Corey In The House, SL Avatar Statue Builder

 

By Bixyl Shuftan

 

I recently heard about someone in Second Life who makes quality statues of avatars, Corey In The House (jjws888 Resident). 

 

My friend Nydia sent me to a teleport to his place in the Dog sim. After initial greetings, "Welcome to Agora II," he told her, "You should check out the museum while you're here Nydia." We went into a building with a sign "Agora Sandbox." "Welcome to the Agora sl history museum" someone greeted. Among the items there was "The Linden World Gem," created in the days of the Beta Grid, in October 2002. There were also some older maps. Someone commented there was also some "genuine fetted inner core stuff." I heard Corey speak at one point, "Oh, (name) this doesnt belong in the museum, but I'm putting it down to get people to come inside the museum."

Eventually, Nydia, Corey, and I left the others behind and headed to  a skybox in Collaborative Build, BaikUn. It was a gray globe around a gray platform. "Okay," he told Nydia, "pick out your pose for me while I switch viewers." "Okay," Nydia responded, "Is this hair okay, or remove it?" Corey answered, "Unfortunately its flexi-prim hair so we cant keep it. You will have to add it (to the statue) after the fact if you want to use it." I asked, "What can be done about the hair?" Corey told me, "Well the model will come out normal and she can place the hair on the model, like putting a wig on it, as this technology doesnt work well with flexi-prims, semi transparency, or super thin and small objects. The whiskers will have to go too for example."

Then Nydia found another problem, "Aw crap, this head doesn't had a hud." "You talking about the blinking?" "Yeah." "It does use an old form of animation that doesnt freeze when i pause the world, so if you could turn that off it would be great. But I can carefully work around it if you can't." "Yeah, no hud to stop the blinking, sorry." "It is what it is. We can work around it. Remove your whiskers for me and get in your pose and we can begin." "Whiskers?" Nydia facepawed. "You have very tiny whiskers on your face." "Damn!" "If you cant get rid of them then its not a huge deal either." I cammed over, then commented, "Just BARELY noticable as I cam around." "I can always edit them out," Corey spoke. "Sorry," Nydia responded, "I am neither a builder OR a modder. I know JUST enough to ruin things." "Okay are you happy with your pose then?" "Yessir." 

 

"Okay now we move out of the photo dome so it's only Nydia," Corey told me, then turned back to the vixen, "Nydia please refrain from typing in local as your mouth still moves since it's animated the old way as well.  Okay Nydia, IM me your opinion on this (image link)." After about half an hour, "Okay we're all done here." "Thank you Corey," Nydia spoke, "Bix you may want to talk to him Now while you have him *laughs*"

 

I would have a few words with Corey, "It;s not all the time but sometimes a lot of time is spent in what I call pre-production, where we have to make subele changes to the avatar to get it ready for (the) photoshoot." "It's understandable different avies would take different amounts of time," I responded, "especially if there's small complications like the hair." "Nydia isn't like a usual client with new mesh stuff, so we have to account for her old-style animated head and her flexi-prim hair. They also removed their flexi-prim parts for the photoshoot so they could add them on later. It's a rare circumstance for sure. But I do what I can."

 

"I'll spend about 20 minutes taking photos from a bunch of different angles," Corey would say about the process, saying Nydia needed, "219 images takes. Nydia's (appearance) is simple so we didnt need to break 300." I asked how many pictures would an avatar need, and he answered, "(It) depends how much clothing, you tail size, height, etc. It's a bunch of different things, but the more detailed the more pics it usually takes."

It was about this point he asked me to pause the conversation, logging off to switch viewers, and we ended up teleporting to a racetrack where friends of his, furry and human, were having a friendly competitive race, "OK now I'm available. I just have to play the waiting game while the model gets generated." 

 

I then asked how he found out about Second Life and what brought him here. Corey answered, "My friend in high school was a hardcore furry and told me about it. He told me you could have sex and make money and I thought that sounded pretty sweet. But I stuck around because I realized the depth of the customization options. I could do so much and implement my talents so quickly into the virtual world by uploading stuff. That's basically it." 

"Sounds like your first days were eventful, and you kept finding more to do." "I managed to get introduced to this guy who made sculpted furry heads, and he asked me to design a logo for his new furry club called YIFF. The club is still open and they still use that logo. So, I'm a little proud of that." 

 

"I see on your profile, you call yourself a 'former SL hobo'?" "Homeless and living the backpacking lifestyle. I still rock the look sometime but I have an SL home now. So it wouldnt be fair to continue to call myself a true SL hobo, not any more anyway."

 

Asking if the club logo led to more work, Corey's response was, "Not too much more. I hung out with the furries of SL for many years, taking month and years long breaks while playing Second Life. I learned to make my own models when mesh became a thing and made a little money. But it's not like riding a bike. I totally forgot most of what I learned to make totally original mesh. But with what I do now, I'm in blender an awful lot."

 

"So, when did the idea of making statues come about?" "It was a few years ago. I was in this sandbox called Candlewood, now known as Sandbox Not Found, (and) there was this girl who was trying out 3D scanning objects in real life like flowers and other plants. Then she tried doing the same with in-world objects like linden bears and people's avatars. They didn't come out well, but I saw so much potential in it. So I experimented for several months, trying different techniques and softwares and just experimenting, seeing what worked and what didn't. 

 

"Eventually I became confident enough I just went up to people and asked if I could make them into statues. They weren't very good at first, lots of holes and errors I didn't know how to fix. But I needed the practice. Eventually someone asked if they could pay me for one, and I said of course. Once I got paid for that first statue, that's when i realized I could make this into a thing. And I became (to my knowledge) the first person to use 3D photogrammetery, a technology used for physical spaces in the real world, with the virtual spaces of Second Life. I just had to make sure the camera of SL mimicked the specs of a real camera, and the software picked it up like if the avatars were real physical objects. 

 

"I just kept doing it and the word spread. Most of the feedback was very positive, I've only had two examples of people reacting negatively about it. Well, to my face anyway. I've heard stories of people thinking what I do should get me banned, someone even approached Linden Lab about it in one of their round-tables, and as long as I wasn't copybotting or ripping anything there wasn't much reason to do anything about me. What I do follows the TOS in regards to photography, as that's basically all I'm doing." 

 

"Banned? For making statues of people with their permission?" I asked. "Ignorance is a powerful thing, some people just have very strong opinions about things they know very little about." "They didn't know you were doing so only with permission?" "Copybotting is a Second Life taboo, one of the few that can get you in actual trouble anymore. And people would assume that's what I was doing. One creator of a mesh head even approached me, someone told them i ripped their work. Once I explained what I did and showed them an example, they immediately understood it wasn't that. And we had a nice conversation about it. I've only ever gotten one Karen who told me I was reported and I was gonna get banned and I deserved to be sued. I tried to explain to her what I did, and I think at once point she understood. But her pride was too strong that she ended up blocking me instead of admitting fault in any way. As it only happened once, I look back on it with humor."

 

I then asked how many statues he made, "I think about that a lot, and I believe I've done about 150 at this point. Maybe more, maybe less, but in that ballpark. I used to only be able to do one photoshoot a day and take about three days for a model. But since I learned so much doing so many, I can do multiple shoots a day and have a simple model ready within a day."

 

Corey stated there are three options of model available, "based on how difficult each one is to do. A low-prim statue captures the basic shape and look of an avatar, but I don't spend time doing close-ups of detailed accessories, so it only takes about 10 minutes to do a photoshoot of that. It's the option for people who want a statue cheaper or with reduced land impact. The Deluxe statue option is me trying to cram as much detail of your avatar into my photos, so I take extra photos to capture small details as well as big. The third is the same as the deluxe, but I pose your avatar in a t-pose and rig it so it's fully animated. That one takes the most effort, I completely taught myself how rigging works in blender, and when people give me glowing reactions to their finished animeshes, I know that effort was worth it." Of the prices, Corey would say, "It's 3500 for a low-prim model, 8000 for a deluxe model and 12k for an animesh."

I then asked about the challenges of pre-mesh avatars. Corey responded, "After doing so many statues,I learn what I can do and what I can't. The way SL hair used to work before mesh hairs were an option don't mimic how real hair works, it creates the illusion of hair using many small paper-thin flexi-prims. And just because it fools our eyes, doesn't mean it fools a computer. So I have to take each person and view them like a computer would, adjusting things accordingly." "What's the best remedy for that?" "I run into all kinds of issues with people's avatars, each one requiring some little or big changes. Sometimes I have to say no to people with too many things that aren't compatible.But when you run a boutique business, you have to have some rules. I do my best to include everyone who wants a statue though, and I haven't turned away many people at all."

 

I would ask whom among his clients stood out. Corey responded, "Well I attracted the attention of Madpea over a year ago and have done statues and animesh for a few of their quests. They were using NPCs with models that didn't really fit into the SL artstyle. Once I showed up and showed them I could make NPCs using real avatars, they were immediately interested. I haven't done work for them in a while, but their heist quests are filled with my work. I've also done work for the owner of the Crack Den and a few other RP sims to create AI-powered roleplay NPCs that remember who you are, which I think is a perfect use of what I do"

I asked, "So what else do you imagine you'll be doing with this in the future?" He responded, "I'm just happy people like what I do and enjoy the end product I made them. So I'm happy to make them as long as people want them. It certainly looks interesting on a resume."

When asked if there was anything else he wanted to add, Corey answered, "The funniest thing about my rise was how I advertised. Before anybody knew who iI was or what I did, I would set up illegal stalls in big shopping events. I would attach a ramshackle stall to myself along with a few examples and just stand in an empty spot where a seller would go. People would come by, ask questions about what I did and such, I did this at every shopping event I could get access to. Got banned a few times, but it's all part of the hustle. The biggest sucess I had was at Abnormality, the furry shopping event. The owners let me stay probably because they thought it was funny or clever. But I haven't had to do that for a while. I get pretty regular work from word of mouth alone. Of course, happy to share what I know with people."

Not long after the interview, Corey would finish Nydia's statue. Nydia was so impressed, she would order a second one, this time of the character with her name in the "Switched Destinies" novel. Both can be found at the Happy Vixen Beach Club. If you have tags disabled, you might think it's really her. With real life often keeping her away from the club, Nydia would comment it's one way she can always be around. Her partner Brandi Tungsten would also get a statue, setting hers up at Club Squeaks.

 

So if you want a statue of yourself, get some Lindens together and message Corey.

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

Here's to You, Alleara Snoodle

 

 By Bixyl Shuftan

 

Party of our journey in Second Life is the people we meet and the friendships we make. Some have just a fleeting presence. And then there are those who you never forget. One of my closer friends here was Alleara Snoodle. 

 

She had first logged on in July 2008. It's hard to say exactly when we first started chatting. When I first started going to Club Cutlass around 2009 (when it was in it's 'Aztec pyramid' design), we probably just saw one another at a distance as I wasn't very talkative at the time. But one night I lingered a little after the party ended and most left. I was probably going through some notes to write a story for Dana when a white Felis kitty with red hair, dancing on a pole messaged me, asking me to come closer. We ended up chatting for a while, curiosity turning into happiness that I had found a new friend. And this breaking the ice conversation would be the start of a friendship that would last for years. 

 

 

It turned out this wasn't her favorite form. She had a few. Early on I saw her most frequently as a lioness or white tiger, with red hair, and sometimes with red wings and a red suit. But sometimes she would appear as a red kitsune fox, also with red hair and wings. Later on, that would be the look she was usually in. The lioness and tigress were of an avatar for sale she was helping to design. 

 

 I soon found out a few things about her. Besides the Sunnies, she was also active with the Chilbo community, which is known for it's artists. She was also in a SL program called Metanomics. 

 

She also would be part of a discussion at the Second Live Convention, the inworld part, in 2010.  

 

But unfortunately, she had also been severely injured in the past, pushed off a building from a height that would have killed most. She survived, but was never the same again. While she was eventually able to get around, with difficulty, without a wheelchair, it would eventually lead to health problems. In 2010, she would leave Metanomics and stepped down from a leadership role in Chilbo. 

 

As for the Sunnies, despite her injury, she was a busy one. As one of the Passionate Redheads, she helped with a number of builds, such as the "Really Wild West" exhibit for the Redheads' camp on the Relay track in 2009. And she wasn't just a good builder, but a downright smart one. I once heard she had somehow made a closing door with a script that contained just two lines of code. 

 

Alleara once showed me what she called a lag distributor, one that would allow those who had a group of sims to spread the processing across the whole area instead of just the one where all activity was dealing with. But only after making it did she wonder if letting Linden Lab know about it might be a bad idea as at the time they could be lazy when it came to development of anything that wasn't "bells and whistles."

Allie also made her way into a few SL Newspaper, and later on SL Newser cartoons. 

 

 

Allie confided to me and a few others she had an alt, Prouds Flinters, whom at first was usually a tigress, but later on saw her mostly in otter form. 

 

I would also meet a couple people through her, Linn Salamander who was in an anthro dragon avie. She and Allie would tell me they were real-life friends. 

 

 And there was Carol Cream, who appeared in either a polar "bearsy," or a white bunny. 

 

I would eventually learn details of Alleara's life on the other side of the computer. While I learned early on she was German, she told me she had been born in Romania, a gypsy. She and her parents would make their way over to Germany and become citizens. She would take occasional vacations to Norway. 

 

 Alleara also liked to draw on occasion. A self-portrait of her as her persona. 

 

 Alleara very much had a place among Nydia's Angels. I remember when Nydia threw her a rezzday party.

 

 And Allie would have a ball at Nydia's soon after.

 

She would also tell me she was a clothes designer, helping to make some of the Alessandra line.  But she wasn't officially part of the staff, preferring a lower profile. 

 

 A few months after the close of the SL Newspaper and the opening of the SL Newser in 2010, Alleara gifted me with this drawing she did. She would say of the cigarette she was trying to capture a "Bogart" look. She would also drop a copy off at the office. 

 

I would go on a few dates with Allie. But we also had plenty of fun together with Nydia and other friends. Here was one occasion the joking around between us led to a cartoon. Much like Nydia, she could have quite a frisky sense of humor, as did Lina, which led to a few memorable moments. She posted a few on her profile, notably when Nydia accidentally stated she was "known for her great heat" instead of heart. 

 

And when it was just her, she was always curious about what you were working on, or what game you were playing. And when she sensed something was troubling you, wanted to know what was wrong. 

 

There was one time Allie's helpful manner got her into trouble. Around May 2012, she had been trying to help a friend who made a sci-fi shuttlecraft load it onto Marketplace for sale, but it was buggy that day. She eventually got the attention of one Linden, who acted like he was annoyed to be called to help someone. The exchange of words soon got heated, and she found herself logged out, then notified she was suspended for three days, "I thought … he would at least react normally, but what can I say, his backyard." 

 

Unhappy with this development, I ended up writing about the incident. That got a number of people angry at the Lab, "Bah on anyone who would hurt Alleara." "Alleara is one of the sweetest people I know. If LL is now banning people (however temporarily) just for insisting that we GET what we are PAYING for, then the death of the grid truly is nigh." "Alleara is one of the kindest people. I know. If this Linden got snippy and banned her, even temporarily, he or she needs to be disciplined." When Allie herself found out, she was humbled by the responses, but would tell me she felt a little embarrassed. Looking back at the conversation, she concluded her banning wasn't entirely undeserved. 

 

Sadly, around mid to later 2012 I think, Alleara got into a bad accident. Her car was totaled, her dog was killed, and she was badly injured, especially one of her hands. Although she was able to regain partial use of it eventually, she would never be able to draw again like she had. 

 

By 2013, Allie had somewhat recovered, and was able to make the Second Life Tenth Birthday Celebrations in June. 

 

In Oct 2014, Alleara would gift Nydia with a guardian statue, it representing how the Angels group felt about protecting one another. 

 

 Sometime in the mid 2010s, Allie made this press tag for my fedora (this is a new picture, but shows it more clearly than those at the time)

 

 

 

For the Relay seasons, Allie would help with some Sunbeamer team outfits, such as the women's tracksuit, which she is wearing here in August 2016 in the post-season team meeting. One season she did one for all of the Relay for Life volunteer group. 

 

And then there were the music videos Nydia did. Alleara was a part of many of them. 

 

 She and I were in a few together. "The Fox" in December 2018 was one of my favorites. Unfortunately, it would also be the last one she would take part in. 

 

 In March 2019, Raphie wanted his Yinglet avatar ready by the time of the release party, but was having trouble ironing out the bugs. So Alleara stepped in to help. 

 

 I would see her less often in the later 2010s. She had gotten a job working for Tesla, doing so remotely through her home desk (at the time, the owner was much less political than today). She would say it involved a new plant in the USA devoted to the manufacture of electric car batteries. I never did ask how much money she made, but was hoping it was plenty and for a good retirement. 

 

 But not all was well on her side of the computer. Some time after her auto accident, her mother passed away. Also in the later 2010s, her father died. It would be just her and her real-life friends.

 

2020 was the year of the Coronavirus Pandemic. She continued to work remotely, and stayed isolated in real life. The few times we met or chatted, we talked some, and wished each other well. 

 

In June 2021, we ended up meeting up and walking about the Chilbo community she was still part of. After many years, it had less territory, and some people were gone. But it was still active and the artists were still coming up with new things. Since I was still writing my science-fiction tale, she mentioned a series being done by another beginning writer, "We Are Legion (We Are Bob)" by Denis Taylor. 

 

We talked, chatted, joked. Perhaps we were both a little older, a little less perky, but it was still nice to meet up with good friends. When it was time to go, I felt happy, and hoped it wouldn't be too long before we met again.

 

But sadly, this would be the last time we met.  

 

In October, Nydia was messaged by someone saying he was a friend of Alleara's, and he had some terrible news. He would say Allie had been increasingly ill for days, showing signs of the Coronavirus she had isolated herself from. On Friday night, she messaged a friend to take her to a clinic Monday morning. But when the friend got there, he found Allie dead. She had passed away sometime the night before. 

Our beloved gypsy, the woman who had escaped death twice before, who had a great brain and a great heart, who had done so much for so many, was gone. 

 

 People would have much to say, "She was one of the few that showed care and compassion to many, myself included. She will be missed." "Alleara was always creative, always funny, and had quite a horrific personal history. I hope she is at peace now." "I know the goddess herself met her on the other side to welcome her home with a warm embrace."

 

Shockwave would have this to say, "She was my equal in building, though she had lots more time than I did early on. She was one of the first people I met inworld (Lusk if I recall.) We spent ten years trying to outbuild each other and finally just settled on mutual showmanship rather than competetion. She was horribly crippled from a car wreck, and got around the physical deformities by living in SL instead. 

 

"May God grant you ALL the answers, dear lady. Your suffering is ended at last, and your wings will free you from your prison." 

 

A surprise was soon revealed. Earlier I mentioned I'd met a couple friends of Alleara's, Linn and Carol. But it turned out they were actually her alts! I'd never seriously considered this possibility. 

 

 Nydia would do a tribute to her and Jessicabelle, whom had also passed away only a few months before. 

 

 Two memorials to Alleara would be done. The first was she would get an Eternal Flame at the Sunweaver Memorial in Sunweaver Eclipse. 

  

Later on in the Purfection Estates, near the Happy Vixen Beach club, Alleara would get one of her own, in the style of a Japanese shrine. 

 

A German friend would also do a small one on his land, but as his place is private property, it's location is not given here. 

 

Four years have passed, and the Sunweavers/Angels, Chilbo, and Second Life, have continued on.  Alleara's friends in my quirky community have dealt with a few more problems and trimphs, gotten a little older, we've gotten new people, and sadly other people passing away.

 

But we never did forget Allie. We still talk about her. We still think about the fun times we had. Her statue remains in Pacific Waters. Her drawing she left at the Newser office is still there. A Coke bottle she left at Cutlass as Carol remains. 

Alleara's legacy in Second Life remains far and wide, the clothing she designed, the pride felt by the communities she was a part of, the items she built, and the many memories she made with her friends. She is an example of what one can accomplish of one doesn't care too much who gets the credit (and sometimes somebody will make sure the credit is given), and what one can do with great brains, an unwavering spirit, and a great heart.

 

We'll meet again, our beautiful, brilliant, loving gypsy.

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Bits of SL Life And Times

 

By Bixyl Shuftan

 

Here's a selection of pictures and happenings that didn't make it in earlier, for various reasons.  

 

I posted some about Halloween, but this detailed avie from Kitacelia I thought deserved a mention. 

 

 Quite detailed, I hadn't seen anything like it. The pumpkin added to it. 

 

 This shirt worn by Charlee Harmony was certainly worth a chuckle.

 

 Ever see someone in Second Life whom everything rezzed but their head? I was thinking of both that and a few sci-fi tales in which the brain of a dying supervillain gets transferred to a nutrient jar with this look by Shockwave Yarreach. 

 

*  *  *  *  * 

 

In October, I wanted to get a picture of a Belleseria Fairgrounds party, but was in something of a mild hurry, and didn't want to disappoint anyone who wanted a long chat. So I sent one of my alts over, Droppa MaPants. So logging on him, I went to the party location, and greeted the people there. 

 

 [12:25] Waifu Ghoul: Hi Droppa, Hi KaL
[12:25] Now playing: Hexenkraft - The Thing [Synthwave Remix]
[12:25] Droppa MaPants (DroppaMaPants Resident): hey :3
[12:26] BM - Dirty Spanker: Lillyth Waydelich dreams of kissing Sondra Le Stoop's ass
[12:26] KaL (Kalegthepsionicist Resident): drop ma pants what aname LMAO
[12:26] KaL (Kalegthepsionicist Resident): xD
[12:26] Waifu Ghoul: haha
[12:26] Droppa MaPants (DroppaMaPants Resident): *chuckles*
[12:26] Elfi Stoker: lol
[12:26] Chucky Ghoul: Hi KaL, Hi Droppa
[12:26] Droppa MaPants (DroppaMaPants Resident): Got the name from a Zelany novel
[12:27] KaL (Kalegthepsionicist Resident): ah sex novel?
[12:27] KaL (Kalegthepsionicist Resident): xD
[12:27] KaL (Kalegthepsionicist Resident): jk
[12:27] Droppa MaPants (DroppaMaPants Resident): *chuckles* No, Fantasy
[12:27] Sondra Le Stoop (Distel Stoop): haha
[12:28] Droppa MaPants (DroppaMaPants Resident): one of the characters was named that
[12:28] KaL (Kalegthepsionicist Resident): okay
[12:28] Elfi Stoker: O.O
[12:29] Droppa MaPants (DroppaMaPants Resident): thought it would be a good name for me :3

 

And so was this latest reaction of people to one of my alts. 

 

*  *  *  *  * 

 

 On Sunday November 2 at Noon SL time, I went to the grand opening of something called AI Land, showing artwork done completely by AI. Pooky Amsterdam, who I hadn't chatted with in a while, told me about it. Longtime residents will remember her for "The 1st Question" game show. Since then, she's occasionally been involved with something. And now it was this show about AI. 

 

 Sometimes it's hard to tell when art is done by AI, to me. 

 

 There was certainly quite a light show. 

 

 

 But what I remember the most was seeing Pooky again. 

 

*  *  *  *  * 

 

 

 It's been *years* since I last wrote about wrestling. But on November 17 came another chance to. Merryjest Starchild's been noted for his stage performances and his singing. But that day came a new one: Wrestling. He'd gotten a slot for a "Dark Match" on Monday Nov 17, and invited people to drop by, "come early if you want to see me either succeed or fail spectacularly XD."  It was at United Furry Wrestling. So it was my first time watching a furry wrestling match.

 

 Merryjest put up a good fight against his opponent, him getting in a few body slams.

 

 "Go Merrryyyyyy!"

 

 But sadly for the Cheshire Cat of the stage, it didn't end with a grin. His opponent eventually got the better of him, and after the "one, two, three" was declared the winner. Merryjest's reaction wasn't being dispirited, but exhaustion, "That was kind of nerve wracking, the lag is for real tonight." 

 

As it turned out, Merryjest had good reason not to feel down. Several days later, he announced, "I just got news, I passed my Dark Match and I'm now part of the main roster at UFW O_O" 

 

So it seems Second Life's colorful opera singer will be adding the wrestling ring to his talents. 

 

*  *  *  *  * 

 

Then there's this gem from Bellisseria chat. People get alts for all kinds of reasons, but this one is a new one to me. 

 

 [10:31] Dreamer Pixelmaid: Poor calts, they keep getting send to "safe" hubs lol
[10:33] Kialaya (Kialaya Shilova): I know what alts are, but calts?
[10:33] Dreamer Pixelmaid: The alts I have because of cats for especial birthdays etc lol
[10:33] Kialaya (Kialaya Shilova): x-D LOL ooook
[10:34] Dreamer Pixelmaid: I should have sent them in before posting the notice lol
[10:36] Kialaya (Kialaya Shilova): yeah, hahaha poor babes
[10:38] Bixyl Shuftan: Heh, you made an alt just to get a one per customer kitty?
[10:41] Dreamer Pixelmaid: One per account kitty :P
[10:42] Emily Abbot: I thought it was about the houses?  hehehe

 

One of those "only in Second Life moments. 

 

*  *  *  *  * 

 

 And finally, there's the funeral for Crim Mip that I covered in early October. What I should have done was post a few pictures the following week. But I thought that it wouldn't take me long to have the whole thing done. I had forgotten how busy I can be sometimes, especially in October with Burn2, then Halloween. And by the time I've finished writing about those, here comes Christmas. 

 

 (click here if the video does not load)

 

I'll finish it up, soon. For now here's a picture and the video. 

 

Well, that's all for now. A few bits of my Second Life that were better late than never.

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

It Came From Bellisseria Chat: "The Priest Who Poofed"

 

By Bixyl Shuftan

 

Several days ago, I had Bellisseria chat open, when I noticed someone message, "Hi. Anyone having a problem with a intruder dressed as a priest he rezzed in my home after i turned secruity off he just stood then poofed, 1 day old? I have been here a few years never had this before." Someone else responded, "Are you the first person to own your house? He may have had it first and didn't change where his home is." A third didn't think so, "If he was 1 day old, he probably hadn't been there before." "True that."

Others were chuckling, "Oh, emm, gee." "Wow!" "He came to bless your home." "It was 'The Bishop!'" "Quick...engage panic mode.....someone was in someone elses house ? (laughs)" "Good story material, though, 'The disappearing priest.' You could turn it into a Bellissarian Mythic Trope." "Won't someone please think of the prim children!" "'The Priest Who Poofed' sounds like an Agatha Christie mystery."

The homeowner continued, "He walked and followed me." So did the comments, "You can always ban him. Do you have his name?" "No, I was so shocked, I didn't think." "He prolly never came back." "EIther turn security back on or ban him by name in your land settings." "Security back on." "(He) reminds me of that creepy *** guy who used to slime around....." "(laughter) awww I remember ***, he was funny. People lost their collective cr*p over him." "You're sure right about that (big grin)." "Some guy named ***....used to be a 'peeping tom' and posted all his snaps on Imgur/tumblr (I can't remember which)." "Oh emm gee. Because that's totally not weird at all." "It was funny.......people were losing their cr*p left, right and centre." "There is no catagory for how gross that is." "What? running round Bellisseria being a 'Peeping tom'? I mean it takes all sorts but still. the reaction from folk was hilarious,  like he'd broke into their real-life homes and pee'd on their kids." "Even in second life there is a thing called privacy, some people should remember that, others should grow up." "Bravo ****....well said!"

The conversation soon movied on to other topics. Whatever became of "The Priest Who Poofed," I would not know.

Bixyl Shuftan

 

 

People

Interview With Xavier Thiebaud

 

 By Bixyl Shuftan

 

Addition: Two videos added to near the bottom

Xavier Thiebaud is a man who has seen and done much in Second Life. Way back, he was one of the avatars on the Beta Grid before the virtual world officially opened. He's also been involved in theater and co-founded the "A-List," a popular group for clubs and others to announce events. But after a long Second Life, Xavier recently announced in the A List that he will be departing in September. I recently met up with him, and we talked for a while.

Getting to his home, we greeted on another, then the interview began.

Bixyl: To begin with, describe what you do here in Second Life.

 

Xavier: (laughs) I wear many hats and I am seen in various roles. I am the owner and founder of 'The A List!', which is a community of SL's finest from all walks of life, Artist and Fashion and Live Music and Cultural Arts such as Opera and Ballet and Theater, pretty much the things that makes up Second Life, Arts and Entertainment. 

 

Over the years I've also have used my influence to help guide the direction of the culture within Second Life. So I can be seen as a politician in a way.  I have also helped make people famous, get noticed. I've also have put on huge special events, like my Farewell party.
 

I am an Ambassador, gate keeper, face of Second Life I can also be considered as equivalent of a Hollywood  movie or music producer. When my late girlfriend was alive, we were also into philanthropy, nurturing young up and coming artist and talent.

Over the years I've had average citizens tell me they have never heard of me. And I smile and say "that's the point.' My goal was never to be famous, but to help others achieve fame. I name drop and say those house hold names you know, I have known for many years. And my rolodex is vast, all across Second Life. They call me friend. That's good enough for me.

Bixyl: Sounds like you've done quite a bit. How did you find out about Second Life?

 

Xavier: Oh my. Have you ever heard of The Sims? ... Me and my friends came from The Sims Online back in 2002 and 2003. We were the Beta's, (the) founders of Second Life itself.

Xavier then invited to take me somewhere. We both ended up going to Plum (132/52/33), where there was a three-panel wall with names. This was The Beta Contributor Wall.

Xavier: Bixyl, this is where everything began. I get a little misty eye when I come here. Many of these names were my friends. I've lost touch with them. Almost no one even knows this is here. I doubt the new Lindens do either.

 

Oh we were a crazy wild bunch, professors and artists and hackers and dreamers like me. A motley crue of misfits.

Bixyl: What date did you drop in, and how did your first days go?

 

Xavier: I can't say exactly as Xavier is my 4th incarnation. I lost all the others, I did not take it as seriously then as I do now. I would never of dreamed I would of still been here, after 20 years. (noticable pause) Oh, my, GOD!  IT'S BEEN OVER 20 YEARS!

 

Bixyl : Guess time flies when you're having fun *grins* How did those early days go?

Xavier: Well, people made things for the pure joy of creation. We had a true sense of community,  friendship. "Hey look I made a T shirt. Here want one?" "I made a new thingamagig. Here have one." Now it's all about money.

 

We had hackers and mafia wars and a Shadow Government. Did you know Anonymous was originally formed here? 

 

Bixyl: No, and I don't recall anyone saying it was.

Xavier: Yes it was. People don't know or won't say. Like I said, I know all the secrets long forgotten. It got so bad. They attacked Linden Labs. Linden Labs was being hacked. It was insane in the early days. You had to know how to defend yourself. I always managed to remain neutral despite keeping a high profile.

Bixyl: What did people have to defend themselves from besides hackers?

Xavier: Well we used to have huds or shields. Some were so strong they were banned.

Bixyl:  Sounds like there were a number of fights. What were these Mafia Wars and Shadow Government?

Xavier:Oh it got brutal. Shadow government was well. Griefers who griefed griefers or players who played outside the rules of the TOS, enforcing vigilante justice."

 

We then teleported to another spot. This was at Kirkby (130/164/24). In front of us was a wall with a number of spheres with names over them. Some were familiar such as Luskwood and the Ivory Tower. Others were not, such as the Kentucky Fried Engineering Bucket and the Skyline Graveyard. 

Xavier:This is the Wall of History. Did you know much of the mainland is role modeled and named after California, well specifically northern California, and the water the San Francisco Bay and the names of areas in northern California?

Bixyl: I can't say that I did, though it makes lots of sense.

 

Xavier: My SL Aunt, Heather Goodlife, was the creator of the original waves of Second Life.  I was gonna take you there next and Philips Hill and a few more iconic places.

 

Bixyl would you like your own Phil Linden Collectable Avatar?
 

Bixyl: Certainly, thank you. And yes you can, I do take plenty of pictures. ... Got it and thank you. I'm sure many long-timers remember the jokes about his appearance
 

Xavier: Amazing the things one collects over the years.

We then went to another place, Natoma, and the Ivory Tower or Primitives. Xavier was happy to see it wasn't forgotten with the people around, including one pony who approached us. We had a short conversation before it was time to head out.

 

Xavier took me to another place in Natoma, at (60/204/40). This was the location of the oldest complex object on Second Life, "The Man" statue.

Xavier: Did you know about this?

Bixyl:  I most certainly do
 

Xavier: Good going

Our next stop was in the Teal sim, at (190/59/21). 

We were at the Particle Labratory.

Xavier:  And here?
 

Bixyl:  It's been a long time since I was last here. But yes, I've heard of the Particle Labratory. How would you describe it to those who are new?

Xavier:  I am so old and jaded I rarely belileve anyone is new.  This is a place of learning, how to make things happen. (It) all begins with 1 prim. Script this prim, it moves. Texture the prim, it begins to move and take action.

 

Xavier would take me to one more place, one I had been to earlier in my time in SL, had sadly closed, and was reopened a few years later by Linden Lab. We were at (58,204,24)

 

Xavier: Welcome to The Lost Gardens Of Apollo. Dane was a friend of mine.

Bixyl: Thank you, it's good to be here.

 

Xavier: He shared his dreams with us. He designed it to inspire imagination and creativity and romance and love and magic. Whenever I get tired of things, I come here. (It) reminds me of the magic of SL.

 

That sculpture is by STARAX, the Michael Angelo of Second Life, 100% prims. Pure talent. He once said 'you must torture the prims into submission.' To own one is rare. To display one is luxury. Soo many prims.

 

Xavier thought about the two of us riding a vehicle, but something went wrong. Instead he just looked around.

Xavier:  This is the oldest sim in Second Life. The Lindens now preserve it as a part of our history. Go to midnight. Amazing isn't it.

Bixyl:  Yes it is
 

Xavier:  STARAX did a series of Angels and Demons. Here we see a Demon killing Angels. Very powerful piece.
 

He would teleport us to another part of the Lost Gardens, one that had some spots for couples not far away.

Xavier:  You can see how this place is great for romance
 

Bixyl:  Yes I do
 

Xavier:  Dane loved Second Life. This is Second Life, the magic ... are you still in Midnight?
 

Bixyl:  Yes I am, and I see the aurora.
 

Xavier:  Did you know Raftwet? My partner. We met in 2007, dated ten years, in real life. She passed away in 2017, nearly ten years after we met in SL.
 

Bixyl:  I've heard of her, and I'm sorry
 

Xavier:  Grease and Gemma were her friends. 

 

So love does happen in Second Life. Soo many say SL is SL and real-life is real-life. But we have feelings. It's a farce to think we can insulate ourselves from love. I have so many beautiful memories Bixyl. I would not trade anything for it, not even in real-life. This right here does not exist in RL
 

Here is a tip from an old Avi such as me my friend. When the grid gets a bit much and you think about leaving, remember what brought you here in the first place, then return here, to this very spot. Look over this panarama view, and remember my words.

Live your Second Life on your own terms. No one can tell you how to be. Do what fufills you, and try not to get caught up in the crazy stuff, like clubs and shopping, etc. 

 

Exploration is the true destination.  I am well traveled, and even I have not seen every sim. It's impossible, like counting the stars at night. That is what kept me in Second Life for so long.

And the beautiful wonderful people I met along the way, people from all over the world. Soo many cultures, languages, ways of seeing things. If you are a citizens of Second Life, you are a world traveler, without even knowing it.
 

I will miss this beautiful crazy Alice in wonderland with a blend of Dali and LSD dreamland.

 

Bixyl: You've mentioned earlier that you yourself are departing. Are those reasons private?
 

Xavier:  Oh, well, yes and no. Something happened in real-life. But this is off the record. My friends in Second Life know, but not the public.

He would explain his story

 

Xavier: It's when I had my realization my time in Second Life was up.

 

Simply put, I've done more than anyone ever has. So I am leaving on a high note. I've contributed my entire life to Second Life. Now it's time for me to live in real-life, in a tropical paradise, living 'la vida loca.' Many have said I will come back, or return as an Alt. My true friends, they know I am leaving and with their blessings. Their unselfish love tell me 'go live your life.'
 

I am healthy and happy. My real-life is a blessing. I've also had a beautiful Second Life as well.  I have no regrets
 

Bixyl: So besides living in a nice tropical place, what will you do now?
 

Xavier:  Maybe go work as a consultant in virtual reality. Perhaps talk to the Lindens. Who better than me. In a metaphorical kind of way, would be like me entering the spirit realm and influencing things from another level. That's a beautiful way to end this. (smile) I love Second Life.

Bixyl: Certainly an interesting way to end this ... I take it the A List and other things of yours will go on?
 

Xavier:  Ava Jhamin is the sole owner now. She's been the owner since Raftwet passed and I took time off from grieving. Second Life felt so empty then. I couldn't bare to be here. Now I leave out of joy and happiness, not out of sadness.

Bixyl: You've certainly spoken a lot. Did you have anything else to add?

Xavier: We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dreams. 

 

You know, I had an experience rarely experienced by others because I came with people I already knew. I was never a noob. 

Bixyl: I guess one more question, how much longer will you be around?

 

Xavier: My rez is Aug 15th, but I plan on staying for a few more weeks,  and eventually just fade away, later not log in,  eventually uninstall the viewer. Once that happens, there is no going back. 

 

The End.  

Bixyl: Well, thank you for your time, and if there's anything else you wanted to add, let me know.

Xavier: Quite a ride down memory lane wasn't it? I got a little emotional. I am happy with what we said and did, it was honest, heartfelt, and words from an old avatar, sort of like speaking to a person a hundred years old and listening to them tell stories, baring witness to history itself.

I mean it was an honor for me to do what I did, to care witness. Back then, it was a barren wasteland. We had nothing, NOTHING. No trees, water was still, it was kinda boring. And after all that, all I ever learned to do is this ... *shows you my heart* This I made, there. it plays a melody, La vie en rose. So yes, I am an old romantic. Ha ha. Aside from that, all I ca do is rezz a box. I never had the patience to build, But I managed to build an entire community. So I am quite proud of that. No one else has done that. Too many petty rivaleies, jelously bickering, I pulled people together. 

 

Xavier then showed me this video.

Xavier:  *shows you a video of my Raftwet*  I asked a friend of mine, a Jazz musician, to sing for me on Valentines Day. I practically had to put a hit out on someone to get him to play just for me in a crowd of less than 10 people present, and I have had real-life broadway singers perform for me and Opera singers. So yes i've had a privileged SL

Our 5th anniversary on Valentines Day.  If I were the King of Second Life she undoubtedly was it's Queen. She wore her crown so lightly. We would go to a ballroom, dressed up. She gets a special invite not in any group by some underground DJ to a party. Then we show up. It's some downtown scene, a dark alley. We walk in, looking like our car broke down on the wrong side of town, the guest looking at us like as if  'do they belong here?' And they see the owner of the club and DJ give us hugs. So yeah we did. That's the magic of Second Life.

I just wish people could see SL the way I do, not take it for granted or get stuck in doing the same ole stuff, like clubs, or shopping. Maybe more will see a glance of it, exploring. If I had a message, it would be to explore. And also to tip venues more than 50 Lindens, the teirs are expensive. I never even got into why we have a tip based culture, but no point in that. Takes it into a whole different direction.
See these are the things only a few people like me know why, or remember.

Bixyl: Thank you for your time, and whereever your journey takes you, may it be a good one.

A few days later, Xavier would hold the last showing of his rendition of "The Little Prince" in Second Life, followed by a good-bye party. 

Gemma Cleanslate would later catch up to him and ask for the name of his Beta account. He answered, "My Beta name? My last name was either Goodlife or Livingston. I didn't take it seriously then."

 

And so, Xavier's Second Life journey is winding down after over 20 years. Hopefully whatever he does next, it will go well,

Bixyl Shuftan