Found a fun new dance club. It's in Quandisha, at present--I know the owner's planning a rebuild, but I don't know if she's also going to move sims? But it's here for now.



I know because Violet Scrivener DJ's a music set there on Tuesday afternoons.



I don't know if it's going to change after the rebuild, but right now, there's a lovely see-through fish tank inset into the wall just past the front door.



The tones inside are warming, comfortable--the dance floor is ringed with deep-cushioned chairs and sofas, the bar is open-access with comfortable bar stools--it feels very much like an old, beloved pub.



And I swear, this guy could fit in in Caledon, he has the quirky spirit.



Yes, that is an iguana on his head. The iguana was very agile and able to stay on his hat during every spin and twist.



And I even got the Duke out on the dance floor! So I think it qualifies as a really neat place.

Brief little annoying snippet to start. No, he does not get anonymized either:

[2020/11/05 23:29] Devil Inside (debaseyou1): Oh my god.
[2020/11/05 23:29] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Hmm?
[2020/11/05 23:29] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Wait, I remember you.

I do. He was the utter disappointment that someone in one of my social groups wanted to bounce, but he was dating one of the members, and she literally asked management to hold off banning him from the sim until they were finished boning. Just...baffling.

[2020/11/05 23:34] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): So, you're talking to me why?
[2020/11/05 23:35] Devil Inside (debaseyou1): heh
[2020/11/05 23:35] Devil Inside (debaseyou1): you do?
[2020/11/05 23:35] Devil Inside (debaseyou1): from when?
[2020/11/05 23:36] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): You're kidding, right?
[2020/11/05 23:36] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): You were the idiot who dropped into the OWL hangout that one night and got bounced.

And then he stopped talking. Guess he remembered. Keep in mind, this person has never been on my friends' list, will never be on my friends' list, and with this, I'm actively discouraging others from friending him. So he had to track me down. Why? He never said.

Then, this burst of stupid. What was under discussion, to set it up: This was a mesh template group having a winter sale. Someone had asked when the sale ended.

[12:54] Rxx Fxxxx: Winter doesn't even START until Dec 21.....
[12:54] Axxxxxxx Pxxxxxxxxxx: Don't you know, the holiday season starts in Febuary nowadays. (snark)
[12:55] xxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Well [Axxxx], the only stupid here is you. If I ask, it's because I don't know if it's until late winter or just for a month. If you have no manners to answer, you better shut your mouth.

And that was just so shockingly rude, in a group that seriously has NEVER had drama.

[12:55] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Excuse me??
[12:55] Nxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxx: wow [xxxx]
[12:55] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): That's a tad harsh.
[12:55] Nxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxx: does that not make u as bad?

Or worse.

[12:57] Axxxxxxx Pxxxxxxxxxx: *laughs*

At least Ms. A's taking it in stride.

[12:57] Cxxxxxxxxx Bxxxxx: relax people :s
[12:58] sxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: wow wheres all the holiday spirit
[12:58] Cxxxxxxxxx Bxxxxx: this group is not to argue. calm down and let's enjoy these days
[12:59] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): It's weirdly refreshing, in a very depressing way--this group *never* has drama!
[12:59] sxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: normally from what I remember in the past, the sale ends on jan 1st, but is known to go on after that, until meli can change everything back to normal..so anything after that id consider bonus

And after that, things settled down, but whoa, pump yer brakes there, Ms. X, or lower the dosage, or something--that totally wasn't necessary. She just asked a question.

Well, this was brief, but fun:

[11:31] Shanel 5 (misscocco): Available Skybox with luxury villas of 4092 MQS, 200 Prims and 300 Lindens Week, Im me if you are interested

Meet Ms. Shanel. She doesn't get anonymized, because she's deliberately stupid.

[11:31] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Uh, was that meant for this group?

I pulled her profile, in case she was a secret mod for Blueberry. Turns out no--she's apparently a French DJ who is all about raising her toddler, and is otherwise mostly in fashion and sales groups. Weird.

[11:31] axxxxx Rxxxxxxx: not something ou should send in this groupy
[11:32] Sxxxxxxx Mxxxxxxxx: Yes... just spam a group you don't own

I know, right?

[11:32] Jxxxxxxx Ixxxx: Blueberry is selling skyboxes??

Nope.

[11:32] gxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: That is a no no
[11:32] kxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx agrees
[11:32] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): I didn't think so
[11:32] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Bad form, Shanel, no biscuit
[11:32] ixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I want people to stop posting in this group because I keep getting prompts which make me think that I've gotten an IM

That's a separate issue, and your best way around that is to close the group, because group chat is treated the same as person-to-person: they all come in as IMs.

[11:32] ixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: it's disappointing
[11:32] Sxxxxxxx Mxxxxxxxx: Well if there is a mod in here that see that. She won't be in the group for long.
[11:33] Rxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxx: they hit the zooby baby group too.

Which tells me the 'deliberately stupid' thing. See below.

[11:33] Sxxxxxxx Mxxxxxxxx: So that says it was on purpose. Using others groups to advertise.

Yep, and that they don't care.

[11:33] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Doesn't look like any mods are on, and the same exact message?
[11:33] Rxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxx: same one in the zooby group yeah.
[11:34] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): So well deserving of a block for idiocy, got it

I did think about it, and decided no, I should still reserve blocks and mutes for the big stuph--griefers, major life annoyances, stalkers. Not idiots who spam groups randomly.

[11:34] Іxxxxxxx Rxxxxxx: what happened?
[11:34] kxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i put them on block
[11:36] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Shanel 5 (misscocco) has hit a few groups spamming for her skybox rentals
[11:37] gxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Thats 1 way to get banned

Yep.

[11:38] kxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Thanks Berries, Sadly none of us Staff saw chat, but we take care of the situation ♥

Which tells me she was bounced out on her tiny pointy head.

[11:38] Jxxxxxxx Ixxxx: She doesn't care. She'll just join other groups.
[11:39] gxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: her loss

Yeah. But ah, well. Can't stop people doing dumb things. They seem determined.

Last of the shots. (Continued from part III.)


(Either still in Kitti, or just edging into Tangle.)

[22:44] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr) bats leaves aside

(Above the tall trees.)

[22:45] Hiro Shatner-Orr (hiro.shatner): this has enough
[22:45] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Tangle?
[22:45] Hiro Shatner-Orr (hiro.shatner): this parcel

To be fair, we are still pondering either moving from Caledon II, to Stormhold, or Tanglewood, or expanding holdings in Caledon II. We haven't decided yet.


(Fully in Tanglewood.)

[22:45] Hiro Shatner-Orr (hiro.shatner): was mine then mags

(Close shot of the Aer Viator.)

[22:46] Hiro Shatner-Orr (hiro.shatner): steam was here

(Sinking through the trees.)

[22:46] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): We'd have 750 to decorate, but the thing with Steam is, it needs very very little

Steamopolis is a gargantual build, true, so much going on in that thing, so many floors and back stairways and rooms next to other rooms...but the thing is, barring the occasional need for the odd bed, or couch set, a person could, if inclined, pop up Steamopolis and live there as is. There's a limited staff, furnishings, art, curtains, a power plant for the steam towers...it really has everything as it is.


(And coming to a halt on once and former Shatner lands. Future lands? Remains to be seen.)

And that's where we stopped. Takes a little doing, with the gaps, but we proved that with care, and occasional reduction in speed, at least with the lower-prim airships, Caledon can still be flown mostly end to end. We'll see if that changes in future. I hope it doesn't.

From a letter I sent a friend explaining why I've spent the past seven days glued to an internet charity stream:

"We are in the last hour, formally declared, they are accepting no more bids, so they WILL end in another hour.

"Their total this year, btw?  Barring further merch sales, which from here will only be counted if it's merchandise specifically listed in support of Desert Bus, their total was $976,532.

Since writing that, by the way, ten minutes ago? Their total is now $977,938 for the year.

"To put that into perspective, in 2018 they raised $730,099.90, for 160 hours of fundraising, and in 2019, they made over 876K, buying 162 hours, and they were absolutely wrung out and weaving on their pins for that.

"*No one* expected that this year, the year they had to go virtual, and broadcast mainly from personal homes instead of being all in the same place, to raise this much. And I'm still astounded at another accomplishment, which they're not really fully considering: they took an event that is rigged totally to film, in several angles, one gathering room for performers during the run, and managed to hook up an insane variety of webcams, internet plans, data transfer and computer systems, to allow for the broadcast of both LRR performers in Canada, and special guests and additional volunteers worldwide, for seven days. And while yes, there were technical glitches, and signal shorts, and dropped signals, and problems with sound....they weren't using a system that had been in place for years prior. This was all new, begun in July or August, I believe, to get ready for the November event.

"So I'll be up from now, until they formally crash the bus, which is how they end the run every year, in about an hour, and then I'll go back to bed, reeling that this year has been so strange, so wonderful, and so bizarrely successful for the charity."

I was sure that I'd mentioned this more recently than 2013, but no, apparently that's the last time I spoke of it on the blog (with a mention before that one year earlier, and the first time I brought it up being all the way back in 2011). My Twitter feed largely tilts to Desert Bus mentions, and--barring the last two years, when I was boycotting Tumblr for the stupidity of their ban on adult content--my Tumblog is largely tilted to Desert bus mentions in November.

And I can't count the number of people I've told in Second Life about the charity, and how phenomenal I think it is. Because it really is. They've gone from a handful of people getting together in the basement of a friend's house, hoping to raise $10,000 for Child's Play, to now, I think fourteen years later? Where they've raised over seven million dollars lifetime in support of sick kids trapped in long-term care in hospitals.

Because that's all this is. That's all Child's Play does as a charity--they exist solely to help children get through one of the hardest experiences in any adult life, that they have to handle as children. And I'm so proud that they do.

This year brought us so many amazing things, but I'm only going to link a few that really stood out.

Graham Stark of Loading Ready Run explains what Desert Bus stands for.
The first intro, six days ago, for this year's Cloud Bus broadcast.
Jacob Burgess and others discuss how different this year feels.
Five days ago, Danny calls in, whose wish through the Make-a-Wish Foundation collapsed us all, because all he wanted to do with his was donate to other kids in need.
Alpha Flight's very 80s intro (the beginning of Alpha Flight was good, too, but that iteration was my favorite for the year).
Jacob Burgess wears the Very Nice Coat.
Alpha Flight's raccoon outro video.
The return of Teen Girls on the Street!
The first Night Watch News intro for the year, which introduced the Horrifying Eggplant.
Playing the Solo movie trailer but with the Star Wars Kinect dance-off music from the game. (For those who don't know, the Star Wars Kinect game had a dance mini-game, which was pretty much the goofiest thing ever, and Han Solo took part.)
Horrifying fun with Snapchat filters, featuring Graham, Jordan, Matt, Ian, and the cursed croissant himself, Ben.
The Smack Barm Pea Wet sandwich explanation, Part I and Part II.
The reading of 'Trapped in the Sea Kingdom', which eventually brought us Belopa, and a few days later, Laser Malena-Webber of the Doubleclicks' song tribute to Belopa.
Six days ago, Zeta's first shift.
Cam and Cori explain Blaseball.
Ashton has "fun" with Snapchat filters, and chat does not approve.
The worst Dump Truck ever: Trasure X Aliens edition.
Jacob Burgess names his appliances.
Danny's second appearance on the DB stream.
The return of Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa (first introduced at DB2019).
Reading of 'Trapped in the Sea Kingdom', featuring Belopa. (See also: the attack of the Fish with Faces.)
Beej reads auction descriptions after deliberately blurring his vision.
Second day of Zeta shift, and Cam is not prepared.
Jacob gives unrevokable permission for Zeta shift to eat anything he's made in Studio C.
Jacob's fantastic stretching advice.
The Garages perform live.
Discussing Belopa.
Alpha Flight outro part three: The Moose.
The Garages make a song for Jacob, "Eat the Bread".
Day Three Nightwatch News, Ben Drives edition.
Engineering starts a contest for the Shrine to Belopa.
Timothy Dalton reacts to one of the Auspicious Fish praising Belopa.
Rosewatta card readings.
The amazing live auction for the Star Trek prop replicas.
Jacob tells Zeta: Eat the Bread. (Bonus "Eat the Bread" video.)
Rosewatta card readings part II.
'Trapped in the Sea Kingdom' reading, day three.
Art Challenge entries for the Shrine of Belopa.
Cori becomes Gritty.
Dawn Guard intro, Hologram edition.
Mikey Neumann tells an Alan Rickman story.

Dawn Guard reads Rosewatta Stone cards.
Kathleen tries to explain Belopa.
Adventures in Snorsh tourism.
Alpha Flight outro: the Kangaroo.
Day Four of Night Watch News: Ben starts to slip.
Escape from the Sea Kingdom part IV.
Jennifer Belopez and Zeta Shift intro day four.
"Wheej" readds giveaway descriptions wearing a shirt over his head.
Failed art restorations.
Who are Maddy and Andy (DB2020 edition). (Bonus points for Andy singing Ride With Us.)

Andy reads the first recorded customer complaint.
Canadian mascots and the horror of Mr. Blobby.
Alpha Flight outro part five: the Manitoba Testicle Viper.
Night Watch News, the arrival of Benhattan.
'Trapped in the Sea Kingdom', part five.
Night Watch outro day five.
All is Belopa.
Alpha Flight intro day six.
The room reacts to baby Andy performing the Papers Please skit.
Jacob tells a story about his time in Poland.
Andy sings Tucson or Bust.
QWERPline: Quantum Distancing.
'Trapped in the Sea Kingdom' part six.
Beej sings 'When I Fall' from the Barenaked Ladies.
Last Alpha Flight intro.
Alpha Flight last outro: the Orca.
The final broadcast of Night Watch News, AKA "Is everything drugs"?
Ben sings This Year by the Mountain Goats
'Trapped in the Sea Kingdom' part seven.
The terrifying beginning of Omega shift.
Omega shares a video of why volunteers think Desert Bus is so important and chat breaks down.
The Sun returns to say hello to an auspicious fish.
Starting the final hour with Engineering playing with overlays.
The Final Busdown with all vocals out of synch).

Wau, that took way longer than I thought it would. Wanna know the really scary thing? This really is a short list--take seven full days times twenty-four and then put together a video strike team of 56 people to capture every moment into short videos to post to YouTube, and trust me--there's far more content up, for this year alone.

But that's Desert Bus, closed for another year. We'll see you--in some version--in 2021. Chat out.

(Continued from part V.)



(Turning to the right.)



(Slowing down to dock with the sky village.)



(Approaching the far waterfall before the bridge.)



(Crossing the bridge from the waterfall.)



(Catching sight of part of the dance stage.)



(And a final cuddle shot I wanted to preserve.)

And that's all the extras. Really, really pretty landscaping. Very well done. I don't think I can rate it as an actual haunt, haunt, even though it was piched as one, but it was a great sail/float through lovely terrain.

If they do anything like this next year, I would highly recommend it.

(Facing the open sea.)

[22:37] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Well, it goes up from here, Mayfair-Pensans, and up from Speirling, Stormhold
[22:37] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr) looks for Tanglewood
[22:37] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): So....Speirling to Stormhold, take a left, Tanglewood
[22:38] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Or, Mayfair to Pensans and THEN take the left

(Facing the open sea.)

[22:39] Hiro Shatner-Orr (hiro.shatner): look
[22:39] Hiro Shatner-Orr (hiro.shatner): where we met
[22:39] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr) smiles at the RoboKitteh
[22:39] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): It is, yes

(Stormhold? Pensans? I think Stormhold.)

Indeed. Even better, when I finally got the drive out of the sorry potato computer, I found an entire folder of shots I'd snapped on the fly from that event. Even though I could not place names to faces at this point, they'll be going up on my Flickr, or going up as entries here.


(Flying through Mayfair, Speirling on the left.)

[22:40] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Stormhold
[22:41] Hiro Shatner-Orr (hiro.shatner): stormhold look vacant too
[22:41] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Many parcels are
[22:41] Hiro Shatner-Orr (hiro.shatner): this isnt good for des
[22:41] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): No
[22:42] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): And close to Tangle, you can tell because all the trees got taller :D

(Homing in on Kittiwickshire?)

[22:42] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Next up: Kittiwickshire
[22:43] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): And Kitti proper

(More of Kittiwickshire.)

And the grand tall trees of Tanglewood ahead.

(Continued in part IV.)

Google wants us to help train its AI"? Interesting.

(Continued from part IV.)



(Nearly at ground level, following the path.)



(And back in the air.)



(Floating towards the sky village.)



(Circling in closer.)



(Our first shot of the stage.)



(Flying past to the right.)

(Continued in part VI, the last part.)

(And into the Moors!)

[22:32] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Time shift again :D
[22:33] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): And coming up on the Moors
[22:33] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Could be a prim issue
[22:33] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Someone with absolutely maxed-out everything on their parcel

I don't believe I kept the bit of chat where he mentioned it, but he had earlier tried to fly over the Moors in another ship and had the ship return mid-flight.


(Banking in the fog.)

[22:34] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Fog rolls in, but we've made the crossing!
[22:34] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Next up, Vic City
[22:35] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Time shift, and across the border!

(Near Caledon Dream?)

[22:35] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): The island-ish bit is Caledon Dream
[22:35] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): I know nothing about it
[22:35] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Other than that it apparently has its own moon....

And that I believe Duchess Magz owns it...


(The moon in question.)

[22:36] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): If we continue forward, we'll be in Mayfair
[22:36] Hiro Shatner-Orr (hiro.shatner): then speirling
[22:36] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Yes

(I believe that's Speirling to the mid-left on this image?)

[22:36] Hiro Shatner-Orr (hiro.shatner): and stormhold right?
[22:36] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Which I believe is no longer East and West Speirling, just Speirling
[22:37] Hiro Shatner-Orr (hiro.shatner): let's try to get to tangle wood..

(Possibly approaching Tangle, and what IS the floating Moroccan lantern skybox to the far left?)

And now moving towards Mayfair.

(Continued in part III.)