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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Blog Carnival: the Progressive Dinner

Today begins another blog carnival in which I have been privileged to contribute!

This is a veritable smörgåsbord of blog styles and interesting writing, so as I head out for a weekend at a writer's conference in NYC I invite you to stick around and satisfy your hunger for good blogging by sampling the offerings here:

Begin your "dinner" with drinks and hors d'oevres at Kilroy's place. Sample his interesting fare, then follow his directions to the next course . . .

. . . where you can nibble your way through many appetizing tidbits at Isabella's. . . .

. . . At the next stop Fallen Words is serving soup--36 recipes worth! (Be sure to look for my addition, something Writerwoman is calling "Mexican Red Onion Soup"--spicy!). . . .

. . . Still hungry? Hearty and filling entrees are served byAnja who then directs you to . . .

. . . some sweet treats at Fiction Scribe for the dessert portion of your meal. . . .

. . . Last, but hardly least, wander by Anthony's place for after dinner drinks and pleasant conversation!

If you enjoyed this little trip through the blogosphere, look at what else is coming up! The hosts of Soup to Nuts will be putting on a variety of other carnivals. They'd like to invite you to join in for these upcoming events:
  • Anthony is hosting the Surfer's Paradise Hullabaloo! Carnival, on February 18th. There's only one guideline for submissions --Send your most interesting posts.
  • Kilroy_60 is hosting the Gonzo Gratitude! Carnival (What are you thankful for?), at The Gonzo Papers, on February 15th
  • Isabella is hosting not one, not two, but, yes, three carnivals in February at Change Therapy. Her Buddhist Carnival runs February 15th, the Carnival of Eating Disorders runs February 22nd and Canada 9-5, a showcase for Canadian Business Blogs, runs February 28th.
  • JM is hosting the Scribes Carnival at Fiction Scribe on February 4th. (My birthday!)
  • Anja is hosting the Carnival of Observations on Life at Anja Merret - Chatting To My Generation on February 17th. She then hosts the Personal Power carnival on February 23rd.
And finally, the next Soup to Nuts Progressive Dinner Blog Carnival will be on April 30th. Entries are being accepted NOW.

Bon Appetite!

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Sunday night's song: "I Can't Live" by Mariah Carey



I can't live without you . . . that says it all about the obsessions we develop in Second Life, doesn't it.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Landmarks of Second Life: The Great Wall














The Great Wall of China is one of my favorite places in the real world, so how could I miss a chance to see the Second Life version of this fabulous historical landmark? The Second Life Great Wall is a Linden created landmark that runs the length of several sims, virtually echoing the multi-province "10,000 li" distance of the real Great Wall? (The real GW is actually 6700 km or 4100 miles, more than the distance from NY city to LA.) Of course the real Great Wall twists and turns like a serpent, and the many ups and downs of the hills make it even more dramatic, as well as quite a climb in places.






(These are photos from one of my RL trips there!)The biggest difference between the SL Linden Great Wall and the RL one in China is the fact that the SL wall is entirely flat. You can go down inside both, you can walk for miles on both, but I was a wee bit disappointed that the SL wall, which while it twists and curves horizontally is totally lacking any of the vertical challenges of the original.



Another difference is in the gates and guardposts. The RL Wall has guard posts and gates placed strategically along its length, the SL one has some pavilion like structures, but there is no similarity in terms of architectural detail. In fact the SL version of a guardhouse defies all architectural principles leaving it with a sort of unfinished and too modern look.

Still, as an RL Wonder of the World recreated in SL, the Second Life Great Wall is definately worth a visit.



Tuesday, January 22, 2008

A Song for a Tuesday: "Glory of Love"

'Cause every girl needs a knight in shining armor who will look out for her...

Monday, January 21, 2008

Men in Tight Pants

So I never ever thought I would admit this (and it is all the fault of three of the men in my life) but I think I am beginning to (gasp!) really like watching professional football! Now I know you are shaking your head and saying to yourself: "Girl, where is your head at?" But seriously. . . I watched (and even enjoyed) the playoff games yesterday. No shit. Of course being a good Midwestern girl I was rooting for my home state team, the Green Bay Packers, and what I discovered is that as a sport, football has several things going for the serious observer.

First of all, there is bling involved! Really! Apparently when these guys win and go to the Superbowl they get sparklies! There's a special ring made just for the occasion! But even more important than bling is the fact that football teams are made up of men. Twenty-two of them at a time, if you count both sides. And I mean BIG men. There is just nothing that can make a girl feel all warm and snuggly as a big strong man with whom to cuddle. But it gets better. All those men are wearing some of the skin-tightest pants you have ever seen! And, girls, those are some fine male tight-ends out there!

Here for instance is my personal "fave," Brett Favre.

Now is that hot or what? Unfortunately my boys lost the game yesterday. (Oh, Brett, you broke my heart!)

So now I have to chose between rooting for the Giants or the Patriots at Superbowl time. And it all boils down to this: Eli Manning?











or Tom Brady?

Help me out here, Ladies. Which of these backsides would you pick to cheer for? (Or play with?)

A Quote for MLK day by MLK

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." --Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

The Carnival is in Town: Soup to Nuts a Blog Carnival Progressive Dinner!

I've been involved in a Blog Carnival before, but now there is something new out there in the Blogosphere! Have you ever been to a progressive dinner? You start out at one house or restaurant to have hors d'oeuvres and cocktails, then move on to a different one for appetizers, and continue moving from place to place all the way through dessert!

That's the idea behind a brand new "Progressive Dinner Blog Carnival" . . .

. . . Soup To Nuts is ONE BLOG CARNIVAL presented in five "courses," each with a different host! So, care to join me for dinner?

Dinner will be served on Wednesday, January 30th.

This is quite a one of a kind Blog Carnival! Many kudos to Kilroy (*Tsai blows him a kiss!*) for setting it all up! He purposefully chose five blogs to host the dinner that would each get different organic traffic. If you migrate through each of the five courses it will be unlike any other blog carnival you’ve ever done. What a great way to "taste" the internet and the blogging comunity!

Want to participate? You can submit one post, per blog, on any subject (please do not use any post more than once).

The Rules are simple:

  1. Only English language posts will be accepted.
  2. No posts with titles that include profanity or pictures of a sexual nature.

You can participate in 1, 2, 3, 4 or all 5 courses:

Your Entry post should include:

  • Your name as you want it to appear
  • The name(s) of your blog(s)
  • The corresponding URL(s)
  • The title of your post(s)
  • The corresponding URL(s)

This is a fabulous way to meet other travelers in the Blogosphere! So don't miss it!

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Friday, January 18, 2008

Erotica: The Lap Dance

(Warning, X-rated post follows!)

I am thinking about you,
you know who you are...
I had this fantasy of you...
Do you want to hear it?

I have a vision of you leaning back in a chair...
and me wearing a little frou-frou skirt,
sexy back-laced bustier, tiny black thong...

Facing you, I dance...
wiggle for you...
I lean in, you watch me
slide over you, not quite touching...
teasing,
I run my hands over my breasts...
lick my finger...
slide it betwen my thighs...
offer it to you to suck....

I see the bulge in your pants...
what a lovely compliment....

I turn as if to sit in your lap, but...
not quite. I wiggle...
brushing my ass across your thighs...
I can feel your erection grow,
straining against those tight jeans....

I sit in your lap...
reach down and unzip you...
you untie my top and slide your hands
underneath,
over my breasts...
my nipples harden between your fingers...
as I pull aside my thong and slip
my wet pussy...
over your hot cock
and my hips begin to circle on you...

You rock into me...
thrusting...
pumping...
harder and faster, in and out...
fucking me...
until we explode together....

Are you thinking about me now?
What's your fantasy?

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

SL Sociology 101 by Corwyn Allen

[The following is an article written by an RL friend of mine who has recently discovered SL and who, familiar with the many masks of role-play, has taken a close look at what he sees in the world of SL fantasy. --Tsai]

All the World’s a Stage

So here I am, chatting up this lovely young avatar in Second Life, telling her how I’m going to eventually buy some land and start building a place of my own when she asks me, “So what will you be role-playing?” I had to take a long pause. I’d never heard that question asked in SL. Granted, I’ve only been playing a scant few months, but still, it’s not even a question I’d asked myself. Why? Because to me SL *is* role-playing. I mean, here we are, taking new names, creating new bodies for our avatars, and putting on clothing (or in some cases taking it off) that we’d never be able to wear in Real Life (RL from here on out). We’re creating characters that are sometimes extensions of how we see ourselves in our minds' eye, and sometimes characters that are so far away from who we are as to be completely unrecognizable by even the creators of that character. Then we create personal spaces, homes that are castles or pagodas, or high rise apartment buildings, sometimes even floating in the sky. And let’s not forget the virtual sex. It turns phone sex into a cheap date. Now if that isn’t role-playing, I’m not sure I know what is. To me, all of SL is role-playing no matter what you personally do with it.

You Can Lead a Horticulture…

I guess that needs clarification. There are many more different cultures in SL than one can ever find outside of science fiction or fantasy novels in RL. There are of course those that spill over from RL, the Goths, the Vampires, the Furries and others who inhabit Sci-Fi Cons (science fiction conventions to the initiated). These people create their own spaces and avatars that emulate what they do to a lesser degree in RL. The Nekos, or Cat People, are one example. These folks create avatars that look like Anime humanoid cats. I have seen examples of people in RL getting piercings and tattoos and even skin implants to emulate given animals, like one man who had implants put into his upper lip so he could attach cat whiskers, and then got cat’s eye contact lenses and wears ears and fur and cat makeup. And a guy who got an all body tattoo to resemble lizard scales and skin implants to make his head more lizard-like. These are considered extreme in RL, but in SL it’s all par for the course because the ears, whiskers, and even tails become part of your SL body. And you don’t need to mutilate your RL body to do it. In fact you can change your body any time you want. I only wish I had the physique in RL that I have given myself in SL. Woo-hoo!


Tripping the Light Fantasia

But let’s not forget the folks who just go for a relatively normal appearance. Ok, so there’s nothing “normal” about everyone looking like they just stepped out of Cosmo or Today’s Man, but that’s not the point. No one in SL, at least no one I’ve yet encountered, ever builds an avatar that looks enough like themselves in RL that you could put their RL picture up next to their SL picture and not be able to tell them apart. They want an idealized version of themselves. So even if they don’t go Goth or Neko or LGM from outer space they’re still a fantasy character.

So what does that mean? It means that we’re here for the fantasy. We can do things in SL we can’t do in RL. I’d love to be able to fly without having to use an airplane or even have wings. I’d love to be able to teleport from one place to another. But more than that, I’d love to be able to chat up or flirt with a pretty young woman I’ve never met without fear of getting hit with a sexual harassment suit, or just plain hit. (Ow!) But it’s even more than that. We’re here for the relationships. So let’s talk about that.

There are all kinds of things one can do in SL with a partner (or partners if that’s your thing). From simple cuddling on some cushions, to dancing to . . . well, you get the idea. And there are graphic, um, aids, that can enhance these experiences. And this leads to arousal of varying degrees in RL. I have to admit to feeling aroused while slow dancing with a pretty avatar. Just watching the avatars interact can be very stimulating. And once you get to intimate chatting with your partner the experience increases.

Only the Lonely?

So why do we come to SL to do this? I think because in many cases we simply can’t do it in RL. Oh sure, we might be able to if the opportunity presented itself, but that’s the point. For some people that opportunity is not going to present itself in RL for a variety of reasons. One person may not be what is considered physically attractive. Another may have the social skills of a goat. Yet another may simply be afraid of social encounters. But in SL you can find those opportunities in wild abundance. The chances for casually intimate (no, that’s not an oxymoron) relationships in SL are as abundant as wild flowers in a spring meadow. Let’s revisit the avatar’s appearance for a minute. Someone is going to build the most attractive avatar for themselves that they can. They've created a flower to attract butterflies. In RL they may not be that pretty flower and the people they would want to attract in RL wouldn’t give them the time of day. But in SL it’s easy. And once people come up to you or allow you to approach them the door is open to further social interaction.

But it’s not all about the appearance. That’s just the initial attractor. Remember I said that our characters are extensions of our RL selves. How we physically see ourselves in our own minds. So once the initial virtual pheromone has been sent out by way of the appearance of the avi (short for avatar) one now has to introduce the persona. We have to speak and act a certain way in order to maintain the attractiveness. Some personae, once they open their virtual mouths immediately turn other persons off no matter how attractive they are (gee, just like in RL). Still others have a way with words that enhance the visual attractiveness. This is what I call the Romance Factor.

Romancing the Grid

I think we are all looking for romance in one form or another. For some romance can take the form of the casual liaison or even just sex, virtual or otherwise (I have to pause here and quote a favorite writer, Spider Robinson, who had one of his characters comment on making love vs. just plain having sex as saying, “I tried fucking. There’s nothing wrong with it. There’s just not enough right with it”). For others it’s all about how the person you’re with makes you feel by what they say to you and how they phrase it. Some people in SL are looking for a girlfriend or boyfriend that they can’t manage to find in RL. Someone who makes them feel special or cherished. They come to SL because they’re lonely and need that romantic lift in their lives. They need to be able to speak openly and freely without fear of the consequences or repercussions one might encounter in RL. Some want to have multiple and varied partners perhaps because they don’t want to be tied to one avi or because their own fantasies cover different venues, one time being an elegant Regency Period gentleman, the next a Medieval Lord or a Harley Biker with a jet pack. The roles can change in SL. They don’t have to be static. And so the Romance Factor is further enhanced.

Lookin’ for Love in all the Virtual Spaces

We must, however be sure not to confuse virtual romance with real love. And of course that brings us to an interesting question. Just what is love and how does it equate through feeling romantic in a game? I’m not sure I know the answer to that. (Anyone? Bueller?) I think there is a danger of “falling in love” with an avatar as opposed to the persona behind the avatar. I’ve known at least one real person who has come to love an SL persona, but their relationship, while totally electronic (they live in different part of the country and have never met outside SL), has been fulfilling for both and they have related on both an SL and an RL level. This is a romance between the real people behind the personae, not just between role-played avatars or those avatars' personae.

In any case, I think one should approach SL relationships with caution. Feelings can be just as fragile in the virtual world as in the real. Be up front and be honest. You may find it’s much easier in SL than in RL. In fact, SL may actually make social interaction easier for the person who is more socially inept in RL who can interact here with people up front and honestly without being overtly offensive or worse, being terrified to act at all.

The Final Frontier

In summation, what we have is a lot of people leading dull, dreary, lonely or just plain uninteresting Real Lives looking for the excitement of romance in a personally tailored Second Life. But unlike RL, in SL you can put less in and get more out of it. But of course SL isn’t inhabited by only those looking for romance. A good time can be had by all, and that good time varies with personal interests. The intent of this article is to only focus on the role-playing and romance aspects of SL.

So at the end of the day we find ourselves drawn to our fantasies, be they bodice-ripping romance novels, a favorite television show in which we become invested in the characters on the screen, or Second Life. The real world around is vast, but at the same time too constricting. We must obey the laws, whether of physics or of government. We must be aware that in RL one person’s charming conversation is another person’s sexist or racist remark. If you bump into someone you should ask their pardon, and you can’t walk under water. But in SL, if at first you don’t succeed, redraw your avi and start again. No one is going to have you arrested, or sent to court and fined, and the worst that can happen is that you can get booted off SL for abuse (see their terms of agreement). You can do a lot with SL as long as you remember it’s only a role-playing fantasy and RL is still out there waiting for you to get up on Monday morning and go to work so you can continue to pay for your SL account and Internet access. Just a final word of caution; be careful about letting your SL spill over into your RL. That man you’re kissing may just turn out to be a woman.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Tea at Corwyn's

I visited my brother, Corwyn, the other day. He was showing off his new place and this lovely, new, comfy couch. I had green tea. He, as usual, had Irish whiskey.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

The SL-Babe Strikes Again!

Remember a week or so ago when I told you that SL Babes picked up one of my photos from Flickr? Well, yours truly has again made the pages of the best Babes website ever! This time in a bikini. . . .
So if you love me (and I hope you do) you'll head on over to SL-Babes and vote for my photo!

And while you are cruisin' their site you can also vote for other hot babes you like too! Some of my favorites are: a dreamy Cleopatra with whom I am sharing the front page today, my friend Callie looking sexy at a haunted house, a beautifully lit blonde on a chair, a tattoed Samurai girl, a dark-haired babe with a great ass and a jeweled outfit to die for, and a great boudoir scene!

You can also vote for my other photos there if you feel the urge. . . .


Chilling in the Kamasutra Temple,

Dancing at Blue Noise,

or at home playing games.
And to all of you who've voted for me already. . . (blows you a kiss) Smooch!

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Chanson de la Semaine: "It Can't Rain All The Time" by Jane Siberry



When I'm lonely
I lie awake at night
and I wish you were here
I miss you
Can you tell me
Is there something more to believe in?
Or is this all there is?

. . . It's so hard to believe that
love will prevail.

Monday, January 7, 2008

The Winter White Ball at Amatsu

Last night was the Winter White Ball in Amatsu Mitsukai to celebrate the New Year, hosted by Amari Gable and Razi Semple of Angel Dorai and Semple Truth. Amatsu is primarily an Asian sim, with a harbor fishing village and market, mountain temples, a museum, and a geisha training school and tea house. Beautiful anytime of the year (see a picture of me in kimono at the bottom of this blog page), it was especially beautiful last night decked with the crystal white and royal blues of winter. Formal was required but it ran the gamut from kimono to ballgown to fantasy. There's me in the foreground in my new ice princess gown dancing with a handsome white knight.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Grand Re-Opening: Lotus Moon

I am happy to say Lotus Moon, one of my favorite clubs in Second Life, has undergone a makeover and is celebrating its Grand Re-opening
beginning today at 1 pm (SL time). Lotus Moon, where my SL dancing career began, has had a whole new redesign by owner Partial Eclipse, all neon and hot! Club manager MaggyMae will be there spinning the tunes.

There will be lovely dancers like Xanna (left)

and yours truly (right) to titilate you. So c'mon down and party with us!

Friday, January 4, 2008

Gorgeous Blonde Tsai with G-String Playing Chess to Win

You may have noticed that I have a Picasa web album (that little scrolling slide show to your right?) Well, I also regularly post some of my photos to groups I belong to in Flickr. Today this photo got picked up by the website SL-Babes!

And I got this sweet message from Angelus: "This wonderful Picture was added to SL Babes - The finest Babes and virtual Women from Second Life. Please post your best SL Babes Snapshots to www.flickr.com/groups/sl-babes/." (Tsai blows a kiss to Angelus!)

So now if you all head on over to SL-Babes at http://www.sl-babes.com/2008-01-03/gorgeous-blond-tsai-with-g-string-playing-chess-to-win/ you can vote for my pic! Vote for the other hot babes you like there, too. There are some pretty gorgeous chicks and some fantastic photographers in SL!

For those of you who are interested in such things:

The dress is "Maia Rose" from Deadly Nightshade by Jennyfur Peregrine
The necklace is “Soulmate Locket Choker” From Isle of Mists by Ashira Legien
The thigh high boots are from DE Designs
The thong is “Black Lace” by Domino Fashions
The game table and chairs are from Bird of Prey by Draven Sautereau


Song for Friday: "Downtown Train" Rod Stewart cover of a Tom Waits classic

So . . . Will I see you tonight?

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Meeting Mr. Wrong

Last night I got IMed by a fellow I have seen a couple times over the last few weeks. He's the kind of guy who likes to push buttons by saying outrageous things and seeing how a girl will react. So invariably he asks for sex. He also always makes sure to tell me that he never, ever pays for sex, that he doesn't even tip dancers, and that he is poor and doesn't "believe" in Lindens (SL money), whatever that means. Most of the girls at the club have given up on him as a cheapskate, but he's kind of cute, charming and witty even if outrageous, and he's fun to flirt with. So when he asked me to teleport him to my place for a blow job, I tp'ed him to Blue Noise instead. We danced and flirted. Somewhere during the course of the conversation he mentioned he is married in real life. This is not something that bothers me--married or not, it is between him and his wife what he does outside of their relationship. But then he wanted to know if I was married, single, or divorced. Why did that matter, I wondered?

Now, I've given him my perspective on marriage before: It's a great institution, but who wants to be in an institution! Personally I think marriage is good for the protection of children--a safe place to grow up with 2 parents. But if you don't have kids, what is the point of tying yourself down? Most of the time in marriage it is the woman whose freedom is limited by the expectations of society ("Good girls don't") while the man can come and go and play where he pleases ("Boys will be boys").

Think about this: can you come up with one positive word that describes a sexually active woman? No! They are all negative terms. Sexually active women are called sluts, whores, skanks, and tramps. Or we are described by our genitals: cunts, beaver, poon, pussies. The only "good" adjectives to describe women and sex together imply being asexual or having our sexuality controlled by men: maiden, virgin, wife. Even terms like mistress, concubine, paramour, have a negative flavor, indicating women engaged in sex with one man outside the bounds of matrimony. And, Ladies, if you dare to expect to be paid for sex you are a prostitute, no matter how you dress it up (escort, call girl, courtesan). Now try to think of a negative term for a sexually active man--there are none. Men are studs, stallions, or players. Their sexuallity is applauded!

So maybe I shouldn't have been surprised when my friend last night said he'd be uncomfortable with his RL wife having virtual sex in SL, and yet felt fine about chasing SL "tail" himself. Later he qualified that by saying that only casual SL sex was okay, it isn't cheating since it is all a fantasy. I pointed out that there are real people here, the only thing that is a fantasy is the setting. But he was adamant. Casual fuck? Okay. Get emotionally involved in SL? That would be "an affair," thus not acceptible. He seemed pretty pleased that I wasn't looking for a relationship or marriage--that put me in the "non-affair just a fuck" category, I guess.

That was the point at which I dropped to my knees and started to give him a virtual blow job--but he stopped me. His comment was: "Oh, you are one of those!" Now what? Was he having second thoughts about "cheating"? He wanted sex? He didn't want sex? Seems he wanted to be in charge. Its okay to try to seduce a woman and talk her into sex, but if she initiates it. . . . Here's the problem. Our society doesn't expect women to be sexually active or (heaven forfend!) sexually aggressive. Despite the sexual revolution of the 1960s-70s and the ground-breaking work of researchers like Kinsey, there is still an inherently parochial, even puritan attitude about female sexuality in America. And apparently in this fellow, too. Even in SL.