you can look at any lounge and slate it for not suiting your tastes. but without opinions theres no forums
Hoppy… have you actually read the signature quote that appears on your own posts? It's certainly a wise saying, and something I happen to believe in myself: Need I say more…? Why yes, of course I do… this is me after all… As Gary so astutely stated, without the freedom to express our opinions, there wouldn't even be any point to have forums. Instead, this would be just a one-sided news site with everything promoted as "an incredible space/item"… :eyeroll: Why is there even a problem with my stating I appreciate the designing that went into a space — if it deserves such praise — while concurrently feeling that space is dullsville to hang around in when other friends are not present? There shouldn't be. Personally, I do not automatically "like" everything in Home just because it is in Home, or because many people insist I "should". I feel the same way towards everything else in this vast world of ours — if everyone always liked the exact same things and there were no differing opinions, this world would be an incredibly boring place to experience or exist in. Home is rather like the Village of the 21st century — a very pleasant place designed to appeal to everyone equally with plenty of diversions… where free thought is restricted… and from which escape is nigh impossible. Yet my mind and will still remain my own, as I virtually run around bellowing,"I am not an avatar, I am a free man!"¹!?! . . "We accept you, we accept you, one of us, one of us!" I still feel the new Another Sandy Beach¹ area is a beautifully-designed space. However, the only real "attraction" at this time for unaccompanied users appears to be utilizing the built-in camera for endless self-portraits that hopefully out-perv the other competition. . . . ¹ aka: Another Beach — for those who "don't trust" my accurate non-Google translations But for those of you who still feel I'm some throwback stick-in-the-mud simply because I am able to express a differing opinion, so be it… I really couldn't care less [go re-read that Dr. Seuss quotation reprinted above]. Be seeing you…!
Did you really take what I said that seriously? Apparently, you took that waaay too personally. Of course I've read my own signature--I put it there. lol
. . . . . . . .. .。○︒ .○ .。○. .Heh heh ・・・ heh heh ・・・ heh heh . . . .:fufufu: Spoiler: Clicketh Me… . . . .↘ Spoiler: For Further… . . . . . .↙ Spoiler: Edification…:loony: ..G O T C H A ! ..*snicker snicker* Spoiler: Top Sekrit! For Hoppy's Optic Nerves Only!:right:* A H E M * Sheesh, aren't we a nosey bunch? . . . . .Can't follow a simple "spoiler" notation? . . . . .. . . . .Are you a hoopy frood nicknamed "Hoppy"? . . . . .. . . . .. . . . .TYeah, I didn't think you were… now shoo! Spoiler: Invisible Secret Button Placeholder If you're still not Hopper, your retinasshould spontaneously combust at arandomly-selected time later today.Remember, you've only yourself to blame,so finish that book¹ you were reading asap.Oh, and have a grrrrrreat day…! ¹ That analog mass of bound papers with lots of funny squiggles inside… :explosion:So Hoppy, hope you made it here relatvely intact!Sorry if I worried you earlier… of course I didn't takeyour post the wrong way. Just the same, I couldn'tpass up so tempting a diversion as this was. Um, and my post did include clues to show I was merely having a bit of fun… for certain parts, anyway. Or was I?The truth is in there!Until next time my sandy friend…!
I tend to agree with Baron_Brain to a point. The space is beautifully designed and a wonderful place to gather with friends. Lacking a mini-game or reward system, there is limited incentive to go there alone. I'd wager that Granzella will change that with future updates. That said, I still have to praise Granzella for some relatively original ideas. Perv-bait or not, the photo shoots that I've seen are very nice with the variety of unique-to-Home poses. The interactive furniture looks promising. I also like the idea of being able to swim around or just tread water in the idyllic surroundings while chatting with friends. I also love the personal space because it suits my style and offers more than most other spaces feature-wise. Tropical Escape was always one of my favourites based on the setting. This personal space adds diurnal controls, more square footage to decorate, the novel little towel station and the ability to swim. Sounds like a winner to me. It's not surprising that the spaces would not appeal to someone who doesn't care for the beach. Fair enough.
I'm glad so many of you are enjoying both the public & personal beach spaces. I really am. So long as you're happy with it, that's what matters isn't it? I certainly respect your choices… and I hope other users would offer me that same courtesy. Myself, I hope Granzella plans to remake of their Gathering Place for Cave Explorers space next… or a revision of Semifinalist Fantasia! Those are certainly far more to my liking…
I know this is a little off-topic in terms of Home and I fully understand people having their likes and dislikes in life, trust me....but now I'm just curious what there would be about a real life beach, of all things, that one wouldn't like? I could see maybe not liking a packed public beach....but a nice uncrowded, secluded or private beach where you have sun, sunrises, sunsets, moonlight, sand, water, shells, marine life, a sea breeze and the sounds of waves and seabirds? That's my sanctuary--a place where I go to find inner peace and relax more than I can anywhere else. I know that's just me and maybe it's partly because I'm a Pisces, but rare is the person that comes along for me that says they actually can't stand the beach or wouldn't go if they could.
This would have been better discussed with me in person, preferably on mic. But since you asked… here it is, in short (for me): You may have misunderstood me somewhat: I was making a specific comment to the average beach which the Another Sandy Beach space draws from… though the shockingy-clean sand, abundant sea life, and Tiki Huts with elevated walkways are rarely found in the real world (and certainly not anywhere I know of in NA). And indeed you heard me correctly, I dislike beaches in the extreme, and I can't even remember the last time I've even stepped onto one (22+ years at least…) Beaches here in Southern California are hardly like those you are used to Hoppy, and "inner peace and relaxation" are hardly terms one uses out here. Beaches more often than not are closed temporarily or permanently due to unsanitary and/or potentially-toxic water conditions, excessive trash, medical waste, open sewer drainage, etc. We have (had?) a notorious open pipe in Santa Monica — a huge open opening several people could walk into — not that anyone would — constantly draining piss, crap, trash, bacteria and who-knows-what else directly down the sand and into the water. Yet when the beach is open, people still set up near it & swim in the nearby water (purportedly because it's "warmer"). Just… totally… gross. Secluded and/or private beaches are generally one-and-the-same here… nearly all privately-owned with access stringently protected. Even in areas where the public does have right of use, fierce legal battles are fought between the public, the city, and homeowners who think any public beach & ocean directly within eye-sight of their property line is their own private domain. As for marine life, the main attraction here is seagulls fighting over the McDonald's scraps and other trash left behind. The only other marine life generally seen are hurt or dead creatures which have washed ashore. There are no dolphins dancing in the water, no sea lions, no whales… just the occasional shark. The one main exception to this are the fascinating Grunion runs which occur on just one night each year in the Southern California region — in a very short time period (maybe 45 mins. max), tens of thousands of these little fishes suddenly storm a specific beach area. The females hurriedly bury their eggs in the wet sand, the males quickly fertilize them, then they quickly vanish back into the ocean. Those were incredible experiences! Getting back to the subject at hand, the reason I dislike beaches so much is mainly due to: the people, the sun, the sand, and the water.People: I dislike crowds. I mean, I REALLY dislike crowds, as they tend to bring out the worst in humanity. For starters, I've never appreciated being touched, poked, prodded, kicked, breathed on, etc. if I'm out somewhere — whether accidentally or on purpose; this has become an even more important thing to avoid since 1998, as that accidental swipe against my skin or clothes will likely cause me excruciating pain due to my medical problems (von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, which has left me with severe nerve damage, among other issues). Further, crowds tend to be filled with very noisy, rude, annoying, smelly litterbugs. I'd also prefer not having my eyes scorched by the far-too-revealing bikinis, thongs, spandex, etc., many really shouldn't ever wear.Our Mr. Sun: It gives life to our planet, along with light and heat… and significant pain and/or discomfort. 1) My eyes are extremely sensitive to the light (we have heavy curtains always drawn at home). 2) The way my metabolism was, I always preferred the cold. Staying cold is even more imperative as heat exacerbates my aforementioned nerve damage — the hotter it gets, the worse those damaged nerves misfire, and my skin just hurts. The heat also negatively affects other issues related to my illness. 3) My skin burns quickly — sunburns occur within minutes now (especially with certain medication I have to take). Back in the late 1960s/early 1970s, when I was a young lad and we didn't have any decent sunscreen, my parents would force me to spend the day at the beach with them & relatives — even keeping out of the sun & staying under cover as much as I could, I'd wind up with sunburns so bad I was in agony for several days after. It's even worse now. Still visible & covering my left upper thigh is the large sunburn I received while out driving one day… 18 years ago (the skin was permanently damaged there). So to sum up, I never like the sun and it's now many levels of bad for me. I should have been a vampire.Sand: Similar to the Sun section. Never liked walking on it, sitting in it, touching it, or… well… anything. It was just an uncomfortable nuisance for me in my younger days, and now a few grains of sand can cause me significant pain. So no thank you.The Water: I don't like swimming in the ocean. Why? Because. Never have, and certainly never will (it's very dangerous now thanks to my illness). I'll take a pool any day over the beach. But I am more than happy being on top of or underneath the water…So there you have some small part of it. I've never liked the beach for a multitude of reasons, and this was going on long before that damned genetic disease made it near-impossible to do even if I wanted to (*sigh* I'm a mutant with no exciting super power aside from accelerate tumors & cancer growth). Again, I'm talking specifically about what most people do when they "go to the beach". I just don't understand the appeal. I've always felt the beach was one of the most boring places one could possibly go… with Las Vegas running a very close second place (yes, I hate Vegas also… trust me, don't ask). Why anyone would want to sit there and cook themselves under the hot sun all day is totally beyond me… unless skin the consistency of dried leather and/or skin cancer is the goal. No thanks. As for this weird relaxing fantasy beach you speak of Hoppy, it doesn't exist for me, at least not in my part of the universe, nor anywhere else I've ever been around the world. Perhaps if you could get rid of the sun, sand, crowd, and those noisy birds… and if I had a good book to keep me occupied… or maybe not. I get far more inner peace & relaxation from a seriously heavy electrical storm; the more thunder & lightning the better (seriously; I love the rain and storms!) But since you've found such a place for yourself at the beach, I'm glad you can enjoy it as much as you do. Er… you do know sports also bores me to tears, right (never played & never watch)? :laugh: 'Nuff said on this… I hope.
Ok, I understand your thoughts, opinions and sympathize with your medical condition, but to me it's not a "weird, relaxing fantasy beach" that I have found. These are very real places in my universe...and they do exist all over the world. It depends on exactly what kind of spot you are looking for, but I have found everything from the more uncrowded public access beaches to the more secluded ones by kayak, jetski and boat. We are talking about two different regions obviously--So Cal and the Gulf Coast of Florida, but nice, relaxing and clean beaches also exist in Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest, all over the Caribbean and in many other areas of the world. I shouldn't carry on in this thread, as this is personal stuff I guess, but I just thought it would be interesting to get some more insight into what would make a person not like beaches so much. lol It's all good--I wish you all the best with the things that bring you peace and happiness. Stay well. Here's a few pics that I've taken at beaches where I found some serious relaxation: Here in Florida: Puget Sound, WA.: ...and then there was this guy who I spotted enjoying the sun a little himself:
I was merely phrasing an "idea" from my own viewpoint — that I could never find such an idyllic beach for my own, because it's such a remote idea as to be essentially non-existent to me. (Which is why I'd also never intentionally hunt a beach out while on world trips, etc.) I didn't at all mean to imply your own beach adventures were a weird fantasy — apologies. We obviously have two very different conceptions about what the term "going to the beach" means. Here's some pics representing mine…: Believe me, I like your viewpoint — and pics — waaaay better! Kayaking, walking along pebble-covered shores, pestering a croc hatchling, or visiting tidepool regions can certainly be fun (yes, even I think so)… but I've honestly never heard anyone else lump all those together as "going to the beach." And while your clean sandy beach pics are certainly preferable to our own local areas, please forgive me for saying the pics are still as close as I'd ever want to get to them… Sidenote: One last thing I feel I should mention, and this is for everybody. I only brought up my medical nonsense here because it directly relates to… well… everything in my life now. It is what it is — nothing more, nothing less — so please don't feel you have to offer up any sympathy (or, heaven-forbid, pity) whenever it comes up in conversation. I have no need for either. Have no fear though, Hop, I understand you meant well and I thank you just the same. FYI for all: Everyone I've ever known with a chronic illness or cancer feels the same way… and there are many of us here on PSN and Home. Most are not weak people — far from it — so "pity parties" are unwanted & irritating. Instead, just have fun with us like you would anyone else… don't feel sorry for us, don't make assumptions, and ask any question if you've got 'em. . . .
Wow yeah, those are some nasty pics! I don't know where those beaches are but....I wouldn't have a good feeling about beaches either if I only had those images to go by. Btw, what did you see in this pic that you didn't like? LOL: Umm...unfortunately, all I can really say to this is....string bikinis and thongs just shouldn't even be sold to some women. Same goes for selling ANY speedo to ANY man.
im off to a better climate soon, 9 of us, a villa, a pool, sea is 23 degrees , no work plenty of para la cerveza, just how i wanna chill for 14 days
