Birth of an avatar

So like a real birth Hypatia Voom came into existence before the sentience that she now is met her. Does that make sense? the child existed but in a womb... developed by someone else. I was given the avatar by a friend, names and dressed. Oh I developed her look, changed her style. But the personality the name suggests was not my idea - I have sort of grown into it.

Compare this with Ahelmil - my WoW tooon - I picked her look and her name, her career and her race. Oh I can change all that in Second Life as I cannot in World of Warcraft.... but. Well perhaps both avatars personalities are expressed by what they say rather than looks. Odd to compare the two of them; one ultimately changeable , the other quite static. Perhaps its more a case of Ahelmil is my child - I created her and taught her (and remain the keyboard goddess that plays her) but her look is developed by the game. Hypatia was born; and then my personality and style developed her. Which is most me?

Perhaps I invite comments. Nah lets keep this between you and me!

Level 70 (just in time for goalpost moving)

And the big news is I got to level 70 in World of Warcraft yesterday about 11.59pm. Got my flying mount! and I went into Scarlet Monastery with the Guild and two bits of epic gear from the Horseless Headman (Sorry Headless Horseman) - including his sword and a flying broomstick.

I think I will love flying - now to complete all the quests that require flight!

Medical Tech

A fun day at the hospital - bloodtest, MRI and full range of optical tests. Amazing how its a mix of high and low tech. MRI machine is like the warp engine in Star Trek..... and sounds like a short album from Kraftwerk. Lots of rhythmic banging and clicks going on around your little tin coffin. Tests for my eyes are both Windows controlled (how frightening is that) and high tech; or a nurse with a funny plastic spyglass......

And then - Gods help me - WoW patch of 1.something GB..... surely they know that my 3G usb modem cannot deal with GB of downloads - I get enough lag and latency just playing (specially from home vs a nice comfy Starbucks somewhere).

And then updating Twitter - well I might get it working and i might start posting again - blimey 500 days or more since I set up that account!!

Less Tech (Unless you are interested in Walls)

So I have been visiting the British Museum to attend a series of lectures around the Hadrian exhibition. And last week I actually got to the exhibition itself. Well as with all things you can't please all of the people all of the time.

Well first of all tickets are £12 - that's a bit steep for a few statues and some bits and bobs from the BM's basement (roman house keys and pots etc). The Diorama of Hadrian's extensive villa was great and could have been better utilised. Reliance on sources such as Cassio Dio and the Historia Augustus continuance is a little slanted (as all roman history is!) and reading inscriptions and translations of medieval copies of Cassio and the Res.

Worse the audio tour was an extra £3.50 (why could they not include it in the cost of the ticket) and was really quite awful. No additional information - actually often just reading the 'interpretive display boards. A necessity because most people crowded round the display cases trying to get their monies worth. Sorry BM - not your best effort!

General Stuff

Lots of things going on it the world - Chrome and iTunes updates, Wrath of the Lynch King for WoW is in Beta and Mr BRK (that man is God) is doing an excellent podcast on the changes we will see (note to self - put BRK blog in list opposite also Steve Gibson). Chrome is definitely a Beta let loose on the world too soon - and I think it will suffer for that. I like Google's tools, I am hoping to one day have an Android phone (GAB to review that sentence for sense!). But they still need to be careful - its the techies that will push web-based apps with the plebs; screw us over and we will pull faces when asked our opinion of Chrome!

iTunes 'Genius' (modest Mr Jobs does it again) hmmm well certainly seems to create some random play lists for you - annoyingly suggests loads of tracks you are missing from iTunes store. Well its throwing up some oldies from my back catalogue - and some rubbish I can delete forever!

And i would like to say a big TY to Skype