Getting Back On The Horse

Woah, talk about stumbling...

I somehow got out of the swing of things with my regular posts. Gosh, I wonder how that could have happened? Well...

Life at the Studio as been in a bit of upheaval lately as I move between jobs. I just left my part-time gig and am getting ready to take on a full time week for the first time in a year. Now, I can hear some of you saying, "Oh, poooor you." A full time week is nothing new to me, not at all. However, a full time week with a wife also working full time, three kids, and one car is something else entirely different. I've been trying to get ready around here for the strain it will place on things during the week because its its unrealistic to think that it won't be stressful. I've also been reorganizing my work space, get sick, get well, and try to keep going with three kids.

Its a very odd experience to turn around and realize that two weeks have gone by. I don't like it, no sir.

One of the other things I have been trying to get organized is my affiliation to a color lab so I will be able to get prints of my work done. This led to me trying to organize my discs of photo collections and realizing that I need a DVD burner pretty badly. High rez digital images can eat up a lot of disc space real fast! Fortunately, I had the forethought of a decent organizational system. It will be odd to finally see my work on paper after spending so many hours looking at it on a monitor screen.

So, my apologies. Things appear to be getting back on track and I am sure you're salivating with the thought of all of my upcoming posts.

Embodiments, Part Two

Embodiments of Self is a series of posts begun in early February which feature a handful of avatars that, to me, have stood out from the crowd. Avatars in Second Life are a way to silently communicate certain aspects of yourself to others, whether you realize you are doing it or not. They are also an endless source of fun and entertainment.

I love collecting shots for the Embodiments posts. It forces me to really keep my eyes open to the amazing amount of work and thought that have gone into someone's avatar design. I also have to move pretty fast sometimes to get the shot I want since none of them, regardless of how they look, are intentionally posed. (A bit of my photojournalism days showing there.) Continuing the series of posts I started earlier this month, I present another small collection of cool avatars seen in my wanderings of Second Life.

First off, Coyote Momjii from some Caledonian wanderings. This avatar was one of the few that stunned me into absolute non-action for several minutes. I think I actually drooled a bit on the computer...

Following up that is Derry McTeague whom I saw at the "When Worlds Collide" show. I was struck by the beauty of her pale face and striking eyes.

And then, there was the avatar of Lady Smashcan. I loved the interplay of the name with the image of the punkish faery girl.

Enjoy!

What is "A Game?"

Just taking a quick moment to pass on a link.

Life of a Game

The article, coming off the Terra Nova site, continues commentary on the question, "Is it only a game?"

If you're interested in online game worlds and their interaction with the real world, I highly recommend the site Terra Nova. There is a lot of good level-headed thought going on there as well as many different forms of research aimed at the virtual world experience currently happening.

Intersections

My good friend and mentor in the real world was interviewed in Second Life last night as part of a real world/Second Life radio show called "When Worlds Collide." I took time off from the expedition to cheer Jesa Li on and give her my support through an hour long interview which touched on her large scale landscaping projects within Second Life, her writing, her in-world store, and the fact that she is 70 years old and in-world. (The last one being a bit of a rarity in the realm of virtual worlds but perhaps not as much as you might initially think.) Another thing the interview did was touch on a very important angle and opinion which Jesa and I share. This is that Second Life can be just as powerful as the real one, that your experiences in one world can encourage and empower the other.

The radio show is hosted by a real life and Second Life musician and entertainer, Cypress Rosewood, who played two tracks of his beautiful works with native american flute before the interview. "When Worlds Collide" is a weekly show, every Monday evening, which features a personal angle on what is happening within Second Life and is located in a large studio on the Land of the Masters in Jarag sim. It's sponsored by RadioFreeNashville.org. The show carried an audience of around twenty folks in-world and I am unsure of the audience out in real radio land. I was glad to find out about it and will be trying to take in more shows because I think it pinpoints the personal experience, the interaction and mixing point of real and virtual. Good stuff.


Jesa was a bit nervous at first but seemed to relax about half way through. She did great. In her words, "I've been interviewed on radio and television but that, that was a very odd experience." After talking with folks for awhile, she retired to her An Lios garden where I was able to see what she and friend, Whizbang Corleone, had been up to.

It was good to take a break from the Frontier's Horizon expedition. After a few hours of trudging along the ground and trying to navigate invisible walls, it was nice to sit in one place and take in a social event. I also got some good shots for another Emobidiments post which should be up tonight or tomorrow. I also want to encourage more folks to check out the "When Worlds Collide" show if possible.