Thursday, March 5, 2015

StrawberrySingh.com Monday Meme: Avatar Transformation Challenge.

Missed the meme last week, so I figured I'd better take a stab at this one.  Soo many options in inventory, but to stick to the rules provided quite the challenge.  I had an old man avatar I had created for an event many moons ago (before mesh, to put a time frame on it,) and thought I'd dig it out and dust off the mothballs, so to speak.

Oddly enough, from the draxter videos recently, was the creator of this avatar, Nylon Pinkney .

The avatar is from The Wrigglesworth Residence, but I think it is no longer made.  There are others though, if you ever felt like whipping out the Geritol and the bifocals, and having a ball.  These characters are hilarious.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Have you ever SecondLifed? ... StrawberrySingh.com Monday Blog Meme

Once again Monday has reared it's ugly head, and as the east coast digs out of one of the highest snows on record for parts of that area, it's time to thaw ourselves with another of StrawberrySingh.com's Monday Memes.

The Have You Ever SecondLifed Meme

The rules?  
Copy and paste the following questions and answers to your post, delete Berry's answers and input your own.
1. Have you ever owned a sim in Second Life?
Yes, Shaylin and I run two regions in Second Life.

 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Marathon%20Caye/212/123/21http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Whispering%20Windz/89/77/23 


2. Have you ever created content in Second Life?
  – Shaylin has created some mesh clothing items, but I consider myself more a modder than a creator. 

3. Have you ever driven a vehicle in Second Life?
OH GOODNESS yes.  Planes, Boats, Automobiles, Motorbikes you name it.  Numerous times.  

Shaylin and I are members of a flight/sail/adventure group called Wild Blue Yonder. 

4. Have you ever gone sky diving in Second Life?
Yes! As part of a Wild Blue Yonder event.
  
5. Have you ever played a sport in Second Life? 
Shaylin and I used to have a race track on Marathon Caye, and she and I would race there frequently. 

  
6. Have you ever gone clubbing in Second Life? 
Shaylin YES ... ME, Probably more than i would care to admit. 
7. Have you ever fangirled/fanboyed someone in Second Life?
No

8. Have you ever taken a picture of your avatar in water in Second Life? 
OH yes ... who hasn't?!? Here's one taken just a few weeks ago.
 
9. Have you ever taken a picture of a sunset in Second Life?
Just last week in fact! 


10. Have you ever taken a nude picture of your avatar in Second Life?
 Ummm ... Yes!

11. Have you ever dated in Second Life?
Yes

12. Have you ever had or attended a wedding in Second Life?
  Shaylin and I, while we are partnered and consider ourselves married, have not had a formal ceremony.  We are waiting until we tie the knot in RL.  We have attended, and I have performed for a number of weddings and receptions.


13. Have you ever drank, smoked or taken drugs in Second Life?
 Shay and I have both played around with smoking and drinking in SL.








14. Have you ever engaged in sexual activity in Second Life?
  NOOOO! No! NO! NoNoNoNoNo! no no no no no yes!


15. Have you ever been to Bukkake Bliss in Second Life?
  What an odd question?  Neither Shaylin nor myself remember going there.


Monday, February 9, 2015

Inspiration Recreation

Strawberry Singh's blog post, Inspiration Recreation, made focus on a blogger/photography challenge by Arora Zanzibar.  Recreate an RL photograph in SL.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cranstonyordstorm/15863407693/in/photostream/
I think I did a pretty decent job for my first time out.  The RL pic is from Arora Zanzibars SL Inspiration Recreations pinterest board.  Since it needed an industrial setting with a lot of windows, a logical setting was Shaylin's and my hangar dwelling, in the fly-in community/adventure group, Wild Blue Yonder.  The base pose is by webmistrex Xue, Amwall _m01.  I used the Amimare hud to adjust it.  Briefs are by DUFAUX, called TMP brief no1 sporty black/white.  The body is the deluxe male from TMP.  The hair is from Armidi, The Ibiza (Mocha.)

The building is by Fanatik Architecture, called ERA.

Here's the RAW file.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cranstonyordstorm/16297068859/in/photostream/



Monday, February 2, 2015

StrawberrySingh.com Monday Meme: Motivational Poster Meme.

Continuing on the Monday meme challenger put forth by Strawberry Singh, this week the idea of a motivational poster was put forth.  You can find her original blog entry here: Second Life Motivational Meme.

Simple Rules:
Meme instructions: Create a motivational poster using any image from Second Life with some motivating words about Second Life.

The words I chose are words that Shaylin uses at the end of every concert or DJ event she does, and they are simple but powerful.  They are also not exclusive to Second Life, but should be used as a part of every aspect of a persons life.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cranstonyordstorm/16244431819/
You never know what tomorrow will bring, so always live in the present.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

StrawberrySingh.com Movie Character Meme

Continuing the Monday blog memes that Strawberry Singh weekly challenges us with, this week was called Movie Character Meme.  Shaylin and I love the classic film Casablanca, so we decided to recreate the last scene with Ilsa and Rick before she and Victor fly off into the sunset.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cranstonyordstorm/16204898269/
This is taken at Tsurington Aerodrome, a gorgeous art deco airport (even though not much of the art deco comes through in the pic.)  The plane is a DC3 Skytrain from Adventure Air.  And Shay and I are dressed to the nines in vintage garb.

Shaylin is dressed in a Hillary Grant suit and I am in a trenchcoat from Hoorenbeck.

Monday, January 26, 2015

Scavenger Hunt 101: Item #20: A Beach.

Continuing the Scavenger Hunt 101 search.  Here's #20, A Beach.  This is part of the Whispering Windz region in Second Life, and its our hidden beach, featuring loads of cuddle spots, including some really well done off-sim opportunities.  Enjoy the natural setting, and perhaps do a little whale watching.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cranstonyordstorm/16186189449/













The rules?

Rules:

1. You must submit one photo per item. One photo cannot represent multiple items.

2. The photo must be of the assigned item, no subsitutions are allowed. However, creative thinking is encouraged.

3. The list item number and description must be in the title and/or the description

4. Tag each item with "Scavenger Hunt 101" and the item number in the following format "sh 38".

(for an example of appropriate tagging/labeling go here.)

5. The Self Portrait must be your final photo (#101), the rest can be taken out of order.

6. All photos must be taken after you have joined the group. No archival photos allowed.

7. All photos must be your own. This means you must be the one to press the shutter release button.

8. Photo-shopping is allowed.

9. No nudity (It just makes the group easier to administer & makes it more apealling to a wider audience).

ITEM LIST
1. Boat without a motor
2. Home of a non-human creature
3. A flag other than your native country's
*  4. Waterfall (01/25/2015)
5. Rain
6. Winter
7. A puddle
8. An abandoned building/ruin
9. A junk car
10. An extravagant food
11. A handmade for sale sign
12. A cliche
13. Someone wearing polka dots
14. A locally owned store (non-chain)
15. A toy
16. A cat
17. Fire
18. A child laughing
19. Inside a foreign food restaurant
*  20. A beach (01/26/2015)
21. A flying machine
22. Your bed
23. A flower
24. A map
25. An extravagant drink
26. A car with a flat tire
27. A live performance
28. An absurd predicament
29. A motorcycle
30. A person having a bad hair day
31. Sunset
32. Spring
33. A locally owned restaurant (non-chain)
34. A police car
35. Your Vacuum or Broom
36. Someone meditating or praying
37. A work of art
38. A national holiday celebration (a holiday that celebrates a nation, such as 4th of July or Canada Day)
39. Your favorite food
40. Fall/Autumn
41. Someone you love
42. A tattoo
43. A sporting event
44. A knick-knack / bric-a-brac
45. A fish
46. An ambulance
47. A place of worship
48. The tallest building in your town/village/city
49. Your favorite color
50. Somewhere you feel uncomfortable
51. A commercial truck
52. Graffiti
53. An insect or arachnid
54. A stamp
55. Someone with bare feet
56. A bookshelf
57. Something that represents your country or region
58. Money
59. A billboard/sign
60. A bridge
61. The utilization of an alternative energy source
62. A public display of affection
63. A kitchen appliance
64. A water source
65. A bicycle
66. A dog
67. Barbequed or grilled food
68. Something rusty
69. A beast of burden
70. Construction equipment
71. Summer
72. A fire engine
73. Sunrise
74. Food growing
75. Your most comfortable place to sit
76. Wind
77. Wrinkles
78. A musical instrument
79. An exotic animal (use your judgment)
80. Your favorite shade-tree
81. The place where you bathe
82. A statue
83. Your camera
84. The place where you eat most your meals
85. Your favorite pastime/hobby/interest
86. A shadow
87. An interesting sky
88. A license plate
89. A tool
90. A road sign
91. Something dirty (as in a "white horse fell in the mud" not sexual)
92. Something clean (as in "it got washed off again" not sexual)
93. A train
94. An interesting or unusual rock
95. A traffic signal/a traffic control device
96. An interesting view
97. A method of communication
98. Your favorite article of clothing
99. A child crying
100. A funny hat
101. A self portrait (must be final submission)

Monday Blues 01/26/2015

I've joined another photo challenge group on flickr called Monday Blues.  For my inaugural shot, why not feature a beautiful blue biplane?  Here's my livery design for TMB Motors' YKS-7 Biplane.  CLICK HERE TO FIND THE YKS-7 ON MARKETPLACE.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cranstonyordstorm/16372082935/













This livery design is a product of a new adventure group that Shaylin and I have joined, and I'm proud to say that Shaylin became a full member of just YESTERDAY!  The group is called Wild Blue Yonder.  We enjoy doing a variety of activities with them, including (but not limited to) flying aircraft, sailing, and motorsports.  Great fun.  CHECK THEM OUT ON FACEBOOK.

Snapshot Scavenger Hunt 101: Item #4: Waterfall

In the interest of challenging myself daily, I have decided to join another photo challenger group on flickr called Scavenger Hunt 101.  The entry for 1/25/2015 is #4: Waterfall.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cranstonyordstorm/15742739614/

The rules?

Rules:

1. You must submit one photo per item. One photo cannot represent multiple items.

2. The photo must be of the assigned item, no subsitutions are allowed. However, creative thinking is encouraged.

3. The list item number and description must be in the title and/or the description

4. Tag each item with "Scavenger Hunt 101" and the item number in the following format "sh 38".

(for an example of appropriate tagging/labeling go here.)

5. The Self Portrait must be your final photo (#101), the rest can be taken out of order.

6. All photos must be taken after you have joined the group. No archival photos allowed.

7. All photos must be your own. This means you must be the one to press the shutter release button.

8. Photo-shopping is allowed.

9. No nudity (It just makes the group easier to administer & makes it more apealling to a wider audience).

ITEM LIST
1. Boat without a motor
2. Home of a non-human creature
3. A flag other than your native country's
*  4. Waterfall (01/25/2015)
5. Rain
6. Winter
7. A puddle
8. An abandoned building/ruin
9. A junk car
10. An extravagant food
11. A handmade for sale sign
12. A cliche
13. Someone wearing polka dots
14. A locally owned store (non-chain)
15. A toy
16. A cat
17. Fire
18. A child laughing
19. Inside a foreign food restaurant
20. A beach
21. A flying machine
22. Your bed
23. A flower
24. A map
25. An extravagant drink
26. A car with a flat tire
27. A live performance
28. An absurd predicament
29. A motorcycle
30. A person having a bad hair day
31. Sunset
32. Spring
33. A locally owned restaurant (non-chain)
34. A police car
35. Your Vacuum or Broom
36. Someone meditating or praying
37. A work of art
38. A national holiday celebration (a holiday that celebrates a nation, such as 4th of July or Canada Day)
39. Your favorite food
40. Fall/Autumn
41. Someone you love
42. A tattoo
43. A sporting event
44. A knick-knack / bric-a-brac
45. A fish
46. An ambulance
47. A place of worship
48. The tallest building in your town/village/city
49. Your favorite color
50. Somewhere you feel uncomfortable
51. A commercial truck
52. Graffiti
53. An insect or arachnid
54. A stamp
55. Someone with bare feet
56. A bookshelf
57. Something that represents your country or region
58. Money
59. A billboard/sign
60. A bridge
61. The utilization of an alternative energy source
62. A public display of affection
63. A kitchen appliance
64. A water source
65. A bicycle
66. A dog
67. Barbequed or grilled food
68. Something rusty
69. A beast of burden
70. Construction equipment
71. Summer
72. A fire engine
73. Sunrise
74. Food growing
75. Your most comfortable place to sit
76. Wind
77. Wrinkles
78. A musical instrument
79. An exotic animal (use your judgment)
80. Your favorite shade-tree
81. The place where you bathe
82. A statue
83. Your camera
84. The place where you eat most your meals
85. Your favorite pastime/hobby/interest
86. A shadow
87. An interesting sky
88. A license plate
89. A tool
90. A road sign
91. Something dirty (as in a "white horse fell in the mud" not sexual)
92. Something clean (as in "it got washed off again" not sexual)
93. A train
94. An interesting or unusual rock
95. A traffic signal/a traffic control device
96. An interesting view
97. A method of communication
98. Your favorite article of clothing
99. A child crying
100. A funny hat
101. A self portrait (must be final submission)

Monday, January 19, 2015

Strawberrysingh.com #secondlifeproblems meme

Yet another great meme challenge from Strawberry Singh. #SecondLifeProblems Meme Challenge

Meme Instructions: Create a #SecondLifeProblems meme image. It can be an image of any avatar doing anything in Second Life. Write a Second Life Problem over the image and share your meme on your blog or any social network with the hashtag #SecondLifeProblems.
  
So Shay and I decided to show our frustration with the dazzlingly detailed foodstuffs in Second Life, and the absolute worthlessness of it in an avatars everyday Second Life.

For what it's worth, the table is from The Edge  and is called "Be Merry" Holiday table.  Good eating, Second-lifers!!!

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Strawberry Singh Blog Meme Challenge: The Sartorialist

This week, Strawberry Singh has challenged bloggers to get off their platforms and INTERACT!  Inspired by The Sarotialist, who approaches random people in the street who catch his attention, Berry set out in her latest Meme Challenge, to find a random avatar in Second Life, approach them for a snapshot and get to know them a little bit.

I have always found this to be a challenge of mine, and one that Shaylin, my wife, is always urging us to do.  When She and I first arrived in Second Norway, Shaylin and I set about to meet as many of the residents in this vibrant community.  Time, RL, and other factors, including joining an adventure group called Wild Blue Yonder have caused us to neglect our home region.
Our home in Stranda in Second Norway.  Who WOULDN'T want to live here!














So we mounted our Indian Scout motorbike, and took off from our home in the Stranda region of Second Norway, in search of fellow Second Norwegians.

Not far off the region, scanning my mini-map for strange green dots, we happened upon someone who had only moved into Second Norway a week before, and introduced ourselves to Eilidh McCullough.














Standing next to her snow-covered LAQ Decor Scandinavian Villa, we caught her in the midst of decorating her parcel, and she agreed to come on out, introduce herself to us, extend a friend invitation, and allow us to snap a quick photo.

After a brief conversation, we learned that she, Shaylin and myself share an interest in Second Life's community of Tiny Creatures, mainly based in the community of Raglanshire. After completing our conversation and saying our goodbyes, we set off along the eastern coastline of Second Norway, in search of another random visit.

A few sims away, we happened on someone I hadn't seen in a number of months (so yes, not a stranger, but certainly someone I had lost contact with.  One of Second Norway's estate managers, Conte Alchemi. 














I had run into Conte a number of times, when Shaylin and I were residents of another combined sim community, just across the Blake Sea to the south, called Sailor's Cove, where Conti also managed estates.  We had a very brief chat with him, and Shaylin was able to introduce herself, and we all shared friend requests.

Hopefully this is the first of many new random encounters in Second Norway, and other areas, as Shaylin and I get back out and interact.  Thanks again to Strawberry Singh for being the catalyst.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Strawberry Singh's Second Life Yearbook Smile Challenge

HOORAY!  And just in time for a fresh start in 2015.  Strawberry Singh has begun her meme challenges anew!!  Here's a link to her page with the current challenge. Second Life Yearbook Smile Challenge

And the following is my submission.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cranstonyordstorm/16026747018/





















I found this challenge more amusing because I remember some of the train wreck yearbook photo's from my youth (YEAH!  Who DOESN'T?!)  Dreading the lineup, the awkward posing, the photographer who CLEARLY had no business being there in a professional manner.  And the inevitable horror show that was the awful result, more often than not, bought in multiple forms by your parents and distributed post haste, regardless of your protests.

This particular photo captures some of those memories, including the "you're going to be wearing that?" outfit you have because no one told you, or you forgot, or you arrived late and were dragged unceremoniously in from of the camera. 

Oddly enough, my hair is similar to yearbook photos I've taken from 1980's high school.

The smile is using the Anypose pose hud with the 'embarrased' look.  I find that when I use 'smile' or 'toothy smile,' my avatar has the look of a sexual predator.  Using 'embarrassed' opens my eyes up and more than that, opens my face up.