cut yourself until you bleed, but fall asleep next to me

The arrival of the Nightwatch:

As you may have already guessed, the handful of provisions in the bill that really deal specifically with child porn are a fig leaf for its true purpose: A sweeping data retention requirement meant to turn Internet Service Providers and online companies into surrogate snoops for the government’s convenience. Any provider of an “electronic communication” or “remote computing” service—meaning broadband providers like Comcast, but also companies like Google—would have to retain records of the “temporarily assigned network address” (such as an IP address) associated with each account for 18 months. Some of the other provisions in the act seem perfectly reasonable (though I don’t know enough to say whether they’re necessary), but as a hearing earlier this year made crystal clear, it’s the data retention requirement that the government really cares about.

Big Brother always wants to watch everyone, that's not news, but that this effort is hidden in the guise of protecting children just makes me ill.

Are we all holograms? Maybe, say scientists. Fascinating if true--well, no, actually, fascinating either way.

Some Doctor Who info overheard from Comic-Con (and my thanks to Miss Fuschia Begonia for the link).

If you love art, if you love cephalopods, toss some love to Octopus Grove: part art installation, part eco-consciousness awareness mission, and all from the hand, heart and head of an artist who wants to give back as much as they want to create. Spread the word if you can't financially support; or buy things from her, to support her effort to support herself, and thus get Octopus Grove off the ground.

On another topic entirely, here's a little diatribe on the snakepit of modern comics, as viewed through the lens of the nineties, courtesy of Warren Ellis.

Tired of the supernatural getting all the attention? Try these seventeen real-life mysteries. They're all fascinating, and none of them is involved in anything supernatural in the least.

And if you have been banned from Google+ (or all Google products), Skud would like you to fill out a form collating everyone into one central database. One would assume for later legal action, or at least, hassling of the Google.

Through an oversite, the JIRA issue EXP-795 was hidden from public view. Thanks to the efforts of Kurt Linden (and thank you, Kurt, for doing this), it is now public and searchable. And it no longer effects just the login screen, but a couple different things in Basic viewer mode for v2. Watch the issue if you want to see it fixed; if you have a 27" monitor, or a Mac computer, you want to see this fixed.

My sidebar is a nightmare. This has been pointed out several times. And, to date, each attempt to rein it in has resulted in more links. (I am bad at organization.)

So, with a ruthless hand and tearful heart, I've cut out everything I don't visit at least once per week. Because, considering the sidebar is mostly for me, having it that cluttered does no one any good.

Next up: going through the video links (where I stopped, this time around). Next past that: gutting the in-world inventory. Again. GAH.

oh I won't sleep tonight, I won't sleep tonight

(from the media album)

It has been many, many years since I've had this feeling of awestruck wonder. The last time, of course, being when I walked into Professor Sputnik's TARDIS--excuse me, Etheric Travel Cabinet--and had that moment of impossible deja vu.

This was another of those times.

(from the media album)

If you go to the sim, there's not actually that much on the ground. This is because most of the action--as, in fact, it happens on Babylon 5 itself takes place in and around the Babylon station.

(from the media album)

Right now, they're doing their best to bridge both solid immersion roleplay, and legal acceptance of copyright. Which is why, before you get to the station, you find posters with information cards in them as well as this copyright notice, protecting copyright as much as possible within the context of the play.

It is something J. Michael Straczynski has always held--if what we do, as fans, we do with honor, acknowledging that previous copyright exists--he has no problem with fan-created uniforms, art, or even derivative works.

(from the media album)

This was the first time I'd been aboard the station, and while I was there to resolve a sim-based issue, I still felt radically out of place. Now, claims can be made for virtually any avatar in anything beyond sheerly "modern" attire, because it could simply be a representative from a race that Babylon 5 had not seen yet. Still, I think dressing for the general theme of space-based interaction does no harm. If--or more likely, when--I go back, I think I'm developing another spacer "look". To--more or less, at least--fit in as much as possible.

(from the media album)

This was another moment when I simply had to inhale, staring at the screen in wonder. While I mostly associate the Zocalo with the main club on the station--or, at least, the club seen most often--this places it rather firmly in the realm of the main promenade, and yes, it does go off into the distance for a fair (and walkable) distance.

(from the media album)

And, at least in this version of the promenade, the carts are for rent. From what one of they sent me in a small polite block of text:

[00:52] Zocalo Vendor 7 whispers: Zocolo @ Delenn 136, 116, 2689
[00:52] Zocalo Vendor 7 whispers: Price per week: L$50
[00:52] Zocalo Vendor 7 whispers: Minimum rental weeks: 1
[00:52] Zocalo Vendor 7 whispers: Maximum rental weeks: 8
[00:52] Zocalo Vendor 7 whispers: Prims Allowed: 20

That's a fair deal in any universe.

If you want to join in, you'll want to start near the entry gate. Thankfully, that's not hard to do. You can reach Babylon 5 faster than you'd think; but keep in mind, they do have an active roleplay atmosphere, and they're doing their best to keep it reasonably consistent with the show. If you're interested, however, they'd love to have you come and play.

They're looking for scripters; for costume designers (their main uniform designer departed to other realms, and took her designs with her); for builders (they have one, but he's something of a dilettante, though his work is fascinating); and, of course, for roleplayers to add to the dimensions. Mr. reese Shawbridge is the one to talk to, I believe, about renting merchant stalls; he may also be the one to ask about getting involved in the RP. At the least, go to the station and click to join the group, and ask questions there.

I'm very glad to have seen this, and to know it exists in Second Life. Already, they have much of the Babylon Station, the ISN broadcasting center, the Grey Council meeting room, and something that I initially took for Mars, but which turns out Epsilon III--and yes, there is a small room featuring the Great Machine.

Next up, says Mr. Shawbridge: Minbari City. I thought he meant the entire planet at first but he says no--for one, they don't have the prims for that. But the main city, with the spires, and the crystal, the wide paved streets--that, yes, he wants to do.

I can't wait to see it.