The Zooby Baby (or) Completing your family

                When I came to Second Life, it was out of a desire to connect with others.  Being a high functioning autistic I love to socialize and feel a part of people's lives but the simple truth is I am rubbish at it.  It was during my early time in Second Life that I learned about Zooby's trainable pets. 

                When I approached Zooby's to write this review, I asked if there were a new project.  Zooby's recommended Zooby Babies. Interested and a little amused, I rushed home to play with the Zooby Baby.

                I have seen virtual babies in Second Life before, I had seen the pregnancy simulators as well. I had never quite understood the phenomenon whether its because I am autistic or because I am a parent of two small baby boys, raising a child in Second Life seemed to much like work.

As I write this, staring down at baby Michelle I can see the attraction. She moves, coos, her eyes blink, and of course she is tiny, pink and perfect. I am not quite ready to sign up to be "Mom" yet but I do get the attraction.

                Second Life is a bridge for many people across the world. There are relationships here that are as real for the couples involved as anything they might have flesh and blood. We have military couples trying to stay close, young lovers who have just met, and even married couples that date in Second Life as a way to find things they might be missing in real life.

                Due to the situational nature of the relationships here, there is a high likelihood that you will never really be able to hold the one you love. There is every reason to believe that the love you share here, no matter how real, how satisfying or meaningful will ever become a real life, physical relationship. There are even cases of someone being another gender in this world, to explore other aspects of their personalities which would preclude real world contact in order to preserve the illusion for their partner.

                These issues combine to form one conclusion. If the only life you can have with the one you love is going to be a Second Life then you want to be able to fully enjoy and express that love in every way you could in the real world. Starting a family together, cements that bond. It creates a link that nothing can ever break at least in the real world.

                I think, a virtual baby that can interact with her parents, can give them a closeness they might not have otherwise been able to achieve in this virtual setting. It adds another layer to the illusion or depending on your point of view the reality of the relationship. If it is the ultimate expression of love in the real world it follows suit that our couples in this virtual world would want the same opportunity.

                Zooby's saw this need.  They saw that there was a large segment of the population that just wanted to be able to express their real love for each other in a meaningful way.

                With the same artistry Zooby's brought to pets, they gave birth to a whole new way for the couples of Second Life (and the single parents!) to have someone to love, care for, tend, and watch grow. With proper care and maintenance your little one will learn new abilities, and become an ever increasing part of your life.

                Calling these little ones a work of art, is no stretch of the imagination. As I hold baby Michelle, and look into her large green eyes I can't help but smile. She coos up at me, her eyes right on mine. The texturing, and animations are all very lifelike and believable. The scripting, is as intricate and perfect as I think it could possibly be.

                As with any newborn or infant you will have to take care of them properly for them to grow and learn to the best of their ability. To that end, there are stores full of the items you would need to care for a real child. Strollers, diapers, bottles, you name it and it is ready for you to purchase. Just my advice, but I suggest setting up the nursery before adopting your new little one. While the note card included does tell you "Will never get sick, Will never die" the simple fact is you will want to care for the baby the right way. To do that, you need your equipment right from the start.

                In closing, The Zooby Babies are an amazing work of art and I believe they have the potential to help the couples of SL bridge that gap to create a full virtual life together. Realistic and entertaining, they are certainly worth your time and attention.

For now, this is Medeena wishing you all happy shopping, and may all your clothes fit you right off the rack!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Zoobyville/123/224/22

D&T Designs - The Anna

   A friend of mine, who has been doing clothing for a bit heard that I had started doing fashion reviews and wanted me to do one for her. I know, I know... what a position to put a friend in! Its not like I can be critical if I don't like it right? With just a bit of worry I reached into my inventory and.... 

   I had my mind completely blown! I could not believe how cute the outfit was. Normally, Trish and I have a difference of opinion on what exactly cute constitutes. She is a bit more punk rock, and I am most defiantly a girlie girl. I shouldn't have worried at all. She is amazing with clothes, and if the only part of the outfit I had been given was the sweater I would be a converted believer in D&T Designs!

   The sweater is long sleeved, with a low v cut neck that is guaranteed to show off your cleavage to good effect. The stitching texture is extremely lifelike, and even the seams, collar and cuff are picture perfect. The sweater hangs just a bit past where your pants begin, so no bare midriff shows. Sorry fellah's, but sometimes a girl wants to be warm and you can't always be counted on to be where we need you!

   Now, onto the pants. It's very easy to just paint an AV's legs and say "Ok, all done!" but that is not what Trish chose to do. Black jeans with a slimming cut are always a good choice. For added style, her texture includes button tab adjustments for a more snug fit, and the zipper is neatly tucked behind you. All in all it gives you a great clean effect, while still maintaining a realistic look.

   The shoes that come with the outfit are meant to be smart, comfy shoes and they do their job very well. I have no doubt at all, that due to the same material from the sweater being used for the cuff of the shoes, that your feet will be warm and snug. Three little brown buttons act as accents bringing the shoes together.

   All in all, this outfit was a pleasant surprise. I can honestly say I am going to be taking an even closer look at Trish's store "D&T Designs" an even closer look in the future. It just goes to show you, never judge a designer by their personal style. They are professionals who strive to expand their craft every day and if Trish is any example, we should all be very grateful they love us enough to help us be as beautiful as we can possibly be!

For now, this is Medeena wishing you all happy shopping and may all your clothes fit you right off the rack!

Buildable Bots: How to build new friends, and influence programming

The Buildable Billboard!

How to build new friends, and influence programming:

Occasionally as you wander the grid, you find things that make you rub your eyes and mutter to the heavens "why?"  At other times, albeit far more rare, you come across something so ingenious and so interesting that you can't believe it didn't exist before. It is to my great joy that I am having one of the latter types of days. 

It started as I went to visit a friend at her store. I had just rezzed in, and was saying "hello" to her when I noticed someone talking to me in bright green text. Now as a veteran of many club runs I have seen talking objects before so at first I dismissed this novelty. I started to speak again, and this cute little pink robot kept butting in! I would have been annoyed if it weren't so endearing. 

I asked my friend about it, and she said they were the newest thing in breed-able pets. I could barely contain my excitement as I scurried from one robot, to the next. They were interesting and engaging. It was a nice change from horses that whinnied and stamped it hooves. These little guys had so much personality that it was hard not to fall immediately in love.

My heart did crash a little when I saw the $2499 Linden price tag. A girl does have other obligations after all, but seeing the happy little guys running around I immediately set my mind towards saving up! Your initial starter kit comes with all the bits and bobs you need to get the most out of your newly built friends, and while there is a maintenance fee in the form of fuel, the costs are just about where they need to be. 

Honest Officer, It wasn't me!!
((ok, it totally was!))

The set up is similar enough to the other breedables that you won't have any problem learning the ins and outs of your new friends. After doing a bit of research, I noticed a lot of people complaining over very minor inconveniences that were completely optional. You can choose to do step A to get OPTION B. With as much work, and obvious love put into creating these little miracles it seems fairly cruel to cause a fuss when they offer something that will increase your enjoyment but that isn't required.

The advertisements alongside the bots promise a myriad amount of possibilities. What you build depends on what level xp and materials the bots have that you use to build with. This makes tedious genetic research a bit less of an issue. You also have the options for different styles and types of bot. If you had a mind to, I would bet you could make a fairly good SL living just making new friends. Couple that with the interactive nature of the bots, and you have entertainment covered for quite a while. In fact the advertisement claims 280k different responses will trigger them to speak, and that they learn to react to their specific user’s way of speaking. That turn of phrase only your close friends get? Well, now you can make a few new friends that get it to! Little things like learning your name may seem simple, but once your new robotic friend learns it so does every  other bot on the grid! 

As I try to bring this review to a close, a robot name Dos Equis has rolled up to me smiling as he happily waves. Immediately endearing and with the potential to be a revenue generator for you, there is no reason to pass up the chance to create your very own Build-able Bot.

Shane and Bat.. Now where is the third Musketeer!

 As a side note, from one of the design team, try asking your new friend about the theory of relativity at some point. I plan on doing so as soon as I post this article, after all I wouldn't want to ruin it for you! 

For now, this is Medeena wishing you all happy shopping and may all your clothes fit you right off the rack!


http://slurl.com/secondlife/SharkClub Buildables, SharkClub Buildables (114, 170, 21)
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Buildables-Starter-Pack/2945356

   Once in a while, despite the ability to rationalize just about anything I get hit by something so overwhelming that I shut down. I lose the ability to write, I love the drive to move, and all that is left is a shell. In reality, what has happened is I have been overloaded, and am temporarily unable to control how and what I feel.

   Being autistic is a bit like being a faucet that is on full, constantly filling to the point of overflow. I feel so much more than a great many of those around me. I can't control it so much as I can guide it. When my circuit breaker gets tripped all the self control that I have learned over the years just goes away. All the walls and barriers that I use to keep me safe are gone.

   When I get hit that hard, the only thing I can do to have a chance to heal is to shut down. Maybe that is where people get that autistics are emotionless. We just shut down for a little while to come to terms with whatever is going on. Sometimes it is very lonely, to be who I am. Sometimes, as in this article I am blessed with a way to be someone different for a while.

   There are bright spots, people who through their actions more so than any words they could say prove that you don't stand alone. There are those few who will stand up, and say enough! Trixi Velvet (winter.ventura) is one of these people.

   I first met her  while wandering around looking at AV. She had an affiliate vendor located in this little store. I saw her robotic AV and immediately had to have it.It was a short av, not a child but not exactly towering over anyone else. She had a gentle face, but no emotion. She was apart and different and she matched what I felt inside me. Here was a form that showed everyone what I saw when I looked in the mirror. Gentle, but apart.

   I contacted her creator, and when I learned the story of the AV my respect and admiration for the designer grew in proportion to what I felt for her creation. She created the AV I had found during a period in Second Life when child av's were being penalized for the idiotic and perverted behavior of others. It was no fault of their own that the wolves found them, stalked them but often it is the prey that takes the hurt for the hunter.

   She got tired of seeing innocent people, who just wanted to live as they chose without being ridiculed or used hurt. She was annoyed by the ban lines and height requirements for av suddenly blocking these innocents from their world. In a show of solidarity she created the robot avs that I had found. There was no way to call them child AV, they were machines. She showed those that were being trod upon that they weren't alone.

   While I realize this isn't a review of the bot itself but of the creator, someone who is willing to invest the time, energy and feeling into a cause not her own because she believed it right to do so demands attention, even if it is a couple years late in coming.

This woman spends her days building some of the fantastical creations, and I would bet that each has a story and life of its own. It is this writers suggestion you visit her stores, find something that strikes your fancy, and help support her work. Maybe, just maybe she will share the story of your favorite of her creations with you as well.

For now, this is Medeena wishing you all happy shopping and may all your clothes fit you right off the rack!