Photoshop Tools - Alpha Transparencies - Robin Wood

Robin Wood does amazing tutorials, you really should check them out here. The one I find most helpful is how to make transparencies, make sure you read and do it, but make sure you grab the actions that do it for you! I use them all the time. That tutorial is here.

Insulin Pump Hottie - Buckeye Buscaylet

Buckeye Buscaylet is a gorgeous taken redhead in the same Tiny Empires Kindgom

as I. She shows off the playful side of wearing a pump on this tire swing. Thanks for the Pic Buckeye!

By the way, Tiny Empires is fun, and frustrating, if you want to try it, IM me in world and I'm happy to take you on as a subject.

Live Music Sundays unfortunately Canceled~ Stella Silvansky

Unfortunately Stella is travelling this weekend (I'm still trying to find a replacement.) and so the following post is invalid, but just so you know about her it would have said this:

Okay...so Stella is a girl who has no problem being the center of attention. :)

Stella Silvansky is now playing a one hour set every other week for us and it's this Sunday at 5pm! Please come hear this talented singer and support her continued success.

Stella Silvansky streams her sultry voice live from Western Maine to her adoring fans in SL. Singing everything from Jewel to Norah Jones, from Sheryl Crow to Indigo Girls, Stella thrives off making a true connection both to her songs and to her audience.

She's also been fortunate to sing original songs by other incredible SL artists like Raspbury Rearwin, and she really comes alive when she gets to sing live with Maximillion Kleene.

Stella loves suggestions from her fans, and it rocks her world when she can find a new and unusual approach to a song everyone knows.

You can check out her websites here, and here.

Photoshop Tools - Ryker's Brushes

Sensual, originally uploaded by Ryker Beck.

Photoshop is really an invaluable tool if you create in Second Life, I'm not that good with it and I use it every day, if you're designing clothing or skins you absolutely must have it. (Alright, maybe GIMP will work but I get a headache with that and I'm a techy guy.) Ryker graciously shared her brushes with the SL community and it's a bookmark of mine. So now I'm sharing it with you. Go get them here.

Insulin Pump Hottie - Devia Markus

Devia and I have known each other through 3 games now, we told amazing stories together in Star Wars Galaxies and she looks amazing even with a pump on her hip. That's truly what this is all about, Diabetes dosen't stop you from being awesome, it just needs to be paid attention to. You can read Noel and Dev's adventures in an alternate universe here & here.

This is another milestone, and again I'm lucky enough to be posting about a friend. This is my 200th post here. Thanks for sticking with me.

Live Music Sundays ~ Damian Carbanell

Damian Carbenell is now playing a one hour set every other week for us and it's today at 5pm! Please come hear this talented singer songwriter and support his continued success.

Guitarist/vocalist Damian Carbenell picked up the guitar at age ten and added the keyboards soon after. He began to write his own music at age 15 and now has an extensive collection of originals and cover songs under his belt. A typical Damian performance might include the Eagles, Green Day, Jack Johnson , Bon Jovi, John Mayer, Rob Thomas, or even Garth Brooks and Toby Keith. His wide variety in music style is sure to please everyone. His MySpace page is here.

Linked by NWN again - Virtual Insulin Pump Hotties

NWN (New World Notes) was kind enough to link to us talking about our insulin pump. This is truly just a thing I made to spread education, it costs 1L so I can get an idea of how many are being put out but it's nearly free and if you can't afford the 1L send me an IM in world and I'll give you one. It's copy/trans so you can give it to people who are curious. I'd love to see a pic of you wearing it, it'll get added to the slideshow above you can drop that on me in world or email it to me. Thank you all for your support.

(Trackback to NWN is: http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/742433/34924879 )

Insulin Pump Hottie - Mocksoup Graves

Mockie is being naughty by showing so much skin, but her little girl panties point out that this is a disease that affects children. Her blog/pic posts are here. She's a very talanted SL photographer and a dear friend, go harass her in comments.

Live Music Sundays ~ Damian Carbanell

Damian Carbenell is now playing a one hour set every other week for us and it's this Sunday at 5pm! Please come hear this talented singer songwriter and support his continued success.

Guitarist/vocalist Damian Carbenell picked up the guitar at age ten and added the keyboards soon after. He began to write his own music at age 15 and now has an extensive collection of originals and cover songs under his belt. A typical Damian performance might include the Eagles, Green Day, Jack Johnson , Bon Jovi, John Mayer, Rob Thomas, or even Garth Brooks and Toby Keith. His wide variety in music style is sure to please everyone. His MySpace page is here.

After a day of driving...

Wanted to show you my favorite cars in SL, they are made by Primouth Motors and they are awesome....

More pics and review later.

Insulin Pump Hottie - Tyssen Laville

Tyss wears it on her arm, but here's another Insulin Pump Hottie for you all.

Goatee?!? Tymmerie interviews yours truly....

I've joined illustrious company! Yeah well, they didn't check the credentials, so it's really their own fault. I did an interview with Tymmerie over at Girl Wonder, she's a sweetheart and if you're thinking of joining Second Life I certainly recommend getting ahold of her and joing Starting Point. She made me look good in the interview and I'm incredibly thankful for her support and patcience with me. Go read her blog now.

O, I also added her pic to the hotties with Insulin Pumps, if you want your avi pic there, send it to me in world or by email.

Live Music Sundays ~ Stella Silvansky

UPDATE - Unfortunately Stella got stuck on the road and so today's concert has to be canceled.

Okay...so Stella is a girl who has no problem being the center of attention. :)

Stella Silvansky is now playing a one hour set every other week for us and it's Today at 5pm! Please come hear this talented singer and support her continued success.

Stella Silvansky streams her sultry voice live from Western Maine to her adoring fans in SL. Singing everything from Jewel to Norah Jones, from Sheryl Crow to Indigo Girls, Stella thrives off making a true connection both to her songs and to her audience.

She's also been fortunate to sing original songs by other incredible SL artists like Raspbury Rearwin, and she really comes alive when she gets to sing live with Maximillion Kleene.

Stella loves suggestions from her fans, and it rocks her world when she can find a new and unusual approach to a song everyone knows.

You can check out her websites here, and here.

Not to pick on Alicia.

This is an interesting topic, read this here, and tell her she has class in the comments.

There are definate lessons there. Post every day, accept your readership, whatever evidence you do or don't have of them, and keep your voice. That's my advice anyway.

Live Music Sundays ~ Stella Silvansky

Okay...so Stella is a girl who has no problem being the center of attention. :)

Stella Silvansky is now playing a one hour set every other week for us and it's this Sunday at 5pm! Please come hear this talented singer and support her continued success.

Stella Silvansky streams her sultry voice live from Western Maine to her adoring fans in SL. Singing everything from Jewel to Norah Jones, from Sheryl Crow to Indigo Girls, Stella thrives off making a true connection both to her songs and to her audience.

She's also been fortunate to sing original songs by other incredible SL artists like Raspbury Rearwin, and she really comes alive when she gets to sing live with Maximillion Kleene.

Stella loves suggestions from her fans, and it rocks her world when she can find a new and unusual approach to a song everyone knows.

You can check out her websites here, and here.

My thoughts on the economy... and selling here....

This will be extremely condensed. My new real life job has me home all of 8 days this month so I'm not nearly as able to think and blog like I want but I also am committed to talking to the smartest people on the internets (that would be you) every day. So...

Having read Gwyn's article yesterday? Good. Here's what is interesting about having such a powerful tool in SL. If you're one of the ones who builds and creates here... then you may not bother buying because you want to see if you can do it yourself. I haven't bought a building in over a year. I admire buildings that others do, some of them I can't even compete with, but I don't buy them either. So learning and teaching about the power of this world/tool trains people not to be customers.... this is true of Real Life as well though, it's why apprenticeships and certifications cost so much in time and money.

The second part of the equation is the 'hobo' culture that is endemic in second life, it's an extension of the information must be free attitude of the early adopters, giving things away is it's own culture in Second Life and the stuff you can get free now is 100's of times better then the stuff that used to be around. The quality trickles down... This is noble, but not a great economic model.

So why do this? Don't do it for money, do it for fun, do it for the lessons learned, do it because you love it. Do it because the money is a way to keep 'score' in a scoreless 'game'. But I don't recommend to people that they can get rich here, it can happen, but it takes a ton of work, and until/if the adoption and expansion includes the non geek consumers (Which is different from the non-geek non consumers.) then it will be a tough road, not an impossible one, but a tough one.

This became kind of stream of conciousness, it's late, I'm tired and I'm on the road, forgive me, I'm sure I'll explore these themes again.

It's Long but you should be Reading...

Go read Gwynn if you run a business, or just want to know more.

Ch'Know ~ Sometimes you just get Lucky.

Alicia is a darling DJ, a funny intelligent person, and a builder who has never lost her sense of fun. She also looks better with an insulin pump then I do. Her thoughts on it are here.

Speaking of, I'm thinking of doing a photostream/slideshow of people on the left and their virtual insulin pumps, so if you want to be one of the hotties (guy or girl) with an insulin pump and be famous on the blog, go to my store and get your dollarbie. So far Pheobe and Alicia are leading the way. I'd love to have hundreds of people supporting this effort, my dream is to have a swell of support so that next September during the walkathons in real life we can raise some money in SL for this. But even if you're not into that and just want your picture on the blog, send me the photo.

Skin is fine but for the sake of this being a blog that isn't adult restricted please keep the 'bits' covered or shadowed or whatever.... thank you.

Live Music Sundays Canceled!

10/10/08 Update: Unfortunately Damian's travel plans didn't work out and he won't be able to make this concert so this has been canceled.

Please join us next Sunday for the gorgeous Stella Silvansky!

Blogroll Changes!

If you are an astute reader... I know you all are the smartest people on the internets cuz you read me but smart dosen't nessecarily mean astute, don't look at me like it's an insult... you may have noticed that my blogroll down there on the left has gotten smaller. This is a problem with the widget I was using to populate it. I used bloglines to show you all what I was actually reading, and though I still use it to read my feeds it often has a 'plumbing problem' as they call it. When that happens because it's in the sidebar to the left it hangs the rest of the page. This is unacceptable. So... I typed in quite a few of my favorites to the blogger sponsored blogroll widget and they are now down there. If you read my blog and used to be in my blogroll, or didn't used to be in my blogroll and read my blog and want to be included, drop me an email or comment this post. I also didn't replicate my full blogroll as it's well over 700 blogs, so don't be offended and think I don't read you, I probably do.

SLExchange becomes Xstreet SL - Nothing else much changes.

This change has been put out there on other sites, but since I'm an SLX merchant I thought I should share, this dosen't change anything, you can still use the link on the left there to buy my products and it's still a safe and reputable Second Life Company. You can get my products here. The email they sent is reproduced below for completeness sake and to help others who may be considering using them as a business tool:

Dear Noelyci Ingmann,

As of October 1st, 2008 SL Exchange has become Xstreet SL!

When SL Exchange was formed in 2004 it was never intended that we would operate solely within Second Life. "SL Exchange" is a service name owned by Virtuatrade, LLC and the intention has always been to create new service names as we expand into other areas. When Linden Lab announced their trademark licensing changes earlier this year we decided to take the opportunity to re-brand, with our sights set on the future.

The name Xstreet was chosen because it represents our purpose, being the crossroads of exchange between buyers and sellers within virtual worlds. That purpose and vision has been at the core of our endeavors since the very beginning, to which our main Avatar's name, Exchange Street, can attest.


Frequently asked questions regarding our name change:

1. What is your new URL?
http://www.xstreetsl.com/

2. Was SL Exchange bought out by someone else?
No. Xstreet SL is a service of Virtuatrade LLC which is primarily owned by Apotheus Silverman who founded SL Exchange in 2004.

3. Do my SL Exchange links still work?
For now, yes. For one year, all URLs pointing to slexchange.com will be redirected to xstreetsl.com. We highly encourage you to hange your bookmarks to www.xstreetsl.com and uncensored.xstreetsl.com (for those wishing to view our adult content) as soon as possible to avoid any webpage redirection delays.

4. Are my L$ still safe with Xstreet?
Yes. Nothing has changed but our name and URL. All of your account information has remained unchanged.

5. Are my items and item listings still safe?
Yes. Nothing has changed but our name and URL. Your listings have not been affected by this change.

6. Do I need to download a new Magic Box?
Eventually, yes. The current Magic Boxes will continue to work but we encourage you to download new Magic Boxes as soon as possible. In the near future we will announce a schedule to which we plan to decommission older Magic Boxes over the next 6-12 months.

Magic Box Link:
http://www.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&ItemID=14129

7. Where can I get new Xstreet logos?
New Xstreet SL Logos are available here:
http://www.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&CategoryID=390

8. Will the Terminals still work after the name change?
Yes. The Terminals will display the new Xstreet SL logo within the next few weeks but they will continue to work as always.

For more detailed information on how this change affects you, please visit this link:

http://www.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=69568

Regards,
Xstreet SL (formerly SL Exchange)
www.xstreetsl.com

This message was sent by Xstreet SL. For help with your account (or with this message), please contact us by mailing to support@xstreetsl.com.

Live Music Sundays Canceled!

10/10/08 Update: Unfortunately Damian's travel plans didn't work out and he won't be able to make this concert so this has been canceled.

Damian Carbenell is now playing a one hour set every other week for us and it's this Sunday at 5pm! Please come hear this talented singer songwriter and support his continued success.

Guitarist/vocalist Damian Carbenell picked up the guitar at age ten and added the keyboards soon after. He began to write his own music at age 15 and now has an extensive collection of originals and cover songs under his belt. A typical Damian performance might include the Eagles, Green Day, Jack Johnson , Bon Jovi, John Mayer, Rob Thomas, or even Garth Brooks and Toby Keith. His wide variety in music style is sure to please everyone. His MySpace page is here.

Jet lag and writer's block.

So, I got a new RL job, but it includes 50% travel and I'm litterally exhausted, tomorrow hopefully I'll be able to manage a more normal post, but today you're stuck with Link Love.... these are not sl related at all, just stuff I read, so here you go:

Download Squad
High-Def Digest
Cinematical
TV Squad

Cuter diabetic then me!

Go check out Pheobe, she looks much cuter with my Insulin Pump then I do.

10/9/2008 Update: I added the photo here...

Live Music Sundays ~ Stella Silvansky

Okay...so Stella is a girl who has no problem being the center of attention. :)

Stella Silvansky is now playing a one hour set every other week for us and it's Today at 5pm! Please come hear this talented singer and support her continued success.

Stella Silvansky streams her sultry voice live from Western Maine to her adoring fans in SL. Singing everything from Jewel to Norah Jones, from Sheryl Crow to Indigo Girls, Stella thrives off making a true connection both to her songs and to her audience.

She's also been fortunate to sing original songs by other incredible SL artists like Raspbury Rearwin, and she really comes alive when she gets to sing live with Maximillion Kleene.

Stella loves suggestions from her fans, and it rocks her world when she can find a new and unusual approach to a song everyone knows.

You can check out her websites here, and here.

Second Life's First Insulin Pump, I think.

The brochure:Thank you for buying/acquiring the Insulin Pump created by Noelyci Ingmann of Ingmann Design Group.

The idea behind this Insulin Pump is to educate you and those around you to a small portion of what it means to be diabetic. The pump is a visible symbol of being diabetic and may prompt questions. This is a teaching opportunity. On top of this the pump will remind you every 90 minutes to test your blood sugars. If you want to reset the timer and do it earlier then the alarm you can by touching it, thereby resetting the timer to another 90 minutes. Many diabetics pick times that are advantageous so that they don't have to do it with friends, but you will have to remember to do this or the avatars around you will see you testing.

I hope this gives you a taste of what it means to be a Type 1 Diabetic. To learn more, or to support the search for a cure please visit:

http://www.jdrf.org/

Created by Noelyci Ingmann
http://www.ingmanndesign.com/


And you can get your copy for 1L, in my store under the stairs....

Live Music Sundays ~ Stella Silvansky

Okay...so Stella is a girl who has no problem being the center of attention. :)

Stella Silvansky is now playing a one hour set every other week for us and it's this Sunday at 5pm! Please come hear this talented singer and support her continued success.

Stella Silvansky streams her sultry voice live from Western Maine to her adoring fans in SL. Singing everything from Jewel to Norah Jones, from Sheryl Crow to Indigo Girls, Stella thrives off making a true connection both to her songs and to her audience.

She's also been fortunate to sing original songs by other incredible SL artists like Raspbury Rearwin, and she really comes alive when she gets to sing live with Maximillion Kleene.

Stella loves suggestions from her fans, and it rocks her world when she can find a new and unusual approach to a song everyone knows.

You can check out her websites here, and here.

Virtual Worlds History

Now, I'm not as much of a fan as Electric Sheep as I used to be. They made some decisions that have lowered them a peg or two in my book, but they still have very smart people working there. One of whom is Sibley Verbeck, he wrote this article, I recommend you go read it now.

Read it? Good. Now I have been in many of those worlds mentioned that no longer survive and if you've read this blog for any length of time you know I'm a geek. The point of the article is well taken however, there will always be people who think a light switch just works by magic and those who can wire a house. The search to de-geek shouldn't take away the power of the platform. This is my fear with all the moves lately to 'demystify' Second Life. If they take away our ability to make beautiful complex things in this pursuit we will have lost more then we gain.

Just my two cents, chime in in comments.