Blargh!

Okay I took down the layout I was working on and put the old one back up because I've felt uninspired, I guess and don't want to work on a new one like I thought I did.

Lots of Second Life weddings going on so I've been filming my booty off - but I don't mind it. Like I've said - it keeps me from having to flip burgers. And regardless of what anyone says - even if it is a video game ... working in a video game is work just the same. Its hard to not let yourself get distracted by IMs or even random games on websites (or constantly reading blogs >.>) while you're working. I've just found that if I lay out a work schedule for myself that I tend to stick to it. It also helps if I get my ass around and put on normal clothes. Of course I have my days when I romp around in sweats - but even changing from my care bear pajamas to sweats is usually enough to kick me into gear ^^

Keith and I haven't gone on any outings - and that's because he was on night shift this week so we had to adjust our sleep schedules. I have a wedding to do this Saturday but we're going to market on Sunday to see what goodies we can find. I'm realllly hoping to make it to the beach before the middle of August - but you never can tell. And if not it isn't a big deal - there will be other times.

Not much has been going on socially. Keith gets along well with all the guys at work - which is a HUGE change from the redneck/frat boy mentality of all the guys at the last base. He's just not that kind of guy. At any rate - the guys he works with now - he fits in perfectly with them and thats great :D I'm glad to finally see him so happy to go to work instead of dreading it.

I'm still fighting with this friggin' phone. I don't know why I can't recieve calls .. so I'll have to call BT tomorrow to see if I've done something wrong in registering the handset to the hub (the phone works off a router of sorts) or maybe just get someone to come out and do it for me. Its quite frustrating!

Tonight I've decided that it was going to be random fun night in SL and that I'd hang with the homies and maybe film for the sake of laughing at it. No special tricks - no hard core editing ... just more of a memoir of humor I 'spose.

Long Way to Go

I started a couple hours ago REALLY working on a new layout. Actually all I was able to get finished was a header - but I hadn't realized how long it had been since I'd worked in Photoshop. OMFG I'm a noob :(

At any rate this layout has a long way to go and I'll probably completely change it once I'm able to sit down and look at it without working on it.

And yes - that is a drawing of me. I have a few 'talents' in life. Kinda.

I know I said I was going to do a new layout but so far I just haven't gotten to it. I will sometime soon - but not yet.

I was a bit sickly the past couple days, but I'm pretty convinced that it was a coupling of having no sleep and not eating right. Today I've felt a bit better, though a little knackered. I'd think within the next couple of weeks I should have new stuffs going here.

Getting things together in order to post for Mean Girls has been a breeze for me so far. No I'm not posting on the most 'controversial' things but I'm posting on things that bother me or I feel should be at least acknowledged by someone other than me!

Garbage totally revamped Appearance Mode and in case no one noticed he booted out like everyone. Not that it mattered cuz I had kinda stopped posting over there due to being buried faster than Anna Nicole could eat a Xanax. But now its gone from Sasy being the only one that posts to Garbage being the only one. Have fun with that, I guess. Being kicked out without a word - not even so much as "Kiss my ass" has left me a bit bitter. Could've at least notified me somehow, Garb :( I mean seriously.

So far I think I've really fit in with the Mean Girls crowd. I've already known most of 'em (save for Laylah) for almost two years. I'm not the nice one (Rosie) but I'm not the one everyone wants kicked off the island (Laylah :P) but I'm somewhere in the middle which surprises me after the backlash from my "caLLie coNUNdrum" post I did.

Keith and I are still doing weddings and filming and editing our asses off. Okay so its been mostly him but what can I expect when in competition with his reputation? Of course people will go around me to get him to film their wedding ... even though it really makes no difference. BAH whatever.

My days lately have been spent in SL just visiting wedding sims and trying to get note cards out to peeps in hopes of booking some video gigs. I guess its been a slow time for weddings or people either don't know that we film and edit weddings - or they are just letting their friends film/edit? I dunno but people c'mon. We spent 5k on his bad ass computer. Let us USE it! Right now the money made from weddings is going to be used to buy ME a bad ass computer so people won't have any reason to 'doubt' me. I can get good FPS in order to film now - but I would get Bebop Quality with a better computer (which I WILL get, dang it.)

SL has really gotten boring for me aside from a few small perks. I bought a cute wand/staff thing from Abigail Horton's shop and its served as a great means of entertainment. The downside is .. when I'm out in public all those shirtless guys with ponytails are all like "Oh you bad girl out without your collar on." I' all like "Fool I'm not a slave - I'm a wizard!" Bah. Whatever.

At any rate - I've been working in SL to either turn acquaintances into friends - or just get rid of the acquaintances all together. Or am I just being all menstrual emo? Who knows.

ITS KEITH'S BIRTHDAY!

I woke him up for work by singing the most annoying rendition of "Happy Birthday" known to man - which had us both laughing. The song continued while he was getting dressed for work and on the 15 min drive there. I drove him to work because I had to pick up a few things ... so as he got out of the car he laughed a bit, gave me a kiss before doing his cute emo sigh and saying "Ahhh babe you're awesome." Yeah. I love him :D

Libby had her first outdoor adventure the other day when I had mistakenly left a window open a bit too wide for her to get out. She was probably out roaming for a good 5 or more hours before she came leaping into the office window at like 1am. While we were on the front porch calling for her Keith and I saw the tiny corpse of a bird near the front step. Aww a gift! She likes us afterall!

We filmed a wedding on Friday night - and Keith is going to post it once he comes home from work since Bluehost changed their layout thingy and I have no idea how to do it now.

I'm also planning a Mean Girls video for sometime soon. I have a few songs in mind so of course its going to mostly be like a story telling type music video. Keith and I are also talking about upgrading my PC so that I can be a BAMF like him. One day kids, one day.

Keith's cake is cooling so I can slap some frosting on it. I even bought candles :D Its our first birthday together (Mine's not till October 6th -- but still!) so we're both all geeky giddy over it. Its just another moment in time for me to look back, sigh happily, and just be thankful that everything has worked out. I'm still waiting for the 'new' to wear off I guess. I keep thinking that sometime he's not going to dig me as much ... but then the more I think about it ... the more that thought makes me laugh.

I've been working on a new layout for my blog, while getting a DvD picture slideshow together for my family to ship back to the states as well as working on my video editing and overall trying to keep up with daily life. I'm reallllly lacking in the sleep department today and I'm totally feeling it. Erf.

Ugh I know its been a few days ...

Keith and I drove around Norwich for like TWO hours the other day on our way to attempting to find the RSPCA so we could adopt a cat. Needless to say we never found it and were both just upright frustrated when we left. On a lighter note we liked the place so much after driving around that we took a trip back there Sunday to be tourists. We went to like 3 cathedrals (hey on Sunday churches are always free to go in) and had a good time of it. Even though neither of us are Catholic or even Christian for that matter - we still enjoy visiting cathedrals here in England. I mean c'mon they look awesome aaannndd you get to light candles (for a small fee but hey whatever FIREEEE) and a few cathedrals even have really relaxing cloisters. We went to the refectory in the Norwhich Cathedral and had coffee and tea before we walked back across town to the car park. Great fun was had by all. And it didn't even rain!

So I was really bummed about not getting a cat still. I actually moaped! My emo-ness kinda made Keith go "Awww poor shang". He checks the bulletin boards from work (because you can only check them from a government computer) and has found us two computer desks (both practically FREE), two tables for the lounge room aka living room and we splurged on a 42" plasma TV (even though we haven't bought a television liscense yet in order to watch anything). Even with all this new stuff in the house I was still bummed.

A day passed and Keith comes home super early from work. He rang the doorbell (as he usually does because I'm here so there's no need for him to take another set of keys) and as I open it his entire BDU top is covered with hair. I said 'Fuck's sake what happened to you?' and he just stood in the doorway with a big grin and said "Well .. her name is Libby and a Master Sargeant was about to board a plane for a new base and has been trying to find someone to take her." I poked my head around the corner but saw nothing and insisted he was just toying with me. He scurried off around to the car and brought out a cage which held ... a cat!

I squeed a bit as he brought the cage in the house and opened it in the hallway. A pretty white and grey cat hopped out and started rubbing on my leg. I jumped around a bit before giving him a big hug and thanking him of course. Oh and I kissed him too. Dur.

So my new buddy Libby was born July 4, 2005 - ex cat of a Master Sargeant. Born on the 4th of July (American Holidy - Independance Day) and her name is Libby which is short for Liberty. Could this NOT have been any more meant to be?! No, it couldn't (and don't you even TRY to argue!)

I've got lots of dental work ahead of me, apparently due to what I was told today at the dental clinic - and I'm not happy about that one bit. I won't go into detail cuz teeth stuff is just gross but the wisdom tooth I had caused a few cavaties on top of needing a good cleaning. So about once a week for the next 6 months I will be going to dental appointments. Rawr. :(

So far so good with everything, though. I'm trying to set up outings for Keith and I to take every weekend - this weekend I'm hoping to plan for a beach picnic or something along that line. We'll see though. I mean .. we aren't far from the ocean and the beaches so we should totally go. I really just hate that whole 'tourist' feeling. Keith is a TOTAL tourist. He stops and takes pictures of sooo many things and even though it embarasses the SHIT out of me I'm glad he does. We come home and we go through the camera and I'm like "Awww that's a good picture!" because I know full well that I wouldn't do that.

Oh and due to us getting lost in Norwich last week - Keith went out and bought a TomTom wich is a GPS thingy. Anyway - we can download maps and such to it and we won't get lost again! Our bikes and other crap all showed up Monday so I'm thinking we might take a bike ride through Thetford Forest - but not sure when yet. I don't really enjoy playing travel agent- but I do like getting out and doing things with my badass husband. And yes .. he is a badass.

Oh! Almost forgot! Here's a picture of Libby! She's a total sassy bitch. Seriously lol I love this cat!

4th of July

I could say quite a lot, really. I'm not sure how much to say, I guess. Being in England has been really different. There are lots of differences here, 99% of which are obvious of course (and some I even listed in my previous post).

Protests, picket lines, activists, fundamentalists ... I'm no stranger to any of that. Racism, chauvanism, and overall opression is nothing new, either. But never did I expect that I would be a 'target' or be accused of being anything of the sort.

I will openly admit that it seemed very boisterous to have an Independance Day celebration in England. It even felt wrong to celebrate the eviction of a country IN the country that was dismounted. I can't even really set up a valuable arguement other than I'm American and I am married to an American soldier and I felt that it was my duty as a military wife, and as an American to attend the festivities ... that and I just like fireworks.

So even though I didn't really want to go, I went. I was already warned that protesters would be there. Of course they weren't the kind of protesters I have been exposed to. These were what's called 'peaceful' protesters in that they had signs and lawn chairs and simply sat conversing with each other. Their signs didn't really say anything mean or even angry. The big one which was behind them just said "Leave space for Peace". That's nothing, I thought.

I thought that then, anyway. My idea of it all changed as the night went on, and as last night turned into today. I guess its humbling, in a way. Last night was the first time I felt even slightly unwelcome here in England. I realize that no one likes stupid people - and for the most part the Brits don't hate or even dislike Americans - its Yanks (its like comparing a normal person to a redneck or white trash .. there's a difference) and never have I felt I was a Yank, or even Keith for that matter. Blah I'm not even going to go into a big long thing about it - mostly coz I lost my train of thought!

Well I got sidetracked and now I'll have to finish this post later.

SLACKER

I know I've been slacking in the blog department, but its been a busy few days on top of me just being in pain :( Not to mention I have two wisdom teeth left which will probably get pulled in the coming weeks/months - but I also have some tiny cavaties due to my other wisdom teeth that are going to be getting filled and such.

As most everyone knows I am living in England. For the most part things are the same here - but I will list the big differences

• No Ice

• BROWN gravy only

• No air conditioners

• No mirror in the bathroom

• No plug ins in the bathroom

• 'Fortnight' is still used

• Radiators for heat

• Driving on the left side

• Road signs are luminous

• Most the radio stations are geared to 'younger' listeners (I mean teens)

• Cuts of clothes are more simple here

• Things you've seen celebs wear - they were that every day here (those lil ballet slipper things with flowy tops and leggings is big here right now)

• The Thai and Indian food is better in England than it is in Thailand I betcha

• When you order a meal - you get a BIG full plate

• Its expensive to eat out (3x as much as the states)

• Kids wear uniforms to school

• No bikes on the sidewalk unless a sign says you can

• Dye your hair whatever color you want - the Brits won't make a fuss (I've not gotten fired places because of my wacky haircolor before in the States)

• Beer is a social drink to be enjoyed in the presence of anyone and everyone (Bars are 21+ in the states and if they serve food its probably just put in a microwave -- the only CLOSE equivelant to pubs in the states would be resturants that have a wine menu)

• The inside of a washer is about the size of a 5 gallon bucket. Don't let your laundry pile up! It goes under the counter like a dishwasher in the states would - but it smaller than a dishwasher.

• 2 litres are rare - everything is 1 litre and milk doesn't come in gallons.

• There are no stop signs. Everything is a "Give Way" which means rolling 'stops' are what they WANT you to do here. No tickets for not stopping yippie!

• Mirrors on your car come with a button that pulls them in. Your mirrors WILL get hit on a village street if you're parked and a lorrie comes by. Do everyone a favor and move your mirrors in.

• Same Language - Different Dialect (which I will list later)

• The "Organic" isle in the store is massive. HUGE on organics here

• LOTS of vegetarians here. Vegetarian alternative to ANYTHING at EVERY eatery I've been to.

• Every room in the house has a door. This is to save on heating, of course.

• A "Beer Garden" is NOT where beer is grown - its a patio, more or less.

• Before you decide to take a bath - be sure you've heated some water first. Hot Water Heaters don't run continuously here (they can if you leave it on but that would get expensive)

• No one runs around half naked in the summer. It isn't hot enough for that here (THANK YOUUU Mother Nature!)

Alright so those were the major differences that came off the top of my head. And now its time for a small vocabulary lesson! The first word will be the USA word - the second will be the Brit word for it. So format will be USA - Brit. Ready?


Cell Phone - Mobile (pronouced Mow-bile)

Semi Truck - Lorrie

Stove - Cooker

Sun Room - Conservatory (pronounced Con-serv-try)

Fries - Chips

Chips - Crisps

Cookie - Biscuit

Biscuit - Scone

Road - Carriageway

Two Lane Divided Highway (Highway) - Dual Carriageway

Interstate (3 or more lanes) - Motorway

Trunk (car) - Boot

Windshield (vehicle) - Windscreen

Buck (money slang for dollar) - Quid (Money slang for pound)

Wine Cooler - Alcopop

Truck Stop - Services

tired - knackered

Cops - The Fuzz or just Fuzz (haven't heard it said very much)

Drunk - pissed

Kiss - Snog (which I haven't heard since the Spice Girls were cool)


And right now those are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head - there are sooo many though. I mostly put up on the ones that Keith had a LOT of trouble with. I love confusing him about biscuits and scones

Me-Now pretend we're in a pub and you want a cookie for your tea .. what do you ask for?

Keith - A biscuit!

Me - Right! Now you want a biscuit with your bangers - what do you ask for?

Keith - What's a banger?

Me - A sausage.

Keith - Oh. I want a biscuit?

Me - Is that what you ask for?

Keith - No I ask for a scone.

Me - Good! Now you've got a biscuit and a scone, but you want another cuppa aand ...

Keith -Wait Jen .. if a cookie is a biscuit and a banger is a sausage what's a biscuit?

Me - A biscuit is a scone.

Keith - Right. Well what exactly is a scone?

Me - Its a biscuit.

Keith - But I thought a biscuit was a cookie?

Me - It is.

Keith - Oh god I'll never fit in!

SONG OF THE DAY!

In Keeping with my Brit fueled post I will put up a song that I've only ever heard here in England - and BBC Radio 1 has done a fine job of gettin it stuck in my head. DAMN YOU BBC RADIO 1!


Away From Here by The Enemy

I got a wisdom tooth pulled yesterday - and I haven't been doing too hot.

It took the dentist almost 45 minutes to just pull. The side of my face is a bit swollen and half of the inside of my mouth is blue and bruised. All I can say is "Thank you, Mr Dentist for the percocet." Seriously without it I would be doing much worse right now.

I've been mostly in bed - but have hopped on the computer at odd times to chat with my friends in the 'States because I am six hours ahead of them so its about my only opportunity to do so.

So yeah I'm in a bit of discomfort but hope to be back to normal this weekend. Keith and I had plans to picnic in Cambridge and such - but that might have to wait until next weekend. I think that's about it.

I'm feeling a bit loopy so back to bed I go!

Alright so we've done a lot recently and I haven't gotten to updating my blog to reflect that.

I am taking over the filming/editing of most the wedding videos at NSS indefinately. Do to us being in the UK now its impossible for Keith to film any weekday weddings because he'd lose sleep for work. Weekends are another matter - as long as he has notice he'll probably do those.

He and I went to Stonehenge last weekend - and got soaked. The ONE time we go out without an umbrella and it rains. What do you expect out of England, though? Any time we go out we normally take an umbrella and a sweater or jacket a piece. That's because the weather can (and has) changed so quickly that we've needed it. We enjoyed it anyway though. Wet hair and dripping clothes don't slow us down!

Then we went to Salisburry and saw the cathedral. It was simply gorgeous. After Stonehenge that cathedral was the 2nd oldest thing I've ever seen/been near in my life. I love how the entire place was pretty much open and you could touch anything there. The whole touch deal is why I love children's museums. You get to put your hands on a HUGE piece of history and that's just not something you can do every day. We stopped at a few altars and lit candles and whatnot - and by 'a few' I mean every alter we walked past. We also saw a page of the Magna Carta which is the U.S. equivalent of the Decloration of Independance. Same thing, really (as those who wrote/signed the Decloration of Independance were British :P) but much, MUCH older.

We had sandwiches at a little bistro before heading home. It was a full day full of laughs and such. I didn't pick up any postcards from the places though because i was afraid they would get wet and ruined. The druids were at Stonehenge though - which was awesome. The downside was that there was some American interviewing them and comparing what the druids do to your run of the mill sunday afternoon 'football' spectator. I got pissy and couldn't stand there to listen to it. Could the guy have BEEN any more condescending?!

I have been trying to catch up on my blogs over at Appearance Mode its pretty much pointless. Any time I post something its going to get buried by Sassy. I probably wouldn't mind if she didn't name drop the same people over and over again. Maybe its just me? I don't know. And that layout has GOT to go over there. You can't even read all the entries it shows on the page because it glitches and you get this whole double vision thing ... anyway. I did make a post over at Mean Girls which I'm sure will get me flamed but I couldn't give two shits. Everyone's entitled to their opinion - even if their only opinion is that they don't like my opinion.

Keith got around to making a blog but I can't find the link for it right now. I'll update soon - perhaps even a new layout. Who knows!

YaY!

Everything with our house is sorted! So we are moving in over the weekend - and we will be getting loaner furniture till September which will be delivered early next week :)

Things are just brilliant, honestly. I am so so excited to be in our new house. We've even got phone and all that sorted and we will even have internet in like 10 days.

Nothing has been even a fraction as hectic as I expected it to be. Keith and I both passed our driving test so we've been out driving in the Fens a bit and driving from Mildenhall to Hockwold (we don't live IN Hockwold but its on the way. We technically live in Feltwell).

We sit and enjoy the drive - even though the first trip though when Keith was driving I was a bit jittery in the passenger seat. We've each rubbed up against a curb (or kerb here in the UK)

I love love our house and area. Still lots of pics to come once we've settled in. I've tried getting in touch with Tree thinking she'd like to meet up since she only lives in Cams - but no luck yet. I'll make friends, damn it! Even if I have to make friends with Air Force wives. Alright I really don't want to stoop that low ..

So far so good! Though Keith and I have been drinking more beer and have most definitely the cider (omg we're major cider drinkers). We also really enjoy hitting pubs for food once a week or so. The pub near where we'll be living only serves food at certain times so I already know we're going to miss the 'food all day every day' thing we have here at Bird in Hand. All good things eventually come to an end, right? Even when its pubs!

Tomorrow will be the last time Keith and I use the cafe here at RAF Mildenhall. Of course he'll be working here - but hopefully soon the internet will e running at the house. We've already got our computers since we shipped those seperately.

Not sure what else to say ...

Willow - gratz on keeping the job! Oh and hurray for the normal scan! You're gonna be Mumx2!

Jelly - Sorry that I couldn't make the wedding :( Everything will be sorted soon.

Stef - WTF you're like never online when I am - and you keep a sleep schedule similar to the time zone in the UK! Rawr!

NURSE!

I finally set my appointment to get my teeth cut out of my head. Evidently its bad to have wisdom teeth. I had one pulled about 3 years ago cuz it never came all the way out and started setting up an infection ... but I still have 3 left. So yeah the dentist said the remaining ones needed to come out. I set an appointment for the 22nd to talk to an oral surgeon and then they'll cut on my mouth :( Me skurrd.

We're waiting for our house to be finished - then we'll move in. Our stuff won't be out of customs and crap until July 2nd so that means we only have to go like 3 weeks without most things. No biggie.

The camera cord is in with all that stuff so it won't be till we get our stuff that I'll be able to upload any pictures.

I sent a postcard back home - but it'll take a week for it to arrive (or so I've been told).

Keith is about to run to Taco Bell here on base to grab some food - and I think he's waiting to atke my order so that's all for now!

Not .. much .. power .. left

Alright there isn't much battery power left in ye olde laptop so I have to make all this quick.

Keith and I found a positively lovely place in Thetford which we love love love ...

Our car is paid for .. all we have to do is pass our British Driving Test ..

And all our things are scheduled to arrive July 2.

We thought we were going to go broke - but we're absolutely fine. Its been a hectic week and a half but we've gotten nearly everything taken care of.

The weather has been cracking for over a week now and we've been out walking around enjoying it. We're going to put the battery in the camera and snap some pics in a bit - but I'm not sure we have the cord for it in order to get the pictures off the camera and onto the laptop .. but we'll see!

If not .. we'll have to wait until July 2nd to get the pictures off the camera.

Hope everyone is doing well! Haven't had much time to sit on a messenger and talk to anyone at all, and I do hope you all understand.

Cheers!

Thursday May 25th - Thursday May 31st

Well we made it in one piece - but not without a story or two. Yeah yeah, I know. I can never get from point a to point B without something happening. Its fine by me for the most part because if it weren't for those stories my life would be pretty damn boring.

One of the tiniest jets ever took us from Oklahoma City to Chicago. It was cute though - and on take off it was like being in a little race car. Keith and I were kinda bummed when we got the print out for our tickets because our seats were rows and rows apart ... but they assigned new seats when we got to the airport. It was really cool watching everything disappear underneath us though.

Airport food is crap. Sheer crap. I will never eat another cinnamon roll as long as I live thanks to the Cinnibon place in the airport in Oklahoma City. O'Hare in Chicago had slightly better food - but since we'd been up at 3am .. and it was only like 9am they were all still serving breakfast. We didn't want breakfast :( We were ready for lunch. So we grabbed a couple sandwiches and a couple drinks which came to like $30 USD! Yeah major suckage.

From Chicago to Heathrow I slept mostly. I was awake off and on but not for long. They gave us crappy food on the plane, but I ate it anyway cuz hey - free food, right? It was pretty crowded on the jet to Heathrow. The seats were uncomfortable, and I didn't figure out that you could maneuver the head rest around until we were only about an hour from landing.

Alright so we landed at Heathrow airport around 10:30pm. The guy who was supposed to meet us at the airport couldn't make it so we had to call a courier. This doesn't sound like a big deal .. but it costed us 160 pounds to get here :( And yesterday 2.04USD = 1 Pound so yeah it was anything BUT cheap.

I had no idea what jet lag was, but I was fully aware that I was known to get carsick when I'd ride in the car with my family on long trips. Its roughly an hour from Heathrow to Mildenhall. We were on the M1 when I felt a little queasy. I figured it was just because I was tired from all the travel. About 30 minutes later I suddenly felt REALLY sick and told Keith. Before he could say "Want me to tell him to pull over" I started to throw up.

I covered my mouth with my hands but knew that wouldn't be near enough to save the interior of the driver's brand new Volkswagen. So I lifted the bottom of my shirt, made a pouch, and continued vomiting into the shirt. It only took him a moment or so before he quickly pulled over and I jumped out of the vehicle and continued to blow chunks. Keith started rummaging through the suitcases and found me a new shirt. I tore off my other one and put on the clean
one right there on the motorway without even a glance. The driver told me to sit up front because it would keep me from feeling quite so sick .. and I did.

The full wrath of my spew hadn't hit me until we got home. There was vomit all inside my bra .. it was just horrid. I apologized over and over again to the driver but he assured me that everything was fine. I was most proud of myself for not getting a drop inside his car. It was all over me instead. I'm still embarrassed about it - but what can ya do?

Things are really hectic and probably will stay that way for quite a few weeks while we try to get a car, house, and while Keith gets settled in with new co workers and whatnot. So far it hasn't been so bad though. Holy crap the pigeons in England are HUGE! They're freaks of nature and that's no joke. They are really eating high on the hog I tell ya. And there are bunnies everywhere .. which I giggle about.

So we arrived in the UK at 4am Friday - and Saturday we hopped over to Cambridge for the beer festival. We thought the best way to dive into the beer over here was in this forum. This was our first major encounter with English culture. People think that just because most everyone in the UK speaks English that they have the same culture, customs etc as Americans and that's just not true. Keith and I knew this before we came - but there were a few surprises right off the bat.

We were at the beer festival for quite a few hours, and we were so astounded by how many small children were there. We didn't mind, of course because we saw it as a good thing that parents spend so much time with their kids. In the states if adults are going out - they call a sitter. Anyway - there was a whole section dedicated to entertaining children. We were there with a couple guys in Keith's squadron, and since they have been in country for more than 5 years they were giving us pointers.

Pub is short for public place. There are kids in pubs. Its just like going to a Chili's in the states. Yeah they serve alcohol, but that isn't always all. The drinking age is 18 here - and drinking is a very social thing. Cambridge is a very liberal town - and most towns in the UK for the most part are far more laid back than most places in the states. No one cares here if you're American. There are so many tourists here from so many countries and everyone overall is just soooo nice! I for one, totally wasn't expecting that much hospitality right out of the gate. I never expected strangers to strike up conversations while bellied up to the bar waiting on a pint (or half pint in my case after a couple). My family had all told me how shy UKers were, but then again I'm sure they hadn't taken into consideration the places we'd be.

There does seem to be a lot of smokers, but the laws are so different here. You can't just smoke wherever you want. There are designated areas nearly everywhere so it isn't as if you have to walk through a cloud of smoke to get from point A to point B. In the states (at least in Oklahoma and Missouri) you can pretty much smoke anywhere you want - but not inside some places. Most restaurants have smoking and non-smoking sections. Not here. Nearly everywhere is non smoking - and usually you have to be like 15 feet away from buildings to smoke. Keith and I were both VERY happy about how environmentally conscious the UK is. There are all these colored barrels for different rubbish (glass, cardboard, paper, garden trash, and kitchen trash) and go out on different days. Its just second nature to recycle here - and we totally love that.

Everyone here has said "Do not just stay near the base and definitely don't just spend your time in Britain." And we haven't planned to. We do plan to first explore the UK before we head to France, Germany, Italy etc. Just like Saturday we're going to Leed's Castle .. in a couple weeks we're going to Salisbury and Stonehenge ... we plan to do a lot of traveling while we're here. We're going to stop worrying so much about money and just kick back and enjoy this
opportunity to completely submerge ourselves in history, culture, and customs.

Though we've only been in the UK for a week - we both already love it. It already seems this four years is going to fly by. Tomorrow we're off to find a house and get a car. Cheers!

PS - There are no air conditioners! Why? You don't NEED them here!

We made it safe and sound - but haven't had much time to update.

I am typing up a BIG update offline and will post that as soon as its done :)

Leavin' on a jet plane ..

My visa literally came about 12 hours ago - which I'm totally psyched about which means that I will be leaving with Keith tomorrow (thursday) for England. I'm about to wet myself I swear to you!

Everything is taken care of ... except the movers coming and boxing up our crap. We've decided to ship our computers UPS so that we don't have to wait 40+ days to get them back. Ugh we'd be bored after a bith I'd imagine.

Stick it in!

That sounds dirty, but it isn't. We bought a bunch of adapter plugs for our computers, chargers, etc but now I'm asking myself "Should we have gotten transformers instead?" The Radio Shack guy said that these plugs were all we needed - but the voltage is different. Most normal appliances are dual voltage meaning that they can run on either 50 or 60 .. and as long as you don't try to stick a 110 into a 220 you'll be alright ... but now I think its just a last minute freak out before we leave.

But then I sit and think ... if we do in fact need transformers .. we can always buy those once we're there. Yes I'm sure it won't be cheap but what can you do? As Keith always says "Stop freaking out .. I will take care of it." And ya know .. that's always true. No matter how much I thnk something is a big deal or how much I freak out - he always gets things straightened. <3

Until We Meet Again

So I'm guessing we will get things settled by June 1st. That gives us a good couple weeks. We may not be in a house by then - but we'll at least be in synch with the time change and whatnot. My laptop is going in my suitecase so I will be catching up with things ASAP. We only have like an hour layover at O'Hare before we fly non-stop to London .. so I highly doubt I'll go through all the trouble of taking out my laptop for such short use. Ya never know though .. I might get a blog itch.

Speaking of the blog itch I have to apologize for slacking recently - but I have just really been really busy with getting things done on top of stressing over that damned visa that I just haven't been able to blog a thing at all. I haven't done much of anything really .. but Keith brought me chocolate yesterday so as 'fat kiddish' as it is ... that made me feel better.

Its a Map, Sir

So people have asked "Orchid where in the UK will you be?" And I say "Mildenhall." Even though the UK is about the size of Texas everything is divided into counties so the villages and towns aren't well known but the counties are all part of saying where you live. And? If you talk to a rental agent you have to tell them the county you'd like to live in .. not necessarily the town as there's lots of rual area. So? Where will I be living? I'll tell you!

RAF Mildenhall, Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk and that isn't three different locations. Its kinda like saying the city, county, and state .. except there aren't 'states' in the UK. Bah anyway I could spend forever explaining it but I'm sure most get the picture. Speaking of picture .. I made a little arrow of where I'll be for those that don't know anything about the UK so they can kinda connect the dots and whatnot I guess? Its my way of staying close, I guess. I know where all my family and friends are .. but they don't know where I am at all besides "England" so ...



We leave tomorrow and dunno when things will be settled so wish us luck! <3

Second Life Wishes I Were Cooler

SL keeps crashing and kicking me out as if I were the nerd trying to set at the prep table during lunch. And ya know its really a good thing I don't have rejection issues otherwise I might be all emo right now.

My Big Mouth

Quite a bit has gone on, but I don't want to divulge too much information only because I can't follow up right now. I could post here bout things - but then other stuff won't have links for reference and blah blah so I'll hold off. I will give clues though:

• It Involves Second Life
• It involves blogs
• It invilves web sites
• Definately involves typing on someone's end

And there you have it!

Hopping the Pond

For those that haven't seen much of me in game lately its again because Keith and I have been running around finishing paperwork so that we can leave next Thursday. Yes the time has come boys and girls.

I spoke to the passport office on base and they firmly believe that my visa will be back in time for us to leave so that's a little stress off my shoulders. Everything is still pretty hectic though so if everyone could/would just bear with me for another 4 weeks or so everything should equal out and I'll be sane once more.

Right, well I think that is all for now. Lunch is in the oven n.n

*Click pictures for enlargement*

I Don't Kiss Ass

Most everyone knows that. Whether it be in an online world or the real world, this girl doesn't kiss anyone's ass. Not to say that I pretend to be high and mighty because I don't. I'm not a fan girl whatsoever.

Even in my reviews on Appearance Mode I always give special attention to things I don't like or just downfalls to things, but there are always upsides to stuff. This entire post is ode to downfalls and just flaws that could easily be fixed - but haven't been. And maybe by the end if I feel relieved to get all this aired I will start listing off a few pluses ^^

I fell victim to over-photoshopped ads, and lighting shadows and now have a serious case of buyer's remorse. Let me explain:

Where it all Began

For months now I have been on the prowl for a neko skin that isn't overrun with spots or stripes which make me look like either an emo cutter or have full body herpes, and that was mostly purple or at least had a lot of purple therein (Sorry but purple is my 'thing' - always has been).

When it comes to skins of any kind I don't mind dropping some decent cash because hey - you get what you pay for, right? Cheap skins almost always have huge flaws or just aren't as detailed or as good looking as that [ND] skin that costs twice as much. Now there are times where products are just overpriced - but as a consumer its your duty to know the difference between quality and stupidity. I have faith!

At any rate - I searched and searched for neko skins. Helyanwe's place had advertised them, but I didn't find them. I swear I looked allll over - but I just didn't see any neko skins. I could have gotten a little ADD but seriously I saw nothing that could constitute as anything other than just a 'skin'. As much as I've always liked Helyanwe's stuff (ever since I had that huge corkscrew hair that could put an eye out) I didn't want a normal skin. Neko neko neko!

I had remembered a little shop where I had once bought piercings that I used to mod my Anisa neko ears and remembered that they had skins. The name? Hybrid Street. For a moment I even remembered seeing neko skins .. but I tried to contain my excitement until I got there. Finally after all this time .. I stood to be a proud purple neko.

Arrival

I was bombarded by half nekos. The ones that wanted a "Josie and the Pussycats" headband but didn't want to go all out. The ones with the schoolgirl outfits that looked like they were straight out of Cool Devices (Yeah shut up I know what hentai is - not to mention plenty of other things <.<) or sommat.

Anyway - the skin wall is slightly hidden but I found it after I made my way around the soon to be nekos hovering around the 'everything you'll ever need to be a horse/bunny/mouse/kitty' I got to the skin wall and was absolutely floored to see a skin with nice spots that I could modify to make them purple. Could this really be true? As a longtime shopper I bought a demo for 1L. I stripped down naked in the store (save for my boots) and began to analyze. Days of avatar modesty are long gone when it comes to skin shopping, damn it.

So I'm checking out the demo and the only downfall I saw was the huge lips. I'm talking Naomi Campbell after botox sized lips. Meh not a huge deal I could alter my shape a little if I really wanted to skin. Then I made the sim time noon so I could have full light and look the skin over. Everything seemed to check out. I checked the tit shading to be sure it didn't look like I had put my boobs in a big suction hose. I checked the ass shading to be sure it didn't look like I had forgotten to wipe. I didn't check the cooch cuz I really don't care if my skin has bits or not. Boob shading is important because of tank tops - twats are never important to me.

When I was inspecting the back I saw seams on the arms. I thought "Is this just a 'demo' thing?" because often demons are just to give you an idea - they aren't exact replicas. I checked the ad to be sure that it was just a rez flaw or a demo bug. Here's the ad:

Hrm no arm flaws in the add. So I dumped my 950L into the skin. I put it on in the store while wearing a short sleeved 'untucked' shirt from Form, jeans, and some long messy hair. Like every girl I change clothes on a whim and did the same on this day, and to my horror.

Euphoria Comes Crashing Down

There are so many flaws with this skin. At first I thought "Oh its just me" or "Its just my computer" until Bebop looked at me on his computer. I peered over at the screen and simply said "Fuck. Me." I just wasted 950L (which is only like $4USD) on this item that I will never wear again.

Me wasting 4 bucks doesn't bother me. Its the fact that there are tons of people who go to that shop every day and waste 4 bucks - which adds up! So this designer is making at least something off their leet ad photoshopping. Here are the flaws on the skin:

Ring Around the Collar

There is a very crisp, very clear line around the neck/throat of the skin. In the add you'll see she wears a collar. This flaw was not apparent on the demo skin nor in the ad. The face is a totally different color from the chest. Just lookit that line!

Worse than pit stains

Down the backs of the arms there is a very clean seam that shows where the patterns almost match up ... but not quite. Granted I am not a skin maker - but most, nah I'll say 95% of the good skin makers have seamless skins. There are a few old skins that have a seam or two - or some bad shading. The lines on this thing are so noticeable I can't believe the person who made them could even stand it.

.... Running Down your Mom's Thigh

I don't remember exactly how that little insult went but that's how it ended. At any rate - there are these white .. things .. running down both legs from cooch to ankle on this skin. Not to mention on the outside of the legs is just a blank line (that goes for the torso too) that leads all the way down where seam work and matching was severely lacking.

Pants Too Tight, Fatty?

I realize that I don't have a toothpick for an avatar. But ya know no matter how tight I put that pants slider - she never has to suck in to get into any kind of jeans. Well going by this skin you'd think I walked around in pants that I had to lay on the bed and use pliers to zip (I was a fat kid - I know how this goes in your teenage years) There's this gross line right across the tummy. Now wearing a full length shirt (one that goes all the way to the bottom of the template on the regular shirt layer) will over this flaw - as will wearing a shirt that goes on the jacket layer that goes all the way down .. but any of those little cutsie baby doll tees won't. Your fatty seam will show all the live long day. And its just as noticeable as all the others.

The Pluses

The tit shading is awesome - as well as the ass shading. The tummy work is great too except that ugly ass line! The nipples seem a bit on the 'inverted' side (you girls know what inverted nipples look like don't ya? With the dimple in the middle?) but even that is tolerable because the cleavage and underside shading is done so well.

The face itself is really really good - except those humongous ass lips. It literally grossed me out but like I said - if all those ugly things I pointed out were fixed .. I would have just altered my shape to compensate!

Some people may think I'm being too picky - but this really isn't as its advertised. It isn't my shape that's doing it as I found out by re-visiting the store.


You: Before you buy any of these hybrids .. be sure to pay special attention to the neck, backs of the arms, inner thigh, and the abdomen line beneath the bellybutton

You: Just looking out for others is all n.n

Shopper1: thank you Orchid

You: No problem. Made the mistake myself a few days ago

Shopper2: Yes I know about the pattern thing my best friend is a Furry lol

Shopper2 : he bitches about them all the time




If you decide you still want one of these skins - go for it but I've done what I felt right by warning folks that what they see isn't necessarily what they get. There are lots of other awesome stuff in this store (Hybrid Street, Gnoma (6, 188, 46)- just steer clear of the skins is all.

You Really Think You'd Get Away with That?!

So lately it seems that whole 'ageplay' thing is really starting to be a controversy. I'd say it is a problem but some don't feel it is. Alright please explain this to me? Wait let me try first, ok?

"We are consenting adults engaging in activity which we find entertaining/artful"
My answer: Are you really adults? Do you know the other person in real life and not over a microphone. I'm talking actually shaken hands.

"This is an imaginary activity which isn't harmful as it isn't really happening"
My Answer: There's absolutely nothing wrong about fantasizing. Even fantasizing about something illegal but you are ACTING on that fantasy and therefore portraying an illegal and immoral act (even 3rd world countries frown upon child prostitution)

The Backseat

I've sat back for quite a while on this issue while it ran rampant on other blogs and sims and was in my face a few times at clubs even. Seriously - even if you've never molested a child but have child pornography on your computer/walls/a magazine in your bathroom drawer - it is still illegal and punishable by law. Even if you've never acted on that fantasy (and doing such things in SL would be considered action) it is still illegal.

Here is just a wonderful way to keep yourself out of trouble, drama, handcuffs, controversy:

• If you have to stop and ask yourself if you will hurt anyone - don't do it.
• If you feel bad after you did it - it was wrong.
• Before you do anything ask yourself "Self, is this illegal in any country?" -- if Yes STOP
• And as far as video games go (MMO, RPG, MMORPG, Simulator etc) just ask:

--- Would I do this in real life and it be deemed acceptable by the general public?--- If the answer is "No" fucking STOP! God damn it isn't hard!

I think if people actually used some common sense and a little restraint everything would be fine. Running around in a kid shape pulling people's hair is fine. Its a little creepy - but fine. Running around in a kid shape hoping to score isn't. Nor is running around as an adult hoping to score a wee one.

You know what they do to child molesters in jail, don't you? Knock it off! For fuck's sake!

"Where does he get those wonderful toys?"

Jack Nickelson as The Joker once said that about Michael Keaton as Batman. As soon as I saw this thing .. that's immediately what I said. Out loud, no less. (its true I tend to talk out loud and make Bebop look at me and go "wtf?")

Bebop and I have a lot of really great creative friends. We also film a lot even though we rarely let most that footage see the light of day ^^; As many know my head gears (as small as they are) grind continuously with ideas for stuff. Yea that's the best way to describe it - stuff.

For the past year or so Bebop and I have been developing a character for a series which I won't name right now (and no its not cuz I don't have a name for it yet - GOSH) and have been filming. Our filming has picked up a whole lot lately due to our surroundings. We've recently had more leisure time in SL and have rekindled old friendships which have lead to new ones which makes for very fun times. I'm totally off topic.

We've been working on episodes for this series - and there is this badass thing that our main character uses. Its called a "Boomlash" and its simply the greatest thing I've probably ever played with in SL. WARNING: If you have a crappy graphics card or you lag - don't even bother because such things are really just a disgrace to this genious toy!

I started out taking pictures of it - then quickly said "Pft pictures don't do this thing justice - I must film!" So I did. I filmed me throwing the Boomlash - different angles to show you the intricate details - and just to show off the fun animations.

Mind you this thing isn't 'cheap'. If you want a Boomlash you're going to be dropping 2,000L - but seriously I've spent more on lesser things. It comes with a very detailed notecard to tell you how to use it - and its just damned entertaining and one of the best looking, best scripted, well thought out, flat out FUN things I've found in SL.

It does hit people and will knock them back about a meter or two - so it isn't a real 'weapon'. The fun part about the Boomlash is when you throw it at like .. the side of a building it STICKS and you can jump up on it and use it like a climbing thing. I know, descriptive right?

So without further adieu - here is the short video showcasing the Boomlash made by the very talented Anisa Naumova of Curious Relics.

Mean Girls Guide to SL

Huzzah! JellyBean decided to feature my blog as the 'blog to watch' .. at least for the week! I'm sure it was weird to have such a non descriptive descritpion. I know, I'm handful.

The Good - The Bad - The STFU

In WoW I belong to a guild, which is normal isn't it? We are a small guild in a RP server which means we run instances and do quests. No fun Durotar raids or anything like that for the most part (though I do pick fights with guards outside little towns and outposts just to start shit).

Anyway - so this guild of like 15 people max (even though nearly all of us are 70s) had a meeting. I was told this ventrillo guild meeting was 'mandatory' and that I had to attend. This being right after they made some stupid website through Guild Portals which I was told I had to sign up on. Alright I signed up on your stupid ass site that just tells me things that I could know if I logged into vent being as there are only 5ish of us that use Vent regularly. I even had to make a dumbass username (PooPooWagon) just to USE this site that I haven't even visited since I have made that account. Now you're going to tell me that I HAVE to attend this stupid meeting? Take a flying leap, alright?

For one, I'm a little bit opposition defiant and when anyone tells me that I have to do something I'm almost always inclined to just not do it at all - just to show you or anyone else just how little I actually have to do it. Two - I pay every month to play this game. Ok well I don't pay for it Keith does - but still that's my pop money! And when you take my pop money .. and start making demands of me .. I start debating which makes me happier .. pop or WoW. And sadly sometimes its just pop. In a game which I pay to play - I like to have fun. I like to not be bossed around by a bunch of 40somethings that think being the leader of a guild somehow gives them power over peoples' personal lives. Maybe it would be different if we were raiding Karazan or something .. which we aren't because only two people have the attunement and are too stuck on themselves to help the rest of us finish the last part ... whatever Anonymous WoW Guild - this warlock has other things to do betches!

Trip Hop is your Friend

For whatever reason I got a wild hair and decided to go to a few clubs in SL. Nothing has changed in the year or more that I've stayed away from the club scene. The same color events or attempts at getting people naked still happen. Let me sum up the entire club event list for you:
Best Ass
Back in (Insert goth color here ie: Red Black or leather though it isn't a color)
Devils and Angels
Naughty Schoolgirls


And ya know - the DJs are all the same too. They all play the same music as if they are all the same person or at least grabbing shit from the same torrent. I knew it was a bad idea to tell people the title of that song two years ago. Consider this my public apology because even I, after all this time, cannot stomach to hear that fucking Josie Nunez song one more time. I realize that many people believe this to be a new hip song but it isn't. That song is NOT awesome, people! It wasn't even that great two years ago when it was lilke 3 years old! And if I hear Pink - Oh My God one more time I will choke a bitch. What is wrong with people?!

I used to DJ in Second Life but stopped after I was told I had to stop playing what I like and take requests. Normally I wouldn't care if everyone else had at least tolerable taste. I don't mind entertaining people .. but ya know I have to listen to that music too. Oh and Respect by Pantera isn't a new song either - even though people treat it like it is. Pft people that song was out when I was like 10 at least if not younger I swear.

And playing music through SAM doesn't constitute as a live DJ. Any monkey can do that. Also? I get sick of the 'howls' at clubs. Come up with a new gesture to use - same goes for that 'Yeeehaww' shit. I won't even go there - but I've had my fill of rednecks IRL for the rest of my RL thanks. And I'm talking HeeHaw shit people! /rant

Blog Censorship

I love the fact that Six invited me to write for Appearance Mode way back when. She and I have been friends since we were both pretty much noobs - and she's grown to at least tolerate my opinions and views on things. The problem is: I have to censor myself on her blog. She says not to outright bash anyone - which I don't do even here on my personal blog (except that whole guild thing up there ^^) And here's a part that I'll just call:

What I'd Really Like to Say

Dear Blogger,

Your posts are too long winded and never have anything that I personally want to read or check out - and have probably already bought a year ago - or would just never buy. I feel your fashion opinion is biased to a small group of your designer friends or people who are paying you off with h0r skirts and bad hair.

I don't enjoy reading your posts because its always the same name drops and generic products that I'm never interested. I actually try to scroll past your posts to see if anyone else has posted anything. Most times they haven't so I do have to congratulate you on carrying the weight of the whole blog on your own shoulders - I could never do that.

I will say though - if no one else will stand up and out post you - I will. I will make sure that my daily post contains things wich go outside your tiny box of your idea of fashion and barbie-mindedness will be matched against my smart mouth, fast wit, feminism, and overall hate for that which is the 'norm'.

Consider this a call to arms.

Sincerely-

The Non Ass Kissing Blogger

Ask and you shall receive

A few weeks ago I did a search for things that centered around coffee shops. I searched for java, cafe, coffee house, coffee shop and things of that nature and all my searches were fruitless. I am a huge coffee fan IRL and I'm always a lover of detailed builds. Well evidently those two things didn't go hand in hand.

The places I visited were coffee campers. They sat at low prim white tables with these mugs of coffee in silence. It wasn't so much the silence that bothered me. It wasn't even the one prim table with a blank texture and being surrounded by new residents! It was the fact that this was definitely not a coffee house. The best way I could describe it would be .... a roadside rest area near a trailer park.

Yesterday was a shopping day for me. I had a few hundred lindens stuck back for a rainy day and suddenly remembered how rare rain was in Second Life. Not only that I was just really bored. Shopping is the smoking of Second Life I swear. Think about it ... is it an addiction or a habit .. or both!? (insert dramatic music here)

The Block. Yes I do love this place. I don't only love it for its shops because let's face it they have the best designers all in one sim ... but I love the detailed builds. There is nothing in that sim that isn't well textured. Call me easily amused - but I could walk around that place for hours. I'm not a mall fan because its just too much in my face. Too many sprawled out non purportional avatars wearing the same corset and thigh highs in 98234987 colors ... its just too much.

I like to look at other things other than what I'm buying. I'm an ethereal person. I like to feel my surroundings while just looking at them - and maybe this is why I feel such a need to just 'chill' at times in Second Life. From now on all my chilling will be done at The Block.

When I arrived I walked around as per the usual and saw a few new shops preparing to go in .. cool I can dig that. I rounded the corner and saw a flag -was that .... was that a picture of a tiny coffee cup?! It was!

In my excitement I flew (yes FLEW) the rest of the way over and I just had to stand there at the door. A coffee house. A real, well built, well textured, excellently placed (even though empty) coffee house! Of course you know, I ran in.

I was so excited that I didn't know who to IM. Would anyone else even care that I suddenly satisfied my psyche with this discovery? Probably not - but I was just .. well .. relieved to find such a place. So I found the builder and send him an IM and just thanking him for the great build.

The coffee house which is named Caffeine - is my newest Easter Egg. Off in a back corner of the sim - I'm sure few really notice it. I've been moving myself from chair to chair - and the whole inside just has a nice flow to it. There are not 'weird' spots in the joint. You know how sometimes you sit down and there's nothing but wall in your camera view? I have yet to find a spot that does that.

I'm haven't really counted - but there are plenty of seats in this place for at least 15 people (if not more because as I said .. I didn't count) and its almost a shame to see it so empty. In a setting like this I could easily see myself mentoring a new resident because there's nothing hectic going on to make me feel like I have to rush. Once again appealing to my aesthetic personality.

And ya know what else? Not only is just the build itself nice to look at ... but they've also got cake. And who doesn't like cake?

Protect it Like You Own It!

And they do! I see it more and more these days in Second Life. There are free things everywhere. I know this as I've been around almost 3 years. Some people prefer to give out things for free because hey - sharing is instilled in most of us at a very young age.

For a long time now people have been re-marketing the free stuff in order to turn a profit. For what means who knows, but they do it. I totally do NOT agree with that at all - but at the same time there's an argument of "Well I acquired it so isn't it up to me whether I want to give it away for free or re-sell it?" I think of all the stuff I've bought over the years .. all the crappy clothes from high priced stores that I've turned around and sold at yard sales (I'm talking RealLife here) .. did Abercrombie intend for me to sell that $40 sweater for $3? Probably not but what can they do? They made their money already. But that's the difference .. the stuff I'm talkin about is F-R-E-E to begin with.

There are things in Second Life that enhance things. Textures, scripts, humungous blocks that you can't even make anymore but were exploited in 03 due to a bug .... at any rate ... should these free things still be free? Or should they be shut into their creations merely because the person who used these free things want you to not take their exact copy of an exact copy which they got for free anyway? Its just a never ending circle.

If you got it for free - you should give it for free. That's what's fair and right. If you paid for it - sell it .. but don't expect a profit because let's face it: Things in Second Life progress quickly so used items just a few weeks old could be outdated. Don't try to turn a profit on an outfit/hair you bought 3 years ago from a designer that no longer sells their things.

And new residents: Don't expect to not have to buy lindens. You come in with nothing and that's what you'll have until you either buck up and learn to market something .. or you start peeling off clothes. If you want to be a beggar that's fine - but remember - beggers are homeless for a reason usually ;) It isn't rocket science for the most part.

Machinima Teaching

I am not naming any names - but I am taking this all in a whole. I do not mind at ALL to help someone learn anything about machinima or anything else I know about if they share a genuine interest. If you're just asking me questions to turn around and just ask me (this goes for Keith too) to turn around and do the work for you and pass it back so you can slap your name on it -- forget about it. Its not going to happen. That's like walking up to Grim Misfit and saying "Yeah dude check out this awesome idea I have! What you do is .. I tell you what to build .. you build it .. give it to me full perms then I sell it and split the profit! That's badass, isn't it?!" Fuck no, it isn't.

Machinima is really starting to take off in SL compared to the two and a half years ago when Keith and I started filming - and I'm really glad to see that! Its awesome to see people who want to do things with this 'medium'. Making a film costs a lot of money - even if you just film little home videos in Real Life you have to buy a camcorder (which can get pricey) But in this virtual forum its free (as long as you use trials of things - it can get expensive if you buy full registered versions as Keith and I have learned).

Seriously though - I will sit and help anyone out that's willing to learn. There are some things, however I feel should be learned on their own. Everyone has their own artistic eye so I never tell angles and stuff - but I don't mind holding a hand or two for those that really lack any kind of vision for it. I can't count the times I've sat and talked to people and told them step by step how to do things - then a few days later they're all on their own like big boys and girls. No leashes and no arm floaties (JellyBean is the first one that comes to mind.)

Everyone has to learn a little something from somewhere - so no question is a bad question because I'm sure I sat and asked someone the same thing at some point. Really though - I'd never ask a designer step by step how they made a certain shirt .. and I just expect the same kind of artistic amnesty, I guess. There are lots of effects achieved a lot of different ways - and there are some things that I just call "film magic" and leave it as that -- and that's just because if everyone filmed and edited like Keith and I did then they'd have no need to have us film and edit anything to begin with because there were 40 million others that could do the same thing. You understand, right? /rant

England

The British Consulate hates me. They've jacked up the prices of a visa from $120 to $430. Yeah huge inflation. At any rate Keith was able to push back our date of departure until the 21st in hopes that my Visa comes back in time so that I can leave with him. Hopefully I can - but there's never any guarantee with anything as far as the military is concerned .. and especially when you're dealing with things out of the country. It'll at work out - but I am quite high strung over it and I just want it all to be over with already! RawR!

Song of the Day

Trigger Hippy by Morcheeba

Tune in, drop out of love,
Pull the trigger, I'm a hippie,
So said a truth, and blood,
Alive and well,
You push the buttons.

Standing in line of fire,
For the whole,
My soul,
Step codes,
The drums,
And sing,
Love the children,
Learn to live with everything.

Love love love, i'm a trigger hippie, yeah
Love love love, we're trigger hippies, yeah.

Zoom in, cut out at sound,
Make it feel so trippy
Hung up, let down to ground,
Forget the kill it's far to sticky

Love love love, i'm a trigger hippie, yeah
Love love love, we're trigger hippies, yeah.

Love love love, i'm a trigger hippie, yeah
Love love love, we're trigger hippies, yeah.

Love love love, i'm a trigger hippie, yeah
Love love love, we're trigger hippies, yeah.

Jive Talkin'

Alright. So I was hanging out with Xaria on the backend of the island. She was busy building on a new 'chill' area when I saw dots on the minimap. Yeah I'm quite the nosey bugger so I turned off my camera constraints and panned over. OMGWTFBBQ. Holy Whores Batman. Mind you, this is a PG sim now - and there are these three .. ladies (and I use that term loosely) shopping in our friend Dnel's store.

Now whatever kinks, fetishes, lies, secrets, inbreeding you've done -want to do- or currently doing is fine with me. But really? I'd appreciate not having it rammed down my throat in public. I have absolutely nothing against lesbians, transgender or anything -- until its in my face. That might 'sound' a bit hipocritical but it isn't.

I don't fondle my husband in public. I don't even kiss him in public. I don't talk about my political points of view - or my opinions of religion. I don't wear things that I think others would find offensive on a personal level EVER. Not even in SL.

Alright so I didn't really find all this offensive - but I did find it highly unnecessary. Not to mention that as ADULTS it was decided to make the sim PG to cut down on rediculous behavior. But I'm afraid that in some place someone would have. Me? I found it hilarious. So funny in fact I took a picture! These girls .. well... the picture will speak for itself:

In Other News

Well there really isn't any other news, really. I ran about SL looking at coloful sparkly things. I was going to play WoW but my head hurt so I opted not to. Keith and I hung out with Jade Opel last night on her new islands and its simply amazing. It was really pretty and it was fun to just hang out and be candid.

Me at Gypsy Moon

Pr0n

I also got a wild hair and sent an IM to Marilyn Murphy. I hopped over to the Herald and took a peek at some of her Post 6 Grrls. Now is it just me or do they all look the same? Same features, rather similar hair/clothes etc? Anyway - they all seemed the same to me so I shot her an IM and said "Hey I'm different and I'll show my pixel poon just to break the monotony". Ok that isn't an exact quote from the IM but you get my drift.

All those girls seem to be tan, long hair, and very very slender. That's fine, I guess but where's the variety? This kind of 'woman' isn't all that SL has - but it seems its such a cornered market. They even had a pageant for a Post 6 Grrl. I would never EVER even get a second glance in a pageant like that I'd betcha. Why? Because I'd be that 'weird' one that stuck out.

So yeah I contacted Marilyn. Normally I'm against the whole avatar nudity thing - but damn that column needs some spice from the purple isle if ya ask me! Imagine the comments a naked purple av will get. None too nice I'd imagine, but hey I'm not doing it for an esteem booster. I'm just doing it to throw a wrench in things.Me STILL at Gypsy Moon

Well I guess that's all for now. I have a dental appointment tomorrow morning to finish up exams so I can leave the country. Hopefully I won't need anything else and my visa will come in soon! *crosses fingers*

Just Random Tidbits

This post is just going to be bits and pieces of things as I think of them. No real subject matter already laid out or anything.

May 18th

That is the date in which Keith and I are expected to leave and move to England. Tomorrow is May 1st and I'm starting to get jittery. What if my visa doesn't come in on time? What if he has to leave without me? I'm sure everything will be fine, but it still weighs on me. I realize that there are women who live without their husbands and can handle that, but I'm not sure I can. I guess our story is a bit more 'odd' than most. I spent two years living without him, only to be with him for 7 months - only to go with the possibility of being away from him again?! That's just too much.

Videos

Keith has been compiling lots of WoW (World of Warcraft) footage and plans to make a huge video soon. He's already been very picky about the soundtrack so I've had to dive deep into my musicbox (aka harddrive) to find him a song which he will find suitable. So far, no luck. I did find a Prodigy v Faithless mix that he might settle for. We'll see. Oh and there were a couple Propellerheads tracks that he dug. Are they editing quality? I'm not sure.

Its hard for me to pick music for him like this when I haven't seen not even a sliver of the footage he's recorded. I realize that by sitting literally two feet away that I should know what he's shot - but I don't. I know the kids of things that I would record, but he and I have totally different artistic and cinematic eyes so I really can't speculate.

All my video work is still on hold until we get to England. I don't want to get involved in a project only to have to ditch it in a few weeks. Sure I could film and edit something within the same day - but I've really got lots and lots of ideas and I'd like to execute everything to the highest possible quality I can. But yeah ... once we're across the pond I'll work on it more.

Work & Home

I really think the issue of me not working is bothering Keith. In fact, I think he's a little jealous in some ways. He's made remarks that hurt my feelings a bit - but I'm sure he wasn't thinking when he said them. He goes to work 5 sometimes 7 days a week. This 'video stuff' is merely a hobby for him and therefore he doesn't see it as work. I understand that. Bah this is going to turn into a rant and I don't want that.

Second Life

Not a whole lot as far as SL is concerned. I mostly pop in to chat with friends and see if there are any cool locations built that I haven't seen yet. I haven't really put much time into it seeing how no one is wanting their weddings filmed and whatnot - therefore I spend my time reading, doing dorky dances, and researching the area we'll be living in once we move to England.

I think that's all.

Oh I bought a new skin. I've decided to go back to wearing my fun colored skins because I've missed them. I don't care who's wearing what ... I love wearing a purple skin. I had one as a noob .. then there was the Passport skins .. then the Hayley skins .. and now I'm back to my purple roots! :D

Cheers

Song of the Day