Facism

Actually, if you pay attention to the news, it kinda *is* that obvious.

Space: 1899

OMG this is a riot. Thanks to my friend Scott for the link.

Some great IMVU chats

I'm known as pebble on IMVU. Every once in a while I have a really great chat-from-hell; I savor these things, and collect them like flawed seashells. You can depend on young, horny emo guys to produce the most consistently amusing conversations.

I've heard some zingers, too:

• if i be ur neighbor or live close to you, will you let me lick you?


• wanna see something hot? it2s a long ang huge thing


• i like movies ,sport, books, computers, hot girls named pebble


• wanna see my p****?


• leans in and kisses u softly and says I like u alot


• when ur as horny as i am right now who has time for manners


• im in bed, want to join me


• So, wanna cyber? Im really hella horny


• leans in and kisses ur pouty lips sopftly

Here is a sample chat:

NONAME: hi
pebble: Hello, NONAME.
pebble: Is that a lightsaber or are you just glad to see me?
(He really was holding a lightsaber, at waist level, so that it projected forward.)
NONAME: dress like a mermaid yes is a lighsaber and im glad yo see u
NONAME: take us to a room
NONAME: any room
(He's asking for me to put on my mermaid avatar, and load another scene.)
pebble: hmmm
pebble: see, there's an ancient Jedi word of power.
pebble: it's called "please"
NONAME: please
pebble: Ah, but there's also the subtle Jedi art of gentle conversation
pebble: charming a girl.
pebble: and not just storming in with demands.
NONAME: PLEASE
NONAME: PLEASE!
pebble: that's more in the nature of a clumsy, random blaster shot, dear.
pebble: Tell me something fascinating about yourself.
NONAME: PLEASE DRESS LIKE A MERMAID AND TAKE US TO YOUR ROOM
pebble: shouting...hmm...I think that's turning the volume knob rather the wrong direction.
pebble: Tell me a joke
pebble: if you make me laugh, I'll do what you just asked.
NONAME: WHY DID THE CHICKEN TRY TO CROSS THE ROAD
pebble: um, to get Pebble to switch the room?
pebble: that's a riddle, not a joke
NONAME: THE CHICKEN IS TRYING TO GET AWAY THE FARMER BECAUSE THE
NONAME: FARMER TRY TO CUT THE CHICKEN HEAD OFF
pebble: again, that's a riddle, not a joke, and -- hmmm -- I'm not amused yet.
pebble: Try again
NONAME: KNOCK KNOCK
pebble: who's there?
NONAME: NOBODY PEACE UT
NONAME: OUT
pebble: Bye!

Here's another good chat:

ANONYMOUS: Hey there Sexy
ANONYMOUS: I mean
ANONYMOUS: that IS you're name right?
pebble: No, it's pebble.
ANONYMOUS: So, wanna cyber?
ANONYMOUS: Im Jet
pebble: Actually I don't cyber, sorry.
ANONYMOUS: Oh, thats kinda sad...
ANONYMOUS: Im really hella horny
pebble: Nope, but you just made my Hall of OMFG
ANONYMOUS: .lol
ANONYMOUS: I made a freaking Hall
ANONYMOUS: Hehe
ANONYMOUS: So, pebble
ANONYMOUS: thats a unique name
pebble: I'm more here for scintillating chat
ANONYMOUS: Hmm, big word
pebble: yes, and that's with my sesquipedalianism set to "stun", not "kill"
ANONYMOUS: Hmm, Headache
pebble: That's one of the side effects, yes.
ANONYMOUS: my suicide meter is high now
ANONYMOUS: .lol
pebble: Hmm
pebble: well I wouldn't want to dissuade you.
ANONYMOUS: this is nearly sadistic
ANONYMOUS: Well, you wount
ANONYMOUS: kinda sad you'd like to see me die
pebble: You were the one threatening.
pebble: I certainly didn't suggest it.
ANONYMOUS: Well, let me rephrase
ANONYMOUS: Its sad you would help me
pebble: I would never help you do that.
pebble: I think you misunderstand the meaning of the word 'dissuade'
ANONYMOUS: .lol
ANONYMOUS: Perhaps I do
ANONYMOUS: I meant
ANONYMOUS: WOULDNT
ANONYMOUS: help me
pebble: Well, first of all you weren't REALLY going to commit suicide
ANONYMOUS: Im confused
ANONYMOUS: .lol
pebble: I took it as more of a way of saying "this conversation sucks, I'm leaving"
pebble: which is entirely your prerogative
ANONYMOUS: Ooh, not at all
ANONYMOUS: I find this rather amusic
ANONYMOUS: 8*Amusing
pebble: Indeed it is.
ANONYMOUS: So, am I amusing enough to add t your buddy list?
pebble: You haven't yet convinced me I SHOULD'NT
pebble: but I'm still up for chatting
ANONYMOUS: So then
ANONYMOUS: this is a good thing
pebble: indeed yes. You're feisty.

Amazing laser magic

Thanks to Chriz for the link!

Naomi Wolf's 10 Steps to Fascism vs. Stephen Colbert

This is some great stuff.

Empty Walls

A couple of friends (and former coworkers) did vfx for this video. Even though I can't really abide most music videos, I like this one.

NYT article on lucid dreaming

I didn't know about lucid dreaming until 1998, when a coworker told me about them. He loaned me a book on the subject and within two weeks I had my first lucid dream. It's a remarkable thing to wake up and be fully conscious within your own dream, able to bend reality just like Neo in The Matrix.

If you've never had a lucid dream, you can learn to do it. I did, and I showed my daughter how to do it a few years ago. They don't happen very often, for me, but when they do they're remarkable. I can stay buzzed about a lucid dream for days. Just google the term and you're sure to find plenty of good instructional links like this one.

Anyway, here's the NYT link.

And now for something completely charming

Dancing is one of the most sublime human activities. Thanks to Lotus for the link and cheering me up!

Pebble's Beach Tanka Challenge -- Results

All last week I ran a contest on my IMVU homepage inviting everyone to submit one or two tankas involving a beach, or taking place on a beach. The Grand Prize would be a copy of J4SM1N3's excellent Playa Tropical beach scene, the runners-up would get something purchased off their wish-lists. Look below for the actual text of the contest rules.

I've looked over the entries and decided these are the winning beach-themed tankas. I looked for strong imagery, strong emotion, a sense of implied deeper meaning, and an x-factor which I can't label better than "it speaks to me for some reason".

Since I can't pick which of the three is best, I'll just gift all three winners with their own Playa Tropical scene. Congratulations to these three poets! The entries are listed in no particular order:

BarbieFromQuar
--------------------------
Grass gives way to sand
Sand gives way to the harsh sea
Like thunder crashing
on the jagged rocks below
I ache for my Captain’s touch

MissHappen
--------------------------
The sea breaks the moon
tears across obsidian,
perfect, pale fragments.
Lost on the beach, jealous, I
covet their intimacy.

SolsticeJune
--------------------------
Dunes hide us from sight
Grasses blown by gales of change
Sway undecided
Thin trees bend to winds desire
Violent waves devour all

As you can see, I like strong, emotionally rich words like "ache", "covet", and "devour". Maybe I'll have another contest in the future. This one was a lot of fun.

Here are all the entries I received, listed in no particular order. A huge "thank you!" to everyone who participated!

Anotherneko
--------------------------
Surfing -

Sun on my shoulders,
through unrelentless trials
with each wave crashing
and the many times I fall
you will always be right there.

JeanetteMalk
--------------------------
as fish slowly die
on oilcloth, pregnant young girl
watches solemnly.
sun sets, casts his glare till where
water ends and sand begins.

fishtail still submerged,
human torso on dry sand
basking at the sun.
her voice, which has lured sailors
to their watery grave, calls for me...

ImYourSxyM8
--------------------------
the beach sound echoes
the thrill of sea meeting sand
combined forever
But no-one to hear them meet
something heard but hides unknown

SolsticeJune
--------------------------
Universe of sand
Salty kisses upon toes
Bold pebbles submerged
Beneath the smothering surf
And the unknown will of god

NarniMustau
--------------------------
whispers from the deep
quiet urgings insistant
drag sand from the beach
and stones from near the shoreline
to far off destinations

ICEECHERYL
--------------------------
Moonlight and sunlight,
reflecting off the water
invoking deep thoughts
changing minute by minute
as does the shape of each wave.

BarbieFromQuar
--------------------------
Warm sand under foot
Pungent smell of the sea breeze
As golden warmth fades
and light gives way to darkness
twinkling stars come out to play

And thanks to J4SM1N3 for making such a wonderfully inspiring IMVU scene. It's my fave!

And finally, here was my original contest announcement:

Pebble's Seaside Tanka Challenge

I love poetry, especially non-rhyming, free-form poetry that speaks with a clear, simple voice. Recently MissHappen told me about the japanese "tanka" poem-form, which is somewhat like an extended haiku.

My challenge to you is this: write a tanka about the beach, or an experience on a beach. You may submit no more than two poems, so choose wisely. The deadline for entries is September 1st. After that date, I'll choose three people as winners, based on the entries I like best. Grand prize will be a gift of J4SM1N3's excellent Playa Tropical beach scene; for second and third place I'll probably pick something off the entrants' wishlists.

What is a tanka?

Look here for an extended discussion of the tanka form. But structurally it is a five-line poem with 31 syllables, the lines containing 5-7-5-7-7 syllables, in that order. The last two lines should have a different rhythm than the first three, but I won't be too picky about the rhythm rule.

Stylistically, traditional Japanese tanka adopts a somewhat elevated (as in detached or objective) tone, avoiding harsh epithets or vulgar language. It conveys meaning by implication. It often has a poignant or bittersweet quality, with a dash of what Richard MacDonald calls "a sense of poverty." But I think it can work with a more upbeat feeling too.

To get the ball rolling, I'll write a sample entry (which won't be included in the contest).

the waves stroke the sand,
the white beach sighs with pleasure.
their love is not rushed.
seafoam curls gently around
a small, half-buried seashell.
(Pebble whispers: I love writing erotica no one can complain about.)

So have at it! Subject matter and mood are totally up to you, but it must have a beach setting or theme, and it must be submitted by September 1st. Any poem that doesn't adhere to the 'five-lines, 5-7-5-7-7 syllables' rule will be disqualified. You may submit them as messages, and you can write the whole thing as a single paragraph -- just remember to separate the lines with a "/". (Like so: the waves stroke the sand,/ the white beach sighs with pleasure./ their love is not rushed./ seafoam curls gently around/ a small, half-buried seashell.)

pebble

Star Wizards: the vfx of Star Wars and Close Encounters

Star Wizards is AmericanHeritage.com's fascinating article on the special effects of two movies that affected me profoundly: Star Wars and Close Encounters. There were some facts that surprised me, three decades after the fact.