WOO!

Rane does the unthinkableblebleble...

Yes, as you can clearly see from the gamertag over to the right, yours truly has purchased an XBox 360 from the Microsoft Demon.  Fear not, weary web travellers, there was a savings of nearly $200 dollars (or "smackeroos" if you wish to get technical) on this purchase.  Included was also Forza Motorsports 2, which as the kids say, is full of Win.

Second Life Road Trip

On Saturday, Jan. 26th, Moxie Grumby and I began a road trip across Second Life.  The rules were simple: no teleporting, and no alternate form of transportation.  Have a look at the pictures provided below, feel free to leave feedback, and stay tuned for more from our next leg!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/99909474@N00/sets/72157603808215993/

1-18-08

MULTIPLE SIGHTINGS OF CASE DESIGNATE "CLOVERFIELD."
CAMERA RETRIEVED AT INCIDENT SITE U.S. 447
AREA FORMERLY KNOWN AS "CENTRAL PARK"

4 Months

Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

Ah the immortal words of Ferris Bueller.  Truer words were never spoken.  For my fellow Second Life residents, you probably know the importance of relaxing and enjoying yourself from time to time.  It's so easy to slip into the usual routine: log in, spend some Lindens, make some Lindens, explore, chat, and sign off.  It's always enjoyable, but can become so typical you almost forget what SL is all about.  

Last night reminded me.

Not only was it the four-month anniversary of my partnership to Moxie Grumby, it was also a night when I lived my Second Life to the fullest.  Moxie and I started the evening with a little car shopping (she's such a good sport).  We visited several of my favorite shops, including Midnight Drift, where we ultimately purchased a nice Nissan Skyline GT-R (albeit under a different name in-world).  Sticking with routine, we could have just left it there--but instead, we headed back to RavKom.  There, we commandeered the streets and had an impromptu race.  If you weren't there, don't feel bad; this wasn't a scheduled event or other such obligation.  This was for the people in that area, at that time.  This was spontaneous.

Our cars lined up, side by side.  '69 Camaro VS Nissan Skyline.  We revved loud, and were greeted by our good friend tinker Hax.  After asking for the roads to be cleared, some watched as we got ready to race.  tinker dropped her arms, and the race was on!  The first time I got lucky--the second and third, well, Moxie dominated me.  I will get my rematch!

Sure, innocent avatars could have been run over, but that's the beauty of Second Life.  You can live out your wildest dreams without any of the consequences of real life.  You can be that person you wish you could be...that wild, free, untamed spirit that lurks just beneath the surface.  

The rest of the evening was spent driving around an icey track, with Moxie behind the wheel of her new car.  I have to say (and please bear with me as we enter some cheesy territory here) Second Life has never felt more real.  Sure it's a virtual world, but I was there.  We were there.  I remember that race, I remember that drive, I remember it all.  Get a life?  I have one.  A very good one actually.  But with Second Life, it just gets better.  

So to everyone in Second Life (and first for that matter), please remember to enjoy it all.  I know we all have our self-assigned roles: DJ, Manager, Host...but don't forget the amazing possibilities all around you.  When you lose sight of that, you lose the beauty that is Second Life.

Happy 4 Months, Moxie.

First novel...

Some tales will never be forgotten..

Some legends live forever...

Because Evil...

...never dies.

 Michael Mandeville's
Terror


Evil Lives Within.



www.ranefiction.com
2008

Solidarity...

For those of you that have seen up to the end of 24 - Day 6, feel free to scroll down and watch the trailer that promises to be the most intense day yet.

Or better yet, don't.

News is starting to trickle in...seems the greatest show on television will not premiere in January thanks to the WGA strike.  As a wannabe writer I felt compelled to throw in my two cents.

First off, I'm totally in favor of people getting fair compensation.  So often today we see actors, directors, and most of all the MPAA swimming in gold like Huey, Dewey, and Louie's rich uncle.  The little people that actually work behind the scenes to make those films and television shows so great seem to almost go unnoticed.  Honestly, when was the last time you cheered for the WRITER of your favorite sitcom when they arrived at an awards show?  Truth is, they had about 85% more to do with the actual creation than any actor...and yet they're totally forgotten.

The strike, for the three percent that don't know, deals with residuals from the sales of DVDs and other digital media.  The writers want to be compensated for their work regardless of the medium, which is reasonable.  Those higher up, however, do not want to provide that.  And thus, the strike.

Yes I'm upset.  I'm a fan of 24 and other great shows affected by these actions, but am trying to put my bias aside.  I'm doing what I can to remind myself that its only fair they're justly compensated.

Still...there's that nagging thought at the back of my head.  Like a child tugging a pant leg for attention, it keeps pulling me back just when I'm about to see things the way I should.  It reminds me that these writers are living out my dream, and most likely making three times what I make.  I'm the one that hates his job and dreads getting up in the morning...while these guys get to live the good life.  But no, solidarity and all that.  I pull myself away from that annoying little thought and remember that it's only fair.

Although let it be known, I would take their job in a heartbeat, and for what I'm making right now.

Happy (belated) Halloween!

Dog gone it...

Yesterday I made a disturbing discovery.  I tp'ed back to my skybox and noticed something was missing...that usual squeaking sound.  Forgive me for not having time to offer a proper introduction, but the newest addition to my parcel is Punchy (pictured above).  Punchy is a very talented (read: well-scripted) dog that, to my surprise, nearly brings the same attachment a real dog can bring.  You can imagine my surprise when I discovered him missing.

An error message notified me that something, somewhere in RavKom, was trying to move onto a full parcel.  Ah-ha!  Sure enough it was Punchy, and I managed to tp to his location and found him stuck in mid-air (of all places).  

So the question now becomes, how did he get there?  Moxie Grumby had stopped by only hours earlier to check on him and he was fine (and provided the uber cool postcard you see above).  This scripted little pup can't open doors, walk through walls, or climb over balconies.  Moxie had tp'ed out, and yes, the doors to my skybox close on their own.  It leaves me with the suspicion that something forced him out.  As it is now, my land allows the rezzing of objects.  It's possible someone created something that brought me over the prim count and poor Punchy was exiled as a result.

As a general rule of thumb, when I'm on someone's land I check their prim count to be sure I'm not filling up too much space.  I would ask others to do the same on my land to avoid any future confusion.  To be honest I would hate to disallow the rezzing of objects or the running of scripts--that's what makes SL so much fun!  But seeing how I'm already chock full of prims already, I might just have to.  The alternative is a loose dog in RavKom, and really, who wants that?

The wheels on the bus...

Sometimes the best way to see SL is on a nice (not so) relaxing bus ride...

Thanks to Shagz Anubis for his mad driving skillz and to Coco for showing us all the cool stuff there is to see.  And as always, a big thanks to Moxie Grumby for inviting me!

24 - Day 7

A new kind of DJ...

I've already given my rant of the day, so how about a happy-thoughts chaser to follow it?

Being a DJ is a tricky thing, as you're no doubt aware.  Anyone who's ever tried it probably knows of the difficulty associated with perfecting a playlist.  BPM's need to be measured in order to sustain a constant beat throughout, and the songs chosen need to mix well together so as to take the audience on a musical journey.  After all, that's the fun of being a DJ--telling a story through music.  If your audience is able to take that adventure with you, a good time is had by all.

That said, I want go break the mold and say that there are other ways to perform.  I honestly believe in a new style of DJing, one that connects the DJ much more directly with his audience.  There are no physical tools required, and you don't need a keen ear.  All you need is the ability to "feel" your audience, to put yourself in their position and ask yourself what you would want to hear next.  

It's not as hard as it sounds, and is even easier with a fantastic crowd that provides plenty of positive feedback.  If I fall into that vibe, it's almost like making love to the crowd (and I mean that in a verrah figurative way, folks).  Both you and the crowd are in sync and letting the music carry you.  It's almost as though you're spiritually linked and let the take you wherever it might.   In a much more literal sense, you as the DJ can "feel" what should come next.  And when it does, your crowd responds in kind by going absolutely crazy; how did you know that was exactly what they wanted to hear???

I won't discredit the importance of the more technical aspects, but I won't dismiss a more free flowing, organic DJ style.  In fact, on a personal level I find my best shows are the ones where I throw caution to the wind and let the music carry me.  Although, the one caveat is that you can't get to that point without first establishing an audience.  Any DJ that expects to play whatever they want and get a positive response needs to stop dreaming.  It's a tough point to reach, but if you can set a pace and get an audience into your show,  you'll find they're much more open to letting you call the shots.  You in turn are guided by the music, and together everyone can have an awesome musical adventure.

At least, that's how I like to roll....

Rane Rants...

Ever watch a comedy with a group of people, and everyone was having a great time except one person?  That one guy that doesn't laugh, criticizes everything, points out every plothole, and is a general pain in the butt?  If you have, you probably know what I'm trying to say with this post...

Hosting a DJ event is no easy task.  A playlist must be handcrafted to suit a wide variety of tastes, without deviating too greatly from a location's "accepted" musical style; it's really a matter of pleasing all of the people, some of the time.  Not everyone can be happy with every selection, especially in sims that feature a wide variety of musical tastes.  Still, a good time can be had by all if people are willing to maintain a positive atmosphere.  

Atmosphere is everything, and no matter how politely stated a criticism may be, in the long run it does far more harm than good.  Think about it, imagine you're a listener enjoying a particular song, when along comes Joe Schmoe saying "AGH! NOT THAT SONG!"  You'll probably feel a little upset, and if you're the DJ, you'd wish they could have just kept it to themselves.

I would never single people out; I'm directing this thread (or plea, rather) to anyone and everyone.  Bad vibes can easily ruin a good time, and in a place like SL (where few are getting rich and most are just doing it for the love), a good time is a special thing.  So please, if you feel the need to crticise, either keep it to yourself or just leave the show.  Yes, as harsh as it sounds, I'd rather people just TP'ed out rather than ruining the experience for everyone else.

End of rant...and hey, it's Monday, I'm allowed.

Vipr...

Coolest pic of the week, srsly.

Photo skillz...

Gotta love my photography skills.  Always capturing the things that really matter.

Best. Show. Ever...

After a disappointing show at the Metronome friday night, last night's impromptu rave at Timeless Underground proved a smashing success!

If there's one thing I've learned being a DJ (and there are several) it's that a good crowd is key to a successful show.  How do you get a good crowd?  Well, it's a combination of things, and when these elements don't fall into place you can be left with a shoddy mess.  On the one hand, your DJ might not be up to par.  Perhaps he/she isn't playing what the crowd wants to hear; that's a surefire way to exterminate an otherwise roaring experience.  On the other, maybe the crowd's just not giving back as they should.  Remember, it's a 50/50 deal; it's the DJs responsibility to entertain, and it's the crowds' job to throw that energy back at them.

That's what's unique about the crowds of SL.  So often people have such varying musical tastes that it's almost impossible to read them.  When one person wants techno, another wants hard rock, and another wants whatever the heck tralsa is--you're left scrambling to create a mix of tunes that will at least please some of the people, some of the time.  Now if the crowd goes along with it, and enjoys at least 50% of what they hear, you're good.  Hopefully they return that energy even throughout the songs they don't care for and a good time is had by all.  

As I discovered last night, feedback is key.  When an audience sits there and says nothing, even for the songs they enjoy, you're left with a dull experience that eventually fades away.  On the other hand, when an audience cheers with applause as you play some long forgotten song, that really brings the life back and gets people pumped.  

That's how it was last night.

The crowd really gave back, and even if a song was played they had never heard, they seemed to go along with it and enjoy themselves just the same.  Was it just a better crowd than most?  Nah, things just came together a bit better.  And whatever the reason, Timeless Underground certainly rocked the house last night.

Death at Gen X...

Yes, it's true, yours truly was "killed" at Gen X With Gabrielle last night.  Oh sure, some would say lying in a pool of blood all night is in bad taste, but hey, this is how we get requests played!  As always a huge shout out to Gabi Riel for a fantastic show!

Formal meeting...

Yours truly was invited to a formal get together for members of the Jazzers Thingamabobber and Radio Riel last night (and naturally I made sure to wear my Sunday best).  The news?  The Jazz folks are buying an island!  That means the location of The Rock Factory will no doubt be moving, and from what I was told, Rock Factory 2.0 is going to be a lot bigger!

Now the question is, will it be big enough to hold my ego?

And the rave goes on...

WOO!

Last night Radio Riel was rocked to its very foundation as yours truly DJ'ed over at The Rock Factory!  For the first time in my short Radio Riel career, DJ Gabi cut the strings and let me hold the show on my own.  The party went from 7-9:30 SLT, cus you know The Rane Man can't leave without an encore or two, and a great time was had by all (natch).  

A big thanks to Moxie for her hosting services!  Being a host isn't easy, but really helps the DJ a lot.  When you're focused on your playlist and making sure everything's coming through nice and clear, you really can't be distracted by a dozen or so TP requests.  Worst of all, you have no way of greeting people that arrive, or helping them dance.  For that reason, and about a dozen more, a host is an invaluable resource.

My next scheduled Rock Factory show will be Sept. 28th, hope I see you all there!

RIP Dave Frey

A bit of sad news today from RL.  David Frey, a salesperson I worked with, friend, and overall nice guy passed away this past Saturday.

He was 39 and will be sorely missed.