Saturday, October 22, 2011

REZZED by Revnik Vernissage

Vernissage at the NEW REZZED by Revnik (moved to Monkey Cove Main Beach):

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Monkey%20Paw/228/13/23

"Light & Shadow Version 3.0"

comes with a surf board line based on the shadow theme

Saturday October 22cnd 12  PM SLT (noon) 9 PM german time

The exhibited pictures are a mixture of real life photography and SL snapshots. They refer to a status of being somehow there and in the same time not totally being there. A way of presence that has a relation to the shadow, which needs something physic and light to appear, but is not physic itself - similar to our presence in this virtual world. We are here, but yet somehow connected to the "real world" and our virtual being is at least in a mental way based on our everyday self. The perception of this world is subjective as the colorizing of the pictures.

The surfboardline is based on a photo series of shadows.
It was developed in the process of creating this exhibition.
Those shadow boards let "your self" glide through the virtual worlds.

Enjoy!

REZZED by Revnik Blog: http://rezzedbyrevnik.blogspot.com/

REZZED by Revnik on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/REZZEDbyRevnik

Saturday, September 17, 2011

My Clickers Bookshelf...looking for volunteers

Well, even if we don't talk my clicker seems to read my blog ;-) By accident she grabbed a book from her collection yesterday and found herself looking at that one, which funnily kinda is related to my last blog entry:






It's not only interesting from a historical point of view, as it includes several snapshots to german living rooms at the start of the eighties and is referring to the master living room called "Die Gute Stube". As well it has texts in it, dealing with the question, if an apartment can be a mirror of the soul of its inhabitants or not. Another one asking what makes an apartment a home and an introduction from Manfred Sack from which I wanna cite now:

"...still in many of our living rooms the ruddy "Gute Stube" is alive, this tidy stage on which the inhabitants perform in front of their friends, relatives and visitors (in front of themselves) instead of using this room to really live in. Actually the apartment is not just only a number of rooms, in which one makes themselves comfortable and organizes the allday life, but like clothing a means of expression, a way of language, to express themselves. It provides a feeling of security and consistency, its as comfortable as possible - but as well it allows the inhabitant to represent him/herself and feel connected to him/her ideal of being, and this nearly always one level above on the social ladder as in real..
So most of us reside not like they really are, but like they dream to be or claim to be. [...]"

This somehow sounds kinda familiar related to second life and I will try to follow this track and am looking for people now, who would be so kind to let me portrait them in their SL "living room". If you wanna model for me, please write me a note in Second Life!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Moving always includes a transformation.

Actually my next post should have been one about the Miss Oahu pageant contest I participated over a month ago. But I was pretty exhausted and needed time to recover and there was more important things in life than a pageant. Being first, second or which place ever in a pageant is a luxury problem, which I will write about, when I feel like it later.

So anyways, I again did move.....well my clicker did in real life. And guess what...I suddenly had the need to change somehow as well. I guess that's, what the weird unspoken connection of me and my clicker is about. I guess any avatar has that connection to its clicker, or what do you think? We never speak, but we transport thoughts of the other to the visible. Well, it would be kinda weird, if I'd speak to my clicker, wasn't it? Something like:
"Hey dear...how's going tonight? What can I do to amuse you tonight? Let's find you a boytoy or what you'd like?"
So, to avoid awkward conversations like this, I am better in guessing, what my clickers needs are. And at that point I felt, she needed some change in here as well.




I had such a nice place, which even was used as a movie scenery. I was told people come to the Cove to check out my place and some were sad it had to go....I was too! It was comfy, probably too comfy for my clickers dark minded time. As we never have any conversations, she didn't tell what was up. I am just here to transport feelings and I bet, she didn't even know herself what all was about, at the time she let me remove my pretty home and replace it with a creepy skysphere home at 10.000 meters.  So actually I moved only in high, as Monkeys is still home to me.





My time up in the sky didn't last very long though.  The quiet and creepy place was just right to let my clicker think and think and look at the creepiness, think again and finally made the decision to move down to the beach again and build up something different again down there.




Something must have happened, but as we never talk, I have no idea what. Besides my favorite neighbor told me all the time, its not the same to life in the sky. She was right, but I think it was a necessary experience to "us". It took a while as always to have a version of the new home that "we" were happy with. And funnily the color palette was a totally different then ever before.


As often the feelings and emotions are there before we even recognize what the change means for the real life of our clicker. But I am sure she will find out soon!

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Today's The BIG Day

I wrote my introduction, bought new shoes, chose my outfits and even fixed my hair...so I guess I'm well prepared for the 2011 Miss Tropic Hawaiian Peagan Contest at Oahu Sim in the Bruddah Iz Amphitheater.
I remembered when writing about my vacation at Oahu, that I have to come back, when the Sim is more populated. And recognizing that there is this peagant once a year - this year the 4th time. So my decision to be back at Oahu that day was made month ago, but the decision to participate last minute. I'm usually not the girl going for fashion events or any kinda beauty contests. Beauty is very subjective and I never liked commercial beauty. My clicker though likes to watch "Project Runway" once in a while and creating fashion is an art as any art. Today I will wear a high fashion gown and my swimwear will be very classy, instead of very slutty - which I always try to avoid. So if you wanna see a side of me, which you never experience in allday life, you should come by at Oahu Sim. Today no "Rockstar" hair, no boots, no leisure clothes or surf wear. And I'm very curious, how it will feel, being there....maybe I need some days of vacation and stick at Oahu afterwards, when I find someone joining me ;-)

Read more about the event here : http://www.slenquirer.com/2011/07/miss-tropic-hawaiian-pageant-2011-has.html

Monday, July 18, 2011

4th Annual Miss Tropic Hawaiian 2011 pageant

And guess who is participating.....me. As I get no input by my readers what to write about, I was so desperat I entered the contest last minute. And well, in a former life I organized online events as well, and know how much work it is and how much fun to participate, so why not ;-)
You can vote for me if you like at Oahu SIM . The peagant is a non profit fund raiser for The Compassionate Coalition. (www.compassionatecoalition.org). They take 1 Linden per vote, so be aware just to pay as many Lindens as you wanna add votes....those are unlimited. Aloha...

Monday, July 4, 2011

"The Drama"

Inspired by a blog article by my dear landlord Syx Toshi; I write this short post on drama. Or lets call it "The Drama". Reading Syx's entry, I checked my profile, if I mentioned anything about no drama in it...well, I'm over it, BUT I wrote I am happy to live on a peaceful drama free surf sim. Is it really this way? Am I happy or is it really drama free?

Let's check on the origins of the term drama to start. I post the most impressive statements about "The Drama" from wikipedia here and will discuss those related to an SL live.

Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance.

What we live in, in Second Life, is that fiction? Is it a story we write? Our story? Or is it a story our second life writes on its own? What's the mode we are in anyways? Escape mode, inventive mode, go with the flow mode or even drama mode?  Does being in a virtual reality life simulation mean we participate in a performative play?


The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" (Classical Greek: δρᾶμα, drama), which is derived from "to do" (Classical Greek: δράω, drao).

We could do nothing in Second Life. We could just hang, but even doing nothing is a statement and provokes reactions from others. Well, somedays, if people would not get used to other people being idle, which - speaking for me - simply sucks without busy message. And even then..isn't one lifes drama anough? Do I have to be "afk for cooking"? Do I really miss something, when being offline that time and simply "be real"? Maybe some drama?


The two masks associated with drama represent the traditional generic division between comedy and tragedy

Irony fills the gap between tragedy and comedy - well sometimes...I guess drama involves emotions and seldom Second Life works without emotions. Even a good (or as well bad) talk evolves emotions. Whatever those are or mean - those are real! So, is SL drama kinda RL(real life) substitute drama? Do we really need an extra portion of drama? My theory to this one is, we often search for what we lack in real life or sometimes wanna be one step ahead of RL. The most common example is the growing wedding market in SL. There even is a wedding expo. Make dreams come true? Good ones or bad ones in that case - as most SL partnerships don't last more than 4 month?


The use of "drama" in the narrow sense to designate a specific type of play dates from the 19th century. Drama in this sense refers to a play that is neither a comedy nor a tragedy

Play can be defined as play on stage, but as well can be play in the meaning of the Homo Ludens. Play is essential to human beings in this one. We can play with our identities, our lifes, our looks, our talents in Second Life. Some of this may cause drama as well. Is this good or its this bad? In upper case the drama can be a real life divorce after an SL marriage (pretty common already). But is this really a drama, as probably noone being happy in a RL relationship would end up in an serious SL marriage?


Drama is often combined with music and dance:

Nearly every SL "whatever" starts with a first date at a club. So there sure music and dancing is on. Music transports emotions and a dance is the harmless version of getting closer to another avatar. The beginning of a drama?


In improvisation, the drama does not pre-exist the moment of performance; performers devise a dramatic script spontaneously before an audience

Let's be spontaneous! Arn't we all members of a big performative play of life with our avatars? And drama is an essential of life. Sometimes we long for it, sometimes we sure'd like to miss parts of it. Sometimes we let ourselves drew into the drama, sometimes we might even throw ourselves into it, sometimes we flee from it and this is a drama itself. So can there technically be any Second Life without drama?

And to answer the questions, where I started my article at:

Am I happy? Mostly, but that includes not being involved in any organizational drama. As well as choosing, when to create drama around myself. But as in every life interaction with others may not turn out the way you wish - you never know!

Is the surf sim drama free? Definetly not, when you look behind the curtains or check on main beach rumors for a while. But it's managable to keep outa the worst one pretty good here.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

A leopard can't change his spots!?

There is a german saying, that you can't escape your skin (direct translation from "nicht aus seiner Haut können"). It says about what "A leopard can't change his spots" means. Good news is, as an avatar in Second Life you can...whenever you want. But is this really good news and how to deal with this freedom which is unique to avatars?

You can be pretty much what- or whoever you wanna be in Second Life. Ever tried life as a cat or other tiny avatar? Wanted to get back to Teenage Life? Or explore how acting as the other gender would be?


Once, when my clicker experienced another mulituser roleplay game, she tried to be a male character. Taking a male perspective should be a way to understand male acting better. And guess what, people thought that made up character was gay. Reflecting on this and asking friends, why those think so, they said, the character simply acts to nice. So being male always implies being a cool, unempathic jerk? Must be a real burden to all men!? My clicker made a second try on a male char then. Now behaving more grumpy, more rough, choosing a more stereotype male look, the new char even managed to get into a relationship with a female character. Well his girlfriend was a bit dominant on him and now guess again....she had a male clicker. Even if this relationship was more a fun play and the exaggeration was maxed out, it gave a slight direction, of how reality can work. Playing with roles is important. Not only to find the real self, but as well to understand different characters better. And where else than in Second Life it's more easy to step into someone elses shoes and take their perspective. Experiencing is always more effective than listening to stories from other lifes and only few people are able to be empathic enough to fully grab the meaning of different life models.


In Second Life my clicker never tried to gender switch again. She thought its simply too realistic to do that in here....the graphics developed a lot further and people seem to take in world stuff more serious than in a game which is labeled roleyplay from the beginning. People may even get pissed, finding out you gender switched or feel fooled. It's often easy to identify real life men in female skins and shapes though. Watch out for big boobs, short and slutty dresses, long hair and you are pretty safe already. I feel sorry for "real" women dressing up always like this. It provokes to be reduced to sexual key stimulus. A few month ago a female friend of mine confessed she's a he in real life and was really afraid I am totally pissed about that. Only thing I could do was simply laughing my ass off. The story behind it was more sad. This one felt restrained by his female partner in real life. Possibly taking female identity and acting as a lesbian in world, better described the relationship he wishes to have in rel life. Acting on  the same level, not dominating each other. Won't say here that all gay relationships are this way (imagine the huge BDSM gay scene on Zindra), but maybe it was kinda his imagination. The last time I saw him, he switched to a male avatar telling, his female partner would prefer that. Maybe that's a good thing as well, that one liked kinda understanding and empathic men and he found out that way, that its not about gender, but about persons...


Since about 3 years I stayed the same in Second Life. I was simply Nadja Revnik, didn't change my skin or my shape a lot after my clicker set my avatar up. But lately she sent me to a skin fair and inspired by that and the development of technics (graphics), she must have thought that a make over after 3 years won't hurt. Let's have a look at before and after, as we know it from all the fancy women's magazine.






Well, it's easy to guess what's before and what's after related to the skin quality. The old one is more flat, more graphic and not as three-dimensional as the new one. My clicker actually liked that, because she always tries to escape the hardcore "Barbie-Look". As well she never gets skins without some eye wrinkles and at least some dark circels around the eyes. My shape didn't change so much...just a few corrections mostly in the face, as my clicker thought the small nose does not work with the new skin and the skin needs to be defined more. And well, people change - some from time to time - as well I guess she did over the last three years, so its nice to have this visualized on me as her avatar. I felt weird at the beginning with my new looks, when I am able to feel as an avatar. But I adjusted fast and feel comfy in my new skin.

Even if our clickers are not able to change their skins themselves, there are studies, which prove that different avatar looks are connected to real life behavior. More beautiful avatars give you more selfestime in the real world and influence you choosing more attractive partners there, is one result for example. Nick Yee from the real world did his dissertation about: "The Proteus Effect: Behavioral Modification via Transformations of Digital Self-Representation" did release some great papers about this topic, which you can download here. Still there is the Virtual Human Interaction Lab of Stanford University well known for their studies about immersive virtual reality simulations. And a new topic related book is just published and well reviewed: Infinite Reality by Blascovich & Bailenson.

My clicker did change my skin recently, so what's up next in both lifes?  ;-)

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Final reflections on Sports in Second Life

I hate nothing more as being redundant. For me most is said about sports in Second Life, even if I just looked on four different sport disciplines in total. I wanted to explore, what sport is about and not how each sport works and there are far more sporty things to do in SL: Simboarding (which is great fun), sailing, football, hockey justto mention a few more...wanna find more about sport disciplins visit: http://slurl.com/secondlife/International%20Schools/65/94/25

After all explorations for me sports are still a fun cultural community driven video game. But as one seems to get more motivated to do real life sports watching her/his alter ego doing in game sports, it may even have a positive influence on our clickers. So go for sports with a nice community is my suggestion!

To close this section about sports I did one last (notecard) interview with August Pain Lusch, who as well was the first one I talked to, when starting my sports research month ago.


August, you are a sports reporter on treet.tv right?

I'm actually an Executive Producer for Treet.TV overall, I do a lot of things for a lot of shows on Treet. The main sports I deal with are Treet Sports, such as GOHA (Global Online Hockey Association) and RacerX Gullwings Giant Snail Racing.  We also have Dirtfield Racing on the channel which I am keenly interested in I'm just trying to find the time.

How did you become a reporter on SL TV and was it always sports you reported about?

I actually started as a player in the Euro Division of the Hockey League while Vox Mullen was doing the sportscasting for GOHA, when Vox unfortunately had to leave due to RL commitments, Kert Upshaw and I were offered the slot.
Kert kept with and still is with GOHA as the main sportscaster on the show, I moved a little bit varied and tried out Snail Racing and started producing the shortlived (but hopefully will be revived) DailyPWN: Weekly Review with Matt Ryan which was a show about Video Games in General.

Are you a reporter in RL as well?


I work a lot with Treet.TV, although I am not a reporter, I do have a degree in Media & Cultural Studies with English Literature and Cultural History and have had small articles published.

Which sports you report about in general?

Treet's main focus is Snail Racing, GOHA and Dirtfield though we are looking at Wrestling to join our numbers.

Are you interested in the same sports in RL or in any sports even?

I love Football (Soccer) in RL and have tried to find a non trademark infringing Soccer game in SL to bring to Treet.  So far no luck :(

Do you watch sport events in SL  privat as well? If yes, what do you like in that as a spectator?

I love going down and watching any sports in SL, I find talking in the crowd and cheering people on as fun in SL as it is in RL (Except warmer in SL)

Why would you recommend to someone else watching sports in SL?

Just like Real Life SL Sports are skill based so there's the satisfaction of watching someone at the top of their game playing to the crowd...watching Tindalia Soothsayer or Sante Klees at Snail Racing is always a great thrill...same with watching the Cobras this season on GOHA, it's amazing to see a team with that level of skill on the ice.

Do you practise some sports in SL? If yes, did you start this before you reported on the sports on treet?

As I mentioned, I started off as a GOHA player, and then a captain, so I was pretty ingrained into GOHA before my Treet career took off, I still practice the occasional sport, though time isn't the luxury I once had.

Last question: Why sports in general in Second Life?

I believe that sports in SL are great places to meet people and interact with people while at the same time testing out some fun.
If you've ever felt the adrenaline rush of scoring that winning Goal in GOHA or coming first in Snail Racing or Dirtfield Racing you'd know that rush is better than any "Sploder" or MM Board in SL :)

You can find Augusts blog at: http://n-r-k.blogspot.com/ 

Sport in SL is not useless, even if it does not train your avatar body!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

My Favorite sport in SL: Giant Snail Races

I couldn't imagine anything about giant snail racing. I visited the usual racing track, where the weekly sunday race normally takes place 11 AM SLT- now saturday races for the slower snails are added at 9 AM SLT with dancing afterwards the race - and got myself a snail costume. Fitting it the first time, I nearly fainted, looking at me now a snail as big as a house. The following sunday I crashed into a special race - once a month the snail race travels to a themed space for the sunday race and snails as well can dres sup especially for that theme. That day I found myself at the cruiser SS Galaxy.  My Snail head was four decks higher than my snail foot and navigating through the cruiser was a quest. It was one of the most fun expeirences I ever made at SL, even if I totally sucked within the race. Mostly it's one hour too early for me at sundays, so I sob a bit each sunday the race starts without me. But I recommend to all of you to try and enjoy the fun of being a giant snail in a racing competition.



Racer X is the founder of that sport and I had an interview with him:

Nadja Revnik: When and how did you get the idea of giant snail races?
RacerX Gullwing: Oh, I saw an event comming up in a few days that was calling itself the giant avatar contest. So I went to work trying to make the biggest avatar I could and a one footed avatar seemed the best option. Anyway I lost. I was the only one that took it literally. It meant many avatars not huge ones.Nadja Revnik: Oh, hehe.
RacerX Gullwing: Then we were trying to help Montmartre raise cash. That's when they paid for traffic. Catfart my neeghbor thought I ought to do a snail race. So I started that up. The snails are still free, but now you can get a full perm version. You can go crazy modding.
Nadja Revnik: Lol.
RacerX Gullwing: That's the condenced version.
Nadja Revnik: And the usual race track is around one sim?
RacerX Gullwing: It was around Montmartre, but that's been renamed the Eternal now. But yes, we had it there and the sims next door to that for the first 5 years. We also did one on tuesday nights in Hawthorne.
Nadja Revnik: You do that for 5 years already?
RacerX Gullwing: When it was an Amy Webber build called chases manhattan. We're working on 7 now.
Nadja Revnik: Seventh year?
RacerX Gullwing: 6th birthday was last month.
Nadja Revnik: Wow. Great, thats a long time!
RacerX Gullwing: I think we're the longest running weekly event in SL.


Nadja Revnik: Wow! You still sell pimpable snails?
RacerX Gullwing: Totally get one at the track: the free one. There's only one script in the shell we don't let you mod.
Nadja Revnik: And how long does the avarage race take? Are it different tracks each sunday? I was just once at that ship by now.
RacerX Gullwing: Around 10 -15 minutes.
Nadja Revnik: And the track? Is modified or same?
RacerX Gullwing: No, basically the same track every week we use for the championship. But once a month we take the snails on a field trip to other sims for fun races.
Nadja Revnik: Ok, so the more races you take at the same route the better you might get.
RacerX Gullwing: The track is slowly evolving. Right now it's in the midst of a texture change. But that doesn't effect the track. The key to snail racing is practice.
Nadja Revnik: I guess so...I found out changing the cam perspective from time to time helps finding the way. Plus the knowledge where your real body is hidden.
RacerX Gullwing: If you can get your time down to 0.35 or so per lap you are doing super. 3 rounds = race. Time's around the track.Nadja Revnik:  Per lap?
/comment A lap is one round.
RacerX Gullwing: Yeah, that might be a little impossible, but that used to be what they were shooting for.
Nadja Revnik: So you are the head of the snail races and waelya is a trainer?
RacerX Gullwing: Yes, waeyla is my invaluable assitant to the bunny.
/comment Racer X usually wears a bunny costume.
RacerX Gullwing: She chases the newbies around, trying to make them try snail racing on the first or second day here and does a lot of the paperwork on the fly during the races and also corals them up ready for starting.
Nadja Revnik:: Ha, newbie chasing ;-) Well, it took me more than 3 years to fid out about giant snail races ;-)
RacerX Gullwing: We just finally got picked up by linden labs as a place to go see : http://secondlife.com/destination/giant-snail-racing
Nadja Revnik: Great! I got the hint from a sports reporter, when I started my research for the sports series at my blog.
RacerX Gullwing: Well, word of mouth was all we had for years and then treet showed up and we really picked up. Then the track had to look better.
/comment Treet TV is reporting on Giant Snail Races Weekly. 

Taken from treet.tv

Nadja Revnik: I just can say, I personally think its great fun ;-)
RacerX Gullwing: You need a high speed conection and a good PC to race, but anyone can watch just go easy on the bling.
Nadja Revnik: Well, I enjoyed participating in the race on the ship.
RacerX Gullwing: That was crazy! We never had so many things go wrong on that, but still got enough of it filmed to make it a race. You can always catch the reruns at http://treet.tv/shows/snailraces a day or 2 after the races.
Nadja Revnik: Yes, but participating is the real fun ;-)
RacerX Gullwing:  Yes, well, we've been getting a lot of visitors since the Lindens listed u,s so could be crazy busy soon there. We're up 5 times usual right now in traffic.
Nadja Revnik: Grats to that ;-)
RacerX Gullwing: I think it was a good interview!
Nadja Revnik: Thank you so much for your time.

All news about the Giant Snail Races on the Snail Race Blog.

Monday, May 2, 2011

The Spicy Kitten - A successful example for a SL Dance Group


Nadja Revnik: How many dancers are you in your dance group Spicy Kittens?
Diddy Hyun: There is 6 of us
/comment Sometimes you can even see 7 or 8 dancers on stage.
Nadja Revnik: And how long do you stick together as a group?
Diddy Hyun: We have been dancing as a group for over 2 years now.
Nadja Revnik: Wow, that's long!
Diddy Hyun: Yeah, it is! We all love it...


Nadja Revnik: Who is doing the choreography?
Diddy Hyun: We all do some each. Usually we do 6 songs. We choose our own song and choreograph it. And we chore 2 songs - each the females in the group I mean. The men are mostly our puppets.
Nadja Revnik: Hehe. I know you and Ray are a couple. Are the other two dance partners a couple as well?
Diddy Hyun: Yes, Gem and Ger are a couple and so are Bubble and Jam.
Nadja Revnik: Ok, so the girls can always thread with no sex in case of no dancing!? ;-P
Diddy Hyun: Hahhahhah...
Rayzza Rubble: Don't give her ideas, Nadja.
Nadja Revnik: Heh, well, I just tried to find out what makes the guys act like puppets.
Diddy Hyun: They love the attention. Lol. Hehhehhe. All the female spectators.
Nadja Revnik: Ah! Heh. many fans? Some throwing underwear?
Diddy Hyun: Yeah, lol, you got it!
Nadja Revnik: ;-)


Nadja Revnik: And about the animations. Do you create them yourself or do you do the choreo from available dances?
Diddy Hyun: We buy all the annimations from various shops around SL.
Nadja Revnik: Ah, ok, and then you arrange those in a HUD?
Diddy Hyun: Yes, we all use the huddles delux model.
Nadja Revnik: And how did you get the idea to found a dance company?
Diddy Hyun: I had the idea a long time ago, cause I enjoyed it so much. Dancing in SL and making the dances to various different tunes. There are quite a few dance troups in SL and some of the work is very cool.

Home of the Spicy Kitten is a bar called Alleycats.


The Spicy Kitten and Tigers are a dance troupe in SL. The Kittens started off as an all female group and now we have 3 great men with them.  Their groups consists of Diddy Hyun (Dids), Bubble Roffo (Bubs), Diamondgem Destiny (Gem), Tone Larnia (Tone), Jam Xurina (Jam), Gerry Greenberg (Ger) and Rayzza Rubble (Ray).  Jam DJ's for the group.

Apart from dancing in SL, they have been performing plays and the actual set they are performing is a "Soap" called Whats New Pussycat. Epsisode 2, called Leaving, can be seen twice this week:

Thuesday 1:30 PM SLT @ Daytime Rock'n Blues & Thursday 1:00 PM SLT at Alleycats
                                             
In case you missed Episode 1 - here is a summary:

THE STORY LINE BEGINS WITH 4 BLOKES WORKING TOGETHER ON A BUILDING SITE, THEY ARE FED UP WITH WORK AND NO PLAY AND ARE PLANNING IN TAKING OFF FOR A FEW DAYS AND SPEND TIME ON SOME BEACH IN THE SUN

THE GIRLS WHO ALL SHARE A HOUSE AT A SEASIDE TOWN HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE THE DOGS OUT FOR A WALK IN THE PARK

THE FOUR MATES ARE PACKING THERE TRUCK AND HEADING UP COUNTRY FOR A FEW DAYS BREAK AT THE BEACH, THE GIRLS ARE  SUN BAKING ON THE BEACH, THE MEN HAVE JUST ARRIVED

THEY HAVE ALL HAD SOME GOOD TIMES AND HAVE MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO MEET AT THE  LOCAL THAT EVENING DURING THE BREAK BETWEEN SONGS THE MEN ARE TALKING
LIFE HAS MOVED ON AND THE FOUR COUPLES HAVE BECOME CLOSE.
BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT
ITS TIME FOR THE GUYS TO GET BACK AT WORK THERE FEW DAYS BREAK HAVE COME TO A END
DURING THE SONG BREAK GIRLS ARE TALKING

THE MEN ARE PACKING THERE THINGS IN THERE HOTEL ROOMS THERE FEELING DOWN ABOUT LEAVING AND ALREADY MISSING THERE GIRLS

END OF EPISODE ONE - WILL TRUE LOVE COME ALIVE, YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE IN THE NEXT EPISODE :)


Friday, April 22, 2011

Easter Egg Hunt at Monkey Cove Surf Paradise

This blog promotes the Monkey Easter Egg Hunt at Monkey Beach:


Happy Easter from Monkey Cove Island: one of Second Lifes most famous surfing spots with lots of different waves on eight sims. The Easter Bunnies will spread eggs on five of those. A detailed hunting card will be published shortly before the hunt. The hunt will start on sunday, 24th of april, 1:00 PM SLT. People putting hand on any (easter) eggs before 1 PM SLT are automatically disqualified!

It is promoted by the Monkeys - lead Monkey Syx Toshi included - & Cogito Ergo Sum - My Avatar Mind Blog:  http://myavatarmind.blogspot.com/

Thanks to the sponsors, who filled more than 150 eggs with various prices like surfboards, outfits, Lindens, beach furniture, art works & more:

FAKT
Druids Design (https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/23549)
DW Surf Co (www.DeeWaverider.blogspot.com)
OSD Gallery
Pray 4 surf
SunSetz Beach 
Surf Shop 6
 
Valium Lavender - South Shore

and kind Resident Monkeys:

Abel Halderman
Bella Steven
counting Offcourse
River Starr

Have fun and don't forget to live, love and surf!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Wrestling Coaching - Imagine The Pain

Dressed up for sports I met Nina Prater "The Face of Lace" in a lagfree skybox for an individual wrestling training.


Nina Prater: Lemme take you through, what we do in a match.
Nadja Revnik: Ok.
Nina Prater: From OUR side of things, when we walk up to the ring, we turn on every wrestling HUD we'll need: EDGE, ACPWS.
/comment The wresting HUD is available at: Kings And Queens Wrestling Gear
Nadja Revnik: Ok.
Nina Prater: I'm not sure how much detail you want, so m'gonna be a chatterbox.
Nadja Revnik: Great! ;-) I take notes ;-) and let me fall to the ground if needed. ;-)
Nina Prater: Hmmm! OK! When the wrestlers get to this point, they need to get in the ring in their own way, with some style. Some just get in...and then some of us, GET IN!
/comment Nina enters the ring spectaculous at this point of the coaching...like a real wrestling star. You should visit a wrestling event to see that: http://overedgewrestling.webs.com/about.htm
Nina Prater smiles and waves.
Nina Prater: See?
Nadja Revnik: Those animations are in another HUD?
Nina Prater: Nope, they're custom made. Some wrestlers get customized stuff all the time.
Larry102 Panthar: Nina makes them! :)
Nina Prater: It enhances their look!
Nadja Revnik: Ah, I thought a chance for a new business. ;-P
Nina Prater: When the wrestlers get in and are introduced, s'when all of the posturing really comes into play. For this part, turn off your AO, please?
Nadja Revnik: My private animation overrider, yes!?
Nina Prater: Yes, you're good now.
Nadja Revnik prepares for aches...
Nina Prater: Depending on where you're going to watch wrestling in SL, Nadja, you'll see most matches start off with a "who's gonna start stronger" move. Like this: s'a close quarters thing.
Nadja Revnik: Ui...
Nina Prater: Then you'll see one person take the initiative.


Nadja Revnik: Outsch!
Nina Prater: Or like this:...
Nadja Revnik: That hurt!


Nina Prater: Mhmm! Taking those hits early on, set the pace for the rest of the bout.
Nadja Revnik: And just one of the wrestlers controls at time?
Nina Prater: One wrestler does their moves at a time, mhmm. BUT, sometimes, accidents do happen.
Nina Prater winces...


Nadja Revnik: Ack.
Nina Prater: I want you do this for me. Hit F12. Ok, good. Now I want you to type " / clothesline", but don't hit Enter yet. Hit ENTER when I come at you.
Nina Prater: Ouch! A double clothesline! s'an accident that DOES happen.
Nadja Revnik: And now we wait for the ambuance? Call 911 Larry!
Nina Prater: No ambulances unless one of us is bleeding, Nadja! We have to get up!
Nadja Revnik: Oha!
Nina Prater: The show MUST go on! Yeah...ouch.


Nadja Revnik: So where are the hurtful get up anis?
Nina Prater: type / getuphurt. See?
Nadja Revnik: Ok, those are the gestures in the folder I guess?
Nina Prater: Yes! And so much can go wrong in a wrestling match, Nadja.
Nadja Revnik: One can crash. ;-P
Nina Prater: Oh yes! It happens, too. We go through our matches in practices numerous times and sometimes the whole pace can be offset, if a move isn't done right or is skipped. The best match we can put on for a crowd is one where they don't know we messed up!
Nadja Revnik:: Lol.
Nina Prater: M'serious! S'gotta all look natural or the crowd won't believe it. S'just like any other performance art.
Nadja Revnik: So you always know before who the winner is?
Nina Prater: Nope. Not always. There are companies in SL that don't predetermine winners. Sometimes, s'really competitive and s'for keeps. Our job's to make it so you don't know the difference.
Nadja Revnik: If it's set up...who decides, who's the winner, before?
Nina Prater: Depends on the company...The owner of the company can, but sometimes they leave it up to the wrestlers to fight it out.
Nadja Revnik: Throw a coin? ;-)
Nina Prater: Sometimes wrestlers are okay with that! Mhmm. Or throw dice. S'very popular.
Nadja Revnik: Heh.
Nina Prater: There are some matches in SL, not HUD matches, that are even driven by dice throwing!
Nadja Revnik: Oh!
Nina Prater: K, moving on. In SL, you know there's the lag monster creeping 'bout.
Nadja Revnik: Oh yes!
Nina Prater: He's a wrestler's worst enemy in a match that has to be fast paced or requires lots of moving. In this training gym, s'hardly any lag at all. But if you try doing that in a show, s'much harder. But good performers will deal with it and make it look good in spite of the monster, 'cause they've practiced for it. They know their moves inside and out and, Oh Nadja, they have to have this skill: improvisation--- if things get really laggy or messed up.
Nadja Revnik: ;-)
Nina Prater: Like this: say you and me started up doing this and when you typed in your move, nothing happened. You're staying like this. You type it again, nothing happens! What does somebody like me do in this case? We need to keep the hold going or change it up while you catch up, and outrun the lag monster.


Nadja Revnik: Outsch
Nina Prater: Gotta be careful with this move, mhmm. And when you're ready, type "/ punch" and you just broke the hold, letting me know you're ready to go on with the match. Hehe! Now we get to the match ending. Both of us are tired. One of us needs to finish off the other! We do that, most of the time, by pinfall or submission moves . Do you know what a pinfall is?
Nadja Revnik: No!
Nina Prater: Ok.
Nadja Revnik: Germans know not much about wrestling usually.
Nina Prater: S'when a person is able to keep their opponent's shoulders flat on the canvas or mat for 3 seconds.


Nadja Revnik: Ok.
Nina Prater: Those 3 seconds are counted by a referee. We NEED a referee to begin and end the match.
Nadja Revnik: Does he know, how the match is ending, when it's set before?
Nina Prater: If it's set, he'll know before or RIGHT when s'bout to end. But he knows. Oh, and submission moves: these moves are holds that get you to finally say "I give up". Like this...


Nadja Revnik: Uh!
Nina Prater: This:...Or this:...
Nadja Revnik: How nice to stickin your but. ;-P
Nina Prater: These are moves that can get you to give up and the referee is listening for you to say it. He might even ask you if you want to give up.
Nadja Revnik: Ok.
Nina Prater: K, hit F12 again. That's a submission move ending to a match. Pinfalls look like this.
Nadja Revnik: Well, I feel the pain!


Nina Prater: Mhmm! And sorry for that! S'no other way to write 'bout wrestling than to feel it. Lemme help you up.
Nadja Revnik: Heh.
Nina Prater: That's the basics of what we do!
Nina Prater smiles
Nadja Revnik: And how did you control everything? You have moves on your HUD? Or was it all gestures?
Nina Prater: I'm typing everything out, that you saw.
Nadja Revnik: And I do have to stand in the right distance to do it?
Nina Prater: Mhmm, the gestures are all activated inside of the ACPWS HUD folder. Right distance and you have to be lined up correctly for the moves to look proper.
Nadja Revnik: I did not know a gesture can influence two persons at a time.
Nina Prater: The only way they can, s'because of the sensor located beneath the ring. Remember when you saw my name come up in your HUD?
Nadja Revnik: Yes!
Nina Prater: That's me signing into the sensor of the HUD. Same with you: you signed in. And when you click on my name or anybody else's that's signed into the HUD, you can do moves on them.
Nadja Revnik: Ok. Do you know, if there are other sports using this technics?
Nina Prater: I think there are boxing and Mixed Martial Arts companies that do it this way.
Nadja Revnik: Upsi...sorry! ;-)


Nina Prater: S'okay! Now you're seeing how the moves are done. See? Gotta line up and be the right distance.
Nadja Revnik: ;-) I start liking it. ;-P
Nina Prater: When you start putting all of these moves together, you get a match!
Nadja Revnik: ;-)
Larry102 Panthar: and of course the announcers help sell the moves to the crowd :)
Nina Prater: All of the extra stuff like promotionals and voice commentary just ADD ON to the experience for the fans. Makes for a better show!
Nadja Revnik: You always need to have a ring with sensor then for trying it out!?
Nina Prater: Mhmm, or just the sensor. The sensor has a limited range and s'mostly just used for the space in and around the rings.
Nadja Revnik: Is it available for everyone?
Nina Prater: The sensor? Yes!
Nadja Revnik: You simply buy it?
Nina Prater: Mhmm. But here's how not just ANYONE can jump in the ring during a wrestling show, some companies have barriers that prevent people from going past a certain point. If a fan jumps the barricade or barrier, they will be ejected.
Nadja Revnik: How is that sensor called?
Nina Prater gave you ACPWS PE Sensor (FX).
Nina Prater: There you go!
/comment if you have any serious matters with me, youre welcome to discuss this in my ring ;-P
Nadja Revnik: Thanks a lot for the sensor, the coaching and all explanations! ;-)
Nina Prater: You're welcome!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Wrestling in SL - an interview with former Southern US champ in the OEW arena

jw and me talking in the OEW arena.

Nadja Revnik: How often do wrestling events take place?
jw Beeswing: We have 3 weekly events: monday 4slt, thursday 4slt and saturday 4slt and a sunday fpv once a month, sundays at 12slt.
Nadja Revnik: What's DCWF standing for?
jw Beeswing: DCWF is another wrestling federation.
Nadja Revnik: How many are there?
jw Beeswing: There are quite a few, but three major coed feds. DCW, OEW and VWE and a all female fed HAWX. O.E.W. is Over The Edge Wrestling. D.C.W.F. is Digital championship wrestling federation. V.W.E is Virtual Wrestling enertainment. Hawx is Hot Ass Wrestling Xtreme.
Nadja Revnik: Lol. And is there one or four wrestling leagues then?
jw Beeswing: 4 different leagues. But we all use the same basic moves.
Nadja Revnik: And you are number one in yours?
jw Beeswing: No, I am not the world champ. I am the Southern US champion. Derrick Zane is O.E.W. Champion. We also have a womens division here.
Nadja Revnikk: Um? How is the list or rating organised?
jw Beeswing: Well, here the top male is the World champion, Top Female womens Champ. Then US title and Souther US title are equal. Cruiserweight and hardcore are equal. Then We Have World Tag and Womens Tag. And tomorrow we will crown the first ever TV Champion. As we are on Metaverse.
Nadja Revnik: And how does the wrestling technically work in SL?
jw Beeswing: We use a gestured based HUD called the ACPWS.
Nadja Revnik: And the HUD recognizes the moves of the two persons in the ring?
jw Beeswing: Yes.
Nadja Revnik: I guess there is no option to try out the HUD without buying one? Just to see how it works?
jw Beeswing: The hud is free. Tomorrow, if you like, I can set you up a sparring session with a female wrestler.
/comment and that's what you read about in my next blog report...how my bones cracked on the floor.
Nadja Revnik: Oh, cool!
/commment I said naively without imagining the pains.
Nadja Revnik: Why did you start wrestling in SL?
jw Beeswing: Because I am a huge wrestling fan of 20 years in RL.
Nadja Revnik: Ah, ok. ;-)
jw Beeswing: And I always dreamed of wrestling and I can in SL.
Nadja Revnik: For how long you are a wrestler here?
jw Beeswing: Almost 2 years!
Nadja Revnik: Long, for SL time. And how would you describe the wrestling community?
jw Beeswing: Since day two on SL I've been doing this. And for the most part it is a strong community.
Nadja Revnik: What kinda guys are in it?
jw Beeswing: We have a plethra of guys we have emo to jock to goth to geek to chic.
Nadja Revnik: I see you're a frat boy - is this connected to wrestling in some way?
jw Beeswing: Not really, I was a wrestler first. But my frat brother and sority sisters come to the matches to support me.
Nadja Revnik: Do you train a lot for the matches?
jw Beeswing: See SL wrestling is a sport that demands dedication as you do not get paid, you really have to have a love for it. And yes I train alot.
Nadja Revnik: So wrestlers are taking it really serious? I mean the competition? And not just a fun thing?
jw Beeswing: Some take it serious, but a lot do it for fun.
Nadja Revnik: Ok. And a last question for the interview: why do you think people engage in sports in SL in general?
jw Beeswing: For me it is a combonation: I take it serious from the aspect that I am here to do one thing: give the fans a good show. So I must be on top of my game as well as my opponet. But I do it for fun and the love of it. Well, to me SL is a place you can come to escape RL and do stuff you may not be able to do in RL. So any sport you can do in SL gives every one who has ever dreamed of being a sports star that ability.
Nadja Revnik: ;-) Well, thanks for your time jw!

A short time after I interviewed jw i visted a wrestling match and shoot some pics.....







Friday, April 1, 2011

It's April 1st

and what started as an april fool joke ended up in a bunch of people with broken arms and legs...not to speak about broken wood boards. After the SLSA Surfing Accosiation started an April joke of setting up a sand wave to surf on, Luscious Starship made the nightmare come real at a hidden place above Tsunami. If you always dreamed about crushing your bones, its a must to see today!

Take a ride through sand and rocks if you dare at: http://slurl.com/secondlife/TSUNAMI%20BEACH/107/25/808 Don't be a chicken! ;-P







Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Vibes team captain Buffy Munro speaks about surfing - SL Surfing Part 3


Nadja Revnik: Wellcome Miss Munro! Finally a female surfer! For how long do you surf in SL?
Buffy Munro: Since 2007! A long time now. Haha.
Nadja Revnik: Wow, yei!
Nadja Revnik: Is it your birthyear?
Buffy Munro: Yes.
Nadja Revnik: Did you start right away?
Buffy Munro: But I joined SL in Feb and I didn't find surfing until about October.
Nadja Revnik: Ah, ok ,-) How did you come to surfing back then?
Buffy Munro: I was in a club one night and got talking to this guy. I'd only been in and out of SL a bit. I'd not done much at all in SL and he asked if I had been to any beaches and I had not, so he tp'd me to a fantastic beach...Majini Island ;-)
Nadja Revnik: It seems everyone started there; me as well ;-)
Buffy Munro: Hehe, was a fantastic place. I got on my first SL surf board that night.
Nadja Revnik: Still got it?
Buffy Munro: No, VW was on the beach and he lent me one. Couldn't believe you could do that in SL! Haha.
Nadja Revnik: Ah, heh, same here...as well got a board rezzed by VW, when I surfed the first time. But I can't remember which year I started.
Buffy Munro: LOL.
Nadja Revnik: But didn't made it to become team captain ;-)
Buffy Munro: Hehe.
Nadja Revnik: Prolly too lazy.
Buffy Munro: LOL!
Buffy Munro: I very rarely left Majini after that.
Nadja Revnik: Vibes was already founded that days?
/comment Vibes is the team where my interview partner is team captain at. 

Buffy at new Vibes club house at Vibes beach.

Buffy Munro: Yes, just.
Nadja Revnik:  And what makes SL surfing special for you?
Buffy Munro: It was always the people really....I have enjoyed competing in the past but I get dead nervous! Just the people I have met have made it so special.
Nadja Revnik: :-)
Buffy Munro: A lot of people come and go, but certain ones remain ....I was just thinking last night that this is going to be the 4th Christmas that I have known certain people here.
Nadja Revnik: That's nice!
Buffy Munro: Maybe been here to long. ROFL
Nadja Revnik: Lol. Does your clicker surf as well?
Buffy Munro: My what?
Nadja Revnik: Lol. The RL person behind your avatar.
Buffy Munro: Oh real me. ROFL. Bit slow...haha.
/comment Miss Munro seems to like to laugh a lot ;-)
Nadja Revnik: ;-)
Buffy Munro: Well, I used to live in Newquay, England, which is a well known surf town. I can't say I've ever been the best surfer in RL but always enjoyed trying LOL. I'm better on a body board...haha...surfers nightmare. LOL
Nadja Revnik: Well, fun is most important, eh?
Buffy Munro: I am more balanced in SL.Lmao.
Nadja Revnik: Heh. What is the job of a team captain?
Buffy Munro: I recruit, be there for them all, pick scoring surfers in the comps, as only 5 can count for team points, attempt to have meetings that usually turn in to a party!
Nadja Revnik: Last part seems to be fun! ;-)
Buffy Munro: Haha. Always happens. They are a great bunch of people.
Nadja Revnik: Should surf more and get on a team to party more. ;-P
Buffy Munro: Vibers really is about the fun. I would never ask them to do anything, if they don't want to compete, it doesn't mean they are not on the team anymore...my little family.
Nadja Revnik: ;-)

SLSA award ceremony 2010

Buffy Munro: We are a small team and we won this season! Wooohoo!!! Hahaaa. I've waited ages for that moment.
Nadja Revnik: The whole season? Great!
Buffy Munro: It feels great! ;-)
Nadja Revnik: Grats on this!
Buffy Munro: thx :)
Nadja Revnik: And saturday you will be honored?
Buffy Munro: Yes! I have to accept the trophy, hehe.
Nadja Revnik: Heh, hope you ate enough.
Buffy Munro: Been looking for something to wear. ROFL
Nadja Revnik: Oh yei, for the press pics ;-)
Buffy Munro: Haha.
Nadja Revnik: And I have a last question as well: why do you think people engage in sports in SL in general?
Buffy Munro: Personally, as I said before I did it because I got hooked on the people...I can't speak for others....freedom maybe? They are able to do something they couldn't necessarily do in RL.
Nadja Revnik: Thanks for the fun interview Miss Munro!