dyin' in the city like a fire on the water

Before everything, I've made a few more additions, and one subtraction, to the side bar. I'm removing the CDC banner from the sidebar. Normally, I'd be all for supporting their efforts, but their current boss is...not on our side.

So especially right now, when the US is leading the world in deaths (not a number one achievement we EVER wanted), I want to provide links for charities that are actually trying to save people.

Now then. Welcome to Badly Translated Theatre, only for once it's on his end, not mine:

[11:35] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: hi

Gad, the dreaded "hi". But okay, I'll bite, what do you want?

[11:35] Emilly Orr: Hello
[11:36] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: what is this server about?
[11:36] Emilly Orr: This event, you mean? Or Second Life as a whole?
[11:37] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: this event itself
[11:37] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I'm new to second life

[11:38] Emilly Orr: Well, there are several shopping events during the year. This one is geared towards more Asian clothing, decor, hair, et cetera. With a slight aside for cyberpunk this time around.
[11:40] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I see, could you tell me what second life is about ?, I do not recognize who is bot and who is person

This is still a bigger problem online than in RL, but I'm sure we'll get there.

[11:41] Emilly Orr: It is a bit trickier since animesh, because some of the NPC builds can be named, and move like actual people.
[11:41] Emilly Orr: But in general, bots will have limited speech options, usually just a greeting.

Now, this is not always the case, to be fair. Some can actually answer questions, the ones that run with Alice or similar learning-AI software. This is still not widespread in SL, however.

[11:43] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: So, from what I see, you are not a bot xd
[11:44] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: and what is the fun here in second life ?, I would like to know your opinion
[11:44] Emilly Orr: Nooo, definitely not. Lagging a bit, because of the scripting, but not a bot.
[11:45] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: jajajajaj
[11:45] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: lol

[11:59] Emilly Orr: Grr. Event crashed me. But to answer your question, it really depends what you're into.
[12:01] Emilly Orr: Like to read? Reading groups and libraries exist here. Like to build? There are places to learn how and stores to sell you mesh parts or textures if you don't know how to do that. Into fashion? INNUMERABLE stores for that. The Adult stuff? There's a whole continent on that, plus various businesses scattered around. Into roleplay? Name your flavor, there's probably a sim for it.

And I didn't cover half the things possible here--sailing, fishing, swimming, hunting, exploring of all flavors. Getting married and having a family. There are sims and centers for nearly all forms of faith, there's a few different ways to be a vampire or a shapeshifter, there's learning languages, or even the language SL runs on, for scripting. Dances. Race tracks. Weddings. Equestrian sims. Airports and flying machines, from sleekly modern craft to spaceships to ornately Victorian airships and blimps. Funerals. Executions. Train stations. Birth centers. Diagnostic centers to train RL doctors in various things. There are military sims (though usually without open public access), college campuses, full-scale businesses, art galleries.

And I'm still not listing everything.

[12:04] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I understand, thank you very much for supporting me: D
[12:05] Emilly Orr: Oh, sure!
[12:07] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: How am I noob on this, could it be added? as a friend so I can challenge if I have doubts

I...think he means "ask questions", here?

[12:09] Emilly Orr: Well, you could, but in general, I like to get to know people first, before I friend them. Most of my contacts are business.

Now, this may change as we see how the pandemic plays out. Already the business I'm in has seen a drop grid-wide, because so many people are out of work, and let's be fair here, most businesses in SL can be classified broadly as luxuries. RL is more important, always, and putting food on the table, keeping roofs over heads that need shelter, the ability to survive--these things are more important than a game.

Even a game like Second Life, which is played with real hearts and minds. So I may look into diversifying, getting back into creating frocks and home decor. It's at least something else to do.

[12:11] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I do not think we can meet, I am in Chile. Anyway I understand what you told me
[12:12] Emilly Orr: Ah, you misunderstand. I meant in-world business. I work in world.
[12:15] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: xd yes I understood, but I do not think I have a relationship with your contacts.
[12:16] Emilly Orr: Well, that's entirely up to you.

If he doesn't get what I mean, I am not explaining to a two-day-old the intricacies of virtual bordellos, he'll just have to learn on his own.

[12:18] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: How does it depend on me?
[12:18] Emilly Orr: Well, remember what I said, it's all in what you want?
[12:19] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: yes obviously, but then ...
[12:20] Emilly Orr: It's all right.

Because I meant that, I was seriously not explaining things if he didn't get it.

[12:25] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: and what do you do to have fun here?
[12:26] Emilly Orr: I shop. I wander. I work. I go to events, and the occasional cultural showing (art or dance, usually)
[12:28] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: oh great and have you ever been to electronic music festivals?
[12:28] Emilly Orr: A few, yes. Other music styles, too. And they have a virtual Burn every year.
[12:30] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: How great, what a shame that around here there is not much of that. I plan in the future to go to work in America or Europe
[12:35] Emilly Orr: Sounds interesting.

I mean, I wouldn't, we've been in a chaotic death spiral for the last three years, which the pandemic has thrown into sharp relief. But, if things ever level out, sure, we could be a positive destination again.

[12:38] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: yes. Somewhere they recommend, that is fun for the second life.
[12:38] Emilly Orr: Well, and again, what do you want to do here? The options are pretty varied.
[12:41] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: the truth would just like to socialize.
[12:43] Emilly Orr: Several ways to do that. RP if you're into characters--fantasy, survival horror, historical for examples. Or take the standard entrance, music clubs and bars. Pick what you want to listen to, type that into SL Search, or just type 'music' in general, and see what comes up.
[12:45] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ok, thanks
[12:45] Emilly Orr: Happy to help.
[12:49] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ok then i withdraw. Thanks again for your help. I really wish we could be friends. What do you say?

Man, he's persistent.

[12:51] Emilly Orr: Well, I mean, I can, but you're likely not going to hear much from me unless you're a personal, close friend--which you're not--or a client--which doesn't seem likely, but anything's possible.
[12:55] lxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: It doesn't matter, you don't have any friends out of nowhere, right? xd when I connect I will bother you a little so as not to lose contact.

I'm too much of a soft touch. He's two days old, he's not going to pay for my time, and he's not someone I like enough to spend personal time with, so...why am I bothering? Who knows? Maybe because he just seemed so damned earnest.

But we'll see how it goes.

you've got so many dreams that you don't know where to put 'em, so you'd better turn a few of 'em loose

Another translation effort. This one was out of the blue.

[13:25] exxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ömür için ediyorum zaten

That's Turkish, approximately "I am for life").

[13:25] exxxxxx Rxxxxxxx:
[13:25] exxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: dağılsın

Which means "break up").

[13:25] exxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: dikkatin

Which means "the attention">. Just to explain a bit--this is normally a group that deals with mesh body and head support. While there's some casual chatter, it usually relates to shopping events, head settings in general, that kind of thing.

[13:25] exxxxxx Rxxxxxxx:
[13:25] hxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: working on it now

Ms. H's response was to what happened (in English) directly before Ms. E began speaking.

[13:25] mxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: :) oh ok thanks!

Which was Mm. M's response to Ms. H.

[13:26] exxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: [cx] hanginiz oynuyor?

WHich means "[cx] which of you are playing".

[13:26] exxxxxx Rxxxxxxx:
[13:26] Oxxxx Sxxxxxxx: you ok [Exxxx]?
[13:27] exxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: yes ıam okey
[13:28] Oxxxx Sxxxxxxx: good

As I said, wasn't a huge aberration, just an oddity.

On Tor Book's site, of all things, I found "The Glass Magician Playlist". It seems largely a mix of dieselpunk and electroswing pieces, but I still think there might be a few things of interest to the steampunk set.

Also:

[11:04] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: "Lol we’re a bunch of paycheck to paycheck employees living in apartments owned by paycheck to paycheck landlords and working for paycheck to paycheck corporations. Lmao whole economy full of broke bitches. Whose idea was this?!?"
[11:04] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: what an on point statement
[11:04] Emilly Orr: Sadly true. Relevant and accurate.

Have I linked this yet? Because those are some amazing baked goods.

And finally, something about mesh I never realized: it's height-dependent. Now, the real weirdness is, I never had a problem wearing various layers with the old build of Maitreya, but with the new one? I get texture flicker constantly.

But, on the other side of that, after reading this I realized I spend a large amount of time in various skyboxes. Work, home, half the stores I consistently shop at--they're all skybound. So maybe she has a point.

It doesn't make me any more favorable to BOM as a concept, but at least there may be options.

And the last thing for this entry: I've reformatted the charity sidebar to take into account COVID-19 relief efforts. So now, everything listed there, whether it's related to the virus or not, either had high marks on Charity Navigator or are organizations I've vetted or worked with in the past. (This is not meaning to say that I'm an authority on anything, by all means investigate them yourselves; I'm just pointing out that none of these seem to be obvious scams.)

let's get it right dear, give a good fight dear

Agh. Comment to a friend:

[3:10 PM] Emilly Orr: Someone in SL is really sick. Just popped into a store to check a sales item, and a lady rezzed in next to me. Little titler over her head said "I've infected 12 people" [3:10 PM] Emilly Orr: It changed to "I've infected 16 people" while I was blinking at it, and I realized it ticked off every person she was close to.

It would be one thing if it were a tool that talked about the virus, and how important it is to stay at home when possible, and how easy it is to infect others, but...the way it was phrased makes it sound actively malicious. Like she was proud of virtually infecting residents.

This is not a joke, people.

Anyone remember this? I'd received one donation towards it, and today received another, and merrily went off to Akeruka to find my destiny. AKA the Valentina.

But...turns out I was wrong. Very wrong. A conversation in group, that led to a notecard to the designer, followed by a conversation with the designer, told me that Valentina was never a head that Mr. Koba made. So...who did make it, then?



Turns out it was from Altamura, after all. So...now I have to play with it until I figure out the limitations, and see how it looks post-demo. Wish me luck.

In other news, punctuation is important (and I apologize in advance for the formatting errors, I can't track it down and I'm just letting it go):

[10:12] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: jajajaja

It begins.

[10:12] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: noooo
[10:12] cxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: jajajajajajaja la apoyamos a ella ("we support her")

[10:12] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: lo pongo bello y despues compro esposas y se las coloco ("I love you and buy your wives and put them on"--oh, come on, Google Translate, that makes no sense)

[10:12] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: así como misstress ("as a mistress"?)

[10:12] Mxxxxx Fxxx: :v nosotras queremos ayudar, pero no expresa sus sentimientos, digo dudas ("we want to help, but don't express your feelings, I say..." Doubts? But doubts is duvida, so...?)

[10:12] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ayudan y divierten al mismo tiempo ("help"? Maybe? Then "have fun at the same time")

[10:12] sxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: hay maldad aqui? ("there is evil here"?)

[10:12] Mxxxxx Mxxxx: muxa x lo q leo jaja ("muxa" failed to translate, the rest of it's close to "or what leo"?)

[10:12] cxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: jajajajajajajajajaja

[10:12] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: aaaaajajaja

[10:13] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: bueno ("good")

[10:13] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: el tiene una cabeza espantosa, como ya dije ("they have an amazing head, like my day")

[10:13] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: y ahora compro un shape precioso que no ha servido poara nada ("and now I buy a precious shape that hasn't served for anything")

[10:13] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: porque sigue feo ("why follow", but "feo" didn't translate)

[10:13] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: jajajajaja

[10:13] cxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: jajajajajajaj puede q lo este aplicando mal ("I can use this badly")

[10:13] Mxxxxx Mxxxx: eso es, si no sabe manejarse con el shape mejor comprar uno ("that is, if you don't know how to manage with the best shape buy one")

[10:14] Mxxxxx Mxxxx: evitara tener cabeza cono ("will avoid having headache as" I think?)

[10:14] cxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: primero deben usar los demos jajajajajjajja ("first they should use the demos", maybe?)

[10:14] Mxxxxx Fxxx: talvez es porke no compro todo lo de la style card .. falta skin, cejas y no se que mas tenga ..ojos pelo (" maybe it's because I don’t buy all of the style card .. skin is missing, I don’t know what it is but it’s still .. today at" was the best Google Translate could do)

[10:14] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: English please

[10:14] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: mmmmm

[10:14] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: no se nada de eso ("no if nothing"?)

[10:14] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: hare algo ("there is something")

[10:14] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ok habla en ingles o habla en privato con tu amiga ("ok speaking in English, speaking in private with your friend")[10:15] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: :)

[10:15] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: lo enviare a este grupo ("send it to this group")

[10:15] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: jajajajajaja

[10:15] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: y que nadie separa que hable de él ("and that no one separates me from talking about him", which again, is not in Portuguese, but Spanish? But didn't this conversation start out in Portuguese?)
[10:15] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ..

Now, that's not exactly what the mod said. She sapid "English please". That's a request, and not even an out of line one.

[10:15] Mxxxxx Mxxxx: banned to speak sanisxh [sxxxxx] lol

Banned? Who said banned?

[10:15] Mxxxxx Fxxx:

[10:14] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxx: English please a boy ask for help in spanish xD we try to help

[10:15] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: then you go in private

[10:15] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: and talk with him

[10:16] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ooh

[10:16] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: sorry

[10:16] bxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: lol

[10:16] bxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: maybe some other spanish wants to prodive his/her knowledge too

I think you mean 'provide', here?

But, things seemed to be moving back on track...

[10:16] Mxxxxx Mxxxx: talk with you boyfriend [jxxxxx] in private, yes lol
[10:17] Mxxxxx Fxxx: lol hahhaha why you get angry ..
[10:17] cxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: hahahaha (english laugh)

I mean, seriously, what's an English laugh?

[10:17] Mxxxxx Mxxxx: [jxxxxx] dont listen to your girl friendo you are not ugly, you can fix your shape,..
[10:18] bxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: they should do a disclaimer in group description
[10:18] bxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: "english help only"

Some groups do, some don't, it varies. But again, this is not what she said.

[10:18] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: no is not just english help but i understand spanish
[10:18] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: and the chat was not not only technical help
[10:19] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: myself when is needed i help in other languages as well but is not a convo is a technical help
[10:19] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: now if you want to play joke and laught and so in other language since is a chat for everybody you can go in private
[10:20] bxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i have read you before talking in ur native language too, and i can assure u it was not only [store] related
[10:21] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Sorry [Sxxxx], the fault was mine ... I did not know that you could not converse through this chat, that it should only be limited to "technical help" and in English
[10:21] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: [sxx], i can tell you was only about help a customer and was not a serie of jajajajajajjaja

[10:21] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: my convo
[10:21] Mxxxxx Fxxx: mmmmm yes and yes.. but like others all can close the chat, and if some one need help can say (o.o)/ hi i need help..
[10:21] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Although there is never a bit of humor, especially now when everything is so tense and complicated
[10:22] bxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: So spanish chat in banned from group from now on? just to be clear

Nope.

[10:22] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: [sxxx] if you want to do a humor for everybody then talk in english
[10:22] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: so all ppl can understand and partecipate to your convo
[10:22] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: no spanish help is allowed

And here is where things got somewhat hostile. By the end of this you'll understand why I said punctuation is important, but they were asking if Spanish, as a language, was banned, and the mod says this. Easy to misinterpret.

[10:22] mxxxx Rxxxxxxx:

[10:22] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: easy like this

[10:23] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: if you want to play and jerk and laught and so in other language then you go on private

[10:23] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I don't want to make humor !!! Humor is spontaneous and shouldn't be exclusive

[10:23] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: [10:08] Mxxxxx Fxxx: o x el* xD no sea que no seas el novio ("or x the * xD lest you not be the boyfriend", but again, in Spanish, not Portuguese?)

[10:09] cxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: jajajajajaja, dejalo como esta, asi nadie se fija en el ("leave it as it is, so no one notices")

[10:09] cxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: jajajajajjajajajajajajaja

[10:09] Mxxxxx Fxxx: jajajajajajaja que mala  ("how mean")

[10:10] Mxxxxx Mxxxx: si lo amas aceptalo tal cual es.. ("if you love it accept it as it is")[10:10] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: jajaja

[10:10] xxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: y saldra benefici ("and it will benefit")

[10:23] Mxxxxx Fxxx: haha i gonna ask to owner if is true

[10:22] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: no spanish help is allowed

[10:23] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: tell me where is the technical part her

[10:24] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: [mxxxxx] then you need to ask to me im the responssable about [the group's] chat

[10:24] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: and about many other things about the brand

[10:24] Mxxxxx Fxxx: so ask if [the shop is] racist or exist an other support chat in spanish

[10:25] bxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: they wer ejust making fun of the guy who wanted help, but just a lil. At last they tried to help

[10:25] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: and well i guess i was clear about what i mean if you didnt understood i can explain also in private

[10:25] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: and i help in portuguse too

[10:25] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: and i helped in spanish too

[10:25] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: now im done

[10:25] Mxxxxx Fxxx: you say

[10:22] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: no spanish help is allowed

[10:25] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: [the store] is not racist im brasilian

[10:25] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i said Spanish help is Allowed 

Ah, but you didn't, actually, you forgot a comma.

[10:25] Mxxxxx Fxxx: so is racist

[10:25] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i think you dont understand ..

I also think you fail to understand, or at least, you failed to catch the missing comma.

[10:26] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ahh sorry missed the , after the no

FINALLY the penny drops. This whole convo could have been avoided, if she'd realized that when it started.

[10:26] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: so let me write again No, spanish help is allowed
[10:26] bxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: he just forgot the comma
[10:26] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: now im done did you solved the problem if you still need help in spanish you can write me in pv and i will help you about
[10:27] mxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I need some support in English...
[10:27] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: sure you can ask ^^
[10:27] bxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: im sry, i didnt read the whole convo , the "no spanish allowed" was what caught my attention
[10:27] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: lol
[10:28] Mxxxxx Fxxx: ok was funny here.. this get bored so .. good luck for all, is some have an ask about help [in the store chat] in spanish send mp maybe i can help .. have good day for all .. and i f i need help i hope never need help frome angry ppl lmao
[10:28] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: [sxx] i missed the coma after the no

Yeah, really. I mean, I figured that out about halfway through the chat, but...I understand why folks got upset.

[10:28] bxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: yes u did xD
[10:28] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: he asked if was not allowed to ask help in spanish
[10:28] Sxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: and i said no, spanish help is allowed
[10:28] bxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i understood but she didnt

Well, I think everyone was equally lost, but still.

there are so many poor people that didn't have no place to go

I suppose something like this had to happen at some point.

And this aphoristic truth from a random profile:

A tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive.
Alts you play with destroy all thats good in any relationship.

As I, and others, have learned to our detriment, when unknowingly playing with alts.

From that same profile:

It didn’t take long to figure out that these are real people. They live, love, laugh and explore possibilities. They hurt, they cry. Dreams are realized, hearts are won, and some are broken. Some come to escape. Most just want to belong. Everything happens in warp speed (SLOW IT DOWN). We make great friends, some who we keep forever, and some who disappear. Second Life is not about winning the race, its about who you bring along for the journey.
And I am so tired of seeing "RL and SL are separate, so don't..."

You spend real time here
You have real emotions here
You interact with real people here.
SL is a part of your real life.
If you believe they are separate, you're only fooling yourself

So many people talk about separating RL and SL. But unless you are schizophrenic, your feelings are the same no matter what life you are in. Own them and quit lying to yourself.

It's a fair point. Most of use are still human, after all.

Meanwhile...a capture of chat relevant to current affairs.

[21:03] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: It's one of those years, I think
[21:03] Emilly Orr nods.
[21:04] Emilly Orr: I'm seeing a ton of people posting pictures of explosions with quotes saying "2020 has to be better, right?"
[21:06] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: I'm convinced there needs to be more optimism in the news
[21:06] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: Someone just saying "it's serious, but..we've got this"
[21:06] Emilly Orr: But do we?
[21:07] Emilly Orr: Trump just said this will be a success if "only 200,000 die".
[21:07] Emilly Orr: South Korea identified the virus in-country the same day we did. They had 158 deaths total.
[21:07] Emilly Orr: We do NOT have this.

And it's getting worse by the day. The small glimmers of hope here and there are drowned out by the tonnage of horrible news, which is becoming ingrained in our current reality.

[21:08] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: we've got this means...we're not all going to die, this isn't the end of the world.
[21:08] Emilly Orr: If we do manage to get through this year reasonably intact, it will be due to the medical professionals, the scientists, and the people who stayed home, and not at ALL the government who's supposed to know what's going on.
[21:09] Emilly Orr: Well, fair, but a significant number will die. Again, we're still at least a week out of the peak deaths of this, if not longer? And New York City will pass 9/11 deaths at the end of this coming week, if not sooner, is the prediction.
[21:09] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: nods
[21:09] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: people will die.

And people have died. More since I grabbed this to post, even.

[21:09] Emilly Orr nods
[21:10] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: And the world will go on. Some of them were going to, no matter what. Some of them could have been saved.
[21:10] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: But...there's an end to the tunnel.
[21:10] Emilly Orr: But when, is the thing. The task force has already extended the stay-at-home advisory to Aprille 30th.
[21:12] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: nods "To be fair though, that's a good idea
[21:12] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: more time to figure things out
[21:12] Emilly Orr nods
[21:12] Emilly Orr: Which will be a good thing, I hope.
[21:13] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: well, hopefully we'll see a vaccine next year. And , better testing.

That is the hope. The FDA is grasping at straws at this point, but vaccines are being worked on.

[21:14] Emilly Orr nods.
[21:14] Emilly Orr: They are hoping for a vaccine by 2021
[21:14] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: It's going to be ok *smiles
[21:14] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: Well..these things take time, in best of circumstances.
[21:15] Emilly Orr leans in, but shrugs.
[21:15] Emilly Orr: Intellectually, I know you're right. But this particular virus says "I hate you personally" to me.
[21:15] Emilly Orr: So...it's hard not to sound dire.

It goes with the territory, after all. The lass behind the keys has weak lungs, after all. So yes, it does feel like there's a very bright, very fresh red target on my forehead.

[21:16] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: nods
[21:16] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: It's not all roses.
[21:16] Emilly Orr nods.
[21:19] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: I think my problem..
[21:19] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: it's..on one side you have trump saying "it's all fine, open things up"
[21:19] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: and on the other, the news going "everyone's dying!!! millions!!! we could all die!!"
[21:19] Emilly Orr: But, y'know, my life hasn't substantially changed is the weird thing. I'm still (mostly) a homebody. We didn't go out to eat this month, we didn't go see a movie, is about the only big difference. The girls are shopping a bit less, but still going out.
[21:19] Emilly Orr nods
[21:20] Emilly Orr: I try to find the center point in what I retweet, articles that are actually solid info, but to be fair, there have been a lot of "We're all in a straw boat and Trump's loading in gasoline and matches" essays, too, because...that's pretty much been his entire presidency. "Burn it to the ground."
[21:21] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: I'm wondering about Biden, it's almost that I think he is going to get nominated in the primaries, then bow out for someone no one voted for.

Which would be very odd. Is it unprecedented? I don't know. I am trying to figure out why the Democratic National Committee thought Biden was the best option. It's "don't rock the boat" behavior in spades.

[21:22] Emilly Orr: Yeah, his behavior is odd. Meanwhile, people are demanding that Bernie get out of the race, when for the most part, he's turned his attention back to saying medical care for all is important, and by the way, can we stop violating contracts with native Americans?
[21:24] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: well..he and aoc stood up and denounced the stimulus bill
[21:24] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: then voted for it
[21:25] Emilly Orr: Yeah. Which...I guess they felt they had to? Just to get SOMETHING passed?

Though the longer that goes on, the more bad things we discover people voted in.

[21:25] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: There are things going around of aoc angrily denouncing it, it would have been a good showing if she didn't then go vote for it.
[21:25] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: If it's as bad as they were saying?
[21:25] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: I'm not sure you could
[21:26] Emilly Orr: Well, it obviously puts us into a staggering amount of debt, which we will be decades paying down, if that early, and even with that, it doesn't go far enough, so it may well be as bad as they were saying.
[21:28] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: well..mostly it's the lack of oversight on where the money is going, and who allocates it, too
[21:28] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: and the concern that it's more of a bail out for larger corporations, rather than the average people.
[21:28] Emilly Orr: Which is what it's sounding like it is, actually.
[21:28] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: the analogy was basically..
[21:28] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: you give one person all the money,
[21:29] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: then , kick everyone out of their home..bring the home prices way down, but the only one who has money is the one with the purse strings..
[21:29] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: they buy everything.
[21:29] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: And then the prices go back up.

Pretty much. With a thick layer of "you don't get to ask me questions" from Trump, along the way.

[21:30] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: I don't think they limited what the companies being bailed out could use the funds for either..
[21:30] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: so..it could all go to the ceo's paychecks, basically.
[21:30] Emilly Orr: And we've seen it before, and how bad it is, and likely Congress did too, and passed it anyway.
[21:30] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: nods
[21:31] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: so we circle back to...was it something that they should have denounced then said "I guess we have to vote for it"
[21:31] Emilly Orr: Probably. Remember, this was the third proposal. The first two were hammered out and pretty much dismissed when the Reps got back from vacation.
[21:31] Emilly Orr: At least one of those wasn't awful.
[21:32] Emilly Orr: Then the mostly Republican proposal came in for the third slot, and at that point, nearly everyone was hearing screaming from their consitituents. "JUST PASS SOMETHING!"
[21:35] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: If one is never really going to fight you, would you really come to the table honestly?
[21:36] Emilly Orr: I'd like to think if you cared, you would, and be willing to compromise instead of saying 'this or nothing', but I also know that's pretty naive at this point.
[21:36] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: So..there's a conversation..
[21:37] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: people might say.."there's no difference between the parties"
[21:37] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: and then, on the other side..I know people who vehemently denounce that as "if you can't tell the difference between the two you're stupid"
[21:37] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: I think it's more..with one, you get a trickle of progressive things..the environmental..the like.
[21:38] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: So..there is a superficial difference, with deepening hues.
[21:38] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: But..on the basic things..there isn't
[21:38] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: neither party is working on healthcare properly, neither wants to end the wars, neither wants to rebuild the crumbling infrastructure..fix the education system.

Meanwhile, anyone who actually proposes educational reform, jail reform, health care for all, is drummed out derisively for being a "socialist", which...I mean, that's just so laughable. Do the same people bleating about socialism with certain names even know what they're saying? Do they realize we've been a socialist democracy for decades now?

[21:38] Emilly Orr: I'd agree with that. I'd say, one side's gone rigid and inflexible, because they perceive the power on their side, and have for years now, and the other's big on hand-wringing, too.
[21:38] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: It's not even hand wringing, they actively refuse to.
[21:39] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: People like biden, and clinton, the big names..they aren't.
[21:39] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: They're actively saying "[s**t] no, we can't do that. We won't do that"
[21:39] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: what the hell?
[21:39] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: really?
[21:39] Emilly Orr: What did we elect them for?
[21:40] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: We went in one election cycle from "yes we can" to..."yea..no...you're just going to have to settle for second best and like it"
[21:41] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: It's not even saying that both parties are the same..it's acknowledging that yes, you might get some nice toys ..but...they're not really the ones you need.
[21:41] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: So you never really make the leaps forward that we can.
[21:42] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: Because you're constantly settling for knock offs.
[21:42] Emilly Orr: We could be doing great things. We could be feeding the world's hungry. We could be in space. Heck, the projection models tell us we were ready to actually live full-time on Mars ten years ago.
[21:43] Emilly Orr: But we're not. Because everything that's a big, challenging project gets redirected into military spending, or corporate pockets, and we stagnate.
[21:43] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: we could have college education.
[21:43] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: right now.
[21:43] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: easy

We could. If we prioritized an intelligent society over easily misled sheep who were never taught how to critically evaluate.

[21:44] Emilly Orr: Right.
[21:44] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: the healthcare, a little tougher.
[21:44] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: but..we could do that too.
[21:44] Emilly Orr: True, because there's a lot of different ideas on how best that should go.
[21:45] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: the free education is a big one...keep the standards, not everyone is going to harvard, or even going..but..give people who have the will, and the skill a chance to do it.
[21:45] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: Bolster the trades.
[21:45] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: Bolster job placement programs.
[21:45] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: Fix the high school education to better prepare people for the world.
[21:46] Emilly Orr: We desperately need to do that. There's no excuse to expect everyone to want to spend eight years in higher education. And we need tradesmen as much as we need lawyers and doctors.
[21:47] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: part of it is...there's an expectation in any job that you come in with a degree
[21:47] Emilly Orr: But also, the debt at this point is crushing. Whereas, for all the folks who say "well, who's going to pay for it then?", while the short term answer is 'we are', the longer term answer is 'everyone including the ones going to college for free', because...everyone benefits from a strong educational system.
[21:47] Emilly Orr nods.
[21:48] Emilly Orr: The old joke about the fellow who went for eight years on an English Literature degree, and got his masters, just so he can ask "Wouldst thou like fries with that?"
[21:49] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: there's something where we need to respect people going into non stem fields, too.
[21:49] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: I hate hearing how useless art and history, and english are.
[21:51] Emilly Orr: Yeah. Art and music, especially, they're vital. History and literature studies, okay, they might be on the useless side if you're not tracking to be a professor at some point, or write books on the topic? But there's still nothing wrong with that.
[21:54] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: Someone has to write books.
[21:54] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: And history is...vitally important.

History in particular, because if we as a people don't know where we've been, we can't properly see where we're going.

[21:54] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: If you don't know where you came from, people can tell you anything.

That too. Which goes back to the easily misled sheep comment.

[21:55] Emilly Orr: And you'll believe it, which is why education suffers so much when people remove bits from textbooks, or rewrite them to reflect current opinion, not actual fact.
[21:56] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: nods

So, we get a government that's too busy buying stock in disaster firms to deal with the country's issues, we get a president that denied the virus as long as he could because that meant more money lining his pockets, and on top of that he's so ridiculously petty as a human that if state governors are "mean" to him, he refuses to send them vital, life-saving equipment. He is literally killing American citizens because his ego must be placated.

This is not what we need.

But we're stuck here. More deaths, more disease, more desperation. And the gun stores are still open.

feels like we're dreaming, we're tripping and reeling

You ever talk with someone, and you're pretty sure you're both speaking the same language, but there's a translation failure on at least one side? Or at least a failure to comprehend?

[10:26] jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: hi. i bought some [store name] skins some time last year for 100L. are those still available? if so, where? im at the mainstore now, and im looking for the [specific] skin, but cant seem to find it here. if its not here, is it still available to get somewhere?

So the lynchpin of this whole conversation is, it's Aprille now. Back in January, this skin store had a huge retirement sale, because they were rebranding. So everything under the old name was deeply discounted, and not moved over when the store changed names, store styles, and sims. (To that end, yeah, I'm wondering what store she's standing in, too, because...the designer DID change sims, too.)

[10:27] mxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: the [store name] skins were retired
[10:27] Ixxxxx Bxxxxxx: Nope, they were all put away when the [new store name] build moved on Jan 1st, if super lucky and polite, if you leave [the skin maker] a Notecard she might be able to help
[10:27] jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: what? how long time ago is that?
[10:28] jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: oh... i havent been able to be online due to private issues :/
[10:30] Emilly Orr: Which is a shame, but yeah, sale's long over. So your best bet is to ask the maker. She might still have them in inventory.

Because she seemed to have blown right by the first suggestion to ask the maker directly.

[10:32] mxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: they retired around Feb I think or Jan
[10:32] jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i do hope that. because [specific skin name] is too light and [specific other skin name] is too dark. and since i need to save my lil over 8.300L for 2 months.. well i need to cheap but yet good looking skins for my catwa/belleza

Right, but...does she not get we're not the people to ask?

[10:34] jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: cheap = below 400L for head/body appliers and with no-brows option incl with the price

And while it's definitely tricky to find skins with appliers for L$400 or below, it's not impossible.

[10:40] Emilly Orr: Right...and...while that's a great budgeting measure, the skins are still not in the store. Notecard. [The designer].
[10:41] Sxxxxx Mxxxxxxxx: Ya, she sent out multiple notices about skins retiring, and left the store up for a few months.

She did. It was a several-month-long sale, which started, I believe, around October and went until the end of January.

[10:46] jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: yesterday it was the 1st time i was able to come online in 2020 due to private life
[10:46] jxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: so i really had no clues about anything in sl since dec 2019 :/
[10:46] Emilly Orr: We get it. It's hard. Pull the group profile up, you'll see [the designer]'s name, click that, write out a notecard with what you'd like, send it to her.

I mean, am I not being clear?

[10:46] Ixxxxx Bxxxxxx: [The designer] helped someone get an old matching [store name] skin for her alt last week, she's a pretty nice person if you ask nicely and explain
[10:47] Emilly Orr: Exactly.

I think she finally got it after that, because chat turned to more normal things for a skin store, and life went on. But sheesh.

let's dance in style, lets dance for a while (part three)

(Continued from part two.)

We continue with the third tale.

[14:44] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): For our last story of the show will be told by my lovely sister geisha Hiroko san
[14:44] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Please dear Hiroko san *smiles* tell us your tale
[14:45] Hiroko Yokosuka: Konnichiwa everyone! hope you are all have a wonderful evening. And indeed it is one.
[14:45] Hiroko Yokosuka: Tonight I bring you a story call "Coyote brings fire"

[14:46] Hiroko Yokosuka: Long ago, the Fire Beings were the only people who had fire.
[14:46] Hiroko Yokosuka: They guarded it closely and wouldn't share it with other tribes or animals.
[14:46] Hiroko Yokosuka: This didn't matter so much in spring and summer, but in winter many young children and old people died from the icy cold.
[14:46] Hiroko Yokosuka: Just before the next winter, some of the animals called a meeting.
[14:47] Hiroko Yokosuka: "We can't let our children and grandparents die from the cold this year," said Squirrel. "We have to get fire from the Fire Beings to keep warm."
[14:47] Hiroko Yokosuka: "How can we do that?" asked Chipmunk. "The Fire Beings won't share it with us".
[14:48] Hiroko Yokosuka: "Let's ask Coyote for help" said Frog. "He's crafty and cunning, and he'll know how to get fire".
[14:48] Hiroko Yokosuka: Coyote listened and thought about the problem. Then he smiled a cunning smile.
[14:48] Hiroko Yokosuka: "We'll take it!" answered Coyote slyly. "I have a plan. Follow me!"
[14:49] Tóng Tǐ 统体 (goswamitulsidas) looses myself in the music and dance, captivated with the tale
[14:49] Hiroko Yokosuka: Coyote lead the animals to the Fire Beings' camp on top of the mountain. The others hid in the bushes while Coyote walked into the camp.
[14:49] Hiroko Yokosuka: "Who's there?" screeched one of the Beings. "Someone's trying to steal our fire".

[14:50] Hiroko Yokosuka: "It's all right," hissed another. "It's only an old moth eaten coyote".
[14:50] Hiroko Yokosuka: "Huummph! Moth eaten indeed," thought Coyote, but he didn't say anything. He lay down by the fire and pretended to go to sleep, keeping one eye half open.
[14:50] Hiroko Yokosuka: Three Fire Beings sat nearby. One was huge and ugly - with a small bald head and big rolls of fat around his stomach.
[14:51] Hiroko Yokosuka: Snot dripped in long slimy strands from his nose. The other two were old hags, with eyes like red stones and clawed hands like a vulture.
[14:51] Hiroko Yokosuka: After a few minutes, a banging noise started in the bushes. It was Coyote's friends.
[14:51] Hiroko Yokosuka: "What's that horrible noise?" cried the fat ugly Fire Being. "Who's there?" The three of them went to investigate.
[14:51] Hiroko Yokosuka: Seeing his chance, Coyote snatched up a glowing piece of fire and ran off down the mountain as fast as he could.
[14:52] Hiroko Yokosuka: Realising they had been tricked, the two hags screamed and chased after him.
[14:52] Hiroko Yokosuka: The big fat bald Fire Being just stood there, with more snot dripping from his nose.>
[14:52] Hiroko Yokosuka: The hags were old, but they could run like the wind. They nearly caught Coyote
[14:52] Hiroko Yokosuka: One of them stretched out her claws and touched the tip of his tail. The heat turned the hairs white.

[14:53] Hiroko Yokosuka: Coyote threw the fire into the air towards Squirrel.
[14:53] Hiroko Yokosuka: She caught it in her tail and scampered off over stumps and boulders.
[14:54] Hiroko Yokosuka: The fire scorched her so badly, that her tail curled up over her back. She was almost caught, until Chipmunk bounded up beside her.
[14:54] Hiroko Yokosuka: "Me! Me! Throw it to me!" Catching the fire, Chipmunk turned to run.
[14:54] Hiroko Yokosuka: One of the hags clawed her back leaving three stripes down it. Chipmunk threw the fire to Frog, but one of the Beings grabbed his tail.
[14:55] Hiroko Yokosuka: "Let me go!" yelled Frog. He squirmed and struggled so much that his eyeballs bulged and he thought his heart would burst.
[14:55] Hiroko Yokosuka: With one last mighty leap he tore himself free, leaving his beautiful long tail behind, still wriggling in the hag's claw.
[14:55] Hiroko Yokosuka: Frog threw the fire to Wood and Wood swallowed it.

[14:56] Hiroko Yokosuka: The Fire Beings hit Wood and kicked him and cut him with their knives, but still Wood didn't spit out the fire.
[14:56] Hiroko Yokosuka: At last the hags gave up and went home, mumbling to themselves:
[14:56] Hiroko Yokosuka: "Oh dear, I think I broke a nail". "Never mind. We'll have frog's tail soup tonight." "Mmm! That sounds nice".
[14:56] Hiroko Yokosuka: Coyote called all the animals together to teach them how to get the fire from Wood.
[14:57] Hiroko Yokosuka: "Fire is a gift for everyone.
[14:57] Hiroko Yokosuka: If you rub two dry sticks of Wood together very fast Wood will get itchy and give you some fire. From now on you will be warm in winter"
[14:57] Hiroko Yokosuka: "I told you Coyote was cunning" said Frog.
[14:57] Hiroko Yokosuka: "Yes, but I wonder what frog's tail soup tastes like?" asked Squirrel.

[14:58] Hiroko Yokosuka: And that is why today, Coyote's tail has a white tip, squirrel's tail curls around over her back, chipmunk's coat has white stripes and frog has no tail.
[14:58] Hiroko Yokosuka: But everyone is warm in winter.
[14:58] Hiroko Yokosuka: This is the end of my story, hope you all have enjoyed it.

[14:58] Ωღ Lιηᴀ ღΩ (shannon.warden): happy clapss
[14:58] Otterax Avalanche (otterax): That's a four-fer!
[14:58] Otterax Avalanche (otterax): Aρρlɑuѕɛ!
[14:59] Emilly Orr applauds, beaming.
[14:59] Tóng Tǐ 统体 (goswamitulsidas) bows respectfully
[14:59] Tóng Tǐ 统体 (goswamitulsidas) applauds and smiles gratefully
[14:59] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Domo arigato HIorko san for that lovely tale!ありがとうございます (Translated: "Thank you.")
[15:00] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): So sadly, dear guests the time has come for our show to end.
[15:01] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): I am glad you could all be here with us to share this special day with us
[15:01] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): If you are not already a member of our Little Yoshiwara group, I would like to invite you to join.
[15:01] Ωღ Lιηᴀ ღΩ (shannon.warden): yes oleses
[15:01] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): From this group, we send notices that will notifiy you of any other performances we may have.
[15:01] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): As your day continues, I hope that you may carry the feeling of peace and beauty that you felt here through out the rest of the day.

[15:02] reefer 無怨無悔 (reefer.shoreman): more Applause!
[15:02] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): And I hope to see you again very soon! ありがとうございます (Translated: "Thank you.")
[15:02] Otterax Avalanche (otterax): Arigato!
[15:02] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano) smiles
[15:02] Ωღ Lιηᴀ ღΩ (shannon.warden): my the light allways shine apone you and all your house
[15:02] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana) smiles in a friendly way
[15:02] reefer 無怨無悔 (reefer.shoreman): more Applause!
[15:04] Tóng Tǐ 统体 (goswamitulsidas) beams and claps more
[15:04] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): ookini everyone, arigatou gozaimasu (Translated: "ありがとうございます." )
[15:04] Tóng Tǐ 统体 (goswamitulsidas): Do have a blessed rest of day
[15:05] Ωღ Lιηᴀ ღΩ (shannon.warden): to all here thank you and i realy love this place i hope to be allowed to return till then my the light shine
[15:05] Tóng Tǐ 统体 (goswamitulsidas) bows respectfully
[15:05] Emilly Orr bows in respect and slips away.

And thus endeth the trio of tales.

let's dance in style, lets dance for a while (part two)

(Continued from part one)

We continue with the second tale.

[14:30] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Now the next story will be told by myself so enjoy.
[14:31] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Konnichiwa everyone
[14:31] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): My story today is

The Master Swordsman and The Tayu

[14:31] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Oooo
[14:31] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Before Miyamto Muashi wrote his book The Book of Five Rings.
[14:31] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Which classed as the bible for samuari in Japan.
[14:32] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): It is said he learned of his craft from a tayu by the name of Yoshino.
[14:32] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Yoshino was a well know tayu that worked in the Shimabara quarter in Kyoto.
[14:32] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Well know for her beauty and adored to this day by many as been the tayu that exemplified what is to be a tayu.
[14:32] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): But thats another story

[14:33] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): One night snowy Miyamto Muashi was with friends and came to visit Yoshino for the evening.
The evening was a well entertained one with laughter and sake.
[14:33] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Until Yoshino spotted Miyamto Muasahi quietly slipping out in response to a noise outside.
[14:33] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Luckily she was the only one to spot him leave.
[14:33] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): A few minutes later he returned and sported a bright splash of red on the white lining of his kimono.
[14:34] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Miyamto’s friends spotted this and asked,”What is that?”
[14:34] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Before he could tell them Yoshino retorted “Just a peony petal”.
[14:34] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): She wiped it off the white of his kimono quickly with napkin.
[14:34] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): The party continued until each of the guests retired for the night.
[14:35] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): But been the tayu she was, with her unerring instinct she had guessed he had engaged in a duel.
[14:35] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): So asked Miyamto to come to her private chambers.
[14:35] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Cause now the retainers of the other duellists were now waiting outside ready to ambush Miyamto, when he came out of the tea house.

[14:36] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Sitting in her chamber,
Miyamto was quiet tense and with a worried expression on his face,
[14:36] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): but trying to hide it from Yoshino.
He all could see a death for him in the morning or when ever he left the tea-house.

[14:37] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): This tense and quiet situation was getting to Yoshino.
[14:37] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): So picking up her Biwa,
a four or five stringed traditional Japanese lute played with a plectrum.
[14:37] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Suddenly took a knife to the Biwa and smashed it into pieces.
[14:37] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Reaching into the remains of the sound box picked out the cross piece,
a simple piece of wood and showed it to him.
[14:38] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): “Miyamto you see this small piece of wood,
[14:38] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): it is flexible and not ridged so to not to break so my Biwa can sound so.
[14:38] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): If was inflexible it would either break or make the Biwa sound flat.” She said.
[14:38] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Now placing it in his hands, he could see how flexible it was.
[14:39] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): “If it was taut and unyielding it would break at the time the Biwa was plucked.”

[14:39] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): These word gave comfort to Miyamto.
outside
[14:39] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): He needed to be flexible as that cross piece,
[14:40] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): So he could move and bend to the attacks.
This gave him the strength to realised the battle is winnable.
[14:40] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): He thanked Yoshino for her time and bound out into the snow.
[14:40] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): The retainers' men attacked as soon Miyamto came into the open
[14:41] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): A flash of blade was seen as many man jumped on Miyamto,
as each attacked they were brought down in a pool of blood reddening the snow on the ground.
[14:41] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Where in a few minutes dozen or so men laid on the ground all dead.
[14:42] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Thanks to the advice given by the tayu Yoshino.

Miymato won the day.
[14:42] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): With that advice Miyamto became the great swordsman that history remembers.
[14:42] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): But he never forgot what that tayu Yoshino taught him
that snowy night in Shimabara for the rest of his life.

[14:42] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): The end of my tale of the Master swordsman and The Tayu
[14:42] Otterax Avalanche (otterax): Suspenseful story!
[14:43] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Domo arigato for listening!ありがとうございます

(Translated: "Thank you.")

(Continued in part three.)

let's dance in style, lets dance for a while (part one)

Today I went to a Geisha performance in Little Yoshiwara.




Onstage were Suzuteru 寿々照 (Komayo Marabana) telling the story (on the left), Yoneyu 米愉 (Sorasu Romano) (center), and Hiroko Yokosuka on the right. Ms. Yokosuka is Yoshiwara's Okiya Musume Geshia Lian and an Administrator for Little Yoshiwara, as well as Second Life's first Chinese Geisha. Ms. Yoneyu is the Okasan for Little Yoshiwara Okiya, and Ms. Suzuteru, our storyteller, is a senior maiko (the highest ranking, I believe, for an apprentice Geisha).

[14:13] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Now for our first tale will be told by beautiful senior maiko Suzuteru chan with a nice story called A Spider's Thread story
[14:13] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Please dear Suzuteru chan *smiles* tell us your tale
[14:13] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Dear patrons, I will be telling a story called "The Spider's Thread."

[14:13] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): One day, the Lord Buddha was strolling alone on the shore of the lotus pond in Paradise.
[14:15] Tóng Tǐ 统体 (goswamitulsidas): Ohhh..
[14:15] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Since the depths of Hell lay directly below the lotus pond on Paradise, the scenery can be clearly seen through the crystal-clear water.
[14:15] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Then, the single figure of a man, Kandata by name, squirming there in the depths of Hell along with other sinners, comes into the Lord Buddha's gaze.
[14:15] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): This man Kandata is a murderer, an arsonist, and a master thief with numerous robberies in his reputation.
[14:16] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Yet, the Lord Buddha recalls that he had performed a single good deed...
[14:16] Tóng Tǐ 统体 (goswamitulsidas): Ok.. a start!

[14:16] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): That is to say, once when Kandata was traveling through the middle of a dense forest he came upon a spider crawling along the roadside.
[14:17] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Thereupon he immediately raised his foot and was about to trample it to death. But, he suddenly reconsidered, saying, "Nay, nay, small though this spider be, there is no doubt that it too is a living being."
[14:17] Tóng Tǐ 统体 (goswamitulsidas): Mmm.. good man
[14:17] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): "Somehow or other it seems a shame to take its life for no reason." In the end he spared the spider rather than killing it.

[14:17] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): While observing the situation in Hell, the Lord Buddha remembers that this Kandata had spared the spider.
[14:18] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): And he decides that in return for having done just that one good deed he would, if he could, try to rescue this man from Hell.
[14:18] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Luckily, he sees nearby a spider of Paradise spinning a beautiful silver web on a jade colored lotus petal.
[14:18] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Upon seeing it Kandata involuntarily claps his hands for joy. If he were to cling to this thread and climb it to its end, he would surely be able to escape from Hell.
[14:19] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): And, if all went well, he would even be able to enter Paradise.

[14:19] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Having thought thusly, Kandata quickly takes firm hold of that spider's thread with both hands and using all his might begins climbing up and up hand-over-hand.
[14:19] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): From long ago Kandata has been completely used to doing this sort of thing since he is a former master thief.
[14:20] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): But because the distance between Hell and Paradise is some tens of thousands of miles, try though he might, he is not able to ascend to the top easily.
[14:20] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): After climbing for a while, even Kandata finally tires; he is unable to continue for even one more pull on the thread.
[14:21] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Having no other choice, he intends first to take a short rest. While hanging onto the thread he looks down on the distance below.
[14:21] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Kandata sees that thanks to the efforts he spent climbing, where he had just recently been, is now already hidden at the bottom of the darkness.
[14:22] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): If he were to continue at this pace, the escape from Hell just might not be as difficult as he had expected. Wrapping his hand around the spider's thread, Kandata laughs in a voice unused during his years in Hell, "I'm saved! I'm saved at last!"

[14:22] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Then, he suddenly notices that below him on the spider's thread, just like a line of ants, a countless number of sinners are following him, climbing up and up for all they are worth!
[14:22] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): When Kandata sees this, he momentarily freezes from shock and fear, his mouth agape and his eyes rolling in his head.
[14:23] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): How could it be that this slender spider's thread, seemingly strained even under the weight of just him alone, is able to support the weight of that many?
[14:23] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): By some chance were the thread to break, he, the egotistical Kandata who at great pains had climbed this far, and everyone else would plummet headlong back into Hell.
[14:23] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): For that to happen would be a disaster.
[14:24] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): But, even as he thinks this, sinners, not by the hundreds, nor even by the thousands, but in swarms, continue to crawl up from the bottom of the pitch dark and climb up the thin luminous spider's thread in single file.
[14:24] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): If he doesn't do something right away, the thread will break in two at the center and he will surely fall.
[14:25] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): At this point, Kandata yells in a loud voice, "Hey, you sinners. This spider's thread is mine. Who the hell asked you to climb it? Get down! Get off it!"
[14:25] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Just as he screams at the other sinners the spider's thread, which till then had had nothing wrong with it, suddenly breaks with a snap right where Kandata is hanging.
[14:25] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Without even time to cry out, Kandata goes flying through the air spinning like a top and in the wink of an eye plunges headfirst into the dark depths of Hell.
[14:26] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Afterwards, only the shortened spider's thread from Paradise dangles there, glittering dimly in a sky void of both moon and stars.

[14:26] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): The Lord Buddha stands on the shore of the lotus pond in Paradise having taken in everything from start to finish.
[14:26] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): When Kandata finally sinks like a rock to the bottom he resumes strolling, his countenance seemingly creased with sadness.
[14:27] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Seen through divine eyes, the Lord Buddha thought it wretched that Kandata's compassionless heart led him to attempt to escape by himself and for such a heart falling back into Hell was just punishment.
[14:27] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): The lotus blossoms in the pond of Paradise, however, are not concerned in the least about what has happened.
[14:27] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Those blossoms of the whitest white wave their cups around the divine feet of the Lord Buddha and from the golden stamen in the center of each an indescribably pleasant fragrance issues forth abidingly over the adjacent area.
[14:28] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): Noon draws near in Paradise.
[14:28] Suzuteru 寿々照 (komayo.marabana): ~* The End *~
[14:29] Yoneyu 米愉 (sorasu.romano): Domo arigato Suzuteru chan for that lovely tale! ありがとうございます (Translated: "Thank you.")

(Continued in part two.)

and I don't know how I ever thought that I could make it all alone

Good Housekeeping put together a list of when and how to wash your hands, and the proper techniques to do so. If nothing else, all of this is reinforcing the importance of clean hands.

Meanwhile, if pictures work better, how about the official NHS handwashing diagram? Those pictures are clear and the descriptions fairly simple. Or...and I do hesitate to link this, because it is very unsafe for work...have the naked from the waist up version. (In my defense, it did actually help me with one area--I wasn't quite getting the circle-fingernails-in-center-of-opposite-palm motion. So...there's that.)

There's a new cabin out this week from Trompe L'oeil. This time around it's a lovely A-frame with accompanying chairs. (First link is for pictures, second for location. The first link also mentions the no-group-necessary hunt at Dench Designs for a few random furnishings.)

Meanwhile, this is a list of very caring merchants who have put out "Stay at Home" gifts to encourage seclusion. Some of the vendors may require purchase of a Linden, but all are free, so it will be refunded.

And all I have left is to encourage readers to comply with shelter-in-place restrictions, if at all possible. Most other countries seem to have this down, but I've seen far too many posting-from-the-pub shots from the UK for my liking, and in the states...it really seems like a third of the country is staying home and trying not to get sick--or sicken anyone else--and the other two-thirds, including many of our elected officials, are behaving as if this is no worse than the common cold.

It's worse. It's much worse. And it can--and has--caused permanent lung damage in people, so those who go out and flaunt the restrictions, then get it, may not only get sick, but end up needing inhalers or respirator equipment for life. And it's not just hitting the elderly--it's hitting everyone. Everyone from birth to death is at risk. So please, please take care of yourselves, and those around you.

Because it's not just your life you risk, it's other lives...but it's also lung damage, which you may be left with for the rest of your life. Hear that if nothing else.

I woke up this mornin' and I couldn't get out of my front door

This is going to be mostly tab-clearing, things I've been holding on to pass on 'at some point'. But first, this, because it seems vaguely imporant:

[11:56] star (astarynite): If anyone knows people who are losing sims because of less income from CV19, Patch Linden just told a good friend to have any sim owner call concierge to arrange for delay or absent payments
[11:56] Elfbiter Skysmith (elfbiter): Splendid
[11:57] Darlingmonster Ember: nice
[11:57] star (astarynite): yeah
[11:57] Elfbiter Skysmith (elfbiter): They probably have experience about it anyway due to previous bugs in the payment system [11:57] star (astarynite): is true not a rumor

Names most assuredly left in, in case someone wants to verify with Ms. Star, though frankly, calling the concierge might answer the question either way. I do believe her, though, and it's a very appreciated gesture.

Now, first up. A couple things from Good Housekeeping magazine while most of us, at least, are staring out at the world from our homes. This is a list of the best virtual tours of zoos, museums and art galleries, and this is a list of the Broadway shows that are streaming. (And just because it's cute, have some penguins exploring an aquarium.)

A bit more local, Trompe L'oeil has a cottage and chair set (chair is PG, with singles animations, and, I believe, a few two-person cuddles) for gratis due to the epidemic. It will be available at least until this round of Uber ends in Aprille.

Have a listen to the Cristal Baschet, an arrangement of glass rods, metal, wire, wood, and fiberglass cones invented in 1952. Also, a demonstration of David Roentgen's dulcimer player based on Marie Antoinette (with an added separate performance vid of La Joueuse de Tympanon, showing her actual size. Very intricate device.

Reddit's been compiling what they're calling "quarantine cuisine, and not to be outdone, denizens on Imgur have been offering up their own creations. There's also a channel on YouTube that reproduces Depression-era recipes, which is worth watching, but this one in particular, as the entire dish can feed up to four people (at least, four people who can digest cabbage) for under five dollars a person. In a similar vein, Huffington Post has offered up twenty-two filling recipes that just about anyone can make with everyday pantry staples. (And by that, I mean canned or dried beans, rice, canned tuna, canned tomatoes--nothing spectacularly arcane.)

This is a very good factsheet that vies you both tips for staying healthy, how to care for yourself if you have gotten sick, and a list of warning signs for when it's time to seek hospital care. To that end, while it is no replacement for professional protective gear, if you are sick with anything , be it COVID-19, allergies, or a more common-variety flu, consider this pattern or this variation for making your own face masks, if you can't find them online to buy. (Though if you wish to support a charitable effort while you're at it, follow this link for closer to commercially-made simple masks (that link includes the referral code of a friend, but it will only give you $10 off a $100 order; for most of us, though, the $2.11 per mask is far more affordable and easier to acquire).

This next is a very adult offer, but I feel still worthy of passing on--Pornhub has extended their free premium service for all through Aprille 23rd. Just follow the link given in this Tweet. They also plan to donate a portion of their profits to coronavirus relief efforts.

Someone put together a past-to-present look at some previously photographed WWII sites. Going back and forth between the two images on some of them is just stunning.

And finally, this one's a little odd, but if you have lemonade, cream, and self-rising flour, you can make scones. Neat.

That is all.

I don't know the people in your picture frame

When one is running on an antiquated video card--because, at this point, it can no longer be updated, it's that old--there are bound to be glitches. I've run into glitches before--they're irksome, but in general, not game-breaking. Until, perhaps, the last one.



I'll start with a simple attempt at sitting. Suddenly, I was tilted in the wide silver skies. Well, this wasn't anticipated.



I logged out, because it just wasn't resolving, and when I came back, not only was I not standing near the chair I'd been attempting to sit on, but I was falling through space. Also not ideal.



Later that week, I went to a highly-trafficked event, then returned home. When I returned, I...wasn't all there.



I do know that if I ever want a really jarring visual effect, now, just detach one mesh eye and let the alpha show through on that side. Because trust me, seeing one green eye, and one red-hair-colored empty socket, was somewhat disquieting.



Today, this was what I saw after logging back into SL after a crash, and again after I'd logged out and logged back in, and then a third time when I'd spent some hours off for dinner.

Nothing about this makes sense, though I'm fairly convinced that none of my group names are written in Z̵̪̐̊a̷̖̾́l̴̨̺͗g̷̢̔ò̴̢̚ ̵̰͝t̷͓͓͆̚ẹ̷̄x̴͙̆͊t̴̬̏. Which is disturbing on its own.

But all of that would be fine (or, if not fine, mayhap, at least reasonably tolerable), if it was just me. But no, it's starting to be people around me, as well.



Please make it stop. I beg of you, ancient graphics gods. Please.