Interview: Kira Finn

[2008/10/17 20:35] Niko Donburi: Hey, why did you choose "Finn" as a last name

Kira Finn: (Saved Sat Oct 18 19:33:40 2008) Well....I loved the name Kira even before I knew anything about SL. If I had a daughter that would of been her name. So when I signed into SL I knew I wanted that name and Finn seemed to just fit.

[19:42] Kira Finn: (Saved Sat Oct 18 19:34:10 2008) Can I ask why you are asking?
[19:43] Niko Donburi: Can I post your response as part of my interview of my favorite people in Second Life?
[19:43] Kira Finn: Sure
[19:43] Kira Finn: I'm one of your favorite people in SL?
[19:43] Niko Donburi shakes his head and rolls his eyes
[19:43] Kira Finn: lol

Hey, let go of that Ego Surf

While learning to use Technorati!, I ran across this post by Poppy Linden referencing "44 Lines about 22 Lindens" (you remember: Poppy Linden finds the bugs that cause us residents to scream). He found whilst ego-surfing himself. I found it by doing the same. Guess it's one ego strokin' another, eh?

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Interview with Phoenixa Sol: SL Dancer

[9:01] Phoenixa Sol: hiya, hope all is going great!
[9:02] Niko Donburi: Hi! A question for you: why did you choose your last name to be "Sol" ?
[9:03] Phoenixa Sol: phoenix... firey. Sol... sunshine. (and also, I live in San Fran bay area, and most of the names in that time frame were streets of san fran, which I flat out REFUSED to have
[9:03] Phoenixa Sol: Sol also because spoken could be swapped as "soul"
[9:03] Niko Donburi: lol
[9:03] Phoenixa Sol: i dance from the core of my soul
[9:04] Niko Donburi: is it okay for me to quote you on my blog on how you derived your name?
[9:04] Phoenixa Sol: sure, make sure you say that "Phoenix" was already taken, so I created Phoenixa by adding the A

Interview with Durzle Darkstone: Virtual DJ

[20:47] Niko Donburi: Why did you choose Darkstone as your SL last name?
[20:48] Durzle Darkstone: It was mysterious
[20:48] Durzle Darkstone: grins
[20:48] Durzle Darkstone: and went exceptionally well with Durzle
[20:48] Niko Donburi: lol; mind if I quote you?
[20:49] Durzle Darkstone: depends
[20:49] Niko Donburi: upon?
[20:49] Durzle Darkstone: why? and to whom?
[20:49] Durzle Darkstone: what's the context
[20:49] Durzle Darkstone: LOL
[20:49] Niko Donburi: on my blog I am posting the response to all my friends in SL on why they chose their last name
[20:49] Niko Donburi: the story
[20:49] Durzle Darkstone: sure
[20:50] Niko Donburi: send me a SL photo of yoruself, a link or slyrl
[20:50] Niko Donburi: slurl
[20:50] Niko Donburi: it is okay to publish?
[20:50] Durzle Darkstone: how many responses have you gotten?
[20:50] Niko Donburi: two up so far
[20:50] Niko Donburi: www.nikoburi.com
[20:50] Niko Donburi: www.nikodonburi.com
[20:51] Durzle Darkstone: lol
[20:51] Durzle Darkstone: ok, you been drinking?
[20:51] Durzle Darkstone: what's the story behind it?
[20:52] Niko Donburi: just thought it would be something cool, all the neat people I know in Sl. That's why you are among the first asked
[20:52] Durzle Darkstone: how bout you?
[20:52] Niko Donburi: My last name?
[20:53] Durzle Darkstone: nods
[20:53] Niko Donburi: Donburi is a rice dish in Japan.
[20:53] Niko Donburi: Oyako Donburi is chicken and egg on rice
[20:53] Niko Donburi: Quite good. Incidently, it means "Mother and Child" on Rice
[20:54] Niko Donburi: Nikko means smile in japanese
[20:54] Durzle Darkstone: shehs
[20:54] Niko Donburi: I shortened it to Niko for spelling
[20:54] Durzle Darkstone: deep thoughts
[20:54] Durzle Darkstone: that's great
[20:54] Niko Donburi: so, can I post it?
[20:54] Durzle Darkstone: I came up with mine so quick
[20:54] Durzle Darkstone: and loved it
[20:54] Durzle Darkstone: nods, sure

Interview with Elwood Abernathy: Virtual Landlord of Thousand Palms

[20:42] Niko Donburi: why did you choose "Abernathy" to be your last name in SL?

[20:42] Elwood Abernathy: only because it was at the top of the list, the first one there

[20:42] Elwood Abernathy: i never looked down the list

[20:42] Elwood Abernathy: and Elwood is my fahters middle name
[20:43] Elwood Abernathy: i did not expect to stay
[20:43] Elwood Abernathy: i was going to sign up see what the hype was and then leave
[20:43] Elwood Abernathy: and then in one week i met like 10 different people and had to stay to see them lol

[20:43] Elwood Abernathy: and here i am

[20:44] Niko Donburi: wow

[20:44] Elwood Abernathy: with no where to go

[20:44] Niko Donburi: 3 years later

[20:44] Elwood Abernathy: almost
[20:44] Elwood Abernathy: we are old timers now

[20:44] Niko Donburi: Can I quote you on my blog?

[20:44] Elwood Abernathy: lol
[20:44] Elwood Abernathy: sure

[20:44] Niko Donburi: cool
[20:44] Niko Donburi: feel free to send me a link to a site or something if you want it linked

[20:44] Elwood Abernathy: ok

Interview with Esch Snoats: Artropolis

[20:35] Niko Donburi: Hey, why did you choose "Snoats" as a last name
[20:36] Esch Snoats: I was trying to find a name that sounds like someone clearing their nose when they spoke.. My av looks like someone who speaks with this snooty nasally voice, so "Snoats" sounded good that way :P
[20:36] Niko Donburi: are you serious?
[20:36] Esch Snoats: Yeah :P
[20:37] Esch Snoats: Say my av's name out loud with a snooty nasally voice
[20:38] Niko Donburi: can I quote you on how you chose your name?
[20:38] Esch Snoats: lol sure

Blog alert: A N00b's Progress

Blogger & SLPhotographer Lelani Carver posted a nice entry on A N00b's Progress . Her posts have a definite Asian-vibe, which is really cool. I'll have to remember to play her "Christmas Cake" and some of my other songs from my time in Japan and Indonesia.

Now I have to just figure out how to get on her Flickr page like Maxamillion!

Check out these podcasts!

Since my foray into the wild world of Podsafe Music, I've gotten notices that two podcasts thus far have played some of my SL parodies:

Atlantic Wave Radio out of the UK and Virtual Yooper out of Michigan. His blog is worth checking out, particularly if you ever dreamt of moving up, up and away or ever wanted to be an EMT!

Niko + Podcast = More Listeners?

While all of my songs have been Creative Commons licensed, I took a few minutes and uploaded a few of them to the Podsafe Music Network for those podcasters amongst you. Two of my new songs, The Linden and Virtual Strangers are uploaded for your listening pleasure. Here's the link.

ASD 1 year anniversary show: Sun 9/14 @ 1:30 pm SL

Yes, it's been TOO LONG since I've had a show in SL. The last one being the Music Isle show--which does make for good watching on your iPod, btw.

But whenever I get a chance to perform at ASD Studios, I'm taking it. So mark your calendars, fire up your recording devices and get ready for an hour of SL parodies, audience participation and as much virtual fun as your internet connection can stream.

Drop me an email or IM in-world if you aren't in the group and I'll get you a slurl or TP.

SLCN - Music Arts on the Isle

Always wondered what a Niko Donburi performance was like? Short of logging into Second Life, take a look at this week's episode of JeuL Resistance's Music Arts On the Isle, a weekly videocast from the Second Life Cable Network, where I perform a half hour or so set of SL parodies including the debut performance of Wasting Away the Day (in Second Life), an SL parody of the Buffett classic.

Thanks to all who logged in just for the show. It was good to see you on so late!

It's official: Niko for President

Evidently only viewable with IE. In the words of Liam Serf, guess that makes me a "single platform" candidate:

The Niko Donburi Fan Club

As do most performers in SL, I have a fan club. Members of this group have given me one of their coveted 25 group slots so that they can get notices of my shows. There is no higher compliment in SL than that. To all of you, thank you very much. I truly appreciate it Ace Clellon, Anjali Lebed, Austin Shepherd, Avalon Chevalier, BD Gilmour, Calypso Monentes, Caroline Fierrens, Chrissy Cordeaux, Christina Guffroy, chugabug Goodnight, cinnamon Daniels, Clever Darcy, Diomy Takakura, Douglas Rishmal, Drizael Doobie, Durzle Darkstone, Eeyore Anza, Elseamae Daviau, Elwood Abernathy, Esch Snoats, Ethan Oxbar, Evan Drake, Flameheart Sol, fmires Brun, Friesian Steuben, Fritzees Fizzle, Gando Thurston, Gomem Desoto, Grave Darkstone, Haffa Gaffer, Harmony Patel, Heidi Okelly, Hunter Maltese, Irelyn Christensen, Jaxom Winger, JohnF Munro, Jovana Qinan, jukeboxxx88 Writer, Kaisolin Woonona, Kaklick Martin, Katronix Serf, Kayleigh Cordeaux, Kikoto Takaaki, Kira Finn, Kronos Kirkorian, Kyla Marshall, Kylynn Kemsley, MarkusMatthew Jonesford, Memzie Sideways, Olive Blachere, Penelope Ofeq, Priya Dollinger, Prometheus Windang, Pukk Abel, Radar Masukami, Robin Dale, Rocky Merosi, Sayuri Collas, Serenity Brezoianu, Silver Claymore, Simeon Kondor, Splotch Bloch, Susie Aleixandre, Talia Rosher, Tux DeCuir, Valerian Romeo, Xerses Goff, Yummie Olsen and Zena Karas.

something amazing

My good friend BZ sent this to me. He was pretty amazed by it, as was I.
I modified it slightly to remove the names. The photo on the left is of the flowers he is speaking about....

Dear family and friends...

Today marks the 1-year anniversary of the death of my mother-in-law. She was an amazing person in many ways, and she is greatly missed by all who knew her. I wanted to share with all of you something I believe is a special sign from her that all is well and that she's watching over us.

My wife and I have lived in our house for 17 years, and every year the space on the East side of the house would get overgrown with nasty, thick weeds. This year I was going to get the strongest weed killer I could find and spray that whole area, but for some reason I just haven't made the time to do so.

Two nights ago as I was messing with the grill, trying to get it lit, I happened to look back at the already overgrown weed patch and couldn't believe what I saw.

There in the middle of all that ugliness was a beautiful bunch of daisies!

Again, we've never had anything but ugly weeds back there, and here on this sad anniversary date we were treated to this amazing sight!... By the way, can you all guess what my mother-in-law's favorite flower was?...

(TM)? We don't need no stinkin' (TM)!

Just got an email from Vint Falken notifying me that my new verse for Dear Linden, Dear Linden was chosen to share in the grand prize for the L10,000 Bounty for Best Trademark Parodies with Kanomi's The Tiny Dancing (R) Brand Center. Vint organized the contest in lieu of going on strike, as some other well-known bloggers have done. If I get some time this weekend I'll record the new version and get a link out to all members of the fan club---and post one to Vint's blog as well.

I'd best be transferring that L5,000 before LL gets word of my success... ;-)

Will the fun NEVER end?

In light of the new trademark and copyright issues being enforced by those that run the virtual world "formally known as Second Life" (see Gwyneth Llewelyn's excellent summary of the issue), a new verse for Dear Linden, Dear Linden seemed fitting:


Dear Linden, Dear Linden,
I just don't understand
The new terms of service
About using your brand.
Registered trademarks
And copyright signs,
Must I use them all of the time?
Signed, a blogger

Blogger,Dear blogger
We hear what you say
And at Linden Lab (R)
We don't like things this way
But our lawyers insist
That it must be done
We sincerely hope it won't ruin your fun
Signed, a Linden (TM)

No more calendar :-(

If you haven't noticed, I dumped the web-based calendar system I was using to post gig info. This one was always out of date. Just check my in-world profile for a listing of upcoming shows....

SLUnder the Radar - #26: The Linden

Check out the newest episodes of SL Under the Radar podcast to hear the latest SL parody: The Linden (with all apologies to Kenny Rogers & Company's "The Gambler").

Just a note: all members of the in-world "Niko Donburi Fan Club" received an mp3 download a few weeks ago so log in and sign up!

something sad

Someone sent me this photo, along with a whole bunch of others who are heavily tattooed, pierced, scarred and otherwise voluntarily mangled. This one, however, is the one that caught my attention the most.

What happened to this person during the course of his or her life to cause them to wind up this way? At one time this was a little infant child, helpless and dependent upon the world. Cute and precious beyond anything. And now?

There is much sadness in these eyes. Just look for it. Beyond the piercings, the cuttings, colorings and distortions. Look in his eyes.

something funny

According to the newspaper article, a man named John Beahan sent them this:

A Minneapolis couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier.

Because of hectic schedules, the husband left Minnesota and flew to Florida on Thursday, with his wife flying down the following day. The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an e-mail to his wife. However, he accidently left out one letter in her e-mail address and, without realizing his error, sent the e-mail.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returned home from her husband's funeral. He was a minister who had had a heart attack and died. The widow decided to check her e-mail, expecting messages from relatives and friends.

After reading the first message, she screamed and fainted. The widow's son rushed into the room and saw the computer screen, which read:

TO: My Loving Wife

Subject: I've Arrived

Date: October 16, 2004

I know you are surprised to hear from me.

They have computers here now and you

are allowed to send e-mails to your loved ones.

I've just arrived and have been checking in.

I see that everything has been prepared for your

arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then!

Hope your jouney is an uneventful as mine was.

P.S. Sure is freaking hot down here!

So I Married An Avatar.... part 2

Last month Business Week ran an article "So I Married An Avatar" to which I posted a list of the top 10 reasons why a virtual wedding was better than a real life wedding (or something to that effect.) Evidently it wasn't as funny as I thought because it wasn't posted to the comments section NOR did anyone on the SLEducators listserv even comment.

Then, much to my surprise I received an email from one of the editors late one Friday afternoon asking to use my comment in a new section "Featured Readers Comments" and requesting a photograph. Unfortunately I didn't get the email until after the deadline had run, but evidently that didn't matter as a few days later I found myself--er, my virtual self--as one of the Featured Readers. Here's the link.

Contrary to my wife, I am NOT lame. Yeah to Business Week!

Second CD?

Rumors of a second Niko Donburi CD are... TRUE! Yes, I am working on a follow-up to my first CD, Tales from the Grid, which debuted at SLCC2007. While I am not sure if I will be performing live at SLCC2008 in Tampa (check out their new site) in person like last year's Chicago show, I'll certainly be there virtually--if they'll have me!

If you've been to a show in the past few weeks, you've heard some of the new ones: Virtual Stranger, 44 Lines about 22 Lindens, Should I log in or should I go now, The Linden, and most recently, SL Man. I be firing up the recording studio in over the summer and will start circulating demos to my group members so join up if you haven't already.

Meanwhile, I'm soliciting names. Thus far suggestions include: Tales from the Grid 2.0 and More Tales from the Grid.

So I Married an Avatar...

Having just read the article on the Business Week's website ("So I Married an Avatar"), I couldn't help but make a list of

The top 10 "best things" about a Second Life wedding

(10) No rubber chicken dinners;

(9) Virtual wedding gifts are cheap;

(8) The bridesmaid's don't have to worry about looking fat in their bridesmaid's outfits;

(7) If you don't want to attend you can blame it on your internet provider;

(6) If a guest gets drunk and obnoxious you can mute him/her/it;

(5) If the bride spills red wine on her dress it can be removed with a click of the mouse;

(4) no need to invite that aunt you don't like 'cause she ain't got broadband;

(3) you can play solitaire during the speeches;

(2) everyone looks good dancing;


and the #1 "best thing" about a Second Life wedding....




(1) the honeymoon suite is just a click of the mouse away!

Free - Niko Donburi Ringtones!

Found this website via Sonic Bids which allowed me to make some ringtones for you. They're free so you have NO excuse for not having the chorus of Dear Linden, Dear Linden or Escape - the Second Life song ring when your sweetheart calls.

More from Niko Donburi at Myxer

* * *

More from Niko Donburi at Myxer

Black is the Colour

What follows comes from watching too much YouTube. Tuesday evening as I was cleaning the studio I had YouTube up and was running through some of my favorite clips. Two in particular, Johnny Cash's searing rendition of Trent Reznor's Hurt and the Holohan Sister's version of Black is the Colour of My True Love's Hair some how got mashed up in my brain while I was sleeping. The next morning I tuned to DADGAD, a notorious Celtic guitar tuning, and came up with my version called Black is the Colour. A click on the song title should bring you to the song on last.fm.

In case you aren't familiar with the song, it is a traditional Scottish Song which somehow found its way to the Southern Appalachians. It was originally about a woman whose lover had failed to return from sea but I have changed the gender of the narrator given I'm the one singing it. Us guys can mourn too, you know....

(My version) of the lyrics:

Black is the colour of my true love's hair.

Her face is like some rosy fair,

The prettiest face and the neatest hands,

I love the ground whereon she stands.

I love my love and well she knows,

I love the ground whereon she goes,

If you no more on earth I see,

I can't serve you as you have me.

The winter's passed and the leaves are green,

The time is passed that we have seen,

But still I hope the time will come

When you and I shall be as one.

I go to the Clyde* for to mourn and weep,

But satisfied I never could sleep.

I'll write to you a few short lines,

I'll suffer death ten thousand times.

Black is the colour.

_ _ _ _

* In case you were wondering, the Clyde is a "a river of southwest Scotland flowing about 171 km (106 mi) northwest to the Firth of Clyde, an estuary of the North Channel. The river is navigable to Glasgow for oceangoing vessels." See here.

SL Under the Radar Episode #22

Radar was kind enough to chat abit about 44 lines about 22 Lindens in this recent episode which is fitting given that he interviewed Cogsworth Linden. Do yourself a favor and check out one of SL's best podcasters--you know it is good when Crap Mariner is a fan.

A Public Thank You to LL

Over the past year and a half I've admittedly done more than my share of complaining about Second Life and its troubles. Before the year ended, it was my goal to write a song giving "thanks" to all of the Lindens that make Second Life possible. Despite my grumbing and poking fun at you in song, I do appreciate all of your hard work.

At the same time, I got to wondering about who the "Lindens" are, what they do, etc. Thanks to Google, I stumbled upon the Second Life wiki article about Linden Lab employees which yielded enough information for the following creation:

44 Lines about 22 Lindens

Torley is the famous Linden
He's the one that does the blog
Robla works in management
He's just another Linden cog
Meta is the data cruncher
for the common metrics team
Poppy Linden finds the bugs
that cause us residents to scream

Pathfinder sends his snapshots
to his famous Flickr page
Mia rounds up volunteers
who do good work but don't get paid
Chiyo Linden is Japanese
we all call her Chiyo-chan
Colossus works with Jesse
keeping live music going strong

Brad is making Windlight
to turn the weather on and off
Bridie helps to fix the grid
when it starts to hack and cough
Elle is the french Linden
she's the one I'd like to meet
Blue Linden is famous
for the avatars that look so neat

He's also known as Cyan Linden
on the teen grid

Frontier's techy articles
I can never understand
Ginsu made the final call
on who or what got permabanned
Catherine's gift at marketing
helps Linden Lab stay in the press
Steve makes the SL Viewer
so Second Life will looks its best
Phoenix works on open source
for which he gets a lot of grief
Harry's making help search better
that should give us all relief
Cory's Linden Scripting Language
is what our world is based upon
but Philip Linden had the vision
so he's the one that ends this song

Thank you Lindens.
44 lines about 22 Lindens.

something funny

Received via e-mail, original author unknown:

A man in Phoenix calls his son in New York City two days before Christmas.

'I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing,' he says. 'Forty-five years is enough.'

'Pop, what are you talking about?' the son screams.

'We can't stand the sight of each other any longer,' the father says. 'I'm sick of talking about this, soyou call your sister in Chicago and tell her.'

Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone.

'Like heck they're getting divorced,' she shouts. 'I'll take care of this!'

She calls her parents immediately, and screams at her father, 'You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing!'

The father hangs up his phone and turns to his wife.

'OK,' he says; "the kids are coming for Christmas and paying their own way.'

Open Letter to Readers of ontohollywood

From a post to the Music Dev list, I learned that there is an interest be YouTube performers about coming into SL to perform. I posted the following to the ontohollywood blog and am reposting it here:

As a member of the live music community of Second Life, I'd like to welcome all you readers to come into Second Life and check things out. It's a great place to catch a gig, make some friends or do just about everything that you can imagine.

It is also provides a wonderful opportunity for those of you looking for a place to perform YOUR original music, as long as you keep the following in mind:

(1) Second Life itself is pretty CPU and Graphics card intensive. Adding audio capture and streaming software to the mix will push your system to its limits, not to mention your broadband connection.

(2) Don't expect to learn Second Life AND performing in Second Life in the same day, or even the same week. It is going to take you a while to learn how to get around, communicate, find shows, listen to audio, rez something, search your inventory, buy stuff, etc. You HAVE to learn how to do all of that before you can even be in a position to consider live performing. My advice: get a SL account and spent a few weeks checking out gigs. You'll not only learn how to operate in SL, but you can get an idea of the venues that are available, meet some performers and make a determination as to whether or not SL is for you.

(3) Learning to stream audio is not as simple as "plug-n-play." After you get comfortable in SL and have settled on a virtual instrument to play, head over to one of the open mics that cater to new performers and introduce yourself. They can direct you as to which streaming application you should use and will walk you through the steps of accessing the stream, setting levels, etc. You are going to have to be able to juggle two or three different activities while performing. It's not hard, but does take a while to learn.

(4) Forget making any money in SL, at least at the beginning. No one is going to pay you to play if you don't know what you are doing, are an "unknown" in SL and don't have a following. Play for tips only. It will not only get you more gigs, but it will quickly give you some feedback as to whether or not performing in SL is for you. Think of it as virtual busking.

(5) Contrary to what you may think, SL is not a game to us residents. It is a place. We make friends, enemies, lovers; earn an income and spend a lot of time (and money!). There is a social protocol that is expected to be followed (e.g. use "/" before your typed chat at a gig) and an understood vocabulary. Behind every avatar is another human, some more fragile than others. Yes, there are some assholes in SL. There are also some of the finest people I have ever met. Please be one of the latter, and not the former.

(6) Audiences in SL prefer original music.

Feel free to email me and/or IM me if you make it in-world.

Best of luck,

Niko Donburi - The "Weird Al" of Second Life
www.nikodonburi.com

Slusic & a new look!

I blink and another week or two slips by without me getting the chance to update the blog with the latest happening. Here are some of the highlights:

-- A new service has arisen which caters to SL music performers and fans: Slusic. Two of my CD's worth of music (Tales from the Grid and God doesn't care) are available for streaming. I'm nowhere near getting into the top 10 of songs played, but with your help who knows!... :-)
Click here to go to Niko Donburi's Slusic page

-- After a show on 10/20 I was interviewed by an SLCN reporter(Second Life Cable Network) for a new spot focusing on the SL live music scene. More details to follow...

-- More time in the studio has definitely paid off with not one or two but three new SL songs: "44 Lines About 22 Lindens," "Should I Stay or Should I Log In?" and "Virtual Stranger." While none of them have yet been uploaded for your listening pleasure, I am playing them at my gigs...

-- You can catch my show twice a month at the fine ASD Studios Hollywood sim where I've somehow convinced them to give me a two hour time slot rather than the standard one hour. This not only gives you the listener more time to satisfy your craving for an extra serving of Donburi (hehe nihongo no joudan) but also gives me more time to slow the pace down, add a couple more covers and a lot more originals. Check out the photo above for my latest performance sans hair!

Niko on Tonite Live!

Come early to the set of the Second Life Cable Network's Tonite Live! with Paisley Beebe as it is going to be a packed sim. I'm this week's musical guest and will be interviewed post-performance by Paisley. Click here for a slurl to the show where you can watch it live. The show is also being streamed live in-world, so tune it in. It begins at 6 pm SL on Sun 10/7.

The show will be uploaded to the Tonite Live! website post-premiere so I'll get a link here in the next day or so as well.

Other guests include:

Upo Choche - Artistic Director - who will share how the Act Up Theater group brings 'live' theater to SL and Setori Spire - Metabrand Developer - who speciallizes in the conceptualization, design and development of Metabrands within the SL Metaverse.

OK, I'm outing myself right here before you read it in the Second Life Insider, Second Life Herald or one of the other SL rags....

My show at the Plus sim opening will NOT be live. I am lipsynching the entire event. Actually, since SL lacks any ability to move lips (see Kronos' Lip Flap for more on this), I am not even able to lip synch. I am just going to be standing there, strumming my guitar whilst a German DJ plays my mp3s.

You are no doubt wondering how I went from being the "Weird Al" of Second Life to the Milli Vanilli almost overnight. I am as well.

Just Saturday evening I was rocking out the House of Flame's, raking in the Lindens and now, Monday afternoon at 11:30 am SL I'll be perched on the back of a semi trailer pseudo-lip synching to my OWN tunes at the opening of what appears to be a German Home Depo type store.

What's even worse is that I am doing the whole thing for nothing. Not a Linden. I thought I was going to be playing live so I went and got a nice 100 connect stream, started plugging phrases into Babelfish to have a bit of German patter between songs (don't want to make that infamous Kennedy gaff!) only to find out that they DON'T want me "live" live.

Why did I volunteer to do the show in the first place? Well, it was my understanding that this would be a bit of SL history.... The people behind the scenes will be broadcasting the event from Second Life to the real world via their lifecrawler application. At least, that's what I think is what should be happening. Babelfish translations can only get me so far!

If you are in-world, here is a slurl: http://www.slurl.com/secondlife/plus/288/139/31

Log into the DJ's (slr2) stream here.

House of Flames: Sat 9/22 at 8pm SL

If you can't be in-world at the time of the show, feel free to listen in:

House of Flames stream

Cybster's Concert Stream

It seems like forever since SLCC took place. As of this date, the musical performance have yet to be posted.

Radar Masukami tracked me down after a show for an interview for his podcast, SL Under the Radar:

SL Under the Radar 015 - Niko Donburi on SL, Music, and the SLCC

There are plenty of great musicians in Second Life. Niko Donburi (http://www.nikodonburi.com/) is one such musician, and he talks to me about second life, music, and the experience of playing at the SLCC.

Intro music is "Under the Radar" by the band What The...? (http://www.what-the.com/) Outro song this time is "Dear Linden, Dear Linden by Niko Donburi.

Click here for direct download in mp3

Take a listen to it and his other episodes. And, for you other podcasters out there, don't forget that all of my songs are podcast friendly!!!

SLCC Audio

Despite the technology problems at SLCC 2007 which thwarted plans to have performers in-world at the same time we were performing in Chicago, the audio was professionally captured, recorded and mixed by Nethermind Bliss. It is slowly being posted to the Internet Archive, a hosting site which features all sorts of free stuff that is in the public domain.

All of the music performances at SLCC can be located here.

Second Jam Radio

Xerses Goff (mastermind behind the Arbor Project and The Teleportation Trail), after being interviewed by ABC News at SLCC, turned around and interviewed me for his nascent Second Jam radio station.

Not only are many of my Second Life parodies playing, but he also has snippets from our interview and some of my non-SL songs as well. Other artists include Cylindrian Rutabaga, Rich DeSoto, Ka-klick Martin, and others.... Listen in.

download stuff

Can't make SLCC? No problem!

I understand if this year's SLCC in Chicago is just too far away for you to attend, I really do. That's no excuse, however, for not catching the show.

Those of you with Second Life accounts can attend one of the various in-world venues that will be live streaming the audio. I and the rest of the band (the Music Monkeys) will be logged into SL whilst we are playing so you will be virtually there. If the many sims are full, lagged or if you simply have something else to do in-world then you can stream the audio to your parcel: http://social.phreak-radio.com.

What? You don't have any land? No problem: I'm setting my Tyta parcel to the stream before I leave so that you can stop by the ole duck pond (yes, it truly is a duck pond) and enjoy some SL wildlife along with the tunes.

Those of you that are technologically impaired or have chosen to avoid getting a Second Life for whatever reason don't need to feel left out either. Well, OK, you can feel left out but you can still listen in by entering the following into WinAmp, I-Tunes or another stream reader:

http://phreak-radio.com/social.pls

And lastly, those of you who truly have NO IDEA what the hell I am talking about need to get a life....

Tales from the Grid

After heavy lobbying from certain nuts in the peanut gallery I call my fanclub, the name of the CD has been finalized as Tales from the Grid. Actually, I think it perfectly summarizes the contents of the songs contained within.

Those of you attending SLCC in Chicago on Sat. August 25th will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase the CDs. I've only printed up 35 of them so once they are gone, they are gone. I'll set one aside for you if you send me an email. Heck, I'll even mail you one if you want to pay for shipping. The cost: only $5 US or whatever the equivalent is in Lindens! That's a better deal than you'll be getting on iTunes when I get around to finalizing the details for inclusion on that all-too-addictivesite.

CD title headache

As some of you know, I am in the process of finalizing a CD of my SL songs to bring to SLCC. Esch Snoates, design builder of Artropolis sim and a featured artist at this year's SLCC, and I have been trying to come up with a suitable title for the CD. Something that will capture the essence of the songs and SL.

Here are some of the ones discussed this evening:

"Second Life: Buggier Than First Life"
"The Furry Linden Conspiracy"
"Grid Wars: A New Dope"
"Lindens and Furrys and Geeks, Oh My!"
"Tales from the Grid"
"The Magical Mystery Grid"
"Second Life Survival Guide"
"Things to listen to while the grid is down"
"Second Life: The Saga Of The Rolling Update"
"Dear Linden, Dear Linden"
"Second Life: It's not just for porn anymore"
"Biting The Grid That Feeds Me"
"SL: The Chronicles Of Noob"
"So Pretentious, It's Untitled"
"Don't Eat Soggy Cornchips"
"This Aint' Yo Mama's Second Life"
"Not Suitable For Anybody"
"Missing Image"
"SL: The Day The Grid Died"
"Stability Isn't Just A Four Letter Word"
"Songs That Make You AFK"
"Packet Loss And You"
"Songs To Lag By"
"Untitled and Unloved"
"The Truth About Second Life"
"Waiting For A Third Life"
"For A Few Lindens More"
"A Fist Full Of Lindens"
"God Save The Lindens!"
"In Second Life, Titles Write You!"
"My poseball is bigger than your poseball"
"Gridstock"
"Singing In The Grid"
"Darkside Of The Grid"
"Bark At The Grid"
"Last Train To Gridsville"
"Sgt Niko's Lonely Second Life Band"
"SL: A Cry For Help"
"Second Life: A Fork In The Eye"
"Don't blame me, I voted for Niko!"
"Buy This CD And Grow Hair!"
"6 Songs To Help You Lose Weight!"
"Flammable Songs For Combustable People"
"The First Of Second Life"
"A Second Life First"

At the conclusion of which I said to hell with it and decided to simply name the thing "Second Life".

SLCC: Here we come!

Thankfully, as you have all likely heard by now, the performers at SLCC and the powers-that-are at SLCC were able to come to an agreement over the terms of the release. You can read more at the SLNN website.

OK, it was all my fault. I posted, in relevant part, the following on the SLCC Music Performers group:

I recently saw this on http://slcc2007.wordpress.com/2007/06/28/slcc-community-standards-agreement:

"5. With the exception of Phreak Media and its subsidiaries, recording
of video or audio of any sessions or live performances is strictly
prohibited and subject to legal action. We are bound by both union
rules and contractual obligations. This does not apply to news
coverage and interviews or incidental documentary footage, B-Roll and
background images. It is not permissible to rebroadcast any
performance, panel or track."

I found this "new requirement" particularly interesting given that I
am one of the performers that has been selected to perform at SLCC. It
was certainly news to me that I am now prohibited from recording (on
audio or video) my own performance. Even more interesting is that I
have somehow given "Phreak Media" (whomever they may be) the EXCLUSIVE
rights to record and publish my performance. When did I do this?

I think all of us performers are entitled to an explanation as to what
is going on. I routinely record my performances (both in RL and SL)
and encourage others to do as well. I was not pleased to find out that
some otherwise unknown entity (The Future United) has given another
unknown entity (Phreak Media) an exclusive license over my
intellectual property without having the decency to inform me.

The response included a "release" that I was informed I had to sign in order to play at SLCC. Then the fun began as set forth:

on Slim's blog

and SecondLife Insider amongst others.

Of particular note was John Swords a/k/a Johnny Ming of SecondCast's comment:

3. The agreement between Phreak Radio and SLCC organizers was not in the spirit of new media and should be reconsidered because its simply unprecedented.

I personally will attend regardless of what the musicians do. However, I fully intend to audio and video podcast from the event.

If Phreak Radio or the SLCC organizers want to escort me or anyone else off the premises for doing so, so be it.


Posted at 6:01PM on Jul 6th 2007 by John Swords

Let's all hold our breath and see what happens!!

Blog Posts

Thanks to my handy-dandy ego notification system (aka Google!), I received notice that Bella March stumbled upon and put in a plug for my tunes. Take a look at her post on her blog The Adventures of Bella March in Second Life.

It turns out that google doesn't get everything as Vint Falken also posted on her blog VintFalken.com about AND suggested an additional verse for Dear Linden, Dear Linden.

As Vint comments, Dear Linden, Dear Linden is a bit outdated these days. Everytime I play it I have to keep increasing the number of millions referenced in the third verse. When I first wrote it, 1,000,000 users was still a bit of a ways off (and brought the grid to its knees). Now we are at 7,256,167 as of this post. By the time SLCC comes around, I wonder if we'll have reached 10 million?

Take a look at this great screenshot captured by the talented Kronos. More can be found at his Bonfire photo site.

Upcoming Show

My next scheduled gig is, of course, the upcoming 24 hour BonFire Festival to be held June 1st and 2nd. I was given the 7 pm SL time slot by the ever gracious Flameheart Sol. Start spreading the word!

SL Relay for Life

Despite the problems with the most-recent update, there was a good turnout at last nite's gig starting off Haroldthe Burrel's "Once a Day in May" live music event for the SL Relay for Life on-going benefit. He is featuring a different performer each nite and was relentless in his attempts to get me to come out of "summer semi-retirement" and play a gig. While I don't know the finally tally of contributions made last night, hopefully he got off to a good start.

On other matters, I am honored to announce that the artistic creator of Artropolis Esch Snoats is working on the cover art for my Second Life CD which will be for sale at SLCC.

SecondCast: Escape - The Second Life Song

My car was broken into the other day and I haven't had a chance to get a new one. Hence I missed episode #55 of SecondCast where they played Escape - The Second Life Song in the middle of the podcast!

I was cooking dinner for the kids listening to SecondCast episodes I had missed when suddenly my daughter starts laughing and jumping around, yelling "that's Daddy's song"!

Blog Post: PacificRim Exchange

I was talking to a RL friend the other day about SL, you know, trying to explain what this cyberspaceplace really is all about, and I made the comment that my SL persona had more google hits than my RL one. When I ran my name through, I found a nice comment on the PacificRim Exchange blog wondering how many Linden Lab iPods have these tracks in their playlists?

Hmm... I know that Pathfinder Linden has heard my tunes. Perhaps a Linden may stumble upon this and let me know if I'm getting any airplay there at LL?

BTW, the post on PacificRim Exchange about the History of Avatars is worth a look.

House of Flames gig goes down in, well, flames!

So there I am, three-fourths of the way through my House of Flames gig when someone hijacks my stream! Apparently the in-world vendor I purchased it from sold it to someone else as well. So I'm trying to play a quiet acoustic tune whilst some other guy has decided to DJ deathcore or something. Quite an abrupt sound switch for my listening audience.

I've IMed the stream provider and am awaiting a response--and my money back. After all, my gig was ruined and I lost income I would have normally received PLUS came across looking as a complete noob who doesn't know how to stream a show. Hopefully the stream proprietor will make good so that I don't have to name names and spread word of what happened. Screw ups DO happen and I am willing to live with that, but I want my 4,000 Linden back.

Watch this space for more details....

IT'S OFFICIAL: SLCC2007 here we come!

Just as I was getting ready to log off yesterday evening, I received an IM from Nethermind that the selection of performers for SLCC2007 in Chicago had been made and that I was chosen to be one of the soloists that will be backed by the house band!!

So, if you are in Chicago August 24th - 26th, be sure and stop by the Chicago Hilton and check out the live performance. It is also my understanding that a SLCC2007 Compilation Album is going to be put out featuring a song from each of the performers. While I'll be putting out a poll in-world to determine which tune should go on the CD, feel free to drop me a comment as well.

Surprise! Donburi on Secondcast #53

I was listening to SecondCast episode #53 "Beer in the Ballroom" when I heard Johnnie mention my name as the one who did the intro music to SecondCast episode #52 "One Year Anniversary." Then he went ahead and played "Dear Linden, Dear Linden" again!

Episode #53 was about SLCC2007. I've submitted my stuff to be one of the "chosen five." Hmmm.... coincidence? Guess we'll just all have to wait and see. In the meantime, why not listen to some tunes?

gig: March 24 at House of Flames

I'll be headlining the House of Flames line-up for the March 24th "March Madness" show. I've submitted some material for use in their podcast which should be coming out shortly. I sent them a new tune written especially for the upcoming gig: My Favorite Things (About Second Life) so hopefully they'll give it a play.

My Favorite Things (About SL)

written and performed by Niko Donburi


Offers of friendship and IM conversations
Dance balls and pose balls and new animations
Earning some Lindens with the songs that I sing
These are a few of my favorite things

Learning new games and vocabulary
Like tringo and slingo and of course primtionary
Taking a class to study scripting
These are a few of my favorite things

Wearing some clothes that a friend has made for me
Sailing a yacht on a virtual sea
Up in a sky box cybering
These are a few of my favorite things

When the grid's down
When there's griefers
When I can't TP
I simply remember my favorite things
and what Second Life means to me....

* * *

This was first performed at my first show at the House of Flames, one of the top venues in Second Life. I wanted to have a special debut so I built the show around this song. It is based on "My Favorite Things." It has been the only song that I could not find a chord chart online. So I had to figure it out by myself.

NIKO DONBURI: THE SL COMMUNITY MUSICAL MUSE

There is nothing cooler than run a google search on yourself and finding a post. Lordfly Digeridoo had a nice post about me on his GridBlog:

"If you’ve been listening to Secondcast lately, you might have caught 'Dear Linden, Dear Linden' by Niko Donburi, an acoustic guitar musician who happens to write catchy songs about Second Life. His song style is pretty catchy, even the faux-covers (of REM and Cheech and Chong, so far), but the lyrics cover pretty much most of the facets of the SL experience. Give him a listen :)"

Hopefully the SLCC judges are reading!

Kat's Place podcast

Katronix Serf (cool name), the host of the The Kat's Place podcast, has asked me to write him a theme song for his show. Take a listen and let me know what you think of it. He also features Dear Linden, Dear Linden as one of his spotlight tunes so now you've GOT to listen in....

[t2]SecondTunes

Bobby Fairweather has spent a lot of time getting SecondTunes up and running. It allows us SL based musicians to sell or give away our mp3s in-world. My bio page can be found here. And yes, I know that that is a low def picture I have up but I haven't had the chance to upload a better one yet.

At any rate, stop by Bobby's music store in-world and get some tunes!

SLCC?

Today was the deadline for submissions to SLCC2007. Only five performers will be selected to play on stage during the live event. I submitted three of my SL tunes: Second Life (That's Where I Want To Be), Dear Linden, Dear Linden and It's the End of the World As We Know It (In Second Life). Watch this space to find out if I am one of the chosen few...!

Blog Post: 9scape

SL resident iconolith Taggart and RL participant Christen Bouffard (by day, an instructional designer for UAF who spends a disproportionate amount of time exploring SL from an educational perspective; by night a pie loving shape-changer) gave me a nice "shout out" on her 9scape blog and gave the links to Second Life (That's Where I Want To Be) and Dear Linden, Dear Linden. Be sure and take a look at her blogs.

Donburi on iLike!

I was just googling myself one day (boy, that sounds dirty, doesn't it?) and ran across a hit on iLike. Much to my surpise there is a listing for Niko Donburi. That's pretty cool. Someone called Robbiet480 has, as of this date, listened to Second Life (That's Where I Want To Be) 20 times!

I am going to do some more digging into this Robbiet480 person who obviously has great taste!

Dear Linden, Dear Linden on Secondcast

The Secondcast 1 year anniversary show begins with Dear Linden, Dear Linden. It will be interesting to see what type of attention this will attract. Perhaps the SLCC2007 music selection folks will happen to listen to it and think, "damn, we've got to have this guy play as one of the chosen five..."

Gig: The Cafe

I had a great time performing at the Cafe in Barcelona last nite. If you have not seen that sim then you definitely need to stop by and check it out. It was also the first time I have played for an SL audience that had a significant number of non-English speakers. It certainly made following the chat a bit more difficult!

Thanks to the following for their contributions: Liam Serf, Jacobi Haskell, Tami Lyne, Zann Canto, Maximillian Desoto, Kent Diplomat, Sean Cinquetti, Flameheart Sol, Kelly Young , Lovely Encore , Eponymous Drake and the ever generous Circe Broom !

Gig: Artropolis

Niko Donburi plays Live at Artropolis 02, originally uploaded by Pathfinder Linden.

Here is Pathfinder over on the left. Is that a frog? Lizard? I'd best check his profile and see. If someone knows, put it in the comments... please!

Gig: Artropolis

Niko Donburi plays Live at Artropolis 03, originally uploaded by Pathfinder Linden.

I played the Artropolis Sim opening at the Mandel'Brats and Brew stage yesterday. Artropolis is the only artist colony in SL that supports all the arts: Art, Music, Poetry, and Theater. Esch Snoats did the building of the sim and it looks great. I think Filthy Fluno runs the place.

Before the gig I had a bit of trouble TPing into the sim as it was full. I thought I might end up ghost streaming the gig but fortunately someone got a Linden to lift the AV cap. Or perhaps someone else got booted out of SL and I happened to push the button at the right time!

A funny story: I was just getting into the set and half-way through Dear Linden, Dear Linden when Pathfinder Linden strolls in and stands right up by the stage. As best I could tell, his AV is an amphibian of some sorts. Then he hops up, only to get hit in the head by the ceiling fan. It was quite hilarious. I actually stopped playing and had to restart the song. Pathfinder has posted more photos he took over on Flickr so take a look....

Who is Niko Donburi anyway?

Hi.

Suffice to say if you've read this far, you must be interested in finding out more about me.

I'm basically a songwriter. A man, a guitar and a pen, as the saying goes.

Well, actually, I made that last bit up. There isn't such a saying. Or at least I don't think so. [Note to someone: please google that and let me know if there is.]

But, in essence, that is what I do. Think of some words, find some notes that fit (or vice versa) and then try and tell a story.

To me, the perfect song is one that you cannot stop thinking about.

Perhaps it has a catchy chorus that flutters in your head. Maybe it paints a story so vivid that you could swear that it was about you. Or maybe it simply causes you to press "play" one more time. These are the songs I try to write.

It would be a lie, of course, to tell you that every one of my songs is "perfect." In fact, I have a box full of cassette tapes, minidiscs and CD-ROMS as proof that most of my songs aren't. But I keep trying. And once in a while, sometimes once every couple of years, I'll get one right.

In RL I have spent many years living, traveling and playing music around the world. I have played clubs in Japan, restaurants in Indonesia and busked in the streets of London. I have studied songwriting formally at National Guitar Summer Workshops and informally by listening, listening, listening to music. Mostly, however, I have simply written songs. I'm realistic enough to realize that I'd never be able to make a living off of whatever songwriting talent I had, so I just write them because they need to be written.

These days I limit my performances to Second Life. It provides me with the opportunity to play my songs for people around the world without having to leave my home. I never enjoyed going to a coffee bar and trying to be heard over the espresso machine. Audience members rarely listened to the words, nor couldn't if they wanted to. Add to it my general reluctance to actually sing in front of people and you can see why performing in a virtual world would appeal to me.

Please check out some of the other links found on the main page. Feel free to IM me in-world or check out my SLProfile.

By the way, all songs posted here are:





This
work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.

I also compose ambient electronica under the name nikorasu. You can stream or download my CD "Music for Unseen Films" here and the soundtrack to my machinima collection, "Twisted Prim," should be up soon.

say something, anything

The word made its way slowly through the gossips and within a few days we all knew he had returned.

By then the crowds had begun filling the market street. His pilgrims were hot and dusty from their trek into Capernaum, and the sheer number of them made it difficult for me to keep an eye on any one of them. Marlev demanded I pay him extra to work into the afternoon, but I didn't put up much of a haggle. It was quite clear that even after paying him an additional shekel or two, I was still going to make quite a profit.

By midafternoon my stall was empty and I had closed for the day. Marlev got his pay and I took the rest to Eldorn the money changer for safekeeping. The pilgrims were everywhere, and the closer I got to home the more there were. The street was packed. People were standing shoulder to shoulder and I could barely get my way through. Children were perched on their father's shoulders to avoid harm else they might get trampled. They were a nuisance, dirty and I couldn't wait to get through them and into the safe and quiet of my home.

Across the way I saw Marlev fighting through the crowd, coming towards me. He began shouting my name and calling me over to him. His face was flushed and his clothes were dusty.

"We need your help," he shouted over the noise of the crowd.

I shook my head and waved him away. He fought the crowd and was able to get closer.

"No," he said. He paused for a moment to catch his breath. "You must help us with Shaphan. We've got to get him inside."

He turned and pointed to a doorway of a house just up the street. The doorway was open but I couldn't see into the building because of the people who were standing near the entrance. I could see that there was no way anyone, let alone Shaphan, was going to get in there.

I shook my head. "I've got things to do. Find someone else."

Before I could turn he grabbed my shoulder.

"This is important," he exclaimed. "He is inside, the one they are calling the Messiah. He can heal Shaphan."

I shrugged.

He reached in his pouch and pulled out the three coins I had paid him earlier. "Help me for this then." He put the coins in my hand. "It's all I have."

I hesitated for a moment then quickly pocketed the coins before he could change his mind. "Alright," I replied. "Where is he?"

Marlev turned and began pushing his way back through the crowd, crossing the street. I followed in his wake as best I could. He stopped near a pair of men who were standing over Shaphan, who was lying on his mat.

Shaphan and I had been friends once, back when he could walk. After his fall, however, I didn't have much company with him. I wasn't much fond of beggars, which was all Shaphan did since he could no longer do a normal man's work. I didn't know the other two men, but by their ages and the excitement in their eyes I could see that they were infected with the same fervor as Marlev. They talked amongst themselves. One of them wanted us to carry Shaphan on our shoulders and march through the crowd as a group to get him to the doorway. Marlev disagreed. By the looks of the crowd we weren't going to be going anywhere.

Suddenly, Shaphan spoke up. "The roof. Drop me through the roof."

I looked at the roof of the building we were trying to reach. Like the rest of the block, it had a thatch and roped cover. If we could find a way onto the roof, we might be able to break through the thatch. We could then lower him down....

By the time we were able to get Shaphan on the roof, I had realized that Marlev had gotten the better part of the deal. Shaphan was heavy, it was dusty and I was getting hot. We quickly pulled apart the thatch roofing and made a hole big enough to fit Shaphan through. With a heave we were able to get him through the hole and begin to lower his swinging body down onto the crowd. He was heavy.

"He's down," whispered Marlev. "And there's the Messiah."

I brushed one of the other two men away from the opening in the roof and looked down on the head of a man who was standing before the temple crowd.

"Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?" I heard the man say.

He pointed at the scribes one by one. "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk'?"

He went over to Shaphan, who was up on one elbow, watching.

"But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth," he said loudly, still facing Shaphan. "I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home!"

The room was still as we all watched Shaphan, reclined upon his mat.

There was silence.

Even the bugs had stopped their chirping outside.

From my angle, I could see his eyes. They were wide, gazing in adoration at the figure standing above him.

Shapah lifted his head.

Then stood.

The crowd gasped.

Shaphan looked down at the people seated on the floor. At the scribes seated before him. Then he bent down and picked up his mat. He didn't say a word. The crowd was silent. Shapan slowly made his way through the crowd to the door.

"Shaphan," I said.

He stopped.

Everyone looked at me.

The man they called the Messiah looked at me. Right in the eyes. And He knew what I was thinking. And He knew what I wanted to say even better than I did.

He saw my heart.

He saw my secrets.

He knew it was I who had pushed Shaphan off the wall.

My mouth went dry.

Everyone was looking at me.

Waiting for me to say something.

Anything.

something funny

Emailed to me so don't know the original source:

A farmer named Clyde had a car accident.

In court, the trucking company's lawyer was questioning Clyde.... "Didn't you say, at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine,'" asked the lawyer?

Clyde responded, "Well, I'll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule, Bessie, into the..."

"I didn't ask for any details", the lawyer interrupted. "Just answer the question? Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, "I'm fine!"?

Clyde said, "Well, I had just got Bessie into the trailer and I was driving down the road...."

The lawyer interrupted again and said, "Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Highway Patrolman on the scene that he was just fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question."

By this time, the Judge was fairly interested in Clyde's answer and said to the lawyer, "I'd like to hear what he has to say about his favorite mule, Bessie".

Clyde thanked the Judge and proceeded, "Well as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into the trailer and was driving her down the highway when this huge semi-truck and trailer ran the stop sign and smacked my truck right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. I was hurting, real bad and didn't want to move. However, I could hear ole Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans.

Shortly after the accident a Highway Patrolman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her, he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes. Then the Patrolman came across the road, gun in hand, looked at me, and said "How are you feeling?"

Now what the hell was I supposed to say?"

Secondcast plays Donburi!

I am an avid listener of the Secondcast podcast so you can imagine my excitement when I learned that Secondcast episode #41 "Samuri Podcasting" opened with Second Life (That's Where I Want To Be)!!!

I had been reading their website and noticed a feedback link and dropped them an email with the song. I figured why not? I got a reply back a day or two later that Johnny Ming (aka Swords) liked the tune and was going to put it in the next episode.

Gig: Hummingbird Cafe

Finished up It's the End of the World As We Know It (In Second Life) and got the kids to bed in time to make the open mic at the Hummingbird. I was the last performer and they kept the gig going a bit later than usual for me to get my short, SL-set in.

Milady Guillaume took a couple of photos of me performing. Take a look at this one.

Gig: Alzheimers Benefit

Played the Alzheimers Benefit concert organized and hosted by Kaklick. I made the "foolish" mistake of treating the event like an NPR fundraiser and made a pledge challenge that I would match all contributions made during my hour performance. Remind me to never do that again. lol. I won't tell you how much was collected nor what I contributed but I can safely say that my hour brought in more Lindens than any other.... Ouch!

There is a photo taken of the event. I'll upload it when I get a chance.

gig: New World Gallery

I played Vlad Bjornson's New World Gallery yesterday. Lagora Corinthian had a showing of sculpture and Esch his artwork.

What the Shi'ites are fighting for

Found this article in today's London Times (03 October 2006) :

Waiting for the imam's return to Earth

THE followers of Moqtada al-Sadr believe that the US invaded Iraq to prevent the return to Earth of their sect’s messiah-like figure, the Mahdi, or 12th imam.
Hojatoleslam al-Sadr claims that his militia is preparing for the day when the Mahdi, the last direct descendent of the revered Shia figure Ali, reappears. Shia believe that the Mahdi, who disappeared in 868, will bring justice to Earth.

At a prayer service in the central Iraqi city of Kufa on September 15, the cleric told a crowd of thousands that the Americans were collecting a dossier on the Mahdi to prevent his return. “Did you ever ask yourself about why all of this, the bloodshed and the prisons? Why are the brothers fighting each other for a political game planned by the Americans? This all happened because they (the Americans) are waiting for the Mahdi. This planning started ten years ago. They have a big file for Imam Mahdi and they just need his picture to complete it.”

Hojatoleslam al-Sadr and his advisers are convinced that the Americans want to destroy Islam and stop the Mahdi. “The Americans are trying to hijack Islamic movements. They think that these are serving the Mahdi’s interests. Whatever they did in Afghanistan and Iraq are all attempts to hijack the Mahdi’s return.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2385384,00.html



I did find this in the Christian Science Monitor about Iran:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1221/p01s04-wome.html

But nothing else. Hmm.. how come we don't see anything about this in the Des Moines Register? Or any US paper, for that matter?