I am repeatedly reminded on amicable terms to read the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. It's garnered much well-deserved press and praise over the last — well, it's been quite awhile — and I most recently saw the aforelinked article. I am aware that I can relate to the main character, Christopher, who has a difficult time relating to others and putting himself in their figurative shoes. While Asperger's Syndrome is not explicitly mentioned, Chris's (may I call him that?) eccentricities and personality are fundamental to how the story unfolds and is told. I think I was more like him when I was his age, though. Now, I have improved in regards to socialization, and hope to continue to do so. I still do not relate to a number of things, which I'll get to in a moment, but I really do feel excitement when some people are excited about some stuff. When I see someone in Second Life make an offhand Stephen King reference, for example, it really makes my day! In fact, it makes me wanna toot the Horn of Eld. 
I both love and hate techno music. This is a given, given my history of embracing contradictions. Some people apparently have a problem with this. I do not. It feels natural and very wholesome in a Brady Bunchesque way to me. On one foot, techno can be mind-numbing, repetitive, mechanical, full-frontal "machine music". Then again, that might why I like part of it. But not all of it. I also like to juxtapose, as I have mentioned before on several occasions. For example: taking that locked groove and improvising live sax (which apparently is part of the woodwind section of an orchestra) or even a jazzy piano riff over it. So you get both the robofunk and the anthrosoul, what some call "the best of both worlds" but perhaps that expression is too tired to even wake up. Or is it?
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Which brings me to expressions I don't really get, and doubt?I ever will. One is the anti-literalism of calling certain music "cheesy". I don't get it. I know of basic parameters that form such criteria, but beyond that, I don't relate to it at all. I like some death metal as much as I like the Hamsterdance or X trance anthem (clonetrancers are another story; they be damned), and besides, cheese can be part of a balanced breakfast. If I was going to compare music to food, I might have to go the Tom Green route and say something akin to "This song sounds like apples!" Or in my case, WATERMELONS. 
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That last emoticon brings me to another topic. I don't like live text chat a lot. I don't IM?devotedly apart from?Second Life, which I'll explain more in a sec. Forums may be a different situation, because it allows me some space to compose my thoughts + feelings and organize them out. I do enjoy spontaneity as well, and there is a time and a place for that. Emoticons help me a lot because I have enough trouble reading expressions and emotions in real life as it stands. So for me:
hi
is VERY different from
hi
is STILL different from
hi
I feel very uncomfortable with the way some people type and I can't explain it other than saying this. There isn't anything necessarily wrong, as each of us has and should have a personal style, but it's just not my way to communicate. I try not to read into the little sideways smilies too much but they do help, and I use them a lot myself. Also of cuteness are the horizontal variations like =^_^= which a lot of anime buffs apparently use.
I am facial recognition-impaired, and while I was in denial about this for the formative years of my life, I realize it's unhealthy and it'd be better for me to explain it to you instead of leaving you frustrated. There's specialized software called Gaining Face which I haven't tried, but is directed towards improvement of these skills. I have partially trained myself through… yes, you guessed it… emoticons. Also, RL trial-and-error has helped, and my experiences include some stories which were embarassing when they happened, but which are quite a delight to recall now.
One reason why I am enjoying Second Life is that part of the third-person perspective allows me to see how I am Gesturing to others. I am watching myself, in effect. In addition to text chat, you have this whole visual frame that is an analog for the way things would really be done on Terran soil and beyond, and you also have zany sound effects and voices for LOL and even?the rather infectious?hehehe that skilled waterfallex Toy LaFollette uses. You've got to hear it to believe it.
So, in short, Second Life gives me more "cues" to work with in interpreting others, and that's really helpful. I still try to give the benefit of a doubt and see how someone behaves over an extended portion of the spacetime continuum, but with some people, I get good vibrations right away. So if I appear confused, I most likely am. Please be gentle and use plenty of :) if you are happy!
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There's an article I haven't fully read yet, by Cory Ondrejka, who I haven't really met in SL yet (that I can recall). It's titled: "Aviators, Moguls, Fashionistas and Barons: Economics and Ownership in Second Life". It's looking good.
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Yesterday, shortly before logging off from SL, I met my first pair of twins in the simspace. They are Bethea and Jasmin Opel, and I bid them a warm welcome to Second Life. I was talking with Trinity Templar as I met them, and oddly enough, I wasn't tempted to crack a Matrix joke.
Nice to know cyberspace has blondes night out too!
Sometime previous, I enjoyed another beautifully virtual sunset. Note the architecture of this area. It's meant to be Asian in design and it is in fact an orientation area for those who wish to refresh their basic SL skills. Goshua Lament?first let me know about this during his balloon ride — it was pretty near to the Welcome Area but I missed it each and every time prior.
Later in the timeline, here I am talking to Beat Master Ace Cassidy about… his beats! He is the one who unleashed Tribal Drums onto Second Life. I am hoping that if it hasn't happened yet, someone with a lot of rage and anger in real life will be able to come here and bang on a virtual drum instead of smashing up a hotel room or hurting a fellow human being.
Even better, be a part of a drum circle with others, and realize that we can all let our problems out and channel them into creative expression!
