Monday, 06/02/2003 Entry: "Back and Madder than Ever"

Some stupid ass kid - can't tell the gender - just got on the train and sat beside me. It's not enough they took out their breakfast and the smell is making me nauseous, they started blasting their fucking Discman in my ear too. Why this compells me to write I'm not sure. Maybe it's because it's a single thing to focus on.

It sounds like Enya. Pretty ironic for unenlightened behavior.

Anyway, the last few months I've been busy in cyberspace so much I haven't been able to blog. When I could, it was difficult to decide on a single thing to bring up. In cyberspace things happen so quickly.

If I fucking wanted to hear Enya, I'd play it myself.

Anyway, my avatar's been upgraded. I don't know whether I brought it up before, but since week #1 in Cybertown, I used a body of the Doctor created by someone with a site of sci fi and moviestar avatars. I took the files and in photoshop made variations (with permission of course).

But it limited me...

The effect is not unlike that of the holographic doctor's projection technology. Two files comprise most avatars: the form of the body and a texture defining detail (The doctor is a shape of forcefield and his details filled in by photons projected against the inside of the layer. He himself isnt projects but his definitions are against his body). The VRML file provides the shape, a featureless mass of rust orange. The face, skin details, clothing, hair definitions, etc, are compiled on a single image file. The VRML is programmed to take specific sections of the file and apply that pattern or feature to the right location on the body. Therefore, I had to work within the limitations of the body contour: no jackets or extraneous accessories. Likewise Seven has heels so she cant wear sneakers or go barefoot. A friend who is Captain Picard can't have a swimsuit because his pants have a flared hem and that would look freak for bare legs.

So I decided to make an avatar from scratch. Gathered animation moves from various friends and made some of my own. Made a basic av from which I can mix n match new outfits if I wish. So I finally have a dress uniform for special occasions, and I can flip.

The kid turned it up. I can only be thankful it isn't something vile like Snoop Doggy Dogg.

A happy accident is how the body works: I walk stiffly and silly (I run even sillier) and when I stop, my shoulders line up and my arms snap to my sides. Just like an EMH! It's sooo cool!

In the interim, I've seen changes made to the hosted one since two other EMHs have shown up in Cybertown over the past two months. Since as of the second month I hosted my own variants (all with mobile emitters), I didn't realize the creator had altered anything. The EMH av now stands with its hands behind its back in a very uncharacteristically bashful manner. It's disconcerting to watch. Anyway the last time I saw one of them, he had his hands by his sides again. Maybe someone came to their senses LOL