Alan Kiesler – Page 9 – The Kind Healer

A Long Weekend of Concern

Much has happened over the weekend, best to place in one post as things are just winding down.

### Cyan closing up last week

On 9/2/05 it was mentioned on the blog for (now former) Cyanist [GreyDragon][1] that Cyan had layed off most of its employees. This is a saddening time indeed for those of us who have been involved in Myst and Uru, and formed our own communities within. A [followup post][2] has explicitly stated that Ubisoft is *not* at fault for this and has been extremely helpful in the publishing and marketing of _Myst V: End of Ages_, due out next week. I agree with GD’s perspective on the latter, and hope Rand the best in trying to get some sort of funding back up for the Somthing Else project or the other project I heard rumors about.

There is not much I can say that can extend beyond the (very copious) comments within the two posts, and can only add my farewell /salute (aka /hug) and my personal determination that this will not stop the communities from continuing on.

Even if that requires us to collectively pick up Until Uru or H’Uru or whatever by its bootstraps and continuing it ourselves.

No ending is fully written, only chapters, and on top of that we always live within the moments of beginnings and endings. This just allows a new chapter to open, a new time for us as an Uru community, and one that I’m looking forward to see.

[1]: http://www.thegreydragon.com/2005/09/time-of-your-life-almost-all-of-cyan.html
[2]: http://www.thegreydragon.com/2005/09/debt-just-so-everyone-knows-cyan-is.html

### Mother in Hospital again

The same Friday that I learned about Cyan I got a call from my aunt saying my mother was admitted to a hospital again; She’s had another stroke. I did try to visit on Saturday, she was having tests done and was unable to see her. Hopefully I’ll have time on Wed while I’m in the area, and will try to visit this Friday or Saturday as well.

### The weekend of 9/11 – Working

I was at work this past weekend, both days, much as I’d rather have been in NYC on Sunday the 11th. Not much I could do, it was an important thing had to be done and I’m happy that, at the end, everything was good on Monday.

But despite the fustration and haggardness at the end, a part of me was glad to have worked this weekend. I lost two good friends on the 11th, co-workers whom were visiting the towers that day on business. I buried my emotions in work the rest of that week, getting things working so clients could do their work in our spare office space. That later backfired on me, but is another story.

So you’d think I would avoid work that day. Well, thinking back on this year so far, I’ve done so much – in RL, Uru, and SL. I think I wanted to prove to myself, once and for all, that I’m out of that blackness I dug myself into the initial months after 9/11.

If so, then I’ve proven myself to be once again back. I’m hoping that I can now keep this attitude the rest of my life. Perhaps this little spot of mine will help, we shall see…

–Alan

Quick note regarding Katrina

Unless you’ve been well away from both the popular media and the Gulf area of the US, there are lots of posts in weblogs and elsewhere regarding Katrina. I have nothing new to say to what’s already out there, and to be honest its not what this weblog is for.

However, from an Uru perspective, this community is a tight one and the effects of it ripple through the varying forums (peruse the two Uru forum links on my sidebar for examples). We all do care, and help in our ways.

*Bows head in silence*

-Alan

Welcome (Again)

*Looks around another new space.*

It has to be said, that as a person whom likes to write on occasion, it may have been a serious mistake for me to get involved in a blog. ;) In any event, I’ve been wanting to write short snippets of things ever since I got deeply involved in Second Life, but started with just an in-world notecard (which is both painful and not easy to maintain on a regular basis, or away from home).

I did finally get involved with a blogging site for a while, a site called SLBlogger that was catering to SL Avatars. I joined in, and had a few posts, but it was taken down in short order due to ‘external circumstances’ (aka it was hacked and the blog vendor did not have a patch anytime soon). It would appear to be up again soon, but I’ve had to move beyond that anyway.

I’m now hosting, via my own domain and site, files that go beyond SL. Files such as the Until Uru KI patch, which was available elsewhere at some point but has disappeared since. The site (and now the blog) will likely be balanced more toward Uru from time to time, and as such I cannot justify it staying on SLBlogger.

I will, however, re-post entries to here once I get back in again.

-Alan

[SLB Import] London

As someone who lives in the NYC Metro area, I found the explosions in London worrisome. As it always does when I end up adding a new memorial to my private collection.

Of course like everyone else I checked in on folks I knew who could have been there. So far I’ve heard from everyone, so I’ve been happy.

But my heart as always goes out to those effected over there. Just as it did on 9/11 (perhaps a little too much, but I have my reasons – reference my back posts), or during the tsunami, or whenever a major disaster strikes. It is just my nature. My aspect in later life has been of the Healer, the caring, kind person who likes to help.

Perhaps this is why the Numbakulla story, and the Uru story, resonate in me so much. And why SL tugs at me so much as well.

–Alan

[SLB Import] Mystic Radio closes its streaming service

For anyone who visited my rental land on Tavarua, or other similar areas that I frequent (some of them on my picks list), you probably heard some interesting music from it. Soothing, quiet, and perhaps bordering more towards ‘new age’ (though I have no issue with that genre).

That music stream came from the site Mystic Radio, a recent find and one that fit the land almost perfectly. Unfortunately, as of a couple days ago, they closed their virtual doors and the website just has a sad farewell notice.

I’m of course saddened to see this, as I cannot think of any other music URL that I’d regularly pump into my land (and yes, I donated to them at one point, by using one of their sponsor links to buy my LightStone device). Ah well, I suppose for now the quiet will do.