Big changes this year. Top of the list, perhaps, is the switcheroo from the old Baker Blinker Blog to the new Frank and Herman Einstein! Blog. Why the switch? Well, the idea is that the new blog will always be focused on “out there”, which means the neighborhood Frank and Herman Parks comprising a hefty 8800 or so acres between them. This is a permanently protected space hopefully, unlike the shifting sands that is Second Life. More energy is found in these parks than Second Life now and explorations/building therein. Second Life serves First Life in terms of blogging and picture taking, and always will from now on. Actually, this shift has been in motion since about September 2011, and the last year of the Baker Blinker Blog is kind of a long prelude for F&HE!
But we must move on for now because other changes need to be reviewed, like an incredibly surprising upgrade for “Dark Side of the Rainbow.” Jamie of “Dark Side of the Rainbow: Art on Trial”, a new and very large site on the subject, has introduced me to the concept of a DSotR2, or, in essence, a Dark Side of the Rainbow that begins with the *2nd* 3rd lion roar within The Wizard of Oz film as a whole. Those familiar at all with the phenomenon may recall that the 3rd roar of Leo the Lion introducing the film acts as a cuing point for the start of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon within. Much, much fewer will know about several other distinct 3rd lion roars occurring later on in the film, all emitted by the *Cowardly* Lion in this case. But all these come after what is now obviously, in my eyes, the true, second 3rd lion roar, another Cowardly Lion utterance. This would come when he first shows up in The Wizard of Oz on the Yellow Brick Road, after Dorothy has already gathered together the Scarecrow and the Tinman in that order. This 3rd lion roar happens to be kind of hidden within a group of 4, as it were, making it harder to spot than the others.
Jamie and I are still working on the details together (for in the meantime I have befriended him), but we agree on several things for now: Dark Side of the Rainbow simply doesn’t work very well with Dark Side of the Moon merely set on “repeat”; that is, allowing DSotM to play over again throughout The Wizard of Oz till the latter ends, resulting in 2 1/2 repeats total. Instead you cut this version off after the first play of the album within the film (again this all starts at Leo’s 3rd lion roar introducing the film), and somehow segue to the version which begins at the aforementioned 2nd 3rd lion roar, this “DSotR2”. But DSotR2 is a misnomer, because — and I think Jamie also agrees with this in general — there is only 1 Dark Side of the Rainbow and it has to include *both* versions, or both the one that starts with the film’s 1st 3rd lion roar and then the one that starts with the film’s 2nd 3rd lion roar about 55 minutes later.
Where Jamie and I are having some difficulties is nailing down *exactly how to run this DSotR2*, because it doesn’t seem to be cued in the majority of versions to precisely this 2nd 3rd lion roar of the film. This is in contrast to DSotR1, where the 3rd lion roar start is generally agreed upon. But, again, I must move on to other subjects because I don’t want to get bogged down in DSotR revision technicalities for this review. But this is big big news, and a shocking addition. DSotR2 is simply *better* than DSotR1 — no other way to put it. *However* it also *depends* on DSotR1 to set it up. Fused together, they *are* “Dark Side of the Rainbow”, the true one.
But back to the review. So we’ve covered the shift of blogs from the Baker Blinker Blog to the Frank and Herman Einstein Blog. Actually, the discovery of true “Dark Side of the Rainbow” (DSotR1 + DSotR2) egged this on. Jamie has mysteriously come to play the role of Tin S. Man early on in the current blog, where a separation ensues between Tin S. Man and Wallace3 (latter played by me, baker b.). Tin S. Man has overidentified with the Baker Blinker Blog or its energy. Wallace3 must move beyond him by creating the new blog. Tin S. Man is kind of me stuck in the past, in the old blog of 2233 posts.
Other news: Well, Pietmond Stage 2 was destroyed in early February of this year, when a huge spaceship/warship came a-visiting operated by someone named Michael, according to resident blog spirt and wise guy Hucka D. Why did this ship then destroy Pietmond? Was it sent from Philo (a loose Nautilus continent community on the rise at the same time)? So Pietmond Stage 1 lasted from October 2010 to the end of April 2011, and Stage 2 from September 2011 to February 2012. Now we even have a 3rd stage of sorts with New Pietmond (early November 2012 to present). But I think New Pietmond is just that — beyond the old. A new Pietmond for a new blog if you will. And perhaps it is not coincidence that New Pietmond was born at the same time Philo itself suffered a devastating blow from an unidentified enemy, losing the Temple of TILE and the Toxic Art Gallery simultaneously.
Then there’s more. Another crazy development this year came in the revitalization of the Synchronicity Phenomenon Board, basically dormant for a year and a half before this after the untimely death of its guru/sage Don Boulet. My friend Flynn was part of this rebirth along with me, and the resurgent group did some incredible work in a short span. My foremost contribution to the energy was the piecing together of what I called the Synching Creek Designated Mystery Area located between Abingdon and Bristol, Virginia. A review of what I found there is now collected within the Sink Lair virtual gallery, still present in New Pietmond as of this writing. Unfortunately, the rebirth seems to have been brief, as the Synch Phenom Board has again returned to basic dormancy. Is there energy for yet another rejuvenation? I doubt it but who can tell.
Briefly, other Pietmond/New Pietmond developments include the evolution of the X-Spot Gallery (shaped like a giant “X”), and the addition of several new structures including the Tower of A. Mann, my tallest Second Life structure yet, I believe.
But let’s now return to Frank and Herman Parks to check out in more detail what happened there this year. Another big bunch of information (!) First came the remarkable expansion of TILE Creek mythology, culminating in both Hermania and Billfork “communities”. Then in the summer we have Con Creek, another hefty information addition. *Then* this Fall we build upon the story of Wealthy Mtn. with extensive explorations and written down afterthoughts. I’ve mentioned the Tin S. Man development above, and, er, physically, this takes place in his Tinsity, in the heart of Wealthy Mountain’s prominent Green Oz Valley. Afterwards, we have the amazing evolution of Byng/4 Valleys, taking the present blog to a stabilizing point where the past is obviously cleaved away. And this directly leads to New Pietmond as well.
What of the future? I believe all bets are off after this heck of a year!
Sunklands 