Hello anyone who reads this. I started this blog (Sim Crossing) in September of last year. A lot has changed since then. I opted to travel the maps of Secondlife and write stories of these travels. I started out doing just that and somewhere along the way I got sidetracked with life. I stopped writing in December of 2008 and since then I have had other adventures. I lost a person so close to me I sorta dropped out of life myself. His name is Juanito and we grew up together. I lost him after we had finally became close again, there were many years of disconnectedness. He was a part of Secondlife (after some coaxing) and he loved it! He loved the people so much, it made me see SL in a whole new light. I also spent a great deal of time layed up in the hospital after his passing (about 4 months) and have finally made my way back to the land of the living.  I decided to re-visit this blog. I found a cool place on the Destination Station wall at Corona Cay island and said “what the heck”, clicked on a link and off exploring I went. I was impressed with the Sim so much I had to share the photos I took. I share these with anyone who may or may not remember this blog. If I am alone with it, so shall it be written. Maybe explorers in the future will find this and say “Damn that was one weird guy, but this is a really cool sim.”

My visit to Virtual Harlem began with a stop at the Cotton Club

I really liked the look and feel of this place, not just the club but the entire sim. I read on one of them all too familiar and annoying cards we get at RP sites,  “the visitoris  not to disrupt the classes that would be held and to respect.” Along with the message was the traditional “no guns, no naked, no idiot moves in general” line, *Damn, I had to rethink the lobster*. I have to admit this is one of the first times I thought (at the end of the journey) I hope no idiots come to disrupt this p

I managed to take a ride on a street car and had a fantastic time.  The car would stop and give history lessons about the very places we were visiting. I forgot all my own worries and read all the info as we approached the various landmarks. This sim has a lot of educational value along with being well built. From what I gathered it was a proffesor of African American literature in RL who created this to teach how this wonderful community came to be (the era he chose was the 20’s and 30’s). Bryan Mnemonic (SL name) has this text in the 1st life tab of his profile

professor of Africa American lit and visual culture at a small univeristy in the midwest….searching for the real in the virtual. I currently teach cyberculture and composition courses within SL and hope to expand that to include my literature courses.

I was feeling lost and scared before I came into SL this evening. This sim made me feel alive and hopeful. When we, as human beings, find something beautiful, be it man made or natural, our souls are recharged by it. I now have a full tank and hope to come back here when there are more people exploring and sharing similar life experiences.

The Savoy ballroom

Harlem branch of the New York library

Lafayette

The Apollo Theater

The Abyssinnian Baptist Church

Now, I have never been to Harlem in real life… but I bet this sim can take, even those who have, back in time to how it was. Thank you sim builders whoever you all are.

I have been to a few places in my life. Here and there virtual and … I guess anywhere we go is real, the only difference is how one gets there. Well that and cost, the number of “are we there yets” and bathroom stops. I love VR way better for that reason alone. I love traveling in SL because it is like the thrill of arriving at your destination while on vacation without the Sunday evening the night before going back to school that bums us all out. I have that feeling mixed with other stuff (probably drugs). The island that we have come to know as our home… a home many of us met our friends, lovers and other is changing. It is changing in many ways. Half of it will fall into the sea and the other half will be taken over by one of us. Podcast island is going to be owned and operated by Itazua Radio (a cat I came into second life to know and call my friend).  Podcaster island will be no more. Itazura has been creating the cool for over 2 years now and when the smoke clears from the Alien Destruction (filmed for y’all to see on Rezzednecks)  it will be a place for creative minds to come and thrive.

I have been in SL a little more than I have in the past few months. Life hit me with a lot of stuff. The latest is dealing with my uncles treatment at a facility he is living at. He is doing better and I am in the process of bringing him closer to me. In SL seems like we all have been hit hard with familiy issues forcing us to choose between our world… constraints and rules… they suck in both environments but are often needed.

I am typing on Christmas Eve ab0ut my SL and RL while wishing I could enhance both. When the hell are they gonna come up with 3rd life so I can escape there from here. Thanks for reading and will start uploading pics from the new podcast island (or whatever its name will be) here. Maybe Itazura should have a name my island contest and whoever comes up with the coolest name gets to be on an episode of Rezzednecks… just a thought.

Much Kittens,

Keeme Has Spoken, please return to your porn

It has been a while since my last drink… wait! Wrong group.

I ain’t posted in a while (but have had a few drinks since) and thought I should stop by and say hello… maybe clean out some o’my pictures n such. This pic was taken at some Cliff Dwellers place near Route 7 where Nika and I have been stranded the last two months since leaving our home in Nowhereville. I got busy then I got crazy. Nika been strung out on the H, Fricken is doing catnip freebasing, its a mess.

I love old cars so Nika snapped a few photos of me up against the billboards (and maybe some of me screaming at the damn ban line near by). I HATE BAN LINES! I dunno where we are heading anymore or why we even set out on the journey, but when I figure it out I will come and tattle.

Much love all… hope everyone is doing ok. I miss y’all

Keeme

Galonge

It is one of the most desolate yet fantastic sims we have come across. When we first arrived, it seemed like any hot southwestern city. The kind one might find while passing through to a better place. All that was missing was some old guy saying “hot enough for ya”? As we started walking around, little things began to toggle the coolness switch. The writing seemed familiar but not something we could understand. The builds were clean and simple. It was almost like some highbrow architects were sent back in time with limited tools and materials to make the planet magnificent with structures; they succeeded. Then we turn a corner and it hit usin the face like a pair of ruby red slippers!

WE WERE NO LONGER IN KANSAS TOTO!

 

 

 

 

The size of the beastly skeletons was scary enough then I started to wonder *what did these guys eat and who the hell ate them*… what I said out loud to Nika was “RUN”! We did and I fell in a pit of scorpions (ah familiar friends) and Nika did not. I still think she pushed me in somehow, but that is another post still.

When we reached the top of the tower we were amazed at the work it must have taken to complete this world. It had an Egyptian feel for most of our trek but not until I donned the garb and had my eyes removed did I realize where we were… This is where them suckers were headed when they boarded the pyramid express! At least that’s how I interpret the damned thing. The falling *secret things* freaked us both out… you will have to “SEE” them for yourselves.

It is a fun place to walk around with as long as you have a buddy to ask “WTF IS THAT” or “Are we there yet”.

Come check it out, it really is a cool place to visit.

Next stop FUNKY TOWN! Just kidding

“C’mon Fricken, We are leaving. Get off that throne, you are not a GOD, I don’t care what Nika says”

 

 

On this journey through the virtual world (one I decided to become part of) are many magical things. Take the prim for instance. A beautiful piece of nothing that loves and hates us all at the same time (please do not compare the prim to my ex wife or I will have to hunt you down and introduce you to her). I don’t really get how they work and probably never will, unless they evolve into cookies… then we are in business.

The one thing I thought I had a handle on was stargates… who does not get the concept

1. Dial the number
2. Charge Ralph Nader with neutrons
3. and open a can of worm!

Well every damned time I do this I end up dead or make other people dead, or make everyone wish I was dead; death is my life. This time it was different, I did not kill us!!! I still can’t believe it. We ended up in one of the coolest sims I have been too so far. It started out with us fleeing from some mob chasing us down for a crime (you know who likes crime) and BAM instant cool place. I guess this time crime did pay; funny ain’t it.

It seems we were connected through a series of Stargates and just like the real one (yes I said real one) we end up in an unknown world… great for exploring I say. I don’t know how many there are but it sure is fun trying to figure out which ones are real and which ones just kill you. The killy ones I have no problem finding no matter how many time I yell “NO WAMMY’S”.

I love the look of Subnova and when you first get there Dradis locks on to you. I was in awe of the stained glass behind the Stargate, giving it that church and state come together feel.

It was all good until I tried to push the envelope… all I got was a one way pass to get the hell out.

I will try and go back again… once I figure out how to do it. Until next time Kittens… Keeme is tending his VR wounds.

I Have asked Nika this question more times than I care to remember or share. I started us out on the journey of a lifetime (months in SL terms) and I FAIL something as basic as “Knowing where we [world travelers] are”!

She smiles and politely says “We are still in Nowherevile Keeme, want Fricken to lead us out”?

*SIGH* Now to find my notes on the current trip.. NIKA” Before I finish calling her name she says “Top file under Silly questions for Nika in your inventory dear”. Now we are on our way and I promise to get cracking on the writing… if only I remembered the Flickr password

Nika *Sigh* “Keemeissolostwithoutnika111”
Keeme “Thanks again”
Fricken *thinks* and they make me pee in a box

I had resisted writing this post for a few reasons. One, I have been dealing with web hosting issues and other Internet related habits (thank heaven for wordpress.com). And TWO… I did not realize how difficult it was going to be to leave a VR piece of property! I was talking to Nika last night during one of our private voice chats, walking on Route7 (a blog post to be named later). It was so nice and peaceful, aside from our laughing nearly virtually and realistically peeing our pants. Seems Nika and I had stumbled upon a house where some “stuff” was going on… well… I will save that part of the story for the post it belongs to.

 

Where was I?

OH! We were having a nice quiet moment and I shared this with her (and now y’all). Leaving Nowhereville felt very much like when a friend, a close friend, moves away to a new state. Even if you did not see each other all that much, you knew they were there a few minutes from a smile and/or a beer. I was surprised at the feelings I experienced leaving the 1’s and zeros of that place. I know now why that is and its taken me this long to try and come up with the way to say it.

WARNING THE FOLLOWING MAY NEED A TRANSLATION DEVICE OR A DESIGNER DRUG TO UNDERSTAND

IT IS REAL. Yes that is the reason… it (SL) is REAL my amigos,.. The islands, the falling coconuts, the shopping even the damned cat. They are all real and many of us don’t really get it. Sure we are on the bleeding edge of it all and spend half our time explaining the great social experiment as being more than a de-weaponized Mario Kart. So here is the thing, we think of ourselves as open minded but still in the back of our minds try and play it off when things don’t go according to plan “Well I will just shut it down after all its only a game”. That’s not true (Sorry Radar here is where we are not on the same page, yet).  Its like this… When you call a friend and spend hours talking about how you thought you defrosted the turkey last Thanksgiving and that’s why y’all ended up eating pizza and wings or how you think the new person you just met is the one (and the friend says this makes 5 this year alone). If you talk to someone about this its immediately understood. Now try and move that conversation back four hundred years… WITCH!

As you are burning you would surly think… “Damn I can’t even plurk this”

And that’s when it hit me… not as I was being burned for heresy, but as I was having a bad day and not knowing the reason. SecondLife is real life just far ahead of most of our time. The relationships are real, so the sadness, tears, laughter and ??? are just as real.

As we floated out of the harbour that last day I started to feel this and had no idea where we were really going to end up… but I heard Nika laugh at some silly thing I did and knew right there… I was taking “home” with me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been going over and over the decision to travel the SL map with Nika Dreamscape.

Here is the thing… She is very sad about leaving the only home she has had here in SL. The reasons are bad economy = no money for play and my pride. I feel I should have really tried harder to keep her happy and not get all caught up in the whole “I need to pay my own way” attitude and my (now seems like a) silly little dream of this journey. I am happy she is coming with me and I know we will have a great time. We will share an abundance of memories on this emotion filled roller coaster ride, but I feel horrible knowing how sad she is now.

She will say “its OK I really want to do this” but that’s because she is the sweetest girl on the grid.

The thing is I am taking her from the lap of luxury to sleeping in garbage cans. She already misses her friends and home so bad it is affecting her when she is offline. So needless to say I feel like one uncool SL resident (make that vageraunt).

I still think the cat is a freak.

This was one of the first places (Bodega and Noyo rezzing area) I fell in love with in Second Life. I know its hard to comprehend falling in love with someone’s etch a sketch but it happens. I started a travel agency in those early days because it was what I loved doing the best… and I had a few people sign up as members (they did not know any better). I got away from the business side of SL , I could not commit to coming in and focusing my efforts on building/scripting or hooking (yikes.. did I say that out loud?). I can’t tell you who I dragged out there with me (Madison Carnot was one of my first victims). I was telling everyone how I was gonna “change SL” to be the best thing since sliced prim. I remember that great feeling from rezzing the cheapie motor bikes to riding the open roads of Linden’ness… I really could feel the air screaming past my head as we all crashed on that very first turn. But after about half an hour of hunting everyone down… we did it again and made it all the way from Noya to Bodega; Not and easy feat! I have since graduated from the bikes to parachutes and helicopters to hobo gear. I am a little more calm now and can be found most of the time adjusting my lobster wear than crashing off of free roads.

The one constant was roaming… and meeting new people. I loved it then and I love it more now. I have spent a lot of time in here as the title of this post indicates, I will make it to a billion before long (Keeme is bad at math and if its not possible please don’t say anything… let him dream).

So here is a toast to all of you I have spent time with or will spend time with going forward *CLINKS GLASS*

“Cheers!”

I can’t wait to get started all over again (this time I know what I am doing). “Now where did I put that map?”

First let me say, Nika, Fricken and I will be heading out from Nowhereville in about a week (See Nika for details on the top secret party). I wanted to extend my gratitude and love to all the residents there and a huge thank you to Crap Mariner for being a great Land Tyrant… “dude, not even one ounce of cruelty and unjustness man… I gotta say… you made me actually like you all over again (sorry no Christmas olive loaf this year)”.

Now that the candy ass moment is over… I want to tell y’all where I ended up today. Wait that’s gonna take too long so let me sum up. Stuart Warf and Nika were plotting this I am sure. After SW kills me so bad with his evil empire powers that it takes me an hour to log back into the grid. They TP me to some Stargate and tell me “lets go visit a Star Wars Sim” I agree. I love to screw with the Star Wars crowd by wearing my Star Trek digs… So we go and I end up in some huge tracks of land… Nice but alone. Then I see the dots and hear laughing from my amigos hiding nearby. I look up and we are in a Gorean role playing Sim Bun Shik. I ain’t no prude so I look at my motley crew and bark out commands! “Number one, take the helm. Wesley engage”. We take a shuttle to the strangest castle with mummified avatars standing perfectly still outside. I try talking to them but its no use. We go inside (Nika by now has transformed into some hideous robotic creature Stuart equally as hideous but he did not change). We went in and tried out some of the machinery.

Not in a sexy sexy way… just to see if it worked (it worked).

That is when it hit me (and Wesley Warf told me)… WE WERE GRIEFING! I felt ashamed and talked my crew into leaving. I am not into the Gorean scene but it intrigues me as I am sure it does everyone. Maybe not in a “I want it bad master, humiliate me now” but in a “I wonder how [fill in the blanks -LITERALLY]” sort of way. If you are from here and we offended you, I apologize. If you are into this scene maybe you can shed some light on what you get out of it (not the graphic “mmm we like to have spoons shoved into our ears cause it tickles our shoe shopping abilities”).. or not.

We managed to take some pics and I would love to come back, maybe get into character if its allowed… to see what goes on and maybe have a better grasp on the subject next time someone starts bashing it. I could speak up and defend the cause or silently scoff at them.

I wish Fricken could have come with… there was the cutest table with chains on it… and you know how he loves to STRETCH!

EDITED “Stuart kept going on about ‘freeing the slaves'”