tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29522321485395444922024-03-06T02:06:32.380-05:00Mahala's WanderlustSharing stories, opinions and reflections from my Second Life. Can our virtual world survive? It's up to us.Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-27156503412271372122022-11-20T12:24:00.006-05:002022-11-20T12:24:49.757-05:00Nothing to Do? No Friends? Make Your Second Life Great Again.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5es1cHKuGsFHJlFyofgbMKPQnJUUJUqvtxmcrFA2NEcFA5Tb6TrCigl9uSF_VqsNqmxBDkgX-x7Eq5fUVXvagKeWCLginBeJhjelZk7nBaqTy4RxExKvc1CCtOZPc6KlAFmpt1OxfvbHo0LSweMabqcInOtQ9m0TT4rOno9IdLM17VOPPPT3NJK51EQ/s2000/bored_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5es1cHKuGsFHJlFyofgbMKPQnJUUJUqvtxmcrFA2NEcFA5Tb6TrCigl9uSF_VqsNqmxBDkgX-x7Eq5fUVXvagKeWCLginBeJhjelZk7nBaqTy4RxExKvc1CCtOZPc6KlAFmpt1OxfvbHo0LSweMabqcInOtQ9m0TT4rOno9IdLM17VOPPPT3NJK51EQ/w400-h400/bored_001.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Are you bored in Second Life? </p><p>You've shopped the sales, built a wardrobe to rival the Kardashians and found the perfect hair and skin. You look fabulous! But now you're standing alone in your skybox, with no idea what to do next. </p><p>It happens to all of us. Whether you're new to the grid or a long time resident, everyone finds themselves in a rut from time to time. After encountering countless residents looking for something to do, I decided to come up with a list of tips for breathing a little life back in to your Second Life. </p><p><b><u>Find a Job</u></b></p><p>Having a job in SL is the most effective way to get out, meet some people and kick your social life into gear... and it's fun! I've met some of my best friends while working. There are countless host/hostess jobs, role play positions, openings for dancers, club managers, personal assistants, the list goes on.</p><p>Make sure you shop around and find an employer who works with your in-world schedule. Keep in mind, the majority of business owners don't consider Second Life to be just a game. Honor your commitments and respect that they've likely invested real world money into their venture. </p><p>You can find job listings by browsing the classifieds, visiting the <a href="https://community.secondlife.com/forums/forum/312-inworld-employment/" target="_blank">employment forums</a> and on social media sites. </p><p><b><u>Host an Event</u></b></p><p>I've used the <a href="https://secondlife.com/my/community/events/index.php?lang=en-US" target="_blank">events listings</a> to club hop, enter contests, join discussions and explore. Hosting events makes it easy to find people who are online the same time you are and share a common interest. </p><p>I've found that many residents don't realize that you don't need to own land to hold an event. You can have a basic account or be new to SL. This excerpt from the official <a href="https://secondlife.com/my/community/events/tos.php?nextpage=%2Fmy%2Fcommunity%2Fevents%2Fedit.php%3Flang%3Den-US" target="_blank">Second Life event rules </a>explains that an event can even be held on "public" land:</p><blockquote><p style="border: 0px; color: #3a3c3f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">You may currently post up to 15 events per day (including event edits). In addition, your friends will now be able to post events on a parcel that you own. However, you must set that parcel to show up in Find Places as a Hangout. If your parcel is not set up as a Hangout, the parcel will not be available to your friends, but will continue to be subject to other availability rules.</p><p style="border: 0px; color: #3a3c3f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">To further clarify, you may post an event on a parcel if:</p><ul style="border: 0px; color: #3a3c3f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 1.5em 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">You personally own the parcel and it is at least 512 square meters in size.</li><li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The parcel is owned by a group that you are an owner of, or that you have the 'host events' ability for, and is at least 512 square meters.</li><li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The parcel is in a private island that you are on the access list of, and is at least 512 square meters.</li><li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>The parcel belongs to Governor Linden and is set to show in Search Places as a Hangout.</b></li><li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The parcel belongs to a friend, it is set to show in Search Places as a Hangout, and is at least 512 square meters.</li></ul><p style="border: 0px; color: #3a3c3f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">An event is defined as a special group activity that is led by a host on land owned either by the host or by a group the host belongs to. Examples include discussions, group meetings, hosted dances, classes, tours, and competitions. </p></blockquote><p>I've hosted discussions on varying topics from SL relationships to how to survive a Mars colony. Whether you're an intellectual or just looking for some folks to share celebrity gossip with over coffee, creating your own event is a great way to find other people who share your interests and time zone.</p><p><b><u>Learn a New Skill</u></b></p><p>Have you always wanted to learn another language? Ready to tackle Blender, but not sure where to start? </p><p>Our virtual world can be a resource to learn fresh, new skills. A quick search of the classifieds finds free English lessons, DJ classes, even classes on public health.</p><p>Builder's Brewery offers ongoing classes in creating almost everything on the grid. Mesh, basic prim manipulation, scripting, textures, you name it. You can visit their in-world location <a href="http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Builders%20Brewery/151/103/25" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>Look on YouTube for how-to videos by some of our long time residents. For business advice, Black Dragon settings and creating SL content for social media, I head for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MeelaVanderbuilt" target="_blank">Meela Vanderbuilt</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@strawberrysingh" target="_blank">Strawberry Singh.</a> There is an abundance of long time residents with great advice on all things Second Life. </p><p><b><u>Play a Game</u></b></p><p>I'm not talking about the gaming sims, where you can lose your $L balance in a matter of minutes. We have board games, like Simopoly and Greedy, SL versions of popular first life games. You can find sims with public access to most of the popular ones. There are usually a few people in and out, looking for someone to compete with. </p><p>I'm personally addicted to Bubble Pop. I need a 12 step program.</p><p>My favorite driving game, <a href="http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Bruissac/70/244/27" target="_blank">GTFO</a>, uses a HUD to create a freight delivery system. Use your own vehicle to explore the mainland and Blake Sea picking up and delivering imaginary parcels, while discovering new and unique places around the map via roads, waterways and air.</p><p><b><u>Participate in Groups</u></b></p><p>Enjoy chatting with other residents about common interests? </p><p>We all belong to in-world groups for our favorite stores and sales, but there are other groups for everything under the sun in SL. Do you have first life hobbies? Is there something you've always wanted to try, but can't because of physical limitations? Explore those interests virtually. Learn to fly an airplane. Gallop into the sunset on your fancy Irish Cobb. Groups for aviation, role play, driving groups or equestrian competitions can be found by using the in-world search. </p><p>Seriously, there is a group for anything you can think of.</p><p>Some are more active than others and most are free to join. Be sure to take a moment to read through their rules, you don't want to step on any toes.</p><p>I speak from experience. </p><p>There's no reason to be bored in Second Life. I think we get in the habit of doing the same thing, each time we log on and forget how expansive our world is. Hopefully, this will give you some new ideas. </p><p>What do you do when you feel like you're in a virtual rut? Share your ideas in the comments below!</p><p>We'll talk again soon, keep living your best Second Life!</p>Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-71825030206447430942022-11-10T17:07:00.004-05:002022-11-10T19:38:15.882-05:00Twitter in Flames and the SL Social Media Struggle<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_A319HwLOjBkbk5aCLzu8ibvx_E2oykHXhsR5Dh9S4MemZtFynNwk2GbQK0UTFz_BMfY3jxqYzaQYIYp0aL_xbMmrFhbKC9YuXHu4Owtd_4I958jP5z6Rtl_lvqWJqBRHf_CbZveyOsKHinSBxIXfV7ql_RGOzOeyV8Fa005Ka2DvXK1wAoA80OyJg/s900/social%20media%20(2).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_A319HwLOjBkbk5aCLzu8ibvx_E2oykHXhsR5Dh9S4MemZtFynNwk2GbQK0UTFz_BMfY3jxqYzaQYIYp0aL_xbMmrFhbKC9YuXHu4Owtd_4I958jP5z6Rtl_lvqWJqBRHf_CbZveyOsKHinSBxIXfV7ql_RGOzOeyV8Fa005Ka2DvXK1wAoA80OyJg/w355-h400/social%20media%20(2).png" width="355" /></a></div><p>As a Second Life resident and wannabe influencer, I struggle with social media for the virtual world. In first life, I had a fairly successful blog with a large following, but the same rules for success don't apply in SL. </p><p>It's not enough to post to the most popular platforms, you have to figure out if there's a Second Life community there as well, otherwise you're just screaming into the void.</p><p>My struggles grew a couple of months ago when my Facebook and Instagram accounts were locked due to advertising an adult venue. I got flagged for the equivalent of human trafficking.</p><p>Seriously.</p><p>I could have argued my case, but not before sending them a photo I.D. to verify my identity, which wouldn't have matched my display name, obviously. So I let my Facebook die and, in the meantime, created a new Instagram, using the same email address, phone number, etc. </p><p>The adult venue that caused this clusterfuck had already been closed when my accounts got dinged. </p><p>After moving <i>(a couple of times) </i>and licking my wounds, I made the decision to go back to what I know best. I began restructuring this space, making an action plan and trying to get my virtual life together. </p><p>I decided to create a new Facebook account</p><p>After discovering TikTok and finding other residents there, I was reminded about profile link sites like Koji, Linktree and others. These sites enable you to set up a profile page with all your social media links, allowing you to give access to all your profiles on platforms like Instagram which only allow one link per profile. </p><p>Simple right? Not for me. I have to make everything complicated. </p><p>I had created a Koji account last year and it was linked to my old accounts. I'm pretty computer savvy, but I couldn't figure out how to change the settings to my new profile pages. I contacted their customer service and explained, and their response was to send me right back to the editing page I'd been to. </p><p>Koji uses your email and phone number to find your accounts for those two particular sites and once it's linked, it's done.</p><p>*bangs head on desk*</p><p>It was during this time that Elon Musk took over Twitter. Now, according to what I've read from various sources, there will be an $8 charge for a blue checkmark. Previously, the check meant your account had been verified. Now, it just means you paid for a checkmark with no verification. However, if you don't buy the checkmark, your posts won't be searchable via hashtag and will basically float off into the abyss, or posted on MySpace, I don't really know for sure. I just know that my personal relationship with the current economy can't justify $8 a month just to use Twitter. </p><p>Maybe I'm the exception, but it is what it is.</p><p>I really wish Linden Labs could create an inworld social media app. </p><p>Anyway, here we are. All <i>(well, most) </i>of my social media is now linked to tabs at the top of this page <i>(yay!) </i></p><p>I've always felt there was a real lack of advertising opportunities available for Second Life business. There are plenty of ad boards, but ugh. No one looks at them, if they even rezz before people leave the area. There has to be a better way. </p><p>If you have a business and are looking for an alternative to ad boards, I have two spots available in the sidebar. You can get more information by clicking the "advertising" tab at the top of the page.</p><p>In the meantime, I'm still out here struggling. We all are. </p><p>I need to go find the ibuprofen. Ya'll have an amazing day and keep living your best Second Life!</p>Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-8475890107227084262022-10-31T18:57:00.014-04:002022-11-01T12:50:10.319-04:00Second Norway: A Thriving Second Life Community<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyc6k-UgmGLtdTdKTL0hH4kpESG1KFmF64tCxYinHbZ8JV1-brce0r8ybZq7sDGa0i_U0fOM5qAA7JQSvk4f11nB1ANbW6VDRclpgiQCyh-D5TeRNPXRtx3j4unXJaOMTVESguyGgXAvXFQWcOFdeLQoW3BZBA5c_04KBbIfVLdj55FO9MiK7DDIUIw/s2512/second%20norway%20residential%20view_001.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Road and houses in Second Life" border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2512" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyc6k-UgmGLtdTdKTL0hH4kpESG1KFmF64tCxYinHbZ8JV1-brce0r8ybZq7sDGa0i_U0fOM5qAA7JQSvk4f11nB1ANbW6VDRclpgiQCyh-D5TeRNPXRtx3j4unXJaOMTVESguyGgXAvXFQWcOFdeLQoW3BZBA5c_04KBbIfVLdj55FO9MiK7DDIUIw/w400-h319/second%20norway%20residential%20view_001.png" title="Second Life; Second Norway" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many roadways running through Second Norway</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="separator" div="" style="clear: both;"></a></div><p></p><p>As I mentioned in my last post, I recently packed up my mainland parcel and relocated to Second Norway. </p><p>I had looked at several options. While I continue to root for mainland to thrive, I couldn't afford the parcels that had all the bells and whistles I wanted. I've leased homesteads before, but I didn't like being cut off from the Blake Sea, not having neighbors, etc. </p><p>Exploring by horseback, speedboat or auto are how I spend my slack time in SL. After weighing all the options available, I finally found a solution.</p><p>Second Norway is the best of all worlds. </p><p>The medium sized island I chose is close to the open sea and easy for me to navigate. I only ran into someone's pier once. </p><p>I'm not a great driver on land or sea, but boats are way easier.</p><p>In addition to residential islands, Second Norway has a network of roads on larger islands, connected by a series of ferries and bridges. One boasts a large airport, and others have airfields, a golf course, diners, marinas and other opportunities for role play. </p><p>I stumbled upon a clinic yesterday, with a full list of services ranging from OB/GYN to psychiatric services.</p><p>I read back through some old forum posts created around two years ago, when Second Norway announced it had gone bankrupt. There seemed to be some confusion about the actual ownership of the area and whether Linden Labs actually controlled the property. </p><p>I kept digging and found t<a href="https://medium.com/avaterra/vanity-bonetto-interview-c8dcecdbc7c" target="_blank">his article by Stex Auer on Medium featuring an interview with the new owner, <span style="background-color: white; color: #626363; font-family: fell, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Vanity Bonetto. </span></a> In the article, there is a good explanation of the future intentions of the new management team. I'm happy to see that it's still successful. </p><p>I have been a little disappointed by one aspect of life here. There don't seem to be any active groups or regular events. I could be wrong, maybe I've missed something. I searched public groups and joined a few, but it's been crickets so far. I wouldn't mind hosting the occasional discussion or get together, I'm just not sure how I'd go about it.</p><p>I am open to suggestions.</p><p>Maybe I could organize a horseback tour? </p><p>I don't know, we'll see.</p><p>In the meantime, I've enjoyed meeting a few of the neighbors, they all seem pretty friendly. I love sitting on our dock, watching boats go by or seaplanes flying overhead. It all reminds me of the coastal Virginia community where I grew up and my heart still sometimes aches for.</p><p>That's what Second Life is all about isn't it? Creating a virtual space to visit and remember those things you can't do in first life.</p><p>And the weekend sales. We can't forget the shopping.</p><p>Until next time, keep living your best Second Life!</p><p><br /></p>Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-64409771436732744872022-10-26T23:37:00.000-04:002022-10-26T23:37:07.319-04:00SL Shopping Made Simple<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0m0tunVUojDiYsbzjMb_xuBKHYLcRpwikZYtbhiqz4frH4Dho2P_3Ah8t8S4C4VffRh359ZxSdBPZjFiaZvdA6__Th-QlUAhU0x4m2d5uu7zFTzc0Wpd4fqiyL7ul56o86MNnz8G9Bfq4dYQoIP0GQOHJIaE6YAGmfNBEOUtUf8PWCc9mLjY6aT6AKA/s2000/Second%20Norway%20house_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0m0tunVUojDiYsbzjMb_xuBKHYLcRpwikZYtbhiqz4frH4Dho2P_3Ah8t8S4C4VffRh359ZxSdBPZjFiaZvdA6__Th-QlUAhU0x4m2d5uu7zFTzc0Wpd4fqiyL7ul56o86MNnz8G9Bfq4dYQoIP0GQOHJIaE6YAGmfNBEOUtUf8PWCc9mLjY6aT6AKA/w376-h376/Second%20Norway%20house_001.png" width="376" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House by Onsu.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>With all the sales events, weekend specials and talented designers in Second Life, it's easy to go crazy and loose with the $Ls. </p><p>Believe me, I know.</p><p>I recently moved to a lovely Second Norway parcel and I tried using one of the thirty or so houses I already had in my inventory. None of them were "right," or I'm just displaying spoiled princess tendencies. I'm not sure which.</p><p>I found a new house that I love. I struggled to force myself to only use furniture and décor I already had and I managed to stick to it, mostly. I did have to do some light hunting and gathering, making sure everything was just right. </p><p>I am not a fan of trying to find virtual household items. I'm not a decorator by any stretch of the imagination. I struggle to achieve a specific look without using my whole prim allowance on one room or going broke. </p><p>But I have a process. </p><p>The Marketplace is a struggle for me. There's just so much to wade through and sometimes it's hard to figure out how something will be categorized. I still use it, but I have more success scrolling through the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/slhouseandgarden/" target="_blank">Second Life Home, Garden and More</a> group on Flickr. I can usually find ideas for different looks. I try to recreate what I find using my available inventory when I can. When I try and fail, there are usually links to the specific décor on the MP or the event where it's being featured.</p><p>Speaking of events, there's an easy way to find what you're looking for fast. I use <a href="https://www.seraphimsl.com/" target="_blank">Seraphim's</a> website to preview what's available. When I see something I absolutely HAVE to have, I make note of the actual name of the item, teleport to the event then use "area search" to locate it. In Firestorm, you can find area search by clicking on the World tab. <i>(Make sure you've clicked "Disable Camera Restraints" in the Advanced tab.)</i> After you locate that awesome new thing, click "zoom" to find it with your camera, right click, buy and there you go! No endless flying around a packed event, waiting for stuff to rezz or getting yelled at for bumping in to people. An added bonus, you're not tempted by all the other yummy new creations. </p><p>These tips won't do anything to help your prim allowance and they won't make it any easier to hold on to your cash, but I hope you found them useful regardless.</p><p>Do you have special tricks for shopping in Second Life? Let me know in the comments!</p><p>Don't forget to keep living your best second life. We'll chat again soon.</p><p><i>Disclaimer: Links to other sites in this post are not sponsored. I did not receive any compensation for their placement, they were used only as a convenience for the reader.</i></p>Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-49917178437966305222022-10-18T18:31:00.002-04:002022-10-18T18:31:49.966-04:00Your Privilege is Showing<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNqea-tsZHV6I1pSEMRGcO0i-VK85WdOsqIaJCPYVcPD0lbsHbZ2bv1tWY4ZtujzQvdDON4P1qQdm7qy9IZeUtonMvfwD-NLc3FEYi4Mx-BmFnFoSyaB6VC67iMMTRWlpCJsD-E3HGUzho11BBEtWHFXXs20BLjlXQRWD9VbMBtDyjMW1KNLBWilKFg/s2000/Boating_001.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNqea-tsZHV6I1pSEMRGcO0i-VK85WdOsqIaJCPYVcPD0lbsHbZ2bv1tWY4ZtujzQvdDON4P1qQdm7qy9IZeUtonMvfwD-NLc3FEYi4Mx-BmFnFoSyaB6VC67iMMTRWlpCJsD-E3HGUzho11BBEtWHFXXs20BLjlXQRWD9VbMBtDyjMW1KNLBWilKFg/w399-h399/Boating_001.png" width="399" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking my boat out for a night cruise.</td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p>In the original metaverse, Second Life, we host residents from all over the world. People of different cultures, varied languages, economic circumstances and intellectual abilities. It can be easy to forget, especially when we're all shrouded behind our online personas and lacking the subtle visual cues we normally experience in first life. </p><p>I've seen a bunch of snarky avatar shaming posts on social media, especially on Facebook <i>(before my account got banned, go figure)</i> and Twitter. The comments in question fall into the following categories:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Avatar appearance</li><li>Creator skills</li><li>Account age</li><li>Residents migrating from other games</li><li>Communities</li></ul><p>I've caught grief from others for my Maitreya body. It doesn't lend itself to the current, curvy trend and as a result I've been told I had "triangle" hips, that it's not "realistic," etc. </p><p>I bought my body because when I returned to SL after an absence, during which the whole mesh bodies change took place, it was simply the brand that I saw in most places. </p><p>I'm not sure why it seems to be a problem. My first response to people with these comments is usually, "Why do you care? Mind your business." </p><p>If you don't like another resident's appearance choices, that's fine. You do you. Why be a jerk about it?</p><p>By the way, in those instances where it matters, I've had not one complaint.</p><p>There's a lot of cocky comments regarding items at events that aren't "original mesh." </p><p>So don't buy it. What's the problem? </p><p>Everyone can't master Blender. Sure there are classes and my hat is off to everyone who has embraced mesh creation, but it's not an option for many people, whether it be because of time constraints, limited computer resources or, like me, they would rather spend their time in world sitting on the beach, watching the boats go by. </p><p>Just because someone can't create the way you do, doesn't mean they aren't allowed to live out their version of Second Life, to own a successful business in a virtual world.</p><p>Personally, I think those who create full perm mesh for others to use are masters of marketing. They've created a resource for a large chunk of the grid.</p><p>I could go on, but you get the gist. We have to learn to embrace our differences if we're going to survive. Adopt a newb once in a while, help them out. Hug a furry. Let's try to remind ourselves that we have no real idea what that person behind the avatar is going through IRL. Especially nowadays. </p>If we alienate residents and they end up leaving, who's going to like your Flickr photo that you worked all day editing? Who is going to buy that 950li mesh mansion you're trying to sell or those 18 parcels you've been paying tier on for 3 months? <p></p><p>While LL struggles to improve the retention of new residents, we need to continue the process by making people feel welcome on the grid. </p><p>You don't need me to tell you how to do that. We are <i>(presumably)</i> all adults and while we might not always embrace the practice, we all know how to play nice. </p><p>I know you do.</p><p>Anywho, enough of my bickering. Moving on...</p><p>Ya'll will be happy to know that after an intricate dance of messages between neighbors, peace has been restored to our little corner of Second Life. Ugly dayglow boundary lines have been removed, plants have been rearranged and my passage to the sea has been restored. </p><p>I love a happy ending.</p><p>Have you experienced bias in world, for any reason? I'd love to hear about it below. </p><p>Life is a struggle. Second Life shouldn't have to be.</p><p><br /></p>Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-26129032150261908022022-09-27T16:34:00.001-04:002022-09-27T16:34:33.955-04:00Neighbor Wars and Running Hot<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_hCijlQNg31rdxXNUlZ0an-b41ZKv0gnMhAscDcXJB_BSmfOqoMFQnJSTAyduHaBOtWpPtvJ_DgLVa2CEC-By4w2yvSVXNuskw_-STNi8rs4jzoXX17oONhKpInSgDZM7QtrV5NgiEj0OZDqtjRy5nemxMti2TyznOaiwKW4zRa1s0u31LC7glP9vw/s2512/neighbors%202_001.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2512" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_hCijlQNg31rdxXNUlZ0an-b41ZKv0gnMhAscDcXJB_BSmfOqoMFQnJSTAyduHaBOtWpPtvJ_DgLVa2CEC-By4w2yvSVXNuskw_-STNi8rs4jzoXX17oONhKpInSgDZM7QtrV5NgiEj0OZDqtjRy5nemxMti2TyznOaiwKW4zRa1s0u31LC7glP9vw/w400-h319/neighbors%202_001.png" title="Mahala's Wanderlust Neighbor Wars" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Well this is a lovely view I logged on to this morning. <div><br /></div><div>There's been something going on between my next door neighbor and the one that lives between them and the sea. It's a pretty little corner of the world, when there aren't random parcel boundaries popping up. It's usually not an issue, I normally de-render the textures and move on. <p></p><p>This time, however, the resident with the "group only" banlines on my eastern border has extended an invisible prim all the way across and in front of my ocean access. </p><p>I swear I haven't done anything to tick anyone off. It's not a huge deal, but I do enjoy taking my boat out on occasion. </p><p>I've sent some friendly IMs, I'll keep you posted. </p><p>The issue of sketchy neighbors is one of the reasons so many people choose living on private estates. There are rules to keep the peace, no one bothers you and stuff like this doesn't happen. When I was leasing my homestead, I had missed having neighbors to say hello to. I loved seeing the random boat pass by, watching helicopters pass overhead. </p><p>I missed Mainland. </p><p>Unfortunately, it's the handful of residents that have a small stroke if one leaf of your palm tree extends over the shared parcel line, causing them to over react by dropping giant structures to block views, that cause issues on mainland regions. It's usually the folks who spend most of their time in a skybox or log on for an hour once a month. </p><p>I don't get it.</p><p>Anywho, moving on.</p><p>I'm loving the new <a href="https://www.firestormviewer.org/" target="_blank">Firestorm </a>update. I know some have reported problems, but with the exception of the first time I tried it, it's worked amazingly for me. The only problem I had was my laptop overheating whenever I logged on to Second Life. I tried to fix it, googling and scouring the forums, but I couldn't find any recent information. I decided to order a cooling pad to see if that would help. The next day, I was scrolling through <a href="https://twitter.com/MahalaRoviana" target="_blank">Twitter </a>and saw a post about energy conservation and how limiting your FPS would reduce the workload on your system. </p><p>I was so excited to find the tweet that I didn't pay attention to who posted the information. I wish I had, if you happened to see it, let me know in the comments so that I can give the person credit.</p><p>With the new update, my FPS had shot up to well over 100, so it sort of made sense that this could be causing my problem. I went to preferences, graphics, then rendering and limited my fps to 60 <i>(I assumed that should be plenty for whatever I happen to be doing)</i> and my system temp immediately dropped. </p><p>It was too late to cancel the cooling pad, but I figure it will come in handy when taking pics in Black Dragon <i>(which also tries to melt my computer)</i> or recording with OBS. </p><p>Since the update, I've experimented with some drives along LL routes, using my favorite Supernatural inspired SL version of Baby <i>(if you know, you know,) </i>with few issues. As usual, it depended on the region but for the most part, I had a much improved experience. I also toured the Sharp continent on horseback, taking my new Teegle Irish Cobb out for ride while snapping a few <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mahalaroviana/">pictures </a>and checking out some land for <a href="https://www.sllandsource.com/" target="_blank">SL Land Source</a>. </p><p>Do you have any harrowing neighbor stories? Have you had issues with the new Firestorm update? I'd love to see them in the comments below!</p><p>We'll chat again soon. Keep living your best Second Life!</p></div>Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-33204550596563850672022-09-15T17:13:00.002-04:002022-09-15T17:13:44.049-04:00Fall Sales, A New Business and Getting Back in the Groove<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2GacmnP_5L0B8dJfib7SHg2HOdVJKuayLGxINQtATaRj8BLdiTibLPGCyxmwAoydC18AofEu2M_ZOS0DlcPza_MBxIZLIEnt7KbICPL16PT_Dm4UoxneHDdm5gJBPxMXFptd0gQDsg9HcnF-eu5KJmGLLb5CE6oLwsJI6ppM-0fRUpe9JqqFVXkpOA/s2000/office%20upgrade_002.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2GacmnP_5L0B8dJfib7SHg2HOdVJKuayLGxINQtATaRj8BLdiTibLPGCyxmwAoydC18AofEu2M_ZOS0DlcPza_MBxIZLIEnt7KbICPL16PT_Dm4UoxneHDdm5gJBPxMXFptd0gQDsg9HcnF-eu5KJmGLLb5CE6oLwsJI6ppM-0fRUpe9JqqFVXkpOA/w537-h475/office%20upgrade_002.png" width="537" /></a></div><br /> I feel like I'm finally getting my Second Life back on track. I sort of got carried away with the whole strip club debacle, spending more money than I should have and thinking I <i>"needed"</i> things I really did not. It's been a challenge moving from my rented homestead back to a 4096 parcel of mainland, but to be honest, I missed living among, at least the potential for, neighbors. <p></p><p>I did give in and do a little light shopping. <a href="http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Isle%20of%20Kaithleen/123/137/28" target="_blank">Kaithleen's</a> and <a href="http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/tarte/149/132/23" target="_blank">Tarte</a> are both having really nice fall sales. I picked this bench swing up from Tarte, left over from the weekend sale. I'm always on the lookout for cute furniture with cuddly poses <i>(my significant other is a real cuddle monkey.)</i> It fit in nicely with the witchy corner I've carved out of our beach property. A steal at L$60.</p><p>When I first returned to SL after a long absence, I flipped a lot of land to make money. I would use the tier free 1024sqm that I got with my premium account, find parcels that size to sell for a profit and rez my little sky island over it as a temporary home until it sold. It was during this time that I discovered that I could spend endless hours scouring the map, looking for available land and teleporting around to visit the different areas of mainland. </p><p>Remembering those days and figuring out how to turn that into a lucrative business was a challenge and was how <a href="https://www.sllandsource.com/" target="_blank">SL Land Source</a> was born. Each week I look for two parcels that are for sale on the mainland, one small and one large that meet at least two of the following criteria:</p><ul class="n8H08c UVNKR" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16px; list-style-type: square; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li class="TYR86d wXCUfe zfr3Q" dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 0px 0px 15pt; outline: none; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;"><p class="CDt4Ke zfr3Q" dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;">Amazing view</p></li><li class="TYR86d wXCUfe zfr3Q" dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 0; margin: 6px 0px 0px 15pt; outline: none; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;"><p class="CDt4Ke zfr3Q" dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;">Road access</p></li><li class="TYR86d wXCUfe zfr3Q" dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 0; margin: 6px 0px 0px 15pt; outline: none; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;"><p class="CDt4Ke zfr3Q" dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;">Water access</p></li><li class="TYR86d wXCUfe zfr3Q" dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 0; margin: 6px 0px 0px 15pt; outline: none; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;"><p class="CDt4Ke zfr3Q" dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;">Near a GTFO hub or other rez zone</p></li><li class="TYR86d wXCUfe zfr3Q" dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 0; margin: 6px 0px 0px 15pt; outline: none; padding-bottom: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;"><p class="CDt4Ke zfr3Q" dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 13pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit;">One protected boundary </p></li></ul><div><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Open Sans;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Open Sans;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">I don't accept payment for land to be featured on the site, but I do offer advertising space for Real Estate, Landscaping and Rental businesses as well as individual resident land sales. </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Open Sans;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Open Sans;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'll keep you posted on how it goes.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Open Sans;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Open Sans;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anywho, I'm going to go decorate my new office space. Without buying anything new. Hopefully. </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Open Sans;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Open Sans;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px; font-variant-ligatures: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">How are you living your best Second Life? Let me know in the comments below!</span></span></div>Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-80410402164342903712022-09-02T16:45:00.002-04:002022-09-02T16:45:57.690-04:00Starting Over... Again<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQuYC9Uxp7YiIdpi2rnUzjw0b1Hs6RcVV46akX4Ax5Fhrc4TtBIL4maE-lPk1ueFoQj9snOS0k-ttK65tWFzDdtznbqo79PzpgV0j4Abm8WuCAhoI6lHaWQcrp8znkW9X7yZwi4yYEf-hG-IiZ2roVGVVlxAOYIqimJqcHRkWSZ2d9FEa30908Yw5tg/s2192/blog%20pic%20Island%20paradise%204_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2192" height="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQuYC9Uxp7YiIdpi2rnUzjw0b1Hs6RcVV46akX4Ax5Fhrc4TtBIL4maE-lPk1ueFoQj9snOS0k-ttK65tWFzDdtznbqo79PzpgV0j4Abm8WuCAhoI6lHaWQcrp8znkW9X7yZwi4yYEf-hG-IiZ2roVGVVlxAOYIqimJqcHRkWSZ2d9FEa30908Yw5tg/w536-h489/blog%20pic%20Island%20paradise%204_001.png" width="536" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Hey Ya'll! It's been a while, hasn't it? Let's catch up.</p><p>The strip club was short lived. I stand by what I've said all along. Don't open a strip club in Second Life. The market is too saturated. Why, then, did I open one? I'm not sure. I guess the best answer is, after years of working in the industry, I wanted to try it my way. I leased a homestead, threw my heart <i>(and money, lots of money)</i> into it and gave it a shot. </p><p>So, that's closed. </p><p>After shutting down the homestead, I grabbed a couple of parcels on the water until I could figure out what I wanted to do. In the mean time, I kept my eye out for some good abandoned land where I could rebuild, start over and rethink my SL. </p><p>If only it were this easy in the flesh and bones world.</p><p>I settled on this 4096. The reasons it was abandoned were apparent. It's a corner parcel with limited terra forming. It's on an older continent so although it's partially beach, the sand texture is that greyish brown color. I was able to cover it with some land form mesh, add some beachy vibes and create a nice little home. It doesn't <i>technically </i>have ocean access, but I have one neighbor without ban lines, giving me access to open sea for my boating adventures. </p><p>I think I'm finally settled. For now.</p><p><br /></p>Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-71239735246490129152020-03-21T17:45:00.000-04:002020-03-21T17:45:48.660-04:00COVID-19 and It's Effect on Second Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As the world reels from the effects of the current plague, Second Life is feeling the effects. </div>
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You can hoard all the free toilet paper you want <a href="https://marketplace.secondlife.com/products/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&search%5Blayout%5D=gallery&search%5Bcategory_id%5D=&search%5Bsort%5D=price_asc&search%5Bper_page%5D=12&search%5Bkeywords%5D=toilet+paper&search%5Bprice_low%5D=&search%5Bprice_high%5D=&search%5Bland_impact_low%5D=&search%5Bland_impact_high%5D=&search%5Bcopy_permission%5D=0&search%5Bmodify_permission%5D=0&search%5Btransfer_permission%5D=0&search%5Blimited_quantities%5D=0&search%5Bis_demo%5D=0">on the Marketplace</a>, guilt free <i>(so please stop hoarding the real stuff.)</i> There are also fashionable surgical masks and hand sanitizer dispensers for your personal protection role play. </div>
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While I was out couch shopping, I found this classic plague doctor dude stuck in a back room with the Halloween decorations. Some folks seem to think I need a man in my life so I snagged him up. </div>
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The Destination Guide's "What's Hot Now" page is full of packed clubs and role play regions. There's been a steady stream of sailboats and mini yachts passing by my coastal home all day. Second Life is hopping.<br />
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But aside from the grid being busier than usual, I've noticed other changes.<br />
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I'm seeing neighbors that I didn't know I had, standing around in their homes. Some have said hello. People are checking in on each other. Performers are sending out messages to their subscribers, asking them to stay safe. Group chats have become more lenient in their rules, allowing more "off-topic" discussions as folks from around the globe check on each other, offering prayers, messages of support and virtual hugs.<br />
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As we all isolate ourselves in our 1st lives, we're here together in our second. There's a unique sense of community here. While we may be twerking to the latest tunes with half our clothes still waiting to rez, we are together and having a blast.<br />
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Be kind to the new users and the returning users. Invite them to see your spiffy little cottage or skybox. Share some landmarks. Show them how awesome Second Life can be.<br />
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As for me, I'm still working on those selfie skills.<br />
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How are you spending your time on the grid? Let me know in the comments below!Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-50975936525528031482020-03-13T14:49:00.000-04:002020-03-13T14:49:10.020-04:00Exploring Role Play: The Realm of New Vale <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm a complete novice when it comes to roleplay. I never got into games like DnD or RP sims on Second Life. I did spend a few years wearing a set of Neko ears and a tail while hanging around on venue rooftops, listening to performers and deejays, but I think that was more my 1st life crippling social anxiety than actual RP. </div>
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When I saw the listing for New Vale on the Destination Guide, I was curious. I visited <a href="https://realmofnewvale.wixsite.com/newvale/general-rules">their website</a>, expecting to find pages of rules and backstory, but was surprised to find a general description of roles and general rules. There is a<a href="https://realmofnewvale.wixsite.com/newvale/the-story-of-new-vale"> backstory</a>, but it's not overly elaborate, giving players the freedom to create a variety of characters and story lines. I also found that OOC visitors are allowed and photos encouraged, so I hopped on the train to New Vale.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Click picture to enlarge</b></i></td></tr>
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The sim is beautifully built with lots of twinkling weeping willows and flowing water. Upon entering, you'll find well manicured streets with homes, businesses, a park, even a school. I spent an afternoon wandering around and encountered quite a few people milling about. I didn't engage in conversation with anyone, lest I interrupt them, but there was no shortage of other avatars.<br />
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It wasn't all twinkling trees and waterfalls. Literally across the tracks was the grittier side of town with shady looking characters and a no-tell motel, complete with empty pool.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-N54DoHhYRIcXt11st7uBkAxFjHqIkxx2B3AXvObziZnoJq8ZbsFOAX6RSZyAliqBp9hGU5QnP8QKP1NeR8dtCvA8mU3p8M6gqw5t8FTP39buUzu2gxUmfQfTN_hgU1CVMu5ajlnnZj_7/s1600/New+Vale+Shady+Side_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-N54DoHhYRIcXt11st7uBkAxFjHqIkxx2B3AXvObziZnoJq8ZbsFOAX6RSZyAliqBp9hGU5QnP8QKP1NeR8dtCvA8mU3p8M6gqw5t8FTP39buUzu2gxUmfQfTN_hgU1CVMu5ajlnnZj_7/s400/New+Vale+Shady+Side_001.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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If you'd like to visit New Vale, <a href="https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lore/131/23/128/">click here</a> to find them on the map. After arriving in the train station, pick up your free dice and titler (available on the Marketplace for free,) take a moment to look over the rules and check it out.<br />
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A quote from Lala:<br />
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<span style="font-family: helvetica-w01-light, helvetica-w02-light, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.45px;"> <i>Players who enjoy the place and want to help shape it will be welcome to start their own simwide storylines and hold events if they like. I'm providing the canvas for you to paint. </i></span></blockquote>
We desperately need more creativity in Second Life. It's become centered on buying clothes and taking pictures for Flickr, which is fine if that's your thing, but I miss the days of weird characters running around, the days when my friends were tinies and dragons, when we danced with the fae and the furry alike.<br />
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Maybe I'll dust off my alt and re-visit New Vale, after she receives a substantial upgrade.<br />
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Be careful out there and create your world.<br />
Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-83092993102647335502020-03-10T13:17:00.000-04:002020-03-10T13:18:03.605-04:00Adventures in Teleporting and How To Set Your Landing PointThis week I've been doing a little more Gacha shopping <i>(it's becoming a problem, seriously,) </i>and dipping my toes back in to the Second Life live music scene. Back in the day, I spent hours swooning to the sounds of virtual crooners, eventually ending up in an ill-fated relationship with one.<br />
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Questionable life decisions aside, my main takeaway from this past week has been a problem arriving at events.<br />
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While browsing the listings, I found an Open House for a new rental neighborhood. It's name was similar to a place I know in 1st life, so I took it as a sign and went to check it out. <i>(I'm all about the signs.)</i> I tped over and landed in the ocean, beneath a dock at the bottom of a rock. Flying wasn't allowed, so I had to hike up the side of the rock, in my 6 inch heels and ended up INSIDE it.<br />
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I was not a happy camper.<br />
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The only way out was to cam through someone's window and sit on their sexy boom-boom couch, next to their child's crib. Thank goodness no one was home. I creeped myself out.<br />
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The area was well built and rather nice, but if I were looking for a rental, there's no way I would trust the technical prowess of landowners who couldn't properly set their landing point.<br />
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It's the little things that ruin a business.<br />
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If you have land and you're not sure, it's easy peasy to set the landing point for your land before you schedule an event or run a classified ad.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1FW2W7qsKp-RcPMKME7EnAE-Q-JqdJdkDY9pAghzIYLWTI-TFEBiRYfFhRbp5p2KMfNsyllbQG4XyQ_anr7wk3oqKFF8UXgnMfM7UzD5m7BRU5C3HWwkXzas692PYf0lwZzP6jmEc7HE/s1600/landing+point_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1017" data-original-width="1600" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1FW2W7qsKp-RcPMKME7EnAE-Q-JqdJdkDY9pAghzIYLWTI-TFEBiRYfFhRbp5p2KMfNsyllbQG4XyQ_anr7wk3oqKFF8UXgnMfM7UzD5m7BRU5C3HWwkXzas692PYf0lwZzP6jmEc7HE/s640/landing+point_001.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Click picture to enlarge)</td></tr>
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First, go to the spot you want people to land on when they tp to your parcel, shop, region or whatever. Go to your land tab, then options. The bottom of the popup window will show the current landing point. To change it to your current position, click "set."<br />
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See? Easy peasy lemon cheesy. Now your potential customers don't have to swim, fly or hike out of the swamp to find your event.<br />
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Sometimes when I'm at a loss for what to write about, I hop around the grid with the Destination Guide. A few days ago, there was an event for animesh creators. I love me some woodland creatures, so I headed over. Upon landing, I was greeted by a popup from a security orb, threatening to boot me out. I checked it again this morning. It's still listed on the Destination Guide, but the security orb is still there. Now they have a sign saying they don't open until noon today.<br />
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I'm not sure of the process involved to get featured on the guide, but imagine you're a new user heading to an event, only to be evicted. It's a problem.<br />
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One night I tried to attend a live music event at a well known tiny community. The landing point had a sign <i>(that had to rez before I could read it,)</i> leading to another landing point that still wasn't the venue. I ended up messaging a random person from the mini-map for a tp to the venue. Luckily she turned out to be very kind and helpful.<br />
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I get needing the landing zone to be away from the venue. SLag is an issue where many gather, but a simple note card giver with the landmark would be more practical . I'm sure you worked hard on your lovely sign, but not everyone is going to see it.<br />
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As someone who used to hold their own events, I know how much planning goes into them. I understand the investment of time and money, but I also know the frustration of looking for something to do and ending up stuck in odd places, of being new and not knowing how to dislodge myself from a tree.<br />
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Anywho, be careful out there. We'll talk again soon.Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-45800229862785326222020-02-28T13:00:00.000-05:002020-03-02T12:20:44.153-05:00Finding Bargains at Gacha Resellers<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5P03GFakboF2uVSpPr34cgbqkRIVPAGUmPwP43B8hAUYLjsZo18ZzfX8YilyBwJYHl08vqlX89-ppudcB4SkkfkDSe4tkjNTsORRCOYOBVCCPH8fcthraNmr460w_nG7fRWkB2Scppsyz/s1600/Gatcha+Reseller+clutter_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5P03GFakboF2uVSpPr34cgbqkRIVPAGUmPwP43B8hAUYLjsZo18ZzfX8YilyBwJYHl08vqlX89-ppudcB4SkkfkDSe4tkjNTsORRCOYOBVCCPH8fcthraNmr460w_nG7fRWkB2Scppsyz/s640/Gatcha+Reseller+clutter_001.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Click to enlarge.</i></td></tr>
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After my return, it took me a while to figure out what, exactly, Gachas were. Once I found out, I made a conscious effort to avoid the little machines like the plague. I don't have anything against them as a rule, but I know me and my addictive personality. I knew I'd get hooked and end up begging for $L at the infohubs for hair money.<br />
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I once became so obsessed over a piece of land that I got involved in an auction bidding war and ended up buying more $L in the process which almost resulted in my paying about 5 times what it was worth.<br />
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Luckily I was out bid.<br />
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I do, however, love shopping at the many Gacha reseller areas. They're like ginormous flea markets of STUFF. Most stores are set up with little boxes neatly aligned with rare and common items clearly marked. Great for finding that rare piece to complete your collection. I'm not interested in collections though. I want to wander around and look at everything in-world. Shops like the one pictured above, with a smorgasbord of items crammed together remind me of the 1st life thrift stores that I love.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOo3NRiL9W-xf166d-o8qvQOMW_2j2x3rh6YpyhADQ5S-vAaJY4KLYjh7Yf-zT0fD3Elv-Xt0nBUKvj1OaKqsneWUwKBFgQ2gC9IVmCjmWNVJZh8FJGE8EbuYV_gyl2y5A4g-GNBNJfbVx/s1600/Gatcha+Reseller+Dragon_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOo3NRiL9W-xf166d-o8qvQOMW_2j2x3rh6YpyhADQ5S-vAaJY4KLYjh7Yf-zT0fD3Elv-Xt0nBUKvj1OaKqsneWUwKBFgQ2gC9IVmCjmWNVJZh8FJGE8EbuYV_gyl2y5A4g-GNBNJfbVx/s320/Gatcha+Reseller+Dragon_001.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Click to enlarge.</i></td></tr>
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I try to avoid stores that specialize in pets. I don't need more, but I'm a sucker for anything cute and cuddly, like this little dinosaur. My home will be full of chubby pandas and shark plushies if I'm not careful.<br />
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There were a few things I had in mind before I set out on my shopping trip. I need something for my back deck, but I'm not sure what. Maybe an outdoor dining set or possibly a yoga mat. Or fairies and gnomes. I DON'T KNOW.<br />
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That's what's great about shopping the resellers. They're full of ideas, different styles and designers. Marketplace is great if you know exactly what you're looking for, but if you're like me and not sure, it can be frustrating.<br />
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I looked on the Marketplace recently for a small, contemporary fireplace to fit my latest house, but without much luck. So when I wandered in to the back room of a Gacha shop and found this, I was super excited.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1nBKtNM9EAFjrCupsveM5LmrDvLJZmlwnV5hjwXDa8c3BTVutUFY_0BQbbwQ0zDpONq9D8btQ9qgAOYLjxALWhrIMMtxfJwh0VEiDwypQaH4dLMjhQU6Xdvct5jejyVMjmzzRZ9b4XuO/s1600/Gatcha+Reseller+fireplace_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1nBKtNM9EAFjrCupsveM5LmrDvLJZmlwnV5hjwXDa8c3BTVutUFY_0BQbbwQ0zDpONq9D8btQ9qgAOYLjxALWhrIMMtxfJwh0VEiDwypQaH4dLMjhQU6Xdvct5jejyVMjmzzRZ9b4XuO/s320/Gatcha+Reseller+fireplace_001.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Click to enlarge</i>.</td></tr>
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It fits the space and style of my new home perfectly.<br />
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If you set out on an epic Gacha shopping trip, try the smaller places first. With less traffic, their prices tend to be a little lower and they stock the same items you'll find at the massive sim-wide malls.<br />
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Anywho, that's what I've been up to this week.<br />
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We'll talk again soon!<br />
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<br />Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-77027977719453614492020-02-21T13:25:00.000-05:002020-02-21T13:25:20.289-05:00Visiting Storybook Forest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFco3VVKK9HpfoukxkDh3V_WEkKO0ulyIySyuM6qjqTWIH0aI-kZCQfpj3mCZaWqiF9Git-hmjnGNkqIr9H0xdImy_wqmbOS7f5yPO1f8UAXa3SJjT7MZn0KLyrNCSaaQcd38PV9zOetOF/s1600/Storybook+forest+field+of+flowers_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFco3VVKK9HpfoukxkDh3V_WEkKO0ulyIySyuM6qjqTWIH0aI-kZCQfpj3mCZaWqiF9Git-hmjnGNkqIr9H0xdImy_wqmbOS7f5yPO1f8UAXa3SJjT7MZn0KLyrNCSaaQcd38PV9zOetOF/s640/Storybook+forest+field+of+flowers_001.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Being an adult isn't all it's cracked up to be. Sometimes it's nice to put all of your grownup responsibilities aside and enjoy simpler times. That's what I found at Storybook Forest, a beautifully landscaped fantasy build paying homage to all our favorite fairy tales. </div>
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Upon landing I was greeted by woodland creatures going about their daily routines. I followed the path across the bridge and to the forest where I found vignettes paying homage to Cinderella, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty and Hansel and Gretel. I was surprised to find "live" avatars playing the parts of beloved characters. I didn't try speaking to them, so I'm not sure if they were actually "there" or not, but I did witness a queen fleeing across the bridge towards the castle. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6H0yTVoh4n-eCcyZbLy8icgy9CHfLUUVE3NZAIcXR3fR57cR72HfvzCglM1uIV5TN2rJKE44QT7u8LRU8vroi1jjljH_Y8xUXNUvDV37EDYPWU22S9cKxt8lamcVZo0L48dqy_oCXNH-/s1600/Storybook+forest+Hansel+and+Gretel_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6H0yTVoh4n-eCcyZbLy8icgy9CHfLUUVE3NZAIcXR3fR57cR72HfvzCglM1uIV5TN2rJKE44QT7u8LRU8vroi1jjljH_Y8xUXNUvDV37EDYPWU22S9cKxt8lamcVZo0L48dqy_oCXNH-/s320/Storybook+forest+Hansel+and+Gretel_001.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>I tried to shoo the wee ones away from the candy house but they wouldn't listen. The old witch kept shouting something. I'm not sure if she was saying "Land Ho!" or if she thought I was showing too much skin.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeAO3YXEqGhpQF2gPy47ZYVdbOIUztg-eHqJ7Cu0-t87FhqX53Q3KYaDlQOI1I_zKtL7v2WOm7TlN5yYL20nv30-xcCnZJ0fTWcJrNiSJNiKDLFjpklwX19d6uvEQsPdCzCogvNDatULR/s1600/Storybook+forest+Boating+mice_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeAO3YXEqGhpQF2gPy47ZYVdbOIUztg-eHqJ7Cu0-t87FhqX53Q3KYaDlQOI1I_zKtL7v2WOm7TlN5yYL20nv30-xcCnZJ0fTWcJrNiSJNiKDLFjpklwX19d6uvEQsPdCzCogvNDatULR/s320/Storybook+forest+Boating+mice_001.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Mice on a mission!</i></div>
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Storybook Forest is the kind of build you want to spend time to explore. There are lots of photo opportunities, with grazing unicorns, sandy beaches and shafts of light that add to the fantasy ambiance. </div>
Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-51966057788594029112020-02-17T18:25:00.000-05:002020-02-17T18:25:39.365-05:00There Be Giants<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGWOFrBHJRAX_2IWpEgB6xpw8W079SgF7Ja6C1j95k1Spp26FumgufIw8nC78nzPSchtS7hhWuAmCCkLl-gbdjiOUOEUbGA2vSbWApCCm-iYk6tmdTVDIgGOOAaGHxVA1wKUhFp2A-sC3/s1600/chillax+time2_002.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGWOFrBHJRAX_2IWpEgB6xpw8W079SgF7Ja6C1j95k1Spp26FumgufIw8nC78nzPSchtS7hhWuAmCCkLl-gbdjiOUOEUbGA2vSbWApCCm-iYk6tmdTVDIgGOOAaGHxVA1wKUhFp2A-sC3/s640/chillax+time2_002.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tired. I'm probably not moving from this spot for a while.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
What have ya'll been up to? I've been suffering from a house building obsession for about a month now. During that time, I learned some new skills, remembered some old ones and found out a few things about myself. <br />
<br />
First, I do not have the patience nor the brain cells required to texture and shadow each and every wall, floor and tiny little window trim. Second, and most important, I suck at building houses. The one thing I<i> am</i> good at, apparently, is buying houses.<br />
<br />
I did complete a lovely home. When it was almost finished, I invited a friend over for a visit and made yet another earth shattering discovery about myself.<br />
<br />
You see, when you spend most of your time alone, you never realize that you're A FREAKING GIANT.<br />
<br />
So I took a short break from aligning and texturing to venture out to the club scene where I casually slid up behind other avatars and gauged my height against theirs.<br />
<br />
Yeah, I was a creeper. You do what you have to do.<br />
<br />
Adjustments were made. Finally satisfied that I wouldn't look like Godzilla stomping through the village when I <i>did</i> go out, I returned to my build, which I then realized was BUILT FOR A FREAKING GIANT.<br />
<br />
Disgusted, I deleted it all, including the little island it sat upon, which hadn't done a thing wrong. I decided to set up house on the actual coast, which has enough actual land for a rusted out hippie van and not much else. So I needed something on stilts, beachy, but not shacky yet with a touch of class.<br />
<br />
I'm not picky. Much.<br />
<br />
I shopped ya'll. I am reasonably sure that I visited every purveyor of houses on the grid. I looked at ultra modern, concrete and steel constructions, fishing shacks and even bought one of those furnished monstrosities with nine hundred and eleventy billion scripts.<br />
<br />
That one lasted a hour.<br />
<br />
But now? I'm done. If you fly over Faravari in the near future, you'll be able to find me floating in the pool, eyes glazed over and scarcely moving.<br />
<br />
That is, until I get another wild hair and decide I need a new house.<br />
<br />Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-47048532010802704452020-01-14T18:35:00.000-05:002020-01-14T18:35:18.590-05:00Like a Good Neighbor, Stay Over There<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFq8ugt6MYQeXkBV0LKRbKghbq-JmgSeSmvJUaryBUwPpElZ4PWWkrFM6HzKnhCqmdB09ZtLUek6G5IuGG5fJLO8JQ3o6T4KKA8hyP9uFGVdTqvVfjzFpv7JG_pHvyb8MKiQTn0nTwei3I/s1600/sunhouse_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFq8ugt6MYQeXkBV0LKRbKghbq-JmgSeSmvJUaryBUwPpElZ4PWWkrFM6HzKnhCqmdB09ZtLUek6G5IuGG5fJLO8JQ3o6T4KKA8hyP9uFGVdTqvVfjzFpv7JG_pHvyb8MKiQTn0nTwei3I/s640/sunhouse_001.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm back after a short holiday break. Did anyone miss me? Anyone?<br />
<br />
*Tap Tap* Is this thing even ON?<br />
<br />
Anywho...<br />
<br />
I came back to new neighbors, one of which built a ginormous, full bright, brick, monstrosity caddy corner from my deck.<br />
<br />
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not someone who wants to block everything from my view. I kind of like the quirkiness of living on the mainland, but this... thing... was a bit much. I finally came to the conclusion that the only way to camouflage that corner of the property was to either put up one of those giant cliffs and plant palm trees on top of it or move from my hi-rise beach house to one closer to the water.<br />
<br />
It wasn't a problem. As I've said before, I have an embarrassingly large collection of houses in my inventory. Trompe Loeil gets most of my L$. <br />
<br />
I soon noticed someone flying around the glowy building and decided to be neighborly and say hi.<br />
<br />
I knew this was a mistake the moment I started typing. The logical part of my brain started nagging at me to stop. This wouldn't end well. But the flighty, trying-to-be-a-better-person part of my brain told me to go for it.<br />
<br />
I should have listened to logic.<br />
<br />
The new guy seemed nice enough at first, although the first thing out of his mouth was some comment about having sexy neighbors.<br />
<br />
Red flag number one.<br />
<br />
We spoke for a few minutes, exchanged niceties, then I excused myself to get back to building. I popped up to my platform and got to work. It was less than a minute before he showed up, 3000m in the air.<br />
<br />
"What are you building? Do you want some advice?"<br />
<br />
Oh gawd yes, could you please mansplain to me how to build a roof, when your giant, square, glow box is the bane of the neighborhood.<br />
<br />
The next thing I know, he's raised his own platform beside mine and demanded my attention as he showed me an example of how I should be putting my prims together.<br />
<br />
He also suggested that I should try building naked and after more sexual innuendo than I can handle in one day, especially while trying to do math and cobble textures together, he got mad and left.<br />
<br />
The messages continued the next day. I finally just blocked him.<br />
<br />
I'm not a prude, I swear. I was clearly preoccupied with something, yet he expected me to just drop everything and follow him to his... lair... to bump uglies. What is with people? Don't they know there are adult rated sims where you can pretty much just walk down the road and find whatever kink tickles your pixels?<br />
<br />
Anywho...<br />
<br />
Ya'll have a great one. I'll be around.<br />
<br />
<br />Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-20542634790128576222019-08-31T16:53:00.000-04:002019-08-31T16:53:48.616-04:00The Problem with Mesh, Blender and Second Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZYRjo95DjUxz-Qw3DV3BdfP90JIhLFIKjXbC_aY6e6su0sCt0thSPHc9vwax2DJuUFFDpV8oKicLe4Vy62Z9pijg-k5g7-q3hl7RpHYseM5GY1uIGVE0v7nGvAoDP9_mua2Kh3u-qVI2/s1600/hard+at+work2_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZYRjo95DjUxz-Qw3DV3BdfP90JIhLFIKjXbC_aY6e6su0sCt0thSPHc9vwax2DJuUFFDpV8oKicLe4Vy62Z9pijg-k5g7-q3hl7RpHYseM5GY1uIGVE0v7nGvAoDP9_mua2Kh3u-qVI2/s640/hard+at+work2_001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Enter "Second Life" in to any search engine and the same question will eventually pop up.<br />
<br />
"How do I make money in Second Life?"<br />
<br />
Linden Labs promotes the platform as a way to "Earn Money: Start a business & earn real profits from the virtual world."<br />
<br />
There is plenty of money to be made as an escort, real estate flipper, builder or fashionista. And sure, you can be a fashion designer, like the avatar pictured on the front page of the Second Life website.<br />
<br />
But to the new user, it's a little misleading.<br />
<br />
If you've already mastered Photoshop or Gimp, you can probably manipulate textures well enough to create clothing by purchasing blank mesh items from the Marketplace and applying your own. The same applies to fashion, accessories, furniture... just about anything.<br />
<br />
There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, it's a business model that supports the mesh creator and allows more Second Life residents to express their creativity without having to learn complicated software.<br />
<br />
But do you really want to sell the exact same dress <i>(or couch)</i> that everyone else is selling?<br />
<br />
If you truly want to design your own mesh creations <i>(and mesh is what sells)</i> then you'll have to learn Blender.<br />
<br />
I dabbled with Blender back in the day, when sculpties were just coming out. I got pretty good at it. Then I fell in love and lost my mind, following someone else around, looking cute and playing dumb. I left after that, and when I came back, mesh had happened and I really <i>didn't</i> have a clue what was going on.<br />
<br />
Now, I could probably relearn the software. I've watched some videos and read more forum posts and blogs than I care to admit. I come from a technical background. I've spent a significant portion of my adulthood staring at blueprints and manipulating 3D models during my career in industrial sales.<br />
<br />
I guess what I'm trying to say is, I know I could do it, but why would I want to? That's a significant time investment, spent off the grid, to learn something that I could only use outside of SL.<br />
<br />
And that is the problem.<br />
<br />
I feel like LL is shooting themselves in the foot. They advertise SL as a platform where you can make "real money" but the popularity of mesh has resulted in most residents spending all their time either off the grid trying to learn a new skill or logged on and not speaking to anyone because they're so caught up in running the business that LL promised them.<br />
<br />
Is anyone having fun anymore? Second Life shouldn't be as stressful as the first.<br />
<br />
Plus, there's the added problem of really bad mesh strewn around everywhere, effecting performance, due to an increasing number of residents who only care if they can sell what they've made, not if it is of good quality. There's one well known furniture designer who makes beautiful stuff, but it takes forever to rez beyond a giant triangle.<br />
<br />
For myself, I'm content buying enough $L each month to feed my house buying addiction, exploring the grid for blog fodder and hanging out on my front porch, seeing what the neighbors have been up to. There are already plenty of mesh creators out there who are leaps and bounds more talented than I will ever be and I'm happy to pay them for their skills.<br />
<br />
Admittedly, I'd love to find a way to make some extra grid cash so I could justify paying additional land fees. There's a neighboring abandoned parcel I've had my eye on.<br />
<br />
I guess I could invest in a headset and do the voice escort thing, but I'm afraid I'd crack up laughing. Also, all the moaning and unnnnnngggggg sounds might scare the dogs.<br />
<br />
Anywho, that's what I think. What's your take? Let me know in the comments!Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-47142927739529553372019-08-29T22:13:00.001-04:002019-08-29T22:13:28.134-04:00Escapades, Rubber Duckies and Whacking SticksToday I took a quick tour around Escapades. It's a cute little seaside build with a quirky, monster killing adventure. Anything that involves a whacking stick has to be fun.<br />
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I figure, most of you have probably already been, but I'm so behind on things. If I'd stop buying houses, then re-landscaping, then re-decorating I'd probably be up to speed. It's probably for the best. Nicotine withdrawal has me fantasizing about riding naked through an infohub, giving everyone the finger while screaming like a banshee.</div>
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It's okay though, I think I finally found someone I can get along with, for the time being.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOggUEMztxlkinOtkBZrz_peOxmcf1PFkRxci7Bf2iKamdpCoUM_eLV_HQVOqUdEX-I19pYOTNv-gszi8_5e3r8D2bAPYE5aljM6fW3S-p1H934KXD_7Zk3XVvAxVpg-soC2ZgRWtLM_G/s1600/Escapades+Rubber+ducky_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOggUEMztxlkinOtkBZrz_peOxmcf1PFkRxci7Bf2iKamdpCoUM_eLV_HQVOqUdEX-I19pYOTNv-gszi8_5e3r8D2bAPYE5aljM6fW3S-p1H934KXD_7Zk3XVvAxVpg-soC2ZgRWtLM_G/s640/Escapades+Rubber+ducky_001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-83568644832981449032019-08-15T13:38:00.000-04:002019-08-15T13:38:25.566-04:00There Goes The Neighborhood<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1v7MJopxVBUYCFRCcBeVfNj2uKvR5K25JaP_CJ8RQb4lXb3CQaLIsJrv1Qkc9QYNLNt7KsRpUvEefG1NEX5qs3v87EK1bmbQvD7ww9uTf7_YUrStO12KGZwSLB390EaVZDsoJ_oZ_A2rK/s1600/Driftwood+Beach+House_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1v7MJopxVBUYCFRCcBeVfNj2uKvR5K25JaP_CJ8RQb4lXb3CQaLIsJrv1Qkc9QYNLNt7KsRpUvEefG1NEX5qs3v87EK1bmbQvD7ww9uTf7_YUrStO12KGZwSLB390EaVZDsoJ_oZ_A2rK/s640/Driftwood+Beach+House_001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes it's another house. Don't judge me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My neighbors are disappearing. The lot to the south is still for sale, but with new owners. It's still pretty cheap, the buyer only raised the price by L$1000. If they don't sell it fast, they're going to spend more in fees than they'll make. It'll be a deal for someone.<br />
<br />
I thought about buying it, it's much larger than what I have, but I'm content with my little plot (and my monthly bill) for now. I'm holding out for the 1024m between me and protected water. I'm hoping it gets abandoned eventually. <br />
<br />
Plus, I've finally sorted out my wandering horse falling in the water. It was a little disturbing to log on and find him chilling on the ocean floor.<br />
<br />
The one friendly neighbor I had abandoned her land for a Linden houseboat. I'm happy for her, but I miss seeing her over there.<br />
<br />
There were brief border wars between folks on adjacent parcels. One eventually packed up and left, after the angry returning of property invading prims and ugly border markers, then put their parcel up for rent. It went fast, but the new tenant was even worse. She invaded on everyone's lines, even partially blocking protected waterways.<br />
<br />
It's fun sitting back on my deck and watching uglier and uglier markers, signs and obnoxious builds going up between angry neighbors, until someone gets a cob up their ass, packs up and leaves.<br />
<br />
As I've said before, I'm easily entertained. It's what I love about living on the mainland.<br />
<br />
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<br />
The property behind me is abandoned too. I can probably lower my cliffs for now, I can't remove them or Coal will try going for a swim. He thinks he's a Kelpie, apparently. I was amazed the first time I saw him actually swimming. Who knew? Second Life horses have evolved by leaps and bounds since the early days.<br />
<br />
So for now, I'm enjoying the peace and solitude with the sound of waves rolling up on the shore, reading a bit and relaxing.<br />
<br />
My second life, is a good life.<br />
<br />
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<br />Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-40165652453223122522019-08-08T13:13:00.000-04:002019-08-09T12:39:12.506-04:00Exploring Mainland: Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I began my ride along Route 8, clearly marked on these little signs at each junction. As I said before, I assumed I'd find vast abandoned parcels with little or no tasteful builds.<br />
<br />
I was so wrong.<br />
<br />
While there were large unused parcels, there were more that were beautifully landscaped with comfy homes.<br />
<br />
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And pets. Lots and lots of pets!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJ9lwmH-m9HkrlSNodWhpn4wNB_x7ceoX9xwbVRZvlrR3MZNoOXcNHG9b9In9i7z3l3rd7jTs2crlnhmnr5WNQpMpDIMKuAEZeGEMGDKN9Q73PFc2Rnv6_LCVpGgFvOrNg5-08je4nHuc/s1600/Kitty+House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJ9lwmH-m9HkrlSNodWhpn4wNB_x7ceoX9xwbVRZvlrR3MZNoOXcNHG9b9In9i7z3l3rd7jTs2crlnhmnr5WNQpMpDIMKuAEZeGEMGDKN9Q73PFc2Rnv6_LCVpGgFvOrNg5-08je4nHuc/s400/Kitty+House.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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There were gas stations and GTFO hubs everywhere. GTFO was a mystery to me, one of the newer Second Life games that came along when I was away. After reading up on it, I understood why me and Coal almost ended up as roadkill. Those eighteen wheeler drivers are just like the real thing, whizzing by at breakneck speed.<br />
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One hub was a very realistic truck stop, with a car wash, showers, a convenience store and a diner. I think it was "Naughti Gurl's."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIV6FNmAafLv5Y2J9xGZXRTJ9Vqs9c01pwl-2USU4b5QLoG7GiDlRnTtWXGg8YUZzRJtjthl53MaJh0y0YExZq4uMLIUBBlg7EacFCurhThHzvGqfA_ezBMINPuSFumSHsGsMtIjECmphz/s1600/Naughti+Girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIV6FNmAafLv5Y2J9xGZXRTJ9Vqs9c01pwl-2USU4b5QLoG7GiDlRnTtWXGg8YUZzRJtjthl53MaJh0y0YExZq4uMLIUBBlg7EacFCurhThHzvGqfA_ezBMINPuSFumSHsGsMtIjECmphz/s320/Naughti+Girl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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While I get the appeal of private sims and places like Bellasaria, I love the quirkiness of mainland. You can be riding along, admiring the city skyline in the distance, then suddenly stumble across a massive castle, built high in the sky.<br />
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The abandoned parcels, however, worry me. I wonder what will happen to them. You can purchase them if you own other land in the region, but what happens when an entire region is abandoned? Will it stay empty? Will it become Linden managed property like the new homes regions?<br />
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I guess we'll see.<br />
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You can find these pictures and more on <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mahalaroviana/">my Flickr page</a>.<br />
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<br />Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-51739221653929033272019-07-16T21:09:00.000-04:002019-07-16T21:09:27.921-04:00The State of the Mainland and New Old Skills<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've been pretty busy the past few days. I got all of my land holdings auctioned off, so I'm officially done with that little business experiment. I could have made it work, but I don't want to spend all of my time on the grid trying to make a buck. Or a Linden buck. A Luck? Anyway, moving on.</div>
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I bought a horse. I had an old AKK model, but I decided it was time for an upgrade. This makes a total of seven, I think, two of which were gifties from SLB16. </div>
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There is no room for horses on my tiny island.</div>
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I took my new friend out on an adventure, since I can't seem to make any of the human kind. I picked a roadway on the Mainland and set out to explore. </div>
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Back in the day, before there was mesh and you couldn't spit without hitting a newb, I spent most of my time sitting on a brick wall with my friends, a cockney English bulldog, a Scottish biker, nekos and an alien or two. We'd have deep discussions covering the future of mankind and Second Life. Speculation was that one day, Mainland would be abandoned, with most of the remaining residents having moved to private islands and estates. There'd be squatters and griefers, every av for himself. The thought of it was both sad and exciting. A vast, unregulated free for all. </div>
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Since returning to the grid <i>(was I really gone for SIX years?)</i> and seeing all the abandoned land parcels, I wondered if it was beginning to come true. As I set out exploring, I expected to find more of the same along with tacky, primmy builds, giant privacy screens and a prostitute on every corner. </div>
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I'm happy to say, I was mistaken. My adventure was full of pleasant surprises. </div>
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Don't get me wrong, I saw some weird shit:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEW0XDYC83wBYXspzaJSetBM6HyAm1lwulouyc4ySeSQ0cIXMfjnQ89wcYz7gypfWGlr8KEDWsatPaD9UFmc9zmF4M8np7fIND3l_FRl3w25OXF-JtrAqHYPNPGsjO3jDF0bTJ5_4qrTTj/s1600/abandoned+land_005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEW0XDYC83wBYXspzaJSetBM6HyAm1lwulouyc4ySeSQ0cIXMfjnQ89wcYz7gypfWGlr8KEDWsatPaD9UFmc9zmF4M8np7fIND3l_FRl3w25OXF-JtrAqHYPNPGsjO3jDF0bTJ5_4qrTTj/s640/abandoned+land_005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In the coming days I'll tell ya'll all about my adventure. In the meantime, I'm learning to build with mesh. I hadn't forgotten as much as I'd feared. I guess my memory just needed a nudge. I'm getting there. When I successfully complete a house that isn't lopsided or with a door that spins lengthwise on it's axis, I'll let you know.Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-70962337732530530942019-07-09T18:46:00.000-04:002019-07-09T19:19:13.211-04:00Second Life Blogs: Where Are The Storytellers?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1dJFCY3KbtdhM6lEbF-OC_Q5hoFU5exhnENBus57wVsVuFx7-OmivyHvFvGbt93HqB27iDe2Nh79MwWuqrKZDq0IuM3dgvd9MOfykoVSYMOEtt98JSOlMxqeVjecm11DBy2g7pu0rxSW/s1600/writing_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1dJFCY3KbtdhM6lEbF-OC_Q5hoFU5exhnENBus57wVsVuFx7-OmivyHvFvGbt93HqB27iDe2Nh79MwWuqrKZDq0IuM3dgvd9MOfykoVSYMOEtt98JSOlMxqeVjecm11DBy2g7pu0rxSW/s640/writing_001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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As the sun was setting on Faravari, I thought about my return to Second Life and the changes I've seen thus far. One that was evident early on was the drastic change to blogging culture.<br />
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Prior to my return, I set out to search for current sites that could offer me some idea of what to expect. What I found were pages upon pages of beautifully crafted images gracing the latest incarnation of SL blogging, fashion blogs. Not unlike first life magazines, they listed clothing items and the shops where you too could could find the looks being worn by models. I thought it was amazing that shop owners had figured out a way to use social media as a means to market their goods.<br />
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What I didn't find were stories of amazing adventures, hidden builds and the day to day life of the average resident. I used to love those tales, they were full of inspiration and shared experiences.<br />
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Where did they go?<br />
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Deep down, I know they must still be out there, hidden beneath the glistening cleavage and shiny butt cheeks. They're buried in search engines, behind countless pouty poses and mesh personas.<br />
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Where are the wordsmiths? The story weavers? The sim hopping travelers? The broken hearts, the cheating husbands (or wives, or husbands playing as wives?)<br />
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And so I'm asking you, dear readers, to send me your blogs, full of words, adventures and stories. Tell your friends, your partners or anyone else that might be interested. Links can be sent to me via the contact form on the left, on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/mahala.roviana.5"> Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/MahalaRoviana">Twitter</a> or you can IM me in world. I'll post the links here so that we can support each other.<br />
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We need to breathe a little life in to our Second Life.<br />
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<br />Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-3038372388192037832019-07-08T19:14:00.000-04:002019-07-08T19:14:07.082-04:00Easily Entertained<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETUEQ3oZwj1DBQih2h0SbL2DDRuMk6GRRWK5WS86NNkvf88_TNTp__14mDuFQKJsSb4SAqD82KtwwV5sOdjnEG_vUR28Az9T_vgov5EZ8f2RYjrLwJWt_Q3YYYoKj6ea1zwcEyNez1Qp-/s1600/Snapshot_014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETUEQ3oZwj1DBQih2h0SbL2DDRuMk6GRRWK5WS86NNkvf88_TNTp__14mDuFQKJsSb4SAqD82KtwwV5sOdjnEG_vUR28Az9T_vgov5EZ8f2RYjrLwJWt_Q3YYYoKj6ea1zwcEyNez1Qp-/s640/Snapshot_014.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Please excuse the shadowy "glass" prim on the right. My neighbor left it behind when she packed up her house and fled, after the <a href="https://mahalaswanderlust.blogspot.com/2019/06/when-neighbors-harsh-your-mellow.html">crime scene tape incident</a>.</i></td></tr>
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I get so excited when I see moving dots over the ocean on the mini-map. There's barely anyone ever around Faravari, so I run to my deck to check it out, like I've been shipwrecked on a deserted island for six months. With draw distance settings at the max, I still don't see them until they make the turn onto the narrow, protected waterway leading south.<br />
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Unless, of course, they run aground on the tiny, neighboring island.<br />
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And they do it a lot.<br />
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It's the little things that keep me entertained on boring afternoons.Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-26196680136559156782019-07-04T15:13:00.000-04:002019-07-04T15:13:57.066-04:00They Only Come Out at Night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTo9k3rBl8MOM7kJnIfk17AaV2k6JJZ_Op00XVkuCpZtGWgJuOGr-rnxZ4ByDxeP6MTxyM3Q7FvQXxj73pGVtqMeDMONe18OTbMdIzHA6OpQYsqNuCfFmumWL4olsEBNr4s-vv1qtkbnY/s1600/Snapshot_004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTo9k3rBl8MOM7kJnIfk17AaV2k6JJZ_Op00XVkuCpZtGWgJuOGr-rnxZ4ByDxeP6MTxyM3Q7FvQXxj73pGVtqMeDMONe18OTbMdIzHA6OpQYsqNuCfFmumWL4olsEBNr4s-vv1qtkbnY/s640/Snapshot_004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Late at night, after the kiddies are tucked in and the sun has slid beyond the horizon, they gather under the stars and dance in a hidden forest. The fae, the witches, the two-spirit and the free-spirit. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8BaUSu56uRZFny76SiU7VOqAVPyEZGKdI0ayIJlPlKh27-y8L3BZPWYtpKsljbjydVV3cW0vQFFQacA55wBMy2h-Otz_OGW8iwiOVi2kCTW4TvH_nxmgixMxhvveuvClXnCB7_bdCgna/s1600/Snapshot_007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8BaUSu56uRZFny76SiU7VOqAVPyEZGKdI0ayIJlPlKh27-y8L3BZPWYtpKsljbjydVV3cW0vQFFQacA55wBMy2h-Otz_OGW8iwiOVi2kCTW4TvH_nxmgixMxhvveuvClXnCB7_bdCgna/s320/Snapshot_007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Their bodies move and the worries of the day fade into the darkness. New friends are found, old friends are greeted with excited cries. Their wings shine under the moonlight, their fur moist with the evening myst.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTl_Thbdr7JvvEZZM8n11bzhtv8FHt_MRBiGVgbhWswjUj2R4aH7889vmSubPWNy62FCMzr_KsXP0zkn8jaMrl25dAIo_nuEQmZ-iMkubpzbHv_Xrau-OQMXVDbz7YyMyDVb1jiSD-zgh/s1600/Snapshot_008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTl_Thbdr7JvvEZZM8n11bzhtv8FHt_MRBiGVgbhWswjUj2R4aH7889vmSubPWNy62FCMzr_KsXP0zkn8jaMrl25dAIo_nuEQmZ-iMkubpzbHv_Xrau-OQMXVDbz7YyMyDVb1jiSD-zgh/s320/Snapshot_008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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They dance alone, they dance with their loves and some, dance with the moon. After a full day of proprieties, their business facade and polite society, they are free to be themselves, hidden in the trees, deep in the forest.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1C6oqKW8Xa55G88iQdbKa1FXey-X5w-vf-HF0LFrEBdnhbxgTUgWNdNjj0r_1BJ4xxPVFjO7Mz-xJy5cXaPjPqi_ABGDejS_KyIwGjrsFpdqo3Pjt4SIsJU3dBegaJn-LtF0KhohLcOE_/s1600/Snapshot_010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1C6oqKW8Xa55G88iQdbKa1FXey-X5w-vf-HF0LFrEBdnhbxgTUgWNdNjj0r_1BJ4xxPVFjO7Mz-xJy5cXaPjPqi_ABGDejS_KyIwGjrsFpdqo3Pjt4SIsJU3dBegaJn-LtF0KhohLcOE_/s320/Snapshot_010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So when you sit on your porch, late at night or beside the open kitchen window, listen closely and you may hear the beat of distant music, the flapping of wings, big cat roars or the joyful chanting of witches, deep in the forest.<br />
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We only come out at night.<br />
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<span style="color: #ffe599; font-size: x-large;">~*~</span></div>
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Do you enjoy the sunset over the water, the sunrise over the horizon and water views, but not really the "beachy" type? Then the beautiful Auville Heights parcel is for you! Surrounded to the west, east and south by large abandoned parcels and rising high, overlooking the surrounding area, this parcel is perfect for your woodland cottage, fantasy build or quiet retreat. Parcel can by lowered to become level with surrounding land. The photos below were taken with maximum draw distance settings. This 1024m land is available now for L$2200. See it inworld here:</div>
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<a href="https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Auville/245/170/61/" rel="external nofollow noopener" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333;" target="_blank">https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Auville/245/170/61/</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5qBtjMBwy6ZiEDniZwrAQ0Xl1jk0qp2OIrVND4496MpOeTEou74GnzX_M5ecnXM78pIpPuBqbKrQQpq_5M-cGyxWyjZgEzcsvp6FNNFnimB16p9nbFOjybAgySBfCG6xvcWAXV7upgBb/s1600/Auville+Heights+South_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5qBtjMBwy6ZiEDniZwrAQ0Xl1jk0qp2OIrVND4496MpOeTEou74GnzX_M5ecnXM78pIpPuBqbKrQQpq_5M-cGyxWyjZgEzcsvp6FNNFnimB16p9nbFOjybAgySBfCG6xvcWAXV7upgBb/s320/Auville+Heights+South_001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07iXAuAl__F1Yy6E8URS1DWhnO-kbrCJqIwVR9KO5zjXaIGr59Et1sZrrcV3zhunsYGhjhFsPt7Jm5bWwkkYOLMRnTb2hT2ri3wd5xAH60kci8d3U28JGwvHhe_5VkJ7_pTJc50reeDgy/s1600/Auville+Heights+West_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07iXAuAl__F1Yy6E8URS1DWhnO-kbrCJqIwVR9KO5zjXaIGr59Et1sZrrcV3zhunsYGhjhFsPt7Jm5bWwkkYOLMRnTb2hT2ri3wd5xAH60kci8d3U28JGwvHhe_5VkJ7_pTJc50reeDgy/s320/Auville+Heights+West_001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-79153193511035213482019-06-30T15:00:00.000-04:002019-07-01T16:21:20.295-04:00Seeking Paradise <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ph3gnWGkvunUz_bhn-F9PFP1PSMpLe-rGyrSrOQmzM_YmppfNqM-xwx9bvu9kZgC2L80IHyErpMipDnh2-3vJqy3xyzgmh0Oii3XyfWhRxd6S5JiauBAPxYuLC93Oloydk6zVheyRHrK/s1600/Lagoon+Tiki_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ph3gnWGkvunUz_bhn-F9PFP1PSMpLe-rGyrSrOQmzM_YmppfNqM-xwx9bvu9kZgC2L80IHyErpMipDnh2-3vJqy3xyzgmh0Oii3XyfWhRxd6S5JiauBAPxYuLC93Oloydk6zVheyRHrK/s640/Lagoon+Tiki_001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wanderlust Lagoon</td></tr>
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I've gone through a few houses since I last posted and in the process, I learned a few things about myself. The most prevalent lesson is: Sometimes you don't know what you want until you've tried everything else.<br />
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I loved my little white cottage, but after fiddling around with different island sizes (I now have a lifetime supply in my inventory,) waves and ginormous cliffs (to block the neighbor's day glow border marker,) I realized I wanted more water, less land. For that, I'd need a smaller house. I bought a boat house and a boat, but it was still just too big. I spend most of my time outside anyway. I didn't need that much house and the thoughts of buying furniture to fill it up made my stomach churn.<br />
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I hate buying furniture. That's an entire post in itself.<br />
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The bed I'd bought for the cottage wouldn't fit in the tiny attic of the boathouse, and after about a day, the constant use of the same basic texture for EVERY surface started to get on my nerves.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Boathouse</td></tr>
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I set out to find a nice little house, with few rooms. I don't have roommates or a partner. To be honest, I really don't even need a bedroom.<br />
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For now.<br />
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I wanted something on stilts or a treehouse that wouldn't take up much room.<br />
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Just because a builder says a house will fit on a 1024m doesn't mean it will, nor does it mean it's a good fit for what you're trying to do.<br />
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Lesson learned.<br />
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I found that I kept going back to Tiki huts and little tropical houses. There are three major builders that fit that description. The first I went to, I'd bought my little Gypsy wagon from and knew the animations were screwed up. I went back there, hoping that after time they'd fixed their problems, but nope. I ended up sitting on my head.<br />
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The next one had beautiful furnished houses, but their house rezzing area was a clusterfuck. It looked like someone had rezzed every house, some were turned upside down and on their side. Due to past experience, I wasn't buying another furnished house if I couldn't test the animations first. I went back a few times, hoping I'd find it cleared, but to no avail.<br />
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The third Tiki house builder had three areas for looking at houses. The first one had a big clump of bushes in the middle of the rez area, so you couldn't really tell what the hell you were looking at. In retrospect, I suppose the smart thing to do would have been to derender the bushes, but by then I was so annoyed, I guess I wasn't thinking straight.<br />
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But then? I noticed that the sign in front of the third clearing said "Islands." Some were houses on islands, houses built into caverns. I wouldn't have to keep fiddle farting around with island prims and landscaping. It was all included. I found a small house with a living room and a bedroom, fully furnished, on it's own island AND landscaped.<br />
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I was sold.<br />
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When I got it set up, I found a bonus cave hidden in one of the rocks on the foundation. The perfect space for my altar. Also, there were little butterflies already flying around the flowers on the rocks.<br />
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Setting up a new house meant I'd have to rearrange the landscape a bit. I've discovered that while I DESPISE big, flat privacy screens, I do enjoy my solitude. I didn't want to create an eyesore for my neighbors, yet I wanted a clearly defined border and somewhere to put a few plants.<br />
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I started with a cheap pack of rocks that I recolored to match the pitted lava rocks at my house's foundation, but that turned out to be... tacky.<br />
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While out looking at different parcels for sale, I happened upon some natural looking cliff faces that weren't too huge. I sought out the designer's store (they weren't on MP) and ended up buying those as well as some more natural looking waterfalls.<br />
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I may add more plants or some underwater landscaping, but as you can see by the first picture above, my perfect little 1024m lagoon is complete. There's plenty of outside room, privacy and lots of places for visitors to sit and chat by the fire. I think I'm happy now.<br />
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And the cave. I love the cave.<br />
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Feel free to drop me an IM for more information on the houses and landscaping in the photos. This isn't a sponsored post, nor do I want to upset anyone by posting negative opinions about their products.<br />
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<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">~*~</span></div>
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Looking for your own little island paradise? I currently have a nice little 1024m water parcel for sale. </div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 14px;">The Bramant Island parcel is a quiet, 1024m square water lot. To the east and west are tasteful builds. To the south is a large vacant parcel, with a smaller one to the north. Just beyond the northeastern border is a protected waterway, perfect for boating. This serene, low-lag island is just </span><strike style="color: #666666; font-size: 14px;">L$4700</strike><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 14px;">. </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>L$</b></span><b style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">3900</b></div>
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See it inworld here:</div>
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<a href="https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Bramant/77/192/21/" rel="external nofollow noopener" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333;" target="_blank">https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Bramant/77/192/21/</a></div>
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<br />Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2952232148539544492.post-66131454781467413262019-06-20T12:43:00.000-04:002019-06-20T12:43:00.933-04:00When Neighbors Harsh Your Mellow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When I logged off the other night, I stopped and gazed around my parcel, feeling satisfied. I was content. I had everything just so and I was feeling a little proud of myself. After my early struggles with my new mesh avatar (so many HUDs, seriously) I was no longer paranoid that my head was out of proportion to my body, that I was too thin, too muscular and too short. </div>
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Virtual nirvana. </div>
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I signed on the following day and as everything slowly came in to focus, I noticed a glow, yellow like a highlighter. </div>
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Is the sun brighter than usual? Aliens landed? Minion infestation? I glanced toward the window and found the source. My neighbor, who's ginormous 4592m parcel dwarfs my little 1024, had put some crime scene looking monstrosity around her plot, right butt up against the line. If I'd put something like that up, I'd at least add a floating corpse. I mean, if you're going to be that tacky, you may as well own it.</div>
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Nirvana crushed.</div>
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I know people can do whatever they want with their own parcel, but why would you want to make it ugly for everyone else? </div>
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I de-rendered the line closest to me, but that wasn't going to help if I had guests over. I'm still debating hosting discussions. I thought about it for a bit. I despise big ass screens blocking everyone's view but I didn't know what else to do. I went in search for something with a natural look. I settled on some rock cliffs, which cut into my splashy rock's spinny prim, so I had to take it up. So no more sea lion (for now.) I changed the islands from three to two, creating more usable land space and I added a waterfall. I'm not done tinkering with it, the construction is using more prims that I'd like. I might play with the size some or add more waterfalls. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENfAW-IeSe8X9TIy7DFPggG8Ke0IRw8HCX4j2-K90FAKHQntzK2q5dfZ8JSvaT40yBnlOQ7YL0sCwq4TDIUeTpXYJO-3Dz_0kCj69MUu5VHVi3tGjHCNla-qSwMK_Ds_U5CTGXAPAKWLq/s1600/changes_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENfAW-IeSe8X9TIy7DFPggG8Ke0IRw8HCX4j2-K90FAKHQntzK2q5dfZ8JSvaT40yBnlOQ7YL0sCwq4TDIUeTpXYJO-3Dz_0kCj69MUu5VHVi3tGjHCNla-qSwMK_Ds_U5CTGXAPAKWLq/s640/changes_002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've only seen the neighbor in question maybe three times. I don't know what the border marker fuss is about, I looked and I couldn't find where anyone was over the line.<br />
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Speaking of neighbors, I've made attempts to meet a few of mine. I talked to two who were super friendly and one that seemed woefully uninterested.<br />
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I guess two out of three isn't bad.<br />
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How do <i>you </i>deal with parcel boundaries and unfriendly neighbors? Let me know in the comments below!<br />
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<br />Mahala Rovianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03617051808277815565noreply@blogger.com1