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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50161412815090399472015-07-01T22:04:51.395-07:00Chic at Phil's PlaceVirtual Places, Fashion and Design for Second Life®Chic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-80374624092062337152015-06-25T09:00:00.000-07:002015-06-29T17:02:59.363-07:00Chica Who?

Meet Chica.

Now of course Chica is ME -- well a version of me; a variant of me? I am not really sure yet.

Not the first sim I have been seduced by; just when you think you know where life is going a fork in the road appears unexpectedly.

This is the center of Asphyxiation Point, an urban role play sim. And while I am looking pretty darn good in my made for RP outfit, I am pretty sure you have noticed the trees in the background! Gorgeous.

They are made by Hyabusa Design - Fighting Spirit (97,168,22) and no they are not low prim, but be still my beating heart they are lovely. This is a Lilac Bush Plant M15 and is fairly new, so check out the store.

Update: I was informed by the sim designer that he had linked several trees together in this area and I was looking at a GROUP of trees, not one. At default size the trees are 3LI. They do of course increase in land impact when made very large :D.

My character's outfit is made up of both new and older items.

Items just out are the great Nature Live Sandals for Maitreya (and Slink) from ArisAris. See a close up and a hud photo in yesterday's post. My hair is MILVA by eXxEsS. More info here.

My tiny little beach dress (there is a beach of course and this is a tourist town) is Baiastice's Candy dress in yellow. The great beach bag is from ISON, modded some to add magazines for my backstory and to make it smaller for easier strolling. It doesn't seem to be available any longer, but it is a great one if you have it.

Now I hadn't planned to MOVE here. But I was strolling in the early morning hours when it is calm and not crowded and found this stylish house to rent. There are many rentals here, mostly all full (I had looked before). But as someone has told me many times, "you have GREAT land Karma", meaning I always seem to find the best places.

So I spent much of the day moving in. It is looking fantastic. If you know your furniture you can see a lot of Trompe Loeil and Cheeky Pea in evidence. The trick was finding things in my not too tiny inventory. I have 37 more prims to spend. This is a two story six room house and definitely larger than what I am used to. An ocean view and a stone walled yard with very classy neighbors is an outdoor bonus.

So this will be a new experience for me. I am looking forward to it.

Poses by: Vista Animations. Chic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-59783155385377295802015-06-21T09:00:00.000-07:002015-06-21T10:17:47.920-07:00Relationships VR style
An op ed piece? It has been ages.

But serendipity reigns and I have something on my mind.

Relationships. Tricky at best under normal circumstances. What happens when they move into VR?

Some of you undoubtedly have a history with virtual relationships, but I had not. And the ball drops and 2015 begins. Well hey.

It seems to me that there are two distinct kinds of VR relationships -- and likely many gray areas between them. There are the pretty much RL ones where folks know a lot about each other, chat and talk and email about life and times and histories and philosophy --

And then there are the purely VR relationships where it is only our visions of our avatars that come into play.

I have been in both.

In the RL "relationship" you (in theory) have a vision of the person you are connected too. True, it may be a fake vision, but over time things seem to leak through. Empty spaces get filled with information; you get a better idea of who you are involved with.

In the purely VR relationship, it is more about our fantasy personas. Who we believe we are in VR. Now, honestly -- I think that is one part of who we REALLY are. If you have spent a lot of time in VR then you definitely have a strong tie to your avatar. You and she (or he) are one -- in many senses of the term.

It is difficult at times to differentiate between the VR and VR/RL relationships. The edges blur and life gets a bit unsteady. We seldom really know who we are communicating with on the other side of that IM window. Male, female, old, young -- they may share our belief system or not. And in the end, I think that is what is truly important.

In my mind, relationships -- both friendly and sexual -- are about energy and the transference of that commodity. Does it really matter who is on the other side of the screen if your beliefs are in alignment? If you can communicate freely and honestly?

I am not sure it does.

I have friends that I know a lot about and ones that I know little about. I make it a policy to NEVER ASK. Over time, the parts of the puzzle are often filled in -- that, or they are very good at keeping their backstory straight and if that is the case then kudos to them.

Relationships are often difficult and sometimes tenuous in all worlds. If you find one that works for you -- then hold onto it!

Details, in the final analysis, don't matter all that much.

Chic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-76869214641061874432015-04-23T09:00:00.000-07:002015-04-23T09:00:17.164-07:00Find Your Shot

I was filming this morning. I had set up a scene within a new story video. I captured video, took still shots and generally had fun. I was trying to broaden my style a bit, looking for different angles.

It was great fun and I have a collection of shots to choose from. Since I had such a good time, I thought some of you might too.

The spot is here.
Adjust your Windlight.
Find your Angel.
Take your shot.

Feel free to add the link to your photo (or film clip) to this post. Or you can add it to the Flickr group here.

These new release boots by Ducknipple, Sappy, work well with Lara. They come rigged and unrigged and include a color change hud!

Suitcases by {what next} for The Liaison Cooperative's 'Bon Voyage' theme (previously featured).

Pose by: Vista Animations, Toridwear (NLA)Chic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-15850622130644258082015-04-13T15:53:00.001-07:002015-04-13T15:56:00.581-07:00Digits Meme 2015

Happily Berry's Digits 2015 meme coincided with a really cute release from BAIASTICE for The Liaison Collaborative (opens the 15th). The three piece set comes in both tartan and lacy varieties -- and of course many colors! Look for FLING lingerie.

Now I didn't type out all my digits for this year but I did check for changes. Here are my digit numbers from 2012.

alas some favorite lingerie that no longer works for me.

Do you currently own a mesh body? If so, do you wear it all the time or just once in a while?

YESSSSS. ALWAAAAYS.

What is your preferred mesh body available on the market right now? – Maitreya Lara Mesh Body

Have you changed your shape since you started wearing the body?

Yes. Oddly my changes were pretty much opposite Berry's. In order to fit into my favorite clothes, I had to change my breast size from 22 to 43 and lower my butt to 0 from 22. My thighs and legs are more muscular (bigger) with the mesh body. I noted that when I found some tall boots no longer fit in the size I previous wore.

Those were the only two changes. My fat had been 0 for a long while and my arms had been 75, so not new changes.

How do you feel about mesh bodies in general?

I love love love my Lara body.  It would be my save running out of a burning building item *wink*.

What is one thing you would request from designers when it comes to mesh bodies?

More shoes please! I would so like to see some of my favorite Slink shoes rerigged for Lara.

I do agree that it would be MUCH easier for designers if there was a single applier system. I don't actually have any applier clothes besides the undies that came with Lara, but it would be nice to have more options. Lara seems to be the goto body in the "wars" so hopefully there will be more choices soon.

Pose by: Vista AnimationsChic Aeonhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-25110269118610184232015-04-09T11:38:00.000-07:002015-04-09T11:39:57.117-07:00Toolbelt Time

A few of you out there might be interested in the new beginning building tutorials that I have been making. Now and then it is good to know how to build some simple stuff!

These are for PRIM building and Windlight Videos.

The channel is here: http://www.slartist.com/browse-the-tutorial-chic-videos-1-date.html

And there are also tutorials for Blender, both beginning and more advanced. The grand tutorial list is up on my Google+ page here:

https://plus.google.com/100190052320604204973/posts/XD1KKUNKLAK

Outfit details on this post: http://chicatphilsplace.blogspot.com/2015/04/cant-go-back.htmlChic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-26702251875986769302015-04-07T08:24:00.001-07:002015-04-07T08:29:36.113-07:00Double Threat Meme

2010

Two online screen names you've had: I am Chic Aeon everywhere and that's lots of places.

Two video games you've played: I have played tons for years and years. One really old favorite was Shivers 2. I can still remember lots about that game. I played a LOT of SimCity until the last rendition. I am currently waiting for the Kickstarter Obduction from the Myst folks.

Two things you love about Second Life: I love that it has evolved over time and that I was able to watch that. And I love taking photos of lovely places and filming.

Two things you've done in Second Life: Only two. Hmm. I have made films. I have built "stuff" LOL.

Two things you still want to do in Second Life: Stay on the road while driving. Make the top five in the UWA machinima contest.

Two things you like about your Second Life avatar: She is tall and she always has energy.

Two of your Second Life Pet Peeves: The cranky inventory fairy who throws out stuff when you aren't looking AKA database failures. The mesh uploader physics.

Two things you did as a newb that you're embarrassed of: Nothing I can think of. I mostly camped to earn money for uploading and I don't see much wrong with that.

Two of your closest friends in Second Life: Well I don't talk to them often these days but I am going to say Chandra and Nissa; I am always happy to see their names in bold and know that they are out there somewhere.

Two of the most beloved things in your inventory: My Maitreya Mesh Body wins for sure and I love the new Peggy hair by MINA. With those two things you hardly NEED clothes :D. Chic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-55739840752375770812015-04-06T20:08:00.000-07:002015-04-07T08:03:49.582-07:00Can't Go Back

First of all, thank you for reading my thoughts. I was very happy to see my stats climb when I waxed poetically -- well, hey; maybe a little philosophy.

My incoming folder is sparse at the moment and while I may decide to post less often, habit is a thing I have a difficult time getting out of. So here are my thoughts on the turn of events this last year.

This is me in my infinitesimal (so love that word) skybox in some of my favorite things.

I was chatting with a good friend this eve on another grid. We were coveting mesh bodies. We both HAVE them of course in SL and we both have the same (well I influenced her I am sure). For me Maitreya was the winner. I tried them all as they came out and didn't take the plunge until I found Lara.

Now to be fair there was a "guy" in the mix and that might have pushed me a bit. And while the guy is no longer in the picture, I still have the body :D. So all is well.

I was also very happy to see the update to the body arrive in my inventory (three times -- they want to make SURE you get it). New alpha divisions are in the update as well as better shoulders and a pretty tiny hud which you can leave on your screen should you have a fairly large one (mine is).

While I was chatting with my friend I mentioned that I have not taken off this body since its purchase.  [Later note: I lied. One skin fair post.] Checking my inventory that is well over two months ago. I didn't actually get to "use" my body in the manner I had planned (yes, insert coquettish laughter here) but I have made one new semi naked film and have another one (pretty PG -- well they both are really) in the works. I just can't stop looking at my lovely new body.

Along with this news comes the revelation that I really (REALLY) need to clean my inventory. If I have NO plans whatsoever of wearing system layer clothing again, why should it clutter up my virtual closet. So -- on the list. Not at the top mind you. There are plenty more fun things to do. But still on the list.

Shoes are a bit of a problem but I notice that more designers have started to make things for Lara. Yes, I have Slink but honestly while there are some shoes I absolutely adore there is no way I am going to redo things to wear them. Happily I love boots and many boots fit just fine.

My title says it all. Once you get used to looking at yourself in this new and positive way -- it is very hard to go back. I will keep a "lag free" outfit for times when it is needed, but for me? I am sold.

Shown here with some of my very favorite wearables.

Baiastice_Laurel Top/Dress-Charcoal (This is full enough so that you can keep your "skin" and wear "panties" and not be invisible.) A plus in my book. And of course your legs go on for-e-ver. Many colors. I like black.

Bliensen + MaiTai - Rumba - black pumps (high feet) as well as Bliensen + MaiTai - Taranis - Ring - silver

MINA Hair - Peggy - Natural which I wear a lot!

My pose is new from Helamiyo (main store), part of the Simple set for the Pose Fair 2015 opening on April 11th at 12am SLT.

Chic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-19858407622865476052015-04-05T10:38:00.000-07:002015-04-05T10:38:02.435-07:00Breaking the Mold - Op Ed

I don't do a lot of Sunday Op Eds any longer. Most of what I wanted to say I have said. But this morning I wrote a note on my Google+ group which seems to be relating to a lot of folks.

So in the spirit of cross VR issues, I am posting it here.

I have been faced with a lot of negativity of late. A bit pointed at me as Chic; much pointed at the VR community at large. These are cross grid and multi-platform issues; I am hoping that they don't percolate over to OpenSim.

One long established elitist business group sent me a notecard yesterday denying my membership. Now I applied A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. Timely they are not. Their boilerplate notecard listed reasons why one might not be accepted; none applied to my store. Not long after my application was sent it, I found out that they frequently don't take folks that qualify. I also found out that I would be better NOT associated with them than the other way around. So smilingly, I deleted the note asking me to reapply.

One group on a new grid is trying to set standards that must be followed in order to be recognized as (in their eyes) a competent builder.

Another group makes rules, holds meetings and passes agendas behind closed doors while those affected have no say.

All of this pushes my egalitarian buttons -- big time.

We are supposed to be ENJOYING OURSELVES HERE! Yes, there is a "real person" behind each avatar and yes it gets complicated and messy. But when people start banding together to take control over others, it is just plainly wrong.

So please don't let those that are trying to set standards and rule the vitural worlds take away your VR pleasures. If you build a less than outstanding house? It is still YOUR house, made with your own two hands (well a mouse and a keyboard really - but the idea is there). If you aren't the best singer in the world and you still love preforming -- well for goodness sakes SING.

It is time to accept our personal power.

Don't let those that want to put you in tiny boxes succeed.

Do your own thing.
Build your own world.
Choose your own partners.

And above all, live your own life.
Chic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-1637750823137039652015-03-31T08:30:00.000-07:002015-03-31T08:30:01.415-07:00Mean Comments Meme of the week

LEA29 - Mistero Hifeng

Berry's theme for the week is on cyber bullying. It has been a difficult month (well year) for many of us and that has lead me back to typing in that literary sense. So here is my input and answers to her questions.

Have you ever been subjected to mean comments online by strangers?

Long ago and far away in a land called the Newly Burgeoning Internet, I was kind of a super star. The web was young then and SMALL you understand. So it wasn't all that difficult to be noticed. What I found was that fame definitely came with a downside.

I regularly got 'hate mail'. This was way before Facebook and forums were fairly scarce so this wasn't a public event -- it was personal. It was still disturbing and it still hurt.

How did you respond to them?

I honestly don't remember. I think I did -- at first -- respond; likely with reason instead of anger. They of course had nothing really to merit their tirades -- only their desire to virtually maim. Along the way I figured out that it was merely jealousy that had them so upset. It had little to do with me personally. I just had what they wanted.

How did they make you feel?

It was very disturbing at first. The attacks were new to me. I had been a fairly in the background gal through most of my life. Studied a lot, honor society all that jazz. A few good friends. Nothing in the spotlight.

Eventually I knew I just had to let it wash over me. That there was nothing I could do to fight against it. It was really THEIR issue, not mine. So I let things pass along without too much thought.

Can you share some of the mean comments you've received and your thoughts on them?

No, too long ago and happily mostly forgotten.

Have you ever ridiculed or negatively commented on someone else's work, actions or personality with the intention to hurt them?

No. I am sure I have made negative comments from time to time -- on forums and the like. But they were never meant to hurt anyone; they were simply my opinion on a situation or point of view.

Chic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-77256778464753445762015-03-27T16:08:00.000-07:002015-03-27T16:08:03.707-07:00Back in TimeStill on vacation I give you a bit of nostalgia from March 27 of other years.

2014

Why I Blog - a Berry meme from 2013
And a VIDEO from a post that same day.

Evidently another vacation occurred in 2012 :D.

Acha's group goodbye photo 2011. Happily she did eventually return.

2010

A little group exorcism with Chandra and gang.

2009

This was pretty darn cute for six years ago!

Chic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-15797640415974722102015-03-26T08:23:00.000-07:002015-03-26T08:23:42.936-07:00Me, Myself and I Meme

Sceenshot from my film "Elusive"

I too am on vacation this week but Berry's meme theme is definitely something I want (and need) to do. It has been an extremely wild and bumpy 2015. I don't expect it to calm down any time soon even though I wish it so.

Just not in the stars.

Anyway, here are my quick as a bunny hopping across the waiting room at the psychiatrist's answers.

I am... strong, smart and talented
I want... a rest period from the drama now and then
I have... friends that I cherish
I wish... for peace in the world
I hate... inequality
I fear... having to trust in the future
I search... for direction even when it seems I have found it
I wonder... if giving too much is a wise thing
I regret... very few things in my life
I never... say goodbye well
I always... try to see the best in people
I usually... manage TO see the best in people
I dance... not enough these days
I sing... along with songs that speak to me
I often... forget breakfast and lunch when in creative mode
I sometimes... drink like a winery owner
I cry... more than I would like these days
I need... a small light shining at the end of the tunnel
I should... sometimes think before I leap
I love...not all that wisely

Chic Aeonhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-26049054510567221572015-02-17T14:22:00.000-08:002015-02-17T14:22:13.043-08:00Have You Ever

From Berry's Monday Meme since it is fast and easy and I am lazy these days -- well maybe not so much, just busy. Here goes.

Have you ever owned a sim in Second Life? – Well technically I "own" LEA7 but since I actually am just the curator I think the correct answer is NO.

Have you ever created content in Second Life? – Yes, lots for many years, mostly eclectic stuff that I make for myself and then sell mostly on the Marketplace.

Have you ever driven a vehicle in Second Life? – Yes, but I am a VERY bad driver. Motorcycles (dire), cars (dangerous), boats (OK as it's a big ocean out there).

Have you ever gone sky diving in Second Life? – No

Have you ever played a sport in Second Life? – Skiing is what I remember long ago. There may have been others along the way.

Have you ever gone clubbing in Second Life? – Yes, but not lately.

Have you ever fangirled/fanboyed someone in Second Life? No

Have you ever taken a picture of your avatar in water in Second Life? – Certainly. Here is one of my favorites.

Have you ever taken a picture of a sunset in Second Life? – Yes!  a favorite is up top.

Have you ever taken a nude picture of your avatar in Second Life? – Lots of "almost naked" but at the very least I had a boa on *wink*.

Have you ever dated in Second Life? – Yes

Have you ever had or attended a wedding in Second Life? – Yes

Have you ever drank, smoked or taken drugs in Second Life? – Yes, yes and no but I do have marijuana plants for sale LOL.

Have you ever engaged in sexual activity in Second Life? – Not in the conventional sense of the question.

Have you ever been to Bukkake Bliss in Second Life? No, had to look that up.

Chic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-24300832900885561402015-02-15T08:54:00.000-08:002015-02-15T09:10:07.412-08:00Losing Stuff

Hearts Alarm Clock from {what next} VIP Group Gift

I have had several major inventory losses over the years. The biggest one was the loss of my complete "Home and Garden" folder along with the "backups" folder for those same items (oh my!). This was maybe four years ago when I was living in the Bayou.

Devastated? You betcha.

What do you do? Well nowadays there are re-deliveries from Marketplace and vendors. Since I don't buy from either all that much it doesn't help. So the subsequent losses I just shrugged and moved on. The more it happens, the less it seems to impact. And yes, I did have inventory losses this year. Along with lots of random things and lots of textures, my whole "pose props" folder; wearable and rezable things designed primarily for photo shoots disappeared.

Back when I lost ALL that stuff word on the forums was "oh you never REALLY lose anything, you just need to follow these steps (insert link) to get your stuff back". Well -- anyone who has tried knows that only works occasionally.

Now The Lab has a new initiative going. In case you missed the announcement, they want to know your inventory loss experiences for the last year.

So here is the link: http://community.secondlife.com/t5/Featured-News/Help-Improve-Second-Life-with-This-Inventory-Loss-Survey/ba-p/2896219

It would be great if you have no need for it, but if you do -- get over there and fill in those radio buttons. Less loss is better and if this info helps we will all be happier.

Chic Aeonhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-87039352051347841622015-02-08T09:00:00.000-08:002015-02-08T09:00:00.205-08:00Are We Our Avatars?A real life person sits behind each avatar.

But when do the lines begin to blur?

When we are two weeks old on screen, we are secure in our corporeal self; we know who we are, what we look like, where we are going -- well only "maybe" on that last part.

But as the years pass, how much of us becomes reflected in our pixelated persona? Which self image do we see when we think of ourselves?

It is a strange teeter totter ride for those deeply enmeshed in a digital existence. We make friends, form alliances -- even fall in love within bodies made of pixels and coding. Do we forget our real lives in favor of our fantasies? Do we limit ourselves to what we can only feel and touch?

We each make those choices and as time passes the division between the fingers on the keyboard and the animation on the screen come closer together.

Can they meet and merge?

Only time will tell. Chic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-7674018856255219222014-12-29T16:17:00.001-08:002014-12-29T16:19:08.790-08:00A Very Good Year

Iheartsl posted some clever stats from Wordpress today. I am still a Blogger gal and have been long before Blogger even HAD stats. Man I feel old.

The 31st is my rez day. I will be SEVEN. Now I know plenty of folks who are older than I am, but still -- no longer the new kid on the block for sure.

I think my highest traffic day (Blogger doesn't keep track buy my memory is still pretty sharp for an old gal working her way toward a decade) was 870ish. Not the norm and amazingly I don't remember what that post was (see, I really AM getting old).

Now we all know that statistics are iffy to inaccurate but mine seem to be pretty stable so I am going to assume that some folks out there are reading. Actually since those using readers or seeing via feeds don't often get counted (well if I am particularly chatty as some feeds don't show the complete posts) who knows?

I am pretty sure my audience was less than 10,000 a month average when I started, or perhaps not as there were few blogs then and a good sized SL population. So for MY frame of reference I am going to go with 10,000 a month and be happy with that.

In that corporeal world I had a website once that was triple that 1 and four zero number, but it was much more global in nature and not so niche. I am particularly happy that my even nichier blogs are also doing well with now and then a day that almost reaches 200 (a big deal as some days it is in the 20s).

Still it is good to know that I am not typing into the ether.

Thanks for reading!

Chic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-12105300799318468912014-12-07T09:00:00.000-08:002014-12-07T09:00:03.479-08:00Reprise - Op Ed

Another theme was slated for today. In reviewing I found it a bit whiny and I DO try not to b*tch and moan. The same day a year old post on LOVE appeared in my popular post list.

Now I never really know how those older bits of rambling get to the forefront, but I looked at the event as serendipitous and decided to reread last year's thoughts.

It is one of my better pieces of philosophical wisdom and I invite you to read it -- again, or for the first time.

LOVE

Chic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-47840965158227493392014-11-30T13:53:00.000-08:002014-11-30T20:41:30.250-08:0090 Prims

click any photo to enlarge

Can you decorate a whole house under 90 land impact? Sure you can!

A post on the forums lead me to the quaint setting of Forest View Village where you can live very inexpensively. There is a catch though -- you only get 90 prims (LI points). That figure scares a lot of folks, but with all the smartly made mesh out there these days there is really no worry.

I love a challenge and I was darn sure I could decorate this lovely mesh (7 LI ! ) house in style even within that budget. So I immediately rented one of the houses and got to work.

Long ago and far away the Hotshots Contest had would-be interior designers competing on decorating rooms. There were plenty more prims in that challenge but the things have changed with the advent of mesh. Too, there was no clock ticking this time -- only the one telling me it was REALLY time for bed.

I tried to get all the goodness in the photos but you know how hard that is. There are plants, wall decals and even an overhead fan in the bedroom that didn't make it into the shots.

I used some of my favorite pieces from here and there and a few of my own things.

I found a few items that escaped my recollection skills and of course some current releases made it into the mix.

The key to my choices had three parts. First they needed to look great. Second they needed to be low land impact (I cheated in the bedroom a bit with some very cute storage that adds up to a bit more than I would like). And third they needed to flow with the theme.

I still have 6 prims left for holiday decorating, but all in all it is working for me.

I love clutter in virtual land and the fact that you can get so many intricate items as ONE object with minimal land impact is definitely a plus these days.

So that's my story. It was a fun romp. Chic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-87410373389609222352014-11-27T09:35:00.000-08:002014-12-01T08:59:42.247-08:00Thankfullness 2014

I don't "do" Thanksgiving these days. I abandoned turkey and trimmings for a quiet celebration of what I am truly thankful for.

This is post 3800 3700 -- at least fashionwise. I suspect I am around the 5000 count if you count all my blogs over time.

I found one of my favorite photos, taken in my very first skybox back in 2008. Most of the items have disappeared over time, either by plan or database disaster; but I still have the boa, a group gift from Callie Cline.

I recreated the photo of my first virtual Thanksgiving -- at least in spirit. I can't remember WHY I was mostly naked (artfully so anyway) but I do remember the photo session.

This was a good reminder that we do indeed have much to be grateful for.

Poses by: the furnitureChic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-86784213116631803342014-09-03T16:37:00.000-07:002014-09-03T19:46:17.592-07:00Meet Ace

Meet Ace. Newest member of the MOSP family and brother to Pearl, the resident protector of territories. He is less than an hour old in this shot and running wildly most of the time. I had forgotten how FAST newborn kitties can be.

And also how very tiny. Happily he is much easier to spot being a lovely FIRESTORM orange. Here he is getting brushed by a friend. The brush comes with the petting animations, perhaps only for new kitties and possibly a new feature. I don't think I ever tried petting any of the newly birthed kittens.

You can pick up your own Firestorm Anniversary Permapet at a long list of locations. There is also a motorcycle gift AND a party going on.

Here is all the info if you missed it.

A big thanks to the Firestorm team for making our lives easier and better and to Kittycats and Desert Morning Motors for the commemorative gifts.

Chic Aeonhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-70204096147137994312014-09-03T08:30:00.000-07:002014-09-06T22:19:23.423-07:00MESH PROJECT September Update

The Mesh Project sent out an update pack Monday eve. A friend of mine got one too, but not my alt so you may need to take a trip to the store to get the new and improved versions.

Both hands and body improvements are in evidence; the breasts and nipples (not something I actually LOOK at often *wink*) seem more defined; there are most likely other subtle differences.

On a personal note I can now wear the body and my legacy head without a choker (a BIG plus in my book). While wandering through my inventory looking for items for the fitted neck blender I noted that I had the chocolate version of my old everyday skin. Amazingly there was a close match for that skin. Yeah!

There IS other news. You can apparently now wear the deluxe body with any skin (oh my!). So that cuts out a lot of the issues for sure.

Now before I wax too exorbitantly, I do have a criticism.

It is getting VERY hard to shop in the all white walled, very arty but immensely confusing hubs.

I spent a very long time trying to find "the improved" (a note from a reader) neck blender. I looked and looked and LOOKED where I thought it used to be. Nowhere could I find it. I used the old one and it is pretty good. [ Later Note: the new neck faders are now packed with the updated body, feet and hands. Unpack the box to find your match.]

There is way too much vying for attention in the shopping arena -- and it does feel like you are in a battle at times. The all white is disturbing in that Matrix way and I have been there MANY times; it could easily be overwhelming for newcomers. There were plenty of folks there when I visited, no doubt getting the new style hud.

OK. There is my second "they need to think about this too" comment. If bodies and hands were updated, WHY wasn't the style hud (which you need to work with the new gifts) included in the update pack. Hence lots of folks at the hub getting the "missing part", maybe not too happy :D.

Some mixed news is that there are now some clothes for the body. You can find them on the Marketplace here. There "may" be an inworld shop as there is a link from the Marketplace, but I am tired (that looking too hard and extra trips thing) and I am thinking I may just end up back at the poster that sends me to the Marketplace :D.

BUT all said and done, things ARE moving forward and I am glad to see that. I look really good naked but since the reviews on the wearability of the new clothes weren't all that stellar I am thinking that part of the equation is also in Beta.

Still, progress -- and we like that.

Pose by: Diesel WorksChic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-68615351609415225172014-08-25T09:30:00.000-07:002014-08-25T09:30:00.669-07:00I Got Dressed

And I look damn good.

20.FIVE has a ton of great new releases for your buying pleasure. This one caught my eye first :D.

But as I was putting this outfit together I noted that getting dressed isn't all that easy these days. Some impressive new releases went into this post and one older favorite, but it wasn't quick and I am glad I am not NEW.

Every single item I am wearing has a hud -- even my mesh hands if you count changing fingernails. Back in the old days our biggest challenge was to have enough layers of an outfit so we could stack a texture sweater over a texture corset and be able to tuck it into our pants which couldn't be skinny ones as those were on an underwear layer and you can't tuck in there (OMG).

Now part of the reason I am remembering this is that I have been over at a new Open Sim grid this last week making --- wait for it -- TEXTURE CLOTHES.

Yes, I am laughing too. But on this grid while there is mesh clothing (one shop) it is the same that I have seen on the other grids and I wanted to be unique. Some of you may remember that long ago and far away I had a small clothing shop in SL. It did fairly well being geared toward the thrifty. I never considered myself all that great a dressmaker (in real life I did that for awhile and I was MUCH better with sewing machine than graphics program).

I have been a very busy girl over at Virtual Paradise (population most likely under a hundred). I made some stellar (for me) loafers and yesterday (ALL DAY) I made these overalls. I wanted overalls. I like them. I feel comfy in them and if you have viewed this blog over time you know that I wear them often.

Amazingly I am MUCH better with pixel stitching than I was those many years ago. Partly this is due to Blender and the Bezier Curve part of the program that I had to tackle in order to get some things accomplished.

So I am going to show off a little now and you have to PROMISE not to laugh because I am very proud of what I accomplished and I love my new denim wear (the sweater was a previous project and those stripes MATCH at the seems I want ya to know).

Jewelry and pose also by me. Hair by Damselfly (TY!) Skin a group gift.

When you are a pioneer, you have to be resourceful. You also learn a lot.

I wrote a post on one of my other blogs about grid hopping should you be interested. It is one of those philosophical articles that I sometime share.

NOW -- back to what you have been scrolling down to find out.

* All in one shorts and top set, 20.FIVE Mesh: Dolfijn Outfit
* Sunglasses, Meva Sporty Sunglass 2
* Boots, Baiastice Avani high boot-leather-black
* Hair Femke V2 by MINA

Poses by: EverglowChic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-58874559969889609702014-08-17T10:00:00.000-07:002014-08-17T10:00:03.189-07:00Thrill Me ThursdayI hadn't planned to have any new prose for you today, but Friday night I noticed a VERY old post in my sidebar under "Popular Posts". I like that Blogger feature. It let's me know what you are reading. But, even though I have it set for weekly, sometimes a long ago and far away entry sneaks in.

I remember that one of the Color Palette challenges from a couple of years ago had a post called "Where Does Plum Begin?" It used to show up regularly long after its published date. I surmised that mentioning Pantone in there with Plum might have been the reason.

I have NO idea why this post on jewelry showed up. I actually didn't remember that I used to post those ads on this blog. And boy were those prices cheap!

So here is to history which shows up at the most unexpected times!

It's OK to relive the past now and then. Chic Aeonhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-66565561615724110072014-08-13T10:30:00.000-07:002014-08-13T17:42:24.969-07:00MusingIt's mid August and things are slow or maybe it is my point of view. Either way I don't have a lot of things that I am jumping up and down to tell you about. And since I go for "credibility" rather than credit (LOL) these pages may have been a bit light of late.

I am obviously writing this ahead just in case I don't have anything else to post in the next few days.

And here's what I am thinking:

I have been looking through the feeds and noticing a lot of arty and DARK DARK DARK -- or -- LIGHT LIGHT LIGHT photos. I believe we should each be our creative selves and if that works for you? Great.

BUT -- and it's a biggie -- as bloggers who take review copies (and the photos I am talking about were review copies items I am betting) we also have a responsibility to actually SHOW the items we are talking about.

An almost black photo and a note that these (shoes, dress, furniture etc is from "insert store or venue here") really doesn't cut it -- not for the designers OR for the folks reading the blog. Lovely arty photos are nice but many if not most folks read the feeds for INFO and INSPIRATION. They want to know what is new and what it looks like -- and of course if you have some words to go along with your picture that is very good too.

So just in case you are reading this and wondering, "did she mean me?" well -- maybe I did. If you have to reflect and ask then deep down you know that you might be able to do a better job of showing of the items you blog.

Love to be arty? Cool. Put them on Flickr. On your blog? Let me see the stuff I might want to buy. Chic Aeonhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-54207335967625140132014-08-02T21:44:00.000-07:002014-08-02T21:44:03.015-07:00Half a Million Page ViewsAs I was checking my blog overviews tonight I noted that this blog just hit half a million page views. That isn't quite correct as the blog began before Blogger started counting. But still, a memorable event.

Thanks for reading. Chic Aeonhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5016141281509039947.post-18119718403333088142014-07-10T09:44:00.000-07:002014-07-10T13:13:38.963-07:00Heads Up MarketplaceJust a quick note to content creators who may have read the "resolved" note on the Grid Status report concerning items being remarked as Mature or Adult when they had always be General.

While it sounded like it was fixed, not for everyone. So check that backend and see if you have a bunch of bright red icons!

[Update] Someone on the forums posted the step by step instructions for get bulk changes on the Marketplace. This worked well for a friend who had over 50 items marked as A instead of G. They now all say "G" again apparently but not showing up yet on the store (some database lag most likely).

So, if you need to know, the post is towards the bottom of THIS PAGE.

Chic Aeonhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com


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Ballard Street by Jerry Van Amerongen
- April 13, 2015
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See? Like I said, that's the best you can come up with? You listed 4 real-life persons, none of whom are remotely significant to American history other than the fact that they were women when they did something that was talked about. Georgia O'Keeffe? You could make a better argument for Walt Disney.
What woman in American history makes the top-50 list of most important contributions to the country? When women contribute something to society, it can basically be categorized as a "woman's achievement." I've got nothing against women, love them to death.
Pretty sure Pearls Before Swine is 50% reverse gagwriting.
The statue of Liberty was designed for Egypt because it is a symbol of Isis (the original Isis) illuminating the world by the sea. Isis was a maiden of the sea, and she has deep esoteric meaning to the French Freemasons who dedicated her. "Liberty" of the French Revolution was Isis.
Neither will most of us, but I recall McCain getting the nomination with something like 25-30% support in the primaries. That's all it takes when the field is this muddied. I refuse to vote for JEB in the general election, either, should he be the®.
Hillary wants to "expand access" to abortion by changing people's religious opinions about the process. That is not at all an exaggeration of what she has already said in stump speeches. And, sure, no tax dollars go to "fund abortions", even though 46% of Planned Parenthood's funding comes from tax-dollars, and Planned Parenthood provides over 40% of the abortions committed in a year. Planned Parenthood falsely claims that only 3% of their services rendered are abortions, when abortion accounts for over 50% of their revenue! Expanded abortion access can only really mean making other people "pay for it," one way or another.
Uh, it is exactly the same sentiment, and in point of fact, the quote that you provided takes the more popular quote to an even further level by referencing tax dollars for the propagation of mere opinions, so obviously it follows that paying for actions and procedures flows forth from the concept. As Jefferson's quote refers to the history of state churches throughout the world, it is not at all incongrous to liken the abortion industry to a religious movement, sanctioned by the state with funds and moral support!
Actually, that's a very good point, and I would say yes to you. Americans are generally non-interventionist, and we need to remind our ruling class of that. A much better response to 9/11 would be immigration control, not random military operations with no clear objective.
Yes, yes, make everyone pay for a procedure they find morally abhorrent. I thought we lived in America? "To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson
It's "Lorain, Ohio", and we are raptly waiting what happens with Mr. Dav…er, Mr. "D".

subset: commoncrawl


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Real, honest-to-goodness holograms are a thing now
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Stag Industrial, Inc. (
) will begin trading ex-dividend on October 29, 2013. A cash
dividend payment of $0.1 per share is scheduled to be paid on
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the ex-dividend date are eligible for the cash dividend payment.
This marks the 3rd quarter that STAG has paid the same dividend. At
the current stock price of $21.93, the dividend yield is 5.47%.
The previous trading day's last sale of STAG was $21.93,
representing a -9.94% decrease from the 52 week high of $24.35 and
a 34.95% increase over the 52 week low of $16.25.
STAG is a part of the Consumer Services sector, which includes
companies such as Simon Property Group, Inc. (
) and American Tower Corporation (REIT) (
). STAG's current earnings per share, an indicator of a company's
profitability, is -$.38. Zacks Investment Research reports STAG's
forecasted earnings growth in 2013 as 8.71%, compared to an
industry average of 7.7%.
For more information on the declaration, record and payment
dates, visit the
Dividend History
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Dividend Calendar
has the full list of stocks that have an ex-dividend today.
Interested in gaining exposure to STAG through an Exchange
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The top-performing ETF of this group is KBWY with an increase of
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Howard Stern newsman Jon Lieberman heard Matis warm up for an appearance on another SiriusXM
show and told another Stern staffer he could rap better than the professional reggae-rapper. Stern was
more than happy to host the challenge. While the rap battle didn't amount to much, we did
enjoy Howard's talk with Matisyahu. The White Plains, NY native discussed how be turned to
religion, his early days following Phish, his love of LSD and other topics.
Take a listen:


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VTzilla is a really useful add-on for Firefox that will allow you to scan files and websites for viruses before you even download, click or open them.
As an add-on, VTzilla is very easy to use. You install the VTzilla extension, and when you restart your browser, you'll see that a toolbar has been added. Likewise, right-clicking on a link will give you the option to scan with VTzilla, which is powered by the security powerhouse VirusTotal.
The toolbar gives you 2 options - to scan the site you are currently viewing or search VirusTotal. All VTzilla scans open the results in a new tab where you can see the scans happening in real time. VTzilla also adds a new feature to downloads - the option to scan the file before you click save.
Bear in mind that VTzilla can scan any link, whether it's a download from a new site or a dodgy looking email you find in your inbox. This makes VTzilla really useful - using it, it's easier than ever to stay safe on the internet.
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Welcome to the New York Theatre Organ Society
The New York Theatre Organ Society is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization furthering the appreciation, preservation and use of the Theatre Pipe Organs of yesteryear. NYTOS serves New York City and its five boroughs as well as Long Island and Lower NY State. NYTOS owns and maintains 4 organs in their region and maintains 3 organs such as the Brooklyn Paramount (LIU) Wurlitzer.
NY Times article on the Brooklyn Paramount / LIU
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Open Console & Classic Movie
Suffern, NY
NYTOS Ben Hall Memorial
9:00 until 10:45 a.m.
Dave Kopp Mini-Concert/Play-in
Followed by
"The Sound of Music" starring Julie Andrews
--Refreshments during open console-
Sunday, May 3, 2015
MEET, GREET, PLAY and ENJOY!
4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Walter & Juanita Hilsenbeck's Home
32 New York Ave.
Massapequa, NY
2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Dan Minervini's home
294 Bayview Ave.
Massapequa, NY 11758
Greetings from Walter Hilsenbeck: Having been appointed Membership Chairman by the NYTOS Board several months ago, my priority bas been to encourage individual and group participation among the NYTOS membership.
We were fortunate to obtain a 3/11 Wurlitzer in the late 1960's, and it is installed in our home. It is the only theatre pipe organ home installation within the jurisdiction of the New York Chapter, and while it is not in concert-ready condition, it gives forth that Mighty Wurlitzer sound that attracts us all.
You are cordially invited to our home in Massapequa on the FIRST SUNDAY in March between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 6:00p.m. to play, listen to and enjoy the music of our Wurlitzer, and the friendship of fellow theatre organ enthusiasts. Bring along your music for open console.
There will not be any formal type of recital.
Coffee and cake will be on hand, so we must know when and if you will be attending
In addition to visiting the Hilsenbeck's, you are also invited to visit the Minervini's.
Dan Minervini, who also lives in Massapequa, will be hosting an open house/open console at the same time, featuring his new 3/31 virtual digital theatre organ, which consists of a 3-manual Devtronix (Wurlitzer replica) console, a Uniflex relay system, and the masterworks 3/31 Wurlitzer sample set on Hauptwerk.
Dan will have directions available to Walter's house from his, and Walt will have directions to Dan's. They are only about five minutes from each other. It will be interesting to compare 1928 organ technology with that of 2015!
Long Island University - YouTube Video Tour
Chaminade High School - YouTube Video Tour
Middletown Paramount - YouTube Video Tour
Lafayette Theatre - YouTube Video Tour
Gus Pratt Allen Organ FDR High School - YouTube Video Tour
Click here to read about the Roosevelt High School
Theatre Organ program
at the American Theatre Organ Society website
for Brooklyn Loew's Kings Theatre Restoration Project
Click play or double click video screen to watch through YouTube
Click on the YouTube link to watch all videos
What's a Theatre Organ?
A Theatre Pipe Organ differs from a traditional church or classical organ in that its special sound effects and orchestral voices were designed specifically to accompany silent movies of the 1920's.
During the heyday of silent movies, most theatres of any size boasted a theatre pipe organ. The pipes were located in chambers high up in the front of the theatre, usually found on either side of the stage and covered with decorative screens. An immense blower produced the massive amounts of air required to cause the many pipes to "speak," and it was this large quantity of moving air that made listening to the booming theatre pipe organ in a large cavernous theatre an experience unmatched by even the most sophisticated speaker systems of today. As movies changed to "talkies" in 1929, the organs soon became unnecessary. Many were lost to fire, flood, vandalism, and neglect. Just a very few today remain in their original homes-The Brooklyn Paramount Wurlitzer is one of those, and as such, has genuine historical significance. For the past 43 years, it has been lovingly maintained by members of the New York Theatre Organ Society.
Join New York Theatre Organ Society!
*Help to preserve Theatre Pipe Organs of yesteryear!
*Stay abreast of upcoming Theatre Pipe Organ concerts & Silent Movies.
*Participate in organ crawls, socials, picnics, tours and other events.
*Receive "The Horseshoe" - a bi-monthly newsletter.
*Get discounted admission to theatre pipe organ concerts and events.
*You're invited to join New York Theatre Organ Society. A regular membership is just $20 per year. You will receive membership card, the latest NYTOS Horseshoe newsletter, and immediately begin enjoying all the benefits of membership! Click here to Join


text:
Evidence-Based Reviews
Evaluating older adults' capacity and need for guardianship
10 steps to ensure your assessments are thorough, accurate, and fair
Discuss this article at www.facebook.com/CurrentPsychiatry
Although forensic psychiatrists typically are consulted in complex legal matters, geriatric, consultation-liaison, and general psychiatrists are on the front lines of assessing capacity to give informed consent and need for guardianship. Psychiatrists often find such consultations daunting because residency training usually includes little to no formal training in performing psycho-legal assessments. Evaluating issues such as decision-making capacity, guardianship, and capacity to give informed consent requires a delicate balance between autonomy and beneficence. This article reviews 4 common legal issues in geriatric consultation—capacity evaluations, informed consent, guardianship, and elder abuse—and suggests a systematic approach to psycho-legal consultations in older adults.
Confidentiality and dual agency
Every psychiatrist should be familiar with basic principles of medical ethics as well as key aspects of local mental health law. Relevant ethical principles include autonomy, beneficence, confidentiality, and dual agency. A review of all these ethical issues is beyond the scope of this article, so here I highlight confidentiality and dual agency.
Confidentiality—the clinician's obligation not to disclose private medical information—is a legal as well as an ethical requirement. A psychiatrist who performs a psycho-legal evaluation must disclose to the patient the purpose of the evaluation, that a report will be prepared, and to whom it will be submitted. Exceptions to confidentiality include medical emergencies, mandatory reporting of abuse and infectious diseases, and the duty to protect (warning police and the intended victim when a patient makes a threat).
Dual agency or dual role refers to serving as both a treating physician and a forensic evaluator. Although it is ideal to avoid serving in a dual role, sometimes it is impractical or impossible to avoid doing so, such as in guardianship or civil commitment evaluations, or in state forensic hospitals. In such cases, the psychiatrist must be aware of potential conflicts between clinical and forensic evaluations. A treating psychiatrist primarily serves his or her patient's best interest, whereas a forensic psychiatrist primarily seeks truth.1 A treating psychiatrist is at risk of consciously or unconsciously biasing his or her psycho-legal evaluation in favor of or against the patient/litigant, depending upon the psychiatrist's countertransference. Further, performing a psycho-legal evaluation can cause problems in ongoing treatment. A psychiatrist who testifies that his or her fiercely independent patient needs a guardian or nursing home placement will experience significant challenges in continuing to work with that patient.
4 common issues for older adults
Decision-making capacity. Although "capacity" and "competence" often are used interchangeably, "capacity" broadly refers to the ability to perform a specific task, whereas "competence" refers to the legally defined standard for performing a specific task such as making a will. "Competence" is legally determined, whereas "capacity" may be determined clinically.
Capacity usually is task-specific rather than a general construct. The existence of physical or mental illness per se does not mean that a patient lacks capacity. Rather, capacity is determined by whether an individual has specific abilities, regardless of diagnosis. Specific capacities include the ability to give informed consent, manage finances, make a will, or enter into contracts (Table 1).2-4 Appelbaum and Gutheil describe 4 components for assessing specific capacity:
- communication of a choice
- factual understanding of the issues
- appreciation of the situation and its consequences
- rational manipulation of information.5,6
Table 1
Criteria of 3 specific capacities
Capacity to give informed consent
Understand nature of illness and treatment
Testamentary capacity
Understand that he/she is making a will
Contractual capacity
Understand the transaction
Ability to communicate a choice refers to a patient's ability to express his or her wishes in a reasonably stable manner. Factual understanding of the issues refers to an individual's ability to understand the relevant facts before making a decision. Appreciation of the situation and its consequences refers to a person's ability to rationally understand the effect of decisions. Appreciation is a higher level of understanding than mere factual understanding—eg, a delusional patient who believes himself immortal may intellectually understand that a surgical procedure carries a 50% mortality risk, but may be unable to appreciate the information as it relates to him because he believes he is immortal. Rational manipulation of information refers to a patient's reasoning process and how the patient integrates data into his or her decision-making process.5
Informed consent. In my experience, capacity to give informed consent is the most commonly requested specific capacity assessment in general medical settings. Informed consent must be knowing, voluntary, and competent. All material information—information that would cause a reasonable person to accept or reject a proposed treatment—should be communicated to the patient. Informed consent requires an understanding of the patient's condition and indication for treatment, risks and benefits of and alternatives to treatment, and risks of declining treatment.2,3 Exceptions to informed consent include incompetence, medical emergencies, patient waiver of informed consent, and a limited therapeutic privilege (when a physician determines that the information would harm the patient).3
Several instruments can help clinicians assess patients' capacity to give informed consent. The benefits of using a structured instrument include:
- ensuring that specific information is covered during each evaluation
- systematically recording a patient's response.5
Disadvantages of using instruments include the fact that no instrument can take into account all aspects of a particular case, and some instruments are time-consuming and require training. Structured instruments can be a useful adjunct to the clinical interview in some cases, but should not substitute for it. In a review of 23 instruments for assessing decisional capacity to consent to treatment or clinical research, the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Clinical Research and the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Treatment had the most empirical support, although the authors noted that other instruments might be better suited to specific situations.7
Psychiatrists may be consulted when a patient refuses treatment or decides to leave the hospital against medical advice. The key issue in both situations is whether the patient has capacity to refuse treatment.8 If there is evidence that the patient is mentally ill and poses an imminent risk of suicide or violence or is unable to provide for his or her basic needs, the psychiatrist should assess whether the patient meets criteria for civil commitment.
Many clinicians employ a "sliding scale" approach to competence, requiring a lower degree of competence for consenting to low-risk, high-benefit interventions and a greater degree of competence for higher-risk procedures.5,9 Family members often serve as informal surrogate decision makers for incapacitated patients, except when there is significant family discord or no family members are available.5
Guardianship. Guardians are appointed by courts to make decisions for individuals who have been found incompetent (wards). Although its purposes are beneficent, the guardianship system could do significant harm.10 Determining that an individual is incompetent is tantamount to depriving him or her of basic personhood. In many cases, the ward loses the ability to consent to or refuse medical care, manage his or her finances, enter into contracts, marry, and determine where he or she will live. On the other hand, failing to recognize incompetence can leave a vulnerable person in danger of physical deterioration, abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
It is critical that guardianship evaluations be conducted carefully. In a review of 298 guardianship cases from 3 states, Moye and colleagues11 found that the quality of the reports was significantly better in Colorado, a state with guardianship reforms, but documentation of functional strengths and weaknesses was "particularly rare" in guardianship evaluations and prognosis often was not included. This information is relevant to judges, who need to determine which areas of function are impaired and how long the impairment is likely to last.
Guardianship evaluations often focus on general rather than specific capacity. In other words, often there is not a specific task such as consenting to surgery that the alleged incompetent person needs to perform. Rather, the question is whether an individual can manage his or her finances or make treatment decisions in general. Appelbaum and Gutheil suggest considering 6 factors when assessing general capacity:
- awareness of the situation
- factual understanding of the issues
- appreciation of the likely consequences
- rational manipulation of information
- functioning in one's environment
- extent of demands on patient.5
The first 4 are closely related to the elements of specific capacity described above. Functioning in one's environment and extent of demands on the patient attempt to anticipate the tasks that an individual will need to perform. A patient with mild dementia may be unable to manage a complex estate but can handle a bank account and a fixed income. Similarly, it is important to consider the patient's support system. An impaired patient may function adequately with his wife's help but may lose the capacity to live independently if his wife dies or becomes impaired.
Traditionally, guardianship has resulted in a complete loss of decision-making ability. Several state legislatures have passed laws allowing for limited guardianship, although orders for limited guardianship remain underutilized.10 Limited guardianship delineates specific areas of incompetence and limits the guardian's decision-making authority to those areas while leaving intact the ward's ability to make all other decisions for himself or herself.
The use of less-restrictive alternatives to guardianship—such as powers of attorney, durable powers of attorney, living wills, payees, and trusts—is increasing. A power of attorney allows a patient to authorize a specific individual to act on his or her behalf. The scope of the power of attorney can be limited, such as to manage finances or even to a specific transaction, such as selling a home or car. A durable power of attorney also allows an agent to make decisions on the patient's behalf but becomes active only when the patient becomes incompetent. It often is used to appoint an individual to make medical decisions on behalf of an incompetent patient. Living wills allow patients to determine what treatment they would like in the event they become incompetent.
Elder abuse. An estimated 1 to 2 million adults age >65 have been abused, exploited, or neglected.12 Elder abuse includes physical abuse, neglect, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and financial exploitation (including undue influence). Most states have mandatory reporting of elder abuse, although they vary regarding who must report and what the report must entail. Psychiatrists should be vigilant in looking for signs of elder abuse (Table 2),13 regardless of the reason for the consult.
Table 2
Signs of elder abuse: What to wlook for
Type of abuse
Bruises, burns (especially circular, suggesting cigarette burns), slap marks
Unexplained sexually transmitted diseases, bruises in genital area, breasts, or anal area
Withdrawal, new-onset depression
Sudden loss of property, unusual increase in spending, checks paid in large, round numbers, checks marked as gifts or loans
Malnutrition, lack of medical care, poor hygiene, pressure ulcers
Source: Reference 13
10 tips for thorough evaluations
1. Consider the context of the consultation. This includes medical factors (such as the patient's condition, prognosis, relationship with the treatment team, and recommended course of treatment), legal factors (eg, pending litigation and relevant legal standards for issues such as guardianship), and psychosocial issues (eg, the patient's current support structure and family conflicts).
2. Identify the legal issue and any relevant legal standards. The legal standard will inform you of the issues you need to address in the evaluation. If an attorney has consulted you, ask him or her to provide the legal standard.
3. Gather relevant collateral information, which may include interviews with family members or a review of financial or medical records.
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Bergdorf Goodman Unveils the Holiday Windows and the 2012 Holiday Experience
ACT V: "The Mirror Kaleidoscope" is the Grand Finale of the BG Follies of 2012. Twin showgirls are presented downstage, while a colossal, rotating, mirrored starburst rotates behind them. The multiple layers of this starburst contain nearly one thousand individual beveled mirrors. Each successive layer of the starburst rotates in an opposite direction from the layer behind, creating an extraordinary kaleidoscopic effect. The mannequins' matching gowns, studded in mirrors and rhinestones, were specially commissioned from Naeem Khan.
The ACTS continue along 57th Street, 58th Street and across Fifth Avenue in front of the Men's Store.
In addition to the spectacular windows, this holiday season Bergdorf Goodman has created several special and unique initiatives.
Bergdorf Goodman has partnered with TheCoveteur.com, the on-line fashion and retail website, to create an exclusive behind the scenes photo series and video about the making of the Holiday windows. Viewers are given an intimate view into the fantastical world of the Bergdorf Goodman visual team where they will gain access into their various studios for a glance at the teams' old world craftsmanship. The series releases online on BG.com, 5th/58th and TheCoveteur.com on November 21st.
In conjunction with the photo series, Bergdorf's is having a #BGWindows Instagram contest, which begins November 20th; photograph a window for a chance to win a miniature mannequin from the memorable windows or a printed photo by TheCoveteur.com. Submissions can be viewed on Bergdorf Goodman's Facebook page" href="https://www.facebook.com/bergdorfgoodman">Bergdorf Goodman's Facebook page and winners will be announced on or about January 7 and will be notified by Instagram.
This year is the first ever Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Window Audio Tour" href="http://www.bg.com/windows">Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Window Audio Tour, narrated by Bergdorf's own David Hoey, who describes in great detail each of the five main Fifth Avenue windows, viewers will be able to access this via a QR code.
A QR code is also found in this year's Holiday Gift Book. By scanning the code, readers can access a mobile gift wish list that they can share with friends and family. Pinterest will feature exclusive Holiday content and gift-giving ideas throughout the season and the Holiday spirit will continue on BG.com, 5th/58th, Facebook, Twitter andBergdorf Goodman on Google+" href="https://plus.google.com/+BergdorfGoodman/posts">Google+ with gift-giving tips, holiday to-do's and window images.
The Holiday season is in full swing on the Seventh Floor with the following activities:
- The opening of the Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Shop" href="http://blog.bergdorfgoodman.com/seventh-floor-womens-style">Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Shop featuring 8 themed trees including BG 111, Christmas in New York and Gilded Age among others.
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My plan below needs to be perceived with irony because it is almost irrelevant: we have only a very small chance of surviving the next 1000 years. If we do survive, we have numerous tasks to accomplish before my plan can become a reality.
Additionally, there's the possibility that the "end of the universe" will arrive sooner, if our collider experiments lead to a vacuum phase transition, which begins at one point and spreads across the visible universe.


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text:
Systems and methods are provided for communicating and processing market data. The market data may comprise quotes, orders, trades and/or statistics. A messaging structure allows for adding, re-ordering and/or expanding data, within the printable character set of any language. One or more delimiters are defined and used to delimit data elements within the message structure. The data is interpreted based on templates which may be disseminated prior to the sending of messages and used as an abstraction so that the meaning of data need not be conveyed in the message.
1. A method of distributing market data, the method comprising:
(a) transmitting from a computer device a first template defining a plurality of fields;
(b) transmitting from the computer device a first market data message having a plurality of fields separated by delimiters and formatted in accordance with the first template;
(c) after (b) transmitting from the computer device a second template defining a plurality of fields and being different from the first template; and
(d) transmitting from the computer device a second market data message having a plurality of fields separated by delimiters and formatted in accordance with the second template.
2. The method of
3. The method of
4. The method of
5. The method of
6. The method of
7. The method of
8. The method of
9. The method of
10. The method of
11. The method of
12. The method of
13. The method of
14. The method of
15. An exchange computer system configured to distribute market data, the system comprising:
a processor;
a computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform the steps comprising:
(a) transmitting a first template defining a plurality of fields;
(b) transmitting a first market data message having a plurality of fields separated by delimiters and formatted in accordance with the first template;
(c) after (b) transmitting a second template defining a plurality of fields and being different from the first template; and
(d) transmitting a second market data message having a plurality of fields separated by delimiters and formatted in accordance with the second template.
16. The exchange computer system of
17. The exchange computer system of
18. The exchange computer system of
19. The exchange computer system of
20. The exchange computer system of
The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/982,535, filed Nov. 5, 2004 entitled "Market Data Message Format", which is a continuation-in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/903,826 filed Jul. 30, 2004 entitled "Trade Engine Processing of Mass Quote Messages and Resulting Production of Market Data", which claimed priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/517,491 filed Nov. 5, 2003 entitled "Delimited Variable Length Structure for Electronic Messages" the entire disclosures are hereby incorporated by reference.
Aspects of the present invention relate to a delimited message format that uses delimiters to demarcate data and repeating groups of data sent from an exchange or received by an exchange.
As the number of orders and trades increases, the distribution of messages can strain computer systems and networks that are used to transmit such messages. The processing of numerous messages and associated overhead consumes bandwidth and processing time. Current messaging structures use fixed length, key-value paired, and/or message mockup structures to communicate content. These current messaging structures are inefficient due to overhead associated with padding extra bytes or use of keys or references which may be contained in the message. Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved electronic message structure.
Aspects of the invention overcomes at least the problems and limitations of the prior art by providing systems and methods for processing market data through the use of a messaging structure. The messaging structure may use delimiters to demarcate data and repeating groups of data. The delimiters may be single-byte control characters that allow data to be extracted using a parsing logic. A parsing algorithm may require that bytes in a message be read in order to locate the delimiters. The message structure may use templates to define message types, data meaning, and data ordering. The template may be disseminated prior to the sending of messages and used as an abstraction so that the meaning of data need not be conveyed in the message. The created messages may present data in the order stipulated by the templates. An application processing the messages may map data to a template and associate it with meaning. The template may be disseminated prior to the sending of messages and used as an abstraction so that the meaning of data need not be conveyed in the message. The use of templates may allow data to be added, deleted, or re-ordered by first distributing an updated template.
The processing of market messages may be accomplished in accordance with the techniques described in U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/517,491. In various embodiments, aspects of the present invention can be partially or wholly implemented on a computer-readable medium, for example, by storing computer-executable instructions or modules, or by utilizing computer-readable data structures. Of course, the methods and systems disclosed herein may also include other additional elements, steps, computer-executable instructions, or computer-readable data structures.
The details of these and other embodiments of the present invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
The present invention may take physical form in certain parts and steps, embodiments of which will be described in detail in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, wherein:
Exemplary Operating Environment
Aspects of the present invention are preferably implemented with computer devices and computer networks that allow users to exchange trading information. An exemplary trading network environment for implementing trading systems and methods is shown in
The trading network environment shown in
Computer device 114 is shown directly connected to exchange computer system 100. Exchange computer system 100 and computer device 114 may be connected via a T1 line, a common local area network (LAN) or other mechanism for connecting computer devices. Computer device 114 is shown connected to a radio 132. The user of radio 132 may be a trader or exchange employee. The radio user may transmit orders or other information to a user of computer device 114. The user of computer device 114 may then transmit the trade or other information to exchange computer system 100.
Computer devices 116 and 118 are coupled to a LAN 124. LAN 124 may have one or more of the well-known LAN topologies and may use a variety of different protocols, such as Ethernet. Computers 116 and 118 may communicate with each other and other computers and devices connected to LAN 124. Computers and other devices may be connected to LAN 124 via twisted pair wires, coaxial cable, fiber optics or other media. Alternatively, a wireless personal digital assistant device (PDA) 122 may communicate with LAN 124 or the Internet 126 via radio waves. PDA 122 may also communicate with exchange computer system 100 via a conventional wireless hub 128. As used herein, a PDA includes mobile telephones and other wireless devices that communicate with a network via radio waves.
One or more market makers 130 may maintain a market by providing constant bid and offer prices for a derivative or security to exchange computer system 100. Exchange computer system 100 may also exchange information with other trade engines, such as trade engine 138. One skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous additional computers and systems may be coupled to exchange computer system 100. Such computers and systems may include clearing, regulatory and fee systems.
The operations of computer devices and systems shown in
Of course, numerous additional servers, computers, handheld devices, personal digital assistants, telephones and other devices may also be connected to exchange computer system 100. Moreover, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the topology shown in
Market Data Messaging Format
A new messaging structure 200 (
Character "|" 206 is used to denote a delimiter in an embodiment of the invention. Those skilled in the art will realize that many other additional characters may be utilized to represent a delimiter such as characters "[" 210 and "]" 212 and "}" 214. The delimiters may separate data elements within a given message structure. One or more templates such as template 201 may be defined and disseminated to 1) indicate the number and nature of supported message structures (flat or nested groups of repeatable data), as well as 2) the meaning of the data that may be communicated within a given message structure. The delimiters used may or may not be communicated in the templates, as well. One or more message structures corresponding to each template may be defined and disseminated, carrying actual or meaningful content.
In many of the alternatives listed in
The "Options Fields" 316 shown in
The delimiters defined in
Delimiters and templates may be disseminated or communicated by any means that allow them to be incorporated in an electronic system. The message structures then disseminated may be of variable length with data elements shortened or extended in length, as well as included or not present on a real-time per message basis. Message structures, depending on the choice of implementation, may be parsed without prior knowledge of the message content, without references or keys to the content, and/or without fixed positional reference to the message structures.
One or more templates such as template 201 may be defined and disseminated to 1) indicate the number and nature of supported messages (linear or nested groups), as well as 2) indicate the meaning of the data that may be communicated within a given type of message. Templates may allow datum to be associated with meaning by 1) defining the attributes, and 2) indicating the order in which they will appear. The use of delimiters within a given message type may also be communicated in its template.
Once the templates have been disseminated, messages corresponding to each template may be built and disseminated, carrying actual content. The messages may be of variable length with data elements shortened or extended in length, as well as included or not present on a real-time basis. Templates, and thus messages, may be changed on-the-fly so that attributes can be added, deleted, and/or re-order as needed. Template and message integrity may be checked per instance of receipt by validating message size.
In one embodiment of the invention, the messaging format detailed assumes the following: 1) messages are being passed from a sender to one or more receivers; 2) the method of dissemination is variable; 3) two fundamental types of messages are sent, templates and data messages; 4) the data being sent can be represented in key=value pairs; 5) templates define the order of data in data messages; 6) templates contain keys and data messages contain associated values; and 7) a protocol that uses this formatting scheme will provide needed functionality as necessary (such as including a mechanism by which to match a data message with a template or including a mechanism to verify message contents).
A message may consist, conceptually, of fields and repeating groups. Repeating groups may be nested and also consist of fields and repeating groups. In templates, a repeating group may only exist once. In messages, a repeating group may occur multiple times. All these occurrences may be consecutive.
As discussed above, messages may consist, structurally, of fields and delimiters. Every field may be followed by one or more delimiters. Field delimiters may separate fields within a group or in the message. If the last element of a message is not a repeating group, it may be followed by a "Field Delimiter" 304; otherwise it may be followed by the "Group End" 308 delimiter. "Group Start" 306 delimiters may mark the beginning of a group definition in a template and a repeating group in a data message. "Group Delimiters" 314 do not exist in templates and separate occurrences of a repeating group in data messages. "Group End" 308 delimiters may mark the end of a repeating group and may be placed after the last element of the last occurrence of a repeating group. Every "Group Start" 306 delimiter may be matched by a "Group End" 308 delimiter later in the message.
Message structure 200 may perform several functions such as: 1) order attributes which convey data; 2) it provides a means for extracting specific datum from the overall message; and/or 3) provide a method for associating the datum with meaning. Optimizing a message structure, therefore, involves ordering attributes in an efficient manner while allowing datum to be extracted and associated with meaning in a likewise efficient manner. An optimized message structure, moreover, may readily allow attributes to be added, deleted or re-ordered, as well as efficiently handle attributes which either may not be present or vary in length on a per message basis.
A fully optimized message structure may communicate only meaningful content in a format that expresses the data in the smallest possible size. A structure for stating price, for example, may only state the price without overhead. The format for stating the price, moreover, might be optimized by expressing it as a binary rather than string statement.
Message structure 200 orders attributes in a very efficient manner. Message Structure 200 may use delimiters to demarcate each attribute so datum can be readily extracted. Message structure 200 may use templates to pre-define attribute ordering so extracted datum can be associated with meaning.
Message structure 200 may carry data within the printable character set of any language. Message structure 200 supports linear strings of data, as well as nested groups of repeatable data to any level of nested depth. Ordering of attributes may be determined by at least four factors: 1) attributes which are potentially repeatable to optimize efficiency are placed in repeating groups; 2) repeating groups are nested so that common data resides in the outer most group(s) and unique data resides in the inner most group(s); 3) data common to the entire message resides outside any repeating group; 4) attributes which may not appear often are placed at the end of a repeating group or at the end of the message. The last factor may allow delimiters for those attributes without values in a given instance to be dropped.
Template and message integrity may be checked per instance of receipt by validating message size. Messages may be further validated against the structure of its corresponding template.
The advantages of the delimited structure may include: 1) efficient message structure that produces message sizes comparable to or better than an optimized fixed length structure; 2) retains the flexibility of key-value and mockup structures for adding, re-ordering and extending the length of data elements contained in messages; 3) supports linear data strings, as well as nested groups of repeatable data to any level of nested depth. It excels at communicating data via complex nested groups which optimize message size efficiency; 4) attributes can be added, deleted, and/or re-order on-the-fly by defining and disseminating a template and then sending messages corresponding to the given template; 5) attributes can be shortened or extended in length, as well as included or not present on a real-time per message basis; 6) messages can be parsed without prior knowledge of the message type, as well as without references or keys to the content; 7) any number of templates and/or message types can be defined, and any nature of data within the printable character set of any language can be communicated; and 8) it is easier to optimize both up-front and over time than a fixed length structure.
A further advantage of the delimited structure may include a variable length message structure that consumes no more bytes than: 1) for linear data strings, the number of bytes used for actual data plus one byte per delimiter in a given message; or 2) for nested message structures, the same number of bytes as above plus potentially X number of bytes to close each nested group of data.
Weaknesses of fixed length message structures include the use of padding to accommodate attributes which either may not be present or vary in length on a per message basis. Each attribute must be padded to a fixed length equal to the longest possible value the attribute might convey. This is needed to maintain a consistent overall fixed length structure (or consistent fixed length partitions for repeating groups) so that datum can be extracted using a pre-defined set of positional references. The fixed length structure, therefore, also suffers from not being readily extensible.
Thus, a fixed length structure would optimally state instrument, price and quantity as:
and no structure could better optimize the message. It is improbable, however, that a fixed length structure can be as optimized as in the example given above. Because the attributes vary in length on a per message basis, they will have to be padded:
Thus, the fixed length message size is inflated by a total of 11 unneeded characters in this instance.
If the delimited structure described above is used instead:
This structure incurs an overhead of 3 control characters for delimiters and improves upon the fixed length example where padding is added.
From the perspective of optimizing message size, however, the delimited structure may be ultimately deemed equal to the use of an optimized fix length structure when the structures do not include repeating groups of data. The constraints may include: 1) the more attributes with values that will vary in length as well as the more attributes that will not be present in every instance, the more efficient the delimited structure will be; and 2) the more attributes with values of constant length and always present the more efficient the fixed length structure will be.
The following examples compare messages which communicate date and time, trading system, trading mode, instrument, price, quantity, price variation, order type, and origin:
20031015153015999GOESZ3- - - -00107500000005+L4 pads with 11 characters
20031015153015999|G|O|ESZ3|107500|5|+|L|4| incurs 9 delimiters
When linear strings are thus compared, the two approaches are generally equal with respect to message size. The delimited structure, however, will perform better than the fixed length structure when repeating groups are introduced. Also, the fixed length structure must always be optimized—attributes efficiently ordered and padding kept to a minimum—if it is to perform well.
A financial data message may be created in step 506. The financial data message may comprise a market data message sent from an exchange and/or orders or messages delivered to an exchange. The financial data message includes a plurality of fields that have been separated by delimiters. The delimiters may include at least one delimiter that is used to identify a repeated group of information. Finally, in step 508 the financial data message may be transmitted from an exchange or similar system. The transmission may be across one or more computer, audio, video or data networks.
The embodiments described above utilize market data. In alternative embodiments individual orders and quotes may use the same message structure. The messaging structure 200 of the present invention may be used in the processing of market data. The market data may contain a plurality of orders for financial instruments. The financial instruments may be derivative products. Derivative products may include options on futures contracts, futures contracts that are functions of or related to other futures contracts, or other financial instruments that have their price related to or derived from an underlying product. These market data may be received at an exchange that receives and executes orders.
The present invention has been described in terms of preferred and exemplary embodiments thereof. Numerous other embodiments, modifications and variations within the scope and spirit of the invention will occur to persons of ordinary skill in the art from a review of this disclosure. For example, aspects of the invention may be used to process and communicate data other than market data.
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