I think Dc was working on this I deleted his Posts for Links that contained foul language and
 were also a Commercial Ad.

Later the same day I got this message from a different security officer: <p>

I am not sure exactly what you posted, as I did not delete your post. But if you posted your
 journal website I can see why it was deleted. The article from Oct. 12 contains rather strong
 language that would clearly be againste the family oriented nature of the site.

First, I provided a link to the overall Travels page, not any one particular jorunal page
Second, the October 12 entry contains not one single word that is foul
Third, the CT news itself has promoted other citizen websites with the advisory that CT does not control what is on another website
Fourth, my web site contains no pornographic images or stories.

Thus, I conclude the following:

1.  Some people in CT do not like, nor understand the First Amendment.
2.  Some people in CT do no like, and wish to avoid or ignore all criticism.
3.  Some people in CT would rather see me not post a journal.
4.  Some people in CT are inconsistent in their application of the rules they themselves purport.
5.  Some people in CT cannot handle being told bad things.
6.  Some people in CT think they can protect the kiddies, when in reality they should be watching what those kiddies are doing anyway.

Subject: Hello Beowulf
 It seems you wish to make an issue out of a subject so for clarification : #1 Ct is a Private Site
 with Rules regarding Commercial Links and inappropiate language.The comments regarding
 First Admentment rights in a World Community held by a Private Org are non-applicable. #2 All
 you need to do is edit your posts to meet the City standards and they shall remain , simple and
 quick #3 you agreed when you immigrated to this Sites terms of service so please read and
 refresh your memory regarding the Constitution and the Legal notices.Ct cannot always catch all
 Links that are inapropiate however this one was Posted on a Public Board which If you read
 before you Post is monitored. (cont)

I will admit to the occasional use of naughty language.  However, the posting referred to by the second security officer, October 12, contains only the world "hell," which appears 54 times in the King James version of The Bible.  Perhaps the second security officer was instead referring to the October 13 journal entry in which I quote the seven dirty words that the Supreme Court itself used in its 1977 ruling against George Carlin.

My latest response to first security officer is that first my posting is not inappropriate. Second, my site is not inappropriate.  I will for the sake of argument admit that the October 13 journal entry uses words that are used in context to prove a point that CT goes overboard in trying to make the place a family oriented site.  I think that the dletion of posts containing a link to this site is further proof of that.  I stand by my suspicion that the powers that be do not want criticism and that that is the real reason for their deleting the posts is because they don't want people to read any criticism of the CT fantasy world.

***Editor's note here:  After I wrote the above explanation, I received yet another inbox from secuirty.  It said that that the person was giving me 48 hours to remove the above or she would refer the matter to ct's legal department, which I took to mean that she would sue me.  I wrote that since I could not afford to take on legal action, I gave in.  I did not admit that they had a right to tell me to stop, which I still believe that they don't.  Sure wish I had the money to take them on at the time.  Maybe someday I will.  I am sorry, but I do not have a copy of that last inbox sent to me from security.  I should have kept it, but I didn't.  I have no reason to lie about it now or then or in the future.  I seem to also remember having written something on the first pages of the travels page, but likewise, I did not save it and don't have a copy of it now.  Near as I can figure out, I picked up my journal with the following entry***

Those of you who have been following my adventures somewhat regularly, welcome back.  I refuse to make any more of an issue of the matter of the threat of legal action because of the previous pages.  I am sure that if somebody from what I now refer to as 3D World thinks that what I am doing is not kosher they will let me know.  I plan on being as persnickety as usual though, pointing out when the emperor has no clothes.

I resumed visits today at the invite of someone sympathetic to me, someone with a lot more experience than those who threatened legal action.  It was sorta neat to see 39 houses with so much experience.  Well, not so much experience points, but in longevity of being in 3D World.  I even ran into the person who first told me the secret of having more objects in a 3D house.

You know, folks, there is a rule in 3D World that says you can have a maximum of 32 objects in a house.  I don't give a rat's patoot if somebody does.  I am curious though.  Why does somebody who was so upset about me breaking some rules on my own site violate the 32 object limit.  Maybe 3D World should just change the rule and the software to allow for people to do it, and I believe they should.  It's a dumb rule.  Still, maybe people who enforce the rules shouldn't be breaking the rules themselves?

October 26, 11:10 p.m.

A great kudos and thanks for a spirited response from the History channel.  It was probably the highest response rate from any particular block that I've traveled to so far.  Even though I am spending a lot of time in the Islands of the Caribbean right now, I sailed back landward just to keep me land legs in shape.  As I mentioned on the 24th, this is a bunch of experienced folks, and from what I gather, experienced in the real world as well as the fake one.  I found teachers. and students of those teachers and people who have developed friendships in real life that have spilled over into this fake one.  In truth, that is how 3D world SHOULD work.

A group from the History port gathers on Fridays for a lunch session, to share, as one wrote, work horror stories.  I suppose this is the virtual version of the proverbial gripe and moan session among friends cuz friends know better than others the troubles you have.  I wish 3D World afforded people that opportunity more in public.  Yes people can get together in their private chat rooms, but if the talk goes public, the powers that be want to put a clamp on the lid right away.  They'd  rather have people believe everything is peachy keen, that everybody is happy as a lark, that everybody is treated equally.

The people in charge of 3D World ostensibly want to create a utopian cyber world.  If they truly do, rather than a world run by those who prove the adage of power corrupting absolutely,  they ought look at History.  Here is a cacophony of voices who aren't ashamed to let their feelings known.  Here's the rabble of people with its dissonant sounds from every viewpoint.  And it comes from a relationship in the real world, created in the real world, transferred to the fake world not the other way around.

It is safe to say, I think, that although 3D World started in Germany, the majority of users are from the United States.  Yeah we're a bunch of rubes who argue with each other constantly.  It's like members of a family taking sides in an argument.  But you know what?   It works.  We realize that we ARE a family of sorts.  It is our differences and our unwillingness to try to silence each other that makes it work.  When one of us says something, no matter how profound or true, there are countless voices rising in opposition simply because we don't want everybody thinking the same damn way all the time.  And when one of us says something really stupid, there is a line of people ready to tell him that he's an idiot.  That's the real world, too.  It ain't fake.  It ain't virtual.  It ain't cyber.

Rather than trying to make everybody behave themselves in 3D World, or having to hide behind the safety of whispers or private chats, I'd like to see a lot of dissonance.  Protecting the children is one thing, but that also makes them afraid of loud noises and things that go bump in the night.  I'd rather have them know what's making the racket.  I'd rather have them making a racket themselves.

October 30, 2001

In a recent editorial in 3D World's sponsored weekly magazine DeannaTroi offers two challenges to the residents.  I don't think I run any risk of quoting things here.  I am merely citing my sources as so many of us are taught to do in school.  Plagiarism, like copying music, is theft plain and simple.  I ain't passing this off as my own work.  I liked the character Deanna Troi on the Star Trek series, by the way.  She was easy on the eyes.  Still, I know Kirk could kick Picard's ass any day.

The guest editorial in the Cybertown Magazine, as I was writing before trekking off on a tangent, (volume 3, Issue 45) (Notice I don't mind giving links to other sites, unlike 3D World), offers a bit of explanation o the Holiday of Thanksgiving.  Yes, we eat food, most often a big ass turkey that has been bloodily slaughtered for our dining pleasure.  We stuff it with tons of, well, stuffing we call it.  We have lots of gravy, yams, or sweet potatoes, cranberries, and assorted deserts all topped with whipped cream.  More importantly, we travel near and far, not to watch football games of college and the NFL, but rather to gather with family.  We go home at this time, the places of our births, where our parents still are.  If our parents are gone, we join our present families in the towns we live in.  Do we give thanks?  Damn right we do!  We thank our God, whoever we conceive Him to be, for our lives and our freedoms.  We Thank Him for the food set before us, and the family with which we have gathered.  Are there some without family, some without home? Yes.  And where we can, we gather them together, too, and feed them and give thanks than they are here, too.  That's us in America.

Counselor Troi challenges those around the world to share their holidays and traditions.  Although Easter is farther off, in Poland, they used to celebrate Dinghus Day, and I whole heartedly support transferring the celebration to 3D World.  Dinghus Day can be celebrated any time of year really, but In Poland it was celebrated the Monday after Easter.  I am perfectly willing to adopt this tradition to any Monday in 3D World.  In fact, we could do this every Monday.  On Dinghus day, men and boys would go around town and hit girls and women on the back of the leg with a stick.  I don't know why this was done, but I imagine it was great fun for all involved, especially those wielding the sticks.  Yes, girls and women got their revenge the following day.  They got to pour buckets of ice water on the boys and men.  This proved to be lots of fun for those wielding the buckets, no doubt.

Closer to this season is the tradition of Christmas.  It is an old joke to hang a Christmas tree upside down and say that that is a Polish Christmas tree.  Well, it ain't no joke.  Many Polish people did and do hang their Christmas tree from he ceiling, with the tip pointed down.  But while the rest of the world laughs at us, we understand the logic far better than anybody else.  Before electric lights, people hung candles to light their trees.  This proved to be an obvious fire hazard.  The reasoning behind an upside down tree prevented fires by eliminating hot wax dripping on dry tree branches.  With electricity, and more recently artificial trees, one would think that Poles would resort to the traditional method of displaying a tree along with the rest of the world.  this, however, was not the case, and once again, Polish blood shows its ingenuity.  think about it.  You have a tree.  Let's say a seven footer, six feet across at the bottom.  The bottom branches are about two feet off the ground.  Taking away the area at the center where the tree stand it located, you have a six foot diameter circle about two feet high in which to place your presents.  Take the same tree and hang it upside down from the ceiling.  Then look at all that extra space you get below for presents!  You think Poles are backward, eh?  We think that people who put their trees up in the traditonal, "normal," way are just stingy varmints who don't want to get more presents for their loved ones.

I don't think the sweetness and light hype of 3D World is going to go for guys running around beating women with sticks, but maybe a few Polish Christmas trees will show up soon.

A second part of Troi's challenge is this:  to tell people that have touched you in 3D World that you admire them or some claptrap like that.  Again, it more of the sweetness and light hyperbole that really doesn't exist.

Troi writes:

Words both heal and tear down. Reputations rise and fall by them. Words can be and too often are misspoken, misheard, misunderstood, and misused.LOL on the internet they are totally missed too! Use them effectively, and you communicate very clearly. Good words are often too rare!

Troi goes on to write:

This is the bread, meat and drink of what Cybertown truly is. People, Chat and Communicating....The posts and conversations I have seen here in Cybertown on message boards and in chat make me very proud to be a citizen! Cybertown draws people from all walks of life and almost every viewpoint and life experience. Here, we are all equal regardless of nationality, sex, age and creed. Here, our only barriers are the ones WE create. Here, identity reveals its self through words and actions. Let you words and actions speak for you :))

Troi writes that we are all equal.  Baloney.  It's politically correct nonsense.  It we were equal, the house limit would be set at 32 objects and the powers would fix the glitch that allows people to have more simply because they know how and simply because they have more cc's to buy objects.  If we were equal, there would be no mall rats running around hoarding objects and them selling them in the flea market.  No we're not equal because we DO create barriers.  We are not equal because some people choose to spend the real life money to purchases a 3d object creator and use it while some people are too damn broke in real life to afford it.  We are not equal because some people live in hoods that don't have active leaders who constantly monitor visits and others live where no one ever checks, or cares, what you have in your house or the last time you've been there.  Harper Lee captured equality best in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird.  To paraphrase:

We are not equal.  Some are rich, some poor.  Some can read. Some can't. Some are black, some white.  Some are intelligent. Some stupid.  Some live in fancy houses, some live on the street.  Some drive, some don't.  Some people are better looking than others.  Some have come from broken homes, others from traditional loving families.  Equal?  Only one place, and it ain't 3D World.

Where real inequality exists in 3d World is in the inconsistent approach taken in the place.  the powers that be deem it inappropriate to have nude pictures.  I do not disagree with that.  It's their site and if they don't want half naked bodies running around, fine.  Then why are pictures of half naked guys allowed.  It a guy can bare his chest or a female post a picture of a bare chested male, why can't a bare chested female picture be posted as well?  Aren't men and women equal?  How does anybody with a 69 in their name get onto 3d World's immigrant list?  Is not 69 just a shorthand that everybody understands as referring to a form of oral sex?  I have seen many 2d pics that border ever so slightly on the purported inappropriate limits set by the 3d World censors?  If this were truly an equal atmosphere, wouldn't equitable application of the rules take effect?  All I am asking is why not?  Who is not doing their job?  Who is doing their job only when it suits their purpose or when their own prejudices and biases toward a particular person or his or her activities come into play?

Please note that the last paragraph was on my computer at home, but I forgot to save it and upload it before the CVN posted their link to this page.  Ouch! I jsut gave myself a slap upside my own head.

November 2

I wish here to publicly thank jdb_educator for publishing some of my remarks in the CVN weekly magaizne.  To wit, some of my response to DeanaTrois's column about challenges.  Please see the 10/31 journal entry for the complete entry and the link to Trois's column.

Interesting that the CVN News put in a link to the journal.  Who knows, maybe I can star putting up one myself in the bulletin boards again.  Unless, of course, I start not wathcing my language again, wink wink, nod nod.  Yeah, right, like when wasthe last time I watched my language here?  I speak, I write.  This is a journal for Chrissakes.  If I want to edit it for a more palpable literary submission to someplace, well, maybe I'd edit out some cuss words.  I've written newspaper columns for three years, and I know how to edit for public consumption.

jdb writes that he doesn't expect putting my words up on his site will change my attitude, but hints at maybe the slight hope.  Nyah!  I am too damn cynical and curmudgeonly.  this old dog is, well, old.

I do want to commend the CVN news for taking this tactic.  In fact, I wish more people would.  It is exactly the kind of dialogue that I would like to see far more of throughout 3d World.  I don't ask anybody to agree or disagree with what I say about 3D World.  I would like to see far more discussion of it, though.

Am I as jdb writes "playing" in 3d World?  who the hell knows?  I certainly don't know.  I think far too many people take the place far too seriously and are far too senistive about the sweetness and light image they want to project.  People get too offended to easily.  And when someone points this out, they get even more offended.

Maybe there is, asd jdb writes, a "rebel" attitude in 3d World.  I am just a cynic, boat rocker.  Sometimes peopel fall outta the boat.  Sometimes I myself get wet.

jdb did ask me a while back after I had visited his house (not knowing he was the editor in chief of CVN) if I would be interested in writing something for the ezine.  I declined.  My reasoning, as I recall, was that some people wouldn't like what I have to say.  If he wants to borrow some of my writing, well, okay, but if he makes any real money off it, I expect a decent piece of the action.  Note I said, real money, not the fake cc kind.  Like I can buy a beer with that stuff?

November 4

One thing I can tell in my travels is how involved a person is in 3d World.  I've written before of how some people have immigrated to the place in 1999 and have never been back.  Obviously something like experience points relative to the date of immigration are telling.  There are other tellign factors as well.  A person with a bazillion expereince points but with little or no objects in his or her house is evidently doing something else with their time in 3d.  Conversely, a person with 100 objects in their house and very little experience, and trust me there are quite a number of people with 50 exp. points and a 100 or more objects in their houses, is doing something else and needs storage space.  Some people use their house as a store, much like many clubs offer objects for sale.  Methinks it would be a lot easier to go the club routine.  How the heck do you advertise your house?  And if you're using another name for the storage space, don't you have to go through all kinds of machinations to log on two people, buy objects, transfer money and all that so you can get on with the fake life that you use more often?

Another sign of involvement is how much a person devotes to his personal space in 3d World.  Many people don't bother putting up a 2d pic.  Others do.  Several people play aroudn with their inbox and 2d space with plugins for musice, a small video, and background images.  Those are peopel who take their space more seriously.  Not too many people bother with setting up a links page.  How much you get outta 3d World is up to the person, I guess.

There seems to be an issue with the use of copyrighted material in 3d World.  No, I don't have a problem with it.  Soem people do, though, particularly when it comes to usign a copyrighted image as part of a 3d image that has been uploaded to the mall.  I uploaded a coupld myself.  they got rejected with the message from musicat about copyrighted material.  Okay, so all I had to do was sign me name to the picture and sent it again, well then I got it rejected because I signed me name to small.  So I resigned the iamge and sent it again.  Still waiting to see if it gets accepted.  Some people complain a lot when an object they create doesn't get accepted.  I mean what's the big deal?  Read the rejection notice and then fix the problem.  If you can't fix it, then ask for help from somebody in the know about spazz 3d objects or whatever.  If that is how you want to spend time, creating objects and don't want to take the time to do it the right way, just forget the whole thing.  Most of the people working in the mall are doing it outta the goodness of their heart.  They decide to take the time to check objects, drop objects, whatever else is involved.  All the more power to them.  You're lucky I don't check objects.  Others are much kinder.

BAck to the issue of copyright images.  Again, I don't disagree with what 3d world says about it.  If it's somebody else's work, don't use it.  It's wrong, plain and simple.  It's stealing.

I am wondering though if the same stricture against using copyrighted images is consistently applied throughout 3d world.  I have seen Betty Boop five times in 2d images.  Homer Simpson and Bart and the rest of his cartoon family floats around on the personal pages of the residents.  Garfield or Heathcliffe (I can never keep those dang felines straight) is popular in a couple of palces.  There;s even one of two Mickey Mice gracing the 2d pages of 3d world.  God, I hate inconsistency when it comes to this stuff.  If you have a copyright infringement policy enforce it equally across the board.  Or do 2d images fall under the fair use provisions of the law.  they might.

November 8

At my current pace, I am still hoping to reach 10000 3d World homes before Christmas.  I will do me best.

Astrology is holding a 2d pic contest with prizes being awarded for best animated, funniest, and best photo 2d images in astrology neighborhood in Inner realms.  I look at 2d households mostly, so I trudged on over to the place to look for myself.  I sorta feel sorry for the person running the contest.  The pickings are mighty slim.  Only about one quarter of the places have images to view.  Three people have images waiting to get checked.  The rest have nothing.  I'm not disparaging this.  Just noting it.  To be honest, only one image caught my eye and intrigued me.  It was a photo of a woman, her bare back turned to the camera.  On her back were two fairy wings.  I didn't care for the wings...too distracting from the rest of the pic, but enticing to view still.

Some people have asked me to review places I've been.  Like maybe rate houses or neighborhoods.  I prefer not to.  I'll just report what I see.  And think.  But readers here really should make up their own minds.  Do I demagogue my way around?  Well, yeah...not any more, though, than the people who want the pabulum of 3d World to remain just that.

What's with all the pop up screens that I ran across in Cyberhood, Quixotic.  I was going to go visit some more Latin homes.  Went through the screens on the jump gate and stuff. click here. clicked there.  Got to Quixotic Realms and all of a sudden Netscape started popping up three screens.  Sheesh! I gotta find that program that eliminates that.  Thre's one out there on the Interenet. I just haven't had time to sit and wait for the download, but after thsi I just might do it tonight.  On a nice note about that block, their screen listing their blocks is sorta neat once you get by the annoying popups.

Finsihed Fae neighborhood.  It's one of those places where at least a majority of people keep up with the general theme of the place.  Lots of fairies. elves. and the like.  Lots of images for people's houses. I remember visiting the Chess block in Board games and only one person even had a chess board in their house.  I guess some people find a place in 3d world and make what they will of it while others just need a place to put up their feet.

Some people have asked what I hope to gain from my travels.  I reiterate.  When I started it was a whim.  It still pretty much is.  I pick a colony, then a neighborhood, then a block.  All at random.  There's no rhyme or reason to my choosing.  Only once have I been to a place because I was invited.  If I went on invitations only, hell, Id never get outta some places.

A second reason, I suppose would be to recover items that I lost when I had a house in The Raft that got deleted.   The inconsitency of house deletions still bothers me, as it should others in the know.  But through the efforts of several people, I have gotten back 71 percent ofthe items I could remember from that old house.  And it's cost me lots of cc's, particularly to one resident.  I don't mind.  It's not like I ain't got it, and it's not like it's anything other than fake money.  It's not like my real life house burned down or I lost my job and had to go on welfare assistance.  Things could be worse.

the reason I continue are these words.  It keeps me writing and me brain working.

And you thought I was gonna comment on Lady Liz's interview, eh?  Fooled ya.  Maybe tomorrow.

November 12

Yesterday was the traditional Armistice Day in the United States.  How many of you remembered the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month for what it is supposed to be?  Anybody else see the irony of another 11 in there?

Today is Veteran's Day, the federal holiday.  The banks are closed and the mail ain't coming today.  Well, no mail delivered with anthrax at least, although I might have used a whole bottle of Cipro to ward off junk email.  Kudos to the 12 people responding to my visit message with the same response.  One word, "Cool."  Well, eleven "cool's" and a "cool, thanks for visiting.  I don't know if these twelve people all got together in the same block and decided to respond at the same time:

Mon, Nov 12 th, 3:29 pm, From: 2SEXXY4U, Subject: visiting
 Mon, Nov 12 th, 3:26 pm, From: Toxic_Fart, Subject: visiting
 Mon, Nov 12 th, 3:25 pm, From: DeviledHamInACan, Subject: visiting
 Mon, Nov 12 th, 3:25 pm, From: BobOnit, Subject: visiting
 Mon, Nov 12 th, 3:24 pm, From: LeaveMeAlone, Subject: visiting
 Mon, Nov 12 th, 3:24 pm, From: FruityPebbles, Subject: visiting
 Mon, Nov 12 th, 3:23 pm, From: TheSneetches, Subject: visiting
 Mon, Nov 12 th, 3:23 pm, From: Akita, Subject: visiting
 Mon, Nov 12 th, 3:22 pm, From: Babs_Bunny, Subject: visiting
 Mon, Nov 12 th, 3:22 pm, From: ToxicHaremQueen, Subject: visiting
 Mon, Nov 12 th, 3:21 pm, From: Toxic_Akita, Subject: visiting
 Mon, Nov 12 th, 3:20 pm, From: TheCatInTheHat, Subject: visiting

I mentioned in my previous entry that I was going to comment on flyby's interview with da mayor.  I kinda wish that the mayor was a he cuz then I could refere to the mayor as Hizzoner.  Heronerr just kinda sound weird to write, but what the heck, I'll give it a shot.  Newspaper columnists for years have use the term "Hizzoner" to refer to the man holding the mayoral office, and I suppose that Heroner is just as appropriate.  Oh, yeah, while I remember, those columnists are usaully writing about mayors in big city politics and the term "hizzoner" usually carries a derisive connotation which signifies corruption and big city machine politics as usual.  You may take whatever meaning you want from that.

Typical of most politicians Herhoner doesn't offer much substance or specifics to the platitudes about coming "improvements" to 3d World.  For all the grand schemes, little information is given about timelines for all these grand plans to actually occur let alone what they will actually entail.  We should not be surprised, I suppose.  The United States elected Bubba Clinton on exactly the same kinda of nonsensical feel good promises and twisting of words.  On a campaign promise of open city council meetings, Herhoner now claims that "open" doesn't translate to "open."  Is this anything like tryign to figure out the definition of "is?"  Herhoner says revision of the CERB policies and Unified Ban Policy will, "Clarify (sic) for CT's Citizenship what is considered inappropriate behavior and what consequence there is for a violation of established rules."

Notice there is no discussion of what is deemed inappropriate or by whom and in what context.  Nor is there any explanation of when this will definitely take place or how it will be enforced or by whom.  Is 3d World going to have a list of 'naughty words" that you can't say?  I suspect it will be the elitists in 3d World who will determine all this.  It depends on the definition of "open."

November 14

There will probably be a fake money award given as I approach 10000 homes visited.  I am still shooting for around Christmas to have this done.  I think I will run a pool of sorts.  Sorta like pick the date and time of # 10000.  Or maybe just tell the 10000 person that they one something.  Am thinking too of trying to get a larger response than the measly .229 batting average of 3d World.  I mean that's worse than the Yankees batting average in the playoffs.  I mean that and a cup of coffee will get you all sent back to the minors.  Oh, for the days of a .250 batting average.  Hell, even that is lousy for the supposedly wonderful friendly place known as 3d World.  I mean there's supposed to be 790,000 registered citizens, and they're all supposed to be active right?  oh, yeah. I forgot.  Only about 500 of them are ever on at any one time.  Maybe that's what Herhoner is afraid of by not having "open" meetings.  Wouldn't that be sorta neat if about 50,000 residents all showed up at once.  As I write this, 495 citizens are on line in 3d World.  That means that .06 percent, that's 6/hundreths of one percent of the total registered people are on line.  I've always wondered where the hell the rest of the people are in 3d World.  Now I know.  they don't exist.

Here I three 2d pics I found today.  I won't tell ya where to protec the innocent.

A screen shot or image was deleted here

and my favorite of today:  A screen shot or image was deleted here

Now I don't see anything wrong with these pics at all.  If somebody wants to have a picture of ScoobyDoo in their house.  All the more power to them.  Same thing with Snoopy and his version of the Red Baron.  It doesn probably reveal that these people are not your typical snerty teenagers.  they're probably a bit older than that.  the Youngins tend to go for different pics.  The point is the inconsistency in 3d World again.  I fully understand the copyright issue.  So where are the security officers when it comes to this type of violation?

I really like the fairy picture above.  There used to be a rumor that the fairies in Disney's Fantasia were originally nude, too, but then old Walt ordered a change.  Maybe the creator of this fairy had that in mind.  Clearly, the woman is nude.  I don't mind and neither, evidently, do the 3d World censors.  It begs the question though.  If this were a more frontal view, would somebody object?  If so, why?  What makes something pornography anyway.  Take this painting by Raphael during the Renaissanc. the name of the painting is "the nymph Galatea."

A screen shot or image was deleted here

Here we have naked bodies all over the canvas, little boys, women and men.  We got two couple making love and the nymph galatea blithely taking it all in.  So how come this is high art and yet, if this were a photograph, we'd call it an orgy?

November 18

I am almost thorugh the entire colony of Morning Star, which used to be called the Mother Ship, but nobody seems to know why the name was changed since the only time that the word, "mother" is offensive is when it is followed by a word related to a bodily action of two people in a mad passionate embrace. I suspect that this colony is the place to be if you really don't want to be bothered much by anybody.  for the most part it is sparsely populated.  Several blocks have 5 or less people living in them and a couple have one or none.

Seems to me too that nobody seems to much give a rip about whether the residents are participating in anything or doign anything or even sticking around for very long.  I am not trying sound critical here.  Just my observations is all.  I have run across some old timers in the colony.  Some people who have been around 3d World since 1999 with lots of experience points.

The place has fewer 2d pics than other places/colonies.  But one was very telling and informative:

A screen shot or image was deleted here

Now this was at a house with an ND title.  Either this is what Neighborhood Deputies do in thier spare time or it's really a picture of the 3D World Security Commissioner, which would REALLY explain why they don't allow any naughty words or pictures in 3d World.  The Pope's Holy Spies are everywhere!

November 23

On November 21, the statistics on eachcolony board revealed the following numbers of homes

scifi 3855
entertainment 7205
games 6939
virtual worlds 3475
cyberhood 1894
inner realms 6030
adventure 2065
teens 3126
morning star 970

Unless I punched in the wrong keys the total number of house that day was 35559

Today the numbers changed like the stock market.  Somethings up, others down.

scifi 3861 + 6
entertainment 7198 - 7
games 6966 + 27
virtual worlds 3514 +39
cyberhood 1898 + 4
inner realms 6007 - 23
adventure 2122 + 57
teens 2971 - 155
morning star 944 -26
 
 

35481 is today's total.  Now unless somebody is screwing up royally with the server's computing abilities, can be viewed in a different ways.  Maybe some block deputies or neighborhood deputies are finally doing their jobs and deleting houses that have no activity.  Maybe those things that update daily according to the the statistics pages are not updating properly.  What is the reason for 78 fewer homes?  The 3d World news site claims nearly 800,000 registered citizens.  Why are some of them disappearing?

Still, 35000 homes is not an undaunting figure to me regarding me travels.  Hell, it seems plausible and even reachable even in my lifetime.  Heck, and the rate of a loss of a 39 homes a day, I could be done by Easter of next year.

There is an easy explanation for the vast reduction of numbers in the Teen Colony.  They all grew up.

Sure, the only colony I visit completely, Morning Star, once known as the Mother Ship, loses 44 people.  That means that I'll probably have to visit their new places.  Sheesh! I wish people would just stay put!

November 24

One thing I don't think I will ever understand is how the classfication of an object is determined.  It is all subjective and open to interpretation:  This is what it says:

Object classes: The Mall Manager specified a class for each object, based on the criteria of originality (How new/unique is the idea?) and sophistication (How difficult was it to create the object?). If an object exhibits both originality and sophistication, it is assigned to Class A. If it only exhibits one of the two characteristics, it is Class B; otherwise Class C

Now I don't mean to sound as if I am complaining.  I've received various classifications for the meager amount of objects I've uploaded.  Sometimes I expect a lower grade than other times.  Sometimes I expect a higher grade.  I never know what it's going to be.  I do remember asking Paden once how he determined it.  He gave me the sword example.  Most of the time, they deserve a "C" because there are so many damn swords floating around.  Hell, I got three I designed in my backpack all the time.  They just ain't original anymore.  I suspect the same holds true for the "art work" that floats around. 3D World.  The art may be original, but the object ain't sophisticated.

The problem with determining a class for an object is the subjectivity of terms used to determine the class.  Original should be pretty simple.  Look the dang word up in the dictionary.  If no one has come up with the idea for a particular item before, well it seems pretty obvious that it's original.  Everything after that is just variations on a theme.  Paden's examples of swords is a great analogy.  As for sophistication, again it's open to interpretation.  For me, getting all the nodes, animations, cylinders, revolutions, etc in an object, determining the right color for each part, getting them all lined up right takes a lot more skill than these old eyes have.  That's sophistication.  Slapping a picture on a boc ain't in my book.

Now is that gonna change the way things are classified by the mall checkers?  I doubt it.  They will have their own opinions and I will think they are wrong many times.

November 25

More on 3d object creation...

Okay, I got a B on some golf clubs.  But I really really don't understand the placement of some objects in the mall.  Golf clubs in the Space port shop?  Sure some astronaut used a sawed off six iron to hit a golf ball on the moon 25 years ago, but sheesh golf is still pretty much an earth bound sport.  A while back there was a lot of griping about where items were place in the mall, like swords in the office store and tanks in novelties.  I thought when they opened all the other stores in the mall that the problem would have been solved, not exacerbated.  I hope the mall deputies aren't simply dropping objects whereever they darn please.  It's sorta like the grocery store when they change the location of items.  I go looking in aisle 3 for the honey one week and the next they move it to aisle 2, and I'm running all over the place.  Why DO they do that?

I created a Christmas tree, put all the things in a group, and flipped it upside down.  I called it Polish xmas tree.  So it got rejected because this is supposedly an ethnic joke.  Are we is such a sorry shape in the world that we have to worry about offending anybody?  Listen, the PC police of 3d World and the rest of society are full of mularkey.  No matter what you say or do in life, somebody will be offended.  To think that we can create the perfect world where everybody is happy and satisfied is delusional at best.

Listen, it is an old Polish custom to hang the Christmas tree from the ceiling.  Thus, calling an upside down Christmas tree a Polsih xmas tree is literally correct and in fact honoring Polish traditions.  It is not in any way shape or form an ethnic joke regardless of what the PC whoremongers think or say.  What is offensive is that they automatically assume something about Polish people and don't know diddly squat about Polish people.  Talk about your bigots!

So I uploaded the object again.  This time I called it Reverse Xmas tree.  If you happen to see it, and buy it, please feel free to rename it properly.  It is a Polish Christmas Tree.

November 29

Colony Stats from November 26
scifi 3784
enterainment 7147
games 7006
virtual worlds 3439
cyberhood 1906
inner realms 6033
teens 2985
morning star 946
adventure 2114   35360 total

Colony Stats from November 28
scifi 3729 -
enterainment 7126 -
games 7060 +
virtual worlds 3368 -
cyberhood 1922 +
inner realms 6039 +
teens 2830 -
morning star 958 +
adventure 2088 - 35120 total

Again a slight drop in the total from two days ago.

And again today at around 3:30 3d World time:
scifi 3729
entertainment 7126
games 7060
virtual worlds 3368
cyberhood 1922
inner realms 6039
teens 2830
morning star 958
adventure 2088 total 35120 total

Now the above total means only one of two things.  Either nobody moved in or out since yesterday, or they change the house count later in the day.  Regardless of the reason, it makes my own task muchmore manageable and acheivable than many, including myself, first thought.  Registered citizens total number is 802,176.  Slightly over four percent of the number of people who have take the time to sign up for 3d World actually take up some sort of residents. I've documented here a number of times that somebody is very lax in enforcing whatever the hell rule is out there about house deletions.  I estimate, then that far fewer than that even participate on a regular basis.  I mean take a look next time you're in 3d World.  How many people are ever actually on at one time.  It seldom is over 600, even at busy times.  Look, too, at the measly .222 batting average of 3d World in terms of responses to my visits to homes.  Even if we could extrapolate that to all 802,000 supposed registrations, that would leave roughly 170,000 people who do something on a somewhat regular basis.

What that is, who the hell knows.  I've run across several homes where the owner doesn't allow public chat.  that means, too, that there are no objects since such places are neither 2d nor 3d.  Just who the heck do those people talk to and why don't they want anybody else around?  Or maybe they can have objects and just want to let a select few elite into their houses.

Today's writing is very cut and dried style.  It's hard being flowery or anything like that when you're teaching Shakespeare's Richard III.  Sheesh!  How can anybody measure up to the Bard?

***Editor's Note--I really don't remember if I just didn't write some stuff for about a month or sparingly or if I didn't save some of it, or what, but through January, 2002, it sure seemed that way.***

December 13

Today's Stats at 3:30 3d World time:

sci-fi 3742
entertainment 7325
games 7434
Virtual Worlds 3315
Cyberhood 2083
Inner Realms 6147
Teens 2873
MOrning Star 956
Adventure 2167

total 36042

Now finally we have an increase since I last looked at stats on 11/29.  Not much of an increase, I think, however.  922 people more than two weeks ago is a mere 70 people a day out of a rather large thing we call the entire planet.  Let's assume that the largest portion of these new recruits come from the United States for the sake of argument.  Out of all the people who have computers, and are hooked up to the net, which is nearly all of them, 70 people is still not a large number.  Let's put it in another perspective.  On 11/29 the news reported that there were 802,176 registered users.  Sicne then, the count is now 816,028 a 1.7 percent increase.  The increase in people owning houses is 2.6 percent.

What the hell does all this mean?  That fewer people are joining 3d world but participation in home ownership is up?  How does that explain the decreases in home ownership just two weeks ago?  Why is there still only a 4.4 percent rate of home ownership in 3d World?  Where the hell do people put all those damn objects they keep buying sellign ans trading?  What the hell do people really do with those cc's they earn?

I have not written in this place for a while.  I've been busy traveling, just not commenting.  Been more busy with other things in real life.  Nothing serious.  Just the things that life calls us to do constantly like put food in the stomach, roof over the head, and clothes on the body.  Will try to find more time for the journal and my old cranky self soon.  Like more on Herhoner and nothing really ever changing in 3d World.

December 14

Sheesh!  I spent hours making that ugly cow.  I had this grandiose sheme of making a good old fashioned guersney milk producer, and no matter what I did, it came out, well, ugly.  Now I am an inveterate nonvegetarian.  I mean gimme a medium rare slab of prime rib any day of the week.  I sing "Chicken Cordon Blues" by Steven Goodman.  A brat and hot dog and a beer to wash it down at the old ball game is better than any of that fancy yuppie crap they pawn off on the unsuspecting public at modern baseball stadiums.  Hell, I shoot Bambi when I get a chance.  At Christmas I go help them slaughter ducks and then catch the blood so I can make the Polish soup czardnina.  Every vegetarian I've ever met has always looked like they could use a good meal.  thin and pale most of them.

So when I got this idea to make a cow, I was coming from a long line of meat eating people and damn proud of it.  Now before any of you PETA fanatics get all over my case, you know what?  I really don't give a rat's ass what you think.  You wanta not eat meat?  Fine.  That is your prerogative.  But take your prerogative and keep it to yourselves.  You have absolutely no right to brainwash me with your inane beliefs.

Oh, yeah that ugly cow.  That's what I was talking about.  It's ugly.  It got uglier the more I worked on it.  I normally charge more for soemthing when I work on it for a longer period of time, but man oh man, this was butt ugly.  In fact, it got so ugly that that I couldn't tell the front from the butt anymore.  Thus I called it ugly cow.

Now here is where the Sheesh! part comes.  It got a B grade.  Beats the hell outta me why.  Come on.  I admit the damn thing is ugly.  A couple of extrusions and spheres, a jpg file and that was it.  Okay, I'll take the B.  I have to admit it was original because I don't remember ever seeign any cows in 3d World, let alone ugly ones.  Okay, I added the feature that you could tip the cow over on its side, which is a favorite pastime in my neck of the woods when the local yokels have had far too many beers for their own good.  think about it.  Do you realize how friggin hard it is to push over an animal that weighs about as much as the pickup you drove out into the field to get to it?  So, no I ain't complaining about the grade it got.

What the real Sheesh! of this whole thing is that it sold out so dang fast.  Yeah, it was cheap, and yeah, I only uploaded 50 of them so I guess it's kinda rare.  But Sheesh! Man was that thing UGLY!

December 20

3d World is having problems.  People have been unable to login, message boards are screwed up, the home/nickname method did work.  Now the solution offered time after time after time after time is that residents, citizens, or whatever the hell we call ourselves, are supposed to clear our cache files before logging in.  That's all well and good, but does it really solve the problems or merely provide the proverbial bandaid.

In the City Hall bulletin board I asked the question of whether it should be the role of the "government"to inform citizens of when problems occur, exactly what they are, and when they will be resolved.  What I find interesting was that it wasn't until I posted that message that Herhoner herself responded.  Why did it take almost a full day before Herhoner deemed it necessary to say anything?  why did it take almost 48 hours after the first reports of problems in the tech board for any kind of statement to come out about possible solutions?

Also interesting is the almost fanatical support for this "action" by Herhoner.  Sorta like the Clinton apologists who try to justify even the most inane activity.  That's exactly what some residents of 3d World have done -- apologize for what in effect is a lack of action by Herhoner.

I do not dispute that the clearing of cache apparently solves the problem.  Still, a day after Herhoner leaves a message in City Hall, not the tech board where problems are being reported, peopel are still saying they have problems.  I guess peopel are blithely and blindly willing to accept non answers as answers.  In a country where because of Spetember 11 we are perfectly willing to accept a disintengration of the Constitution, we are also willing to accept inaction and lack of effort from the cyberofficials of 3d World.  Why doesn't anybody ask a simple question like Why do the citizens have to fix the problem?  The problem is in Germany, on the servers, or whever the hell the problem is.  The problem has migrated to citizens' cache files from somewhere.  Herhoner fails to see this.  Worse, it seems, that she is perfectly willing to foist off a soltuion that really doesn't solve anything.

December 26

this was on the city hall message board

Date: Sun, Dec 23 th, 2001. 06:01:02 am.
From: Mr_Anderson
Subject: Mall Drops Causing Major Probs!
 A very strong faction of Cytonians are/have been for a long time, asking me to PLEEEASE
 stand up for them and the way things are handled in the Mall with the way drops are unfairly
 made and announced to the very few.

 Drops are being made and those working for the Mall are announcing this to the VERY few and
 select. This is not right in any culture....much less in a worldly one.

 The Mall drop system...it is corrupt, and the 1/2 million citizens here know that it is. So many are
 telling me that they will not rest until ALL Mall staff are fired and replaced with "Fair"
 employees.

 I do not mean this to be so strongly worded, but I get so many ppl telling me how sick they are
 of the way it's done in the Mall. I've even participated at drops with other nicks just to see if this
 was right---It is! Only certain ppl can get the objects during drops....how sad for us all :(

I don't think his message is too strongly worded.  Rather it is not worded strongly enough.  Some people have tried to assauge some of these complaints.  How is someone to prove that drops are announced to a select few?  I don't know that they are.    Rather I think that people merely have the deputies and staff on their "friend" list that tells you when a person you know comes online.  Yes, this works for even people who request to be hidden.  How are drops unfair?  Yes, I agree that some poeple seemingly  get objects when others don't.  It happens time and time again.  The only reason that I can think of is is likewise simply explained away is that some people simply have faster figners and computers, or faster connection speeds.

Missing in Anderson's post, as honest as it is, are any real proposals for solutions.  Here are mine:

1.  Limits. Limits. Limits.
2.  If 3d World truly wants to create a cyber world of freedom and equality, they will make the ability to acquire 3d objects equal for all it's citizens. This means setting a limit to the number of items that can be purchased at a drop during a visit.  I suggest three(3).  I would suggest that to guard against a person merely logging off and back in again the limit of three apply for a period of 24 hours.
3.  "Hire" enough mall deputies so that the job of dropping object can be divided up over the entire day.  I suggest a minimum of six(6).  These deputies should then be assigned set time periods during which they would drop and these time periods should be spread out equally over the entire 24 hour period.
4.  The number of objects dropped by any one deputy should be determined by the number of deputies equally.  For example, if there are six deputies and 24 objects that have been accepted and are ready for the mall, then each deputy would be allowed to drop four items and no more.
5.  If a mall deputy violates the rule of the number of drops allowed, then that deputy should be given a warning by the mall chief.  After a warning, if it happens again, the deputy should have drop priviledges revoked for two days.  If it happens a third time, the deputy should be removed from office.
6.  Creators should have limits placed on their objects, too. A price limit of 1000cc seems reasonable.

I will probably think of a few more, but the powers that be in the mall, and Herhoner, probably won't listen.

January 4

Margaret Chase Smith was a Republican.  If I remember right, she was first woman ever elected to the Senate.  She once said, "Those of us who shout the loudest about Americanism are all  too frequently those who . . . ignore some of the basic principles of Americanism—the right to criticize, the right to hold unpopular beliefs, the right to protest, the right of independent thought."

Those words, I think, apply in many ways to 3d World.  Too often when someone criticizes what happens or suggests that way of doign things currently seems unfair, the first reaction of many of the sycophants of 3d World is to tie into the original poster.  We get responses such as, "come on, play nice now."  The real problem is that the powers that be from Herhoner on down don't like to be told that what they are doing is wrong.

A lot of people started ripping on a Mr_Anderson when he accused the mall deputies of being corrupt.  As I said in an earlier entry, I don't think they are. What is disheartening is the real lack of acceptance of any opinion about the way things are done.  In the mall, the people in charge there, again, I think, are doign the best they can.  I really don't have a problem with the way they do their thing with the restrictions they have.  What I hate is the total seemign lack of effort to change the way things are when most peopel seem to agree that the system isn't fair to all 3d World residents.  If for example the majority of drops are done during 10:00 p.m.and midnight, it is hardly fair to those people in other parts of the world who are at jobs or sleepign during that time period.  It was certainly good to notice that in the days since this brouhaha started with Mr. Anderson's posts, that several people ostensibly with the city council became involved.  Noticeably absent in the discussions was Herhoner.

One other thing that came out of this online melee was the suggestion by the mall deputy that complaints, etc. be posted to the mall's inbox.  I'm sorry, but that's a typical wussy answer to the problem.  The inbox method does nothing to make people aware of overall problems.  It also allows the deputies to simply ignore complaints as if they never received them in the first place.  Public awareness of an issue is more valueable than power zealots trying to silence the masses.

A few days after the mall issue stuff, I received the following inbox:

Date: Fri, Dec 28 th, 2001. 10:50:31 pm.
  From: PureSnow
Subject: visiting
 Thank you beowulf for understanding what that Mr-Anderson guy was trying to say for so many
 ofus. I was afraid to post on that board because people wouldn't like me for agreeing with you
 two. as much as i hate admiting it cybertown is a big popularity contest

***Editor's note--this just shows my befuddled brain.  The next entry, although dated different is the same as above. Don'ty ask me why, because I don't know.***

Margaret Chase Smith was a Republican.  If I remember right, she was first woman ever elected to the Senate.  She once said, "Those of us who shout the loudest about Americanism are all  too frequently those who . . . ignore some of the basic principles of Americanism—the right to criticize, the right to hold unpopular beliefs, the right to protest, the right of independent thought."

Those words, I think, apply in many ways to 3d World.  Too often when someone criticizes what happens or suggests that way of doing things currently seems unfair, the first reaction of many of the sycophants of 3d World is to tie into the original poster.  We get responses such as, "come on, play nice now."  The real problem is that the powers that be from Herhoner on down don't like to be told that what they are doing is wrong.

A lot of people started ripping on a Mr_Anderson when he accused the mall deputies of being corrupt.  As I said in an earlier entry, I don't think they are. What is disheartening is the real lack of acceptance of any opinion about the way things are done.  In the mall, the people in charge there, again, I think, are doing the best they can.  I really don't have a problem with the way they do their thing with the restrictions they have.  What I hate is the total seeming lack of effort to change the way things are when most people seem to agree that the system isn't fair to all 3d World residents.  If for example the majority of drops are done during 10:00 p.m. and midnight, it is hardly fair to those people in other parts of the world who are at jobs or sleeping during that time period.  It was certainly good to notice that in the days since this brouhaha started with Mr. Anderson's posts, that several people ostensibly with the city council became involved.  Noticeably absent in the discussions was Herhoner.

One other thing that came out of this online melee was the suggestion by the mall deputy that complaints, etc. be posted to the mall's inbox.  I'm sorry, but that's a typical wussy answer to the problem.  The inbox method does nothing to make people aware of overall problems.  It also allows the deputies to simply ignore complaints as if they never received them in the first place.  Public awareness of an issue is more valuable than power zealots trying to silence the masses.

A few days after the mall issue stuff, I received the following inbox:

Date: Fri, Dec 28 th, 2001. 10:50:31 pm.
  From: PureSnow
Subject: visiting
 Thank you beowulf for understanding what that Mr-Anderson guy was trying to say for so many
 of us. I was afraid to post on that board because people wouldn't like me for agreeing with you
 two. as much as i hate admitting it cybertown is a big popularity contest

The following was supposedly written January 5

This was posted on the poltics feedback board:

Date: Fri, Dec 28 th, 2001. 12:39:14 am.
   From: Angel_9_
Subject: Useless Fact

Population by Experience. (As EXP stood before any EXP given out
 tonight)

 From 40,000 to 5,000:
 40,000+.............1
 30,000 to 39999.....3
 20,000 to 20,999....34
 19,000 to 19,999....18
 18,000 to 18,999....25
 17,000 to 17,999....30
 16,000 to 16,999....52
 15,000 to 15,999....67
 14,000 to 14999....87
 13,000 to 13,999....126
 12,000 to 12,999....178
 11,000 to 11,999....202
 10,000 to 10,999....284
 9,000 to 9,999....350
 8,000 to 8,999....505
 7,000 to 7,999....702
 6,000 to 6,999....988
 5,000 to 5,999....1,463

This was posted on the poltics feedback board:

Date: Fri, Dec 28 th, 2001. 12:39:14 am.
   From: Angel_9_
Subject: Useless Fact

Population by Experience. (As EXP stood before any EXP given out
 tonight)

 From 40,000 to 5,000:
 40,000+.............1
 30,000 to 39999.....3
 20,000 to 20,999....34
 19,000 to 19,999....18
 18,000 to 18,999....25
 17,000 to 17,999....30
 16,000 to 16,999....52
 15,000 to 15,999....67
 14,000 to 14999....87
 13,000 to 13,999....126
 12,000 to 12,999....178
 11,000 to 11,999....202
 10,000 to 10,999....284
 9,000 to 9,999....350
 8,000 to 8,999....505
 7,000 to 7,999....702
 6,000 to 6,999....988
 5,000 to 5,999....1,463

January 19

I happened into the mall in the middle of a mini firestorm.  A long time object maker, member of the World builders guild is leaving 3d World.  Angel_is_a_Lady is that person.  She and her 3d World mate are off to the outer reaches of cyberspace.  I can honestly say that I don't know all the why's and wherefores of her situation.  I can only speak on what I know.

She has been making proposal after proposal of how to improve the mall.  Far more than any resident in 3d World she has helped new object makers, new residents, and has continually been there to lend a helping hand.  This all despite numerous problems of her own, which I will NOT go into here, but to some of which I have been privy.

Do I think Angel should leave?  Hell.  No.  What is really sad, however, is that Herhoner and the other powers that be in 3d World won't really give a shit if she does or doesn't.  they want to feed their own damn egotism and be able to say, "Hey, I'm in charge in this place, and you better not say anything bad about me or anything else in 3d World."

Angel dad been making proposals to the Council for the past seven months.  Why  has no action been taken on those proposals?  What the hell is the problem?  Supposedly, Herhoner and her minions meet once a month.  That's seven chances to do something.  Why haven't they?

During the discussion in the mall somebody else mentioned that they had made a proposal that has not been acted on for eleven months.  So what is the deal?

The real problem is not that people are complaining.  It's that nobody seems to give  rat's ass about the complaints and do little to assuage peoples concerns.

So Maybe Angel will be back or not.  The real sad case is that she was, in effect, driven away by an unresponsive  and uncaring leadership that has to date exhibited no real leadership abilities whatsoever.

So what are the problems in the Mall?

Creators price items way too high, especially for pictures on boxes.  I don't care how great the art work supposedly is. It's a picture on a goddam boc for Chrissakes.  It's ain't the Mona Lisa.  If it was, you should be selling it in real life for whatever price some idiot will give you.  To tell you the truth, most of the art work in 3d World ranks about the same level as velvet Elvis paintings that you buy on the street corner.

The mall chief should get rid of the deputies that don't do anything, namely the one who hasn't dropped a thing since five months ago.  What does the guy have polaroids of you in a compromising position?

The worst thing about this whole situation is the inability of people to accept any type of criticism.  If I think you're doing a rotten job, I'll tell you.  And I'll tell you why.  Despite what you or the damn security team thinks, it is not harassment, nor is it a personal attack.  It's telling you that you're doing a lousy job.  If you can't improve, then I'll tell you that, too.  If you do improve, hell, I'll tell you that,too.

The problem rampant in 3d World is that nobody likes the fact that some people see throught the bullshit that goes on and sees that there are ways to improve it.  People like Herhoner, her minions, and others want to feed their own egos and keep things the way they are and not change anything.

Listen you twits.  Some thngs are broken and they need to be fixed.

January 20

Before Angel is a Lady left 3d World, she requested that her contribution to the mall,Mina Bills, in the Bargain outlet be removed.  According to the message board, the item has been removed, but it is still in the mall bargain store.  For my copy of the  board click here. I removed the background images since I didn't want to be accused of taking a copyrighted image.  Is this the refusal of a legitmate request a Mall checker's parting shot at Angel?

So I posted the following message on the Mall message board:

If a request was placed to remove the Mina Bills from the bargain store and the remove request
 page says it has been removed, then why is it still listed as availabe int he Bargain Store?

January 20

Aaah, another 3d World strange occurence.  This picture showed up on a box in the Mall.

A screen shot or image was deleted here

Now at first glance especially when viewing it in 3d, it certainly appears as if the young lady isn't wearing much other than a smile.  If you pan into the picture, though, you can see that she is indeed wearing something.  A better view is afforded by the the actual texture file:

A screen shot or image was deleted here

Still seems pretty skin tight to me, but hubba hubba.  And of course it is pretty damn good art, too, if you go by my standards.  I've always like Venus Rising pics the best.

Now that the controversy is over, and the pic has made the rounds, I suspect that some entrepreneur will be charging an arm an a leg in the flea market for it.

January 21

The Mina Bills seemed to have been removed after I posted that message yesterday.  The message was deleted.  Why?  Beats the hell outta me.  You can  read what I posted.  It was not in any way critical of anybody.  I may have been somewhat snotty here, but that is my prerogative here.  And I really don't give a rat's patoot about whether the mall checker or somebody else doesn't like it.  But the posting on the mall board was not critical or snotty at all.

Perhaps another parting shot by the mall checker is the renaming of a piece still in the mall proper.  Angel_is_a_Lady doanted a copy of her grand piano called Angel's Ivories.  Now the item is titled "Ask to have your items displayed."  I think the person responsible for this is just being goddam petty.

People keep apologizing for mistakes and incompetency in this world.  It's time that people face the fact that sometime somebody fucks up or can't do a job.  Telling a person they screwed up is not bad.  Neither is pointing out when they're doing a losuy job.  I don't care if it's in the mall or the city council or in real life.  Get over it and stop being so damn sensitive.  What's that they say about the heat in the kitchen?

There are currently 841294 registered residents or whatever the hell you want to call these 3d people.  At present, 36,507 of them have homes.  I have visited more than 8900 of those homes, roughly 25%.  My rate of visits is at least more than the rate of replies.

January 30

Some things sure have heated up in 3d World.  Curiously absent in the brouhaha in the Feedback Board, as usual is any comment from Herhoner or her closed circle of minions.

So what was the rumbling and grumbling about?  Somebody named Joker posted a question about somebody being banned because of his or her name.  Those names are constantly in the 3d World database, and, all the self-righteous griping about these names notwithsatnding, Herhoner, Security, and all the heads of 3d World keep coming back with the same response ad nauseum:  "We can't do anything about it because Blaxxun owns the server."  I know, they know, and practically everybody in 3d World knows that the positions of authority in 3d World are just a mirage.  The only holder and ultimate weidler of any real power rests in those who own the site.  The rest is window dressing that cannot and will not ever be changed.

The upshot of the question posed by Joker was the name really shouldn't have been banned.  The head of security seemed to understand and reversed the decision, saying the person would be notified, blah, blah, blah.

Gortz, long time 3d World resident and Colony Leader of Morning Star  posted this on Feedback:
 

From: GORTz
Subject: Re: Cultural Bias
Kudos to Oherra for investigating the issue further, and insuring that justice was done.  Kudos to the Security officer for banning the potentially offensive name in question. It's better to have to appologize to one person for removing a potentially offensive name, than to have to explain to several irate Mothers and Fathers why an offensive name is allowed to be used. When I was in Security that was procedure, although we would inform the person (In whisper) that they could appeal this to the Security Chief, or now to CERB.  Boooo to Joker for trying to twist an effort by someone to do their job into Elitist Cultural Bias. Have you stopped beating your wife yet? Pick one: Yes or NO

January 31

So after Gortz posted this comment, all hell broke loose.  Joker accused Gortz of slandering him.  People started taking sides in saying it was an offensive remark.  Joker seemed to imply that he was going to sue somebody.  Several people tried to explain that the wife beating question is a classic example of the unanswerable question.  Well, kiddies, it is.  I don't care if somebody gets offended by that.  Get a damn life for criminny sakes.  Stop looking to be offended.  Stop being offended by every little nit picky thing.  Is someone who beats his wife bad?  Yes, of course.  I'd personally like to wring his damn neck myself.  It's criminal assault, and damn poor way to treat anybody.  But that the whole point of asking somebody a question like that...to simply make a point.

Interestingly enough, the brouhaha also makes what I think was Joker's original point, that the people in high 3d World power, like Gortz, Herhoner and her minions, seem to get preferential treatment.  Noticeably absent from anywhere that I can find or have seen on any boards today at least is any mention of any type of punishment for either one of these two combatants.  Soem have rumored to me that Gortz was banned for three days from playing in 3d World.  I've seen people hwo have done far less than what he was accused of get far more.

If Gortz was banned Anybody want to place a bet on whether he'll get it removed from his permanent record by C.E.R.B.  Wouldn't it be nice if Herhoner came outta that ivory tower and mingled with the masses to at least let them know what the decision was and why?  Wanta bet that will never happen?