An Introduction and the Care & Feeding of Dollkind

I was relaxing in FreeFlow, my estate in Caledon on Sea as I am oft to do, when someone wandered up to me. This is not an unusual occurrence, and most of the time I look forward to it. Most folk in Caledon are polite and kind.

What I found before me was a young clockwork creation, dressed in black & white, key turning in her back. She had the appearance of a young teenage girl, and acts in that manner, but she was not yet a day old, it being her rez day. She was very polite, almost unsure about being on my estate -- not seeming to realize that parcels in Caledon are privately held, but I assured her she was welcome.

She told me she was hoping to find a girl that would love her and play with her. She seemed so sweet and innocent. I decided to make a gift to her for her rez day something no clockwork creation should be without. I gave her a heart.

I have been chastised before about giving this particular gift too lightly. A friend told me recently just what it means to constuct.

" ... in many construct's minds, in mine when I'm the doll, the gift of a clockwork heart is more important than token, it is life and love and offering and power source It's someone telling us, I know you need this, I know you do not have one of your own, let me give this to you, imbued with some of myself to power the gears Or seen another way, let me be the guiding force in your life, the instrument that keeps breath you may or may not need moving through lungs, to keep life humming under your skin, to provide that spark of soul and power ."

I still don't know what moved me to make this gift... I felt an instant connection with her, and well I just sensed she needed it.

It wasn't long after that that my Lady Love Dar arrived in FreeFlow and met her as well. Again the doll told her of her desire to find someone to love and play with her. Dar often says she is 6, at heart and I half wondered if Dar was not the one she may be looking for. But soon she wanted to explore more of Caledon, we gave her directions to the neighboring sims, and before she left I offered her friendship, which she accepted saying I was her first friend, and with that she said good-bye.

But this doll wouldn't leave my mind... later that night, cuddling on Dar's carousel in Kittiwickshire, Dar suggested that I adopt her. I hadn't really considered it, not knowing if I was up to it or if she would even desire a male guardian. Left me with something to consider.

So I slept on it. However on the next day I heard reports she was doing well, exploring Kittiwickshire, however she had an incident where she was abused, apparently for simply being a doll. She was an innocent alone in the world, and so I offered to be her guardian, and she accepted. So now it is my happy duty to introduce to society, my Ward, Miss Tempyst Lane.

Miss Tempyst Lane, and her Guardian ZenMondo Wormser

Little Miss, as I call her is on a journey of self-discovery as to what it means to be a Doll in this world, and in Caledon in particular, and I hope to be a help along the way. Together we hope to find that girl that will love her and play with her, if she is out there somewhere. But for now fate has brought us together.

Sir Zen Offers his Guardianship to Tempyst as Lady Lavendar Beumont looks on
(photo by Lavenar Beumont)

Sir Zen shows his new ward her new home, FreeFlow
(photo by Lavendar Beaumont)

This will take some adujustment on my part. FreeFlow isn't really set up but to be the residence of one person. I am not even sure of the needs a doll will have. I guess we will see how FreeFlow evolves. There is much I do not know, and already have had help from those Caledonians that we have encountered together, with advice that wouldn't even occur to me. So in some ways I do think it will take a village. I hope Caledon will help me in welcoming her to our fine society.

An Apology

An apology has been received, and forgiveness given, by others and by me. There will be no shunning from the Code Poet.

Adventures in the Wasteland

So last night found me in esteemed company. I hate to drop names, so I will just use his title "Guvnah". Getting a bit behind the scenes looks of things, which I just love, as director's commentary is my favorite feature on DVDs. Well in the wee hours of the morning I meet a friend of the Guvnah's and he has created a collection of sims that is and I quote "Caledon in 3000 years from now".

So our intrepid party comprising of Myself, Miss Carricre Wind, the Guvnah, and our guide and host Mr. NeoBokrug Elytis, were off the wastelands. We explored The Wastelands, followed by The Great Fissure, which will have to be seen to be believed. And by myself, after Miss Wind and the Guvnah succumbed to some strange state called "sleep" (alien to us CodePoets) I was taken to The Junkyard, where I saw in 3000 years hence the rememberance of our great Nation.

It wondered if this was the site of "Caledon's Last Stand" but my host Mr. Elytis said it was just something someone found and placed in the junk pile. Mayahps our proud nation or the symbols that have survived 3000 years hence will inspire some civility in the savages that inhabit The Wasteland.


Here I am seen in The Junkyard with native to The Wastelands Mr. Gutterblood Spoonhammer who was very fond of saying "I will eat joo", Myself, the time displaced envoy from Caledon, and my host, Mr. Mr. NeoBokrug Elytis.

If you would like to see the remnant of Caledon yourself, use this handy slurl:

secondlife://The Junkyard/134/186/73

As much as I enjoyed my time in The Wastelands it was nice to return to my Estate FreeFlow, in Caledon on Sea, to see my beloved nation whole and intact.

Plans are afoot

So not too long ago, I acquired a second parcel in Steam Sky City... to be honest, I needed the prims, for ZenMondo's CodePoetry & SteamWorks, but I don't want to leave the space lay fallow either, so I had to think of a low-prim use for the property.

I named the new place "Steam Sonnet" not knowing what to do with it... but I had a germ of an idea.

That idea has since grown and budded, and I have trimmed away the branches and am left with one vision.

Not to give too much away, but it will involve art, and poetry.

My lady love, Lady Lavendar Beaumont has found herself in a position as a kind of art agent. So I enlisted her help to try to acquire the services of an artist to help fulfill my vision. I have hired Miss Sieben Ochs for two pieces to see how we work together. The CodePoet is hopeful, ever hopeful....

Happy Rez Day Mr. Drinkwater -- (AND It's not a DUEL)

Yesterday was the rez day party for Caledon's beloved librarian, Mr. JJ Drinkwater. It was held on a lovely platform floating above Primverness. It was wonderful of Her Grace, CoyoteAngel Dimsum to host us in her duchy.

I gave Mr. Drinkwater two presents last night. The first was a Quizaphone, with a newly written HG Wells quiz (Now Playable at my shoppe in SteamSkyCity). The second was the fulfillment of a request. Who am I to deny the rezday boy?

As Mr. Drinkwater prepared for his Haiku Duel, I as his second would have sparring sessions with him. Alas, I do not have the transcripts to the sparring session. After his duel we often talked about doing an exhibition match. Well last night was our exhibition. And now writing the word, do I realize how appropriate "exhibition" was. For we did not stand apart at 10 paces hurling 5-7-5's at each other, the encounter was more intimate than that. It was the variation on the Duchess Sandwich, the Duchess Manwich, first seen at Her Grace, Eva Bellambi's rezday party.

Mr. Wormser, Her Grace Gabrielle Reil, Rezday boy JJ Drinkwater
photograph by Lady Lavendar Beumont

Here we see that the center of the manwich and the inspiration for the night's poetry was Her Grace, Gabrielle Riel. Unlike our sparring session, I have this time saved the Haiku Exhibition. Mr. Drinkwater went first, followed by yours truly.

Good Sir ZenMondo/I think it now behooves us/ to Oblige Her Grace?

To oblige her grace / no greater honor is this / to serve great beauty.

to serve great beauty/ one poet tries with his skill/ *two* must use teamwork

Two must use teamwork / a bond not to be broken / Three is much stronger

Three *is* much stronger/ a number famed in magic/ three wishes, three fates....

Three Wishes, Three Fates / three dancers are intertwined / Grace is apparent.

Grace is apparent/ if Grace turns away from one/ the next will catch her

The next will catch her / If one is falling in love / never hit bottom

never hit bottom/ when Beauty's held by we who/ pass Grace hand to hand

Pass Grace hand to hand / whispers will pass heart to heart / sharing the beauty.

Sharing the beauty/ to have a fellow who knows/ my meter, is joy

"My Meter is Joy" / I think Drinkwater's Bragging / there is more than size.

there is more than size/ when as well as height and breadth/ we measure in rhyme

we measure in rhyme / passion surely is no crime /while dancing in time

while dancing in time/ we find, too, that there is space/ for this energy

for this energy / propelling us to the sky /more than potential

If this seems a bit on the short side for an exhibition, there is a reason. The Incident at JJ Drinkwater's Rez Day Party is one that will not be soon forgot, and I see no purpose in rehashing it now. All I will say on the manner is that one man's reputation is perhaps irreparably tarnished in Caledon, and an undeserved injury was given a lady.

Already there have been calls to meet the cad on a field of honor, but I think more appropriate response will not to call anymore attention to the shameful act, but merely to shun the vilain.

My first press clippings

I have often joked about wanting to be famous. Well I say its a joke, but its a true desire. Only I want to be known for GOOD THINGS, I don't want to be famous for breaking hearts or doing something dishonorable or unseemly.

Imagine my delight when my photo appeared on pg. 25 of the Metaverse Messanger:

Alas, this was when I had my old slouchy AO, not my new fine "Gentleman Jim" AO (which dear readers, I highly recommend). Alas though my visage is seen, my name is absent from the article, as I am referred to as the anonymous "Mr. Drinkwater's second".

Yet, my name was mentioned in the New World Notes!

Mayhaps fame will be mine after all....

A quiet moment in Kitiwickshire, contemplation and a proposition

Here I am cuddling with Lady Lavendar Beaumont, something I am in the the habit of doing of late. It was while I was cuddling with her, one evening in Kittiwickshire, that she told me of the party she is having to raise money for RFL. She told me it was going to be themed after the musical, South Pacific, and asked if I was familiar with it. "I played Lt. Buzz Adams in a production in High School, " was my response, "So a party is a grand idea, but how to raise money?" "Funny you should ask, " said my Dar, "We are going to have a Beefcake auction."

"Oh, " said I, "think I can participate anyway?"

"Of course I was going to ask you..." and so on.

So now I have to think of a date. I think I have a good idea...

To the lucky winner, I will conduct a whimsical tour of some examples of codepoetry scattered around the grid, to be followed by dancing by moonlight on a secluded beach, (even if we have to force midnight to do it) while I compose poetry of the non-code variety for my date, and will script a picture of her choice to read the poem of her choice.

Also at a later date I will arrange for a seat in the audience for a Zero-G Skydance, a Hyperformalist performance conceived by Dancoyote Antonelli, who I have collaborated for about a year now, and provide the codepoetry used in the performance.

I will also make a gift of a clockwork heart.

I hope that will do nicely.

The auction will be held on the 22nd of June, look soon to the hubs for info.

Beastly Rumours

It would appear some creature is stalking about Kittiwickshire. I did glance him, hopping in the distance this day past, and he does seem most lupine in appearance. His presence seems to be upsetting some of the fairer folk in Caledon, as hushed whispers come to me ears, "werewolf!".

The poor chap was being chased (though ineptly) through the woods of Kittiwickshire, and really I do not know why.

In Caledon we have been welcoming to all our visitors, be they human, furry, neko, fae, dragons, tinies, or whatever form they take. Surely we can be just as welcoming to a Lycanthrope, I mean if he is civilized and not going around biting people spreading the curse and all...

A matter of honor in 17 syllables

This Wednesday past, a matter of honor was settled in Caledon Primverness between Mr. Erex Somme and Mr. JJ Drinkwater.

The slight happened at the rez day party of Miss Kate Nicholas, but alas like the others that have chronicled the events, the original slight has been forgotten, with the second slight being Mr. Drinkwater's first suggestion of weapons (Library of Congress headings at 20 paces) was disparaged by Mr. Somme as ungentlemanly. I was an eyewitness to these accounts and my testimony can be trusted.

Mr. Somme quickly found himself a second, and then I so volunteered to be the second for Mr. Drinkwater. As Second, much of the details were left in my capable but inexperienced hands.

Soon we found accord with the choice of weapons -- Haiku. My man was quite adamant that the weapon be something literary in nature. He suggested Limericks, but I thought it would be unfair, and Haiku would give Mr. Somme a sporting chance. Though also I had another reason to sway the parties involved towards haiku, for before I came to Caledon, I often sported in the arena of haiku and linked haiku. I could help my man prepare.

And so I did. At the surprise Rez Day Party for Her Grace, Eva Bellambi, Mr. Drinkwater and I had a sparring session. He began with a Haiku, that I then took the last line, making it the first in another. We were both inspired by the beauty that surrounded us (or was it Mr. Drinkwater & I surrounding a beauty? Check the blogosphere for more details!), and we had quite a good run of it. My hopes for victory soared, as I feared for Mr. Somme, hoping it would not be a slaughter. I was paid a high compliment by Mr. Drinkwater by him saying he was grateful that I was his second, and not his opponent!

Then the day of the duel arrived. Mr. Hotspur O'Toole and I inspected the dueling grounds to make sure neither man had an unfair advantage (apart from any advantages bestowed upon them by their creator), or to find any spare haiku hiding about.

Soon the crowd gathered, and I took some last minute bids for judgeships. We ended up with 5 Judges for the competition. They were:

Her Grace, Gabrielle Riel with a bid of L$4718,
Miss Carricre Wind with a bid of L$5000,
Mr. Erasmus Margulis with a bid of L$5000,
Miss Teofila Matova with a bid of L$10,000 and
Miss Bryndal Ellison, Esq. with a bid of L$10,000.

Yet this L$34,718 was just a drop in the bucket for all the generous donations by way of cheering the participants we raised over L$90,000 for Relay for life!

The Judges Panel was moderated by Miss Shylah Garmes of the Caledon Poet's Society.

So with everyone in their seats, the duelists facing one another, and the seconds standing behind (and to the left so as not to catch any stray shots) their men, the Duel was to begin.

Mr. Somme and Drinkwater face off.

I stand behind my man, Mr. JJ Drinkwater.

The duel was fought well by both parties. I will not give a play by play here, for the Haiku thrown will be collected in book form by Miss Shylah Garmes and sold, the proceeds going to Relay for life. But I will tell you that Mr. Somme did a smashing good job, but could not overcome the verse by my man JJ Drinkwater. Mr. Drinkwater won the duel with a 5-0 decision from the judges.

-=[Afterthoughts, where the author contemplates the duel and its implications ]=-

This whole experience was a great example of Caledon at its finest. The community really came together for a very good cause. Another page of history was written in our story, and it happened so organically. It came together in a short time, and we raised a lot of money for a good cause. The slight was was well, slight, a matter of no real consequence, but it made one heck of an excuse for a great event. And to duel with poetry -- it was inspired, a nice break from guns, swords, axes, watermelon cannons and lemming guns. Even when the haiku attacks got personal, it was obviously done in a manner that made it clear it was in jest, no real feelings were hurt. Mr. Somme & Drinkwater were above all Caledonian Gentlemen throughout the duel and the events leading up to it.

As Second, and contact for the judging bids, I got a taste of event planning. I did a bit with the national anthem contest, but with that I automated much of it. I had great fun writing the code to facilitate the National Anthem Contest, and it made my job a lot easier. This was however the first Caledonian event I was involved in that I did not contribute any codepoetry. Writing code is something I am pretty good at, and I am happy to contribute to Caledon using my most obvious talent, but it was nice to be involved as something other than a CodePoet for a change. I am not just a one trick pony, and it felt good to be able to contribute in a different manner.

Its very easy to slip into seeing someone as the label they have, especially in Caledon. But really everyone is more than an inventor, baroness, knight, duchess, shopkeeper, jurist, architect, or even Guvnah. We are all real and multifacted individuals. My resolution for June will be to see beyond the labels and find out the less obvious parts of my fellow Caledonians.