Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Bait and switch, price hike...

LL's offocial blog

I just have to laugh, that new set up fees for open space will be 375$.

That is how much I paid for my full sim, 375$. Just a few days ago. LOL

Probably Jack Linden looked at my transaction, (because linden tried to ask us twice if the price was correct, delayed it for a day or two.) and say "Hey, 375$ sounds good! Yay!"

Well, it was not open space. It IS full sim.

Since we have about 2months till the change, no one will be able to sell these sims for whatever they paid... Only ways to just abandon right away. (since you dont want to pay another two months tier, I would suppose.)

As i stated and ranted before, if you want to keep the value of the money and security, do not pay into playing game, (ie; Second Life) save, or invest.
That statement is still true to this day.

Do not expect LL to be your moneymaker.
That is just dumb.

I do not expect to make any profit. These are managed within my disposable income.
If LL FXXX up the whole scheme ? I just abandon the land and walk out. LOL next month, I can keep my 295$, and go buy a new wardrobe, buy new game for my young charges, or eat out with my family and friends. Simple.

But I can understand the anger of my friend Noirran, who is just simply robbed by LL. She did nothing wrong. She followed prescribed used of Openspace sim. :/

Ya know, LL is asking us volunteer mentors how they could retain new accounts...
To me its very simple and easy solution for them. But they, apprently had not figued out, and thinking it will be the 8th wonder of the world. LOL

The whole land fiasco is just too funny to watch.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Angel fred cake

This friend, who has been dear to me for over a year, (possibly over two years) who just greeted me and called me *angel fred* today.

"That sounds like angel food cake. "
"angel fred cake"
...

*************
Other total coincident.

As soon as I log in this afternoon,
"Heyyy, did you kick me out?"--- I dont know this person. never met her before.

/me receives friend offer from total stranger

"Oh, you are not my freddy."
"lol"
"sorry. sorry."

/me checks this person's profile picks

"Hey, you know R.L?This is a small world. I was speaking to him this morning."

~~~~

The case of mistaken identity solved.

sixth degree of separation?
I totally believe it.

(Hey, i have to find 6th degree to Mr. Schrott.)

Friday, October 24, 2008

Sim purchase!!!!!!!!!!!!

"I can make my own rules, and then I can break them, too." -Frederic Prevost
(I just added after the post below. but Mark My Words. )

As I reported about mass exodus of Japanese residents below, there are bound to be the flood of sim/land deals way below market value.

Buy low, sell high.

That's the principle of commerce is it not?

********
Many of you probably remember my rants and the propaganda of saving money before. That was in connection to why some people invest(or rather waste their money) in Second life sim, when they are hardly getting by in their own real life.

Come on. Get over it.
Not everyone can afford to risk 300 us$ every month.

I am not get into this without consideration, and the principle is still the same.
The risk I am taking is purely in the range of my daily spendable income, and I have not cut back any of my existing investments savings, and other securities as I had them in place before.
My plan was to purchase the new private region from LL within 3-5 months. However, the deal I came across two days ago was hard to pass up, and fortunately for me, way below the price we could find currently on the market.

Since I have modest store profit and rental income to cover part of the risk, the actual cost of running/having a full sim, is even less than what I anticipated.

*********

And YES!
There will be a shrine for Mr. Schrott.

And in which sim you could find in anywhere in SL, that there is this handsome incubus welcoming you warmly with classical music and opera, coaxing you into some conversation so cultural you had never even thought of ever possible, while you mingling the group of international, intelligent and beautiful avatars?

***

/me sings catalogue aria

~LEPORELLO

Madamina, il catalogo è questo
delle belle che amò il padron mio;
un catalogo egli è che ho fatt'io.
Osservate, leggete con me.
In Italia seicento e quaranta,
in Allmagna duecento e trentuna,
cento in Francia, in Turchia novantuna,
ma in Espagna son già mille e tre!
V’han fra queste contadine,
cameriere e cittadine,
v'han contesse, baronesse,
marchesane, principesse,
e v'han donne d'ogni grado,
d'ogni forma, d'ogni età.
In Italia, ecc.

Nella bionda egli ha l'usanza
di lodar la gentilezza,
nella bruna la costanza,
nella bianca la dolcezza.
Vuol d'inverno la grassotta,
vuol d'estate la rnagrotta;
è la grande maestosa,
la piccina è ognor vezzosa ...
Delle vecchie fa conquista
per piacer di porle in lista;
ma passion predominante
è la giovin principiante.
Noti si picca se sia ricca,
se sia brutta, se sia bella;
purché porti la gonnella,
voi sapete quel che fa! ecc.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Mass Exodus of Japanese residents from SL

I cannot say that I am saddened to hear the mass Exodus of Japanese residents from SL. MagSL, Japanese company found exclusively for SL development purpose announced sale of their half of their regions.

The expectation of *fabulous internet community* was not what they thought it to be? I have not clue. They would probably blame it on slow localization by LL. Starting with Japanese client which every single menu is translated either wrongly or amateurishly. LL did not think they had to outsource the translation of *Help* *FAQ* *Edit* and resorted to use *babelfish* instead.
OMG. I am born and raised, fairly educated in first 31 years of my life.Addition to that, I used to work for computer company, translating English materials to Japanese.
I think I am fairly qualified to know computer menu are translated correctly.

And these SL japanese client, I have no fucking clue what the each of menu does. That is how bad they are.

No support for residents. (Oh I know they hired a couple of Japanese Linden. LOL They rejected me without testing my Japanese skills tho. They asked me how to find particle object. That was their concern for Japanese speaking LL liason? LOL)

The announcements of localization few days ago came too little too late.

In Japan, the pioneering company announced pulling out of the market, then guess what? EVERYONE COPIES!
You didn't know? Japanese people are like friggin lemming, marching themselves to wherever. LOL

So there comes all those pixel companies, trying to get rid of their pixel properties. Incapable of even running a basic English ad in classified, resorting to Japanese language forum outside SL. Their offering price is comparable to the price of Open space region, for a full fledged sim.

Anyways

Survival of the fittest. a la Darwin.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

M & M ...

Mephisopheles and Marionette, not your favorite candy.
Charles Gounod (1818-93, France) composed all forms of music but these two pieces which seemingly one has nothing to do with the other, are pulsing in unison in the complicated drama of our own lives. If you listen to them back to back, you will hear the musical similarity in theme as well.

Faust - Version 1860/1869 / Act 4 No.24 Sérénade: "Vous qui faites l'endormie"
This is Bryn Terfel, my other favorite bass-baritone.

In this scene, Mephistopheles taunts Marguerite for being knocked up and abandoned by Faust, in a very *rude, crude and lewd* manner. The sweetness of the serenade is not what it is, but the crude cynicism of Mephistopheles, who is not at all entirely innocent in this whole turn of *drama*.

"You should have waited to open your door, till you have the ring on your finger." , he torments and laughs at the girl...

Her brother challenged Faust in a duel for making his sister an outcast.
Guess what, he got killed by Faust, of course. (Has Mephistopheles anything to do with it? )




Then for the other, Funeral march of a marionette...
Two marionettes had a duel.
One got killed.
So the others are holding a funeral for their late friend.
Do you hear the cynical tone through out the piece?
How the life can be so short and wary. Even for the marionettes.

Funeral March of a Marionette (Marche funèbre d'une marionette)



Saturday, October 18, 2008

From Faust by C. Gounod

Sérénade: "Vous qui faites l'endormie"





Forward the player to *Faust Act 4 Serenade


This is how you could acquire new addiction.
(Hot Schrott as Mephistopheles)

Add to your Halloween party selections if you want something different.

O, liebe







, you recognize it from somewhere?
Of course.
The piano version of this song "Liebestraume -Nocturne No.3" is one of the most famous classical melody of all time. Even if you don't know anything about classical music, you know this tune.

Funny thing is that, even among the classical musicians and afficionado, the original version is virtually unknown.

As the composer puts it, the song is "frivolous"... *laughs... but it is simple and passionate. The lieder(song) is rarely performed, but I think this recordings delivered the core of the composer's intentions.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Don Giovanni ~ Live from MET on sirius

So this is how addiction start...

I'm listening to Schrott as Don Giovanni on internet radio live broadcast.

Something I just can't have enough of it in my life... the dose of sweet baritone.

I am still plotting to see him somewhere in the future. Even though Valencia, Spain in Feb are just out of reach just because of few hours of time differences.

On the other hand, 12/14 Evening performance can be a possibility for me and my two young charges.
I am not sure if its a good thing to be taught at such a young age how to live excessively, or spend extravagantly just for the sake of one opeara (or one baritone)... Well. Yes. It is a good thing. The experience would last forever for them, a mere few grand for one weekend is a bargain, don't you agree?

Or since I already saw this production, save the money for awhile and wait for one of the performance in Europe?

what to do, what to do?

*****
Anyone who know me have heard me talking about anything related to piano, violin related works, but I have a thing for baritones and I have few CDs for Baritone lieders and Opera CD which featuring baritones as lead roles. (Don Giovanni is one of them)

Mattias Goerne, Thomas Hampson(America's leading baritone, he has Don Giovanni recording, also, has Met casting this season with La Flemming I believe.) Bryn Terfel has been my *Three Baritones/bass baritones* for more than ten years... (I'm not into tenors. I think its a matter of fetish.)

So, the discovery of Erwin Schrott is truely a special find for me.

Below is my dream sequence about Schrott's future...

His only recordings consists of opera arias, but I am hoping he will try his hand on German liders such as Schubert's song cycles... I really want to hear his *Die schöne Müllerin lieder *
This is written for tenor (or high voice) yet the story are about young men's life, mostly sung by men. Coincidentally, above baritone Goerne and Terfel also has recordings of selection from this song cycle. I think Schrott can deliver the subtlty of the Schubert as he is right now perfectly. Schrott is already familier with Romantic composer's works such as Berioz and Gounod, therefore it would not be a stretch for his style I suppose. (Do not get into the discussion/debate of why I think Schubert is a Romantic composer. I have my reasons.)

I am not able to think of great accompanist for his voice... hmmm that can be a quest, since I cannot name any concert pianists of this day who has Schubert as his/her repertoire. I am very picky about Schubert. Technically, not too challenging for any concert pianists, yet it forces one's artistic understandings of the comper and the art of its days. Schubert cannot be played just on the face of music book notes.

I guess Mitsuko Uchida, Emanuel Ax or Daniel Barenboim could be a fairly good choice. (According to his website, he will perform one of the opera under the batton of Barenboim in the near future. So it is not out of the blue combination.)

********
Anyways,

Why Don Ottavio can't do anything about Don Giovanni ... and why he can't understand Donna Anna's postponement of their weddings... LOL
I don't know why but eveytime I encounter this opera, it reminds me of people who says the right thing but can't deliver anything substantial in reality.
I don't think he is dumb, half - witted nor plain as he looks, but it just look that way and everyone will overlook this person. Sadly, the servant/valet, Leporello sounds more witted and smarter and looks more attractive than Ottavio. *shrugs* That happens. lol

Don Giovanni, does he deserve to be in Hell?

Not really.
Why everything has to be a moral story? Its life. Get over it. Well, in a way, that is way the title is *Don Giovanni* and not *Don Ottavio*...

********

Monday, October 13, 2008

Necrophilia, incest and art...

So I missed the performance of Richard Strauss's Salome MET, starring Karita Mattila on 10/4... however, I was able to catch HD live broadcast at a nearby movie theater. (what a good fortune. )

I brought along my young charge with me so he, might as well can experience the controversial production of biblical story.

*****
I have this story in my mind for a long time since Akhet and I were working on our poses. It is just that ... kind of difficult to sever my head, even in SL, and display on the silver platter as the story... so I have to come up with the pose *before the beheading*...

****
As for the dance of seven veils... I don't think La Mattila was completely naked...

Friday, October 10, 2008

I said this before, and I say it again...

Hot Schrott is .... ummm
Hot.

*******
Random thoughts:
Erasing the blog entry (or entire blog, for that matter) does not erase your stupidity.

[The word of the day]
{Cached},
or cached pages on google

**********************************************************
Anyways.

Since I have nothing else to think about, might as well talk about *my hot Schrott*.

(*Contents omitted* )
for the sake of general public, who may not have the time nor patience to read all the blurbs about *my hot Schrott* the topic of the day.

So I'm still mesmerized by his beautiful profile and his dangerously delicious smooth voice, I am now seriously considering flying to Spain for his Performance of Faust in Valencia, during the Presidents day weekend, just to see him.
No sightseeing, no shopping. Just Schrott.

As my friend Warspite joked, I am not sure how long I can support my jet-setting opera groupie ways without selling my Steinway B grand piano... which is probably worth about 60K $, considering all the work done to it.
(Not just for chasing Schrott, the year 2010,2011 will be bi-centennial cerebration of Chopin and Liszt's birth, which means that likely I will be wandering around Europe for those special commemorative events and concerts...)


I am not exactly poor, however, I am far from rich as to be able to come and go as I please, it takes some plannings smarts and wits.

But at the end, what it takes to make our life rich is not the amount of money we have.

My ability to appreciate arts (humanity, in reality) is a gift I was born with, and no one can take that away from me.

I may lose a limb one day and may not be able to play the piano, or violin in the future, but I would still be able to appreciate the beauty of it. There might be an unforeseen time of crisis that I never prepared for, and I may lose all my material comforts i enjoy.

Would that be the end of my life?
No.
My love for life is something beyond money and the material luxury.


I would still be the rich, jaded incubus.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

So Fred was checking out Opera hunk in New York

You thought I do not have real life?

Oh I have one, I just don't kiss and tell... except on few occasion that calls for special treatment.
Yesterday was one.

I would never imagined this when I met leyla about 2 years ago. It was even before the Transylvania, but I was trying to clean up the SL drama, and she came and listen to what I have to say. Since then, the trust between us developed and fastened.

I wanted to meet leyla and solis, both one of the best friends in SL, for leyla 's special , personal occasion. I chose Metropolitan Opera's production of Don Giovanni, and invited two gorgeous vampires into his reserved box, close to the stage. (We experienced a small set back on first half of the performance, but it was quickly remedied by house manager of Met opera, and we were invited to the 4th row from the stage.)


Oh the performance was breathtaking. Quite literally.

Divine Erwin Schrott ripped his shirt open and stripped off of it in first 5 minutes.
It was worth every penny-though it was pretty penny, the most memorable thing in my life for two points.
I was with two best friends I have never met till then.
They enjoyed the opera as much as I did, and I was able to give the great experience to them.
Chocolaty smooth, dangerously sweet Bass baritone should be shared...

After that, we went back to leyla's lair, I was still in endorphin high. You have heard the expression, it is better than sex. Well, Schrott's Don Giovanni was just that.
(It's been five days, its getting excruciating that ecstasy still tailing off but not really gone. I can see that how addiction starts.)

Lemme tell you.

leyla and solis are one of the most genuine ladies I have known. How the life can be turned colorful and meaningful by few good friends.

Many in SL knows me know that I do not cross the boundary between this life and the other. But this time, I had to make an exception, and it was the right choice.

yes, I always make my own rules and break them.

********
I am an incubus. I know why the rake did not repent even when he was faced with the ghost of his past.
(For those who do not know, I'm refering to the climax of Don Giovanni.)

By the way, my notches on my belt and my bed post has been all too full, and I could not resolve that issue for a quite some time now. But I think I found the solution...
The RED BOOK! The cataloge of women.(... well and men, and in between.)

Well, Don Giovanni has 2065 pages... I am not sure how many more to catch that record.