I am honored to be in such company. Growing curioser and curioser until I swore that whiskers were peeking out of my cheeks, IT HIT ME. GUESS WHAT?!? I found out that the $9.95 for a Basic Account was ONE-TIME, not monthly! And a free 7-day trivial? Heck, give me some of that proverbial shiznit with a side order of Neon Watermelons.

Lindens, You know where I am?now.

I was also touched?because I have?Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, and I have met others with Asperger's inworld who are a great inspiration to me. Autism impairs social?interaction, so as you can gather, I've had numerous unfortunate experiences in the past involving miscommunication and a frustrating time with body language. That being said, self-improvement works wonders, and?gestures are a very edutational for me. (Text-only chat puts me to sleep.) I have learned much about communication and about the human condition in SL. So would I consider it to be of serious anthropological value too? Yupsureyabetcha.

About a fortnight ago, one loose thread that was tied up was the reading of Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash. As I understand it, it's an inspiration for Second Life, so I consider it recommended prerequisite reading. I actually wanted to read it before I ever heard of SL, but guess what? It was always at hold or otherwise unavailable at the library (funny, multiple copies of Neuromancer taunting me on the shelf). The time was ripe, and I got ahold of the novel, at LAST. I now understand more about what is happening here, and as best as I can describe it in words:?it was like taking an already?superpowered bullet train and accelerating it further through the circuits of spacetime?on some wild ubernitro. If I was getting high on life, my Second Life just got a whole lot higher. 'Nuff said.
</1ST LIFE>

It has occurred to me that putting a Second Life graphical logo to preface every post I've made in recent memory has become awfully redundant. So, I'm going to stop that. From now on, just assume what I'm writing about is Second Life, from my?respective perspective?– unless I say otherwise.

The first thing I'm wondering about is why the famous SL minigame, Prim Attack, doesn't have a high score table. You know, even in classic arcade games, they'd keep track of the Top 10 with three initials or whatever. Prim Attack has nuffin' so instead, there are threads like this to record players's achievements for quasiposterity (hopefully thread will not get wipey).

Second, the Welcome Area sometimes feels very cramped. Oh, it's spacious and open-air alright, but for those who want to sit, the benches are either taken and the restless standmingling begins. But WAIT! I propose a logical solution to this. More seating! And how? Bigger benches, of course. It's a simple, elegant solution that I believe both Godel, Kurt?and Gump, Forrest?would approve of.

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It was not too long ago in realtime (but perhaps longer in SLtime) that Fran and I travelled around to oldlands, and she told me stories of places I had never been to and never will, for they are gone. (Such is transience.) We took a jaunt to the Governor's Mansion in Clementina. Ah, there is talk of it falling apart and the need to preserve it is a vocal thing in the community, so a group has been formed just for this purpose. Some have?even encouraged a makeover of the abode — while this could be like a colorized Casablanca in the wrong hands, I am curious to see how this would turn out. After all, the original could be stored on the Linden servers so it could be reverted to, should things go horribly wrong.

The creator of the Mansion in the olden days of yore when building?codes were different?is Steller Sunshine, who is true to her name. Flawed analogies aside, let's just say that if SL citizens were like an everbuilding pyramid, she would be among the very first — if not the first — brick. And guess what? She's still around in SL.?Steller is?quite a character, and a few weeks ago, in fact,?we met up at her beanstalk.?Beaming out rays of warmth to me in her extraterrestrial avie, she recounted much glorious SL history to me. It was an honor to learn about the rich culture that had preceded me. I recommend that those new to this world spend time to immerse themselves in what has come before, so that they may effectively create what comes after. For the record, I have not climbed the beanstalk yet. But I plan to. Welsh (19, 109)

I warmly encourage you to come to the Chartreuse sim, where not only the trees are pretty, but the architecture is too. (That is, if you haven't already been there.) Wondrous things are being built by Nephilaine (aka "'Laine"), who gets mentioned a lot in my blog for good reason. I am here to highlight what I truely enjoy in Second Life, and her arched, unnamed (!) buildings are among my favorites. They, incidentally, are a fine example of something that was created recently but artistically represents what has come before. New in da Chartreuse hood, mah homies: EASELS. And oh yeah, my very own Neon Watermelon?pillow, Pixeldollz stylee! OMG!!! WHAT A TRIP!!!?That's such an epic angle: could it get any more fantareality in cyberspace?than that? Chartreuse (85, 33)

I have recently joined a group called Housebreakers (the actual group name has some weird-ass characters in it, but seek and ye shall find). Founded by Sky Zircon, our mission is to break into people's houses and party. Sound fun? Indeed it is. Meetings are spontaneous and antiostentatiously rowdy, with plenty of rezzing of… uh… familiar objects to go around. Our last party was at Jay Knox's crib, which in fact looks like it could belong in an MTV Cribs gallery. Or maybe this should be the new Governor's Mansion? Anyhoo, I encourage joining?the Housebreakers?if this sounds of interest to you. DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT GREEFER KIN. WE CLEAN UP AFTERWARDS, RESPEK!

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I, having inherited some degree of musical?talent from my father Torley Sr.,?like to play big organs. This, located in the newly-reopened Transylvania, would certain constitute such a beast. There is something desolate and lonely about this Wurlitzer. Maybe it needs to get married? Along with being part-cat and part-robot, I am part-vampire. I intend to be visiting more often in the not-too-distant future of our reality.

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Jadey and I have spent our first (formally Partnered)?month together. Yayzerama! I am happy. With Stromko and AnneDroid in the background, here she is making one of my fave faces of hers — the "I dunno" look. But of course she does! (Awwws, how adorable.) And then, there's a more recent snap which was just captured yesterday.?I love you, sweetie. <3

The adventures continue, but I need to rest. Here is moi, chillin' at club Gravity. Actually, that's not the complete story: I just look restful. truth is, I'm being bombarded by multiple IM windows from friends who are telling me to check out cool new stuff. Items are being dropped into my inventory, landmarks are being exchanged, and all the while, I'm learning to multitask and posting on the Forums to keep up with the latest but not necessarily the greates — in SL nus (my word for "news"). It never ends, does it?

… and for this, I am grateful.

Signing off for now,

Y(our) T(ruely*), T(orley) T(orgeson)

*intentional typo. Anyone can make mistakes, but not just anyone can make one on purpose.