I don't know where I heard it, but it is probably a song name or CD name: "Keep your hands off my power supply." Google tells me it is an album. OK another bit of trivia answered by the greatest search engine in the world. The truth is the wealthy people I have met have this as their creed: the set up a flow of money, and they expect it to continue. Their whole world is about making sure that that supply stays hooked in. Liberal or conservative or flaming crazy, that is what makes them rich, and the rest of us have to work for a living. They get money from other people doing things. It's a tax on what you do and say and think.'
It is no exageration to say that our culture is produced the same way our poultry or our oil is. Chickens lay the eggs, but don't generally get the best of the deal. Sure a few get to star in Purdue commercials. The rest get to see most of their eggs eaten. The same is true with people who produce culture. Some make out very well. The rest get to see other people eat their creative efforts. That's the way it is.
VR is a chance to make progress on something that I believe in: having a vibrant culture that is not connected to this direction. Larry Lessig calls it free culture, and that's not exactly right. And it isn't "bottom up." Bottom up culture is "wanna fuck?" That's what the bottoms (/me giggles) demand random, no cost anything. "Here we are now," as the song goes "entertain us."
However it won't appen if we don't look at it as being an important part of what we share here. Our time here is so fragile.
I don't have big picture suggestions, nor am I going to offer up the kumbaya kind of be nice to local content. On the other hand, real steps are needed, so I'm open to suggestions, and will help as I am able.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Learning to fail
I see many people around me becoming successes at SL. London is going to be a success.
I know at this point that I am not going to be one of them, instead, it seems that SL failure is coming soon to me. That's simply the way it is. I can't make gadgets that everyone has to have, I can't promote the shapes I do well enough, even though many of them are far better than shapes sold for much more. People over pay for bad work so that they can find it in a camper ladden search. That is what they want, and what LL wants to provide.
As failure creeps up on me, it seems useful to think about it.
The one thing I am any good at in SL, for money, is being an escort. Part pixel prostitute, part ear to lean on, part whore. There is a difference between being a prostitute and being whore, and it is important to keep in mind the difference. But to make a living at this requires going cam. I don't begrudge cam girls, in fact, because they have taken such a huge piece of their identity and fixed it in video, I hope that they do well. Having paid the price for entry into that world to the patriarchy, or whatever you choose to call a system that pays very smart women lots of money to play with their clit in front of a video camera, I hope in a desperate way that it works out for them. The alternative is so much worse.
I don't feel jealous of London, she is both a wonderful person, and has a gift for doing what people need. A gift I don't have.
Many of the people who have been sl successes are truly nasty people. They are like normal people, only much worse. More hate filled, more control oriented, more vicious. I won't name any names, because it is pointless. Their viciousness as people is part of their success, they know weakness, and they exploit it mercilessly. I can only have respect for people that build empires and work them, because that is their karma.
But I am neither a good sl cog, nor a good gadgeteer, nor a good land lady. In fact, I am much better at being a cog rl. However, it was the point to come her and not be a cog. I can be a cog elsewhere, and be paid well for it.
Failure hurts. I cry about this, dry tears and wet sobs. But it is also the result of the personna I chose and the reasons for being. Instead, I am product. Knowing interesting people like me is what Linden Labs sells. But they are going to squeeze you of all the money, since they control the bridges that you have to pay, and leave none. Since I'm not enough of a whore to be profitable, but too much of one to be invisible, it is me you buy when you pay tier or your membership to LL. And when I go away, there will be someone else to replace me.
There are still hopes for Lillie, I'm writing two novels, and I think I can sell one. There is still hope for my rl, a great deal of it I think.
No, I'm not leaving SL, far from it. This is not a good-bye post by any stretch of the imagination. But from here on in, I am not going to try and be a success, or make an institution. It seems a good time to finish building Yedo, and then see if someone else will run it, or just sell it off. Why pay alot for something I can do in a 30x30 skybox? I can rent space on some island for that, and have my play pay for itself.
I'm sorry to all the people who placed faith in me. I'm not strong enough, or some other things. It is my fault and my own choices, I know.
But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.
Or for those that prefer it in rhyme here.
I know at this point that I am not going to be one of them, instead, it seems that SL failure is coming soon to me. That's simply the way it is. I can't make gadgets that everyone has to have, I can't promote the shapes I do well enough, even though many of them are far better than shapes sold for much more. People over pay for bad work so that they can find it in a camper ladden search. That is what they want, and what LL wants to provide.
As failure creeps up on me, it seems useful to think about it.
The one thing I am any good at in SL, for money, is being an escort. Part pixel prostitute, part ear to lean on, part whore. There is a difference between being a prostitute and being whore, and it is important to keep in mind the difference. But to make a living at this requires going cam. I don't begrudge cam girls, in fact, because they have taken such a huge piece of their identity and fixed it in video, I hope that they do well. Having paid the price for entry into that world to the patriarchy, or whatever you choose to call a system that pays very smart women lots of money to play with their clit in front of a video camera, I hope in a desperate way that it works out for them. The alternative is so much worse.
I don't feel jealous of London, she is both a wonderful person, and has a gift for doing what people need. A gift I don't have.
Many of the people who have been sl successes are truly nasty people. They are like normal people, only much worse. More hate filled, more control oriented, more vicious. I won't name any names, because it is pointless. Their viciousness as people is part of their success, they know weakness, and they exploit it mercilessly. I can only have respect for people that build empires and work them, because that is their karma.
But I am neither a good sl cog, nor a good gadgeteer, nor a good land lady. In fact, I am much better at being a cog rl. However, it was the point to come her and not be a cog. I can be a cog elsewhere, and be paid well for it.
Failure hurts. I cry about this, dry tears and wet sobs. But it is also the result of the personna I chose and the reasons for being. Instead, I am product. Knowing interesting people like me is what Linden Labs sells. But they are going to squeeze you of all the money, since they control the bridges that you have to pay, and leave none. Since I'm not enough of a whore to be profitable, but too much of one to be invisible, it is me you buy when you pay tier or your membership to LL. And when I go away, there will be someone else to replace me.
There are still hopes for Lillie, I'm writing two novels, and I think I can sell one. There is still hope for my rl, a great deal of it I think.
No, I'm not leaving SL, far from it. This is not a good-bye post by any stretch of the imagination. But from here on in, I am not going to try and be a success, or make an institution. It seems a good time to finish building Yedo, and then see if someone else will run it, or just sell it off. Why pay alot for something I can do in a 30x30 skybox? I can rent space on some island for that, and have my play pay for itself.
I'm sorry to all the people who placed faith in me. I'm not strong enough, or some other things. It is my fault and my own choices, I know.
But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.
Or for those that prefer it in rhyme here.
A journey through several lives
Hat tip to London for linking to this:
OP and SL journey...
I think that people naturally have many ways of being, sometimes that means "one partner for life" in some form or another, and usually it means "many short relationships and small number of very important ones." But what is more interesting to me is the question of identity. We have always had many identities, often in relationship to work and private life, and historically, religion as well. Many subsets of our life require we take on different identities, even formally different ones: with different names and pasts.
Digital identity is another example of this, and different from the ones that came before, but not completely different. I am me in all my lives, even if the identity may differ, it is the same personality, more or less. However, being in SL makes it possible to learn how to cultivate parts of that personality that RL doesn't always give full range to, or puts pressures to abandon.
OP and SL journey...
I think that people naturally have many ways of being, sometimes that means "one partner for life" in some form or another, and usually it means "many short relationships and small number of very important ones." But what is more interesting to me is the question of identity. We have always had many identities, often in relationship to work and private life, and historically, religion as well. Many subsets of our life require we take on different identities, even formally different ones: with different names and pasts.
Digital identity is another example of this, and different from the ones that came before, but not completely different. I am me in all my lives, even if the identity may differ, it is the same personality, more or less. However, being in SL makes it possible to learn how to cultivate parts of that personality that RL doesn't always give full range to, or puts pressures to abandon.
Light it pours through the window
Light,
it pours through the window,
chasing dream land cobwebs from my head.
I drink it in, like nectar,
sweet beyond sweet.
The first filaments of dawn were different,
they wrapped around the edges of the sky.
Oh how I miss them already...
and like fragrant white tea leaves,
that perfect second infusion, which is touched with bitter,
but has given up the flowered scent.
That scent that draws all that lives and moves to it
and conjures with the origin of the world.
It kissed my eyes, and brushed the sand from my sight.
Light was just a breath of night then.
But now, it flows forth,
as wine from some mythic spring,
to make us drunk,
with the possibilities of the day.
By night such mirth as danced with our minds,
was chained by the illogic of a dream,
and illuminated by the drops of luminescence
that bleed from stars in the velvet sky.
Those dreams!
I can't recall their course or shape,
I think I ran in terror from you,
or perhaps ached for your embrace.
By dreams these seem too close to one,
and all the same.
But now, bright buckets rain across my desk,
caress my hands,
and feed my sight.
And I hope our quarrel of the evening,
can, by my soft apology, come right.
it pours through the window,
chasing dream land cobwebs from my head.
I drink it in, like nectar,
sweet beyond sweet.
The first filaments of dawn were different,
they wrapped around the edges of the sky.
Oh how I miss them already...
and like fragrant white tea leaves,
that perfect second infusion, which is touched with bitter,
but has given up the flowered scent.
That scent that draws all that lives and moves to it
and conjures with the origin of the world.
It kissed my eyes, and brushed the sand from my sight.
Light was just a breath of night then.
But now, it flows forth,
as wine from some mythic spring,
to make us drunk,
with the possibilities of the day.
By night such mirth as danced with our minds,
was chained by the illogic of a dream,
and illuminated by the drops of luminescence
that bleed from stars in the velvet sky.
Those dreams!
I can't recall their course or shape,
I think I ran in terror from you,
or perhaps ached for your embrace.
By dreams these seem too close to one,
and all the same.
But now, bright buckets rain across my desk,
caress my hands,
and feed my sight.
And I hope our quarrel of the evening,
can, by my soft apology, come right.
Land Prices Collapse
There are 4096's going for 6.1 and 6.2.
These are the lowest prices since I have gotten on to SL. My land guru is talking about moving Yedo completely. Sure, he isn't the builder, and doesn't have to deal with the problems of that. But if we could find a viable 4.... I'd think about it. Realize that three weeks ago, land went for 10.1 minimum. There is a great deal of land "priced to sit" at 12 and 13.
My own feeling is that LL is trying to attract a whole new audience, or that they are going to raise tier fees by a great deal once this land sells.
But whatever happens, anyone who was expecting to get their set up fee back when they sold is going to be sadly disappointed. Kiss that money good by dears.
The best way of thinking of SL is as a corrupt monarchy around 1700. The king is a player, just like everyone else, and the "government" concerned only with the king's glory in his combat with other kings. The king has friends, they get special treatment. The rest of us, have to do what we can.
These are the lowest prices since I have gotten on to SL. My land guru is talking about moving Yedo completely. Sure, he isn't the builder, and doesn't have to deal with the problems of that. But if we could find a viable 4.... I'd think about it. Realize that three weeks ago, land went for 10.1 minimum. There is a great deal of land "priced to sit" at 12 and 13.
My own feeling is that LL is trying to attract a whole new audience, or that they are going to raise tier fees by a great deal once this land sells.
But whatever happens, anyone who was expecting to get their set up fee back when they sold is going to be sadly disappointed. Kiss that money good by dears.
The best way of thinking of SL is as a corrupt monarchy around 1700. The king is a player, just like everyone else, and the "government" concerned only with the king's glory in his combat with other kings. The king has friends, they get special treatment. The rest of us, have to do what we can.
Monday, August 13, 2007
S.S. Galaxy Review: The Cruise Ship of Second Life
One of my fondest, more recent memories in this life is my seven day cruise aboard the Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas. In Second Life I’ve been able to match that fond memory to the S.S. Galaxy. The Galaxy is a cruise ship built by a very talented avatar by the name of Bill Stirling. She Spans 3 Sims long and is composed of more than 40,000 prims. Prims are the actual “building blocks” used to make something in Second Life i.e. a chair takes four parts to make, each Sim holds 15000 prims so if you do the math the ship almost takes up every available prim with around 5000 to spare. I’ve noticed a tremendous amount of lag all over the ship, more often worse in the stern section of the ship, in my state room I sometimes have difficulty walking, but in the stern it will lock my system up completely and even cause the game to crash. For the sake of this review and I’ve already invested a quite a bit of money into living aboard the Galaxy for a few weeks I have lowered my quality settings, and draw distance to try and prevent or retard the effects of the lag.
I’ve rented Suite #0415 which is a two story state room taking up decks four and five, they rent for $1000L a week and give you 300 prims to use for furniture, pose balls, and pictures. They also have a smaller 1 floor suites on deck three that rent for $650L a week with 200 prims, and in the Bow of the ship they have suits that take up decks three, four, and five for $3500L a week with 1000 prims to use, and there also appears to be furnished suites for the staff and crew on the fourth and fifth decks in the stern, as well as Captain suites in the Bow. During my stay I’ve noticed that the suites are 30% to 50% rented, mostly my time on board has been between
As the review begins we’ll start at the stern, Galaxy AFT sim, which is where you would teleport into if you were to search the S.S. Galaxy. You board from dock and as the doors swish open with a Star Trek effect you enter the reception lobby where they’ve literally rolled out the red carpet welcome to their guests. There’s a hospitality desk with note cards about renting information and events going on during the week, also a link to a website which informs you what suites are available for rent. The lobby can only be described as a mimic of a five star hotel, complete with the first of many bars aboard the Galaxy. The rest of the first deck stern is quite a large shopping mall which continues directly up on the second deck, and this is the area where I lag the worse and often causes the game to crash. The stern section also includes a small billiards bar on the second deck, a movie theater, which I haven’t seen anything playing at yet, on the fifth deck, a solon that sales hair and the Rainbow Café gourmet coffee shop are on the fourth deck. Then you get to the top, deck 6, and you find what makes fighting the lag in the stern worth it, the Zodiac Ballroom, a domed grand ballroom and dance floor, by the event listings I can tell most of the events aboard the Galaxy are held here. It has a very magical presence from the time when you enter the room, and in spite of the lag the room is still filled when events take place. Also, being a gun toting Texan, I appreciate the skeet shoot at the edge of the sim before you cross over to mid ship.
Venturing to Mid ship and the second sim that the Galaxy sits on, the first stop is the ship’s Constellation Lounge and
Now we have the bow/Forward sim, this area not as active as the aft of the ship, but still houses many beautiful features of the Galaxy. Starting at the top this time, deck seven holds the Starlight Lounge, which is a sitting area with a few dance poses, and on deck six you can find the bridge of the Galaxy which visitors have full access to, a large wedding chapel, and a reception/ conference hall. The large V.I.P. suites which can be rented by anyone and the Captain’s suite are on decks five through three. When you get to the first deck you can find the clothing optional work out room and spa, which has a sauna, steaming pool, a few pieces of gym equipment, tanning beds, and don’t forget your free his or hers towel. Next to the Spa is the Bamboo Garden Japanese restaurant, which has been very nicely done and would easily outdo any real world sushi bar. It has two dining areas as well as a bar, not to mention a very authentic looking Japanese landscape between the bar and the dining areas. The last place to visit on the bow of the ship is the Boiler Room Club, the décor is actually set up to look like the boiler room in the bowels of the ship, except with a dance floor, bar, and cat walk seating.
The S.S. Galaxy has lots of other features to that are very nice, from the comfortable seating and poses sprawled out across the ship, to the real working elevators or use the optional grand stair cases, but the ship is just a material item, what really makes this place wonderful are the events and crew. Granted, due to the hours I work I wasn’t able to interact with too many people, the ones I did were always pleasant, helpful and polite. Even with security issues the crew was quick to react to any complaints and from what I could tell handled each situation professionally. I was able to make one event, a live music event in the Zodiac Ballroom, Miss Carmen Roeth, a very talented lady, and it did get laggy as one might expect but it still had the grace that would be expected from such a beautiful environment. As far as the lag goes, I had mentioned it in the beginning of this review, however as time went on the lag seemed to decrease, I have been told by a few people that it tends to have a lot of lag on these three sims, but from personal experience the lag was only unbearable the first few days and that may have something to do with the voice feature just introduced into Second Life. I have enjoyed my stay aboard the Galaxy and intend on staying a bit longer, I would recommend this as a place to live for anyone who is not looking for privacy but a beautiful place to live. The lag would be something to monitor so I’d suggest trying it for a week to see how your game play is effected, and even if you’re looking for somewhere different to hang out visitors are always welcome aboard the Queen of the
Related Links:
S.S. Galaxy Landmark
S.S. Galaxy Room Availability
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Loser Labs Strikes Again with another flaggrant Security Hole Bug
I often dance places that have porn in the background running on the media stream. Media is now forcing itself on without user permission in several of them. I turn it off, it turns itself back on.I turn it off, it turns itself back on.
This is a major problem, because it means that if I, the user, am not expecting it, I can be embarassed publically. It is also a privacy violation from our good friends at Loser Laboratories, since listening to a music stream or media stream exposes your IP. Force media is yet another example of how Linden Labs had no concern for user privacy, expeirince or security.
Turn off media unless you know you are going to be using it in a location that you want to listen to media, or your rl and IP address are both vulnerable.
After crashing twice in the middle of a bug report, I think the best policy is just to blog the bugs and crashes, and let the general public decide whether they want to give LL their credit card or bank information.
This is a major problem, because it means that if I, the user, am not expecting it, I can be embarassed publically. It is also a privacy violation from our good friends at Loser Laboratories, since listening to a music stream or media stream exposes your IP. Force media is yet another example of how Linden Labs had no concern for user privacy, expeirince or security.
Turn off media unless you know you are going to be using it in a location that you want to listen to media, or your rl and IP address are both vulnerable.
After crashing twice in the middle of a bug report, I think the best policy is just to blog the bugs and crashes, and let the general public decide whether they want to give LL their credit card or bank information.
We are Out here
Jane Hamsher is one of my icons, and you have to read this: about invisible women in blogging.
Escort Scamming
Why hire an escort? It is very simple... It is often better to rent than to buy. Now many people carry a prejudice against hiring an escort on sl, because they think they should get sex "free."
There is no such thing as free sex. Either you pay in money, time, quality or relationship. And while sex on sl doesn't feel like the real thing, getting dumped on sl feels exactly like the real thing. Is it really worth risking your marriage or relationship rl for some sl pornography that costs less than the price of fast food, and is a great deal better for your cardio-vascular system?
When you hire an escort, you should check her profile. Escorts who are established will belong to either club groups where they dance, to freelance escort groups where they have ads, and to other groups where they meet people and go and play with the Linden they take in, after all, that is why most of us do this, to have some play money.
If you see someone offer escort services, no matter how cheap, who doesn't have anything in her profile... what are you thinking? Escorts naturally take payment in advance all over SL, for the simple reason that once rendered, the service is gone, and men constantly tell people they have freebied the girl if she trusts them. However the reverse also happens: the scammer pretends to be an escort, and then just logs off.
Now a real escort will not do this, because she will end up kicked out of her groups, and possible kicked off of her rental land if she rents a place, and being unable to work again. Since Second Life is in a state of anarchy, with a government that will not even enforce the most basic of commercial laws, it is necessary for people to be intelligent. That means before paying an escort anything make sure that she or he has some stake in the community. Payment verified means nothing, scammers are both among the verified and unverified. After all all verified means is that you could spend money if you wanted to.
The other sign is that the escort has ads. Ads mean that she has soemthing at risk, because most ad owners will pull ads from a known scammer.
So if you see an escort with no groups, or only junk groups, it is a very good idea not to pay her.
Never hire an escort that is freelancing where it is not permitted. If she is scamming the owners, she might scam you as well. This goes in reverse, don't pressure a girl for sex if she is evasive about it, because in essence you are pressuring her to break the rules against freelancing by saying "yes Iam a professional." In short, don't take solicitations from people who should not, and don't solicit from people who aren't "on the clock."
One well known cam girl with a great reputation recently reported Carrie Babii as a scammer... I'm waiting to hear more, but the person who told me is well known in the trade, and would be risking a great deal if she were simply griefing a girl. From now I am going to report any such names I can find, and put them in a single place. There is no room in our profession for scammers, just as people who sell things legitimately hate stores that steal goods or cheat customers.
There is no such thing as free sex. Either you pay in money, time, quality or relationship. And while sex on sl doesn't feel like the real thing, getting dumped on sl feels exactly like the real thing. Is it really worth risking your marriage or relationship rl for some sl pornography that costs less than the price of fast food, and is a great deal better for your cardio-vascular system?
When you hire an escort, you should check her profile. Escorts who are established will belong to either club groups where they dance, to freelance escort groups where they have ads, and to other groups where they meet people and go and play with the Linden they take in, after all, that is why most of us do this, to have some play money.
If you see someone offer escort services, no matter how cheap, who doesn't have anything in her profile... what are you thinking? Escorts naturally take payment in advance all over SL, for the simple reason that once rendered, the service is gone, and men constantly tell people they have freebied the girl if she trusts them. However the reverse also happens: the scammer pretends to be an escort, and then just logs off.
Now a real escort will not do this, because she will end up kicked out of her groups, and possible kicked off of her rental land if she rents a place, and being unable to work again. Since Second Life is in a state of anarchy, with a government that will not even enforce the most basic of commercial laws, it is necessary for people to be intelligent. That means before paying an escort anything make sure that she or he has some stake in the community. Payment verified means nothing, scammers are both among the verified and unverified. After all all verified means is that you could spend money if you wanted to.
The other sign is that the escort has ads. Ads mean that she has soemthing at risk, because most ad owners will pull ads from a known scammer.
So if you see an escort with no groups, or only junk groups, it is a very good idea not to pay her.
Never hire an escort that is freelancing where it is not permitted. If she is scamming the owners, she might scam you as well. This goes in reverse, don't pressure a girl for sex if she is evasive about it, because in essence you are pressuring her to break the rules against freelancing by saying "yes Iam a professional." In short, don't take solicitations from people who should not, and don't solicit from people who aren't "on the clock."
One well known cam girl with a great reputation recently reported Carrie Babii as a scammer... I'm waiting to hear more, but the person who told me is well known in the trade, and would be risking a great deal if she were simply griefing a girl. From now I am going to report any such names I can find, and put them in a single place. There is no room in our profession for scammers, just as people who sell things legitimately hate stores that steal goods or cheat customers.
Susan Usher
Hi this is Susan Usher, and I am the manager here at"Yedo Basilica." Come and see me anytime you will always get a warm welcome.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Your Tax Dollars at Prayer
I'm not anti-religion, but I am anti dragging people behind trucks. Especially when it is part of faith based partnering "community initiatives."
In Other News....
Natalia's boot post for aspiring desires. She deserves some sort of award for how much she has helped people get started on second life...
Ophelia reminds us about lighting and pictures. Even a very novice clothes maker can make a few lights that are invisible and hover a little ways away when worn.
I think I want to buy some land near Calgary, it will be beach front some day.
RL Lawsuit on Sexgen bed drives traffic to Vint. It must mean there is interst in being here. If only there weren't so many problems. Memo to LL: there are many kinks out there, but no one likes bugs crawling in their bed, and the market for sex during a crash is... hmmmm... limited to Cronenberg fans.
Novell owns UNIX copyrights. Seen as a victory for Open Source.
High fashion goes online.
Ophelia reminds us about lighting and pictures. Even a very novice clothes maker can make a few lights that are invisible and hover a little ways away when worn.
I think I want to buy some land near Calgary, it will be beach front some day.
RL Lawsuit on Sexgen bed drives traffic to Vint. It must mean there is interst in being here. If only there weren't so many problems. Memo to LL: there are many kinks out there, but no one likes bugs crawling in their bed, and the market for sex during a crash is... hmmmm... limited to Cronenberg fans.
Novell owns UNIX copyrights. Seen as a victory for Open Source.
Joe LaSala, senior vice president and general counsel of the Waltham, Mass.-based software maker, said in a statement Friday that the ruling "vindicates the position Novell has taken since the inception of the dispute with SCO" and "eliminates SCO's threat to the Linux community, based on allegations of copyright infringement of Unix."
High fashion goes online.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Charity and Dilbert banned from Phats...
The Phat Cat's lounge group is crackling with the statement that Charity and Dilbert, the rl couple whose long romance has been the foudnation of SL's most powerful and popular romance club have been banned. I will have the details when I get them. But this would be large news indeed. (My previous story on phats is here.)
As background, phatcats is the largest ballroom in sl, its founders met in sl, and were apart because of rl circumstances, and recently met, and decided to move in together and spend their real lives together. They sold phat cats to be able to pursue their real lives.
This is the text of a notice sent out, I am certain without review by the current owners, over the group, which has over 3100 subscribers:
Brianna Talbot and Alix Abruzzo are right now unavailable for comment, and I am looking for Phat Cat's management for their side of the story. Until the details come out, I have to say that it is utterly impossible to make any hasty judgments.
Update:
Alix Abruzzo confirms that they have been banned.
Her statement is as follows:
Alix states that she is trying to keep the dream alive and is trying to sort out what has happened, put past troubles behind everyone and go forward. She says that she paid for the sim in good faith, and that after the money was paid, that problems began. She offered to let Charity and Dilbert buy the sim back several times, but was refused. She said that they promised not to do or say anything to hurt "their baby." Alix emphasizes that she is a true believer in the dream of Phat Cats and was happy to pay for the sim in hopes of carrying on what has become an sl institution.
She states that she has supporting documentation for her position, and that the new managers have files several abuse reports with Linden Laboratories against Charity and Dilbert.
Phat Cat's was sold to Alix for an undisclosed amount earlier this month, though Alix would confirm that the price paid was substantially above the price for a new island.
Update 2:
Charity Colville has a statement in her profile:
Dilbert Dilweg has a statement in his profile:
Charity disputes Alix' statements, saying that the items removed were freebies that had been given to Charity because of her relationship with the designers:
Charity states that she didn't have the right to sell the items in dispute, namely items in the freebies area which Charity says she had permission to use as freebies, but not permission to transfer to Alix. She states that several of her items are still on the sim, with her as owner. She disputes that the purchase agreement covered conveying these items. According to Charity, parcel return is being used to return items still under the ownership through the SL permissions system to Dilbert right now.
Ballroom dance one is a standard dance poseball from Bits and Bobs for couples dancing. Charity states that these are the club version, which is copy/no transfer, and therefore can only be "sold" by being left in place by new owners, or going to Bits and Bobs for a new base copy for the new club owners. The retail version is transfer/no copy.
She further states that she disputes the charges of harassment, that she and Dilbert have no idea why the banning occured, and that she has filed AR's against the current management team.
She further states:
In summary, while some very strong statements have been issued, and some unilateral actions taken, both sides seem to want Phat Cat's to survive and flourish as an institution.
As background, phatcats is the largest ballroom in sl, its founders met in sl, and were apart because of rl circumstances, and recently met, and decided to move in together and spend their real lives together. They sold phat cats to be able to pursue their real lives.
This is the text of a notice sent out, I am certain without review by the current owners, over the group, which has over 3100 subscribers:
Amanda Barthelmess:
Dilbert Dilweg and Charity Colville, the creators and founders of Phat Cat's have been banned from the sim they once owned and made flourish with their romance. They shared their love with all of us and only sold Phat's so they could bring their SL romance together in their real lives. Brianna Talbot the current manager has banned them from the sim. Phat Cat's is now being run by a management team of that cannot maintain a SL relationship and they have banned true love and romance. This is devistatin
Brianna Talbot and Alix Abruzzo are right now unavailable for comment, and I am looking for Phat Cat's management for their side of the story. Until the details come out, I have to say that it is utterly impossible to make any hasty judgments.
Update:
Alix Abruzzo confirms that they have been banned.
Her statement is as follows:
What's on the record is that Dil and Charity were banned from their former sim because they continued to harrass the staff, refused to honor the purchase agreement we made, took property that was to be conveyed during the purchase, and continue to send extremely ugly and threatening notices to both the staff and to the patrons of the establishment.
Alix states that she is trying to keep the dream alive and is trying to sort out what has happened, put past troubles behind everyone and go forward. She says that she paid for the sim in good faith, and that after the money was paid, that problems began. She offered to let Charity and Dilbert buy the sim back several times, but was refused. She said that they promised not to do or say anything to hurt "their baby." Alix emphasizes that she is a true believer in the dream of Phat Cats and was happy to pay for the sim in hopes of carrying on what has become an sl institution.She states that she has supporting documentation for her position, and that the new managers have files several abuse reports with Linden Laboratories against Charity and Dilbert.
Phat Cat's was sold to Alix for an undisclosed amount earlier this month, though Alix would confirm that the price paid was substantially above the price for a new island.
Update 2:
Charity Colville has a statement in her profile:
I am the co-founder and creator of Phat Cat's along with my wonderful husband Dilbert, however, we are now BANNED FROM PHAT CAT'S. Our love story built a wonderful place that is now being destroyed by silly drama queens that have no respect for romance, true love, and the kind of genuine friendship it takes to make magic. For all of you that have loved Phat's and have been a part of us....we love you all. To our REAL friends....we are SO very grateful and we will always treasure your faith in us.
Dilbert Dilweg has a statement in his profile:
I no Longer own Phat Cats and will no longer step foot on it. i have and so has charity beeen cisrespected and run off and told we are not welcome any more by Brianna Talbot. Sadens me to see this type of power hungry activity We have been banned and terribly upset that somone could do this..
Phat Cats was created by 2 of the most peaceful people of SL and the most loving. Never would i have imagined being treated so unfairly over pesonal anguish ..
Charity disputes Alix' statements, saying that the items removed were freebies that had been given to Charity because of her relationship with the designers:
The only property that was removed from the sim were items that were not included in the sale. Our freebie area consisted of items that were donated to me specifically because of my relationship with various designers in SL. I had full permissions to their items and promised each of them that no one other that me would ever have that same access. I kept my word to each of them and their creations safe. Alix was aware of that before the sale. We were asked a few days ago not to come to Phat's anymore because the new owner wanted it VERY CLEAR that she was the owner and felt the spotlight was not being directed that way.
Charity states that she didn't have the right to sell the items in dispute, namely items in the freebies area which Charity says she had permission to use as freebies, but not permission to transfer to Alix. She states that several of her items are still on the sim, with her as owner. She disputes that the purchase agreement covered conveying these items. According to Charity, parcel return is being used to return items still under the ownership through the SL permissions system to Dilbert right now.
Ballroom Dance 1 (CV)' has been returned to your inventory lost and found folder by Alix Abruzzo from parcel '! PHAT CAT'S ROMANTIC BALLROOM & FORMAL Mall skin shapes voice' at PhatLand 202.821, 81.6341.
Ballroom dance one is a standard dance poseball from Bits and Bobs for couples dancing. Charity states that these are the club version, which is copy/no transfer, and therefore can only be "sold" by being left in place by new owners, or going to Bits and Bobs for a new base copy for the new club owners. The retail version is transfer/no copy.
She further states that she disputes the charges of harassment, that she and Dilbert have no idea why the banning occured, and that she has filed AR's against the current management team.
She further states:
We wish we had never had to sell Phat's. The only reason we did it was because we had to make room for our real life romance. We are so grateful to second life for giving us each other and what is breaking our hearts right now is that the love story we have had here that has been such an inspiration to some is now being dirtied by all of this. We will not comment at this time in regards to legal action and we still wish the new owner nothing but success.
In summary, while some very strong statements have been issued, and some unilateral actions taken, both sides seem to want Phat Cat's to survive and flourish as an institution.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Greetings from Jazon
Thank you Lillie for the introduction, I'll still be posting my most personal stories over on my blog, but I'll be doing a more journalistic approach about once a week here. Most of my background can also be found at my blog, but to summarize, I've been playing Second Life for a couple of years now, Jazon is my current avatar and I plan on keeping it the final Second Life version of myself. I've been a builder, club owner, and patron of the arts of Second Life. I usually write in a mixture of both my real life and Second Life experiences in my personal blog, I've gotten a few compliments on my writing style, and writing everything from creative stories to covering just the facts is something I that I've really enjoyed doing since I was in my early teens.
As far as the material I'm going to cover here, it will be mostly commentary, observations and opinions on some of the places, events, and general living in Second Life. I don't intend on doing much meshing of the two worlds in my articles on 2nd Sex, but keep them rather topic oriented and about the virtual world. I can't promise anything steamy or controversial as some of the things you're used to reading from Lillie, but for the most part I hope to keep it interesting. I'm actually starting to work on my first story, my new home, the S.S. Galaxy, it's been covered by many web sites and blogs, but there hasn't been anything here yet. You'll get a full review of my time aboard the 3 sim long cruise ship, and since I'll be living there for a few weeks the article should be something a little more in depth than some of the other reviews from players spending a few hours there. If you're interested in learning a little more about me my personal blog is linked to from this page, or you can start here, and thanks for reading.
Happiness is a warm gun
Republican Kuhl of New York thinking about having a gun to shoot protect himself from voters.
I'm writing a novel, and I wouldn't be able to make things like this up....
I'm writing a novel, and I wouldn't be able to make things like this up....
I'm unable to log in
I don't know if voice is the culprit, but since the big drive to get voice installed, there seems to be a major collapse of service on Second Life. Outages, inventory problems, and so on.
There are other virtual worlds, if one day Yedo is gone, and I am not to be found, you will know that I've found a new home some place.
There are other virtual worlds, if one day Yedo is gone, and I am not to be found, you will know that I've found a new home some place.
Welcome the Z everyone
Jazon Beck is the writer about SL that I admire the most, so inviting him to blog here seems to me, to be so obvious as to not require any thought. His own blog is back and if you have not been in SL, his story and its twists and turns are must reading. I don't know what he will write here, but I am sure that it will be heart felt, honest and soulful, and with his unique touches and insights.
Everyone, welcome Jazon Beck to this page, because he will improve it every time he sets his thoughts here. Thank you Z for being in Second Life, and in my second life.
Everyone, welcome Jazon Beck to this page, because he will improve it every time he sets his thoughts here. Thank you Z for being in Second Life, and in my second life.
What ....
1. do you wear when sl-ing at home?
2. do you wear when having sl sex at home?
3. is your favorite outfit on your main avatar?
4. is your favorite place to shop?
5. your favorite set of hair in sl?
6. your favorite skin in sl?
7. your favorite designer in sl?
8. your favorite designer rl?
9. your favorite shade of lipstick, if you wear it, rl?
10. your main avatar's favorite color?
I'll put my answers later in the comments.
Jazon has his up.
Dinne has hers.
2. do you wear when having sl sex at home?
3. is your favorite outfit on your main avatar?
4. is your favorite place to shop?
5. your favorite set of hair in sl?
6. your favorite skin in sl?
7. your favorite designer in sl?
8. your favorite designer rl?
9. your favorite shade of lipstick, if you wear it, rl?
10. your main avatar's favorite color?
I'll put my answers later in the comments.
Jazon has his up.
Dinne has hers.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
The Inner Sea
Canto II
I am your slut, your slave, your total whore.
All of this, and more and more,
consumed by phantom ecstacy,
lost a drift on inner sea.
You torque my arms up and stretch chain me
to the boards, pulled taut and strained,
my muscle tremor and rattle my joints,
my elbows shake in pain and shoulders scream,
my arms cry in outrage as they slip from moorings.
You yank the manacles aroudn my ankles slipped,
tearing at the bounds between my legs and hips,
and straining to that miraculous curve,
that is my sex exposed and bound to serve.
And so it is, so I am, so it must be,
the spray and salt washes over me,
it's sparkling acid pain upon my skin
and sharp irritation of my eyes.
My head flails from side to side.
I say taht one word over and over again.
No. No. No. No. No. No.
That means only Yes.
For that is where we are, deep adrift on the gulf of Yes.
Deep fallen lost into the abyss of Yes.
The moon has entered the house of Yes,
and the sun there overtakes her,
and in reverse eclipse consumes her ripened form.
I am exposed, my rose is red,
my pearl you find from within my depths,
and take it in your tongue, rolling the hard bright need
and tasting all that is within me.
I am enflamed, no slat inlet wetness can douse
and feel like other fingers your eyes upon me, roaming
roaming over my body, but fixed with eagle gaze
upon my opening now utterly east and ready for you.
In the sky the warming dawn forgotten,
the bright fair trade winds of early morning
are consumed by glowering clouds of coming cyclone,
that will swirl and smash upon this my small vessel
the one that has carried us this far,
driven before yours gusts and blows.
You drive, drive, drive, chained to your oars
as I am chained to these boards,
the sharp splinters of pain only whet me
and wet me,
and ripple my muscles in anticipation.
The consort queen smiles as her flush spatters on my cheeks,
the welling up of sensation, eager for your rough hewn kiss,
your lips they rape my skin as you rape my body.
And I want nothing else.
This is me. This is me.
A creature of my inner sea.
And my dear, how this must be.
The storm god, trident armed,
now whips the waves to ripping frenzied crests,
and you pour over me.
Drench me.
Drown me.
Your mouth plunges wide upon mine,
Which is opened aching for your tongue
As your other tongue, no longer soft serpentine,
But now a force forged like metal by blows,
Now rushing into my inlet,
Sluicing over every ribbing and weave,
Pounding, pounding, pounding
Unable yet, to relieve, that tension that swells
Swells within you.
Egged on by trident god, you roar and roll
Roar and roll over my flesh, tearing my breasts,
Rending their soft shape in conformance to your desire,
Rounding them beyond the roundness of nature's gift.
You pull me farther farther farther into the rift.
The storm erupts over us, and I am twisted into this shape,
By forces stronger than steel,
More powerful than I know how to command.
We have forgotten the beaches,
We have forgotten the soil,
We are far away, from sight, or sound of land,
And even its memory is swallowed by these swells.
The torrent of winds slices across us,
The flaps of clothes that remain,
Clinging to our bodies as torn sails that brought us here,
Are riven by the flowing air, their hems lash at me.
As the tempest, pushed by trident god,
Pulled by consort queen,
Rattles us and all we are,
The heavens darkened.
The celestial crashes down upon my face,
I see the sky through the drops that fall within my eyes,
A shuttering shift from glooming churning grey
And the blank of splash spray spattered into mine eyes.
I am acid eaten by my inner sea.
There is a rumbling, there is a roar,
My silken thighs are torn by your thrusts,
A pulsing wave rises
And then, there is no more.
The darkness gushes up and hits my inner eyes,
and I drift to sleep listening to the consort queen's lies.
It will be, it must be
and forever wrapped within the inner sea.
All of this, and more and more,
consumed by phantom ecstacy,
lost a drift on inner sea.
You torque my arms up and stretch chain me
to the boards, pulled taut and strained,
my muscle tremor and rattle my joints,
my elbows shake in pain and shoulders scream,
my arms cry in outrage as they slip from moorings.
You yank the manacles aroudn my ankles slipped,
tearing at the bounds between my legs and hips,
and straining to that miraculous curve,
that is my sex exposed and bound to serve.
And so it is, so I am, so it must be,
the spray and salt washes over me,
it's sparkling acid pain upon my skin
and sharp irritation of my eyes.
My head flails from side to side.
I say taht one word over and over again.
No. No. No. No. No. No.
That means only Yes.
For that is where we are, deep adrift on the gulf of Yes.
Deep fallen lost into the abyss of Yes.
The moon has entered the house of Yes,
and the sun there overtakes her,
and in reverse eclipse consumes her ripened form.
I am exposed, my rose is red,
my pearl you find from within my depths,
and take it in your tongue, rolling the hard bright need
and tasting all that is within me.
I am enflamed, no slat inlet wetness can douse
and feel like other fingers your eyes upon me, roaming
roaming over my body, but fixed with eagle gaze
upon my opening now utterly east and ready for you.
In the sky the warming dawn forgotten,
the bright fair trade winds of early morning
are consumed by glowering clouds of coming cyclone,
that will swirl and smash upon this my small vessel
the one that has carried us this far,
driven before yours gusts and blows.
You drive, drive, drive, chained to your oars
as I am chained to these boards,
the sharp splinters of pain only whet me
and wet me,
and ripple my muscles in anticipation.
The consort queen smiles as her flush spatters on my cheeks,
the welling up of sensation, eager for your rough hewn kiss,
your lips they rape my skin as you rape my body.
And I want nothing else.
This is me. This is me.
A creature of my inner sea.
And my dear, how this must be.
The storm god, trident armed,
now whips the waves to ripping frenzied crests,
and you pour over me.
Drench me.
Drown me.
Your mouth plunges wide upon mine,
Which is opened aching for your tongue
As your other tongue, no longer soft serpentine,
But now a force forged like metal by blows,
Now rushing into my inlet,
Sluicing over every ribbing and weave,
Pounding, pounding, pounding
Unable yet, to relieve, that tension that swells
Swells within you.
Egged on by trident god, you roar and roll
Roar and roll over my flesh, tearing my breasts,
Rending their soft shape in conformance to your desire,
Rounding them beyond the roundness of nature's gift.
You pull me farther farther farther into the rift.
The storm erupts over us, and I am twisted into this shape,
By forces stronger than steel,
More powerful than I know how to command.
We have forgotten the beaches,
We have forgotten the soil,
We are far away, from sight, or sound of land,
And even its memory is swallowed by these swells.
The torrent of winds slices across us,
The flaps of clothes that remain,
Clinging to our bodies as torn sails that brought us here,
Are riven by the flowing air, their hems lash at me.
As the tempest, pushed by trident god,
Pulled by consort queen,
Rattles us and all we are,
The heavens darkened.
The celestial crashes down upon my face,
I see the sky through the drops that fall within my eyes,
A shuttering shift from glooming churning grey
And the blank of splash spray spattered into mine eyes.
I am acid eaten by my inner sea.
There is a rumbling, there is a roar,
My silken thighs are torn by your thrusts,
A pulsing wave rises
And then, there is no more.
The darkness gushes up and hits my inner eyes,
and I drift to sleep listening to the consort queen's lies.
It will be, it must be
and forever wrapped within the inner sea.
Monday, August 6, 2007
The Escort Market on SL
Executive Summary
Whore/Slut play: 200L :10, 350L :30, 500L 1:00 (plus room cost)
Escort 350L-500L :15, 600L-800L :30 1500L 1:00 (plus room cost)
Top quality SL 600L-800L :15 1500L :30 2500L-3000L 1:00 (will have her own place)
Vox 1500L :15 (will have her own place)
Cam 3000L :15 average 10K :15 HD (will have her own place)
Contract 10K/wk non exclusive, 20K/wk premium, 30K/wk exclusive.
Corp: 25 USD-40 USD/hr for corporate work, with sl sex as a fringe benefit
Clubs: varies widely depending on selection and service.
Ways to find:
Dance clubs: 150L to get topless, 400L nude. 350L personal lap dance/bj for :10 or :15 on site.
Ads: Most places that show up in a search for escorts have ads, checking ads is free.
Freelancing: Orgy rooms no, since they ban escorting, but free lance clubs, such as Escorts Alliance allow freelancing. Many BDSM sex dungeons allow, or wink at, freelancing. There are several boutique clubs that cater to specific needs, such as BDSM. There is one very good trans-sexual place right now: She-male sanctuary.
Everything else
There is no such thing as free sex. Either you pay in money, or you pay in time searching to get lucky, or you pay in having poor quality and less options, or you pay in emotional work of having a relationship. The question is how you, the man, and it is mostly men I know I am talking to, rl men, want to pay. Since I am in the business of selling virtual and vox sex for money, I am writing this to give you an outline of what the linden expectation should be, so you can make your own choices. If oyu want to go around propositioning every girl you run across, or haunting sex dungeons and so on, that's fine with me, but do realize that bottom feeding is no cheaper than simply paying. It is up to you, and no one should make any judgments about your needs and how you fulfill them with consenting adults. Just don't expect people who have put the time and effort into creating a superior experience to be friendly when you waste their time trying to brow beat them into giving out a freebie.
So for those of you looking to go to SL to pay for virtual sex, I thought I would give a simple look on what to do, and how the game goes. I regularly check rates at dozens of the places that rent escort ads, and talk with dozens of other girls. In general, I have to say that sl escorting has a higher customer satisfaction rate than say, LL's handling of inventory. Because escorting is a hands on front line customer service job, the quality of customer service is higher. Some shop owners are "get out of my hair!" about complaints, no escort can long afford to be.
The Whore Slut Play
Let's start at the bottom of the for pay chain: the person, male or female, who wants to be a female whore slut. For them, it is playing, and they are charging more or less to keep the demand on their time within reason. Charging even 100L cuts out a hoard of empty fuckatards who want nothing but "give it to you deep!" repeated for 20 minutes.
The place to go, of course, is the bottom of the escort barrel, where girls trying to get their start, often with newbie skin and hair still on, no scripted parts and only their cybering skills to put in play, are mixed in with girls who will look soem what better, but just had a club shut down under them, or are their because that is what the player wants.
The rates in this area run from 200L for :10 to 350L for :30 to 500L for as long as you want to use them. They will generally not have their own place or animations, so you either have to supply these, by having one, or by renting one. Renting generally runs 50L or 75L, and you, the client, will be expected to pay.
The place to go is, of course, the Red Light District in Amsterdam, which is always heavier with girls than clients. You will get three or four offers quickly, and can pick the one you like.
The whore slut play works best with either the simple "suck and fuck" or simple cum on the body acts where you don't want or don't care about animations to go with it. This is why many girls will offer blow jobs only at 350L :15, simply because it keeps them competitive with the people who offer the whore slut play.
One great insecurity down in the whore slut world is the rl gender of the girl. The problem is that "verified girls" doesn't really mean anything, any more than someone else's social security number can't be used. Many of the people offering "verified" services are, in themselves, making ridiculous assertions such as "80% of all sl girls are men." This isn't even close to true. You have no way of knowing, even if the account was "verified" who is logged in to an avatar at any given moment, unless you are on voice or cam with them. And the people who play cam, are hmmmm very limited in number. If being sure you are with an rl girl is what you must have, then what you really should be looking for is the singles scene. There is a good deal of sl, and some rl, sex going on there. More in another post.
Basically, at this level of pay, check your concerns at the door, because they aren't going to be really met. At the next tier up, the concern vanishes, simply because thepatrons at the next level up are generally intersted in something else. Many of your fellow whore slut players want the feeling of having degraded a real woman on the other end. But it is a fantasy we are selling dears, and if going through a few intermediate steps to fulfill that fantasy is what it takes...
Most girls don't stay long in this world. They either get their fill, get the shock of what some of the clients want, and how little they are willing to pay for very invasive requiremnts, I had one person offer me 200L :15 for cam, or get good enough to start charging more and having more fun. The number of true regulars in this world isn't zero, but it isn't a place where girls stay for ever and ever.
In short, if this is what you want, and you don't mind the hit or miss of hunting through the bargain bin, there is a world of sl sex out there for the price of a pack of chewing gum. However, many of the girls you encounter will be passing through very quickly on to better things, or will be stuck with very newbie quality avatars.
Average Escort
The average SL escort works hard at her job. She is, if oyu think about it, doing customed tailored pornography, real time, for you. Personal service. The "man" question is generally answered by time: few men can do this kind of thing day after day for week after week. Few anyone can.
The rates at this level are between 400L :15 to 500L :15, with an hour going for about 1500L to 2000L. Good tranny escorts are in a similar range, though many can be found at the lower tier who are somewhat better than their het counterparts, because living as a pre-op is their fantasy.
At this level you are still often going to pay for the place, or be expected to have one of your own. The girl should have at least a good selection of shape and skin, perhaps a freebie but one of the good freebies, and she should know how to emote well. "*" is right out at this level. She may work a club dancing. If you are interested in actual sex, you have two ways to go. One is to not bother to tip, but come straight out and ask if she is an escort. She should have an escort tag if she is working, or it should say so in her profile or groups list. Don't be shy, just ask. She will be happier to get it out of the way, and so will you.
The other is to see how well she emotes and what her style is. Runny sluts will emote about how we thtye are, how their bodies are overheated, and so on. A girl's style on the long pole, will chances are be her style on your short pole. From fast and descriptive, to long and gushing, there are all kinds, and a relatively short time watching, and relatively few tips, will tell you what you need to know about how they will work on you in bed. There is also the advantage of flirting, and finding out of she has your particular kink.
At this level, cybering is what you will be getting, and what you should be looking for. The ability to spin out roleplaying may or may not be there, but the ability to make a coherent sex scene, from kissing to oral to penetration, and the ability to react to changes in direction, such as your choosing a different animation, is at the general level of skill that you should expect from this level of sl escort.
Many, but not all, escorts at this level will have scripted bits, particularly excite or sensations. In the BDSM world, you should expect the girl to be collarable, and be willing to wear piercings or other signs of servitude, and have at least the basic slave animations, and know the style of submission that she present. The most common specialties are Gor, Leather and Latex submissive, and slave. The girl should hve the right outfit, or an outfit which is personal, but fitting.
At this level you have to realize that the girl you are working with is a professional, and is part of the sisterhood. She will know other escorts. We all talk. So if you are more abusive, dishonest or time wasting than is expected, don't be surprised if you get a reputation quickly. Remember: we all talk. And even escorts who hate each other, will close ranks on this one.
So how does the date go? First you need to negotiate what you are going to do, and how much it will cost. Girls at this level have compelx menus of services, and different grades of pricing. They will often charge more for the first :15 than for the next :15 and so on. They will often charge differently depending on whether you want straight sex, or something more spicy.
The next step is to go to the place where you will have sex. Again, at this level, you will be expected to provide, or have, a place and a sex bed.
Then you will pay, in advance, for the services. One reason to look for girls with ads, is that if the girl tps out, and it does very occasionally happen, it is not too difficult to contact the place where she has the ad. More oftne, of course, men pretending to be clients try to find some way of cheating the girl. Experienced girls will not put up with people who want free samples, particularly voice free samples, and in and out games.
At this level, many girls sell rl pics of themselves. These, of course, may or may not be rl pics, but it is something that you can look for in ads as a service, and many men like to have a body, if not a face, to go along with their sl expeirence. Expect to pay between 300L and 750L for a single picture, and 2000L for a set. Many of these sets will be culled from the internet, but not all are. And it is fantasy remember?
One place to get some what of a bargain in this world is with cam girls. Many cam girls actually do sl sex at relatively ordinary rates, because what they are doingis warming you up for paying for their much more profitable cam services. In fact, many girls who don't do cam have had customers offer handsomely for cam, I've been offered 20K for :15 minutes of giving up my video virginity. However, if you don't intend to buy cam services, the cam girl will almost certainly not have sl sex with you when she figures this out. And yes, we can tell the fast talkers fairly quickly. The downside is that she is going to spend time talking up doing a cam session with her. The other warning is a repetition of "we all talk." Do this to more than one or two cam girls, and your name will be passed around.
After paying, you are in charge. You should expect to be in charge. Now that can mean that you have asked her to lead the way, but at this level, this is a hit or miss proposition. Average girls have the skills to provide, but they don't always have the skills to create a world around them. Those that do rapidly rise out of this level, and get their own place and start building their own selection of equipment and fantasy. If you have specific needs, one way to get a better level of service is to go to a boutique club that specializes in the kind of things that you want to do. If oyu want a BDSM slave, then go to a BDSM club, you can expect better animations, better roleplay, and better choices, because the specialization allows for it. She will also know other, more experienced escorts, who can help her find what she does not have.
Another rule here: for threesomes, you will almost always have to pay girls their full rate. This has caused groans from many clients, but double discounts are not particularly common at this level.
The summary here is that there are several hundred average sl escorts out there, they are pretty, hard working, and can bring you off. It is a somewhat glutted market at this level, so take your time to look for what you want. You will have to supply the place as often as not, and be willing to deal with a certain amount of improvisation. However, if cybering to moving pictures is enough for you, there are many girls who will be happy to make you happy.
Top tier SL sex/Vox
These levels blur together, as a girl gets her regulars and her own "kit" together. But the division in total, is stark. Welcome to the level of girls who are doing this, or have done this, frequently and as a large part of their time on SL. The basic differences are equipment, experience and vox. I am going to go over each of these.
First equipment. Girls at this level have acquired top tier skins, and have many of the tricks of the trade, cum animations, wet skins, their own skybox and menu driven sex bed. They should have their shape tailored for dresses, pants and nude. They should be able to match a variety of looks and fantasies without too much preparation.
Second, experience. Girls at this level should know sl, not just sl sex. They should be able to take you shopping and get you looking fine. They should be able to roleplay, direct you to girls who are a better fit for your needs, take you dancing, lead you through your own fantasies and explore. An average girl can give you what you want, a top tier girl, can lead you to where you have dreamed of.
She will have scripted parts, she will know how to use them, and she will be able to help you use yours. She will use animations during the flirting. She will have her own AO with animated stands, and not static poses that she leaps between. She will know how to make you feel at ease and draw you out. She may dance at a top club, or be the lead dancer at a boutique, or even the club owner herself.
The bottom end of this tier of service looks like the last: 500L for :15. However, you should expect to pay, on average 705L :15 for sl sex at this level. The things that you will know make her different from her notecard are this. First, simplification. Fewer rates, fewer qualifications, fewer limits. She will have her own place, and either say so, or simply imply it. Girls at this level will do top quality emoting, and be able to not just string together emotes, but be able to describe, in detail, more ornate physical acts. The quality of writing on the card will tell you. The average girl is "Hi! I am an 23 year old slut looking for fun!" The top tier girl will have a sense about her, whether she is a submissive, a mistress or simply the most luxurious virtual sex you will find.
Mistresses will often charge in this area, even if not quite the quality, because, frankly, subs are time sinks and can never be counted not to want extra strokes.
The last difference at this level is vox. Voice escorting. Voice escorting goes through skype, rather than through sl, because sl's voice is still not very stable. She may well have the ability to call your phone number if you want. The going rate for vox, even with sl voice now being "main client" is 1500L :15.
At this level, bargaining is generally out, the girls who play at this level know their value, often have other ways of making money.
Since this is where I am in the scale of things much of the time, I can say that it is a smaller club than average escorting. Roleplay, handling the environment, and making you a better lover, sl and rl, are the things you should expect. The girls working this level definitely have a sparkle, an intelligence, a wit, a roundedness. They are often becoming successful as designers or other pillars of the sl community, perhaps to leave escorting behind, or perhaps to establish their own clubs. Men who appreciate women who have more to give, will find that sl has many flowers, and some of them are roses of rare quality.
Cam
The top of sl pornography, easily, is the cam girl. While you can join cam sites, and there are girls on sl who like to play cam for free, if you don't mind taking a number and standing in a very long line, to get quality HD cam is going to run you 10K for :15. More basic cam services run 5K for :15. Update: someone just sent me a notecard for a new cam girl who is offering :15 ofr 3K.
Currently there about 20 cam girls working sl regularly that I know of, this is not an exhaustive count, but merely the ads I have or have seen from the common escort ad places. They will use their rl pictures on their ads most of the time, and advertise cam prominently. Often, if they do sl sex, they will either do it cheaply to pitch cam to you, or they will have relatively extensive equipment to enhance the cam experience.
Cam girls are in the rl pornography business. They are doing this for their rl living directly, and as a result, while they may be nice about it, they are even less tolerant of time wasting than ordinary escorts are. This is what they do.
The cam world is in many respects the simplest, because it is an established rl business model moved into sl. The advantages to the client are the anonymization that lindens give, and the ability to engage in flirtation and a rounder contact with the girl. All of the cam girls working sl for any length of time are good at what they do, they take pride in their work and deliver exactly what the product is expected to be: you get to watch them play with themselves while engaging in sexy talk and showing them your equipment. They are to an extent apart from the rest of the sl escort community, and care less what happens to the rest of sl escorting. But the we all talk rule is still in play.
The short version here is simple: what you see, is what you get, and cam girls are professionals rl, and you should, and can, expect them to be everything they say they are.
Corp, Contract and sex clubs
One growing area of sl escorting is contract or corp work. I have done corp work, but not contract or sex club.
Contract is simply buying a girl's time by the week. For about 10K you can get a specialized girl, one who will have her own place and equipment, and expect her to drop everything for you. She will still dance, she will still escort, but you will have first call, and as long as it averages about :30 a day, she will be very happy to have a full time man. Often this is a master/slave arrangement. For about 20K you can get a girl who will stop actively dancing and hunting, and stay fresh for you and your needs. 30K will get you her full attention, for almost as much time as she is on.
Corp work is an sl assistant with benefits. It might seem that corporations would not like this, but it is becoming more frequent for a person who wants an entre into sl to hire an escort to be his full time assistant, and from time to time have some fun on the side. Corp work will pay the girl at the same sorts of rates you would expect from consulting for anything web: 5K to 10K per hour of work, with, of course, sex being part of the ride provided there have been enough "normal" hours. The arrangement often has money pass through the hands of an alt. For this the girl should attend meetings and press conferences, be able to handle duties such as making introductions to sl people, finding sl goods, do basic scripting, know the way to avoid problems on sl, and in general be your presence in SL when you are not there. Corp work is very good when you can get it.
Sex clubs are another area which is expanding on sl. The most basic level are really the whore slut play made into a standing group: the used join the group for free, the users, say rapists, pay to join. The prey wear tags, "Story of O" style, and are open to be used when they do so. However, the pricier end is to pay a membership of 3K to 10K per month, and have access to which ever girls are on tap. I don't have any experience with these arrangements, and the groups don't seem to be stable yet. It is, however, a perfectly reasonable way to go about doing business, depending on the quality of the people running the group. Many pimps are extremely bad to their girls, and as a result, don't keep girls for very long. The same can be said of many clubs however.
Summary
SL escorting runs from desperate girls starting out, to experienced citizens of the sl universe who go far beyond sexual services. It includes girls having fun, married women taking a break from the tedium of their lives, men creating pornography, and up and comers of both genders using escorting as a way to distinction in sl. There is a wide range of tastes and services. At the lower end, you are really just paying to keep the playdopes away, weeding out the "wanna fuck now!?!?!?!!" crowd, but really it is for mutual amusement. At the middle are girls paying for their pixel shopping addictions and using escorting to get set up. At the top are people who have rl qualifications, either because they do rl pornography for a living, or because they have rl skills that are useful in sl.
It helps to know what you are looking for. Introductions to sl are often best with girls who charge more, but as a result have seen more. Experienced men can often do better with less experienced escorts for the opposite reason: if you know what you want, then you know how to get someone to do it.
I am going to put in a word about two worlds that I have not talked about, but which are growing rapidly: men who escort for women, and gay escorts. Both have pay scales similar to women escorts. However, there are some crucial differences. One difference is that both are harder to find by looking for ads in the various ad places, such as Ami's place. It is better to go to a dance club when looking for men who escort, because there are far more of them who dance and escort, than who place ads and freelance. While the boyz keep to themselves, the quality of dancing at many of the gay male clubs is higher than dancing at comparable het clubs. Many men who play women pay escorts more freely than rl women do, it is an extension of the rule that women seldom pay for sex.
Not surprisingly male escorts are often better at emoting at a comparable price. Among us girls, and I won't mention any names, there are some who think that just being there is enough. This is almost never true among the male escorts, gay, het or bi. Many of the male escorts who are het love women, and love to lavish attention on a female avatar. I talked with one woman who, rl, admits she is very unattractive, and found it a very arousing experience to, for once, be treated like a goddess. So I will say this: just as porn isn't just for boys, going to interactive porn in the form of an escort, isn't just for boys either. If you spend $100 getting pampered at the salon, is it so bad to spend $6 getting pampered a bit here? And think about it, when was the last time you got to tell a man exactly what to do, when to do it, and had him happier at the end of it?
Whore/Slut play: 200L :10, 350L :30, 500L 1:00 (plus room cost)
Escort 350L-500L :15, 600L-800L :30 1500L 1:00 (plus room cost)
Top quality SL 600L-800L :15 1500L :30 2500L-3000L 1:00 (will have her own place)
Vox 1500L :15 (will have her own place)
Cam 3000L :15 average 10K :15 HD (will have her own place)
Contract 10K/wk non exclusive, 20K/wk premium, 30K/wk exclusive.
Corp: 25 USD-40 USD/hr for corporate work, with sl sex as a fringe benefit
Clubs: varies widely depending on selection and service.
Ways to find:
Dance clubs: 150L to get topless, 400L nude. 350L personal lap dance/bj for :10 or :15 on site.
Ads: Most places that show up in a search for escorts have ads, checking ads is free.
Freelancing: Orgy rooms no, since they ban escorting, but free lance clubs, such as Escorts Alliance allow freelancing. Many BDSM sex dungeons allow, or wink at, freelancing. There are several boutique clubs that cater to specific needs, such as BDSM. There is one very good trans-sexual place right now: She-male sanctuary.
Everything else
There is no such thing as free sex. Either you pay in money, or you pay in time searching to get lucky, or you pay in having poor quality and less options, or you pay in emotional work of having a relationship. The question is how you, the man, and it is mostly men I know I am talking to, rl men, want to pay. Since I am in the business of selling virtual and vox sex for money, I am writing this to give you an outline of what the linden expectation should be, so you can make your own choices. If oyu want to go around propositioning every girl you run across, or haunting sex dungeons and so on, that's fine with me, but do realize that bottom feeding is no cheaper than simply paying. It is up to you, and no one should make any judgments about your needs and how you fulfill them with consenting adults. Just don't expect people who have put the time and effort into creating a superior experience to be friendly when you waste their time trying to brow beat them into giving out a freebie.
So for those of you looking to go to SL to pay for virtual sex, I thought I would give a simple look on what to do, and how the game goes. I regularly check rates at dozens of the places that rent escort ads, and talk with dozens of other girls. In general, I have to say that sl escorting has a higher customer satisfaction rate than say, LL's handling of inventory. Because escorting is a hands on front line customer service job, the quality of customer service is higher. Some shop owners are "get out of my hair!" about complaints, no escort can long afford to be.
The Whore Slut Play
Let's start at the bottom of the for pay chain: the person, male or female, who wants to be a female whore slut. For them, it is playing, and they are charging more or less to keep the demand on their time within reason. Charging even 100L cuts out a hoard of empty fuckatards who want nothing but "give it to you deep!" repeated for 20 minutes.
The place to go, of course, is the bottom of the escort barrel, where girls trying to get their start, often with newbie skin and hair still on, no scripted parts and only their cybering skills to put in play, are mixed in with girls who will look soem what better, but just had a club shut down under them, or are their because that is what the player wants.
The rates in this area run from 200L for :10 to 350L for :30 to 500L for as long as you want to use them. They will generally not have their own place or animations, so you either have to supply these, by having one, or by renting one. Renting generally runs 50L or 75L, and you, the client, will be expected to pay.
The place to go is, of course, the Red Light District in Amsterdam, which is always heavier with girls than clients. You will get three or four offers quickly, and can pick the one you like.
The whore slut play works best with either the simple "suck and fuck" or simple cum on the body acts where you don't want or don't care about animations to go with it. This is why many girls will offer blow jobs only at 350L :15, simply because it keeps them competitive with the people who offer the whore slut play.
One great insecurity down in the whore slut world is the rl gender of the girl. The problem is that "verified girls" doesn't really mean anything, any more than someone else's social security number can't be used. Many of the people offering "verified" services are, in themselves, making ridiculous assertions such as "80% of all sl girls are men." This isn't even close to true. You have no way of knowing, even if the account was "verified" who is logged in to an avatar at any given moment, unless you are on voice or cam with them. And the people who play cam, are hmmmm very limited in number. If being sure you are with an rl girl is what you must have, then what you really should be looking for is the singles scene. There is a good deal of sl, and some rl, sex going on there. More in another post.
Basically, at this level of pay, check your concerns at the door, because they aren't going to be really met. At the next tier up, the concern vanishes, simply because thepatrons at the next level up are generally intersted in something else. Many of your fellow whore slut players want the feeling of having degraded a real woman on the other end. But it is a fantasy we are selling dears, and if going through a few intermediate steps to fulfill that fantasy is what it takes...
Most girls don't stay long in this world. They either get their fill, get the shock of what some of the clients want, and how little they are willing to pay for very invasive requiremnts, I had one person offer me 200L :15 for cam, or get good enough to start charging more and having more fun. The number of true regulars in this world isn't zero, but it isn't a place where girls stay for ever and ever.
In short, if this is what you want, and you don't mind the hit or miss of hunting through the bargain bin, there is a world of sl sex out there for the price of a pack of chewing gum. However, many of the girls you encounter will be passing through very quickly on to better things, or will be stuck with very newbie quality avatars.
Average Escort
The average SL escort works hard at her job. She is, if oyu think about it, doing customed tailored pornography, real time, for you. Personal service. The "man" question is generally answered by time: few men can do this kind of thing day after day for week after week. Few anyone can.
The rates at this level are between 400L :15 to 500L :15, with an hour going for about 1500L to 2000L. Good tranny escorts are in a similar range, though many can be found at the lower tier who are somewhat better than their het counterparts, because living as a pre-op is their fantasy.
At this level you are still often going to pay for the place, or be expected to have one of your own. The girl should have at least a good selection of shape and skin, perhaps a freebie but one of the good freebies, and she should know how to emote well. "*" is right out at this level. She may work a club dancing. If you are interested in actual sex, you have two ways to go. One is to not bother to tip, but come straight out and ask if she is an escort. She should have an escort tag if she is working, or it should say so in her profile or groups list. Don't be shy, just ask. She will be happier to get it out of the way, and so will you.
The other is to see how well she emotes and what her style is. Runny sluts will emote about how we thtye are, how their bodies are overheated, and so on. A girl's style on the long pole, will chances are be her style on your short pole. From fast and descriptive, to long and gushing, there are all kinds, and a relatively short time watching, and relatively few tips, will tell you what you need to know about how they will work on you in bed. There is also the advantage of flirting, and finding out of she has your particular kink.
At this level, cybering is what you will be getting, and what you should be looking for. The ability to spin out roleplaying may or may not be there, but the ability to make a coherent sex scene, from kissing to oral to penetration, and the ability to react to changes in direction, such as your choosing a different animation, is at the general level of skill that you should expect from this level of sl escort.
Many, but not all, escorts at this level will have scripted bits, particularly excite or sensations. In the BDSM world, you should expect the girl to be collarable, and be willing to wear piercings or other signs of servitude, and have at least the basic slave animations, and know the style of submission that she present. The most common specialties are Gor, Leather and Latex submissive, and slave. The girl should hve the right outfit, or an outfit which is personal, but fitting.
At this level you have to realize that the girl you are working with is a professional, and is part of the sisterhood. She will know other escorts. We all talk. So if you are more abusive, dishonest or time wasting than is expected, don't be surprised if you get a reputation quickly. Remember: we all talk. And even escorts who hate each other, will close ranks on this one.
So how does the date go? First you need to negotiate what you are going to do, and how much it will cost. Girls at this level have compelx menus of services, and different grades of pricing. They will often charge more for the first :15 than for the next :15 and so on. They will often charge differently depending on whether you want straight sex, or something more spicy.
The next step is to go to the place where you will have sex. Again, at this level, you will be expected to provide, or have, a place and a sex bed.
Then you will pay, in advance, for the services. One reason to look for girls with ads, is that if the girl tps out, and it does very occasionally happen, it is not too difficult to contact the place where she has the ad. More oftne, of course, men pretending to be clients try to find some way of cheating the girl. Experienced girls will not put up with people who want free samples, particularly voice free samples, and in and out games.
At this level, many girls sell rl pics of themselves. These, of course, may or may not be rl pics, but it is something that you can look for in ads as a service, and many men like to have a body, if not a face, to go along with their sl expeirence. Expect to pay between 300L and 750L for a single picture, and 2000L for a set. Many of these sets will be culled from the internet, but not all are. And it is fantasy remember?
One place to get some what of a bargain in this world is with cam girls. Many cam girls actually do sl sex at relatively ordinary rates, because what they are doingis warming you up for paying for their much more profitable cam services. In fact, many girls who don't do cam have had customers offer handsomely for cam, I've been offered 20K for :15 minutes of giving up my video virginity. However, if you don't intend to buy cam services, the cam girl will almost certainly not have sl sex with you when she figures this out. And yes, we can tell the fast talkers fairly quickly. The downside is that she is going to spend time talking up doing a cam session with her. The other warning is a repetition of "we all talk." Do this to more than one or two cam girls, and your name will be passed around.
After paying, you are in charge. You should expect to be in charge. Now that can mean that you have asked her to lead the way, but at this level, this is a hit or miss proposition. Average girls have the skills to provide, but they don't always have the skills to create a world around them. Those that do rapidly rise out of this level, and get their own place and start building their own selection of equipment and fantasy. If you have specific needs, one way to get a better level of service is to go to a boutique club that specializes in the kind of things that you want to do. If oyu want a BDSM slave, then go to a BDSM club, you can expect better animations, better roleplay, and better choices, because the specialization allows for it. She will also know other, more experienced escorts, who can help her find what she does not have.
Another rule here: for threesomes, you will almost always have to pay girls their full rate. This has caused groans from many clients, but double discounts are not particularly common at this level.
The summary here is that there are several hundred average sl escorts out there, they are pretty, hard working, and can bring you off. It is a somewhat glutted market at this level, so take your time to look for what you want. You will have to supply the place as often as not, and be willing to deal with a certain amount of improvisation. However, if cybering to moving pictures is enough for you, there are many girls who will be happy to make you happy.
Top tier SL sex/Vox
These levels blur together, as a girl gets her regulars and her own "kit" together. But the division in total, is stark. Welcome to the level of girls who are doing this, or have done this, frequently and as a large part of their time on SL. The basic differences are equipment, experience and vox. I am going to go over each of these.
First equipment. Girls at this level have acquired top tier skins, and have many of the tricks of the trade, cum animations, wet skins, their own skybox and menu driven sex bed. They should have their shape tailored for dresses, pants and nude. They should be able to match a variety of looks and fantasies without too much preparation.
Second, experience. Girls at this level should know sl, not just sl sex. They should be able to take you shopping and get you looking fine. They should be able to roleplay, direct you to girls who are a better fit for your needs, take you dancing, lead you through your own fantasies and explore. An average girl can give you what you want, a top tier girl, can lead you to where you have dreamed of.
She will have scripted parts, she will know how to use them, and she will be able to help you use yours. She will use animations during the flirting. She will have her own AO with animated stands, and not static poses that she leaps between. She will know how to make you feel at ease and draw you out. She may dance at a top club, or be the lead dancer at a boutique, or even the club owner herself.
The bottom end of this tier of service looks like the last: 500L for :15. However, you should expect to pay, on average 705L :15 for sl sex at this level. The things that you will know make her different from her notecard are this. First, simplification. Fewer rates, fewer qualifications, fewer limits. She will have her own place, and either say so, or simply imply it. Girls at this level will do top quality emoting, and be able to not just string together emotes, but be able to describe, in detail, more ornate physical acts. The quality of writing on the card will tell you. The average girl is "Hi! I am an 23 year old slut looking for fun!" The top tier girl will have a sense about her, whether she is a submissive, a mistress or simply the most luxurious virtual sex you will find.
Mistresses will often charge in this area, even if not quite the quality, because, frankly, subs are time sinks and can never be counted not to want extra strokes.
The last difference at this level is vox. Voice escorting. Voice escorting goes through skype, rather than through sl, because sl's voice is still not very stable. She may well have the ability to call your phone number if you want. The going rate for vox, even with sl voice now being "main client" is 1500L :15.
At this level, bargaining is generally out, the girls who play at this level know their value, often have other ways of making money.
Since this is where I am in the scale of things much of the time, I can say that it is a smaller club than average escorting. Roleplay, handling the environment, and making you a better lover, sl and rl, are the things you should expect. The girls working this level definitely have a sparkle, an intelligence, a wit, a roundedness. They are often becoming successful as designers or other pillars of the sl community, perhaps to leave escorting behind, or perhaps to establish their own clubs. Men who appreciate women who have more to give, will find that sl has many flowers, and some of them are roses of rare quality.
Cam
The top of sl pornography, easily, is the cam girl. While you can join cam sites, and there are girls on sl who like to play cam for free, if you don't mind taking a number and standing in a very long line, to get quality HD cam is going to run you 10K for :15. More basic cam services run 5K for :15. Update: someone just sent me a notecard for a new cam girl who is offering :15 ofr 3K.
Currently there about 20 cam girls working sl regularly that I know of, this is not an exhaustive count, but merely the ads I have or have seen from the common escort ad places. They will use their rl pictures on their ads most of the time, and advertise cam prominently. Often, if they do sl sex, they will either do it cheaply to pitch cam to you, or they will have relatively extensive equipment to enhance the cam experience.
Cam girls are in the rl pornography business. They are doing this for their rl living directly, and as a result, while they may be nice about it, they are even less tolerant of time wasting than ordinary escorts are. This is what they do.
The cam world is in many respects the simplest, because it is an established rl business model moved into sl. The advantages to the client are the anonymization that lindens give, and the ability to engage in flirtation and a rounder contact with the girl. All of the cam girls working sl for any length of time are good at what they do, they take pride in their work and deliver exactly what the product is expected to be: you get to watch them play with themselves while engaging in sexy talk and showing them your equipment. They are to an extent apart from the rest of the sl escort community, and care less what happens to the rest of sl escorting. But the we all talk rule is still in play.
The short version here is simple: what you see, is what you get, and cam girls are professionals rl, and you should, and can, expect them to be everything they say they are.
Corp, Contract and sex clubs
One growing area of sl escorting is contract or corp work. I have done corp work, but not contract or sex club.
Contract is simply buying a girl's time by the week. For about 10K you can get a specialized girl, one who will have her own place and equipment, and expect her to drop everything for you. She will still dance, she will still escort, but you will have first call, and as long as it averages about :30 a day, she will be very happy to have a full time man. Often this is a master/slave arrangement. For about 20K you can get a girl who will stop actively dancing and hunting, and stay fresh for you and your needs. 30K will get you her full attention, for almost as much time as she is on.
Corp work is an sl assistant with benefits. It might seem that corporations would not like this, but it is becoming more frequent for a person who wants an entre into sl to hire an escort to be his full time assistant, and from time to time have some fun on the side. Corp work will pay the girl at the same sorts of rates you would expect from consulting for anything web: 5K to 10K per hour of work, with, of course, sex being part of the ride provided there have been enough "normal" hours. The arrangement often has money pass through the hands of an alt. For this the girl should attend meetings and press conferences, be able to handle duties such as making introductions to sl people, finding sl goods, do basic scripting, know the way to avoid problems on sl, and in general be your presence in SL when you are not there. Corp work is very good when you can get it.
Sex clubs are another area which is expanding on sl. The most basic level are really the whore slut play made into a standing group: the used join the group for free, the users, say rapists, pay to join. The prey wear tags, "Story of O" style, and are open to be used when they do so. However, the pricier end is to pay a membership of 3K to 10K per month, and have access to which ever girls are on tap. I don't have any experience with these arrangements, and the groups don't seem to be stable yet. It is, however, a perfectly reasonable way to go about doing business, depending on the quality of the people running the group. Many pimps are extremely bad to their girls, and as a result, don't keep girls for very long. The same can be said of many clubs however.
Summary
SL escorting runs from desperate girls starting out, to experienced citizens of the sl universe who go far beyond sexual services. It includes girls having fun, married women taking a break from the tedium of their lives, men creating pornography, and up and comers of both genders using escorting as a way to distinction in sl. There is a wide range of tastes and services. At the lower end, you are really just paying to keep the playdopes away, weeding out the "wanna fuck now!?!?!?!!" crowd, but really it is for mutual amusement. At the middle are girls paying for their pixel shopping addictions and using escorting to get set up. At the top are people who have rl qualifications, either because they do rl pornography for a living, or because they have rl skills that are useful in sl.
It helps to know what you are looking for. Introductions to sl are often best with girls who charge more, but as a result have seen more. Experienced men can often do better with less experienced escorts for the opposite reason: if you know what you want, then you know how to get someone to do it.
I am going to put in a word about two worlds that I have not talked about, but which are growing rapidly: men who escort for women, and gay escorts. Both have pay scales similar to women escorts. However, there are some crucial differences. One difference is that both are harder to find by looking for ads in the various ad places, such as Ami's place. It is better to go to a dance club when looking for men who escort, because there are far more of them who dance and escort, than who place ads and freelance. While the boyz keep to themselves, the quality of dancing at many of the gay male clubs is higher than dancing at comparable het clubs. Many men who play women pay escorts more freely than rl women do, it is an extension of the rule that women seldom pay for sex.
Not surprisingly male escorts are often better at emoting at a comparable price. Among us girls, and I won't mention any names, there are some who think that just being there is enough. This is almost never true among the male escorts, gay, het or bi. Many of the male escorts who are het love women, and love to lavish attention on a female avatar. I talked with one woman who, rl, admits she is very unattractive, and found it a very arousing experience to, for once, be treated like a goddess. So I will say this: just as porn isn't just for boys, going to interactive porn in the form of an escort, isn't just for boys either. If you spend $100 getting pampered at the salon, is it so bad to spend $6 getting pampered a bit here? And think about it, when was the last time you got to tell a man exactly what to do, when to do it, and had him happier at the end of it?
The Inner Sea
The First Canto
Will you journey to my inner sea?
The dawn screams in the distance,
it is the utter east invading.
Before sweep the fans of clouds,
slashes of mauve and iron grey,
clawed through bluing sky from darkness.
Homer smiles as fingers reach through ocean's horizon
and fall upon our pebbled peach, carving light and shadows
upon our still exhausted faces.
You, face still damp from swimming in pleasure's inlet
skip your stones upon the crests of my waves,
for this is my sea, and they are my tides and troughs.
You turn to me and glare with your sapphire gaze,
and rasp a question that we can't deny:
"Must it be?"
For we both know, it must be.
Will you journey into my inner sea?
Must it be? It must be, for that which
we wish to become to be at all.
Your shoulder's slump and your body,
that torques sculpture carved by chance and time,
grows limpid limp.
I cannot help but to respond,
and finding soft patch of white sand,
I pose languid upon it.
Come to me, come to me,
and enter into my inner sea.
Wretched are the waves tossed by storm,
but the sea bed does not know it,
serene the kingdom of the deep remains,
holding the growiing and the still,
the living, dying and the dead.
Beneath the waves in sunken grottos is aroused
Him and Her, the majesties of this deep.
Their castle is a glitter with the sharp shards,
of jewelled sceptres and worn rosaries,
built on bones, but made of hopes,
and quiet inner dreams.
She the consort queen calls to my hidden mind,
calling me to tell those luring lies,
that have beckoned all my kind to her before.
She is the monarch of the siren calls,
the royal we of that fertile tribe.
I must go to her, though my mind sees her,
and knows it not.
She offers me the light that is in the darkness,
for the unspoken words that have dwelled within me since almost I was made.
These orbs upon which half is written, but all
all will be unspoken, without you.
For it is for you that they have waited
that I have waited,
that all has waited,
for you to heed her beckon'ed call
and enter into,
my inner sea.
Now your turbluence grows to fever frenzy,
and the tide of my desire on which
your ship will sale,
flows, floods and flourishes.
The hairs, like reeds, whip and lash my inner lips,
your hands grasp, a mariner like all men,
my rounded hips, and gripping them to tight response,
I am your vessel. Use me as you will.
As you must. For it must be.
The pressure grows upon me,
and strokes the stoking flowing of inner rivers
the blood which ripens all my body,
though I can feel it only by inflection,
and see it on your faces reflection.
The tide has come and the ship must sail,
its flag flown more proudly than any banner,
its course repeated traced.
My flesh feels the the curls upon your chest,
that grind upon my nipples and my breasts,
oh how I am smooth blank page for this,
the passion writ on waters deep.
My time and tides that come as blood were for this,
my river of passion brings me this floating bliss,
I am beyond half the words I know,
bidden by the consort queen and her undertown.
She the siren screech is in my ears,
drowning logic and drenching fears.
Of all the calculation of my life in rhymes,
the seem like delays to this rape sublime.
Not of you of me, but of the overwhelming coming
of my inner sea.
Oh how it embraces you as I spasm,
locked in eternal instant of hanging need,
to be owned by this ocean now my only creed.
I know that weeks ago I ceased to prevent,
what now I feel annealing as your passion spent.
In that moment, this burned away,
the person who awoke that other day,
we have passed away from sight of virgin lands,
and guided by your rod and hammer,
pushed and forced by hidden hands.
Oh to be, oh to be, forever voyaging,
on this inner sea.
Nothing of my soul to slave,
to be yours only, and destiny's slave.
The consort queen mocks me, as she always will
as I clench thee, hold thee,
in this warm morning still
my spirit reaches for that old fantasy,
of my cup monthly emptied, and lifetime filled.
Oh dear, come to me,
and journey upon my inner sea.
Then in your face I see Him,
the ocean's crowned king,
and all the terrors that he brings.
That to live here adrift in this awful plane
will mean muteness now, forever more.
He. Not him but Him and He,
now towers to blot the sun and bury me,
he is the god that all women fear,
the one that stalks us through bitter years,
and bend us on our dainty knees,
for him alone for our mouths to please.
He would rob us of our essence and our soul,
and reduce us only to that role,
that costume of silks and chains
which Pentuach fetish is made.
He spears me, with you merely as the trident prong,
it was his plan here, all along.
His consort queen did call me to this place,
and set me upon his ancient race.
Must it be? Must it be?
Are we forever lost, on my inner sea?
My body once etheral in your hands,
dreaming of those distant sunlit lands,
now aches to be free of this and you,
to have this voyage dissolve to dew.
The flows that fissure within me now become
like molten rock frozen by what is come.
Wretched my salt soaked hair is stung,
and clings to my forehead and sticks my eyes.
The consort queen has bought me cheaply with her lies.
She calls to you, and bids you to set the bow,
to open waters furrowed by many ship-wreaked prows.
Even as this fear intensely holds,
your body still tangled in my folds,
your face still ponding in my eyes,
our ears still echoing with my cries.
The cries that gave me body to your seed,
and filled me with sated need.
They are the screeches of the carrion birds,
that now will strip my soul from my life,
and flesh from my bones,
and sink me into the warm wet depth,
of castled consort queen,
and trident monarch's breathes.
They two laugh at it, and us, and me,
to have dared with mind this unminding sea.
Must it be? Must it be?
Am I this prisoner of my inner sea?
The dawn screams in the distance,
it is the utter east invading.
Before sweep the fans of clouds,
slashes of mauve and iron grey,
clawed through bluing sky from darkness.
Homer smiles as fingers reach through ocean's horizon
and fall upon our pebbled peach, carving light and shadows
upon our still exhausted faces.
You, face still damp from swimming in pleasure's inlet
skip your stones upon the crests of my waves,
for this is my sea, and they are my tides and troughs.
You turn to me and glare with your sapphire gaze,
and rasp a question that we can't deny:
"Must it be?"
For we both know, it must be.
Will you journey into my inner sea?
Must it be? It must be, for that which
we wish to become to be at all.
Your shoulder's slump and your body,
that torques sculpture carved by chance and time,
grows limpid limp.
I cannot help but to respond,
and finding soft patch of white sand,
I pose languid upon it.
Come to me, come to me,
and enter into my inner sea.
Wretched are the waves tossed by storm,
but the sea bed does not know it,
serene the kingdom of the deep remains,
holding the growiing and the still,
the living, dying and the dead.
Beneath the waves in sunken grottos is aroused
Him and Her, the majesties of this deep.
Their castle is a glitter with the sharp shards,
of jewelled sceptres and worn rosaries,
built on bones, but made of hopes,
and quiet inner dreams.
She the consort queen calls to my hidden mind,
calling me to tell those luring lies,
that have beckoned all my kind to her before.
She is the monarch of the siren calls,
the royal we of that fertile tribe.
I must go to her, though my mind sees her,
and knows it not.
She offers me the light that is in the darkness,
for the unspoken words that have dwelled within me since almost I was made.
These orbs upon which half is written, but all
all will be unspoken, without you.
For it is for you that they have waited
that I have waited,
that all has waited,
for you to heed her beckon'ed call
and enter into,
my inner sea.
Now your turbluence grows to fever frenzy,
and the tide of my desire on which
your ship will sale,
flows, floods and flourishes.
The hairs, like reeds, whip and lash my inner lips,
your hands grasp, a mariner like all men,
my rounded hips, and gripping them to tight response,
I am your vessel. Use me as you will.
As you must. For it must be.
The pressure grows upon me,
and strokes the stoking flowing of inner rivers
the blood which ripens all my body,
though I can feel it only by inflection,
and see it on your faces reflection.
The tide has come and the ship must sail,
its flag flown more proudly than any banner,
its course repeated traced.
My flesh feels the the curls upon your chest,
that grind upon my nipples and my breasts,
oh how I am smooth blank page for this,
the passion writ on waters deep.
My time and tides that come as blood were for this,
my river of passion brings me this floating bliss,
I am beyond half the words I know,
bidden by the consort queen and her undertown.
She the siren screech is in my ears,
drowning logic and drenching fears.
Of all the calculation of my life in rhymes,
the seem like delays to this rape sublime.
Not of you of me, but of the overwhelming coming
of my inner sea.
Oh how it embraces you as I spasm,
locked in eternal instant of hanging need,
to be owned by this ocean now my only creed.
I know that weeks ago I ceased to prevent,
what now I feel annealing as your passion spent.
In that moment, this burned away,
the person who awoke that other day,
we have passed away from sight of virgin lands,
and guided by your rod and hammer,
pushed and forced by hidden hands.
Oh to be, oh to be, forever voyaging,
on this inner sea.
Nothing of my soul to slave,
to be yours only, and destiny's slave.
The consort queen mocks me, as she always will
as I clench thee, hold thee,
in this warm morning still
my spirit reaches for that old fantasy,
of my cup monthly emptied, and lifetime filled.
Oh dear, come to me,
and journey upon my inner sea.
Then in your face I see Him,
the ocean's crowned king,
and all the terrors that he brings.
That to live here adrift in this awful plane
will mean muteness now, forever more.
He. Not him but Him and He,
now towers to blot the sun and bury me,
he is the god that all women fear,
the one that stalks us through bitter years,
and bend us on our dainty knees,
for him alone for our mouths to please.
He would rob us of our essence and our soul,
and reduce us only to that role,
that costume of silks and chains
which Pentuach fetish is made.
He spears me, with you merely as the trident prong,
it was his plan here, all along.
His consort queen did call me to this place,
and set me upon his ancient race.
Must it be? Must it be?
Are we forever lost, on my inner sea?
My body once etheral in your hands,
dreaming of those distant sunlit lands,
now aches to be free of this and you,
to have this voyage dissolve to dew.
The flows that fissure within me now become
like molten rock frozen by what is come.
Wretched my salt soaked hair is stung,
and clings to my forehead and sticks my eyes.
The consort queen has bought me cheaply with her lies.
She calls to you, and bids you to set the bow,
to open waters furrowed by many ship-wreaked prows.
Even as this fear intensely holds,
your body still tangled in my folds,
your face still ponding in my eyes,
our ears still echoing with my cries.
The cries that gave me body to your seed,
and filled me with sated need.
They are the screeches of the carrion birds,
that now will strip my soul from my life,
and flesh from my bones,
and sink me into the warm wet depth,
of castled consort queen,
and trident monarch's breathes.
They two laugh at it, and us, and me,
to have dared with mind this unminding sea.
Must it be? Must it be?
Am I this prisoner of my inner sea?
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Go Barry Go
I don't follow baseball. I don't know why people seem to be so down on Barry Bonds. But he has gotten to where he is, and he has done what he has had to do. I hope he puts his name on the record books, for however long he has it, and can smile and tell everyone that he did it his way.
For at least a little while, we should all be on the side of this sorry moment in time having a piece of whatever kind of history trivia and boys' games affords, and have Everyone in America be a San Francisco Giants fan, even if only for a few at bats a game.
Best of luck Barry.
For at least a little while, we should all be on the side of this sorry moment in time having a piece of whatever kind of history trivia and boys' games affords, and have Everyone in America be a San Francisco Giants fan, even if only for a few at bats a game.
Best of luck Barry.
Friday, August 3, 2007
The Spirit of 65:
Why demanding investigation and impeachment is the constitutional option.
Jesus' General was kind enough to sponsor The Impeachment Ball that I am holding tonight at the Yedo Basilica.
I spoke with one influential member of sl, and he called this "self-indulgent silliness" and was surprised that Yearly Kos in SL would associate with it. My purpose with this post is not to make a case for impeaching George W. Bush, that is something for much more important people than I will ever be. Instead, my purpose is to make the case for putting impeachment on the table of public discussion. It is a subject whose time has come, if not of George W. Bush, then at least of his Attorney General.
In one sense, impeachment is never off the table. If you read both Hamilton and Madison on the subject of impeachment, it is the general all purpose remedy for abuses of power by the executive branch from the perspective of Congress. Hamilton can be heard in a some what pained tone of voice in Federalist 65 admitting that the House could impeach by majority, and that since impeachment is a political process, that is, abuse of power is in the eye of the beholder, often "faction" would beable to impeach even if nothing else. Newt Gingrich, Alexander Hamilton owned you on that one.
But said both Hamilton and Madison, if you cut off the legislative branch from being able to judge the executive, then there was no way to recall or hold to account an executive who had abused power. Madison argued for impeachment during the Constitutional Convention, and specifically mentioned corruption during the conduct of a war as a reason for impeachment. Madison also often told concerned members of Congress, both during the debates, and as a member of the House, that if they were concerned about the abuse of some power by the executive, for example removing a popular cabinet member, that Congress could always impeach.
The clear original intent of the framers of the Constitution, "of 1787" as Professor Bruce Ackerman is wont to add, was that impeachment should alwayus be on the table. And this was with an executive that was far less powerful than the one we have today. In fact, it could even be said that the President during wartime in that age was less powerful than even a peace time President is today.
I am not an original constructionist, or whatever fancy term of art is now applied for those who want to read the Constitution like fine print on a shrinkwrap agreement. But it must be admitted that any point of view that the framers so clearly and repeatedly expressed, from both the future Federalist and future Republican parties, and has not been expressly overturned by later amendment, is not out of bounds as a starting point for discussion.
The next part is the question of politics. It is simply not tenable to argue that a drive for investigation of George W. Bush and his conduct of the office, even with the clear intent to build a case for impeachment, is either infantile or self-indulgent. On the contrary, investigation, backed with the threat of impeachment, is a legitimate political tool to hold any "civil officer" of the United States to account. If the President will not fire someone for violating the law, the Congress can. If the President himself acts as if he ias above either the law, or the clear will of the public, as expressed in the people's house, he can, and must, face an adversarial process. The people who founded America believed strongly that pitting, as Madison stated "interest against interest" was the means by which faction and instability could be controlled.
Impeachment then, is a process by which people stand up for their interests, and far from being self-indulgent, it is a fundamentally American thing to do. There is no abstract "interest" of the whole public, on the consensus of the sum of interests. We should not fear that others will pursue their interests, especially the extremists like O'Reilly of Foxnews who isn't exactly doing well right now.
This means that under the First Amendment, where citizens have a right to peaceably assemble and demand redress of grievances, demanding that representatives investigate and if the facts and politics warrant it, impeach, a President, Vice-President, Judge or other civil officer, is expressly in the intent of the framers of the Constitution of 1787.
This does not mean that the process is to be lightly entered into, but it does mean that both numbers, and strength of feeling, are proper ways of judging whether it is time to investigate, and if appropriate, impeach, a civil officer of the United States. It has to be admitted that the reasons for impeachment being invoked have to be weighty enough, and the barriers to other, less wrenching, forms of political solution must be exhausted.
The first part of this question is, then, whether there is enough strength of feeling to impeach George W. Bush. The argument made to me, which I find persuasive is simply this: more people want George W. Bush investigated with the intent of impeaching, in any poll, than approve of the job he is doing as President, in any poll. That is, more people are ready to invoke the constitutional option, than want George W. Bush to continue doing what he is doing as President. He has touched, within the statistical margin of error, the highest disapproval numbers for any President since polling began. And leaving aside Truman's number, since that was the era where "Dewey Defeats Truman" was possible in the polls, he has tied Richard Milhouse Nixon's worst mark.
Clearly there is strength of feeling for impeachment. When more people want investigation and impeachment, than approve, and this has been true for a lengthening number of weeks, it is not the result of some bad turn of fortune, but a growing consideration that the interests of the public are not being served by the current executive. One could argue as easily that George W. Bush is only supported by the "far right" as impeachment is supported by the "far left." In fact, the public breaks down into three nearly equal segments: the one third that support George W. Bush, the one third that want him impeached, and the one third who do not support him, but who want him restrained by the legislative branch by means short of impeachment. There is no "center," and if there is, it is an discussion between those who feel that investigation and impeachment are the correct way to restrain an executive which is out of control, and those that think some other way is possible.
This is why Speaker Nancy Pelosi "took impeachment off the table," and still opposes it publicly. And it is certainly reasonable to remain committed to staying within the normal channels of political struggle, as long as the essential business of the country can be done without it. If the country merely wanted a different set of budget priorities, or a few changes to corruption and ethics laws, or some changes in the law, then there is little reason to believe that this could not work. But the last election was not about civic issues such as abortion, nor about budget issues, nor about corruption specifically. Instead there was an overwhelming revulsion to the War in Iraq, and even more, to the conduct of that war.
This means that we are exactly at Madison's own argument: the conduct of a war, and the temptation for abuse of power that comes with it.
Let me again recite the facts from pollingreport.com: only 25% of all Americans approve of the handling of Iraq. This is the same percentage as the independents. Only 57% of self-identified republicans support the handling of the war. Read the numbers for yourself. Even more telling, according to the ABC News poll, with its long trend line, 60% of Americans "do not feel the war was worth it."
Now here is the point where the public's demand for impeachment becomes important. While a clear majority of the people polled prefer the way the Democrats are handling the war, than Bush, and by a lopsided majority of independents and Democrats together, indicating that support for Iraq is now a partisan Republican fetish, the public disapproves of the Democrats in Congress, as much as George W. Bush! Consider that this is an earthquake, because in 2003, 70% of the public trusted Bush on the war more than the Democrats in Congress, who were then a minority in both chambers.
What are we to make of this? There are two possible explanations. One is that the out of control far left of the Democratic Congress has gone to far, and the other is that an overly cowardly Congress has not done enough. The first is the overwhelming narrative from those who breath swamp gas for a living.
However, the facts do not admit the first reading: the public disapproves of the war, thinks the war is going badly, does not think that a few more troops will make a difference, and does not want to continue in Iraq. 59% of Americans want forces withdrawn. This is higher than on election day 2006. The last election is already an obsolete indicator of public sentiment, when the public, by a slender majority, wanted to continue in Iraq. By the time the new Congress took their oath of office, it was the reverse. Perhaps because the news has been so bad.
It is simply not the case that exit is what Bush is trying to do, it is simply not the case that the public wants "bipartisanship" on Iraq. Instead, as I am going to outline now, the public is non-partisan on Iraq: they want more than either elected political part is doing right now, but they are closer to the position held by the core of the progressive Democratic Party: out, as soon as possible.
When trying to decide between two diametrically opposed ways of reading the same facts, it is best to look for confirming indicators. If the position was that "far left" and out of control Democrats were the problem, then it would be logical to see more people identifying as conservatives and Republicans. The reverse is the case, fewer people identify as conservatives and Republicans. The other logical thing to ask is what each view implies about the underlying "reality." If people were against far left Democrats, then it would imply that the people who disapprove of Bush's handling would want more, not fewer, troops in Iraq. And that this body of opinion would be large and growing. However, "Keep forces" is now at its lowest point. If it were the case that people wanted what the Washington types call "the go big" option, then "keep forces" would be staying the same, not shrinking.
All of the poll questions point in the same direction. A clear majority of Americans want US combat forces out of Iraq by next spring, they want Congress to have the final say in the deadline, and they do not believe that the Iraqi government which the Bush administration has established will be able to stand.
Now for the reason for impeachment: "Do you think Bush is willing enough to change his administration's policy?" Last year, the answer was 30% yes. Now it is 18%. The same poll asked "Do you think the Democrats in Congress have done too much, too little or about right?" 49% said too little. The numbers do not admit of the reading of the public sentiment that it is "far left" Democrats that the public disapproves of, but on the contrary, that a full half the public, want the Democrats to do more.
While an individual might hold this viewpoint, because we are all entitled to our own opinions, it is not possible to hold that the public holds this as its view, because, as Senator Patrick Moynihan noted, we are not entitled to our own facts. It is not a coincidence that the same people telling us to be "bi-partisan" told us that it was Senator Joe Lieberman who represented the consensus on Iraq. Lieberman, as even his friends admit is irrelevant.
This means that the conditions for impeachment are present: the public disapproves of the way the President is handling a matter which is the executive's prerogative, handling a war. The public does not believe that that President will change his mind enough. The public does not believe that the opposition party has, or perhaps even can, do enough to achieve the policy which a clear majority of the public wants: withdrawal of combat troops form Iraq by next spring, at a deadline set by Congress.
This is, perhaps, the most original intent drive for impeachment ever, in that the anger is not coming from a "faction" seeking to advance its own ends, but from a public which finds existing factions to be unable to do what they were elected to do. In this case: end a war which the public now believes should never have happened in the first place.
This is the position outlined by Representative Murtha in his bills, starting last year: leave, with all due speed. You can say many nasty things about Rep. Murtha, and I know people who have, but "far left" isn't an accurate description.
This is why the public demanding impeachment is now on the table: the normal political process has broken down, and the overwhelming view of the public is that it is the President who is to blame.
Once it is clear that the political will exists for impeachment, the question is whether there is a case for impeachment. That cannot be said at this time, but must, instead, come after the public has seen the facts brought to light, with the full power of the Congress behind them. That is what the people's house is for: to set the facts before the public, and let the public come to some reasonable conclusion.
In a Democracy, representatives must sometime act before the public is ready. However, since impeachment is not a long term problem which manifests itself in murky data to bureaucrats and staffers who spend their days going over spreadsheets, but is, as Hamilton and Madison both stated over and over again, a political decision, if there is to be impeachment, then it must, and should, and ought, and perhaps shall, come from a public demand for it.
And even if there is no impeachment, the investigation itself must happen, because no Democracy can long survive, if a full third of its citizens believe that high crimes and misdemeanors have gone unpunished. To no small extent, the aggressive campaign of finding rugs to sweep problems under these last 6 years is to blame. If the real faults leading to Iraq, and leading to 9/11 had come to light, it is very likely that people would not now entertain such aggressive belief in criminality. It is not the crimes, or even the mistakes, but the cover up, which creates the impression that worse is hidden, and lets the imaginations of the angry and disgruntled, and I admit I am angry and disgruntled, soar. I do not want to live in an America that permits itself nightmares of what we should have known.
Instead, these questions must be laid to rest, they have not been. The only way to clear the air is with public investigation.
However, as the questioning of the Attorney General makes clear, the President invokes a broad, vague and inferential privilege. In essence any questions about how he has done anything are "executive privilege," and cannot be questioned. This means that ordinary investigation is impossible, since no one will answer any questions at all.
I live in a world where a man has to find or buy a penis, it seems that this is not as strange as it seems, but that instead, a whole generation bought themselves a penis, called "Iraq." It is time to realize that wearing a cock in public isn't good manners, and the open orgy room politics of "24" and the WTC as the new Pearl harbor, are over and done.
And if we cannot have accountability by ordinary means, then we must demand accountability by extra-ordinary ones, even if that means asking for the sun, the moon and the stars, when all we want is the stars and stripes to be flown with a clear conscience again. I will be happy if we end the war and Bush is impeached. I will be happy if we end the war and bush is not impeached. I will be unhappy if Bush is impeached, and we do not end the war. Because it is the war which is bleeding us of our laws, our rights, our youth, our honor, our faith in America, and the years themselves, of which life and history are made.
I spoke with one influential member of sl, and he called this "self-indulgent silliness" and was surprised that Yearly Kos in SL would associate with it. My purpose with this post is not to make a case for impeaching George W. Bush, that is something for much more important people than I will ever be. Instead, my purpose is to make the case for putting impeachment on the table of public discussion. It is a subject whose time has come, if not of George W. Bush, then at least of his Attorney General.
In one sense, impeachment is never off the table. If you read both Hamilton and Madison on the subject of impeachment, it is the general all purpose remedy for abuses of power by the executive branch from the perspective of Congress. Hamilton can be heard in a some what pained tone of voice in Federalist 65 admitting that the House could impeach by majority, and that since impeachment is a political process, that is, abuse of power is in the eye of the beholder, often "faction" would beable to impeach even if nothing else. Newt Gingrich, Alexander Hamilton owned you on that one.
But said both Hamilton and Madison, if you cut off the legislative branch from being able to judge the executive, then there was no way to recall or hold to account an executive who had abused power. Madison argued for impeachment during the Constitutional Convention, and specifically mentioned corruption during the conduct of a war as a reason for impeachment. Madison also often told concerned members of Congress, both during the debates, and as a member of the House, that if they were concerned about the abuse of some power by the executive, for example removing a popular cabinet member, that Congress could always impeach.
The clear original intent of the framers of the Constitution, "of 1787" as Professor Bruce Ackerman is wont to add, was that impeachment should alwayus be on the table. And this was with an executive that was far less powerful than the one we have today. In fact, it could even be said that the President during wartime in that age was less powerful than even a peace time President is today.
I am not an original constructionist, or whatever fancy term of art is now applied for those who want to read the Constitution like fine print on a shrinkwrap agreement. But it must be admitted that any point of view that the framers so clearly and repeatedly expressed, from both the future Federalist and future Republican parties, and has not been expressly overturned by later amendment, is not out of bounds as a starting point for discussion.
The next part is the question of politics. It is simply not tenable to argue that a drive for investigation of George W. Bush and his conduct of the office, even with the clear intent to build a case for impeachment, is either infantile or self-indulgent. On the contrary, investigation, backed with the threat of impeachment, is a legitimate political tool to hold any "civil officer" of the United States to account. If the President will not fire someone for violating the law, the Congress can. If the President himself acts as if he ias above either the law, or the clear will of the public, as expressed in the people's house, he can, and must, face an adversarial process. The people who founded America believed strongly that pitting, as Madison stated "interest against interest" was the means by which faction and instability could be controlled.
Impeachment then, is a process by which people stand up for their interests, and far from being self-indulgent, it is a fundamentally American thing to do. There is no abstract "interest" of the whole public, on the consensus of the sum of interests. We should not fear that others will pursue their interests, especially the extremists like O'Reilly of Foxnews who isn't exactly doing well right now.
This means that under the First Amendment, where citizens have a right to peaceably assemble and demand redress of grievances, demanding that representatives investigate and if the facts and politics warrant it, impeach, a President, Vice-President, Judge or other civil officer, is expressly in the intent of the framers of the Constitution of 1787.
This does not mean that the process is to be lightly entered into, but it does mean that both numbers, and strength of feeling, are proper ways of judging whether it is time to investigate, and if appropriate, impeach, a civil officer of the United States. It has to be admitted that the reasons for impeachment being invoked have to be weighty enough, and the barriers to other, less wrenching, forms of political solution must be exhausted.
The first part of this question is, then, whether there is enough strength of feeling to impeach George W. Bush. The argument made to me, which I find persuasive is simply this: more people want George W. Bush investigated with the intent of impeaching, in any poll, than approve of the job he is doing as President, in any poll. That is, more people are ready to invoke the constitutional option, than want George W. Bush to continue doing what he is doing as President. He has touched, within the statistical margin of error, the highest disapproval numbers for any President since polling began. And leaving aside Truman's number, since that was the era where "Dewey Defeats Truman" was possible in the polls, he has tied Richard Milhouse Nixon's worst mark.
Clearly there is strength of feeling for impeachment. When more people want investigation and impeachment, than approve, and this has been true for a lengthening number of weeks, it is not the result of some bad turn of fortune, but a growing consideration that the interests of the public are not being served by the current executive. One could argue as easily that George W. Bush is only supported by the "far right" as impeachment is supported by the "far left." In fact, the public breaks down into three nearly equal segments: the one third that support George W. Bush, the one third that want him impeached, and the one third who do not support him, but who want him restrained by the legislative branch by means short of impeachment. There is no "center," and if there is, it is an discussion between those who feel that investigation and impeachment are the correct way to restrain an executive which is out of control, and those that think some other way is possible.
This is why Speaker Nancy Pelosi "took impeachment off the table," and still opposes it publicly. And it is certainly reasonable to remain committed to staying within the normal channels of political struggle, as long as the essential business of the country can be done without it. If the country merely wanted a different set of budget priorities, or a few changes to corruption and ethics laws, or some changes in the law, then there is little reason to believe that this could not work. But the last election was not about civic issues such as abortion, nor about budget issues, nor about corruption specifically. Instead there was an overwhelming revulsion to the War in Iraq, and even more, to the conduct of that war.
This means that we are exactly at Madison's own argument: the conduct of a war, and the temptation for abuse of power that comes with it.
Let me again recite the facts from pollingreport.com: only 25% of all Americans approve of the handling of Iraq. This is the same percentage as the independents. Only 57% of self-identified republicans support the handling of the war. Read the numbers for yourself. Even more telling, according to the ABC News poll, with its long trend line, 60% of Americans "do not feel the war was worth it."
Now here is the point where the public's demand for impeachment becomes important. While a clear majority of the people polled prefer the way the Democrats are handling the war, than Bush, and by a lopsided majority of independents and Democrats together, indicating that support for Iraq is now a partisan Republican fetish, the public disapproves of the Democrats in Congress, as much as George W. Bush! Consider that this is an earthquake, because in 2003, 70% of the public trusted Bush on the war more than the Democrats in Congress, who were then a minority in both chambers.
What are we to make of this? There are two possible explanations. One is that the out of control far left of the Democratic Congress has gone to far, and the other is that an overly cowardly Congress has not done enough. The first is the overwhelming narrative from those who breath swamp gas for a living.
However, the facts do not admit the first reading: the public disapproves of the war, thinks the war is going badly, does not think that a few more troops will make a difference, and does not want to continue in Iraq. 59% of Americans want forces withdrawn. This is higher than on election day 2006. The last election is already an obsolete indicator of public sentiment, when the public, by a slender majority, wanted to continue in Iraq. By the time the new Congress took their oath of office, it was the reverse. Perhaps because the news has been so bad.
It is simply not the case that exit is what Bush is trying to do, it is simply not the case that the public wants "bipartisanship" on Iraq. Instead, as I am going to outline now, the public is non-partisan on Iraq: they want more than either elected political part is doing right now, but they are closer to the position held by the core of the progressive Democratic Party: out, as soon as possible.
When trying to decide between two diametrically opposed ways of reading the same facts, it is best to look for confirming indicators. If the position was that "far left" and out of control Democrats were the problem, then it would be logical to see more people identifying as conservatives and Republicans. The reverse is the case, fewer people identify as conservatives and Republicans. The other logical thing to ask is what each view implies about the underlying "reality." If people were against far left Democrats, then it would imply that the people who disapprove of Bush's handling would want more, not fewer, troops in Iraq. And that this body of opinion would be large and growing. However, "Keep forces" is now at its lowest point. If it were the case that people wanted what the Washington types call "the go big" option, then "keep forces" would be staying the same, not shrinking.
All of the poll questions point in the same direction. A clear majority of Americans want US combat forces out of Iraq by next spring, they want Congress to have the final say in the deadline, and they do not believe that the Iraqi government which the Bush administration has established will be able to stand.
Now for the reason for impeachment: "Do you think Bush is willing enough to change his administration's policy?" Last year, the answer was 30% yes. Now it is 18%. The same poll asked "Do you think the Democrats in Congress have done too much, too little or about right?" 49% said too little. The numbers do not admit of the reading of the public sentiment that it is "far left" Democrats that the public disapproves of, but on the contrary, that a full half the public, want the Democrats to do more.
While an individual might hold this viewpoint, because we are all entitled to our own opinions, it is not possible to hold that the public holds this as its view, because, as Senator Patrick Moynihan noted, we are not entitled to our own facts. It is not a coincidence that the same people telling us to be "bi-partisan" told us that it was Senator Joe Lieberman who represented the consensus on Iraq. Lieberman, as even his friends admit is irrelevant.
This means that the conditions for impeachment are present: the public disapproves of the way the President is handling a matter which is the executive's prerogative, handling a war. The public does not believe that that President will change his mind enough. The public does not believe that the opposition party has, or perhaps even can, do enough to achieve the policy which a clear majority of the public wants: withdrawal of combat troops form Iraq by next spring, at a deadline set by Congress.
This is, perhaps, the most original intent drive for impeachment ever, in that the anger is not coming from a "faction" seeking to advance its own ends, but from a public which finds existing factions to be unable to do what they were elected to do. In this case: end a war which the public now believes should never have happened in the first place.
This is the position outlined by Representative Murtha in his bills, starting last year: leave, with all due speed. You can say many nasty things about Rep. Murtha, and I know people who have, but "far left" isn't an accurate description.
This is why the public demanding impeachment is now on the table: the normal political process has broken down, and the overwhelming view of the public is that it is the President who is to blame.
Once it is clear that the political will exists for impeachment, the question is whether there is a case for impeachment. That cannot be said at this time, but must, instead, come after the public has seen the facts brought to light, with the full power of the Congress behind them. That is what the people's house is for: to set the facts before the public, and let the public come to some reasonable conclusion.
In a Democracy, representatives must sometime act before the public is ready. However, since impeachment is not a long term problem which manifests itself in murky data to bureaucrats and staffers who spend their days going over spreadsheets, but is, as Hamilton and Madison both stated over and over again, a political decision, if there is to be impeachment, then it must, and should, and ought, and perhaps shall, come from a public demand for it.
And even if there is no impeachment, the investigation itself must happen, because no Democracy can long survive, if a full third of its citizens believe that high crimes and misdemeanors have gone unpunished. To no small extent, the aggressive campaign of finding rugs to sweep problems under these last 6 years is to blame. If the real faults leading to Iraq, and leading to 9/11 had come to light, it is very likely that people would not now entertain such aggressive belief in criminality. It is not the crimes, or even the mistakes, but the cover up, which creates the impression that worse is hidden, and lets the imaginations of the angry and disgruntled, and I admit I am angry and disgruntled, soar. I do not want to live in an America that permits itself nightmares of what we should have known.
Instead, these questions must be laid to rest, they have not been. The only way to clear the air is with public investigation.
However, as the questioning of the Attorney General makes clear, the President invokes a broad, vague and inferential privilege. In essence any questions about how he has done anything are "executive privilege," and cannot be questioned. This means that ordinary investigation is impossible, since no one will answer any questions at all.
I live in a world where a man has to find or buy a penis, it seems that this is not as strange as it seems, but that instead, a whole generation bought themselves a penis, called "Iraq." It is time to realize that wearing a cock in public isn't good manners, and the open orgy room politics of "24" and the WTC as the new Pearl harbor, are over and done.
And if we cannot have accountability by ordinary means, then we must demand accountability by extra-ordinary ones, even if that means asking for the sun, the moon and the stars, when all we want is the stars and stripes to be flown with a clear conscience again. I will be happy if we end the war and Bush is impeached. I will be happy if we end the war and bush is not impeached. I will be unhappy if Bush is impeached, and we do not end the war. Because it is the war which is bleeding us of our laws, our rights, our youth, our honor, our faith in America, and the years themselves, of which life and history are made.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Read London
Sometimes, I read something, and I feel the emotional honesty and pain sear out from the screen. London's blog is growing by leaps and bounds because she has a courageous emotional honesty, which is far beyond anything else I've found on SL, except for Jazon Beck.
Read this because it is the most revealing thing you will read today.
Read this because it is the most revealing thing you will read today.
The Night of Blood and Flowers
Maybe this is R-ish, but not really.
It's a story. That story.
Yes, you know the one. It never goes the way it is supposed to. Or hardly ever.
It's a story. That story.
Yes, you know the one. It never goes the way it is supposed to. Or hardly ever.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
The Nexus of Sex:
Phat Cats, Romance, and where it really is at
If you are going to understand sex on Second Life, then you must understand Phat Cats. Phat Cats is, and has been for some months, the meeting place for heterosexual couples on SL. It is the nexus of sex on Second Life. It is not a mature parcel, it is even a "PG" sim. The people who quote the 18% statistic about sex in second life are missing two important points. The "direct sex" industry, to which I belong, is smaller than, and subsidiary to the indirect sex industry. Romance and sex make people happy, and while the direct sex industry brings people momentary touches of joy and bliss, the hope of most people is to have, not a moment of passion, but a life of love.
Sims are, ultimately, a reflection of the people who run and create them. This is true of the major mature clubs, and it is very much true of Phat Cats, Charity and Dilbert are, in fact, the bride and groom on the top of the mythical cake. They are the kind of romance that Second Life could promote. Charity was ill for a very long time, and they met through Second Life, married here. Not long ago, Dilbert met Charity irl, and now they are putting a deposit down on their first house, and have sold their interest in Phat Cats. Their voices and picture show that yes, they are very very much in that kind of love that we see in movies and read about in novels, and sometimes get to experience ourselves.
The club itself is a big box: a large open space for dancing, and places to sit and rez. Dilbert is the primary DJ, and his taste in background jazz is a key reason for the clubs success. The club is voice enabled and Charity and Dilbert are at the center of the converstion.
In my line of work, I get many men who want free sex. I tell them to get dressed up, learn to be gentlemen and go to Phats. The skill of chatting a lady up, introducing yourself, and creating a bubble of conversation which becomes an enveloping world, is one that works in both rl and sl. It is a skill that is rewarded at phat cats, as the converse, the clumsy approach is penalized. (You know the clumsy approach, "have you had sl sex? I am very curious about it. I think you would be perfect for my first." And it's other varients)
The pattern of sex around Phats is to go, hope to meet someone, and then head out to one of the smaller, less laggy and crowded ballrooms, or to a romantic spot, or sometimes to a private apartment, so eager are the participants. It is a story told a hundred times, a thousand times: boy meets girl, boy dances with girl verticle, girl decides that boy should get a chance to dance horizontally.
Of course for every hopeful flowering, there is, almost, one sad parting. The challenges of a life, even a second life, together, are great, and so many seeds fall, germinate, poke their first leaves through the soil, and then wither. It is not something that any mere club can change.
I could write for pages on the stories of people passing through Phats, or the disappointments of people who have wanted to build a competitor or rival. I could write for pages on what I have overheard. But the question I was asked several times while writing this article is what do I, an escort, feel about phats and other similar places.
This question often misses what I think is an important point about what I do, and what other escorts do. We don't sell love, love is not for sale, even if money can help you buy a skin, or even an island, it cannot make you want to love someone. An escort sells sexuality, and to some extent knowledge about SL. The better escorts are not just providers of "real time interactive adult entertainment," but advisors on this strange world of ours, who help their clients navigate it.
Thus what goes on at Phats does not really impinge on my world directly. Yes there are men who go meat market shopping at phat cats, and they show up at my doorstep looking for freebies if they wash out at phats. But is that Phats fault? Not that I can see. Is it mine? No. It is the fault of shallow men who can't think of anything better to do than go around telling women "well I want a friend with benefits" as the second IM out of their keyboard. It is also true there are people who pass through Phat Cats and think that voice will make it easier for them to score RL. I don't think this will be the case, because many women I know don't want to chatter away in open voice, any more than they want to chatter away in open text chat. Pushing voice on a girl too fast is more or less the same mistake as talking about a free cock too quickly. The men who aren't willing to pay the emotional price of sex with a girl, are also not willing to pay the monetary cost of sex with a working girl. What a surprise! I would never have guessed there were bottom feeding men!
Instead, it is more important to realize that Phats gives people the ability to meet, and many professional as well as personal, connections come out of Phat Cats. The bits and pieces of my own history trace through there, as do many other people. Women meet other women as friends, find out about fashion. People of all sorts meet business contacts.
Phats is also, in a way, like me. We are both on the front line of civilizing people to SL. Phats has a marvelous collection of freebies, and I've used their dresses as the base of outfits. Teaching newbies who are stuck in playdo, not just in body but in spirit, how SL is a game of people, not a game of things, is something that Phat Cats does a good job of. Orientation Island? Almost useless. For all practical purposes, Phats was a "community" to introduce people to SL, before such a thing existed.
So I leave you with this thought. While it is the strip clubs, escort clubs, orgy rooms and the like that are focused on as the source of "sex" in SL, It is very likely that as many actual acts of sl sex, and more acts of rl sex, will happen tonight, whose roots go down into the soil of Phat Cats than at several of the big orgy rooms.
And from here, that is really the way it should be.
Sims are, ultimately, a reflection of the people who run and create them. This is true of the major mature clubs, and it is very much true of Phat Cats, Charity and Dilbert are, in fact, the bride and groom on the top of the mythical cake. They are the kind of romance that Second Life could promote. Charity was ill for a very long time, and they met through Second Life, married here. Not long ago, Dilbert met Charity irl, and now they are putting a deposit down on their first house, and have sold their interest in Phat Cats. Their voices and picture show that yes, they are very very much in that kind of love that we see in movies and read about in novels, and sometimes get to experience ourselves.
The club itself is a big box: a large open space for dancing, and places to sit and rez. Dilbert is the primary DJ, and his taste in background jazz is a key reason for the clubs success. The club is voice enabled and Charity and Dilbert are at the center of the converstion.
In my line of work, I get many men who want free sex. I tell them to get dressed up, learn to be gentlemen and go to Phats. The skill of chatting a lady up, introducing yourself, and creating a bubble of conversation which becomes an enveloping world, is one that works in both rl and sl. It is a skill that is rewarded at phat cats, as the converse, the clumsy approach is penalized. (You know the clumsy approach, "have you had sl sex? I am very curious about it. I think you would be perfect for my first." And it's other varients)
The pattern of sex around Phats is to go, hope to meet someone, and then head out to one of the smaller, less laggy and crowded ballrooms, or to a romantic spot, or sometimes to a private apartment, so eager are the participants. It is a story told a hundred times, a thousand times: boy meets girl, boy dances with girl verticle, girl decides that boy should get a chance to dance horizontally.
Of course for every hopeful flowering, there is, almost, one sad parting. The challenges of a life, even a second life, together, are great, and so many seeds fall, germinate, poke their first leaves through the soil, and then wither. It is not something that any mere club can change.
I could write for pages on the stories of people passing through Phats, or the disappointments of people who have wanted to build a competitor or rival. I could write for pages on what I have overheard. But the question I was asked several times while writing this article is what do I, an escort, feel about phats and other similar places.
This question often misses what I think is an important point about what I do, and what other escorts do. We don't sell love, love is not for sale, even if money can help you buy a skin, or even an island, it cannot make you want to love someone. An escort sells sexuality, and to some extent knowledge about SL. The better escorts are not just providers of "real time interactive adult entertainment," but advisors on this strange world of ours, who help their clients navigate it.
Thus what goes on at Phats does not really impinge on my world directly. Yes there are men who go meat market shopping at phat cats, and they show up at my doorstep looking for freebies if they wash out at phats. But is that Phats fault? Not that I can see. Is it mine? No. It is the fault of shallow men who can't think of anything better to do than go around telling women "well I want a friend with benefits" as the second IM out of their keyboard. It is also true there are people who pass through Phat Cats and think that voice will make it easier for them to score RL. I don't think this will be the case, because many women I know don't want to chatter away in open voice, any more than they want to chatter away in open text chat. Pushing voice on a girl too fast is more or less the same mistake as talking about a free cock too quickly. The men who aren't willing to pay the emotional price of sex with a girl, are also not willing to pay the monetary cost of sex with a working girl. What a surprise! I would never have guessed there were bottom feeding men!
Instead, it is more important to realize that Phats gives people the ability to meet, and many professional as well as personal, connections come out of Phat Cats. The bits and pieces of my own history trace through there, as do many other people. Women meet other women as friends, find out about fashion. People of all sorts meet business contacts.
Phats is also, in a way, like me. We are both on the front line of civilizing people to SL. Phats has a marvelous collection of freebies, and I've used their dresses as the base of outfits. Teaching newbies who are stuck in playdo, not just in body but in spirit, how SL is a game of people, not a game of things, is something that Phat Cats does a good job of. Orientation Island? Almost useless. For all practical purposes, Phats was a "community" to introduce people to SL, before such a thing existed.
So I leave you with this thought. While it is the strip clubs, escort clubs, orgy rooms and the like that are focused on as the source of "sex" in SL, It is very likely that as many actual acts of sl sex, and more acts of rl sex, will happen tonight, whose roots go down into the soil of Phat Cats than at several of the big orgy rooms.
And from here, that is really the way it should be.
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