to all who stood with me when we stood as one

Caledon is changing! This might be a good thing, actually.

[21:10] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: And Then There Was The Time That Desmond. . . . Oh Hi Des!!
[21:10] Desmond Shang: hai! :)
[21:10] Emilly Orr giggles
[21:11] rxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: OOOO the Guvnah
[21:11] Desmond Shang: is writing a group noticey thing
[21:11] Fxxxxxxx Oxxxxx hides the bomb, "I'll work on this when I get back to Steelhead"
[21:11] Desmond Shang: oh suuure
[21:11] Mxxxxxxxx Kxxxxxx: Uh oh ...
[21:12] Desmond Shang: [Mxxx]! :D
[21:12] Emilly Orr: Don't blow up Steelhead!
[21:12] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx) looks up from the discussion with [Vxxxxxxx]. "But what did he do with the shaved goats afterwa.....? Oh, hi Guv."
[21:12] Desmond Shang: he might!
[21:12] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx takes the papers and crumples up the notice... "We're Sorry Guv, The World Is NOT Ready To Acknowledge The Secret Catgirl Dungon..."
[21:13] Fxxxxxxx Oxxxxx: Steelhead is safe. Extra safe, now that I got the promotion and pay raise.
[21:13] Emilly Orr: Woo!

That actually is good news. Some few of us were worried.

[21:13] Desmond Shang: suuuure
[21:14] Fxxxxxxx Oxxxxx: Well, it's "Steelhead Safe" May experience some explosions, earthquakes, paratrooper chickens, and a turkey
[21:14] Emilly Orr: Who may explode
[21:14] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Zombie turkeys, on FIRE!
[21:16] JX Dxxxxxxxxx: Eeeek!

Ah, some traditions never die.

[21:16] JX Dxxxxxxxxx: It's a Des!!!
[21:17] JX Dxxxxxxxxx: Hide the kittens!!!
[21:17] Emilly Orr: But I thought Des liked kittens...
[21:17] Desmond Shang: little kittens grow up to be catgirls
[21:18] Emilly Orr: Yes. Isn't that the point?
[21:18] Desmond Shang: (forgive my choppiness, IM storm :)
[21:19] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx looks shocked at Mr. [Dxxxxxxxxx. "He might shave the kittens, too?????"
[21:20] JX Dxxxxxxxxx is wholly unable to predict
[21:21] Gxxxxxxxx Rxxx looks at all the names in chat and grins. You'd think it was 2008 not 2018! ;-)

*grins* I was thinking that, too.

[21:21] Desmond Shang: it isn't?
[21:22] JX Dxxxxxxxxx: Have another drink, Des.....
[21:22] Fxxxxxxx Oxxxxx: Ah, the good old days.
[21:23] Desmond Shang: slams down another scotch
[21:23] Desmond Shang: (which are not to be slammed, generally)
[21:23] Bxxxxx Fxxxxxxx: For shame...
[21:23] JX Dxxxxxxxxx: Suuuurrre it's 2008, Des....don't you worry your pretty little head about that nast calendar...
[21:24] Desmond Shang: the economy is roaring, what could go wrong!!!!
[21:25] Desmond Shang: parties like it's 1999
[21:26] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx whispers an aside to [JX] "Should we tell him about Prince?"
[21:27] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: sshh.... let him stay asleep.
[21:27] Desmond Shang: Group Notice Sent by: Desmond Shang

some changes afoot!
I'm doing some parcel changes to Port Caledon... as many of you know, it was designed with a small blizzard of tiny parcels, which worked great when inworld stores were all the rage. That's changed long ago, so it's getting some updating with larger parcels and a greener setting. I just didn't want anyone to panic when they see some streets are ripped up :) No current residents will be inconvenienced!

Des

So, right, that's the notice. Essentially, he's planning on two things:

• First, replacing the old, full-prim trees (some of which were made in the earliest days of sculpt, some few of which were even made BEFORE sculpts were a thing; and
• Reparceling: in short, taking smaller parcels and reconfiguring them so they're larger parcels. So, say, instead of 30 parcels in a given sim, which people can buy in bulk if they want a larger single parcel, he's just making all parcels larger overall--say, 12 to 15 per sim, instead of 30.

Makes sense?

[21:27] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Ripping the streets up now, are you?
[21:28] Desmond Shang: if I get that far tonight :)
[21:28] Fxxxxxxx Oxxxxx hands [Gxxxxxxxx] and a few others pick axes, "Come on, let's give Des a hand."
[21:29] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx claps and continues to hide out on Cymru.
[21:29] Desmond Shang: I've been wanting to give Caledon a sort of 'not ancient sl' look for a while, and with me moving RL that sort of pushes this to 'do now or it will be a loooong wait'
[21:30] JX Dxxxxxxxxx shoulders his pick axe and marches off to do his duty by Calendon...
[21:30] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: If the [Fxxxxxxx] is involved, they will be 'explosions'.
[21:30] Gxxxxxxxx Rxxx: Well-made mesh can be your friend Des!
[21:31] Desmond Shang: that's the general idea, as well as pivoting away from 'a million little inworld shop parcels'
[21:32] Emilly Orr: I'm waiting for when he gets to Tanglewood, and the big trees change. :D
[21:33] Desmond Shang: right now, priority is on revitalising the port, old Caledon, and Tam
[21:33] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx eees! No touchy my willow!
[21:47] Emilly Orr: If it's on a parcel, it won't change. He's talking about changing the higher-prim, more primitive trees along the roadsides, and the train rails.
[21:57] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx looks up from chaining herself to her tree. Hmm?

Yeah, pretty much, that's the main idea. Parcel trees, well, if we really want to hang onto that 45-prim bendy nightmare, on our own parcels, we can. But if it's on Commonwealth land, Des is planning to move things to mesh--less overall prims, less overall 'age' to the look of the sims.

[21:57] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: !
[21:59] Desmond Shang: hai! :)
[22:01] JX Dxxxxxxxxx: Goodnight, Caledon!
[22:01] Desmond Shang: sleep well [JX]!
[22:01] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Now We All Know That The Des Would'nt Bulldoze A Bunneh. Given That Then Tend To ~BEWM~!!
[22:02] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Catgirl chains herself to something. Des shows up. Coincidence?
[22:02] Desmond Shang: mrowr!
[22:02] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx laughs!
[22:03] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Now Des.. Don't Make Me Summon The Succubus Of Dispair... She Has Needles Just For You, Ya Know.
[22:04] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: The trees going in are lovely.

I'll need to go wander and get pictures of the new trees.

[22:04] Desmond Shang: !
[22:04] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: [DXX]'s place will have a nice North View.
[22:07] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: [Dxxxxx] will bepeaking in my windows? O.o
[22:07] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ....?
[22:08] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Maybe? But I just meant there some nice large trees and green going in next to her complex.
[22:08] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: "...ni North View...."
[22:08] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Okay, I'm tired, and my sense of humor is going strange directions. -_^
[22:09] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: :-)
[22:09] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Perfectly Normal Humor For Caledon.
[22:09] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I knew there was a reason I feel at home here.

Don't we all.

[22:10] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: If At Anytime You Run Across Something 'Normal', You've Clearly Left Caledon. Turn Around And Run Back!
[22:11] Emilly Orr: Good advice.
[22:11] Desmond Shang: it makes me sad that inworld shops are a shadow of what they were. used to be, land was worth having for that purpose, for the regular person

Yes, and that may be another reason for the reparceling, that fewer stores are retaining parcels and moving to Marketplace only. Which is, yes, a very sad thing.

[22:12] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: So....if I see something 'normal'.....show it the south end of North.....got it.
[22:12] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I still prefer them.
[22:12] Emilly Orr: In general, yes. Also, I very much like demos. Stores without demos make me cranky.
[22:13] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I like in-world shopping, but its gotten hard to do outside of events.
[22:13] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Yes, Miss Orr, that is true.
[22:13] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I mean, it's true that they should have demos, not that you are cranky.
[22:13] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: :-/
[22:13] Emilly Orr smiles.
[22:13] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I mean you might be, but not for me to say. LOL ;-)

Oh, I'll freely admit that I've been crankier in ISC chat in past years.

[22:13] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: There Is Value To Seeing A Product Before It Is Bought With Loo... ermm... Hard Eraned Monies.
[22:13] Emilly Orr: I am generally only cranky with reason, even if that reason is vague and known only to myself.

"Now". I would add. "Now", I am generally only cranky with reason.

[22:14] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Like...."existential angst"?
[22:14] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I read your blog and cranky doesn't fit. Observant and ... awesomely biting at times?
[22:14] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Rage A Little, Emilly. It May Not Alter Circumstances, But It Feels Wonderful!
[22:15] Emilly Orr: I'll accept that, Ms. [Sxxxxxxxx].
[22:15] Emilly Orr: And at times, yes! But I try to behave myself in ISC. ...Lately.
[22:15] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: :-D
[22:16] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I think most of us are in existential angst these days.
[22:16] Desmond Shang: is oddly happy these days, through the exhaustion. go figure...
[22:16] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Whether any of us have elevated it to an artform.... well.... ;-)
[22:17] Desmond Shang: another side effect of all this parcel changery....
[22:18] Desmond Shang: is that I'm tending toward larger parcels, due to the loss of shops, and loss of personal time as well
[22:18] Desmond Shang: the average person browsing parcels, that wants my assistance, can take something like 40 minutes
[22:18] Desmond Shang: about 20 of that is me sort of hanging around while they decide or not, and then, about 50% of the time they decide not to
[22:19] Desmond Shang: which... if I rely on that for parcels that are say 5 bucks a month of tier, we'd be doomed
[22:19] Desmond Shang: hence, the trend is larger parcels.
[22:19] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx coughs apologetically, having taken considerably longer, as I recall.....

Don't feel bad, my first parcel, I did too.

[22:20] Desmond Shang: no worries, I'm happy to help anyone, it's just not a viable strategy to keep things going
[22:20] Desmond Shang: hence: doing something about it :)
[22:21] Desmond Shang: two parcels at 1250 prims is a lot easier to manage, than eight at way less prims.
[22:22] Desmond Shang: and a lot of the community here doesn't have land at all here
[22:22] Desmond Shang: which is fine, and actually good, because we aren't losing 6 people by converting 8 parcels down to 2.
[22:29] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: There was a time when there was a waiting list.. I remember well..
[22:29] Desmond Shang: indeed
[22:29] Desmond Shang: had I filled that list, we would have EASILY gone over 100 regions, then collapsed
[22:29] Emilly Orr nods
[22:30] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Well.. 11 years and I'm still here. And WELL entrenched!
[22:30] Desmond Shang: I ah... heh. I actually did a bad thing
[22:30] Desmond Shang: indeed this is a good place if its managed right
[22:31] Desmond Shang: Linden blew up the mainland badly, literally region after abandoned region... they destroyed the value of their own product

And we still can't figure out why, but I've seen other games implode their own economies, too.

[22:31] Desmond Shang: they got greedy
[22:31] Desmond Shang: it was pretty clear that there was a 'hype' back in the day
[22:31] Desmond Shang: and knowing that, well, hypes tend to fade as fast as they come
[22:31] Desmond Shang: so I decided: let's not own the regions that will fade that fast, shall we?
[22:32] Desmond Shang: and I let a few other estates add dozens of regions... when the collapse came, the residents went from there to here.
[22:32] Desmond Shang: most notably, Antiquity

Sad, but true.

[22:33] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Now Here Is The Funny Part... I Found Caledon By Looking For BOOTS. landed At A Shop In The Then New Tanglewoods. And Have Been 'Here' Ever Sense.
[22:33] Desmond Shang: did you find your boots?
[22:33] Exxxxx Pxxxxx waves "What did I miss?"
[22:33] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Yes, She Even Custom Fitted Them To Me.
[22:34] Desmond Shang: you missed a decade, sir!
[22:34] Exxxxx Pxxxxx: Heh

Eh, he's been around. :)

[22:34] Desmond Shang: well I miss the inworld shops, too
[22:34] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: EGAD!! The [Exxxxx] LIVES!! Hav'nt Heard You In... Years!
[22:35] Exxxxx Pxxxxx: Still around. How's yourself?
[22:35] Desmond Shang: he's actually gone, it's just group chat lag is ENORMOUS these days....

Yeah, that's actually almost not funny. We're no longer posting messages posed a day later, but several hours later for the same group chat? Yeah, that still happens. Latency is a bitch.

[22:35] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: That Would Be So Very Much SL.. And Was Back In The Day.
[22:35] Desmond Shang: these are things he said in 2007, finally reaching us now. Einstein and all that, you know?
[22:36] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: I Remember When It Almost WAS Like That.
[22:36] Exxxxx Pxxxxx: I visted the Lovefest on Friday night. I swear the lag was imported from 2007

It's LoveFest. They're nostalgic for all the crippling horrors of the past.

[22:36] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: And I Do Well [Exxxxx], Yourself??
[22:36] Desmond Shang: we can call that period when he was around, the Edwardian...
[22:36] Exxxxx Pxxxxx: Badum tish
[22:36] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: I'll Endorse That..
[22:37] Desmond Shang: it's accurate!
[22:37] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: And I Avoid Fair Like The Plague.. I Send The Bunnehs To Them... If They Find Something They Like I Just Send Monies.
[22:39] Exxxxx Pxxxxx: I usually find things on a blog, and ninja in, buy it and ninja out again
[22:40] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: But I Do Remember Foundly The Des' Attempt To Crash Cymru.. That Party Was Crazy Lagged. But We never Crashed!
[22:40] Desmond Shang: we tried!
[22:40] pxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx hugs anyone that wants one and slinks offline to attempt the ever elusive "sleep" thing I've heard so much about.
[22:41] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Particles, Bling And GLITTER.. Oh My!

Was that the party with the War of the Worlds "War-walkers"? I remember that one. That was crazy.

[22:43] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Sleep Well Miss [Pxx].
[22:44] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Goodnight, Miss [Pxx]
[22:44] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Des.. Tell Me She's Not Sleeping Chained To That Tree?
[22:45] Desmond Shang: erm....
[22:45] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Des! You Would'nt?!
[22:45] Desmond Shang: it wasn't me!
[22:46] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx puts in a call to the Succubus of Dispair.
[22:46] Emilly Orr: Oh dear.
[22:46] Desmond Shang: despairs
[22:47] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Remember, Sleep Well Des... She Does Her best Work When You Dream.

Yeah, I think I've met her. If she has needles for teeth, she knocked on my door once, I opened it, stared at her, then closed the door. Do not answer knocking by needle-toothed floating women at your door, kids. Handy life tip.

[22:47] Desmond Shang: !
[22:47] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx Snickers Evily. . . .
[22:47] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: !
[22:48] Wxxxxxxxx Jxxxxxxx: Considers a suck-u-a-bus of disrepair.
[22:48] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx looks over the Port.. It's so... GREEN.
[22:49] Desmond Shang: and 9 parcels fewer
[22:49] Emilly Orr: Interesting.
[22:50] Desmond Shang: a lot of people tell me they hate getting a bunch of parcels, and paying a lot of meters as well
[22:50] Emilly Orr: So it made sense.

It does, actually. Say I decide I want to move back to Morgaine. Say I want my original parcel back. Say the parcel next to it is empty, and the parcel next to that. Before, if I wanted all three, I'd have to buy them individually, and pay each meter, and keep up with each meter. Under the new system (well, and assuming he decides to join three parcels hypothetically like this), I'd be buying in one parcel with one meter and get more prims overall. Seems...actually easier overall.

[22:51] Desmond Shang: and there are some land barons that think im flat out crazy to deal with anything smaller than a region
[22:52] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: And Thus They Rent Land, Not Build Communities.
[22:52] Emilly Orr: Exactly. [22:53] Desmond Shang: wishes for another recession, such that I might have more time again.
[22:53] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: THEY are land owners. Your The Guv... A Benelevant Tyrant. hehe
[22:53] Kxxxxxxx Ixxxxxxxx: one thing i love about caledon...even though i don't live there anymore..i can still visit..i've lived in 2 other groups of sims that no longer exist
[22:54] Desmond Shang: I think a lot of people were in it for the money, so to speak

Well, and that's not a terrible thing. I mean, sure, some land barons are creepy and horrible, but most aren't. Most got into it because they thought it could make them money, and not in a disturbing graft and fraud sense, but in a, hey-this-could-help-me-pay-rent sense. A lot went in because they wanted to help people, and yes, that included themselves. A lot of land barons started renting land to other avatars in SL for the same reason clothing designers started selling clothing to other avatars in SL.

The problems started when some of the land barons expanded too much, before they were settled, established..before they were ready, really, is the main thing. And they weren't economically savvy enough to realize they were in over their heads.

[22:55] Desmond Shang: when that dried up, so did they. at some point it could affect me too, but I'm strangely fortunate outside of SL

Yeah, but Des is an economically savvy guy.

[22:55] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: They Lacked Vision Beyond The Dollar Signs.
[22:55] Kxxxxxxx Ixxxxxxxx: one got behind on the payments and didn't ask for help..the other well...rl does have priority and i can understand that
[22:55] Desmond Shang: if I have to, I downsize
[22:56] Desmond Shang: we had 21 regions more than now, at 'peak land'
[22:56] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Here Is The Telling Point... They Get In Trouble, The Renters Go 'tisk tisk tisk'.... Des gets Worried And We All Step Up To The Plate And Ask What Can WE Do. Big Difference.

Yeah. It's part of why I moved back.

Hard, savage truth here: I have a place I can move into tomorrow on the grid rent-free. I mean, if I did that, I'd want to help, but if it comes right down to it...I wouldn't have to. I have another place that, for various reasons, my only contribution is donations, occasionally, if I have the Lindens. And in a pinch, I have a one-room work studio I could live in because I pay L$150 a week for that. That's mostly kept just for clients, but I *could* live there if I really needed to.

Add all that up, that's three places I could live without being digitally homeless, only one of which I'd have to pay anything for, all of which are less expensive per week and per month than my bit of Caledon. But I moved back because it meant something. Because even in my tiny way, I wanted to help keep Caledon around.

[22:56] Kxxxxxxx Ixxxxxxxx: i remember..was the duchess of westmoreland for a while..smile
[22:57] Desmond Shang: I don't want anyone to spend money that's better spent elsewhere
[22:57] Desmond Shang: it's not going to make the average person happy here, if we are 3 more regions added, or whatever.
[22:58] Wxxxxxxxx Jxxxxxxx: And there's the telling point, the decision of what is "better"
[22:58] Kxxxxxxx Ixxxxxxxx: we would have helped the one who didnt ask for help if he had told us..but he didn't say anything until it was too late..and that hurt..
[22:59] Desmond Shang: sometimes, it's more the time than the money. I've been keeping Caledon through parts of my life when I did. not. have. time. but we muddled through.
[23:00] Desmond Shang: i'll be moving RL in... well sometime between now and the next 6 mo
[23:00] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Des.. I've Watched You Agonize Over Every Single Region Sense The Tanglewoods.. 11 Years And Lord Knows How Much Sweat And Booze.
[23:00] Kxxxxxxx Ixxxxxxxx: when the time is right..i may move back to caledon..
[23:00] Desmond Shang: and there will be a patch where I'm not on too much
[23:00] Desmond Shang: yah I still wander the regions that are gone, in my mind
[23:00] Kxxxxxxx Ixxxxxxxx: which is why you have people who can help..

Yeah. Between the estate managers, and just the established citizenry in general, Des can leave when he needs to and we muddle through. There aren't many estates of any size that can do that.

[23:00] Desmond Shang: Caledon Eyre was lovely
[23:01] Desmond Shang: I don't want to ask for more renters, I've tried advertising and all that, and it's basically got me... customers, not Caledonians.
[23:02] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Caledon Is One Of Those Places Where You Arrive, And Either Love The place, Or Walk Away Never Looking Back.
[23:02] Desmond Shang: what would really do it, is is I returned to forums... but I've had bad experiences with those
[23:03] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Des... It's Not Broken. Don't Fix It.
[23:03] Kxxxxxxx Ixxxxxxxx: caledon was my first real home..and i still call it home..found it looking for wedding flowers..well the sl marriage didn't last but my love for caledon has..lol
[23:03] Desmond Shang: it's... broken a little :) I have to make sure we don't slide into negative tier, it's still about 4k a month in tier payments.
[23:04] Desmond Shang: well there's still flowers around, though perhaps not all for sale
[23:04] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: A Little Maintence Is One Thing.... But Your Overall Methods Are Still Working.
[23:05] Desmond Shang: yah I haven't got the hours for major changes anyway
[23:05] Kxxxxxxx Ixxxxxxxx: i still take long walks or ride my horse thru caledon..and lately my bat...lol
[23:05] Desmond Shang: bats work! rather gothic tho :D
[23:06] Kxxxxxxx Ixxxxxxxx: my gothic side comes out once in a while...lol
[23:06] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: I Still Pony Up From Time To Time And Run The Rails.

And the trains still run.

[23:06] Desmond Shang: hehe
[23:06] Emilly Orr: Believe me, I understand. When I lived in Morgaine, I made a full-size Dark Mark and had it hovering, a spectral horror, in midair for about six months.
[23:06] Kxxxxxxx Ixxxxxxxx: that was how i first explored the sims...the trains
[23:06] Desmond Shang: starting to fade fast here, it's been a day of packing books
[23:07] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: My Rider May Have Changed... But The Run Is Always Fun.
[23:07] Kxxxxxxx Ixxxxxxxx: get some sleep des...
[23:07] Desmond Shang: see you all tuesday earliest, monday eve is appointments
[23:07] Vxxxxxxx Vxxxxxx: Sleep Des.... She Waiting For You. hehe!
[23:07] Desmond Shang: thunks on keyboard, bye all :)

So, yeah...I know this was long, but I thought it was important. I think these are good changes. I think in the long run, it will be a good direction to take for Caledon. I'm looking forward to the new trees. But the basics--the oddity, the mix of the very old and very new, Des, and the wide variety of catgirls--those things won't change. Quinte Caledonios usque in sempiternum. Rock on, rock on.