New DX Logo!

 

I think we were due for an upgrade, and it doesn't violate the bylaws.  😂😂

GRANDMA BEE - WITH THE GOLDEN WINGS

 

WITH THE GOLDEN WINGS

🐝

In a garden made of glitter and gold,
Lives a bee with wings so bold,
Pinky shines in every scene,
Grandma Bee with the Golden Wings.

She decorates like magic in the air,
Choreographs with style and flair,
Helps the hive both night and day,
Always buzzing in her way.

Oh she sparkles, oh she tries,
With golden wings and hopeful eyes…

But there’s only one Queen Bee, can’t you see?
Crowned by love and loyalty,
Dejaye reigns so naturally,
The hive chose her—royalty.

Pinky dreams and that’s okay,
Grandma Bee with the Golden Wings,
Loved so much in every way…
But one queen rules the hive, you see.

She placed the crown upon her head,
Declared herself with words she said,
But titles earned and titles true,
Come from hearts that follow you.

Dejaye stands, the storm, the flame,
Power whispered in her name,
Strong, respected, fierce and bright,
She’s the queen both day and night.

Grandma Bee with the Golden Wings,
Dancing through the joy she brings,
Loved by all and shining free…
Just not the Queen Bee of the hive, you see.

Only one Queen Bee can reign,
Dejaye wears the crown, no need to explain,
Pinky shines in her own way,
A Queen Wanna Bee who’s here to stay.

Golden wings and a heart so true,
The Queen still smiles right back at you. 🐝

Renovations - The Teal Theater

Another theater build to add to my collection.  It has occurred to me that I've never bragged about my theater builds here before.  What the hell?  I'll do a post on them when I finish my next build.  In the meantime this one.... 😉

I took an 890 prim nightclub and streamlined it into a 200 prim "teal-themed" performance space!  I added statues next to the stage and the curtains, Pinky did the rest.  She outdid herself this time!! 💖

                                               

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Dutchess Button - A Eulogy

 

Enrik told Fancy you were gone.  I am so mad at you Dutch, I'm mad that you got so angry about me "breaking the rules" and letting Kahina put a dance in last minute for our September show.  I'm mad at you because I had to reschedule a meeting at the last minute due to a rl issue and you bitched about it to our teammates.  I'm mad at you because the one time.....the ONE TIME I played favorites on my team was something I did for YOU, and you used it against me.  I'm mad at you because when it came to Second Life you were my sister, my Licha Ninetails:

And I'm mad at me because I lost you again.  Its one thing to lose you and know you're still out there, it's another to know you are no longer here.  Not Licha, not Dutchess, but Alicia..... YOU.

Even though we lost our way three times now, you were an important part of my life.  We shared so much, hours and hours in TeamSpeak before SL Voice was integrated, you knew my life story and I was fascinated and emotional by yours.  Your stories about El Salvador made me realize that although I despise him, my sons father must have had a hard life coming from that country.  You were so gracious to me, sending me pupusas across the country in a dry ice cooler because you knew I liked them, surprising me on my birthday with an edible flower arrangement, and helping me understand that it's ok for men to read porn.  😂

Today, I reflect on a friendship that was once like a sisterhood.  Instead of thinking of those times that led to our separation, I'm going to reflect on the good times that we shared, the funny moments that made Second Life fun - like when you fucked up your house......

I will never forget you Alicia, thank you for being a part of my life, despite it all you meant a lot to me.  I'm happy knowing that you are now with your mom and your dad and all of the years of pain you had to endure are finally behind you.  Rest in Peace.

The Dance Xcetera Alumni

 

Most of you were a pleasure to work with, a lot of you were a handful, and some of you I'm glad you're no longer part of this team; you know who you are.

No matter how they left the team, each person named above is a building block of what we are today.  Some created dances, others performed in them, but without each and every one of them, we would not be who we are or where we are today.

For that, I thank you. 🩷

Another Barracuda Birthday!

 

This was Dj, sometime in 2006 shortly after I signed in to Second Life for the first time.  October 31, 2006.  My kids were in their early teens and weren't interested in mom tagging along for trick or treating so I decided to stay home.  A friend of mine "Cowboy Yallock" talked about Second Life via his Myspace page and the rest is history.  I had no idea what Second Life even was, registered as "Dj Barracuda" because Dj is my real life nickname without realizing how bombarded with offers to dj at clubs every time I logged in was going to be.  😂😂😂😂😂😂

After 19 years of playing Second Life and begging the Lindens to make an exception in my case over ten years ago to change my first name, we are finally at a point where we can do that.....for a ridiculous fee.  Sooooo for Dejaye's 19th Rezday, I officially and legally changed her name to "Dejaye Barracuda!" 

HAPPY REZDAY TO DEJAYE BARRACUDA!!!!  🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

A Peek Into My World

 

For the past 20 years, I've been researching my family history as I've been told stories of some really shady things my family was doing from both of my parents sides.  Some really cool things I found out:

- I am the 8th cousin of Daniel Boone.  

- My family line connects with Loretta Lynn's through the Boone line, although we are not genetically related.

- My 5th Great Grandfather was a murderer and was run out of town.

- My 4th Great Grandfather, his son was a preacher and was one of the founders of the Marme Baptist Church, still in existence today.  He was also one of the first settlers of his colony.

- My grandmother and great aunt were kidnapped by Georgia Tann and were missing for three years.

- I come from a mob family on both sides of my lineage.  

- I come from a family of bootleggers

- I have an uncle who was hung for stealing a horse.

- Two secret adoptions.

- 73% of my DNA is Italian/Polish. (it takes ONE Polish person to screw in a lightbulb.) 😂

Other weird and interesting facts.....

- I can recall my very first memory, it was very bright and blurry.  

- I started walking at 9 months. 

- At 16 months old I was out of diapers and using the toilet.  

- I put a 500 piece puzzle together when I was four.

- I started reading before age 6.  My favorite thing to read was "Readers Digest".

- I took tap and ballet for ten years.

- I won a multi-million dollar lawsuit for my son.

- I am a case study for a teaching hospital.

- In 1995 I had a uterine rupture during the labor of my second child.  We both almost died and I needed multiple blood transfusions.  

- I wrote a few novels.

- I sing karaoke and have been compared to Stevie Nicks when I have a head cold.  😂

- I bred Miniature Dachshunds.

- I collect Dolphins

- My CB handle was "Rose Red" - Snow Whites sister. 🌹🌹 

- I have PTSD.

- I suffer from Osmophobia,  👃👃

- Current fibro status - ‼️ACTIVE‼️  😭😭😭😭😭.  God have mercy on my soul! 🙏🙏🙏

- Submechanophobia - 🌳💧🌳💧trees are my enemy. 🌳💧🌳💧

If I think of anything else, I'll add them.  👋

Encroachment

Oh it wasn't this, no this wasn't the issue.  The issue was tree limbs and maybe the cliffs I had up.  Counted as my prim not theirs.  I was trying to make it look pretty from both sides.  My bad.

What they see..

 

What the others see..

My side.....

My quarter of happiness, still worth it.  I am home. 💓😊😊

JUDGE ME!!

 

I'm in the mood to piss people off so here are my opinions on some hot topics:

1. Political Party Affiliation:  😂😂 Here's to hoping you'll still be my friend.  😂😂  I have been an Independent voter since I was old enough to vote.  I am registered with the Republican Party because I can't vote in the Primary elections.  Why did I chose Republican?  The spelling of it looked prettier than Democrat to me - hand to God.  ✋✋♰♰  I will be more than happy to change my registered political party for you, but if you're going to be that petty about it, go find another friend, I vote on a nominees platform, not the mudslinging, cat-fighting bullshit that has gone on since George Washington became the first president.  I mean for fucks sake, they used Abraham Lincoln's looks against him to try to win the election and he turned out to become one of the most historical and much loved Presidents of the United States.  In the past I have voted for Presidential nominees from both political parties.

2. Religious Preference:  Christian, I just love 💓♰Jesus♰💓.  I don't go to church, it's like going to a funeral for me and that's an uncomfortable feeling.  A church and a funeral home smell the same to me.  Jesus never went to church, the church was whomever followed him and listened for his teachings, his church was wherever he rested his feet.  I should be doing more - online church, reading and studying since the book is there for that reason.  

3.  Immigration:  Come to this country the right way, seek asylum.  If you're sneaking through a fence you do not deserve to be here.  The process in which an immigrant can become a US citizen needs to change, too many immigrants are fleeing their countries with their families to get away from the violence, make the path to citizenship a little easier for them without making them pay through the nose for it.  The screening process should be rigid though to weed out ones who are criminals, those people can stay on their own land.  If you've been here all along, making a living for your family with no criminal history, you should have automatic citizenship.  If you are currently rioting in the United States holding or waving your native flag get the fuck out of our country, you're not here for freedom, you are a terrorist raging war against a country who can wipe out your entire family line in seconds.  

4. Gender:  Male, female.  Every living thing comes with either a male part or a female part.  Some come with both known as hermaphrodites, or "intersexual."  Asexual means you don't have either in which case you have to look at the genetics.  Gender is and should have always remained biological.  This generation of people have no interest in evolution, all they want to do is go backwards and destroy everything that's been built up to who we are today.  

5. Abortion:  Pro-Life AND Pro-Choice.  It takes five days for a fertilized egg to evolve into an embryo.  A heartbeat starts pumping for an embryo about a month later (five weeks).  Once that heartbeat kicks in it's like turning the lights on and that little clump of cells graduates to a tiny human.  If there is no heartbeat, then there is no reason not to terminate.  Unfortunately for a lot of women, by the time they realize their monthly visitor as not yet made their appearance the heartbeat is already in play.  Since conception is an EXACT science in which everything needs to be in perfect alignment to conceive I believe ultimately God planted that seed.  So when you are aborting that seed you are taking something precious that God has given to you and throwing it back in his face.  Shame on you.  Disregard that last sentence if you don't believe in God.  Somehow, no matter what you believe about what happens after death, you are going to be judged by something - there is good karma and bad karma and it follows us during our life's journey so I'm sure it's going to be there on the day that we take our last breath.  Only you can choose your own fate.  We are the embryos of our souls.  😂  As far as pro-choice, read my last paragraph again.  I don't expect everyone to agree with me, and that is your choice - let me say that again - YOUR CHOICE.  I don't expect anyone to change their whole way of thinking because of my opinion but it would be great if just one person did.  Won't cry if it never happens.  The point is that you have choice, and the government decided to take away our choices because of their opinions.  That is wrong.  And because of their opinions and the overturning of "Roe vs. Wade," women are dying, being forced to incubate a child when they are already dead.  Children being born in pain and suffering because some yahoos in politics thinks it's ok for a child to be born this way because it's a life, no matter what.  A woman in a critical state due to a pregnancy is a life too, since when did our lives not matter?  Shouldn't it be our CHOICE?  This is why I also support the pro-choice movement.  

6. Gender Identity: LGBTQ.  Identifying as anything else makes you an embarrassment to your parents.  Next!

7. Cannabis:  YES!  My ex-husband once said, "If it's growing from the ground God put it there, he wanted us to have it.  It is TOTALLY medicinal."  I am not a pot head, I am not a drug addict - as Emmy Resident from Second Life claimed - I am a woman with chronic fibromyalgia who can manage her life without narcotics because of cannabis.  Her ignorance about cannabis consumption was clear, makes her look stupid.  

8. 2025 Government Shutdown:  The shutdown should only happen to the people in Congress.

9. President Donald Trump:  A businessman in politics.  A big no no, although I am happy with some of the things he has done.  I think he's going to throw us into war though.

10.  Erika Kirk:  "STOP.  Just STOP."  I see a woman who has thrown herself into the work of her husband as a way to deal with the loss of her husband.  What better way to feel close to him then to be extremely active in a cause that he believed in, that he gave his life to.  They tried to shut Charlie up, Erika is going to make sure they don't.  People want to judge her for that.  FUCK YOU people.  Her eyes have always been intense, the way she makes them go just a little bit larger - that's not a demon you fools, I do the same thing, it's just an eye thing, quit reading shit into it.  ♰ RIP Charlie Kirk. ♰

11.  ICE:  Let's be VERY clear.  The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement are Law Enforcement.  Taken directly from Wiki - note the similarities:

   ICE - Federal Law Enforcement

   Law Enforcement of the United States - Police officers governed primarily through government agencies.

____________________________

   ICE - Conduct criminal investigations.

   Law Enforcement of the United States - Investigation of criminal activities.  

____________________________

   ICE - Protect public safety.

   Law Enforcement of the United States - Responds to threats of public safety.  

Any questions?

12.  Renee Good & the ICE Agent:  When stupidity meets with PTSD.  COMPLY.  Its the difference between life and death.  What audio and video show:

    - Car was blocking the road (doesn't matter how much of the road)

    - Agents ordered her to exit her vehicle.  (doesn't matter why)

    - Vehicle attempts to escape. (partner encouraging her)

    - Agent around the front of the vehicle shoots (should have learned his lesson the first time)

COMPLY.  

13. Alex Pretti & ICE:  Alex was murdered by ICE, the end.

Pop Danthology 2.0

Original Pop Danthology Post:  Pop Danthology 2013

This was the very first dance I had ever done on my own for the Dance Xcetera team and we performed it at the Empire Room.  That was in 2014.  I built 11 set changes, my brain was far ahead my ability to understand just how things needed to operate for it to run in SL like it does in my head.  So it was a disaster.  I ended up cutting it down to four sets.  I actually ran the sets and Wild put the dance routines together.  It was amazing how in sync we were back then.

Fast forward to the present and I'm busting ass with everything going on in my real life to get this set done for our 11th year anniversary show.  It's a 5 1/2 minute song so this set is right up there with my "Wizard of Ahhs" set.  It's 620 prims packed with so much shit going on, you won't even know the song is actually as long as it is.  

Unfortunately, the dance did not make it into our 11th Anniversary show, so its scheduled for our show in July.  Now that I have a decades worth of directing experience behind me, the set has been restored to it's original 11 set changes.  Some sets had to be built new because over the years the entire raw build disappeared from my inventory.  I also had to reduce it down since the size of the Dance Xcetera stage is significantly smaller than it's original.  My teammate Pinky helped me find some really good animations and there are multiple costume changes for each dancer in the set.  I am so excited to show it!!!

Once again I'd like to plug Bandicam, without it I probably would have given up on this dance.  😂

Seven Thousand Linden Meeting Minute Contest

 NOTE:  Written on April 18, 2025 but not published to my blog until May 20, 2025.  

This post was published after the contest for the DX Team ran, I just wanted to get my thoughts down while I had the time and I don't want to give the secret out in the event one of them happened onto my blog!! 😂

One day I decided to see how many people actually read and keep the meeting minutes.  I try to make the flow of the team go as smoothly as possible - always sending out notices, putting links in the notices - any way to make it easier for the team so they don't have to rely on the meeting minutes but still, they are important, especially if you don't make the meeting.  

Anyhoo, I decided to have a contest and I called it the "Seven Thousand Linden Meeting Minute Contest."  The contest required you to create a folder with your name then do a search for "Dance Xcetera - Meeting Minutes."  Put a copy of every meeting you have into this folder and hand it back to me.  The contest closes on May 17th @ 6p SLT.  Since most of the team did not show up for the next meeting I used it as a perfect opportunity to launch my contest.  Those that were at the meeting were encouraged to get the minutes and read them anyway since I told them I was only touching base on some of the things I wanted to talk about but didn't due to lack of attendance.

If you can read the above, you will see that the contest wasn't going to be judged on how many cards you actually have, but how many you have vs. how many you should have.  The one that comes closest to 100% gets the prize.  This contest isn't advertised so no notices will go out about it and no reminders of the deadline, they won't even know what hit them until our May 20th meeting.  

UPDATE:  May 20, 2025 - I love my team, every last one of them.  Not everyone submitted folders but there were far more than I had thought!

So I'll break it down like this:

    - 1/4 of the team submitted entries.  One of them still asks me "who, what, where, when" and my favorite, "do you have the link?"  No friend, you do.  

    - For those who didn't, I've rarely or never have had to chase them down for anything.  They know the "who, what, where when" and always are on point. 

Every year on my birthday Mr. Chad Shoreman - my real life husband - gives me $100 to upload to Second Life.  This is in addition to the monthly expenses I normally upload linden for.  This year I decided to earmark the entire $100 to the team because there was never going to be only one winner.  Every person who submitted a folder, every person who messaged me to tell me they only had the meeting minutes from that night won $7000 Linden Dollars each.  Why?  Because they paid attention.

I am a very proud and happy 🐝 Queen Bee. 🐝

Best Show Ever!!

 I can't even put into words how exciting this show was!  Looking back to our records since 2016 when I first started recording information, this weekend show brought in the most guests (over 60) and the highest in tips that we've ever received.  Thank you so much to our fans!  

I was really proud of Pinky.  This is a girl who said she'd never learn the system we use to perform dances and one day she just decided it was time to learn.  Before she did her first dance she helped build sets for some of our teammates, she decorates the sim for our shows and she MOMages the team.  She came out of the box being anal about her set, the way it looked, the way the animations looked, the choreo.  She was very easy to teach but she talks too much!  😂😂😂  I'm going to start calling her "mouth." 😄😄😄😄

We had lag but we didn't have any serious technical issues because of it.  It really felt good to be back on stage again.

Now for the 100th time I am going to say that the team is going to finish up the dances for the production show.  It's not being scheduled until it's finished and we've rehearsed it, but it's our focal point right now.  2025 is going to be a GREAT YEAR for this team!!!!!!

Overkill

 

I've been blogging this particular post for awhile but couldn't figure out what to call it.  Then it came to me.  So here is the next thought of your friend and mine, Dejaye Barracuda.

I've been told a few times (he said she said gossip) that my sets are overkill and that isn't what dance is about.  Only one that I know for a fact is someone I was interviewing to join my team.  I bet he was red faced when I said "Well that one was mine. 😁"  Am I butt hurt over it? Nope, and here's why.

For me, dance is more than just the dance itself, I want to set the mood, give the ambience of what it is that I'm trying to portray in the song that I've been inspired to do.  Some of my dances tell a story, like "The Wizard of Ahhzz" by Pentatonix, which goes through the entire Wizard of Oz movie in six minutes.  "Stay" by Shakespeares Sister, where good and evil battle over the life of a man who hangs in the balance, and then one of my favorites, "Twas the Night" by Jessalyn Gilsig where a wife longs for her husband who is deployed at Christmas time and excitedly falls into his arms when he unexpectedly comes home on Christmas Eve.  All of my sets required set changes in order to create the atmosphere I wanted.  If it's overkill then ok.

What matters to me is what the audience thinks, and we may not draw in the biggest crowd compared to others dance teams in SL, but the ones we do draw in are amazed at what we do.  I have received lots of compliments over the years about my sets, many of them coming from other directors and dancers.  Its funny for someone known for "overkill," so many directors from all over the dance community have messaged me for advice.  This girl....overkill girl.  Set changes and moving props is part of my mojo and my audience likes it.

Jealousy??  It's a horrible thing, and the only explanation I can come up with as far as why anyone would think my sets are overkill.  Maybe because they didn't think of it themselves.  I'm not the only one with moving parts on a set, there are others out there that I'm jealous of because they are creative as fuck.  There is one girl on another team I dance for that has over the top amazing work in her sets and dances, I want to be just like her when I grow up.  😂😂  Its okay to be envious of someone's work, its not ok to be negative about it.  

So if you think I'm overkill, suck it up buttercups, I'm not changing my style.  It's me, because I'm more than just about the animations, I'm trying to tell a story here.  Get over yourself.

And So It Begins....

 

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.  Just sayin'.

132 pieces to this set.  Put in my inventory one by one.  Not sure why I did it that way - hope I don't regret it.  Its been in my inventory for months.  I told the team late August is when we are doing this show but more importantly we are going to have our first practice in June.  This is a heavy set, I hope I didn't bite off more than I can chew.  😱

I'm only allowing myself so much time on this before I put it on hold and throw something else together.

I am ready to get this show on the road!

Bandicam - Part 2!!!

 

A......nother good reason to get Bandicam.....

My original Chastity dance started out with three girls and a guy. The guy was just walking, stopping for about three seconds and walking off at the end.  That has now changed to three girls, TWO guys, two couples dancing, and exiting and then the original exit but with one of the girls walking with the guy instead of him walking alone.  💦😅💦

Had it not been for me filming the first take after all of the adjustments, I would have not been able to catch every detail, including some that I missed out on and realizing what a clusterfuck I had created.  😡😡.  I think I should have just stuck to the original but I can't unsee this thing now so I'm committed. 😜

I can't begin to express how incredibly valuable this gadget is and how much time you are going to save working on your future sets!  Go to my last Bandicam post and download it!  I've had a few people message me about this so I will add some things here and hope it answers some questions and if not, my box is always open:

- if you own a stream use it, Bandicam will record sound.  You can use the timing of  your video for perfect precision!  If you don't just turn your headset on, hold it to your speaker and play your music.  If you start your song when you are supposed to it will work the same way - that's how I do it and I can hear the music just fine in the video.

- if you enjoy working with your timing you are going to love this, you can make any change you need to, frame by frame.

- If you want to share your video with others and you want to keep your Linden balance private because seriously it's notbodys bizzzznnessss....✋✋✋   For Firestorm users just right click at the top of your screen to get your toolbar and uncheck "Show Currency Balance."

- Bandicam will only record what is in Second Life, or at least it only does for me.  You will have to tinker with it to find out if you can use it outside of the game.

- I use it for timing when I do animation overlays.

I don't think there is anything more to add, if there is then I'll have another exciting post to add!!    👏

CHASTITY

 It has occurred to me that this virtue should have been under the virtue of patience instead of chastity.  The dance was finished but I wasn't happy with it at all.  So I decided to rework it.  The song I picked has a story to tell so if you're reading this you may want to keep your eyeballs open 👀on the DX Website to find out when our production show opens! AND....

After a directorial change and some help from the ladies, I've decided to finish this dance for wrath which was originally a collaboration with Aryanna:

Then the show will be ready for practice.  I hope because I'm getting tired!  😵

FOR DIRECTORS: Bandicam - A Lifesaver!

If you have a set with multiple errors here's a quick and simple way to fix them  - hassle free!

Download this: -------->> Bandicam  

This is a closed-source screen capture and screen recording software that can take screenshots or record screen changes.  Its free - there may be a watermark on the video though but it's ok since you're only going to record this for yourself.

When you are ready to run your dance for the first time, RECORD IT WITH BANDICAM!  You can use the video to walk you through the changes that you want to make for your sets.  Trust me it saves me a bunch of time because I don't have to remember what went wrong and where.  😀

Try it!

FOR DIRECTORS: The Benefits of Area Search

 

This is the first of many benefits I plan to share about the wonderful Area Search.  If you build outrageously large sets like me, area search can be a very beneficial tool.  As some already know I rely on area search for not only locating and editing props, but to copy codes for dance pads.  I never have to cam in on a set and find something so by keeping area search organized it takes me less than half the time to complete the process.  The tedious part is naming everything when you're setting it up but I promise you if you take the time in the beginning, the rest of its a breeze!  You will know what you need and where to find it.  

As you can see, I also have prims out that divides my sets to make it much easier!  Just right click on any object and go into edit just like you would if you were clicking on the actual prim.  TRY THIS!!

HerBERT

 

Spelled deliberately ALOEwishes.  Like my RL dog Herbie, who I refer to as my 'big black man' 😂

↓

What Do You Think?

 THEN.......

NOW...... one new head and skin later.