OUR VIRTUAL TRILOGY

Tango in Second Life

2011-09-28T20:36:00.001+01:00

Is it possible to be abandonedand controlled at the same time? I don’t know, but the other night I went to atango club with my friend Boye Jervil, and if anything can create that kind offeeling, it must be the tango.

The Tango in Second Life sim,owned by Adolfh Gustafson, replicates atango dance hall, or milonga.

Depending on your mood, you can kick up yourheels (literally) inside the intimate club, up on the roof, or outside in the garden.

The music is fantastic, non-stop classictango, and more than anything this creates the atmosphere of passion,sensuality and mystery (I’m sure it is no coincidence that the MasterpieceMystery theme music is a tango).

The tango itself emerged in the19^th century and was originally danced by partners of the samegender, as a kind of competition. In 2009 the tango was declared to be a partof the world’s cultural heritage by UNESCO. So if you are a culture vulture orjust want to have fun with some friends, Tango in Second Life is a great placeto try.

Hibiscus Hastings

Old Europe Market Fair

2011-03-17T13:22:00.006Z

Old Europe is holding a Market Fair from the 18th to the 31st March. There will be a great assortment of designer stalls to browse with some lovely bargains to be had. There will also be special events including a pajama party on March 23 at 6pm SLT, sponsored by Plowwies, with live music from the wonderful jazz singer Shasta Soulstar. I've been honoured by having my own stall there and I popped over to set it up today, the site looks fantastic already. Don't miss out on all the events, for further information contact Up4Dawes, Monica Zemnis or Rux Anatra.

Janey Bracken

Second Anniversary of Sarah's SKB Astrodroids Store

2011-02-21T23:47:00.011Z

SKB Astrodroids is a very successful SL business owned by SarahKB7 Koskinen and this February Sarah celebrates the second anniversary of the opening of her great store. Sarah, who specialises in making robots, is very talented indeed, the detail in her work is just astounding. To celebrate the anniversary Sarah has opened up four mini sims displaying themed scenes based on the Star Wars films. You can find the teleport pad just inside Sarah’s store, and she kindly showed me around the exhibition. The scenes were really well done and fans of sci fi and the Star Wars films would love it for a bit of role-play, or just to have a look around. Sarah admits she doesn’t really role-play herself, but loves looking around other sci-fi sims. She also enjoys making some fun things as well, she once took on the task of building London’s Tower Bridge, and I can tell you she did a brilliant job. I asked Sarah why she liked science fiction so much, she told me “Because sci-fi is about expanding the imagination. Its geeky, but I don’t mind that.” Sarah as some lovely outfits too and she definitely has her own style, her avatar is eye-catching and a bit different to the usual fashionable, but a little more boring designs found in SL. SKB Astrodroids proves that you can run a successful SL business and I can only say that Sarah provides quality and good customer service. Go and see her exhibition, which will be running till the end of February. Congratulations Sarah on your 2nd Anniversary.

Janey Bracken

Beautiful Ponderosa Ranch

2011-02-06T08:50:00.018Z

If you fancy a bit of horse trekking, you couldn’t do better than visiting the Ponderosa Ranch by Serenah Raynier Creations. If you haven’t got your own horse you can get a free one by clicking on the saddle which you will find at the side of the path (turning left from the teleport welcome area). The sim itself is stunning, beautifully laid out and not too tricky to guide the horse along the open paths. I went over to have a look with friend Drax Ember and we had a lovely time exploring. Serenah has put a lot into the sim, the wild flowers, grasses and pretty trees along the way are very real looking. You can trek up over the hills and across a viaduct where you will be caught in a misty shower of rain, be careful of the crumbling road though as you cross over it.

You can buy horses at the Ponderosa, follow the sign to the store and the stables are on the right with the store directly in front of you. There are lots of nice things in the store as well and it’s worth taking a look. We loved the ranch and had a great time there, I can recommend it as a ‘must see’ on your list of places to visit.

Janey Bracken

An Octopus's Garden In The Shade!

2011-01-23T08:12:00.011Z

Ever wanted to dance under the ocean and swim with the fishes whilst you listen to some great music? well now you can! I dived under the waves yesterday to visit Oceanus, a fantastic water-world venue for live music. The setting is truly amazing, you are surrounded by sea life and coral as the singers take centre stage in a sparkling pavilion. The club is owned by Tia Foxtrot and Remy Farman. Both Remy and Tia sang live for us with a lovely range of songs from Remy's version of 'Always on My Mind' to Tia's 'Crazy' and 'Stupid Cupid'. It was great fun and the club has a lovely relaxed atmosphere.

I think Oceanus will be a big success and I'm looking forward to going back soon!

Janey Bracken

A Touch of the Blarney Stone is Very Welcome!

2011-01-09T08:16:00.006Z

There seems to be a lot of new people arriving in SL right now, all those new computers for Christmas I would imagine, and a great place to meet people in the virtual world is in SL Dublin. Dublin has stood the test of time and has been one of SL's success stories for quite a while. The ever popular Blarney Stone Pub is usually packed out with people dropping in for a chat, a dance or attending the many live events they have on there. I stopped in for a glass of wine and met Boris the bar cat. Boris is very friendly and came and stood by me purring away. Casey, who was drinking in the pub, told me that Boris even has his own bedding on the bricks behind the bar! As I stood there chatting people began dancing to the great Irish music being streamed in, it was a warm and inviting place to be.

Janey Bracken

Gemma and the Angel - A Christmas Story for 2010

2010-12-25T00:52:00.009Z

“Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings” Oh how Gemma loved that old Christmas movie ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ starring James Stewart, she had sat watching it again last night as the child in the story quoted the famous line at the end; tears streamed down Gemma’s face, it got her every time! It was Christmas morning and she was up early to put the turkey in the oven as the rest of the house slept on. She had set the alarm for 5am to make sure that the large bird would be cooked through so she didn’t have to worry about it later in the day, especially if her guests arrived early. Gemma always felt a little bit uneasy this time of the day in her big Victorian home, there were cold spots in the house, and a few times in the past she thought she had seen a shadowy figure, just fleetingly, in the hall.

Once again her parents and in-laws were coming over for Christmas dinner and although she looked forward to Christmas, sometimes she wished that someone else would volunteer to cook, just for once! It was the same every year, she had a house full, her elderly parents, her husband’s parents, her brother and sister with their partners, plus her brother-in-law and his girlfriend usually came too. Although Gemma was happy to greet them she seemed to spend the rest of the day in the kitchen whilst they sat chatting in the lounge, sipping their Pims and glasses of wine and having little digs at each other like families do. Her husband Mick and son Johnny weren’t much help either, they just got under her feet, so she packed them off to the lounge as well, telling Mick to make sure the guest’s drinks were topped up. Gemma hated to admit it, but deep down inside she resented the family coming to her house each year, she felt very taken for granted and would be glad when they finally went home, leaving her to chill for the rest of the night with her husband and son.

Taking the prepared turkey from the fridge, she placed it into the hot oven and glanced at the clock. It was still early so she decided to log into Second Life to see if any of her friends were there so she could wish them a Happy Christmas. She logged straight into her SL home, a place where she felt safe and happy. She looked at her friends list and there was only one name highlighted as being on-line, it was her best friend Jo, so she was pleased to call her for a chat. Jo was busy at home in real life too, and she and Gemma only talked for a few minutes and then Jo had to log out.

Not wanting to return to real life yet, Gemma thought she would have a look around SL’s New London Village, it was the ideal place at Christmas, a snowy London site with quaint little shops and beautiful town houses as well as all the famous capital’s landmarks. She teleported over and set her computer to midnight to make the most of the SL fairy lights in the sim. Gemma headed for the West End area of New London where she could look in all the shops, her friend had a gallery there selling fine art and another friend had a Christmas shop with colourful xmas trees and snowmen for sale. As she got there she noticed someone on the steps of one of the houses. The man whose name was Oscar Pembrose looked a little bit shabby and sad and Gemma decided to say hi.

“Hello Gemma” he said, “I’ve been waiting for you” “You have?” Gemma answered, wondering what was going on. “Yes” he said “Can you help me please?” Gemma was curious now, why had this avatar been waiting for her, she had never seen him before, but there was something familiar about him. “How can I help you?” Gemma asked. “Well” the man said “I’m looking for my family, they always gathered here in this house for Christmas, but you seem to be living here now Gemma, and I don’t know where my family have gone!” He seemed very upset and in trouble, Gemma was taken aback at what he had said. “Oscar I’m sure you will find your SL family have just moved to another place” she said trying to console him. But he looked at her with sad eyes and said “Gemma I can’t find them, they were here and now they are gone, I wished I had told them how much I loved them all. I thought they were bothersome when we were together, always bickering and fooling around, but now I realise what a good time we had together and how special they are to me.”

Gemma asked gently “Is this your real life you are talking about Oscar?” He didn’t answer, he just opened the door of the house and beckoned her to follow him inside. Gemma climbed the steps and entered a familiar room, the walls, the furniture, the carpets were a copy of her real home. Gemma shivered as she sat at her keyboard “what is this?” she asked Oscar. He turned and looked at her, “This is where they should be, my family, and I can’t find them, I miss them so much” he said, a tear rolling down his face. Gemma felt aware of someone standing behind her in real life, turning quickly she could see it was Oscar and she gasped in shock. Strangely enough she didn’t feel frightened, he was just unhappy and needed her help, somehow he had contacted her through SL and here he stood, a shadowy ghostly figure in her kitchen.

Gemma was shaking, but managed to talk to him “What year is this Oscar?” she asked. Oscar replied “It’s 1950 of course Gemma” “But it isn’t Oscar, it’s 2010 and your family, just like you, must have passed on” Gemma had no idea where she had the strength from to talk to this ghost, but she felt so sorry for him, he must be the figure she thought she had glimpsed now and again since her family had moved here two years ago. “Passed on?” Oscar whispered. “Yes” Gemma said “Your family must be waiting for you to join them Oscar, you need to go to them” Oscar’s expression changed from a frown to astonishment as suddenly the room filled with an eerie light. Oscar started to fade from view and Gemma noticed that he looked younger and no longer seemed sad. In the blink of an eye Oscar and the light had gone leaving Gemma stunned and shaking. She looked back at her computer screen and Oscar’s avatar had vanished too, the SL house was empty, not a stick of virtual furniture remained. Gemma looked in the search menu for Oscar, but she couldn’t find him listed. She opened Google and searched for the 1901 census pages. Looking down the list she could see her street and house number and then she looked across to the occupants names. There it was, Pembrose, Mr Eric Pembrose, his wife Emily and their children Oscar and Elizabeth. Gemma made herself a coffee and sat wondering if she had just imagined it all. Then she remembered, she logged all her conversations from SL into one of her folders on her hard drive. Opening the chat folder she searched the bottom of the page and there he was, Oscar and everything he had said to her in-world.

Later that day Gemma answered the front door to the first of her guests. As her Mum and Dad stepped into the hall she gave them a big hug and told them she loved them. The draft from the opened front door rustled the branches of the Christmas tree in the living room and Gemma could hear the ornamental bells softly tinkling. Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings, thought Gemma, “Happy Christmas Oscar” she whispered quietly to herself ………this will be the best Christmas ever for me with my family!

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Janey Bracken

WISHING EVERYONE A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Step Into Christmas In Old Europe

2010-12-18T17:23:00.017Z

The festive season has turned Old Europe into a beautiful winter wonderland. Cosy lodges with glowing windows peep out from under the thick blanket of snow covering their roofs. The deep crispy snow also lays on the roads and pavements glistening in the pale winter sunlight. The little Victorian style shops along the main thoroughfare make you feel that you are shopping in days-gone-by when times were gentler than today. The central square boasts an enormous ice rink surrounded by twinkling streetlights where couples and singles can ice skate and have some fun throwing snowball at unsuspecting passers by. There are two ways you can take a tour of the sim, firstly you can hitch a lift in a pretty sleigh. The sleigh takes you up over the rooftops and around the spires of the grand castle and down past all the comfy homes huddled deep into the snow swept valleys. Or if you wish to remain at ground level, you can take to your ice skates which will take you along the frozen river to see all the sights, skates are free by the way! It’s worth trying both of the tours as they are truly breathtaking! Of course you can always walk around the sim to take in the lovely atmosphere, and don't forget to visit the magnificent castle high up on the hill, which is a must!

Janey Bracken

Aruba DeCuir's Art Gallery at Santa lemanja

2010-12-16T03:02:00.011Z

Second Life is a wonderful outlet for creativity. I was recently told of an interesting little art gallery, so I popped over for a visit and found quite a diverse collection on display.

The gallery is divided into two parts. On entering the building you find yourself in a room showing works done by gallery owner Aruba DeCuir. Next to this space is another containing the gallery’s permanent collection which is made up of works done by other artists. While I was visiting I was fortunate enough to meet up with Aruba and she talked to me about both her works and the others that are on display.

Her works are what she describes as “digital art”. They are based on digital photographs and done on the computer. These pieces are brightly coloured, have a strong graphic sense and include numbers. To me they seem to be influenced by Pop Art.
The works on display in the permanent collection area are there because Aruba liked them and because they have a message of some kind. Most were done especially for SL, although not all were. She has even included objects that were not created as art pieces.

There is plenty of food for thought in this small gallery. One work, called “Pullman’s Dream” by Bonafidenutts Aries refers to the experience of African American men working as porters on Pullman cars in the United States after the Civil War. On plantations men were often called by their slaveholder’s name. This tradition continued on at the Pullman Company after the Civil War so in this case porters would be called “George” after George Pullman. The porter was expected to be constantly on duty, and was both visible and invisible at the same time.

Nearby this work is “Postcard from SL”. It shows people wandering in a sim, surreptitiously looking at each other. In one corner is a caption saying “Looking for Love in SL”. Underneath is another line “Wish you were here ...” which has been covered with x’s. Are these kisses or is the sender of the postcard looking for love in SL separate from an RL relationship?

Even the fact of including non-art objects in a gallery space raises questions. What is art, what makes something art? Who decides what is or is not art?
Aruba is looking forward to displaying more works by other artists, so we can look forward to continuing this dialogue on the nature of art and the experience of the individual (in rl and sl) in the future.

This art gallery is on a sky platform over a sim where Aruba has created a peaceful little village. There are colourful buildings set in a tropical environment. They include a shop with low prim furniture, another art gallery, a bath and a club. It is a tranquil place, made for relaxing with friends. Perhaps it would be a good place to discuss the ideas and questions that may have come up while visiting the gallery in the sky.

Visiting Christmas Gone Wrong!

2010-12-05T14:15:00.013Z

There are lots of lovely Christmas sites around Second Life at this time of year, and I’ve been having fun exploring some of them! I came across one that was a little bit different yesterday though, it wasn’t all it seemed at first, and for those of you who like a little twist of macabre, ‘Christmas Gone Wrong’ should be right up your street! As I teleported in to this very pretty snowy sim a creepy looking skeleton in a top hat and holding a candle greeted me! There were bits of shattered snowmen laying around and some hidden surprises. I hitched a ride on a donkey as he pulled a cart along a path at the edge of the frozen pond. Peering inside a barn as the donkey trotted along, it was evident that Santa may have turned into a bit of a killer as there was blood on the ground and Rudolph the red nosed reindeer didn’t look too healthy!

I left the donkey and went inside one of the cosy little houses, nothing seemed amiss; it was lovely, a blazing log fire with Christmas stockings hanging over the fireplace, a table set for tea for two and some comfy sofas inviting you to snuggle down and relax. Be warned though, don’t go upstairs! It’s not quite as nice up there!!

There’s a large Victorian house as well and I ventured inside, it was decidedly creepy as some books suddenly shot up into the air narrowly missing my head. I scrambled back outside before the poltergeists got me!

As I looked around I spotted Chely Lock, the sim owner, she was talking to another visitor Davey Crannock. I said hello and Chely told us how she loved Halloween and had to throw a little bit of that into Christmas in the sim. Davey was wearing a snowman avatar and looked great, he kindly gave me one to wear too! Chely told me that Maximillion Kleene was appearing in the sim at 7pm, which was a little bit too late for my UK time zone, but I’m sure it was a great show.

I really enjoyed looking around Christmas Gone Wrong and I also loved meeting Chely who has done a brilliant job there. If you want Christmas with an edge of something sinister you can’t go far wrong with Chely’s wonderful sim!!

Janey Bracken

It's Nearly Christmas!!

2010-11-14T08:20:00.010Z

Now that Halloween is over Christmas is nearly with us and SL is beginning to take on the winter wonderland look in many sims! I love this time of year and I've opened my very first shops with a Christmas theme. I've tried to keep all my stuff very low prim (one prim Christmas trees etc) and also very low prices so that people can buy a tree and a garland to match and still have Linden dollars to spare. It's been great fun I can tell you, although writing is my first love, building little bits and pieces has been very gratifying too. My friends in the beautiful Old Europe sim, Up4 Dawes and Rux Anatra sent me one of their lovely Christmas items they have on sale this year, it's a little Christmas lodge and is exquisitely made. I excitedly put the lodge up, which is made easy with a 'rezzer' and the Lodge was ready to use.

I sat in the window and watched the snow falling down, which is a clever idea as you get the snow effect even without snow falling outside the lodge!
Its lovely and cosy inside with a blazing fire and Christmas stockings hanging over the fireplace. You couldn't ask for a nicer winter home.

You can buy the lodge called SN-Christmas Decoration Winter House from the Old Europe sim, which is well worth exploring as well, it's one of my favourite places in the whole of the grid.

I've got my shops in the New London Village, Tropical Bliss and the Christmas Market in the Christmas Village. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas and I can't wait to explore all the festive sims!!

Janey Bracken

Whitechapel 1888

2010-10-30T21:42:00.011+01:00

Since we have been highlighting sims for the Halloween season, one that will certainly put you in the holiday mood is Whitechapel 1888. This sim, created and owned by Spooks Blackburn, brings the Whitechapel of Jack the Ripper back to life.
Jack the Ripper is probably the first serial killer to have attained celebrity status through the media. The nineteenth century, similar to our own, was a period of great societal change brought about through technological advances of the time. Cities grew at an enormous rate, because of immigration and a population shift from the country side to the city. Communications also improved, so that news spread quickly. Whitechapel was a poor, overcrowded area and into this mix Jack the Ripper made his appearance in 1888. To this day we are still fascinated by the murders of the five unfortunate women who were his victims.

Whitechapel 1888 tells the story of Jack the Ripper’s victims. Their bodies are found scattered around the sim, which is maze like, somewhat grimy and rat infested. But it is not sensationalistic. Next to the bodies is information describing the lives of the women and the struggles they endured before reaching their sad end. A church acts as a memorial, in its own way providing a place of commemoration which some, at least, never had.

However, Whitechapel 1888 is more than Jack the Ripper. There is plenty of information available on the way of life of the residents of East End London during the Victorian period. For instance, did you know the Liberty Bell and Big Ben were both cast in what is now known as the Whitechapel Bell Foundry? What a rag and bone man is? You can visit a market, learn about the early days of medical care,

enter a police station, step up on a soap box, and my favourite, have a meal in the Eel and Pie Shop.
In addition, some supernatural beings have decided to invade the sim for Halloween. (The owner’s name isn’t Spooks for nothing). While I was wandering around I was startled by two floating skeletons who seemed to have designs on me! I dashed inside the church but walls mean nothing to these creatures, they followed me inside. Being a little too close for comfort to the undertakers I decided that it was time for me to go, so I tp’d out unharmed.

If you like ghosts, crime stories or want to experience a bit of the life of the working classes in Victorian England, Whitechapel 1888 is the destination for you.

Hibiscus Hastings

Jeepers Creepers For Horror Fun!

2010-10-26T09:00:00.020+01:00

There are some brilliant Halloween sims in SL and one of the best thought out and detailed locations I have found is Jeepers Creepers at Calas Galadhon. Even the pumpkins heads have an extra streak of evil as you pass them by; they turn to glare menacingly at you as if they have a life of their own!

I went to explore Jeepers Creepers with friend Drax Ember and we set out through the cemetery with its ancient looking tombs. We didn’t get far before we were confronted by ghosts and ghouls appearing out of the mist. Zombies too joined in the chase as we tried to avoid their rotting hands reaching out for us! There is a creepy haunted house as you wander further up the hill and you have to be careful what you touch in there, as Drax found out! he ended up laying prone on the floor with a heavy chair smashed over his head! Be warned don’t look at the baby in the pram in the living room, it’s not a pretty sight! Worst of all for me were the giant spiders scuttling all over the floor! Back in the grounds again, we came a cropper with a bunch of vultures waiting to eat the flesh off of our bones!

There is much more to Jeepers Creepers than you first suspect, there are the caverns below the surface of the sim, which are full of hidden horrors! I thought I had seen giant spiders in the haunted house, but those were nothing compared to the ones waiting for me underground! eeek!! Drax even got caught in a web and struggled for ages trying to get free! I think the whole thing has had a devastating affect on him though, giving him a taste for human remains! As you can see by the main picture, he happily sat down to a banquet of brains and other nasty bits! Not me, I’m a vegetarian, I legged it out of there!

Janey Bracken

Happy Rez Day to Aisling

2010-10-20T01:10:00.003+01:00

Our Virtual Trilogy would like to wish Aisling Sinclair a very happy 4th Rez Day! She had a wonderful party with a Merpeople theme! Aisling is a very busy lady, she is Manager for Elements in Design, Advertising & Client Relations Manager for Prim Perfect Magazine and the Designing Worlds TV Show, as well as being a cast member on the Primgraph Magazine's web comic 'Quest for the Golden Prim'. Aisling celebrated with all her friends, Happy Rez Day Aisling and may you have many more!

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Janey Bracken

Celebrate Halloween at Art Box

2010-10-14T21:30:00.004+01:00

Halloween will soon be upon us. Frankie Rockett and Violet Sweetwater of Art Box are celebrating the holiday by creating spooky sets where we can really get into the spirit. So far they have made two very different scenes.
The first set is inspired by the work of Russian artist Nikolai Fomin. He has produced artworks related to Russian folklore, including one called “Raven Wing Colour of Hair”. In this scene a young woman is seated in a nest; one raven feeds her and one pulls on her hair.
And what could possibly conjure up terror more effectively than the shower scene from “Psycho”? If you have ever wanted to be a star now is your chance to appear in one of the most iconic movie scenes of all time.

Hibiscus Hastings

The Beautiful Chamber of Many Colours!

2010-10-03T00:57:00.010+01:00

There is an amazing art exhibition at the UWA Winthrop sim. Friend Drax Ember had gone to visit it the other night and invited me over to show me one particular exhibit that he had liked. It’s by artist Gingered Alsop and its called The Chamber. I followed Drax inside and we were in a pitch black area with shafts of light beginning to form around us, then the fireworks began! Every three minutes the dazzling light show changes to a new theme and you are bathed in different colours and shapes as the particles dance around the chamber. The colours are so vibrant and the patterns so well thought out that you are stunned at each effect. Later on I asked fellow writer Hibiscus Hastings to come and look and she loved it too. For anyone with a little bit of time, and if they are keen photographers, this is the place to get some unusual shots. Gingered explains on a poster outside that she was inspired by the Particle Laboratory on the Teal sim so she created The Chamber. She says that viewers should look at the display from different areas in the chamber to get the full effects, i.e. from above and below. Gingered has certainly used her skill and imagination to put this wonderful exhibit together. The whole exhibition, which is on 4 floors has some fantastic artworks. I will make sure I go back to look at the other exhibits as they look awesome too!

Janey Bracken

The International Modelling Convention

2010-09-21T21:57:00.012+01:00

I was lucky enough to drop in at the rehearsals for the International Modelling Convention tonight and I was privileged to meet the owner Giselle Temple and her partner Midi Aeon, who are putting on this fantastic show starting on the 22 September through till 26 September. For anyone interested in fashion or wanting to get involved with the industry, this is a must, there will be fashion shows and seminars with some of SL’s top fashion houses and modelling agencies. Giselle owns three modelling agencies, the Venus Model Agency, the Spirit Modelling Agency and the Premiere Modelling Agency. Giselle is the founder and owner of the first International Modelling Convention and is also the founder of the 2011 Av in the Mirror Award. Beautiful Giselle is standing next to dj Lee23 Nitely in the picture, who will be playing some awesome music during the Convention. Midi who owns the sim, told me she has been busy building the venue for the show, which looks spectacular. I admired Midi’s gorgeous avatar and she told me she had created it herself. Midi creates her own fashions with Midi Fashion Boutiques and she told me that she also builds planes and boats! So these ladies are very talented indeed and I’m really looking forward to the Convention.

The show starts at 11am (SLT) on the 22nd so get over there early, as I expect the sim will soon become very crowded! This promises to be an extraordinary event, good luck to Giselle and Midi and I would like to thank them for sparing the time to talk to me.

Janey Bracken

Modavia Fashion Week

2010-09-12T08:53:00.015+01:00

A very popular event is happening in SL this week and it’s one not to miss if you just love fashion. The Modavia Fashion Week is on and I thought I would go and take a look. I had tried to get over to Modavia a couple of times but found that the sim had always been full, so this time I made sure to get over there early and take my seat to wait for the catwalk shows to begin. The place was soon buzzing with cool looking avatars and it was interesting just to see what the audience were wearing, as most of the people had come ‘dressed to impress’!

The show was hosted by Dahlia Joubert who told us that Modavia Productions had 35 shows lined up to cover 8 days to coincide with the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week taking place in real life in New York. I had managed to attend the 3rd day, so there is still a chance to watch the rest of the week’s shows.

The Modavia show was soon under way with some beautiful designs by Takuya Jinn of GABRIEL who had some stylish and chic outfits for both men and women. I stayed for the second show as well, and the outfits were equally as stunning by CheerNo Destiny and his team of designers.

Adding to the atmosphere of the shows, there was some great music supplied by dj Dena Dana as the wonderful models strutted down the catwalk. Organisers Poptart Lilliehook, Dahlia Joubert and Vixie Rayna are doing a brilliant job to stage this extravaganza of the latest SL designer's collections. Remember get over to Modavia’s early to be sure of a seat, this is the place to be!

Janey Bracken

Tropical Fun at the New Beach Club

2010-09-03T17:08:00.012+01:00

You can’t really go wrong on the first night of opening a club if it is full of people having a great time! And so it was last night at the Beach Club at Midnight Sands! I had to get some beach wear on quickly and teleport over there, dj Janis Short was playing some summer specials including the Beach Boys and Mungo Jerry and lots of other nostalgic warm balmy night hits. Hostess Nahiram Vaniva looked after the clubbers and friendly banter carried on all night with the crowd. The setting is beautiful, a beach bar set in golden sands with palm trees and the sparkling ocean nearby. Everyone looked fantastic in their bikinis and other colourful tropical outfits. The music was brilliant, the company was excellent and the atmosphere electric! As the Beach Boys would sing everyone had ‘Fun Fun Fun till her daddy takes the keyboard away’ (oops t-bird, sorry)

Contact Brie Janick, Pink Bachem, Clive Hissop or Cutewillow Carlberg for coming events.

Janey Bracken

Awesome Golden Gate Bridge

2010-08-23T08:46:00.008+01:00

There may be seven wonders in the real world, but SL has its own one, the Golden Gate Bridge is just amazing. Spanning two sims, it’s an awe-inspiring sight and to catch its beauty I needed my settings on ‘ultra’ to view the whole scene. It’s so well done I never even noticed the sim crossing when I walked over! The fantastic build is by Lupo Ellison. He says in his profile that landscaping at both ends of the bridge are still under construction, but don’t delay, take a look at the finished bridge now, it’s well worth a teleport over to see it. I spent some time there watching the people arriving, it’s an SL masterpiece and Lupo Ellison has done a brilliant job.

Janey Bracken

Woodstock '69

2010-08-09T14:34:00.013+01:00

It was the golden theme of the long warm summer nights of the late 60s, the glowing campfires and the heavy smell of incense filling the air, mingling with the tell-tale scent of cannabis. The hippies danced around the campfire, their psychedelic patterned clothes contrasting against their sun-kissed browned skins. The hypnotic music pulsating through the dancers was pure Hendrix and Rolling Stones, a complete blast from the well-known past!! If you were worried about a drug bust, your fears were soon diminished as you glimpsed the police officers standing off to one side, puffing on what looked like a couple of spliffs. Last night dj Janis Short was at Woodstock ’69 and I went over there with a group of friends and had a brilliant time! Love and Flower Power days, the Woodstock ’69 sim has it all, their info reads ‘SL Music Festival & Role-play – Everyday it’s a place of peace love and music.’ If you want a bit of nostalgia or just want to travel back in time to see what it was like in those hippie days you couldn’t go to a better place than Woodstock ’69, plus it's fun dressing up!

Janey Bracken

Shanghai Lily's Opening Night

2010-08-02T14:19:00.016+01:00

Turn of the Century nightclub, Shanghai Lily's, opened its doors for the first time last night. Owner Celestine Neutron's wonderful new club, which is based on the 1900's, looks like it will be a sure fire hit as everyone had a great time. Kicking off the night was excellent singer Crooner Carlucci and a crooner he is, taking us through an assortment of Rat Pack oldies and sounding for all the world like Dean Martin, he gave a smooth and professional performance as he walked among the crowd and danced with some of the lucky ladies in the audience whilst continuing to sing. Following Crooner was the beautiful DJ Violet Ormenthal with her stream of golden tunes from long ago, just right for the ballroom setting. You can read about Celestine's ideas and her story behind the opening of the club at CNN report 'Turn of the Century Club Opens in SL'

Congratulations to Celestine on the grand opening of Shanghai Lily's!

Janey Bracken

Living at Poker Has a Lot to Offer!

2010-07-29T17:01:00.010+01:00

Finding a good piece of land in SL can be a problem, especially if you want to be next to the sea! For most of us having an SL home is a must, a place to call our own that we can use if we want to change our clothes or have some quiet moments to ourselves. It’s also nice to have somewhere to bring friends back to without being interrupted by people passing by. However buying land can be a bit tricky and a little confusing, especially for newcomers.

I scouted around yesterday and found a few really nice plots, all with sea views. The sim is called Poker and I met up with Cliff Chesnokov who owns it. Cliff is an experienced estate owner and is there to help the tenants should they require it, which is really handy.

Cliff’s deal is a very good one, for his parcel of land measuring 1024 square meters he charges 438 Linden dollars a week for the tier payments, and the initial price to buy the land is an amazingly small sum of 219 Linden dollars! Cliff has two parcels up for sale measuring 1024 square meters. You get a 234 prims allowance with each parcel. (For new people, everyone who buys land in-world pays a tier fee each week, it’s a bit like rent and goes towards the upkeep of the sim where the land is. Prims are primitive objects that everything in SL is made of i.e. your house and furniture.)

Cliff’s other parcel of land on offer is to die for! It measures 4096 square meters and has an allowance of 937 prims (imagine what you could do with that!!). The buying price is 875 Linden dollars and the tier works out 1,750 Linden dollars a week, a snip for such a big piece of land, and to see the sunrise over the sea there is awesome! Cliff has a special first week offer on each parcel too, so don’t miss out! All parcels can used for business or residential.

I took a look with fellow writer Hibiscus Hastings and if I hadn’t already had purchased my place I would have definitely been interested. If you have any queries regarding the plots on Poker, please contact Cliff Chesnokov in-world.

Janey Bracken

Just A'Mazing, Trying To Get Out Of The Maze!

2010-07-18T07:17:00.011+01:00

I'm totally useless at directions! I get my lefts and rights mixed up all the time and even go wrong using a Sat Nav! So maybe picking the Maze Area in Sculptie Paradise wasn't the best thing I could have chosen to explore, but I thought I'd give it a go. There are five levels you have to climb and I soon found that this maze was very clever indeed! Visually it is quite confusing with the flashy interior looking the same wherever you go on each level, like being inside the belly of a giant space ship, but then it happens!! the walls start moving, panels sliding shut or opening. Just as you decided to try one exit it suddenly closes off and another one further along opens! quite ingenious as well as frustrating! This makes it very interesting and sets it aside from ordinary mazes. I found myself up for the challenge of trying to crack it and get to the final level. There's only one way out on each floor and I found I kept going around in circles in the beginning. I can't tell you how good it felt to find each ramp taking me up a floor, and finally reaching the top was pure magic. I could see all the other people below me by using my mini map, they were wandering around the same way I had been doing trying to get out. One little tip though, I found it was very laggy and doors were slamming in my face before I got to them. I set my avatar to run instead of walk and this helped me a lot, so try that if you are having trouble! There was also treasure to be found near the exit, but I think I had taxed my brain enough and gave up on that one, good luck if you think you can find it! The Maze was a lot of fun and worth a visit, I think I did well to get out, I bet you will do better, give it a try!!

Janey Bracken

Great Performance by DarlingPresley Xue at Le Chiantelle's

2010-07-08T16:43:00.012+01:00

It always amazes me, the amount of talent you find in SL, I go wandering around and sometimes I find such great places. I called in at a sim called Le Chiantelle's Live Music & Ballroom yesterday, just out of curiosity, and I was lucky enough to arrive and catch a live singer called DarlingPresley Xue. Darling doesn’t hide the fact that she is a big Elvis fan and does include some of his songs in her music, but she also covers so many more legendary artists.

I joined a group of very appreciative people listening to Darling and we danced and had a great time. Darling has a very sweet, but strong voice and she went through her own cover versions of songs by the Beatles, Celine Dion, Elvis, Madonna, Barba Streisand, the Carpenters, Debbie Harry and Michael Jackson, plus others. Her rendition of Joleen by Dolly Parton was awesome, this girl is good!!!!

The Le Chiantelle's Live Music and Ballroom is a lovely friendly sim and they made me feel very welcome, go along and give live music in SL your support!

Janey Bracken

Captiva Island

2010-06-29T16:17:00.019+01:00

While looking in the search showcase the other day I found an intriguing description for a place called Captiva Island . It said “A moss giant guards the entrance to this underground cave where a troll waits to snatch up unsuspecting visitors. Find the secret door and be transported inside the mystic tree, a world full of mutant plants and mysterious creatures.” I have never been able to turn down an opportunity to see mutant plants and mysterious creatures so I tp’d over. Entering the cave I found a rocky interior with a water covered floor and the promised troll. I did spend a bit of time in a cage next to the troll, but was able to get out and continue searching for the mysterious door. A very kind avatar pointed it out to me and I went through. I found myself in a beautiful forest, full of huge, glowing plants and trees as well as some jewel like insects. I walked around, first stopping at a campfire where I sat and warmed my hands, then continuing along the paths which wound throughout the forest.

At one point I fell into some quicksand and thought I was done for, but fortunately I was able to extricate myself with some difficulty and continue my explorations. I came upon a second fire and had a little rest there, lying down on a log and munching on a glowfruit. From that position I spied what looked like a sheltered resting place on a leaf-hammock, so I climbed up to it and lay down for a little while (I was still tired from my experience in the quicksand), but after a couple of minutes I had the distinct feeling that I was being watched. Sneaking a look around I saw, to my horror, that a large lizard-like beast was staring at me intently. I thought it best to leave as quickly and quietly as possible, which I did.
Hurrying away from the creature I came upon another door and slipped through it, only to end up in a cavern full of boulders and spiders! Not liking spiders at all I retreated through the door and back into the forest where I took a path in the opposite direction from the lizard creature. I discovered yet another door. Opening it and crossing the threshold I plunged onto the deck of a ship being tossed about on a stormy sea. It was difficult finding my footing at first but I was able to master walking around on the deck after a bit of trial and error, and soon found myself standing guard and looking out across the ocean. Feeling even more daring I swung around on one of the ropes and then tried balancing on another. That was quite a feat and I felt after that that it was time for me to return to my peaceful home, where I could sit in front of my fireplace in safety and comfort.

Hibiscus Hastings

Mr. Stoneyheart's Surprise

2010-06-24T02:42:00.009+01:00

By some unknown means I have acquired a litter of fledglings. Being a man about town I cannot possibly look after them in draughty art galleries and so I have moved into Old Bert’s apartment during his absence.

1am When troubles come they come not single spies but in battalions

2am Absinthe: The panacea for all ill to my aid, perhaps this is nothing but a bad dream.

3am, awake and fractious, demanding milk and solace. Staring, blinking like myopic owlets behind thick tortoise-shell spectacles.

4am and asleep at last!

5am awake and dancing! It’s going to be a long day

Next instalment – I find a nanny.

Merciless0413 Stoneyheart as told to Boye Jervil

The Awesome Beauty of Blag Island

2010-06-19T16:13:00.019+01:00

The lush countryside slowly appears as you land, a place where horses graze on the soft green grass and the meadows are full of summer flowers. There are sparkling rivers that run into the sea and a canoe awaits passengers at the end of the small jetty. Taking the canoe I paddled my way around the cool waters, nearly colliding with a friendly whale as it leapt up from below the surface of the water with a giant splash, porpoises also played in the sea between the jagged rocks, as they jumped into the air before tumbling back into the deep blue waters. This is Blag Island, one of the prettiest and most romantic places in SL, a perfect setting for getting back to nature with a hint of fantasy thrown in with the fairytale buildings there.

I saw a proud pelican sitting preening his feathers on a nearby rock, and beyond the pelican I could see a little island with seals barking their greetings to each other as they relaxed in the afternoon sun. Waterfalls cascade down the side of the rocky terrain and you can feel the gentle rain on your face as you wander through some ancient ruins overgrown with wild flowers and grasses.

Climbing to the top of the hill I approached a domed building and surprisingly this contained a giant telescope aimed into the skies above. Also glimpsed from the telescope’s viewing area are two of the tallest towers I have ever seen in SL, are these the tallest? well maybe! Climbing to the top of the towers you can literally hold a party up in the clouds, entertaining your friends whilst peering down on Blag Island hundreds of feet below!

There are many places where you can sit and relax, romantic little niches to cuddle up with your partner or lounge about with a group of friends. The working windmill is a great feature and looking over the cliffs I could see a galleon docked in the harbour below. I could read a big red sign on the galleon deck. It advised passers by not to stand on the deck area, and I couldn’t resist. All I can say is that you will be sorry if you do stand there, so keep well clear of it! After my traumatic experience on the galleon I went back onto the island and looked around and found a lovely walled garden, it was like stepping back in time with it’s little wooden-framed greenhouse and rows of well established bedding plants and colourful shrubs.

Blag Island is owned by Mafiawl Mower, a business man in real life, who invented the best selling board game called Blag, which is destined to be a big hit in SL as well, with the in-world version. Mafiawl has used his imagination to create this wonderful island and I’m going back to explore it further as there is so much to see there.

Janey Bracken

The Very Unusual Frogstar B Magic

2010-06-08T20:34:00.012+01:00

Do you love your partner so much that you want to give them the Moon and the Stars? Well now you can, Frogstar B is a romantic location but with a space age setting which is really unusual.

You land on an outer platform of a large space pod, but even the platform is planted like a meadow with its bright grasses and wild flowers.

Inside the pod there are pose balls for romantic clinches and dances for couples who arrive there, you can take the winding staircase up to the roof garden, which is very pretty. It was there I spotted the beautiful unicorn in the first picture.

I walked through the tunnels of the pod and the colours are breathtaking and the design is really lovely. Going outside I spotted a meteorite with a seat on it, and strangely, a tree growing out of it, so I sat on the seat for a while gazing back a the planet earth below.

Owned by the Wa-Kei-Sei-Jaku group, this sim has certainly had a lot of thought put into it to make it like no other, if you want to explore on your own or with your partner, you will really enjoy it. The colours and textures alone are startling and the mixture of lovely gardens and the galaxy are really out of this world!

Janey Bracken

The Aragon Ballroom Opens its Doors Again

2010-06-01T08:15:00.011+01:00

The Aragon Ballroom, which had been temporarily closed, was re-opened last night. Master Builder Clive Hissop has renewed the ballroom and it looks beautiful and very romantic. I went over to see it last night and met sim owners Brie Janick and Seany1235 Blinker there and Clive also joined us. The ballroom is a sparkling fairytale building with chandeliers and a sweeping staircase leading to the exotic roof garden.

I thought it was a little bit strange that when I first got there, a large black car was parked inside the entrance of the ballroom, then I could see that it was Seany. Next thing the car had transformed into the biggest robot I've ever seen!

I shouldn't worry about bumping into robots when you go dancing though, there was a party being held at the West End Club next door and the theme was 'Best Robot' so Seany was just getting ready for that.

Clive should be very proud of the ballroom and Brie opened it at 5pm (slt) last night, so it will cater for a few time zones. Get your evening dresses and tuxes ready and head over to the Aragon for a special night out, but watch out for any giant robots wandering around!!

Janey Bracken

Alice In WonderSLand Performances Extended

2010-05-25T07:33:00.007+01:00

The Avatar Repertory Theater Group (ART) have had such a runaway success with their in-world production of Alice in WonderSLand that they have extended the show for two further performances. 'Alice' had been sold out for each performance in May and the two extra live shows will be shown on the weekend of June 5-June 6. You can purchase the tickets on xstreet and there is extra information at the Cookie sim. I went to see the show and I was blown away with it, it was brilliant! It's one not to miss!!

Janey Bracken

Never Say Never to Never Never Land!

2010-05-23T14:11:00.011+01:00

They call it Never Never Land and in the SL Showcase it's described as a 'magical, romantic fantasy hideout where residents are encouraged to dance with their partners under the stars.' I went over to find out what this wondrous place looked like and I wasn't disappointed!

The beauty of the sim strikes you on entry, the vibrant colours used to create this fairytale setting with it's dappled light and array of wild flowers is breathtaking.

You can rez a horse there to go riding around the sim and I decided to use my own horse to explore. It is romantic, there are little winding rivers leading from one place of beauty to another.
You can imagine dragons and faeries there, in fact there is a roaring dragon at the entry point, and the little red toadstools in the fields of wild poppies are so pretty.
I asked friend Drax Ember to join me and tell me what he thought, he agreed that it was the perfect place for those avatars who have romance in mind. Either alone, or with someone you love, you will enjoy your visit to Never Never Land owned by the TimeToTerraform group.

Janey Bracken

Michael Buble Tribute at the Aragon Ballroom

2010-05-20T07:55:00.004+01:00

There's a great night planned for Saturday May 22, at the Aragon Ballroom in Tropical Drift. It's a tribute night to Michael Buble and you couldn't wish for a more romantic evening!! It's from 2pm till 4pm (SLT) (10pm till Midnight UK time), so be sure to get your tuxes and evening gowns on for a wonderful time!!

Janey Bracken

Moody Blues for Breakfast

2010-05-15T16:23:00.014+01:00

Dancing in the morning!! you can't beat it! (well afternoon for me actually in the UK) but the morning for lots of other people across the world! I saw on the invite to the Tropical Drift sim that DJ Genevieve Gagne was having a Moody Blues morning in the Aragon Ballroom, so I decided to go over to listen to their great music! It was lovely, quite a few people had dropped in and Maggie Nemeth was doing a good job hosting too, making everyone welcome. DJ Gen spun her magic as she played all those romantic Moodie's songs. The Ballroom is just a nice size and has that special feel about it, it's a romantic venue, but you feel equally at home if you go on your own to dance. The crowd are friendly and everyone chats and feels relaxed there. DJ Gen has promised a Beach Boys morning, on the beach close by the Ballroom, for tomorrow, I'm guessing it's around 7 am (PDT), but contact DJ Gen in-world to be sure!

Janey Bracken

The Tropical Harmony Community Offers All You Need In SL

2010-05-06T08:43:00.016+01:00

I can't count the number of times I have teleported from location to location looking for certain shops without success, well now I don't have to. You can find all the big named stores in one beautiful setting in the Tropical Drift region. In Tropical Drift you will find the Tropical Harmony Community with it's own London Club, Pub, Ballroom, Shopping Mall and golden beaches. The community has quickly become established, as Brie Janick and Seany1235 Blinker set up the island using their vast experience and knowledge of running SL businesses and residential estates from the days when they worked in Virtual London. Now branching out on their own, they have made the island into an absolute dream, the beach is the latest creation in Tropical Drift, having its own bar and dance floor, and the landscaping is glorious. The glamorous Aragon Ballroom, trendy West End Club and lively Union Jack Pub are all close by, and if you are lucky you can rent a skybox which gives you a luxurious furnished apartment with complete privacy (a snip at 250 Lindens a week and you can furnish it yourself if you wish to). Master Builder Clive Hissop has been creating all the wonderful buildings there, making it into a tropical paradise. In fact once settled into the Tropical Harmony group, you won't want to venture anywhere else in SL.

Janey Bracken

Global Love Day, May 1, 2010

2010-04-29T14:35:00.010+01:00

Come and get a little love in your heart!! It's Global Love Day on Saturday, and this year the Love Foundation are bringing lots of love into SL. The real life organisation was started 7 years ago to bring wisdom, peace and unconditional love to everyone all around the world and they have picked May 1 each year as a special day for everyone to join in. Now the residents of SL can go over to the special love sim on Saturday for a big party and celebration. The hosted 12 hour event starts at 12am to 12pm (SLT) (8am to 8pm (GMT)), so drop in whenever you can and have lots of fun. I met some of the organisers last night and had a great time, so I'll be back on Saturday to cover the event, see you there!

Janey Bracken

Grand Opening Of Aragon Ballroom Tonight

2010-04-26T17:08:00.008+01:00

There is a grand opening of a wonderful new Ballroom tonight at Tropical Harmony. The Aragon Ballroom looks like the ideal place for that romantic evening and should be a fabulous attraction to this fast growing and very popular new sim. The evening starts at 6pm (PDT) and guest singer HammerFla will be treating everyone to a live performance. Be sure to put on your evening gowns and tuxes for this very special occasion.

Janey Bracken

Fantasy Faire Opens

2010-04-19T20:59:00.011+01:00

One of the best things about SL are fantasy fashions and the designers can really go to town creating fabulous outfits for many characters from faeries to Mermaids, elves, Knights in armour and maidens, not to mention dragons and nekos. I got a notecard today from Evangeline Miles’ group ‘Evie’s Closet’ and she announced that the Fantasy Faire 2010 has opened. I love Evie’s Closet, Evangeline creates the most beautiful creations with her gowns and faerie outfits and I have quite a few in my inventory.

I teleported over to see the show and they are collecting money for the American Cancer Society, so if you go, give a generous donation too if you can. There are nine sims to visit all with top designers selling their fantasy designs, it’s an absolute must for role playing people and anyone who just wants some very well made and delightful costumes and skins.

As I looked at one of the shops called Mer-Elf Creations, I met the designer Morgaine Price, Morgaine told me that she had been designing for 2 years in SL, she makes the most exquisite fantasy clothes. She said that she has a sale on until Wednesday when her store is moving to a new location, so hurry over and look as soon as you can before her prices return to normal. Morgaine modelled a lovely medieval outfit for me, and then a gorgeous mermaid costume, she swooped and dived, flicking her gorgeous luminous blue mermaid’s tail as I tried to catch pictures of her.

Evie’s Closet had two special purchases for 50L and I quickly added them to my many other gowns by Evangeline. They were two medieval gowns, one in white and the other in black, and I can’t wait to wear them. I will go back and have another look around, time was limited today and there are so many shops to see there.

This is also part of the Relay for Life for 2010 and all the designers have worked hard on this wonderful Fantasy Faire to make it an outstanding event!

Janey Bracken

Look Out! He's Behind You!!

2010-04-14T19:09:00.012+01:00

You have to have eyes in the back of your head at the Rohan, Post Apocalypse sim, you can smell the rotting flesh but you don't always see the zombies creeping up on you. I thought they would be other avatars role playing and would give up if I confronted them, but not these tough cookies, they are the living dead and keep coming at you! I escaped the first couple of corpses, but then got trapped by a pair of strange looking creatures with long brown tentacles that they reached out with, so you couldn't get away. I did get bitten by these guys and it was all getting nasty. Managing to slip under their outstretched limbs I continued on, this time drawing my sword in case I came across any other scary creatures of the night, and I'm glad I did. Suddenly another zombie loomed up in front of me, I raised my sword, crashing it down through his scull, but he continued to stand there and this time his brothers joined him, I was in the middle of a group of the glowing eyed horrors as I swung my sword at any one I could topple! I did manage to escape, (teleport does come in handy sometimes, hehe!).

Joking aside, this sim is great fun and the characters look really fearsome, if you want to confront your worst nightmares travel over and see the zombies, and don't forget to look behind you!

Janey Bracken

There's a Lot to See at Delestra Quest

2010-04-04T19:25:00.013+01:00

I must admit I’m not very good at on-line games, but the wonderful imagination used to make sims more interesting by giving people goals is quite amazing. I went over to a site called Delestra Quest and there is certainly a lot to see there, even if you don’t join the quest itself.

Arriving in a castle greeting area, I was confronted by a very eerie cloaked figure who asked me to take the HUD so that I could join in the quest. What I liked about this was that there was no complicated meter to wear, just a simple Head’s Up Display that gave you clues. There are also constant references back to web pages where you can learn more.

I wandered around trying to find things, and was very struck with the detail of the sim, the interior of the castle and the lighting gave it a real atmosphere. The floating dockyard is a very unusual place and the boats harboured there are strange looking with orange sails. I travelled quickly through Delestra to see what was there and I need to go back to do the quest and find the objects along the way. I reached one place where molten lava pours along the landscape and I couldn’t figure out how to cross it without burning to death, cross it I did though and I was burned to death! (so the text told me!!). I reached an underground chamber and scurried down the stairs, once inside I wandered around in the dark little passages and got totally lost!! Well that’s just me, I am very challenged with going in the right direction even above ground!!

The description reads ‘Delestra is a dark sim with a secret. Explore the floating dockyard, gothic castle, temple, oriental village and deep labyrinth, talking to creatures and finding clues and artefacts as you go. Unravel the puzzles and Delestra's hidden secret will be yours.’

Have some fun and take your time to explore this fantastic sim, I cheated because I wanted to see it quickly, but with time to do it all properly it looks like a very good quest indeed.

Janey Bracken

Technical Problems Destroy Beautiful Victoriana

2010-03-24T14:01:00.009Z

This plainly isn’t right, it’s a well known fact that nothing is permanent in Second Life, but when you have something that is totally a work of art, something that would have been around for a very long time, to the delight of many, many people, for it to be suddenly gone, is a complete travesty. The spectacular sim Victoriana is to close and I’ve heard that it isn’t because its creator Mayor LittleBlackDuck Lindsay tired of it, it’s purely because of huge technical problems which the guys at Linden Labs could have worked on and resolved to give the Mayor support and keep things going. I’ve always marvelled at the wonderful Nation of Victoriana, 12 simulated areas in all, which must have cost a fortune for the Mayor to run, and I can’t believe that more help hasn’t been given to solve the technical issues to keep Victoriana alive. Just recently the Mayor also created Tinytoriana, a miniature version of Victoriana, where people who wear tiny avatars could also enjoy the Victorian delights, this too is to close.

I’ve travelled a fair bit in SL and can honestly say Victoriana is the most beautiful, detailed and exquisitely designed place out of everything I’ve seen. The Mayor paid so much attention to making it perfect that you felt you were walking down a real Victorian street with its little tea rooms, taverns, houses and shops. The shops sell the right merchandise for the period and people dressed accordingly as well, greeting each other with polite conversation befitting a much gentler age. The Mayor had also created wonderful gardens, beaches, and a harbour as well as breathtaking landscapes.

As I understand it, the Mayor ran into difficulties maintaining the sims after an update from Linden Labs on their servers, he was no longer able to modify the objects on the site, which left him unable to repair and move his possessions about. I would only hope that the good people at Linden Labs may yet save the day by contacting the Mayor before it’s too late and we lose what must be the ultimate showcase item in SL. After all the Mayor has achieved everything that the Lindens must dream of, he not only spent an awful lot of money on the purchase and the monthly tier payments of 12 sims, he also put a lot of hard work in to create the ultimate SL experience for so many people. It sounds as if the Mayor has had enough of struggling uphill to sort his problems out and he is determined to close The Nation of Victoriana down. I just hope someone from Linden Labs realises what a total loss this will be to Second Life and how it doesn’t look too good for customer relations either.

Janey Bracken

Damani Art Exposition Center

2010-03-18T16:29:00.014Z

I visited a wonderful art complex a few days ago, the sim is owned by incredible SL builder Damanios Thetan, who has constructed a very unusual and unique building to show off his inspirational artwork. The building itself is an art form with its glass walls and elegant bronze frame. You take the central lift up to the floors, which have their own glass cylindrical rooms displaying Damanios’ sculptures. The sculptures are spheres of light with spinning or floating shapes within them, catching them in different light settings alters the look of them completely, so it’s best to run through your environmental menu when viewing, going from Sunrise to Midnight.

We were joined by good friend Eliza Janus who had introduced me to Damanios. I asked Damanios about his art and he explained “each of the spheres contains a dynamic sculpture” he said “just walk towards them to activate them” I did, and they are truly beautiful. I asked Damanios if the sculptures had titles and hidden meanings, he told me they are “just to relax” by. And relax you can as you stand and watch the swirling colours inside the spheres.
Damanios is a genius with his building skills, he introduced me to a big metal robot he had made that interacts with you when you talk to it. Really clever stuff!!

Take a trip over and visit the 'Damani Art Exposition Center' and have a wander around his sim as well, it is probably one of the prettiest places in SL.

Janey Bracken

Come and Sing at the Greyhound Pub

2010-03-15T13:36:00.004Z

There is an Open Mic Night in The Greyhound Pub in Virtual Kengsington on March 17. If you fancy yourself as a singer it's a great chance to sing live in the friendly pub, and you can even win some Linden dollars too!! If you want to be included in the show contact Landlady Cutewillow Carlberg in-world to take part. (Pictured above is singer Josie Anderton who gave us a brilliant live performance in the Greyhound last week)

Janey Bracken

Tribute to Pathfinder Linden as he Leaves Linden Labs

2010-03-11T08:21:00.005Z

There is some sadness in Second Life today at the news that one of the favourite Linden Labs workers, Pathfinder Linden, is leaving the SL company. Pathfinder, John Lester in real life, joined SL in 2005 and shared a wealth of knowledge with us in respect of community development, specialising in fields such as healthcare and education.

I heard the news from friend Eliza Janus and I contacted Pathfinder who kindly came over to see me. I asked Pathfinder if he would like to say a few words to everyone in SL and he said “I'd like to thank everyone who has sent me kind words and thoughts recently. I am overwhelmed. means a lot to me.” He also said he would like to point everyone at his public email, which is http://bit.ly/aIwtji

The good news is that Pathfinder won’t be leaving SL, he will be coming back into the community as an SL resident, he told me “Thanks Janey. My Pathfinder Linden account will be morphing into "Pathfinder Lester" sometime next week” So his many fans will be pleased to hear that he is staying in touch.

Pathfinder has an impressive real life background, he was the Information Systems Director of the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, and in 1993 he pioneered using the web to create online communities supporting patients dealing with neurological disorders. The Second Life web site states “As a Research Associate in Neurology at Harvard Medical School, he also created online collaborative education environments for professors and students to advance the case-based teaching method in medical education.

John leads Linden Lab's customer market development in Education and Healthcare. He acts as a strategist and evangelist for people using Second Life in teaching, academic and healthcare research, medical education, simulation, and scientific visualization.”

So you can see the role of Pathfinder Linden will be sorely missed, however we will have Pathfinder Lester joining us very soon and I wish him well both in his real life and his second life. I would like to thank Pathfinder for meeting me and saying a few words for his many SL friends and colleagues.

Janey Bracken

Leave Your Graffiti Tag in SL

2010-03-08T15:49:00.008Z

AM Radio has created some great sites, I loved ‘The Far Away’, a beautiful wheat field created in SL by AM and it’s well worth a visit, but AM’s site at IDIA Laborator ies is very interactive indeed, you can do a bit of graffiti and it’s all part of the artwork. Fellow writer Hibiscus Hastings had visited one of AM’s sites and spray painted a wall, so I thought I would have a go at spray painting the side of a railway carriage at this IDIA location.

It’s dead easy, you arrive at the side of the railway track and there is a spray can on a table, you simply click on the can and it opens a link to the web page where there are simple paint tools to use to create your artwork. If you make a mistake you can click the arrow to delete your error. I had great fun and I thought I would show AM Radio how much Our Virtual Trilogy loves these imaginative places.

Janey Bracken

The Twisted Wheel is a Little Piece of England

2010-03-02T15:04:00.012Z

I’ve just seen a really nostalgic looking sim, a small piece of England with it’s little terraced houses and lace curtains, phone box, red pillar box and milk bottles on the doorsteps, plus that dustbin on the pavement waiting for the dustmen to call. It could be a council estate anywhere in North England with its cobbled streets and the smoking coal fire chimneys. There’s even a scrap merchants at the end of the road under the railway arches. It’s The Twisted Wheel, England 1966 sim and it has a great looking club which plays 60s and 70s music. There’s a nice couple of ladies shops that sell clothes from that decade too, and right next door you can buy a Lambretta scooter to wiz around the streets on.

The wording from 'Search' in SL says ‘THE best Mod/Northern Soul club in SL BAR NONE. Come and meet some of the nicest people in SL too. Mods, Scooters, Vespa, Lambretta, Pub, 1966, Swingin Sixties, Twisted Wheel Night Club, The Who, Ska, R&B,, The Small Faces, All Nighter.’

If you fancy going back in time for a great night out this looks like the place to be!!

Janey Bracken

Mr. Stoneyheart Makes a Proposal

2010-02-26T02:24:00.007Z

Miss O’Riley was shattered by her recent experience. While the police had recovered her stolen paintings and her gallery looked as it always had, she was a changed woman. She no longer felt the same pleasure in her work and each morning was a trial for her, bringing back all the shock she had felt when she discovered the burglary. She also felt confused and unhappy because Old Bert apparently was the thief, someone she had trusted and felt was her friend. More and more she turned to Mr. Stoneyheart for his advice and support.

Mr. Stoneyheart had been paying a great deal of attention to Miss O’Riley throughout all this. He listened to her worries and took her out to dinner frequently in an attempt to raise her spirits. For Miss O’Riley this was the only bright spot during this bleak time.

One day Mr. Stoneyheart IM’d Miss O’Riley saying he had an idea about her gallery and wanted to discuss it with her. Miss O’Riley was of course very anxious to hear what Mr. Stoneyheart had to say so she invited him over right away.

Mr. Stoneyheart and Miss O’Riley sat down in her office where Mr. Stoneyheart brought out a briefcase.

“I know that you have been going through a very difficult time lately and I have been wondering how I could help you. “

Miss O’Riley was pleased to hear this.

Mr. Stoneyheart continued “I have a proposal to make to you. I know how much you love the gallery and I am sorry to see you in such distress. You seem to be getting no happiness from your work here and that should not be. Nothing would give me greater satisfaction than to see you as you were before the robbery, the lovely young woman I first met a few months ago.”

“I would like to invest in your business so that you never worry about the finances again. Of course you would still run the gallery, but I would be able to take a more formal role in advising you, and in this way take the day to day cares off your shoulders.”

With that Mr. Stoneyheart opened his briefcase and showed Miss O’Riley more cash than she had ever seen in her life. Miss O’Riley jumped out of her seat and stared with astonishment at the opened briefcase. For the moment she was struck dumb.

Mr. Stoneyheart also presented a document for her to sign which would give him partnership in the Tissot Gallery. Miss O’Riley was still in shock, but gradually was beginning to comprehend what he had said. She looked at him for a moment, then said “Does this mean that we would be partners?”
Mr. Stoneyheart assented. “Yes, we would be partners together in this business. What do you think about that?”
Miss O’Riley glowed at the prospect of a partnership with Mr. Stoneyheart. She replied “Oh Mercy, nothing would make me happier!”

Hibiscus Hastings

Masquerade Ball For Grand Opening Of Cube Gallery

2010-02-23T14:55:00.011Z

I was invited to a Masquerade Ball last Sunday, the theme was white, so I donned my best white dress and headed off to the Cube Gallery in Sylveheru. Fellow reporter Hibiscus Hastings joined me and we arrived to be greeted by gallery owner Cher Demonge. Cher, a very successful artist/designer, has moved his famous Cube Gallery to this new location.. Retitled Cube v.2.0 – Art and Design, the gallery is well worth a visit, as well as Cher’s own artwork being on display, you can see the work of other artists as well. The Ball was a great success with many of the Cube gallery’s society members in attendance. The music was provided by excellent DJ Azufr3 Catteneo who kept everyone up and dancing. For queries regarding displaying artwork, please contact Cher Demange in-world.

Janey Bracken

Having a Beer at the Rovers

2010-02-20T08:47:00.010Z

Fellow reporter Ed Follet told me that there was a Rovers Return pub from the British television program Coronation Street in SL, so I went off to find it. And there it was in a sim called Le Meteque – Rovers Return Inn. It’s very well done, the green and gold pub sign and the glass windows etched with the name of the pub. Inside there is a jolly looking barman with the famous Newton and Ridley best bitter on the bar in front of him. On the walls are pictures of the actual television characters, the original pub landlady with her husband, Annie and Jack Walker, Ena Sharples and Elsie Tanner. I sat down next to one of the customers, but he didn’t have a lot to say as he read his paper. He did look as if he was a visitor to the pub rather than a regular, could that have been a Norwegian newspaper he was reading? Coronation Street with its pub the Rovers Return, is known all around the world so it has many fans from abroad. I was going to ask for one of Betty’s delicious Hotpots until I remembered that I am a vegetarian, so I settled for a nice cold beer and a walk around the beautiful harbour outside.

Janey Bracken

Fine English Furniture On Sale In SL

2010-02-16T15:30:00.005Z

Once you have your home in Second Life, the first thing you want to do is furnish it with style and panache! It can be hard going and frustrating travelling around the grid in search of well made classy furniture, although there are many designers out there, and very good ones at that, it is still quite hard to find fine classic English bespoke furniture which just breathes elegance.

Well you need look no further, Clive Hissop is a master craftsman who has carried his talents into SL by producing some beautifully crafted pieces of furniture and he has now opened his own store. I first met Clive when he had started to build in SL and I could see then that he was very gifted, he not only built accurately, but his designing skills are second to none.

Clive shares his SL home with partner Pink Bachem, and they have exquisite taste which shows in the beautiful surroundings they have created. I’m pleased that Clive has decided to open his own store and give other people the opportunity to buy his wonderful designs. You can find the store, ‘Cfs Designs, Fine Furniture’ at Pacific Harbour, Blackhearts Café sim.

Janey Bracken

The Story Of The Young Mermaid

2010-02-13T18:27:00.019Z

(With apologies to Hans Christian Anderson)

The young mermaid lived in a beautiful underwater kingdom, along with her father the king; her grandmother; and five elder sisters. When a young mermaid reaches the age of 15, she is allowed to swim to the surface and look at the wonders of the world above. Each of the sisters made the visit as they became old enough, and on their return the young mermaid listened intently to their tales and descriptions of the world they saw and also the humans found there.

When her turn came the young mermaid also swam up to the surface, almost at once she saw a handsome prince aboard a sailing ship and instantly fell in love with him. But the ship was struck by a violent storm and the prince was washed overboard. The young mermaid saved the prince from drowning and carried him safely to the shore. She left him unconscious near a temple and watched from a distance until a young girl found him. The prince never saw the young mermaid.

The young mermaids grandmother had told her that although merfolk live for 300 years, when they die they turn to into sea foam and cease to exist. The humans have a shorter life however, but they also have a soul that lives on forever in Heaven.

The young mermaid longed for the prince and also wanted an eternal soul. So she visited the Sea Witch who sold her a potion in exchange for her wonderful singing voice, that would give her two beautiful legs and the ability to dance exquisitely.

Unfortunately it would also forever feel like she was walking on broken glass and her feet would bleed terribly. Crucially, she would only receive a soul if the prince loved and married her. Otherwise at dawn on the day after he was wed to another woman, the young mermaid would die of a broken heart and disintegrate into sea foam.

The young mermaid drank the potion and arranged to meet the prince, he was at once attracted to her grace and beauty despite her not being able to speak. Above all he was enchanted by her dancing, and she danced and danced for him even though the pain she suffered was excruciating.

When his father arranged for him to marry the neighbouring king's daughter, the prince told the young mermaid that he did not love the princess and would not marry her. He also said that he could only love the woman who saved his life, the one who he thought was the girl from the temple. It was obvious that he was becoming fond of the young mermaid, but eventually it emerged that the woman at the temple really was the princess and the marriage was announced.

The wedding went ahead and the young mermaid’s heart was broken. She thought of all that she had given up and of the pain she had suffered. She despaired thinking of the death that awaited her.

However before the dawn, her sisters arrived with a knife that the Sea Witch had given them. If the young mermaid used it to kill the prince and let his blood drip on her feet, she would again become a mermaid, all her suffering would cease and she would live out her normal life.

The young mermaid could not bring herself to kill the prince as he lay peacefully sleeping with his bride. As the cold dawn was breaking she threw herself into the churning sea and her body dissolved into foam. But instead of ceasing to exist, she felt the warming rays of the sun on her face. She had been turned into a free spirit, a soaring daughter of the air.

The other daughters of the air told her she had become like them because she had striven with all her heart to gain an eternal soul. By doing good deeds, she had earned her soul and would eventually rise up to her rightful place in the kingdom of God.

And of course the Prince and Princess lived happily ever after :-))

Adapted by Ed Follet & Amourette Dubrovna

Locations:

Dream Wedding Competition

2010-02-08T14:43:00.004Z

Are you in love? Would you like a virtual dream wedding in one of the loveliest sims in the grid? Well you can now enter a contest with a chance to win that amazing wedding in the fabulous Port Merion Village. I looked around the sim last year and it is absolutely stunning, just the place to take your loved one for a romantic trip.

The contest information given out by Port Merion says:

‘Port Merion Village Wedding Contest Asks: Who Is The Best Second Life Couple?

The Winner of the Port Merion Village Wedding Contest Wins An All-Expense Paid Port Merion Dream Wedding and Much Much More; Over S15000L In Prizes!

February 2, 2010 - Port Merion Region, Second Life -- Maybe you met at Newbie Island or at a Freebie Store; maybe your alts were friends and now you are starting anew, or perhaps you are old role-play friends or worked on a sim together... however your fairy tale began, Port Merion wants to help celebrate your love on its beautiful sim.’

Go and take a look for yourselves, the sim is certainly worth a visit whether you want to enter the contest or not. For more information contact FlutterGirl Looming, Balls Constantine or Kalique Pichot in-world.

Janey Bracken

Detective Braveheart Takes Charge

2010-02-05T03:05:00.009Z

Old Bert got up bright and early, enthusiastically anticipating the coming day. He showered, got dressed and had a good breakfast, all in preparation for his time at the Pre-Raphaelite Gallery, followed by an evening with Daisy, perhaps going to a movie. He washed his dishes and left everything neat and tidy, then went off to work.

Miss Merriweather was at the gallery when he arrived. He was pleased to see her; they had become great friends as well as colleagues. As he entered the shop Miss Merriweather called “Old Bert, come and see this, something strange is going on!” Old Bert went over to where Miss Merriweather was standing with a puzzled expression on her face. There at the back of the gallery were a few paintings by Tissot.

Old Bert said “Maybe Mr. Stoneyheart has decided to branch out and start telling Tissots as well as Pre-Raphaelites. But it is very odd since there is already the Tissot Gallery not too far from here.”

While Old Bert was speaking Miss Merriweather read the notecards that had arrived while she was offline. Included was one from the SL Police that had been sent to gallery owners and managers following the robbery. Miss Merriweather read it aloud, scarcely believing what she was saying.

“Old Bert listen to this!”

“Yesterday a burglary took place at the Tissot Gallery in Victoriana Harbour. Artworks by James Tissot were taken from the gallery. A list of the works in question has been attached to this note. We are warning all gallery owners to immediately report any avatars who approach them with any of these works. In addition, a witness has described someone whom we consider an avatar of interest. This avatar is elderly, shorter than average and known as “Old Bert”. If you should see this avatar or know of anything related to this burglary please IM Detective Braveheart.”

Miss Merriweather and Old Bert stared at each other in shock.

“Miss Merriweather, I don’t understand” Old Bert stammered. “I have visited the Tissot Gallery, but I would never steal those paintings! How can anyone say it was me!”

Miss Merriweather replied “Of course I know that, Old Bert. But how did these paintings end up here? This makes no sense.”

Just at that moment Dectective Braveheart entered the gallery, joining Old Bert and Miss Merriweather. He spotted the artworks and turned towards Old Bert saying “How do you explain this?”

“I don’t know, I have no idea” cried Old Bert.

“Where were you last evening?”

“I was working here in the gallery until 9 pm. Then I returned home.”

“Did anyone see you here?”

“No, it was a quiet night; no one came into the gallery.”

“What about at home, did anyone see you there?”

“No, I live alone, no one else was about.”

The detective then asked Miss Merriweather what she had been doing.

“Last night I went out with some friends, we went to see Ballet Pixelle and then on to a club.”

“You’ll have to give me the names of your friends Miss Merriweather.”

“So Old Bert, were you in this alone?” Detective Braveheart demanded.

“I haven’t done anything, I don’t know where those paintings came from!”

“We have a witness who says you were in the Tissot Gallery moving paintings around.”

“There must be some mistake. I have been to the Tissot Gallery, but not for a while and I have never moved any paintings around there.”

“Well, Old Bert, you’ll have to come with me.”

Old Bert was frantic.

“Miss Merriweather, help me, please help me!”

Miss Merriweather addressed the detective saying “I’m sure there is some dreadful mistake here. Old Bert is very reliable and honest. Someone else must have done this.”

But Detective Braveheart was unmoved. “I’m sorry, but I have to take Old Bert with me while we investigate further.” And with that he took Old Bert off to the police station.

Miss Merriweather was stunned by this turn of events. She reported what had happened to Mr. Stoneyheart, and then remembering how much Old Bert had talked about Daisy, she decided to contact her to let her know what had happened.

While all this was taking place Daisy was doing some shopping, thinking about the evening ahead. When she received the IM from Miss Merriweather and learned what had happened she was overcome and burst into tears. She soon rallied, realizing that Old Bert needed her. She immediately tp’d over to the police station, where she was allowed to see Old Bert.

What a sight met her eyes! Poor Old Bert was in a cell, collapsed on a bench in the corner. When he heard the sound of footsteps he looked up and upon seeing Daisy, leapt to his feet and ran over to the bars, trying in vain to hug her.

“Oh, Bert” whispered Daisy over and over. Old Bert just looked at her, unable to speak.
“What happened?”

“I just don’t know” he replied. “I don’t understand any of it.”

They stood together a little while longer. Finally Daisy said “I’ll find out. I know this is a terrible mistake. Miss Merriweather feels the same. We’ll get to the bottom of this, don’t you worry. Try and remain strong, remember we are working for you.”

With that Daisy was told she had to leave. Poor Old Bert was left all alone in his cell. After watching Daisy leave, he threw up his arms in despair, crying “How can this be? What will happen to me?”

Hibiscus Hastings

Candy Hearts for Valentine's Day

2010-02-02T15:25:00.010Z

If you are looking for something for that special someone or trying to let another avatar know you are interested, Art Box may be able to help out. Art Box is a wonderful sim created by Frankie Rockett and Violet Sweetwater in which you can become part of an artwork.For Valentine's Day they have created candy hearts with messages you might want to send to your sweetheart.

IM Me

Get Nekkid

Luv Ya

Hugs & KissesUR Hawt

Candy Hearts are on the third floor, only until February 14th.

Hibiscus Hastings

A Friend You Can Lean On!

2010-01-31T12:35:00.007Z

If you are going to be away from your keyboard for a little while to make a cup of tea, eat your dinner, visit the loo, or even put the cat out, you might as well leave your avatar in good company and nod off with a friend. I thought this couple looked really sweet, they woke up later and carried on chatting. I wasn't close enough to hear, but I suspect they were talking about what they had for dinner, awwww!!

Janey Bracken

Horsing Around In Forest Island

2010-01-26T12:55:00.011Z

I found Forest Island in SL Showcase and read the description which stated that you can explore the sim on horseback. When I arrived I could see a white horse waiting to take me for a ride. The horse had a double saddle, so I thought friend Drax Ember may want to explore with me. Drax came over and we climbed into the saddles of the tall thin horse. The roads were very narrow and the horse sped off along the route under his own steam with us clinging on. The sim is very pretty and the horse takes you on quite a trip as he tries to keep his footing. Indeed, it seemed that the horse had been eating some fermented hay, as at times he spun around in the wrong direction or tried to throw us off by putting his head down to the ground, it was hilarious! Maybe our animation overrides didn’t help, but at least the horse managed to stick to the trail, even with his wobbly legs. It’s worth taking the trip, which is quite a long one, to explore the whole sim, which is lovely. So expect to be saddle sore by the time you get to the other end!! If you don’t fancy the horse ride you can also go on foot, taking your time to look at each area, I liked it a lot and the horse idea was great of fun!!

Janey Bracken

The Investigation Begins

2010-01-22T03:21:00.007Z

Poor Miss O’Riley was completely overcome. She had sunk all her savings into the venture and couldn’t see how she was going to recover from this blow. She wandered around the empty gallery, then went upstairs to her apartment and just sat for a while, her mind going over and over what she had just seen. After a few minutes had passed she began to revive and called the police. A handsome officer named Detective Braveheart came right over.
Detective Braveheart asked Miss O’Riley for a list of the works that had been stolen. Being an organized woman she had one at hand, with titles, descriptions and pictures of the artworks that had been stolen. As Miss O’Riley began to focus on the work ahead of her, her mood changed from one of despair to anger at the person who had done this to her.
The detective inquired if she had seen any suspicious people in her gallery recently, but she said no. Various residents of the sim had dropped by, as well as some friends of hers, but nothing out of the way had happened, at least not while she was in-world. Unfortunately the welcome mat only recorded the number of visitors to the gallery and not the names, so there was no way of telling who had been in. Over the holidays there had been a slight increase in numbers, but that was to be expected.
After talking for a while with Miss O’Riley, Detective Braveheart left and began to search the area around the gallery. He also spoke with some of the neighbours. One man did recall seeing someone in the gallery moving artworks around, but he did not think anything of it at the time. The man said the visitor was shorter than average and older, too, with grey hair. When asked if he could recall the name of the avatar, the neighbour said he thought it was something like “Old Bert”.
In the meantime, Miss O’Riley sent an urgent IM to Mr. Stoneyheart, begging him to come right over as something dreadful had happened and she needed his help.

With thanks to Boye Jervil for the photograph of Old Bert moving frames.

Volcano Power!

2010-01-20T17:45:00.009Z

How would you like to control a volcano, you can do just that with a trip to FireSabre’s Volcano. You teleport onto a big glass platform with a couple of buttons to press, use the reset button first to make sure it is all ready to blow, then press erupt and stand and watch the fireworks! The top lifts off and molten lava drips down from the volcano as rocks and sparks fly from the top! If you set your environment menu to midnight you can see the red-hot middle and almost feel the heat!

Have some fun and control virtual nature!!

Janey Bracken

McKinney's Distillery For A Warm Welcome

2010-01-11T14:55:00.016Z

When you teleport into a sim you somehow get the feeling of how it will be, and the sim I went to yesterday instantly made me feel comfortable and welcome. Like finding a cosy tavern on your journey through the snow, the atmosphere in the McKinney's Distillery was warm and friendly.

I walked through a room containing a large distillery, with some fine whiskey being made no doubt, and went into the bar where there was a glowing log fire. I sat down and started talking to my friend and colleague Hibiscus Hastings in IM, just then one of the sim owners entered the room. ComradeX Munson greeted me and I started to ask him about the distillery. He owns it with partner September McKinney and he told me that September had done most of the building work. I asked Hibiscus if she wanted to join us, and she teleported over.

Comrade told me that there will be live music in the sim starting on January 24th and a grand opening on February 7th. I asked Comrade if the sim was based on anything in real life, he told me it is in the style of a Scottish distillery and that September had a real passion to create it. He said that they had been putting it together for several months, ready for the live music events. They had praise from the highest of the SL escilons too, one of the Lindens had paid them a visit and liked it so much that they have been included in the Second Life Showcase pages.

Comrade had been telling us that September is a real life musician, just as she appeared, greeting us warmly. I asked how she felt about building the sim, she said “it’s been a bunch of fun” and Comrade said the ‘still’ and the fireplace are two of her masterpieces!” I asked September, who is a folk singer, is she wrote her own songs, she told me “I have written them, yes… but mostly I sing folk stuff …Kate Wolf, Dylan, my RL husband’s music as well.” September continued “I hope to help musicians here in SL... esp new ones that have a hard time getting onto the scene.” Comrade added “and we are having a huge grand opening party with musicians on Feb 7th”

Comrade and September offered to take Hibiscus and I on a tour of the rest of the sim, going outside onto the walkway, we could see the pretty landscape that September had created, she said “it’s not just me, (I) had help with friends, suggestions from Comrade.” It turned out that Comrade too is very talented, he had made the waterwheel situated under the distillery, and he had done a brilliant job, it was a working waterwheel, slicing through the SL river, with cogs and moving parts. The marshy landscape, complete with a stage, had dark rain clouds overhead, giving it a lot of atmosphere and Comrade said “makes you feel like you’re in Scotland” Hibiscus agreed “really beautiful and atmospheric.” “It’s a labour of love” Comrade added.

And a labour of love it is, these two people have a real passion for what they are doing and I watched people arriving while we were there, both Comrade and September greeted each one like an old friend and you can tell that this is going to be a favourite gathering place for SL residents. People can go to listen to the live music or just sit around in the comfy bar in front of the blazing log fire and chat.

Remember the live music starts on the January 24th and the grand opening party is on February 7th. I would like to thank September and Comrade for making us so welcome and wish them all the success in the future with their wonderful venture.

Janey Bracken

A New Year Dawns

2010-01-08T15:04:00.007Z

Old Bert enjoyed the holiday season very much. He and Daisy continued seeing each other, going to holiday parties together, visiting art galleries,

dancing and touring different sims. They enjoyed a lovely carriage ride around Victoriana on Christmas Eve and exchanged Christmas presents.

On the professional front things were going well, too. Old Bert by this point had settled into his job at the Pre-Raphaelite Gallery and was taking on more responsibilities as he grew familiar with the sim and with the artworks belonging to the gallery. It was one of the happiest times of Old Bert’s life.

Mr. Stoneyheart continued from strength to strength personally and professionally. He had managed to reassure Gloria after their disastrous weekend cruise. At the same time he kept in touch with Miss O’Riley, the Tissot Gallery owner, maintaining a watchful eye on that particular enterprise. Miss O’Riley, of course, was very pleased about this.

Then one day early in the New Year Miss O’Riley arrived at work to discover that all the artworks, except the free gift painting, had been stolen. She stood and stared at the empty walls in horror and as it all began to sink in she burst into tears and began running frantically from room to room, trying to make sense of what she saw. She so desperately wanted everything to be just as it had been when she left work the night before. But that could not be. A burglary had taken place and all her paintings were gone!

Hibiscus Hastings

A Sign of the Times!

2010-01-05T08:25:00.006Z

Looks like a great start to 2010, the recession seems to have hit SL as people are forced out onto the virtual streets begging for new hair and skin. I spotted the girl in the main picture yesterday, who seemed desperate for some help as she couldn't afford a decent avatar outfit. I think she may find it hard to find a pair of shoes big enough though, going by the size of her feet. Another avatar close by thought she would see the New Year in by bashing everyone with a David Hasselhoff placard. It looked like fun, I hope they have a very Happy New Year!

Janey Bracken

The Myth of Persephone: Greek Goddess of the Underworld

2009-12-31T03:27:00.073Z

The young Persephone and her friends gathered sweet smelling flowers in a sunny meadow,

while the Earth Goddess Demeter watched over her daughter in the way that only a mother can.

Her father, the mighty God Zeus the thunderer, looked down from above with pride on the tranquil scene. He was satisfied that the pact he’d made with his brother, Hades, the God of the underworld was about to be fulfilled.

Suddenly the earth was rent as Hades burst through the surface, snatching the bewildered Persephone and disappearing again back to the dark depths below.

Demeter was distraught at the loss of her child and consumed by depression and despair. Before long the green plants of the earth withered and died while she neglected her duties as Goddess of nature.

Meanwhile down in the underworld Hades wooed the nubile Persephone, declaring his love and his wish for her to stay with him as his wife.

Demeter resolved to have her daughter returned. She went to her husband and made angry demands. Zeus, already concerned at the deterioration of the world quickly relented, sending his messenger Hermes to bring Persephone back to her mother.

On his arrival in the underworld and contrary to expectations, Hermes found a beautiful and radiant young Goddess. Persephone relished her new job at Hades right hand. While she desperately wished to see her mother again, she also wanted to stay with her lord.

Hades spoke to his Queen and said that while he would miss her, she should go back to her mother. Before she left however, Hades gave Persephone some pomegranate seeds to eat. These she dutifully accepted, not knowing that they would seal her fate.

Over-joyed to have Persephone back home, Demeter’s enthusiasm was rekindled and nature fully blossomed once again.

She was proud that her daughter had grown into a beautiful and wise young woman, but troubled by Zeus’s conditions. He stipulated that in order for Persephone to remain on the surface, she must still be as pure as the day she was taken.

Demeter didn’t need to question her daughter about her experiences with Hades. The ruby red stains on her lips were a betrayal that she had tasted the fruits of life. Demeter’s innocent child was lost forever.

However, Zeus loved his daughter too much to separate Persephone and her mother for eternity. He agreed that every spring she could return from the underworld, bringing with her the flowers that signal nature’s rebirth. And in the autumn she must go back to Hades and resume her Queenly duties. That is the time when Demeter is sorrowful, and winter exists until their next joyful reunion.

And Persephone is not unhappy, she looks forward to her role as Goddess of the underworld. Conscientiously greeting the new arrivals and helping them to settle in to their new, second lives.

Adapted by Ed Follet

Pictures by Hibiscus Hastings

With thanks to Boye Jervil

Newbie Wishes!

2009-12-28T18:18:00.003Z

Sometimes it's very sad being a newbie, they go from girl to girl chatting them up only to be shunned because of their newbie skin, newbie hair, newbie outfit and large newbie shoes, not to mention the lack of height, because they haven't realised that they could be made taller so they could look those 6 foot Amazon ladies in the eye rather than the chest!

I spotted this little guy who decided he might have a bit of luck waiting for the lady to come back, so he slept alongside of her. The trouble was that the lady came back before he did, and taking one look at the newbie teleported out quickly before he woke up. Oh well, I expect he will be ok once he has changed his appearance!

Christmas Story for Pixi

2009-12-25T08:57:00.013Z

This Christmas Second Life story is dedicated to Pixi Piers, one of our Trilogy group team who hasn't been able to join us in SL for a little while. Here's hoping that Pixi will soon be back with us and writing some brilliant articles again. I first published this yesterday on Virtually London (lite).

A Magical Christmas Eve For Adam

The snowflakes fell silently, settling quickly onto the London Streets, the chillingly cold night air stung Adam’s face as he hurried home after staying late at the office. The pavements were already slippery and he was glad when he finally reached his front door and the warmth that met him as he entered his house was comforting. Taking off his coat and hanging it in the hall, he went into the kitchen to make himself a hot cup of tea, it was times like this that he wished he had a girlfriend or wife to come home to, dinner on the table waiting for him and someone to share his day with. Adam had always been a bit of a loner though, there were girls he had fancied at work, but he was more into computers and gadgets than things that women liked to talk about, so he found it hard to chat to them. One girl, Poppy Jones had been very friendly, buying him a coffee and asking him about himself, but he thought that she was just being kind, as she was very pretty, and he imagined that she was out of his league anyway. “Oh well, I can dream”, he thought to himself as he sat down in front of his computer and sipped the hot tea. He could relax for a few days now, it was Christmas Eve and he didn’t have to go back to work until the New Year.

Instead of getting himself something to eat, Adam decided to log into Second Life and see if there was anything going on. He had only joined the previous week so he was very much a newbie. He had first rezzed into Hyde Park in Virtual London and he found things a little confusing, but the people were kind and he soon found a ‘Greeter’ welcoming him and also giving him a make-over with a new skin, hair and clothes. He had called himself Charlie Moongazer in SL, even if he did say so himself, his avatar looked quite handsome. He had stayed by the Dell Café in Hyde Park most of the time as he was still unsure about exploring, but he liked to listen to the chat going on there too, even joining in now and again.

Logging in, he was once again in the park near the café, but the place was deserted, they must have re-started the sim and told everyone to leave, he thought to himself. The park looked different, with a scattering of snow on the ground, and just like real life, snowflakes gently fell, only this time he wasn’t getting cold, he was cosy and warm with his cup of tea as he sat at his keyboard. He decided to hang around and see if anyone came by, so he stood for a while near the water’s edge. He began to feel very lonely, where were the usual crowd? What was going on? Suddenly he heard the soft fall of horse’s hooves on the snowy grass. Peering through the trees he could see a large white horse heading towards him, it was only as it got closer that he could see that it was no ordinary horse, but a mystical unicorn. The unicorn avatar was called Twilight Mist and he stopped a short distance from Charlie gazing at him.

Pawing the snow with his hoof, Twilight said “Charlie, how are you this fine Christmas Eve?” Charlie was pleased that Twilight wanted to talk, the sim was getting tedious with no one there and it was too early for the Underground Club’s special party tonight. “I’m fine” said Charlie “that’s a great avatar you have by the way” he added. “Ah yes, said Twilight, I have mystical powers too with this Unicorn shape, if I told you a little secret you would probably not believe it” he chuckled throwing his head back and whinnying. Charlie laughed too, he thought how funny it was that people really got into role playing, even believing they have magic powers.

SL appeared to be quite deserted tonight, people had probably gone late-night shopping for last minute Christmas presents and some may have gone out for the evening to see their friends and families, or just thought they would watch those seasonal repeats shown on the television each year instead of venturing into SL. Twilight gazed at Charlie through his soft brown eyes and using his very real magical powers he could see into Charlie’s soul, reading Charlie’s shyness. “Do you want to come for a ride with me?” Twilight asked “we can explore some of the Christmas sites and see who we can find.” Well why not, Charlie thought, it sure beats standing here where there is nothing going on, “Yes” said Charlie “I’d really like that!”. “Jump up onto my back” Twilight said, and Charlie climbed on clutching the long white mane on Twilight’s neck. He noticed that the unicorn had the tip of his golden horn missing and wondered why this should be, as whoever made the avatar would surely have completed the horn. But he thought he had better not ask.

Twilight flew up into the air high above the London rooftops and suddenly sped off, dashing like the wind! Charlie hung on as best he could, as they crossed the vast SL ocean until they reached a snow covered landscape with a sparkling crystal castle set high on a hill. The unicorn began to slow down, landing softly into a large open area. “Charlie we will have a little rest here” Twilight said, as Charlie leapt to the ground. A gentle whinny was heard, as another smaller unicorn came to greet them. Twilight and the little unicorn, called Mistletoe Song, nuzzled against each other with their soft velvety noses. The little unicorn looked like crystal and her white coat shone in the moonlight. Mistletoe said hello to Charlie as she stood close to Twilight. Twilight said “Mistletoe and I have to leave you Charlie, have a look around before you go” and before Charlie could answer the two unicorns melted into the frosty grass leaving a trail of silver stars in their wake. It was then that Charlie noticed the newbie girl sitting on a bench, she sat staring at the floor and seemed very sad.

Charlie went over to the lonely figure and said hello. Pansy Moonstone looked up at Charlie and smiled. “Hi Charlie, nice to meet you” she said. She liked the look of Charlie, he wasn’t one of those six foot muscled avatars covered in tattoos, he looked more normal and friendly, more like the sort of person she would like in real life. She had seen Charlie arrive with Twilight and told him that Mistletoe had also found her alone and offered to bring her here for a ride. They laughed together at the thought of matchmaking unicorns in SL, but thought it was nice of Mistletoe and Twilight to try to help people.

Charlie found that he could talk to Pansy without feeling embarrassed, she too found Charlie easy to get on with, as if she had known him before, their conversation just flowed. There was a small ice rink just outside the castle walls and Charlie asked Pansy if she wanted to skate for a little while. Getting the free skates at the edge of the rink, they got onto the ice and Charlie offered his hand to Pansy as they skated around laughing and smiling as they told each other about themselves. Pansy and Charlie soon realised that they both came from London in real life and as they chatted it soon became apparent that their paths had crossed in the real world too. Charlie was stunned as Pansy told him that she worked for the same company that he did and Pansy was equally surprised. Out of this vast SL grid with it’s thousands of people the two of them had been brought together by two strangers, Twilight and Mistletoe. Pansy was Poppy Jones the girl that Adam had fancied in work. They found that talking in SL had been so much easier as both of them had been a little bit shy in real life and this gave them a chance to see that they had so much in common, Adam found that he could chat to Poppy and they really enjoyed being together.

Adam asked Poppy if she had any plans for tonight and she told him that she was just staying in. He suggested that they meet at the giant Christmas tree in the London Square near where they both worked and Poppy readily agreed, she had liked Adam for a long time, but had never managed to get him to talk to her much in work.

Later that evening they met up, the Christmas tree looked beautiful, covered in twinkling white lights and people had gathered around it to sing Carols and meet their friends. Poppy and Adam held hands just like they did in SL, both of them feeling the excitement of new beginnings and happiness that they had finally been brought together. Walking closer to the tree they could see the ornaments, bows and shiny glass orbs between the white lights. Then Adam spotted a couple of ornaments hanging closely together from the spiky Christmas tree branches, two little unicorns, one with the tip of his horn missing the smaller one looking like crystal. Adam held Poppy’s hand tightly as he pointed out the unicorn ornaments. They could not be sure, but they thought they both heard a soft whinnying sound from the tree. “Thank you” mouthed Adam to the tiny figures and Poppy smiled at him with tears in her eyes. They could not find the friendly unicorns in Second Life, the names did not exist, so Twilight did have magical powers after all!

Janey Bracken

Happy Christmas To All Our Readers

2009-12-25T01:18:00.001Z

Stonehenge and the Winter Solstice Celebration

2009-12-24T06:52:00.013Z

This year it was possible to celebrate the Winter Solstice at the world famous 5000 year old stone circle without having to travel real life to Wiltshire in the UK. There is now a fully scaled and accurately oriented representation of the ancient monument of Stonehenge in Second Life as it appears in reality to-day.

The winter solstice occurs when the sun is directly over the tropic of Capricorn, at its furthest point south of the equator, and lowest maximum altitude in the sky. This happens on the shortest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere, which is usually December 21^st. In some cultures this is considered to be the first day of winter, in others it is the seasonal mid-point.

The Pagan celebration of the winter Solstice is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. Ancient people were hunters and gatherers and the weather and seasons played an important part in their lives. Because of this many of them worshipped the sun and the moon. The winter solstice was seen as the reversal of the cycle of shortening days and lengthening nights and the birth or rebirth of their sun gods.

The Solstice was also known as the ‘Yule’ and this is the origin of many customs and traditions surrounding the Christian festival of Christmas. The Yule Log was a fire that was kept burning for the six days each side of the solstice. The celebration was about the truly important things in life: family, children, the home and looking forward to a bountiful year to come.

In real life the winter solstice this year occurred at 5:12pm local time, after the sun had gone down. Hundreds of people arrived at the historic stones early on December 22^nd to greet the next sunrise, only to be thwarted by lingering fog and overcast cloud. Perhaps they would have done better to stay at home with their computers and log in to Second Life.

From Cartoon Trees to Classic Beauty

2009-12-23T08:57:00.011Z

Looking through showcase in the search menu I found a sim that looked interesting to visit, promising a classical city set in the 1900’s, and by the little picture on the landmark it looked stunning. I’m not going to name the sim here, as perhaps there is something I don’t know, maybe it’s not finished or maybe it is some sort of artwork that I don’t understand, but I landed in a dirt brown area with a bandstand in the middle and the whole place looked like a cartoon. Something for me seems to have been lost in the translation! I don’t get it, I thought SL was suppose to mimic real life, although of course, it doesn’t have to, it depends on what the land owner wants it to be. To make matters worse I was approached by someone who told me he had a thing about feet, he loved ladies feet and asked me if he could be my ‘footslave’. I had to politely decline his offer, but I hoped he would have a happy SL and find some nice feet on his travels, if that’s what he wanted.

I saw my friend Drax Ember come on line, so I called him over to ask his opinion about the trees and landscape of the sim, he agreed it was very cartoon like and he could not make it out either.

From there we went to perhaps one of the best winter sims in the whole of SL, it’s called Winter Village In Ol d Europe and it is truly beautiful with snowy streets and twinkling Christmas lights. The fact that there are people there all the time shows it has captured the right atmosphere for the season. You can ice skate or just wander around, and if you play the music, it will add to that Christmas feeling.

A stark contrast between two sims, but maybe I missed the point with the first one, I am a bit of a traditionalist I must admit, but the cartoon trees and sidewalks in the first sim are the most unusual I have seen in SL.

Janey Bracken

Update on Linden Homes

2009-12-18T17:12:00.041Z

Linden Labs announced on 15th December that the location of the 'Linden Home' area, a new continent called Nascera, was opened to residents so that you could go and check it out for yourselves. For more information about how Nascera was created, look at Linden Home Beta is now open.

They emphasised that the continent is a Beta, and that some things will change and hopefully improve as a result of feedback about the houses and the experience itself.

Go to this link for comments on the Second Life blog: What do you think of the Linden Homes and experience preview?

Here are pictures and SLURLs of a few of the regions (sims) you can teleport to..

Title picture above Elderglen (the main fantasy themed infohub)

Fern (to see the fantasy themed houses)

Batry Park (to see meadowbrook, the california modern area)

Buckeye (to see tahoe, the A frame log cabin theme)

Kagero (to see Japanese themed regions)

Going on a Cruise

2009-12-18T11:33:00.014Z

One day Gloria received a notecard from Mr. Stoneyheart saying “I have found a wonderful sim, let’s cruise away from the rest of the world this weekend. XXX” Gloria was thrilled by this proposal and IM’d him back saying she would love to go. After a little shopping for some cruisewear she was all set, and she spent the rest of her time eagerly awaiting the weekend to come.

Saturday finally dawned, and Gloria received a tp from Mr. Stoneyheart inviting her to the private suite he had taken for the weekend. She rezzed inside the luxurious apartment where she was welcomed by Mr. Stoneyheart.

“Mercy, what a beautiful place this is!”

“Yes, this is a huge ship, the SS Galaxy, covering 3 sims, if you can believe it. We’ll have a great time exploring all there is to do, but first come have a look at the suite and have a drink.”

Mr. Stoneyheart showed Gloria the two floor guest suite he had taken, complete with tv, private dining room and hot tub. They went outside and sat down for a snack on the private veranda, basking in the warm sunshine and catching up with all that had happened over the past little while.

Gloria started off, telling Mr. Stoneyheart about the work she had been doing. “I’ve been really busy lately, all the merchants are putting out their Christmas stock, so I’ve been run off my feet modelling Christmas outfits. I think if I see another Mrs. Santa, Santa Baby or Christmas elf outfit I will scream, lol. “ She continued “Of course it’s great to have so much work, but I really am thinking about getting out of modelling and starting my own line of clothing. What do you think?”

Mr. Stoneyheart replied “I know you’d like to get into that business, but I’d have to see some of your designs and a business plan. Maybe in the New Year we can have a serious look at this.” Gloria was pleased to hear this, knowing that he was not one to leap into things or just tell her he thought it was great because they were seeing each other. She asked how things were going with him.

“Well, I have been keeping an eye on my investments in the Victoriana sims. I recently met with Miss Merriweather, the manager of my gallery there, and so far so good. She told me that another gallery had opened nearby, the Tissot Gallery, so I went to see it and meet the owner. I think I’ll have to keep an eye on that place, could be competition.”

After a little more conversation they decided to go for a swim. As with the rest of the ship the swimming pool area was beautifully done. Gloria and Mr. Stoneyheart took turns on the slide and the diving board, and then afterwards floated in the pool, lazing the day away.

They went to the bar and had a couple of drinks before deciding to change and go dancing before dinner.
Mr. Stoneyheart and Gloria danced for a while at the poolside dancefloor before going to a nearby observation deck to watch the sun set. They stood next to each other, not saying anything, being quiet and comfortable in each other’s company. At one point Mr. Stoneyheart turned towards Gloria as if about to say something, but before he could he received an IM from Miss O’Riley, the Tissot Gallery owner, asking him for some advice. The mood was broken and he moved away from Gloria, excusing himself to answer the IM. Poor Gloria was taken aback, especially when he said to her “I’m sorry, I have to go, urgent business I’m afraid.” Gloria was devastated but didn’t say so, instead answering “Oh, that’s a shame but these things happen. We can have dinner a little later.”

Mr. Stoneyheart responded “I’m not sure how long this will take, you go ahead and order dinner and don’t wait up.” And with that he was off.

Gloria returned to the cabin, disconsolate. Not feeling like eating she sat on the veranda, thinking back to how happy she had been there just a few hours ago.

Meanwhile Mr. Stoneyheart made arrangements to meet Miss O’Riley at the CP Pegasus Zeppelin, where he had booked a suite. He tp’d her over, first showing her around the airship, then sitting down for dinner in his private room. Miss O’Riley was quite overcome by it all as she had never travelled in such circles before. She and Mr. Stoneyheart enjoyed their dinner together, where he gave her advice and listened to her questions and comments with a great deal of attention. Miss O’Riley was dazzled.
While all this was happening, Gloria waited, watching the sun sink down into the ocean and the stars come out in the pitch black sky.

When it seemed likely that Mr. Stoneyheart wasn’t coming back, Gloria tp’d home and went to bed, where she spent a lonely and restless night, wondering what was going on.

Hibiscus Hastings

Join the Trojan Army!

2009-12-16T18:39:00.010Z

Role Play in SL takes on many forms, from cowboys to Medieval knights and vampires, people love fantasy and the virtual environment gives them the chance to play out their dreams and interact with like minded people!

One sim that has gone onto the showcase pages of SL is called The Trojan Empire. Using Troy as its theme, there is a giant arena where combat takes place with ancient weapons. You don’t have to be experienced in combat or role-play, the information obtained from the site says that you will be helped with both combat and role-play to make things easy to get started. You will need to wear the proper clothes for the period, but that is part of the fun.

I met a lady called Mor Lannock who kindly showed me around the sim, she told me that they are presently recruiting for the Trojan Army. Mor took me to the library, next to the huge Trojan Horse standing outside the arena, where the history of the Trojan Wars is stored. Mor is a Trojan Officer and looked resplendent in her armoured outfit. They go into battle with other sims and it all looks very exciting.

If you don’t want to go into battle there are some wonderful woodlands nearby to explore, so go on over and see if you fancy becoming a fully fledged Trojan!

Janey Bracken

Crucible - Where the Rain Never Stops!

2009-12-10T19:38:00.011Z

It seems to be raining all the time in real life, or it did up to a day ago, heavy showers, so I must have been a bit nutty to teleport over to a sim where..................it is raining all the time!

All the same Crucible is a very picturesque sim and governed by very strict rules, no role-playing and no other un-pg behaviour is allowed. In a way I thought it was a shame about the role-play ban as I could imagine knights on horseback rescuing their damsels in distress in the dramatic landscape in the shadows of the wrecked castle.

If you want a nice place to take some photographs or you would like to stroll through some spectacular flooded plains, Crucible is the place for you. You could even take your favourite person there and huddle up under a giant umbrella if you need an excuse to get close .......

Janey Bracken

Lindens Set To Offer A Leg Up The Property Ladder.

2009-12-06T15:14:00.007Z

One of the first big achievements for many residents in SL is securing a property of their own that they can personalise and set as their ‘home’ location. This might mean buying your own land parcel in the land market outright, or more commonly renting a house from a landowner (another resident). However land purchase can be a complicated undertaking and you will hear lots of horror stories about the pitfalls of renting.

Linden Labs are about to start testing a new program that will greatly simplify taking that first step into virtual land ownership and make setting up home in world as easy as possible. The scheme will be called ‘Linden Home’ and will be an extension to the Premium Membership.

Premium membership means that you are paying a monthly subscription as opposed to the basic (free) membership. This could be a problem for some people but you already need to have a premium account to own land although you can rent with a basic one.

Under the scheme a 512m parcel of land will be given to applicants in what appears to be a free loan with a complete but unfurnished home already in place. There will be a number of themes and house types available but the occupiers will not be able to remove the houses or sell the land.

During beta testing, a limited number of randomly selected existing Premium subscribers will be offered the chance to apply for a ‘Linden Home’. If this proves a success, Linden Labs are looking to launch it as an entitlement for all Premium subscribers early next year.

Mr. Stoneyheart Gets Down to Business

2009-12-04T03:56:00.010Z

One day after work, Old Bert decided to go back to Victoriana Harbour and visit the Tissot Gallery. He walked along Knightsbridge Avenue and down towards the Harbour, admiring the scenery as he went and observing that winter was upon them. Feeling the nip in the air, he decided that he needed to get his winter gear out and would do that as soon as he got home.
Arriving at the Tissot Gallery he was pleased to see that the owner was present, as he had not had to opportunity to talk with her last time. Miss O’Riley welcomed Old Bert and invited him in for a cup of tea.

They had a very pleasant chat about the artworks on display and life in general in the Victoriana sims. Miss O’Riley told Old Bert that she had decided to open the gallery because she admired the work of James Tissot - his attention to detail, especially to the clothing of the ladies he portrayed, the astute understanding of and humourous approach to the depiction of every day life, but most of all by the warmth of the domestic scenes the artist had painted of his love and muse, Kathleen Newton. Theirs was a tragic love story. James Tissot (born Joseph-Jacques Tissot in Nantes, France) had come to England to live and work. He became a successful artist and was accepted by the society of the day. Then he met Kathleen Newton, a beautiful young divorcée and they fell in love. The couple did not marry, but lived together in Tissot’s house in St. John’s Wood. This meant that Tissot was no longer accepted in society, so instead he stayed quietly home with Mrs. Newton and her two children, entertaining artist friends and those who accepted the relationship. Unfortunately Mrs. Newton died at the age of 28 from tuberculosis, and Tissot returned to France.

Old Bert, being a soft hearted avatar, was touched by the story and by Miss O’Riley’s decision to bring Tissot’s art into Second Life. He thought Daisy would enjoy seeing the paintings, too, so he planned on bringing her to the gallery sometime.
While Old Bert was busy finding his new life, Merciless0413 Stoneyheart continued running his businesses and advancing his relationship with Gloria. Mr. Stoneyheart was currently doing the rounds of all his businesses, visiting his managers and keeping up to date with all that was going on. One day he stopped into the Pre-Raphaelite Gallery, as he was the owner, to discuss the business with its manager, Miss Merriweather.

Miss Merriweather showed Mr. Stoneyheart the accounts and reported on all that had happened at the gallery since his last visit. She told him “I have hired Old Bert as my assistant. He is a very good worker and easy to get along with. He keeps the gallery in order and has even helped me install some of the artworks as he has some good ideas about display.” Mr. Stoneyheart answered “Yes, I know Old Bert and thought when you first mentioned him that he would make a good employee. He rents an apartment in one of my buildings. He is always punctual with his payments and is a quiet tenant. I am sure he will be an asset here. Has anything else happened since my last visit?”

Miss Merriweather thought for a moment, then replied “Well, the sims recently made it into the SL Showcase, so traffic has increased.” Mr. Stoneyheart was pleased to hear this. She continued on “And a new gallery has opened in Victoriana Harbour, the Tissot Gallery.” Mr. Stoneyheart mulled this over. “Tissot is an interesting painter, perhaps I will go have a look at the gallery. This may bring more people who are interested in 19th Century art into Victoriana.” He then took his leave saying “Thank you, Miss Merriweather, as usual you are doing an excellent job. I will see you again next month”.

Mr. Stoneyheart left the Pre-Raphaelite Gallery and made his way to the Tissot Gallery. He was pleased to see Miss O’Riley was there and upon entering the gallery said “Hello Miss O’Riley, my name is Mercy Stoneyheart. As a fellow gallery owner I would like to welcome you to the neighbourhood.”

Miss O’Riley was quite taken with Mr. Stoneyheart’s charming and open manner as well as his striking appearance. She thanked him for coming, showing him the gallery and then inviting him to her office so they could have a chat about the art business.

Miss O’Riley confided that she was new to the business. Mr. Stoneyheart observed that she seemed to have a great love of the works of Tissot and communicating the passion she felt was going to help her in making a success of her business. He went on “I, too, am a great admirer of this artist, particularly because of his devotion to Mrs. Newton. Who could not be touched by that?”
Miss O’Riley was delighted by this, feeling that there was a bond between Mr. Stoneyheart and herself. As Mr. Stoneyheart rose to leave, he shook her hand warmly, saying “I look forward to seeing you again in the future. If you have any questions about running your business, please do not hesitate to get in touch. I’d be very pleased to help. ”

Miss O’Riley, with sparkling eyes and a happy smile responded that she would indeed look forward to their next meeting.

Hibiscus Hastings