Reel Expression

New pose set is out.

Tease him. Take him. Own him. Confidently sensual, it’s haughty and naughty.

So much of my time in SL has a “serious” element to it. Friends complain to one another about their boyfriends, jobs, and woes. Some are working to sustain their in-world businesses and need time to work, or feedback on a prototype gown or ceiling. We discuss the deleterious effects of the rise of evil companies like Electric Sheep and their ongoing efforts to turn our beloved world into Wal-Mart.

It’s odd, because the perception of most people who don’t spend time in MMOs is that we’re just addicted to playing pointless games. We try to help them understand the value of spending time in MMOs, by describing the real friendships that develop, the opportunities for personal experimentation and expression, and the serious uses of these technologies by corporations, educators, and the military. They remain skeptical. But what’s really funny is actually just how much time we aren’t playing at all. We’re scripting and modeling, cooperating on a project, launching a business, or just sitting and chatting.

Last night in Second Life, I played. It was pure silly cathartic play. It served no purpose other than the jouisssance of the moment. It was that surprisingly uncommon SLiver of joy, razor-thin lunar happiness against a beautiful and mysterious, but altogether dark, sky.

Three of us, Luthie, Ceres, and myself put on our bathing suits (and in one extreme case, snake outfit), whipped out diving boards and twisty waterslides, cartoon character inner tubes, swimming anims, and just played in the water for an hour. It was a lot like the experience of a child hanging out in a real pool with family on a hot summer day. What a delight! Here are some pics:

If you’ve read enough of this blog, you’ll know that I’m an american expat. My sister-in-law (brother’s wife) is preggies again. We had planned on going back to the states twice this year to see everyone because we weren’t able to last year. The plan was March and then x-mas, trying to space that looonnnngggg 12h plane flight out. But she’s due in May and hubbie’s on tour with his band in March, so we got the tickets for August.

Now there is a very long list of things that I do miss from across the pond. Things like tumble dryers in most homes. After being here for over 2 years I still feel uncomfortable having my knickers on the laundry rack when his friend’s stop by.

American TV. Don’t get me wrong there are some quality shows here. But, every year it seems like you guys get more and more really well done ones. Like Heroes. Studio 60. Lost. My Name is Earl. Boston Legal. Battlestar Galatica. Law and Order. But more important then that, is I don’t even know what’s on here. We don’t have set seasons, it just sort of starts and you better be lucky to have found out about it. It’s down right confusing. Not even the biggest channel for my generation actually gives you info from the website on things starting before like a month. (I do <3 More4 tho).

I miss people understanding me when I speak. Oddly enough we do speak the same language. Sort of. For instance, when I called to set up my dsl I wanted to find a place that would allow a router. Here, they try and pawn off usb modems as “fast” hah. I called 3 different places who didn’t know what I was talking about, until finally at the fourth they guy went: “ohh you mean rooter.” This was after I described it as that box that connects to the phone line and then to your computer via ethernet. Now, I’m clearly an American. There are some words I do have a more english accent on, but those are rare. Kitten is probably my most used as in KIT-in. Then I do go back and forth with Pecan - PEcin and pecAAN.

Granted, it’s not as bad as when my husband goes to the states. He mumbles more then anyone I’ve ever met. But still is annoying.

Then there is the extreme lack of customer service here. Now, if I called the us postal service and told them my neighbour was stealing my mail, they’d do something about it. Here, I called the royal mail and was told they don’t care and to stop calling.

But then there is the food.

I want ranch dressing to dip carrots or potato chips in. I want french dressing that doesnt look and taste like italian. I want mexican food. I want cambells chicken noodle soup. I want sweet pickels that taste good, not the rubbish that is here. How about sweet relish on burgers? I want strawberries and cream instant oatmeal. I want mac n cheese for lunch. MMM poptarts. I want chinese food like from SF not the weird orange colour that sweet and sour chicken looks like here. Why has no one here heard of crab rangoon? I want A&W cream soda. I miss triscuits and cheese. I don’t want to wait for mom’s shipment before I can have David’s sunfower seeds.

We eat a lot of fresh food here, so thats good. But sometimes I’d like the choice to cook out of a box. Like hamburger helper cheesy hashbrowns (that got me through college). I’m not certain if thats the “normal” way as hubbie won’t allow me to go to the grocery store with him. When I do, we always end up with silly things like cream cakes.

Ok, thats one good thing here cream cakes! He actually has a song called “Cream cake power struggle.” And Indian food. Mmm sunday roasts are my favourite weekend thing, especially in the summer. The pub down the road is actually on the park and serves this nice strawberry beer that is perfect on a warm afternoon. Actually all beer here is better. And of course national insurance, madatory 21 day paid vacation (even for freelancers woot), and most important of all £128 weekend trips to Rome. And then the brillance of walking down the road and seeing a part of the Roman wall still standing, at least in that one little chunk.

So.. I had meant to just talk about the food I missed, especially more so after buying the plane tickets. When we get there I want to go to Runza (fast food that’s not fast food) and then go to a mexican resturant and have a burrito and a marghrita. And then, I’m going to sip bad american beer by the pool for a bit over 2 weeks and gouge myself on steaks my step-dad grills and fresh corn from the farmer’s stand down the street.

In the meantime, I found a website that I can order certain important things like catalina dressing, sweet gherkins, and most important of all: pancake mix.

I try to stay out of the scene. The blog scene, the kissing ass to certain people, the making friends with other certain people scene. I pretty much stick to myself and talk to a very small number of people. There are actually only a limited few that I talk to on a regular basis. I attempt to be nice and respectful to everyone, noobie or oldbie, creator or buyer, whatever. Sometimes I may come off as a bit brash but thats because I don’t care for the fine art of small talk. I speak when I have something to say.

I’ve gone to releases, openings, parties and things as little as possible. I enjoy recieving the invite but generally opt out of going. When I do, I tend to sit in a corner in IMs or tabbed out in poser.

But anyways, thats not the reason for this post. While I am generally unsocial, I really try to stay as far away from the cliques and groups as humanly possible. As a creator one of the things that really piss me off is how high fashion is placed above all other content. I have spent the past 2 1/2 years trying to push the fact that poses are important also in creating a personal look.

Before, the thing that irked me was review blogs. Until recently, reviewers only blogged animators who were also fashion designers. Torrid, Sensual, ect. Now, while it was great that poses were at least getting some coverage, there were others of us out there that have an eye, talent, skill, but severe lack drawing ability. Why is it important for me, as a business owner, to be reviewed? Because where is the one place all designers are captivly watching? The fashion blogs.

Now as most of my work is poses, my main customers are fashion designers. They need us just as much as we need them. For desginers, the presentation of their boxes is a lot more important then you’d think. With poses, they can enhance the feel of the ad. The avie giving off some kind of emotion that works well with the outfit is going to sell a lot more clothes then a default stance. We all know this. So why am I still feeling like I’m scrapping the bottom of the barrell?

I will flat out tell you that I do not think designing clothes are easy. I tried it once years ago and it was pretty bad. Remember, I can not draw myself out of a box. It takes time, talent and skill. But making poses? Pfft. Thats easy. Bull shit. Anyone who says that should be… I dunno… made to try it themselves. Yeah its really bloody easy to make rubbish poses. Just like it’s easy to rez a box and call it a house. But doing something with style and as few breaks in the avie skin is an artform. Think of it as sculpture. Anyone can make a figure out of play-doh but giving that figure expression, movement and life is an entire different thing.

I had started to think that all this was in the past. I’ve been reviewed multiple times along with other pure animators. I was starting to get a bit of respect for the hard work that I do. So, yesterday I read this on second style. A new group, fashion consolidated, for all designers welcome to send out a notice about updates. Sounds like a fab idea. I join it thinking what a good way to give the designers updates about my releases. Then, I found out that you had to recieve permission to be a “vendor” to send notices. Oh no I think to myself. Is this person going to be another fashion > animations? Or are they going to see the part I play in the grand scheme of the SL fashion industry?

Fancy to guess?

No. And I quote: “for clothes/skin/hair… things that make up personal appearance.” Ok. But isn’t an animation override part of an avatar’s personal appearance? This stumped her. She then gave me a line about having to reduce “spam” (her word not mine) in notices. Ok. So anyone who makes clothes, good or bad, can advertise their stuffs but not someone who helps those designers sell their stuffs. OK… Then another line about allowing me in would make others left out. OK…

It ended with her needing to ask the sister group of fashion emergency. I had this entire few paragraphs how I was annoyed and rather pissy towards her. It was 4am and I was certainly craky. This sort of thing wasn’t something I like coming back to after a week off of SL. It really makes me want another break. Bleh.

(Next day)
So today, I’m alone on cappiello doing some terriforming and she tells me I’m in.