When you eliminate all thoughts about life and death, you will be able to totally disregard your earthly life.
(Continued in "Comments".)
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Happy birthday SL
My first event at the SL Fourth Birthday Celebrations went well. It was nice to get a chance to play for my friends again. There were a couple of people there who were shouting obscenities at each other. I don't know why, but I thought it was kinda funny actually.
Afterwards I sat down and listened to the voices of the past to find out what I had missed and what people had said. I also looked at my accounts to see who had tipped me. It's very sad that I found myself thinking things like, "So-and-so said nice things during the concert, but only tipped a small amount." Friends, I tell you, money is the root of all evil. We would be much happier without it.
Afterwards I sat down and listened to the voices of the past to find out what I had missed and what people had said. I also looked at my accounts to see who had tipped me. It's very sad that I found myself thinking things like, "So-and-so said nice things during the concert, but only tipped a small amount." Friends, I tell you, money is the root of all evil. We would be much happier without it.
The History of Sound Recording and Reproduction
[With grateful acknowledgments to Wikipedia.]1877: Edison invents the phonograph.
1889: Berliner invents the gramophone disc.
1906: Lee De Forest invents the vacuum-tube amplifier.
1920s: Electrical recording begins to surpass mechanical recording in terms of sound fidelity.
1930s: Magnetic tape invented.
1940s: Vinyl records offer improved performance.
1947: Shockley, Bardeen and Brattain invent the transistor, which gradually replaces the vacuum tube and allows miniaturization of audio equipment.
1966: Dolby's noise reduction system brings a key advance in audio fidelity.
1983: Digital sound recording and compact discs initiate a massive wave of change in the consumer music industry. Typical consumer equipment today (2007) provides 24-bit audio (meaning that quantization noise is negligible, at -144dB), a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 93dB, and a total harmonic distortion of only 0.01% over 1kHz. This means that digital media can capture sound perfectly over a dynamic range of 90dB, from a soft whisper (20dB) up to the sound intensity at the front rows of a rock concert (110dB).
1990s: Audiences and music consumers demand higher and higher loudness. Recording engineers and broadcasters turn up the knobs in a loudness war, resulting in sound waveforms hitting the digital ceiling and causing distortion and a reduction of dynamic range. Today (2007) it is common for CDs to have RMS levels of -10dB to -5dB; the dynamic range is probably only 10-20dB, out of the possible 90dB. I don't know how to estimate how much "total harmonic distortion" is caused by the clipping; my guess is at least 1%, much greater than the intrinsic 0.01% specification of the equipment. The days of hi-fi are gone.
Please watch this two-minute video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gmex_4hreQ, and have a look at the section called "Dynamic Range: Then and Now" near the bottom of this page: http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_big_squeeze/.
The video gives a good explanation, but it understates the severity of the issue. It suggests that signal clipping causes just the loss of drum transients and dynamic range. It has much worse effects than that. It causes utter destruction of tone quality for non-percussion instruments. Please compare the following recordings of the opening of Beethoven's Pathétique Sonata. The second one is boosted by 14dB relative to the first. (The files are 34 seconds long. They do not play properly in some players---sorry about that.)
PathetiqueOpeningOriginal.mp3
PathetiqueOpeningClipped.mp3
Friday, June 22, 2007
Seeking Balance
My dear fellow humans: we cut down trees. We wipe out species. We pollute the seas and emit greenhouse gases. We upset the balance of the ecosystem. This is why we need to have guns, so that we can kill each other more efficiently, solve the problem of overpopulation, and help the planet return to its natural equilibrium.
Here's how you can help save the world.
Here's how you can help save the world.
Shameless huckstering
As part of the Second Life 4th Birthday Celebrations, I will be giving a series of informal recitals:
Saturday Jun 23, 5PM SLT "An Evening of Bach" (to be confirmed)
Wednesday Jun 27, 4PM SLT (TBA)
Saturday Jun 30, 11AM SLT (TBA)
Saturday Jun 30, 8PM SLT (TBA)
Saturday Jun 23, 5PM SLT "An Evening of Bach" (to be confirmed)
Wednesday Jun 27, 4PM SLT (TBA)
Saturday Jun 30, 11AM SLT (TBA)
Saturday Jun 30, 8PM SLT (TBA)
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Thank you, my friends
Today was a good day, and I learnt about the differences between moths and butterflies.
My dear friends, thank you for being with me. I love you all.
My dear friends, thank you for being with me. I love you all.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
I am giving up...
There is something telling me that I may just have to give up everything I had hoped for.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
[Mainly RL] In Defence of Cognition against Persecution
Curiosity is one of the greatest gifts of humankind. When observing nature, humans throughout the ages wondered about its workings. "What immortal hand or eye / Could frame thy fearful symmetry?"
Thus were born mythology and natural philosophy. Our understanding of the universe is now greater than ever. And yet it does not diminish our appreciation of it --- in fact, it should increase it, to know that there is so much more out there that we cannot see with the naked eye. We understand the behavior of light, and yet this does not prevent us from enjoying a clear blue sky or a brilliant sunset. We understand how the invisible hand of the wind is able to create tiny ripples or huge ocean waves, and yet this does not prevent us from standing on the beach, alone or with company, and staring out over the sea in awe.
Similarly, after we stand admiring a great work of art, or literature, or poetry, or music, that same natural instinct --- curiosity --- may compel us to try and understand the workings of the mind of the creator, out of reverence to him or her --- in the same way as we try to understand those we love --- and out of our own desire to learn, to better ourselves. It is a matter of humility. We know that great works are grown from seeds of sacred inspiration, and there is much that we can never explain rationally, but we still try to study them and the background behind them. Sometimes, this gives us glimpses of the creator's thoughts of feelings that we hadn't already perceived. Sometimes, it leads us to a deeper insight into our own minds. We do not intend our analyses or literary criticisms to replace the work and its original emotional impact; they are (or should be meant to) complement and enhance it, perhaps subconsciously, perhaps on a future reading. We do not intend to reduce it to its mere components, but rather to understand what they are, where they are, and how they are connected --- think of William Harvey --- and thus gain a greater understanding of the whole. A diamond is far more valuable than a photograph of a diamond; a sculpture is far more valuable than a postcard of a sculpture. These things have substance; they have many facets, and infinitely many different appearances, depending on what angle you look at them from, and on the lighting. Analysis allows us to look at a poem not just in plan view, but also through the new dimensions of rhyme, meter, cadence, and structure. Research into the background of the artist, and the context of the work, is the lighting that helps us appreciate hidden aspects of the sculpture that we might have missed in its absence --- or to see how different it appears in day and in night. In the case of music and poetry reading, both can help us prepare for a performance --- I can sight-read and improvise, but I also appreciate the value of detailed study, now that I am more mature and humble than I was as a child.
I do not say that analysis or research are necessarily the most important part of art, or an important part at all. In fact, they are often absent from the creative process itself. Those who know me well know that direct emotional impact is, to me, almost a definition of art itself. However, I do feel that some amount of study can enhance our appreciation in certain cases, and I protest against those who would universally bar me from it.
There are those who would have me look at a sculpture only in its entirety, and only from a single angle. There are those who would have me listen to music without knowing, or caring, about the person who wrote it. There are those who would cover my eyes, cage my mind, bridle my thought. It may be that they have never had the experience of enlightenment acquired through one's own effort. Unfortunately, that experience, by its very definition, is no-copy and no-transfer.
Surely, the sum of the whole and the parts is greater than the whole?
What arrogance to believe that the shallow surface of the ocean holds the secrets of the deep.
And how pernicious to demand of others the same belief to keep.
Why is it that in our society, any attempt at conscious thought leads to accusations of "being a scientist" or "being a mathematician"?
You decry religion. Yet you persecute cognition, as did the Church of four hundred years ago. Your attitude --- do not think --- is the very same one responsible for so many of the negative aspects of religion.
Burn me at the stake if you will. E pur si muove!
Thus were born mythology and natural philosophy. Our understanding of the universe is now greater than ever. And yet it does not diminish our appreciation of it --- in fact, it should increase it, to know that there is so much more out there that we cannot see with the naked eye. We understand the behavior of light, and yet this does not prevent us from enjoying a clear blue sky or a brilliant sunset. We understand how the invisible hand of the wind is able to create tiny ripples or huge ocean waves, and yet this does not prevent us from standing on the beach, alone or with company, and staring out over the sea in awe.
Similarly, after we stand admiring a great work of art, or literature, or poetry, or music, that same natural instinct --- curiosity --- may compel us to try and understand the workings of the mind of the creator, out of reverence to him or her --- in the same way as we try to understand those we love --- and out of our own desire to learn, to better ourselves. It is a matter of humility. We know that great works are grown from seeds of sacred inspiration, and there is much that we can never explain rationally, but we still try to study them and the background behind them. Sometimes, this gives us glimpses of the creator's thoughts of feelings that we hadn't already perceived. Sometimes, it leads us to a deeper insight into our own minds. We do not intend our analyses or literary criticisms to replace the work and its original emotional impact; they are (or should be meant to) complement and enhance it, perhaps subconsciously, perhaps on a future reading. We do not intend to reduce it to its mere components, but rather to understand what they are, where they are, and how they are connected --- think of William Harvey --- and thus gain a greater understanding of the whole. A diamond is far more valuable than a photograph of a diamond; a sculpture is far more valuable than a postcard of a sculpture. These things have substance; they have many facets, and infinitely many different appearances, depending on what angle you look at them from, and on the lighting. Analysis allows us to look at a poem not just in plan view, but also through the new dimensions of rhyme, meter, cadence, and structure. Research into the background of the artist, and the context of the work, is the lighting that helps us appreciate hidden aspects of the sculpture that we might have missed in its absence --- or to see how different it appears in day and in night. In the case of music and poetry reading, both can help us prepare for a performance --- I can sight-read and improvise, but I also appreciate the value of detailed study, now that I am more mature and humble than I was as a child.
I do not say that analysis or research are necessarily the most important part of art, or an important part at all. In fact, they are often absent from the creative process itself. Those who know me well know that direct emotional impact is, to me, almost a definition of art itself. However, I do feel that some amount of study can enhance our appreciation in certain cases, and I protest against those who would universally bar me from it.
There are those who would have me look at a sculpture only in its entirety, and only from a single angle. There are those who would have me listen to music without knowing, or caring, about the person who wrote it. There are those who would cover my eyes, cage my mind, bridle my thought. It may be that they have never had the experience of enlightenment acquired through one's own effort. Unfortunately, that experience, by its very definition, is no-copy and no-transfer.
Surely, the sum of the whole and the parts is greater than the whole?
What arrogance to believe that the shallow surface of the ocean holds the secrets of the deep.
And how pernicious to demand of others the same belief to keep.
Why is it that in our society, any attempt at conscious thought leads to accusations of "being a scientist" or "being a mathematician"?
You decry religion. Yet you persecute cognition, as did the Church of four hundred years ago. Your attitude --- do not think --- is the very same one responsible for so many of the negative aspects of religion.
Burn me at the stake if you will. E pur si muove!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
A Wandering Spirit
I'm beginning to wonder if I should pull out of the groups I'm currently associated with, and go and wander the world again.
I love my friends, but I don't know if I can fit into what they are doing. I just want to be happy, and make others happy. But all my friends have grand visions that get grander every week. These visions involve land. Land requires money. Lots of money. It seems to be spiralling out of control. And money is the root of all evil. It causes so much conflict. My rl alter ego continues to maintain a policy of financial independence: no money will be put into this world, and none will be taken out. But I feel this isn't fair to my friends. I feel as if I'm exploiting their hospitality, living and having fun on their land, and never paying them back for it. I do give them most of the tips I earn from concerts on their land, but this will barely make a dent in their tier fees. I still feel like an irresponsible gypsy girl and a drain on my friends' resources.
Maybe I should pack up all my things, free up the land and the prims for my friends, and become a wandering minstrel. I would work on my projects in sandboxes, and maybe peddle my wares from a caravan or at some bazaar for whatever cheap price they could sell for.
Or maybe I could get a little plot of land somewhere, initially supported with tips from performances, and set up shop on it and slowly expand a business, at my own pace, without obligations to anyone else. I would start small, and be self-supporting all the way....
I don't understand people's dreams about owning lots of land and building magnificent structures. I know why. It is because I am a musician, not an artist or sculptor or architect. Whereas others live in space, I live in time. I specialize in transient creations. Fleeting beauty. I need no prims and no land beyond a small parcel to stream from. I have copyable donuts in my inventory, which I can eat whenever I want to. I don't need money to live. I can avoid the curses of the material world. On the copy of my poem in the Truth and Beauty garden, Tyrol wrote the author's name as "Catherine Moody, Gypsy Spirit". That's what I am. A spirit, like S. and P. after they died, free to roam the world.
I love my friends, but I don't know if I can fit into what they are doing. I just want to be happy, and make others happy. But all my friends have grand visions that get grander every week. These visions involve land. Land requires money. Lots of money. It seems to be spiralling out of control. And money is the root of all evil. It causes so much conflict. My rl alter ego continues to maintain a policy of financial independence: no money will be put into this world, and none will be taken out. But I feel this isn't fair to my friends. I feel as if I'm exploiting their hospitality, living and having fun on their land, and never paying them back for it. I do give them most of the tips I earn from concerts on their land, but this will barely make a dent in their tier fees. I still feel like an irresponsible gypsy girl and a drain on my friends' resources.
Maybe I should pack up all my things, free up the land and the prims for my friends, and become a wandering minstrel. I would work on my projects in sandboxes, and maybe peddle my wares from a caravan or at some bazaar for whatever cheap price they could sell for.
Or maybe I could get a little plot of land somewhere, initially supported with tips from performances, and set up shop on it and slowly expand a business, at my own pace, without obligations to anyone else. I would start small, and be self-supporting all the way....
I don't understand people's dreams about owning lots of land and building magnificent structures. I know why. It is because I am a musician, not an artist or sculptor or architect. Whereas others live in space, I live in time. I specialize in transient creations. Fleeting beauty. I need no prims and no land beyond a small parcel to stream from. I have copyable donuts in my inventory, which I can eat whenever I want to. I don't need money to live. I can avoid the curses of the material world. On the copy of my poem in the Truth and Beauty garden, Tyrol wrote the author's name as "Catherine Moody, Gypsy Spirit". That's what I am. A spirit, like S. and P. after they died, free to roam the world.
"Je chante! Je chante soir et matin,
Je chante sur les chemins,
Je hante les fermes et les châteaux,
Un fantôme qui chante, on trouve ça rigolo
Je couche, parmi les fleurs des talus,
Les mouches ne me piquent plus
Je suis heureux, ça va, j'ai plus faim,
Heureux, et libre enfin!"
— From "Je chante" by Charles Trenet (1913-2001)
Loose translation by Catherine Moody:
"I sing! I sing from dawn to dusk,
I sing as I go on my way.
I haunt the farms and the castles I pass,
A singing ghost — how funny, people say.
I sleep among flowers on slopes of soft grass,
No longer do flies bother me.
I'm happy, and hunger's a thing of the past,
Happy, at last, and free!"
Friday, June 8, 2007
New clothes for Catherine Moody!
A long, long time ago, when I was still a newbie, I held a tea party in my makeshift house at the New Citizens Plaza in Kuula. If you've read the early posts on this blog, you might remember this story. Well, I met several interesting people that day, including Larry Anaconda, Hooper March, and Blu Laszlo.
It is interesting to see how things have developed over time and how people have grown. Larry is now one of our Brothers. At one of Lehua Lamington's storytelling sessions I ran into Hooper March, whose group was hosting the event; the group was campaigning to save the earth — a noble cause indeed. Blu is just a couple of weeks younger than me, and she was very new when I met her, but I remember that she already had a clear vision for the future. In fact, she had already begun making clothes then. While I was mucking around, Blu was hard at work setting up her business, and she now runs Cosmic Connections, a chain of eighteen clothing stores.
I hardly ever see Blu, but FD is her friend, and brought her into the Brotherhood; she made a nice t-shirt for us. When she came to visit us in Blue Hound, she gave me a lovely white lace dress with flexi armbands called "Wonderous White". I've been wearing it to formal events and concerts ever since, and people always compliment me on it. I tell them, proudly, that it was made by clothing designer Blu Laszlo and she gave it to me. It is great for dancing in, too! I always remember when Secundo took out his dance balls and said, "catherine I have to see those tassels swirl!"
The next time I saw Blu, we were floating 500 meters up in the air, having an impromptu business meeting which really wasn't my type of thing. Someone was asking alpha and FD for business advice, and FD suggested asking Blu, since she had experience. I took the opportunity to thank Blu for the dress she had given me, and to tell her that people were always admiring it. I was shocked when she then gave me nine packs of beautiful gowns and casual wear from her shop. They must have been worth thousands of linden dollars! I was so touched by her generosity. The clothes are decent, but cute, and they suit my personality perfectly! I like to think that Blu remembers me from our newbie days and she is kind to me for auld acquaintance's sake, although that's probably just my imagination... I was just one of the thousands of random people who passed through her life at some stage.
Anyway, here is me in front of the Cosmic Connections store at Shelly Bea. Do come and check it out, as well as the main store at Heartland Mall:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Heartland/112/142/23
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fortinbras/109/24/29
This light blue top and jeans make me feel so cute. Thank you Blu!
It is interesting to see how things have developed over time and how people have grown. Larry is now one of our Brothers. At one of Lehua Lamington's storytelling sessions I ran into Hooper March, whose group was hosting the event; the group was campaigning to save the earth — a noble cause indeed. Blu is just a couple of weeks younger than me, and she was very new when I met her, but I remember that she already had a clear vision for the future. In fact, she had already begun making clothes then. While I was mucking around, Blu was hard at work setting up her business, and she now runs Cosmic Connections, a chain of eighteen clothing stores.
I hardly ever see Blu, but FD is her friend, and brought her into the Brotherhood; she made a nice t-shirt for us. When she came to visit us in Blue Hound, she gave me a lovely white lace dress with flexi armbands called "Wonderous White". I've been wearing it to formal events and concerts ever since, and people always compliment me on it. I tell them, proudly, that it was made by clothing designer Blu Laszlo and she gave it to me. It is great for dancing in, too! I always remember when Secundo took out his dance balls and said, "catherine I have to see those tassels swirl!"
The next time I saw Blu, we were floating 500 meters up in the air, having an impromptu business meeting which really wasn't my type of thing. Someone was asking alpha and FD for business advice, and FD suggested asking Blu, since she had experience. I took the opportunity to thank Blu for the dress she had given me, and to tell her that people were always admiring it. I was shocked when she then gave me nine packs of beautiful gowns and casual wear from her shop. They must have been worth thousands of linden dollars! I was so touched by her generosity. The clothes are decent, but cute, and they suit my personality perfectly! I like to think that Blu remembers me from our newbie days and she is kind to me for auld acquaintance's sake, although that's probably just my imagination... I was just one of the thousands of random people who passed through her life at some stage.
Anyway, here is me in front of the Cosmic Connections store at Shelly Bea. Do come and check it out, as well as the main store at Heartland Mall:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Heartland/112/142/23
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fortinbras/109/24/29
This light blue top and jeans make me feel so cute. Thank you Blu!
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
An evening with Thom Dowd
Today Tyrol and I went to listen to recorder player Thom Dowd in Bliss Basin. It was difficult to get there at first — I jumped off a platform 500m up in the sky, fell onto the grass at 20m, and then climbed up a rocky path to get to the venue — but it was worth it. What a beautiful setting, and what a wonderful program of Renaissance and Baroque music! I don't know much about music from that period but I thought it was great. There were so many people there that we could hardly move. It was great to see familiar faces in the crowd — Lorelei, Melissa, Christine, and even Roko the reporter. Friends! I love you all! And Thom, have a good holiday... I hope you will come back to play for us again soon!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
My first real sale!
On Sunday evening we were dancing in Faeria, as we are wont to do, while the red cardinal —Faeria's latest addition — flew around us in endless circles, attached to an invisible ball by an invisible leash. Mykyl's animator had to sleep, so she poofed away, and I took her place on the pink dance ball. Cuznit was a fine dancer, and we talked a bit as he twirled me around.
Suddenly, I heard soft music, and a gentle voice — my own voice — saying:
"Dear customer...
"Oh, who touched my card?" I said, aloud.
And, after trying one of my cards again — with her ears unplugged — she bought it! I was so excited. This was the first time a stranger had bought anything from me! I felt so good, as if I was worth something after all. This was a milestone for me! Long live Faeria! Maybe one day I will be able to get a steady income from sales so I can repay all my wonderful friends for letting me live, work, and play on their land.
It's kinda sad that we measure our worth in terms of earning power or linden dollar balance. If we treat life as a game where the objective is to make more linden dollars than everybody else, we will be missing out on so much... on things like art and music and poetry and PHC. The most important things are ones that money can't buy. Friendship and love and life. I am very sad for our friend who is going through a difficult time now. Aianna we love you very much and we will sit by your side if you need us. I will keep you in my prayers.
Suddenly, I heard soft music, and a gentle voice — my own voice — saying:
"Dear customer...
"Oh, who touched my card?" I said, aloud.
"This is a musical greeting card brought to you
by Catherine Moody, Faeria Village, and
the Brotherhood of the Twisted Prim.
You can customize this message to your liking and..." continued the card.
"I did," said a stranger's voice.
I quickly cast my gaze towards the bookshop. There was a lady there with a somewhat striking appearance. The card continued talking. "Oh hello there! Yay, thank you for checking out our stuff in The Booksmythe!" I said. "I hope you managed to hear the music and see the particles."
"Actually I didn't have my sound on, but I will put it on and listen - thanks," she said.
"May I help you at all?" I asked. "Mykyl Nordwind, the owner of the village and the author of these books, is away right now."
We talked more. She had found Faeria through a search for "books". She was the entertainment organizer for a social club and was looking for live musicians to perform for it. She noticed the picture of the keyboard on my signboard, and asked me if I played. I said, yes, I play classical mainly, but I do other stuff too, I enjoy doing light background music as well as serious recitals, yada yada. She seemed to be quite interested, and said she might hire me to play for her club.And, after trying one of my cards again — with her ears unplugged — she bought it! I was so excited. This was the first time a stranger had bought anything from me! I felt so good, as if I was worth something after all. This was a milestone for me! Long live Faeria! Maybe one day I will be able to get a steady income from sales so I can repay all my wonderful friends for letting me live, work, and play on their land.
It's kinda sad that we measure our worth in terms of earning power or linden dollar balance. If we treat life as a game where the objective is to make more linden dollars than everybody else, we will be missing out on so much... on things like art and music and poetry and PHC. The most important things are ones that money can't buy. Friendship and love and life. I am very sad for our friend who is going through a difficult time now. Aianna we love you very much and we will sit by your side if you need us. I will keep you in my prayers.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
I'm becoming famous!
2007-5-30
[Some artistic license has been taken here.]
Today the poetry guild had a meeting at a "space park" with planets and other funny things. The platform was some distance from the teleport point, and I flew up and down with my multitool trying to land on it. Eventually I fell smack on my face on it.
"Oww," I said. "Holen Sie einen Krankenwagen."
Jennifer Mahoney called out to me, "Nice landing Catherine!"
Well, the other day I took FD and Frode to Info Island to show them the giant chessboard. I walked round the whole sim, and FD followed beside me while sitting on my Little Pengi, but the chessboard was nowhere to be seen. When we went back to the telehub to ask if anyone had seen the chessboard, a stranger said, "Catherine Moody, I hope to come to your concerts some time. I missed the last one." I wonder how he had found out about it. Tyrol is doing a great job with those advertisements....
After my Bach recital on Sunday 2007-5-27, I was interviewed by a reporter called Roko Johin. The article is out now! Yay, thank you Roko! Unfortunately it is in German, so I had trouble understanding it. I asked the little babel fish who lives at www.google.com to translate it for me. Here is what it said:
[Some artistic license has been taken here.]
Today the poetry guild had a meeting at a "space park" with planets and other funny things. The platform was some distance from the teleport point, and I flew up and down with my multitool trying to land on it. Eventually I fell smack on my face on it.
"Oww," I said. "Holen Sie einen Krankenwagen."
Jennifer Mahoney called out to me, "Nice landing Catherine!"
Licentious Maladay said, "Catherine! You know, I didn't realize how intimately connected to the Multigadget you really are when you read your poem. Your name is in the instructions."
"Huh, my name is in the instructions? I don't understand," I said.
"Yes," Licentious whispered (to avoid disturbing the other people), "when I opened the Multi Gadget Reference Manual, there was your poem — I figured you were involved."
"When? Where?!" I asked incredulously. "No, I am a third party . Honestly. Where did you get the manual from?"
"I'll give it to you," said Lic. "It comes with the update." He passed me a copy of the Multi Gadget Reference Manual.
"Oh my beloved Lindens. When did you get that update?" I said.
"A couple of weeks ago I guess."
"Doesn't make sense. I only wrote the poem last week."
"Oh - could be - if I make a mistake and wear an old one I get another copy of the new one.... It could have come a couple of days ago. This is interesting. Maybe I should ask them for royalties. Strange... the instruction manual is for the Multi Gadget, not for the HelloMultiTool which I wrote about."
"You're famous!" said Lic.
I laughed. "Who gave my poem to the Multi Gadget people? It must have been someone who attended the poetry guild meeting. ...?"
"Not I!" said Lic. "But it's nice to have your work recognized! And distributed to hundreds of people in SL!"
I thought about it, and Licentious was right. Recognized and distributed to hundreds of people. Maybe if I become famous I can change the world for the better, like Mykyl wants to do. Or maybe it's just a silly dream.Well, the other day I took FD and Frode to Info Island to show them the giant chessboard. I walked round the whole sim, and FD followed beside me while sitting on my Little Pengi, but the chessboard was nowhere to be seen. When we went back to the telehub to ask if anyone had seen the chessboard, a stranger said, "Catherine Moody, I hope to come to your concerts some time. I missed the last one." I wonder how he had found out about it. Tyrol is doing a great job with those advertisements....
After my Bach recital on Sunday 2007-5-27, I was interviewed by a reporter called Roko Johin. The article is out now! Yay, thank you Roko! Unfortunately it is in German, so I had trouble understanding it. I asked the little babel fish who lives at www.google.com to translate it for me. Here is what it said:
Opening concert summer brook festival full successI'm so grateful to Google's babel fish for this enlightening explanation. I never knew that Johann Sebastian brook was a large baroque composer. And it does make a lot of sense that keeping a piano well, at a moderate temperature, would make it sound more in tune. I find it difficult to understand how joints from a piano can be romantic, though.
A summer brook festival seems to be at first sight nothing unusual. If the first concert evening takes place however with a shining black concert wing, which jumps everywhere there, where the Pianistin would like to have it gladly, and a Cembalo, which behaves likewise, then one notices that it cannot be „normal “festival.
In Second Life are such flexible instruments however nothing unusual. There also the zarteste artist with ease a concert wing can move back and forth, set itself immediately to the impressive instrument and play Johann Sebastian brook, without the fingers to have verse-dipped itself before.
But virtual art bits were not only to be seen, lovers of baroque music came in the opening evening of the festival fully at their expense. After a detailed introduction to the works, Avatar Catherine Moody offered Johann Sebastian of brook and the music of the baroque time of Veranstalterin Tyrol Rimbaud two hours of piano music of the large baroque composer. In the real life Catherine is an American Amateurpianistin of asiatic origin. To 27. May played it live in their at home somewhere in the USA, and it did not play at all times badly. In Second Life sat its Avatar on a stage in the romantic „Maemi guards “(Maemi 210, 73, 145 (Mature) Maemi Gardens) before many listeners, who could hear their play over liveStream.
Präludien and joints from „well-being-kept at a moderate temperature piano “were romantic, but interpreted clean and with Akuratesse. Inventionen (small zweistimmige joints) and symphonies (dreistimmig) let it ring out in geschwindem speed. Even it gave some gold mountain variations to the best one. Particularly the two well-known Kantaten „wake up, call us the voice “and „Jesus remain my joy “called true inspiring storms of the numerous listeners out. The English Suite No. 2 was reassuring down gently in addition, colorfully beautiful. Best Catherine Moody succeeded the Italian concert with the rapid Allegro, to gesanglichen Andante and carefully however probably out-articulated Presto. The public was in such a way done at the end that it erklatschte itself even still some additions, which Catherine gave gladly. Hat off before artistically quite valuable contributions like this in the virtual world of the second life.
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In your own way, you have put things into perspective for me. It is a "game," and my RL cat does indeed want to be fed. There are other things to do rather than sit glued to my computer, panicking when SL crashes, because I might miss something "important." RL is what is important. My RL self can enjoy SL, and my SL friends, but I will not die without SL, and Linden Labs!