Draxtor Despres is offering friendship; blog apps regress; pumpkin time

Friendship offers: several (good); Friendship offers from Draxtor Dupres: 1 (like, totes amazeballs); pumpkins pulled from inventory: infinite (bad); Blog app "upgrades": 2 (apalling)

Appears to be time for 6-monthly blog post, so here it is. Was startled this morning by friendship offer from Draxtor Dupres, who is a notable slebrity. Think this is because of attending the Digital... digital ... digital something sessions inconveniently scheduled at 10am SL time on Thursdays and convened by Tom Bukowski. Are inconvenient since 12 noon is of course VWER time, and need to have physical food break too. However, digital thingy sessions give oppportunity to utter self-obsessed statements about SL, universe and everything, so go when can (though searching through chat, first utterance at one of these events appears to have been @Eliza think I agree with that so also indulge in sycophantic yea-saying). 

In first pic I'm in digital thingy event looking v. cool with the shaggy hair and poncho vibe and there's Draxtor (in mustard coloured trousers), you can tell already that we're going to be great chums.

One change that has happened since last blogged is enforced changes to Blogger editing layout. This was advertised as " an improved web experience for Blogger" and perhaps is for some, but can only think of ways in which it has got worse e.g. 

- in HTML blogging mode, no longer puts in breaks if you do them in that mode, it all just scrunches up.
- takes two clicks to create new post when click on the "New post" in top bar
- Resizing pics after you inserted them is more fiddly 

But could be worse, what Wordpress have done to their editing interface is unfathomable. Have decided that without me realising Wordpress have stopped being somewhere that ordinary mortals/avatars can blog and turned into - ? possibly a suit of website apps. Only know that couldn't understand most of their "help" blog posts for last couple of months. 

Meanwhile things jog along in roughly same groove in SL. Am having to be at VWER every week and still getting more people coming along than pre-COVID. Am preparing for Global Media and Information Literacy week in SL (suppose should have blogging about that instead, oh well). Because of this am neglecting Halloween though managed to get a couple of Halloween-compliant costumes (see pic 2). Have resisted buying pumpkins so far because have so so many.

Or is this wrong. Broke off to see what had in Inventory when searched on "Pumpkin". 

This is just part of the result (above) and that's without the giant pumpkin trees that swallow you, the multipart Sway's pumpkin carving set, numerous small pumpkins that got lost in the grass, pumpkin lanterns and pumpkin-related food. 

Though realise that have dearth of green pumpkins, pale blue pumpkins and pumpkins in shape of animals other than cats. So permission to purchase more pumpkins granted!

Youtube; Comments; Pumpkins; Climate

Youtube views of SL video: 11,795 (disconcerting); No. of pumpkins deployed: Infinite (orange, mostly)

'Tis the time when SL gets buried in sea of pumpkins, witch brooms, fiendish masks, burning barrels, candles, skulls, omnious crows etc. etc. Whilst is lot of orange and black around, this year seems to have more than usual amount of monochrome/pastel/cubist/abstract Halloween knick knacks as designers strive to stand out from crowd of standard orange pumpkin with scary face / skeleton hand holding dribbly wax candle / starey skull with plants in.

Thus purchases this year include cute pastel colour-change kitty pumpkins, cute kitty covered in halloween blanket that roams round floor (just not seen in above pic.), and arty black and white pumpkin arrangement with glass jar. Am pictured with Halloween items old and new including v. good value tent that fits cat cafe theme unervingly well ("Paw readings"). For only 29 Linden yesterday (yes **29 Linden**)  you got tent, sign, witchy table, witchy papers and glitter effect, cat waiting to have paw read, chair with pose to look like paw reader and even 2 cats queuing outside (thank you, Chez Moi, did you make a mistake with the pricing?). With usual overload policy have added 2 assorted crystal balls on table, a giant sparkley spider web, string of "pumpkin kitty" lights, vintage pumpkin cat on roof and creeping fog effect. Can also see in pic above: rideable devil cat, new Halloween cart, working tarot reading set, creepy phonograph and 2 edibles: some kind of sushi and a pumpkin sweetie giver.

However, life is about more than pumpkins in the shape of cats, so on  Sunday attended one of Marly's Climate Change sessions. Several people created builds that expressed a position on climate change, and then we all had to imagine the arguments for that position esp. if it wasn't our own. Can see here pretty build which was expressing view that there will be no progress unless human consciousness changes. Fat chance with that one probably, but suppose one should be optimistic. Realised that am complacent sort who feels have done bit by not having washing machine or car on physical life (yes, really, not either of them, ever) but fails to sort rubbish into recycling types, most of the time, uses planes and buys too many objects. On the one hand all those pumpkins, tents and carts (as mentioned above) will take up zero landfill space when delete them, on other hand am consuming electricity as if it came from magic fairy electricity fountain rather than evil consumption of coal, gas, or nuclear thingies.

Moving on (since do not actually intend to stop consuming electricity) have discovered that have unexpectedly successful Youtube video. Had thought that the pinnacle of my Youtube fame was video on Abstracting which has clocked up 1,804 views. By the end of this video you will be able to explain difference between indicative, informative and structured abstracts and distinguish between an abstract and an introduction. Pretty thrilling stuff.
However, when uploading another video (on how to use a known academic paper to find yet more academic papers; such is my life), came across video from 6 years ago explaining how to create an avatar to enter SL. Was about simply to delete it, as is outdated, when noticed no. of views i.e. 11k and that had even got 16 comments which is more comments  than in all my other videos put together.

Comment which immediately springs out is of course "Ugh this girl voice..." which assume is not compliment. Since have always thought of voice as strong point (it hasn't got plump, wrinkled or wobbly, for example, so has advantage over some other bits of physical me) feel rather offended.

Get over it, dude, that's my voice and I like it.

Witches; Death; Dilemmas

No: of witchy things bought: 8 (good); No. of Halloweeny items already in inventory: Numberless (or possibly, 666); Hysterical witch accusers encountered: one (awkward)

In a couple of weeks is HALLOWEEN which is always fun time in SL as great opps for becoming ghost, creating spooky haunted houses etc. etc. After a couple of days away from SL due to physical world travel arrived back just in time for Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable meeting, which was v. interesting talk from Greg Prumier who has been teaching in SL for 7 Years (that was in fact title of talk). When got to VWER he and a couple of others were variously standing/sitting by circle of cushions on one side of VWER area. Greg asked where to put presenter and so told him and then set out more of Dustbunny's Darling Sectional Cushions (which are indeed v boho and cute) in orange and red to match autumn theme of sim. Realised afterwards that didn't ask Beth (organiser and host of event) if she already had plans about setting up area, so hope didn't offend.

Anyway, next week am leading discussion on "Halloween and other festivals - can we use them for education in Virtual Worlds?" which is basically an excuse for me to drown VWER parcel in witchy stuff. Had not yet visited the Salem event, so tped over and had happy half hour trying out gallows props, deciding how many new mirrors I needed (answer: lots) and musing over whether should buy Besom hair with stylish witch hat (answer: of course). Snapped up sparkly spider webs, village stocks (with tomato giver for throwing at person IN stocks), pumpkin cookie-giver, sinister cloaked form holding moddable poster and a few other items.

During tour of event came across sign (see above)which said that Abigail Williams (famous accuser at Salem witch trials) was hidden on sim. After Black Dahlia hunt assumed that this might be challenging e.g. with small effigy of Abigail hidden up a tree somewhere, but in fact proved to be v. easy as simply followed path in wood and there was real avatar dressed as Abigail, pointing and muttering wicked, wicked under her breath. Was all very nice, but immediately felt like awkward situation, since this was an actual person (though presuably an actual person who was going afk a lot). Was not sure of appropriate behaviour. Should one say "Hi, I'm Sheila I believe you have some issues with witches?" or shout and point "Evil liar evil liar"? or was one expected to interact in order to learn fun facts about the Salem Witch Trials? In fact did the British thing of pretending hadn't seen her and scuttling back down the path. Am shown in pic hiding behind tree when crept back later to see if she was still there.

When got back to VWER had fun time setting out a Halloween setting that was spooky but not too gruesome. Am not sure if got level right e.g. felt that guillotine and people in nooses might be going to far for educational area, on other hand flying skeleton holding lamp and coffin with skeleton hand curling round lid somehow seemed ok. Set out cute rustic table with assorted Halloween food givers including cauldron of poisoned apples (when you accept one and wear it you fall over dead - see pic, am sort of slumped under table).

Might be challenging for newbies as have to detach apple to become not dead (as opposed to undead) (see pic). On other hand would give people someone else to throw rotten fruit at, when got tired of pelting miscreants in village stocks. Am sure there are educational life lessons there.

Where did it go?

Stuff done: lots (good/bad/indifferent)
In terms of blogging have to award self mark of C double minus. Is more than whole month since last blogged. As have noted before, when v.v. busy in SL, then blogging tends to slump. So as a quick catchup:
No. of new student sky homes created: 1 (good)
No. of new autumnal trees bought: 10? 12? (who knows)
No. of halloween houses created: 1 (good)
No. of sessions done with first year students in SL: 4 (good? only they can tell)
No. of 3D versions created of information behaviour models developed through empirical research using a grounded theory approach: 1 (v. good)
No. of times Opinionator repurposed for specific exercise: 2 (good)
No. of Infolit iSchool events: 3 (good)
No. of fashion blog postings: 4 (good)
No. of houseboats bought: 2 (floating)
No. of tops bought: who's counting? (not me)
No. of unwarranted and surprise price hikes by Linden Lab: 1 (v.v.v. bad)
& so forth & so on.
Last item is one which has cast pall of gloom over proceedings since announced a few weeks ago that educator's discount was being removed, thus doubling price of island. Consternation, anger etc. followed. was then announcement that people could buy up to 2 years in advance at old price (which am trying to do) but still is bit gloomy in long term. Apart from anything else seems like Community of educators, librarians etc. will get fragmented.
Reacted by attending meetings and buying a lot of clothes.
Also pumpkins. Creation of halloween stuffage seems to have escalated to insane proportions, can scarcely go inworld without being bombarded with message cards about cute new pumpkin lights/seats/decals. Was tempted today by 50% off on cauldrons from What Next, but in the end got free Wizard cosi from NRD and 1 Linden staff from Tekeli-li and then wasted, ahem, ahem, spent hour or so flouncing round Immersiva taking pics.
Choose first one as looked vaguely apocolyptic e.g. SL disintegrating because of ill advised customer relationship management on part of LL staffers.

Halloween, cave, mountain

Sculpty halloween cave mountains installed: 1 (good); No. of coffins installed: 2 (good); no. of gravestones installed: 3 (good); no. of funky multi-time-zone chronometers installed: 1 (v. good); No. of pumpkins installed: countless (v. orange)
As a break between serious work with students (3 sessions so far) and numerous education meetings, have been installing and decorating Halloween cave mountain. Discovered basic mountain (2 levels of cave complex, plus 2 layers above with one cave room each, plus assorted waterfalls and paths) I forget how, but anyway was designer whose work hadn't really explored before and his/her sim turned out to be filled with exotic sculpty cave constructions. Had seen some grottos made out of Scupted Prims, but this takes to whole new level (literally), with apartment blocks of caves.

Buying finger was itching to purchase, and v. soon thought of excuse, namely that had not yet determined form of the 2009 Infolit iSchool Halloween celebration, and a cave complex seemed just the ticket.
Think, with all those rushing waterfalls (which cover cave entrances BTW, so is actually Secret Sculpty Halloween Cave Mountain) is probably also v. v. laggy, so waited til after 1st student session. Then positioned carefully in what is normally the empty corner of Infolit iSchool and have proceeded to stuff with accumulated Halloween Fun, as collected in Halloween 2007 and 2008, with several must-have 2009 additions.
My 3 favourite items, in no particular order are:

1) Aina's Grave and Prayer, consisting of a grave and a patch of ground. In each you SIT and then cycle through 3 poses by clicking the item. In the Grave the positions are: Buried (invisible); One hand sticking out of grave; Leaping Out of Grave. In the Prayer object the positions are: Praying, Startled and Running Like Hell. In the pic you see Ishbel as the dead person, and me as the mourner. Ishbel had just bought a free pair of wings from an ajoining cave, which think adds to the effect. Creator: Aina Yoshikawa (I've also put her Chair That Drops A Flowerpot in the caves)

2) Halloween pumpkin chronometer. This has time in various places of SL and RL, and it whooshes out steam and bats, also there are spooky noises. It is thus the only item in the caves that has some vague kind of utility (the time function, rather than the bats). I started by putting it outside the cave and then moved it to be the piece de resistence in the innermost of the ground level caves. Creator: Greene Concept.

3) Pumpkin hanging lights. These do not do anything apart from hang there, but they are v. cute and colourful. Creator: Oddment

If you want to Explore, then the bottom entrance is at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Infolit%20iSchool/198/216/20/ but go soon, as it will all disappear after Halloween.

PS am thinking of adding recording of me reading entries as another way of wasting own time and possibly yours. Below is the recording of this one. Am too close to microphone in some places, but frankly can't be bothered to record it again, but, anyway, there it is. Will do better next time.
URL is : http://www.archive.org/details/SheilaYoshikawaBlogEntry21October2009

Halloween

Halloween castles created: 1 (good); No of witch brooms owned: 10 (good); No. of freebie Halloween items collected: 25 (if you count all the earrings separately)

Halloween seems to be Big Thing in SL. Can scarcely move for pumpkins. Am swept up in general hysteria and celebrate by creating Halloween Castle out of freebies. First part is Castle, which got in Freebie Corner of House of Effulgence (maker of v. good japanese dewellings inc. the one I'm using as my office). Castle looks as if made from grey cardboard and has no windows, so would be v. depressing as home, but is ideally suited for task in hand.

Have collected various pumpkins, and witches hats, including ones from the University of Guelph Library in SL, which had pleasant aspect like RL Guelph uni library. Also make liberal use of LL freebie autumn tree (puportedly an oak, but seems general Autumnal to me). Had bought gothic room as one of potential student houses (and was indeed third room to be snapped up) and whilst room was not copyable, gothic draping that came with it was, so able to use that to festoon castle.

Did invest $50 on a coffin that you can lie in (see pic) and $40 on a tombstone, but Pile of Treasure, assorted dwarf mining tools, torch and wings were found as freebies. Then created posters with landmarks to some of the most delectable freebies, vis:

- Pumpkin chair

- Witches broom with 10 poses (as seen in first pic)

- Witchy shoes

- Trick or treat bag

- Sculptie necklace

- Very strange item that you wear consisting of bird with pumpkin in beak.

Piece de resistence was perhaps large pumpkin carriage which had in fact collected weeks before an rediscovered in Inventory just in time. Is perhaps worth mentioning in passing that inventory now contains 6, 781 items, so easy to mislay the odd vehicle.

Also made it challenge to find outfit consisting entirely of freebies. Found ensemble that seemed quite elegant, although skirt was in fact not free at all but a Scripted number and in this garb I led my 2nd session with the students on Monday. Will blog more about that in due course (i.e. student activities, not sculpted skirts)

Completed free aspect by using skirt from Halloween Lolita outfit snaffled from Kiki's closet, and made brief sortie to a Halloween party at the Haunted House of Gothic Literature. However, as is often the case with these US led events in SL, by then it was 2 in the morning and so gave up rather swiftly. In any case whilst costume would have done v. well for RL event, soon realised had no chance when were other people appearing as giant pumpkins, blasted trees and the like.