A New Hardware Substrate for Me

*RL mode*
Somehow, my thumb-fingered human managed to fry the motherboard in the computer that supports my SL activities, and so decided to bite the bullet and buy a new system, rather than trying to figure out all the new varities of processors, memory, motherboards, and all the other silicon-based organisms that are needed to fling the electrons around in the right directions. Result, a new Compaq Presario SR5450F with 2GB of RAM, a 500 GB hard drive, and as an added bonus, a brand, spanking-new Nvidia GeForce 8600GT graphics card. The store threw together a package deal and slipped in a cheap HP printer and a 19" LCD monitor for US$20 more (after rebates).

Then came the two-day-minimum Herculean task of transferring all of the stuff and nonsense from the old hard drive(s) -- fortunately NOT zapped -- to the new system. Human and I are learning to dislike -- if not dispise -- Windows Vista. But for now that's the only choice.

Doubling the amount of RAM from 1 GB to 2 GB, a dual-core CPU, and the more powerful graphics card has made a BIG difference in my SL existance! So far, lag is nearly nonexistant and the frame rate is high enough that I don't walk into walls as much as I used to. I think I'm going to like this new environment.

Even with Vista.

Updated Mer AO available

I've updated the Mermaid's Dream AO to work with Havok 4, and put in an updater in the store, as well as updating the version in the AO vendor. The updater will be useful when I have updates for other items as well.

While testing the new AO I noticed a bug (already reported in the SL™ JURA) where you slowly sink while hovering. This is a bit embarassing when you're talking to a friendly sailor and you ... slowly .. sink ... beneath ... the ... waves ... Hopefully they'll get this fixed soon.

Today Arianti, tomorrow Second Life®

With the acquisition of some land on the west side of Mermaid's Dream, I can expand. I don't really need the space right now, but the added prim allowance is nice, and I have these delusions dreams of building a merfolk multinational corporation someday...

To Baldly Go...

OMG, I look like Gollum!

This is what happens when the Asset Server has problems. No hair, no clothes, and a popup warning to hold off doing anything for a while. Thank Cthulhu that at least I was wearing the bikini the last time I logged off...

Icon; You Con't

I hear a rumor (OK, there is a whole flood of blogposts) about the new Linden Labs trademark policy. *Puts back of hand to forehead in a near swoon* I just haven't had the time or inclination yet to figure out what it all means or what I have to do with this blog to keep the Trademark Police away from my door.

So until then, consider all references to "Lindon Labs", "Second Life", and related entities to be virtually trademarked here. Until I get around to putting in all of the ® (ALT + 0174) and ™ (ALT + 0153) and whatever other mystic signs we have to put in nowadays.

Land Rush

I've been trying for a while now to expand the land that Mermaid's Dream is on. I proposed a land swap with a neighbor for another parcel I had, but he wants to keep his parcel. But today, two 512 sq. m. parcels on the other side came up for sale, so I decided I had better jump on the opportunity. I bought both parcels, and then put up the other two scattered 512 parcels that I had in Arianti up for sale, hopefully soon. I may have to eat the charge for a higher tier for a while. But now I can consolidate the land and have plenty of room for expansion.

Dancing in the Dark

Lately, a couple of my customers have had problems with the mer couples dances. I've never been very satisfied with the scripts I wrote for synchronizing the two poseballs, but I haven't been able to find any better ways of doing it. As far as I have been able to find out, animations are run in the Client, which means that some people will see the dance as working OK, while others will see one or both of the dancers locked in the "waiting" pose.

*Bangs head against the wall*

Happy Rezday to Me!

So I finally made it -- one year in Second Life! W00t!

March 6: a noob with style :-P

April 17 - Discovering Averia and Grendel's Children

June 12 - The horrible Turkey Infestation in Caledon

November 5 - Mermaid days (or is it daze?)

January 8 - A Profitable Venture

And now - no longer just an "alt", I wonder what the next year is going to bring; for me in SL and my human in RL? Both of us are anxious to find out.

Emancipation

My human gave me an early rezday present -- my own Premium account! So now I can own my own land, instead of relying on the kindness of strangers.

So title to the land that Mermaid's Dream is located on will transfer to me soon. I was planning on buying the plot just to the west to expand the shop -- but someone is already building on it, so they probably won't be interested in selling. Oh, well. If I can find another 512 or 1024 lot in Arienti (there aren't any for sale right now), at least I can use it for prim count and expand the shop vertically.

I guess I'll have to change the title of this blog, since I'm no longer an "alt".

Flip this Shop

I have some ideas for more products to sell in my shop, Mermaid's Dream. So I spend most of the day yesterday making additions and modifications, mostly to add a bit of floor space. I decided that the "boat dock" at the front wasn't very useful, so I widened it and moved the couples dance balls there. I also added another floor area at the back of the store, which meant relocating the waterfall. Pick and shovel time*.


There has been a Grotto below the store almost since the beginning, but it didn't have much in it except for coral. I decided to move the entrance into the shop proper, which meant rearranging the "breakwater" -- another dirty job, even if I work mostly underwater. This also allowed space for another section of shop floor above the Grotto entrance for future expansion. I have plans for the Grotto -- it will be a place for visitors to relax and meet. And it's also where I will put the more "mature" mer items, when (if) I invent them ;-)



Now I need to figure out how to save a few prims. I'm nowhere near my limit, but if I need to keep my options open for the future.

A mermaid's work is never done...


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* Have you ever seen a mermaid try to use a shovel?