Life On Board The Mayflower In SL

In 1620 a group of people called the Pilgrims set sail from Southampton, England, for North America in a ship called The Mayflower captained by Christopher Jones. The perilous journey took 66 days before the ship dropped anchor at Cape Cod. There were 102 passengers and approximately 30 crew members on board. The Pilgrims belonged to a religious sect called the Puritans, and they fled Britain seeking a new life because of their oppression by the Church of England and British Government at the time. The Mayflower became famous in history as part of the colonization of New England by the British. After a harsh winter on board ship at Cape Cod, when sickness took its toll, the surviving passengers disembarked the Mayflower and eventually founded the Plymouth Colony.

Now you can learn a little of the history of The Mayflower yourself in Second Life. There is a very well made SL version you can explore. As you look around the vessel you can appreciate how cramped conditions would have been on board the real ship and it was little wonder that sickness spread quickly on board killing some of the crew and passengers. There are notices explaining about the Pilgrims as well as informing of the workings of the ship. I would think this would be fascinating for anyone who can trace their ancestors back to the first colonies in New England. It’s a very interesting place to visit and very educational as well.

Janey Bracken

Old Bert Applies for a New Job

Old Bert entered the Pre-Raphaelite Gallery with some trepidation. Perhaps he was over-reaching, would he be accepted in such a fine place? The Nation of Victoriana was well designed and maintained, with an air of a quiet prosperity about it. He could not imagine anyone in this sim having the remotest acquaintance with the kind of habitation he called home. However, before he could leave the gallery a woman who appeared to work there approached him saying “Welcome to the Pre-Raphaelite Gallery. I hope you enjoy your visit, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Old Bert, somewhat abashed, mumbled his thanks and, pretending to be a visitor, began to look around. Miss Merriweather, as that was the woman’s name, was the gallery manager. She recognized Old Bert’s keen interest and they began to chat. Old Bert was really quite knowledgeable about the Pre-Raphaelites and the time soon passed as they discussed the artworks and then moved on to other subjects.
Finally Old Bert said “Thank you Miss Merriweather, I cannot express how much I have enjoyed talking with you, but I must be going.” Miss Merriweather replied “Thank you very much, Old Bert, we rarely have anyone come in here with such a knowledge and love of the Pre-Raphaelites. I hope you will come back soon.”
Emboldened by this Old Bert said “Miss Merriweather, I actually came to the gallery today to apply for the position you have advertised. Would it be possible for me to leave a copy of my c.v. with you? I am extremely interested in working here.”
Miss Merriweather responded “Yes Old Bert, I think that is an excellent idea. Please leave that with me as well as some references. I will have to discuss this with the owner as he has the final say, but I am sure you would fit in here very well. I will be in touch in a few days.” With that Old Bert left Victoriana and returned home, anxious but hopeful.
A little while later Old Bert received a notecard from Miss Merriweather saying “Congratulations, Old Bert, your application has been accepted. Please come to the gallery as soon as possible.” Old Bert was overjoyed.

Hibiscus Hastings

Hair Today and Gone Tomorrow?

When I first joined SL back in March 2007, hair was a very dodgy issue. I used to have long red hair on my avatar then, and like with most avs, hair was a very important feature in respect of my SL appearance! Well I say it was a dodgy issue because I would be going out to a virtual party or dance thinking my av looked like a million dollars with my nicely styled red hair only to have someone at the party give me the bad news that I was, in fact, bald to everyone else! Oh the shame!! everyone else seemed to have their hair, and the fact that I could see mine, but no one else could, only made it worse, oh the insecurity of not knowing if you are bald or not!!

My friend Drax Ember was so cruel, he would simply don a pair of sunglasses and complain about the glare from my scalp and I knew it had happened again, SL leaving me looking a right state with my sticky out ears and shiny egg shaped head! Well over the months things improved, no one seemed to say I was bald anymore and I got really complacent, changing my hairstyles from one day to the next, not a care in the virtual world, the bald days were a thing of the past!

Then it happened again, I went to a meeting at the CNN Island yesterday and sat there quite pleased, once again secure in the fact that I had long black hair with nice red highlights. I joined in the group chat, colleagues Ed Follet and Hibiscus Hastings joined me, Ed even sat next to me and I just carried on, happy as you like, answering CNN Producer Nicole Saidi's questions! Then Drax came over and directly he set eyes on me mentioned that the glare was back and I could see him looking in his pocket for his sunglasses as he spoke! Ed said he had not wanted to tell me in case it put me off the discussion and Hib said she could see my hair from the other side of the arena where she sat, but another ireporter Latok, who sat a little way away also told me I had no hair!

Looks like we, or I, am taking a backwards step and now have to worry about being a baldie again, I might get my head tattooed with a big sign that says 'Well I can see my hair even if you can't' or I might just get some hair tattooed on my scalp, oh well back to the drawing board Linden Labs!!




Janey Bracken

Semana de Muertos at Instituto Espanol

A friend of mine, knowing that I have an interest in art, suggested that I visit the Instituto Espanol sim which had been decorated for the Semana de Muertos. The Instituto Espanol is a sim where avatars can take Spanish language classes. It has been constructed so that visitors can also learn about the culture of Mexico and includes a pyramid, a church, school rooms and market place. Some of the buildings can be used to display art, so during the Semana de Muertos artworks that are related to the Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) were being exhibited. As well, information on the Day of the Dead was provided.

According to the notecards, it is believed that it is easier for the souls of the dead to visit the living on the Day of the Dead. Families visit cemeteries and build private altars at the grave. These altars can include pictures of the deceased, favourite foods, drinks, memorabilia plus blankets and pillows so the deceased can rest after the long journey. Some families may also build altars in their homes
In Mexico the Day of the Dead is observed at the beginning of November. In most regions the Dia de Muertos is observed over two separate days. November 1st is set aside to honour children, and is called “Dia de los Inocentes” –Day of the Innocents or “Dia de los Angelitos” - Day of the Little Angels. November 2nd is the day for remembering adults and is called the “Dia de los Muertos” or “Dia de los Difundos” – Day of the Dead. The Day of the Dead celebrations can be traced back 2500 to 3000 years ago to the indigenous peoples of the region. Originally the festival fell in the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, which corresponds to August in our calendar but now occurs in November and corresponds to the Catholic holidays of All Saints Day (November 1st) and All Souls Day (November 2nd).
As well as altars and other decorations related to the Day of the Dead, the works of José Guadelupe Posado (February 2, 1852 – January 20, 1913), a Mexican engraver, illustrator and artist were on display. He began his career as a political cartoonist, eventually moving on to commercial work and illustration. His work was often meant to make a satirical or religious point, but after his death it became associated with the Day of the Dead.
The Semana de Muertos has ended now and all the decorations have been taken down. However,this is a lovely , colourful sim and an excellent place to be introduced to Mexican culture and the Spanish language.

Hibiscus Hastings

The First Date

Gloria left Mr. Stoneyheart’s home and returned to her apartment, falling into a deep sleep after her tumultuous day. She woke up the next morning much lighter of heart than she had felt for a long time. Clearly, meeting Mr. Stoneyheart had helped her distance herself from the pain of the past couple of months and the breakup with her boyfriend.

Mr. Stoneyheart, too, was feeling unusually cheerful. Always an energetic person, there was an added jauntiness to his step as he went off to work that day. He had enjoyed his time with Gloria and wanted to continue seeing her, so he sent her a notecard asking her to go dancing with him later that evening. Gloria accepted his invitation and they both spent the next few hours in happy anticipation of the evening to come.


After work Mr. Stoneyheart went home and changed, then TP’d to Midnight Reflections, a beautiful sim perfect for a first date. He IM’d Gloria at the appointed time and then TP’d her over. They began their evening at the main dance floor but after a while moved away from that area, walking along the pathways until finding a more private place. They began to dance again, but this time without the distraction of other avatars and their noisy chat. Only the sound of the waterfall and the music could be heard as they danced and occasionally chatted, but much of the time they spent in silence, delighting in the comfort of each other’s presence.

As the sun began to rise they wandered on, strolling through the sim and enjoying the scenery. They started ascending one of the hills, stopping part way to look out over the water. Gloria, feeling relaxed and contented, spontaneously hugged Mr. Stoneyheart.

Continuing on they came to the top of the hill where there was a bench placed for avatars to rest after the steep climb. They sat there together and Mr. Stoneyheart, who perhaps surprisingly had a love of poetry, quoted the words of WB Yeats to Gloria, whispering softly

O CLOUD-PALE eyelids, dream-dimmed eyes,
The poets labouring all their days
To build a perfect beauty in rhyme
Are overthrown by a woman's gaze
And by the unlabouring brood of the skies:
And therefore my heart will bow, when dew
Is dropping sleep, until God burn time,
Before the unlabouring stars and you.

Hibiscus Hastings

The Cube Gallery Opens

We have some extraordinary artists in SL and it’s my pleasure to know one of the best, most creative ones. Cher Demonge has used his talents many ways in SL and in real life too, his immense skills at designing, architecture and imaginative art and graphics have all come together to create his latest and most successful venture, The Cube Gallery!

Even outside the gallery, the huge rust stressed cubes in the central walkway are striking and somehow awesome with their size and dominance. I asked Cher about the cube theme, he told me “well I have always had a thing for cubes, the lines and shapes and they always come into my mind when I’m creating things so that’s where that came from and it grew from there. A simple thing but a strong shape.”

Cher has many of his works of art on display; he uses graphics to give the pictures depth and his own particular urban style impression to everyday scenes and objects. His work is easily recognizable and unique, it would suit any modern environment as a central feature. I particularly loved one of his sculptures, his cube style again, but this time translated into a smaller arrangement on a metal frame that complimented the straight lines and angles of the cubes.

Cher has a lot of space in the gallery and his intention is to display other people’s work for free. He already has a couple of rooms put aside filled with 5 artists work and they range from SL art work to real life art brought in-world. The standards are very high and I should imagine Cher would make sure that all the work on show has to be of a certain grade. One of the artworks, a large lit sculpture, was interactive, you touched it and the light could be altered to suit your mood, a great idea!

One of Cher’s pieces of art distracted me a lot though, a ball in a box with continuous motion, it bounced around and I felt drawn to it to keep watching, it was something quite different to his other artwork and very nice to see.

The Cube Gallery is a brilliant meeting place for people and Cher tells me that it already has quite a community. There is the Cube Café inside the building and also a waterside area where you can sit and chat. The whole building is beautifully designed by Cher and is in fact a piece of art on it’s own.

If you have any artwork that you wish to display in this top gallery contact Cherish Demonge in-world.

Janey Bracken

For Sale, The Best Castle In SL

There are some things in SL that you see and want to own really badly, buildings are something that rarely make me feel that way, but I have just seen a truly awesome castle, not just any castle, but a study of how a Medieval castle would have been in the Middle Ages. This amazing structure with all it’s furniture, fixtures and fittings is going on the market for just L$5000 and, if only I had the land, I would, without a doubt be buying it!

Fitting nicely into any Medieval sim, the possibilities for role play, renting out parts of it to tenants, or even just having the luxury of the whole thing as your home are endless. It would suit a King and Queen with its opulent throne room and guarded doors. A Gorean Master or Mistress would relish in the layout, even using the dungeons where they could keep their slaves and prisoners. Dare I mention it? yes I will, even BDSM fans will have plenty of room to add their instruments of torture too! It’s easy to get lost when you tour the buildings, there are so many passages and walkways leading off into different rooms, trap doors with staircases going down to the next level and each room looking like you stepped right back into the 14th Century.

I met the creator Johnnytreadlightly Nightfire who is still in the process of adding a few finishing touches and I asked him some questions about his excellent castle. I wanted to know how many rooms there were overall, he told me “I'm counting 14 above ground. Some are very, very large, like the castle master bedroom, and the main castle floor. That's not counting the outside areas like the market and the streets. Johnny is still completing the master bedroom, but told me “There's one 'barracks' room, a guest bedroom, three apartments, and a two story keep. Any of these could be deemed liveable.”

I asked Johnny what is included in the L$5000 and he said “That's everything, and there's going to be a lot more than what you see now. I'm also selling each piece separately, and packs. Say you liked the castle furniture, but aren't fond of the castle. You could buy that pack.” Johnny continued “I'm going to put up a beta version for sale. Anyone who purchases will be entitled to the completed version when it is finished as well. It is fully functional now though, and I have a LOT more planned. Hence the beta version. I just wanted to release it to the public. It’s a lot of fun to play in and I've had a lot requests for the release.” Johnny passed me the list showing the prices for each individual piece of furniture and fittings, and these would suit the pocket of any avatar, an example is the luxurious four poster bed, which is just L$300, complete with full cuddle, erotic and single poses, you also have the bonus of it only being 3 prims. Everything on the list is very affordable and is made to the highest quality.

I wanted to know about the specifications that people would need to know about before purchasing the castle. Johnny explained “611 (prims) for the whole building. That's the walls, tavern, 2 story keep, 3 apartments, market area, stable, well, common area, barracks, two levels of dungeon (lots of passages and it covers the whole build), and a 4 story main castle. I think that's it. The building is approximately 50x60x50 high. It was designed to fit on a 4096 sq M plot. Furnishings do vary. I got a little carried away with it, but it is all very low prim. I used a lot of sculpties. Fully packed (that’s a lot of furniture), I'm at 1250 right now.”

Johnny told me “I am still working on this. Let me just say, I have some big plans. I know it’s vague, but I don't want to ruin any surprises either. I am in a very fortunate position building wise. I've made buildings, furniture, armour, weapons, and gadgets all in the past. I've toyed with the idea of some hidden gems inside (unique freebies for your guests). I'm a firm believer in rewarding the adventurous. Sl is about exploring and everyone likes good freebies :-)”

I went into the large communal area of the castle with Johnny and he told me that the items are all scripted, for sitting, cooking, even the drinking vessels set out on the counter are animated, taking a tankard of beer from the counter and drinking, I could see my avatar was getting a little tipsy, as we stood chatting. Johnny has not based this on any particular real life castle, but he has read a great many books on the subject and admits Medieval times have always fascinated him, he says it’s “Great stimulus for your imagination.” In respect of the furniture, although he has studied museum pieces, he has made everything with his original touch.

Going back to the castle next day to take photographs, I met a couple of people who were looking around and already considering buying it, Cajundarlin and Krypton were exploring the rooms with great excitement. Cajundarlin clearly loved it and Krypton said it had “damn good textures and (was) a hell of a build.” Krypton told me “Johnny does good work, I have a lot of his stuff.”

Later on friends Drax Ember, Hibiscus Hastings and Ed Follet joined me and we enjoyed another tour. I still found areas that I had missed before and we all agreed how fantastic the whole thing is.

Johnny’s store, JTL Designs also sells all the items anyone could wish for, for their own personal needs, an array of weapons, armour, clothing and much, much more! If you want the very best castle in the whole of SL this is the one! Contact Johnnytreadlightly Nightfire in-world for details.

Janey Bracken