If we successively change Shamokin to Shamon here per Big E/Big Schwa…
… the meaning of the song flips as well.
Category Archives: Pennsylvania
00490402
Perhaps our talking of them will arouse the poet who will tell the hidden wonder story of the influence for which the hands were but fluttering pennants of promise.
In his youth Wing Biddlebaum had been a school teacher in a town in Pennsylvania.
No, not *that* Pennsylvania town (too small) Nor (A Streetcar Named) Desire next to it (also too small).
Let’s focus on the descriptive word “pennants” from the first of the 2 sentences quoted above, another penn word. From the blog this time; blog within blog (within blog):
So they pried themselves away from watching the blog on TV and went upstairs to stare at it from different sides, different angles, to ponder what Mr. Babyface had surmised earlier. “Shamon on top of course,” he reminded Peter. “Closest hit in the Oracle is Shamokin PA, but with a pinch of collage magic we can create one of those 2n1’s… that you hate so much.”
“Stop it, Uncle. We’re not enemies.”
“I know, sorry. But look… I’ll project it on the screen downstairs when we return.”
“What else while we’re here?”
He pivoted the Big E around until the proper side was facing his nephew, turning it into a Big Schwa. He was seeing from his Uncle’s perspective now.
“Orgas, Peter,” recited Mr. Babyface on another closest Oracle hit, this time for the sim of Orgamast, label right in front of Peter’s eyes. He reloads his pipe, Blue Pennant now. “Orgasm, obviously (puff puff). And there’s also an Organ Cave population place in the same state of West Virginie. The Lordshore-Orgamast Floor is the lowest level of the Kidd Tower here (next to the Lebettu Castle). Lordshore also begins with LO.”
“What are you getting at, Uncle?”
“Let’s go back to the couch.”
—–
“Shamon… from the inn… place of thorns. This is where it happened.”
“What happened?” Then Peter realized what his Uncle was talking about. “Ooooh.”
Mr. Babyface thought of a joke here but wisely decided not to mouth it.
So I think we might have our Pennsylvania town to “beam down” into via Google Street View for further investigation. But first: Arkansaw.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0049, 0402, Jeogeot, Pennsylvania, Xilted
00490311 (Steve)
I had circled back to the Newbank sim on the Newbrooke continent of the Bellisaria series of continents now dominating the “center” of the Our Second Lyfe worldscape, determined to make more of the experience. Plastic Man — I had that much. Friends Pig, Bully, Father and Son — they’re still around too. But Plastic Man quickly turns (again) into elastic armed Peter Oesso impossibly reaching through a window to an espresso machine 12 feet from him and procuring himself a drink. We’re at the gallery just north of Newbank now, with a corresponding increase in realism. As a newborn starts to recognize the world around him and the difference between father and son and mother and daughter, so we have the appearance of 2 brothers here, one 5 years older than the other but still the same age. And, as we’ve also seen, a third brother who is the same age but even 5 years older is involved, his Penn station being the center of virtual Paperville alternately Pageville where we can get Peter Oesso’s friend Bardie some pens and perhaps pencils to write his words down with. And, queerly, Second Life Freeze Dry is only 2 miles south in the Pennsylvania equivalent. Maybe we’ll visit an variant version of that real life business soon too.
Back to the action…
Filed under **VIRTUAL OT, 0049, 0311, Arkansas, Bellisaria, Continent 04, Pennsylvania
00490209 (“curse purse”)
Peter walks through the tunnel leading to the temple named Penn and changes into his 5 year older brother who is the same age as him in the process. Another queer dream!
Numerous pens scattered on the floor within, along with a couple of pencils inserted here and there to reinforce the theme. Just what Peter Tron needs so that his good egg good friend Bardie can properly express his feelings and not have to inadequately speak about them. Penn produces pen! Marvelous. Goal found.
He’s about to pick up a couple of ’em to bring back when he spots a phantom version of the painting he’s been working on so long and hard recently above a step ladder to his left colored the same as the cyan energy lines in his futuristic bodysuit and also “frisbee”. He knows this is leading him further and that his journey into the temple is not done with the writing utensils.
… down a side passage…
… brushing past narrowing walls…
… into Center.
He changes once more into an even older brother who’s the same age and gets back to work running the place he remembers he’s the black king of, this Paperville and attached Weird-o Islands. True endpoint for him.
Tron Axis checks his watch not on his arm. 10 years have passed, period. Close enough to make it stick. He inks up the antique blue jay feather pen in front of him to continue even further down this rabbit hole of a place.
Bathroom, he thinks while putting quill to parchment. Bathroom is next. Water closet.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0049, 0209, Paperville+, Pennsylvania, Weird-o Islands+
00490204 (bottoms 02 (all cracked up))
She hadn’t tried in 100s of days, maybe 100s of weeks. She was tired of pussyfooting around. “Permission to come aboard!” she shouted over in as confident of a tone as she could muster given the circumstances. No answer for a while, maybe 100s of seconds, then: “Permission DENIED.” The old, crusty sea chaplain turned captain who didn’t know when to give up himself wanted to reply immediately but was fixing a hole on the starboard side (away from her and also you, the reader or readers) and couldn’t be bothered at first. But: one hole fixed and two more appear, it seems, like apples for banana. He contemplated just ignoring the poor, foolish girl, standing over there probably in just flesh and bits of white, like she does (he imagined). The man: only red. But still he knew they were man and wife, as close as one could get without multiple marriage vows. He had to hold himself partly responsible. Given that he was the one who married them, way way back in the day. “Go AWAY. We’ve said our bits, our parts. It’s up to YOU to make it work.” Red and white red and white, he thought. Surely they can better coordinate all that, divide the hues up in a fairer, more democratic way. And *not* have to enter his unrepairable *republican* shipp, pheh. No, he would stand steadfast against change (what was he *thinking*).
“I KNOW who you are,” she tried again. “You will NOT get this shipp with its broken rigg and all to float, no way jose. Not without MY help.” (TBC)
dreams of repair
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0049, 0204, Haven, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Weird-o Islands+
00490106 (speed limit)
“Oh I hate removing all these beautiful decorations and then taking down the tree. Can’t we keep it up for a while longer, Frank Lynn? Please? Pretty please?”
“I told you, dawg,” he said while continuing to finger the difficult Spongeberg invention, #3 he was working on this particular day I believe. Full of Middle C’s in an attempt by the composer to make the path more clear, but still a very windy and twisty journey indeed. One he still can’t fully navigate to its end. “We don’t have to take the tree down until New Year arrives,” he continued his explanation.
“But… Nada is arriving at 7. For our dinner. Philip and Nada together. Two teams.”
“Frank stops playing, pivots in his bench to look over at his own (new-ish) girlfriend Daisy, realizes the mistake made.
“*No*, not *Nada* New Year. Just the New Year — dawg. The first of the year. It’s tradition that you don’t have to take down Christmas trees — for most people — until New Year’s Day the week after Christmas.”
Daisy stands back, gold ornament still in hand and not the collecting box. “Oh,” is all she could say, and proceeds to hang it on the same limb she retrieved it from not 30 seconds ago. “Good,” she said while putting more on formerly plucked. “Good good good.”
—–
“Where’s he now?” Daisy asks about Frank’s oft times visitor Dr. Mouse. Like House but different.
“Place called Linesville PA,” Frank answers from across the table. They’d finished eating (salmon and brown rice and mixed vegetables, yum!). Now time for leisurely chatting before cards (bridge? rook? Mille Bornes even?), catching up with all the latest local news and stuff. “He’s wondering why it’s so close to the PA-OH line,” Frank continued, “about 5 miles if I remember correctly, but not named for that. He’s also indicated Glenn Islands next to Ford Island in the same area and something about the possibility of watching a lot of Glenn Ford movies when he gets back, hogging my video feed again, pheh. Maybe time to think about that 2nd screen?”
“I’ll chip in,” chips in Philip to his right, partner Nada New Year across from him as Daisy is to Frank.
“Well thanks, Philip. Nice of you to offer. But as I recall, you didn’t bring any actual money over after your, er, *conversion* from Alamo to Nawt Vaya here.” Unlike me, was the unstated jab; Frank planned his metaverse jumping quite a bit more carefully. “That’s why you live with Lexi.”
“Oh,” says Philip to this, remembering that fact. “Right. Which reminds me. Nada you got a tener you can loan me for a while? Need to pay off Frank for my bets the last time we played. Right Frank?” And he hits Frank’s nearest shoulder with his fist — pretty hard. Because he’s pretty mad about it. “Good to, how you say, *square* up before we start, huh?”
“Keep it, dawg,” he says while glancing at Nada, who remained silent, maybe even looked a little sleepy. Was she up for this tonight? “I — again — appreciate the thought.”
“Okay, good. Great — that’s great. Even steven, then. Soo… what’ll it be tonight? Rook?” Philip was always up for a game of rook, his favorite. But Daisy preferred bridge and Nada and Frank preferred Mille Bornes, at least for tonight just to keep things fresh. So the majority wins and Mille Bornes it was. Philip mumbled something about preparing to lose again since it wasn’t *his* game, but then dealt the first hand and started to get quite into it before the end.
—–
“Nada, can you loan me a twenty?” he said as discussion of cards was brought up the next week after another delicious meal (poached eggs, steamed green beans, something bread related) and catching up with local news and such. Frank was just that good — naturally. Let’s call him a card savant although I know that term is usually reserved for precocious children(?). If only Spongeberg came so easily. TBC
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0049, 0106, Jeogeot, Nawt Vaya+, NVFS, Ohio, Pennsylvania
00460315
Wheeler first heard the term Blue Balls while on the toilet reading about it in a conveniently placed local history mag. Being an excellent writer because of all those professor papers, Charlene “The Punk” Brown had no problem getting an article published — with permission from her sometimes lover and owner of the actual (tape) object Emily New Moon of course. As it turns out, the name originates from the Blue Balls Hotel, built more than two hundred years ago and which stood on the southwestern corner of town, right where the ice cream vendor Newt and she were eating at just several days back. Make that several weeks back as I’m checking. The builder, John Wallace — by chance the father of Builder Bob often noisily working on those pipes just outside Emily’s video store to her irritation — hung a blue ball out front, calling it “The Sign of the Blue Ball”. Locals soon began calling the town Blue Ball after the inn, which soon turned into Blue Balls as another ball was added to the first when no one was looking or paying attention.
But wait there’s more. The town’s name has a suggestive second meaning according to the 2nd paragraph of that article, identical to the slang term “blue balls,” which refers to, according to Charlene’s text, “the sexual condition of temporary testicular and prostate fluid congestion due to prolonged and unsatisfied sexual excitement.” After an initial leak by Marg “The Town” Gossiper, word spread quickly. A town meeting was speedily organized, a new name demanded. “Well, if not Blue Balls, then what!?” George “The Grill” Foreman called from in back of the rowdy, crowded room on the second floor of what soon became the town hall building, prompting mumblings of “What are we going to call this burg?” all around. No one could come up with a replacement name. And thus they settled on The Burg for lack of creativity or any other option. “Call it what it is,” finished Tom “The Surface” Smith. Oh, and then they all went over and burned down John Wallace’s Blue Balls hotel along with its offensive sign to seal the deal.
Wait! More (3rd paragraph). Left in the ashes of the catastrophe was a fireproof safe holding the most valuable of John’s valuables (he had many). And in that safe amongst diamonds and rubies and gold bars and gold bonds and the like was found the actual reason for the establishment’s appellation, a sex tape to be short, starring a young, novice actress in the field soon to become a much much bigger name in another. “And the name of that young actress,” Charlene finished part 01 of her promised 2 part article, “is none other than, get ready! (to be continued)”
*Fascinating* read, *friend*, Wheeler sarcastically and playfully thought about the cliffhanger while putting down the mag beside the toilet and finishing her business here. Now to get over to town hall and see what she’s facing in her 1st day of managing this here crazy town… *burg*!
But the subject would not go away, hmph. An envelope labeled “Paradise Found?” with a map of a certain Pennsylvania county all marked up inside laid atop the mail heaped up on her desk that morning, big pile courtesy of outgoing and not-giving-a-damn-on-her-last-day Electra. Sent by Charlene of all people. “Come see me,” indicated a handwritten note also within, along with the address of her records store down in Downtown (this was Uptown). Like Wheeler didn’t know that bit of information already, ha. And so on what she planned to be at least a 2 hr. 1st day lunch break that’s exactly what she did.
Blue Ball here on the map and not yet Blue Balls, you’ll notice. That might be a key — we’ll see.
(to be continued)
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0046, 0315, Jeogeot, Pennsylvania, The Burg+
00430405 (Proj. 2025)
Newt sits down beside the trash heap on the dirt mound underneath the red light. Oh my God, he thinks. Is this a map? Is this… LSD Dream Emulator??
He explores and explores and finally finds her at the end of a long and winding tunnel, hidden away from the day. Too many people all around, she complained in explaining her current status. But she relents and decides to show him her apartment more in the light. And the dolls. She ran so far.
“It’s Independence Town, because everyone is off for the day and are having fun with each other. Watermelons.”
“Cantaloupes,” I chipped in.
“Chickens,” she said.
“Apples,” I said.
Pause as we look for other things to talk about in the scene.
“The last one,” she then said.
“Yup. Freedom gone next year.”
“Enjoy,” she said down to the people below and then went back to her hiding place. Old White Man’s Corner.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0043, 0405, C2077, HANA LEI, LSD, Natural World, NIGHTSITY, Pennsylvania
00420404 (Mr Price Too)
So to bring all this together:
“The two processes across the road from each other are one. It all broils down to a chicken situation. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? This represents the art on the two sides of Grant Price Hill Rd. in Bear Lake PA, human-made and who-knows. Why does the chicken cross the road? Because he’s already on the other side. Add in Happy Town and we have the full explanation. The blurred out figure beside the canoe is Gray Man. And… he’s probably Grant Price too.”
“Or Grant Hill,” Baker tries to quip.
“Has he shown up yet at the bar? Grant Price I mean?”
“No,” answers Baker to Hucka D. “But I believe he might be in the alleyway outside.”
“Guarding the place already?”
“Maybe (!).”
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0042, 0404, Big Woods, Google Street View, GTA, Happy Town, Jeogeot, LSD, Pennsylvania
00420403
Why was I here poking around Bear Lake, PA? Because it happens to pop up as the only listing under the name Happy Town in our government’s Geographic Name Information System (GNIS) database. I came across an article here explaining the variant name’s history.
Ernest Miller’s Place Names in Warren County also refers to a “Happy Town” that was “a former small settlement located half in the borough of Bear Lake and half in Freehold Township; it is three-quarters of a mile east of the center of the village of Bear Lake.
“In earlier years, there were nine houses, a blacksmith shop, and an out-of-doors dance platform where Saturday-night dances were held. It is thought the location was named when a reveler remarked, ‘Oh, it’s a happy town on Saturday nights!’ A dirt road, known and marked as Happy Town Road, turns from the village location south where it meets Route 957.”
And the reason I was looking up Happy Town in this way in the first place is because it’s the name of a prominent location in Osamu Sato’s LSD Dream Emulator video game from 1998, basically forgotten shortly after its release in Japan but now an internet hit thanks to a Youtube fueled revival. Good ol’ Youtube — serving me well lately for uncovering gems of creativity. Happy Town is the most colorful of the 14 locations of the game, and one of the largest and most frequently visited and recalled. With its cheerful, vibrant nature, Happy Town presents the opposite of gloomy, perpetually dark and gray Violence District with its odd appearances of bloodied bodies and headless or hanged women. Then at some point I guess we should talk about the Gray Man, the most famous element of Sato’s game. According to the LSD Dream Emulator’s fandom wiki, Gray Man appears most often in Happy Town amongst the game’s locations. He’s been seen as the main antagonist of LSD, but some also put forth the theory that he’s instead its protagonist.
Happy Town description from the wiki:
https://dreamemulator.fandom.com/wiki/Happy_Town
Gray Man from the same:
https://dreamemulator.fandom.com/wiki/Gray_Man
Gray Man in Happy Town
(to be continued)
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0042, 0403, Google Street View, Happy Town, LSD, Pennsylvania
Sunklands 