New Infohub and Pod Station Launches in the Heart of Historical SL

By Klaus Bereznyak

A new info hub and yavascript pod station launched earlier this month at Da Boom. Announced via the Pod Rider's group on the 4th September 2019, this hub is right in the ancient heart of Second Life, in the first ever region to appear on the grid in November 2002 before the official release in June 2003.

 If the construction of the hub looks 'old school', that's because it is. The tower-form example of characteristic SLArchitecture is constructed using original, pre-2003 prims created by Philip Linden.

Although a work still “under construction” the hub looks open for business. It has a clubby feel, with the second floor being a dance floor, perhaps nodding to the fact that this site was formerly occupied by the popular Alt-Zoom dance club.

The ground (or water) level features a museum of SL history and the docking for pod tours that depart from here. The museum is having fresh material added every day, and currently displays some maps showing the development of the grid and some artifacts of early primmage from bygone SL. At the moment visitors can hop on a yavascript ferry service (F3) which goes through many interesting regions of Micronesia to terminate at Aluluei. The trip takes about 15 minutes.

 A pod can also be rezzed for the longer S1 Historic Second Life route. The regions radiating from this zero point on the grid are the very earliest to come online in Second life. It’s very rare for them to become available for sale and the terrain is noticeably dynamic since they do not have the terraforming limits imposed on later regions. The first 16 regions, known as the San Francisco regions, were all named for real-life streets close to the original Linden offices.

 Jessie David, the creator and manager of the new infohub is almost as old as the prims that make up the building, having rezzed in April 2003, making her one of the first 10,000 residents.

 Da Boom infohub has a group for event announcements and gifts. I anticipate it will be a great starting point for any of our readers who want to discover more about the fascinating history of our world or any oldbies who fancy a little reminiscing.

SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Da%20Boom/63/3/21

 

Klaus

Editor's Note: Six years ago, DrFran Babcock did an article about Da Boom around the time of Second Life's tenth anniversary.

A New Intercontinental Route for Pod Riders

By Klaus Bereznyak

In an exciting announcement last week, Yavanna Llanfair announced to the Pod Rider's Group that a new pod route was being trialed between the Corfeld pod station on Corsica and the DeMorgan pod station on Gaeta V.

Yavanna said, "At the moment, the pod is running in the Route Maintenance livery, as this route is a long way from completion! It will remain on-demand only unless we can get LL to change parcel flags in the channel between continents."

Any extension to the network of yavascript pod tours, created and maintained by Yavanna, is great news for mainland explorers in Second Life. That this one rides across and between two continents is particular cause for celebration. The route passes through some fascinating areas with much to see and, of course, includes a tranquil boat ride through open waters.

The tour currently runs only in one direction, starting at Corfeld, and taking in part of the Circuit de Corse, Corsica's famous, island-wide racetrack.

Speed can be adjusted by pressing the [Page Up] or [Page Down] keys. My preference is to go at about 40% speed, which gives time for the scenery to rez and be enjoyed. At this pace the whole trip took about an hour and a half.

Shortly after departing Corfeld, the tour passes through Laika's Village and wild animals can be seen in enclosures on both sides of the road. A long slope then leads to a shopping complex in Brendon, where the skyline is dominated by an enormous GRAM robot.

On the bridge at Fisher's Rest, the pod turns into a boat and this was the only point on the route where a little jump was experienced, presumably to get round a local obstacle. Apart from that there was really no sense that the tour was in beta.

With environment set to local default, however, throughout the route it was obvious that the introduction of EEP (the Environmental Enhancement Project, which gives region and parcel owners more control over windlight settings) has given rise to inconsistencies in the time of day from sim to sim, and this messes with the natural immersiveness of mainland travel.

The next leg of the journey is a lovely ride out into the bay and between the headlands at Jemmica. There are views of the seaboard communities that are rarely glimpsed except by sailors.

The lighthouse at Debelox is virtually the last glimpse of Corsican mainland before open waters are reached.

The western coast of Gaeta V comes into sight after a short crossing, but the pod skirts north and follows it for a bit, eventually coming in to a narrow channel at Zeord. This is actually an open water canal segment of Route 7, served by various docks maintained by LDPW. Waterside residences crowd the shores of the channel up to Sunspiral Rez Zone, where the pod turns into a road vehicle again and continues on Route 7.

There's not a lot of abandoned land on this side of Gaeta, but plenty of evidence of ongoing development in the characteristically chaotic style of Second Life Mainland.

Traffic cones narrowing the road around Putnam suggest that LDPW is also active in the area  as well as signaling the approach of the end of the tour in DeMorgan.

On alighting at the Yavascript Pod Station in Demorgan you are right alongside an intriguing, brand new citadel that announces itself as the New Home of the leSabre Press Blogs. Built on land acquired on the 15th of February this year, this looks like an extensive work in progress worth exploring.

This pod route will be a marvellous addition to the variety of scripted vehicle experiences in Second Life and will hopefully open up some unsung corners of the mainland to more exploration and development. Many thanks to Yavanna!

Corfeld Pod Station: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Corfeld/248/62/71

For more on the Yava Script Pods: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Yava_Script_Pods

Klaus Bereznyak

Wheedle Gallery in Coniston to Close

by Klaus Bereznyak

Wheedle is the upstanding example of a second-life gentleman, a creative avatar who has contributed much to our world, not least as the creator of excellent freebies such as the Zorgone avatars and vehicles and as well as unique and affordable artwork for our walls. In a press release on the 14th August, Wheedle announced that his tiny gallery overlooking the harbor at Coniston was to close, and that he was also moving out of the adjoining cottage.

With characteristic wry humor, Wheedle explained there were two reasons for his decision. First of all, his ongoing campaign for Second Life Governor has been taking up more and more of his time. Wheedle explained, "It is surprising how demanding the campaign trail can be." Secondly, he cited the commute to and from his main art gallery in Calleta, which was just getting impossible with all the lag.

He also reassured us that the rumor that he had been abducted by aliens is totally false and was possibly spread by someone in Governor Linden’s employ.

The Wheedle Gallery has been part of the Greater Coniston and Keswick community for years, offering a regularly updated selection of his artwork. He will be missed. Thankfully Wheedle will continue to maintain his much larger gallery at the beating heart of mainland transportation on Calleta in Heterocera. He is also a staunch contributor and supporter of the eclectic art space at Wanderlust and Bench Art Park.

Wearing many hats, but most often the clockwork one, Wheedle has been active in Second Life since 2013. This latest development by no means implies that he is getting ready to check out of SL. On the contrary, he disclosed, "There is so much depth to SL. I doubt I shall experience, let alone master everything it has to offer.  Although I have come so far from my newbie days of trying to dress myself, I find there is so much more to learn. I find it funny when people here claim they are bored"

The Wheedle Gallery in Coniston will be abandoned sometime in late September. All are invited to visit before that time. He expressed his appreciation to his wonderful landlord Rey and stated that it was a delight living and doing business in the area.

We wish him all the best with his future endeavors and look forward to seeing what he does next.

Main Wheedle Gallery in Calleta: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Calleta/106/121/30

Wheedle Gallery, Coniston: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Coniston/251/167/24

Wanderlust and Bench Art Park: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Quentin/20/101/43

Klaus Bereznyak

The Formosa

An Iconic Hollywood Venue Recreated in Second Life

By Klaus Bereznyak

The Formosa in second life is an authentic virtual recreation of the iconic restaurant and bar situated in West Hollywood, California. It's real-life counterpart has a long history of being popular with stars, who have been hanging out there since it was built in the 1920s, and it even appears in a few movies.


It is the latest labor of love by Gardenia Malheur, who has already brought some of her favorite movie sets to life here with characteristic affection and an eye for detail. She co-built a replica of the infamous Sheats-Goldstein house by architect John Lautner (which appeared in "The Big Lebowski"). She has even recreated the whole set of the 1964 movie "The Night Of The Iguana", directed by John Huston, including the hotel, as is it still found (in ruins) on Mexico's west coast, plus the beach bar, and the amazing coastal landscape. Gardenia tells me that taking that whole installation down was the hardest thing she ever did in SL. Add to that the two mid-century modern builds inspired by Motorola ads of the late 50s and 60s that she sells on Marketplace, and you'll get the picture of someone who has mastered the art of imitating bygone life in a virtual setting.

Gardenia kindly took the time to tell me all about The Formosa in her own words. I asked her what inspired her to build a virtual replica of the venue:

"I'm a huge classic movie fan and I found out about The Formosa on my first viewing of the movie L.A. Confidential. That scene where Jack Vincennes and Ed Exley barge in on Lana Turner's tete-a-tete with Johnny Stampanato made a great impression on me. We can see the interior decor of the bar as it was in the late 1940s, with its black and lacquered red oriental influence. And that bar!! I loved the low ceilings, low light, rows of bottles, green cylindric lamps... And the rows of pictures of movie stars! It was so incredibly evocative of Old Hollywood, and it spoke - no, it SANG - to my movie buff heart. I started wondering if I could recreate it using the building tools in Second Life. I wanted it to be as realistic as possible, because I wanted to feel what it would be to walk around, sit in a booth and sip a drink at the Formosa, in the 1940s and 1950s."

She quickly discovered that, for all its notoriety, there were only a few resources available when it came to really getting the detail she needed to make an authentic recreation. Relying on photographs of the place and its surroundings and using stills from a handful of YouTube clips, she felt out the space and put all the pieces together.

"I wanted to recreate not only the inside of the Formosa, and the build, but also the street corner, the way we see it in L.A. Confidential from Exley's car parked in front of the Formosa, on the other side of the street. I also wanted to add the old Universal Studios, where the stars would cross the street for their lunch break at the Cafe, or end the day and evening after a long day of shooting."

I have walked through the build several times and always been amazed how convincing it is. It's a perfect piece of time-travel tourism, and I wondered where Gardenia might have had to use some artistic licence. There were parts for which she had no visual documents:

"I had to create something that would be an acceptable extension of the Bar and Railcar areas. I decided it would have a seedy, eclectic look, mixing different decades. For the garden, I decided to indulge in my love for exotica and tiki and go swanky-loungey with a few nods to the Asian theme of the original spaces. I mean this is Hollywood: no need for too much realism!"

Round every corner, there's something a little surprising or delightful. I loved the moody yellow lighting of the booths and the green glow around the bar. I asked Gardenia to tell me about the most surprising thing she discovered while creating the venue:

"Actually, there are two. The first one would be the little 'shrines' on the outside wall facing the bar. The owners were obviously Elvis fans as there was a collection of memorabilia on a kind of bookshelf over one of the booths: tickets to Elvis shows, statues of the King, ephemera, photos. It was cute and uncanny, and  gave the place a whimsical touch - totally complementary to the movie stars' photo strips. The second one is the railway car part of the establishment, which is a recycled Red Car from the old Pacific Electric transit system and was in fact the original Formosa Cafe! That's where it all started in 1925 when prize-fighter Jimmy Bernstein opened the place. The other parts were added through time."

The Formosa is not just a sterile facsimile, it's a living venue in Second Life, intended to be used. Quite apart from the joy of finishing the build, Gardenia tells me that her best moments so far have been "the opening, in the presence of my closest friends! And, vanitywise, reading about it with Pearl Grey's lovely piece on her blog 'Million Happy Endings'," which was also highlighted by 'Kultivate Magazine'.

There have already been a few themed parties at the venue, and there are more to come:

"It's a bit on hiatus for the summer weeks, but I want to show movies and have more pool parties and a few romantic soirees in the months to come. It's hard hosting and DJ'ing and I hope I can find at least another DJ to help rock the place. I'm working on a realistic schedule for future events."

"For vintage movies lovers, it's a curiosity, especially if you've seen and loved L.A. Confidential. Everybody's welcome to visit; it's a sweet vintagey place to sit, chat and cut a rug... because after all, I have some of the best dances in all SL - if I may say so myself (coughs)."

Links
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Scheveningen/229/202/3703
Million Happy Endings: https://millionhappyendings.wordpress.com/2018/02/08/the-formosa-cafe/

Klaus Bereznyak

The Moon Stew Cafe

New Roadside Cafe is Inspired by a Jazz Musician and a Recipe

By Klaus Bereznyak

Since January 2016, Cafe Klaus has been welcoming casual passers-by and regulars to a magical little corner of the Mainland Continent of Heterocera. The location had instant appeal and seemed the perfect place to build a roadside cafe, alongside Route 1 and well served by regularly passing Yavascript Pods. Many of the surrounding parcels are tastefully maintained by Prokofy Neva of Ravenglass Rentals and have ensured that there's been a sense of life and habitation at a time when much of the mainland has been abandoned.

As it was, it proved a great place to entertain guests and enjoy a regular Cocktail hour as the shadows lengthened and the Linden sun set over Patagonia. When it came to decor, I indulged a love for jazz and old-world aesthetics with a touch of colonial Africa. However, on the June full moon, 2018, the cafe underwent a radical re-build. It felt like the right moment to dive deeper and bring an earthier, more rootsy feel to the place. The tipping point leading to the transformation was the discovery of a stew recipe by the brilliant and eccentric jazz pianist, philosopher and bandleader who went by the name of "Sun Ra".

Through the 1960s, Sun Ra and his Arkestra lived in a commune in New York. Surrounded by deprivation and a heavy drug culture, the Arkestra became an informal rehab of sorts, presided over by Sun Ra, who was creating experimental music that seemed to emanate from other-worldy sources. He explained that he had been told during a visionary experience while at college that should give up his studies and focus on speaking to the world through music. When times were hard, Sun Ra would take over responsibility for cooking meals for the band, and this was when he dished up his "Moon Stew".

Many things came together at once to make Moon Stew Cafe a going concern, and we are now open for business. Avatars who swing by the cafe can pick up a free Moon Stew Bowl and a copy of the recipe from the bar. They can enjoy the sights and sounds of the Arkestra on a screen above the rice cooker, relax and drink cocktails, and it's still a great place to enjoy the sunset.

The inspiration for this place has been drawn from many corners of Second Life, including rugs and furniture from the Worlds Collide shop (also on Heterocera), and various pieces of artwork by SLartists. The aim has been to create an eclectic theme that I hope is in the spirit of Sun Ra's endeavours. It celebrates life, roots (cultural, spiritual and edible), wholesome food, creativity and self expression in the face of adversity. Aruba DeCuir's "African Moon 2" dominates one wall of the storeroom-lounge. Visitors can also enjoy vegetable art by Tea Gupte on the walls, and there is more to come. Like its predecessor, the cafe will continue to promote artistic creativity on the grid. Information about current exhibits can be found in the smaller room of the cafe.

By pure serendipity, local parcels came up for sale at the same time as the re-build, so the whole region of Patagonia has been augmented in the past month. There is currently a farm over the road (supplying some of the essential stew ingredients) and plenty to explore in the locality.

SLURL:
Moon Stew Cafe: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Patagonia/118/153

Klaus Bereznyak

The Museum of Wizardry at Coniston

By Klaus Bereznyak

The sims comprising the Greater Coniston and Keswick area occupy a portion of the north west corner of the mainland continent of Sansara. It was originally designated as the area where the Lindens themselves would have homes. It lives on as a residential area modeled somewhat on its northern English namesakes. The locality has a number of scenic features, shops and venues run by residents, including the recently re-opened Museum of Wizardry in Blackstone Castle. I caught up with Salient Wizard, the curator of the museum to find out about the museum and his plans for the future.

He tells me: "The Museum of Wizardry is a small example of the many artifacts, images and displays related to the study of secular magick, presented in an educational format for the common person."

It's obvious looking round the museum that the owner is serious and keen to present information clearly without a whole lot of "hocus pocus", but there is a sense of fun here, too. Coffee and punch is available in the entrance lobby and a poster on the wall reminds us that "The only real things in Second Life are our feelings so please take care of each other."

I ask him what he hope visitors will take away with them from their visit. He explained, "I hope they'll understand what these curiosities are without offending their own faith or sensibilities and enjoy their time. It's a world often fantasized about, and twisted by Hollywood. Real Magick isn't shooting Fireballs from a wand, but the slow deliberate improvement of Self and our World, much like Psychotherapy, from which much is based on Old World Magick as Carl Jung (Father of Psychotherapy) discovered. Wizardry is a profession of old, wise men and women who love and use wisdom to guide themselves and their fellow neighbors. Nothing dark or sinister about it at all and definitely not 'satanic'!"

Salient's human spent three happy years in real-life England, during which he visited a "Museum of Witchcraft" that gave him some ideas for his own virtual museum in Second Life. He explains to me: "the English are very proud of their Celtic, druidic and pagan past, and are more tolerant of magick than Americans. Many of the greatest Occult members of the last 100 years were from England: Israel Regardie, Aleister Crowley, Gerald Gardner, Dion Fortune, and even Isaac Newton centuries ago!" Some of these figures from magickal history can be seen on the wall by the staircase in the museum.

In the first room you come to, there are display cases with information and artifacts on the history and practice of Wizardry and Magick, including the Tarot and a variety of different types of "wands" that are used today. There's also some comfy seating and a roaring fire, where weekly "fireside chats" are held at 8pm SLT on Fridays. These are informal opportunities to meet Salient Wizard and discuss wizardry.

In the courtyard of the museum is a special exhibit that will be changed each month. The current display on "Magickal Germany" is due to be changed around January the 15th to one on "Geomancy", which is a form of divination used by medieval peasants and wizards. Apparently it involves poking holes in the dirt to divine answers and has a lot of ties to astrology. It should be fascinating.

Going through doors and climbing stairs reveals more rooms full of artifacts and a wonderful view of the area from the roof.

There are plenty of opportunities to find out more about Magick and Wizardry in Second Life and beyond, for those who may feel inspired to explore further. He acknowledges that there are plenty of books available on the subject and it can be really overwhelming. "A systematic Course of Instruction is the slow and steady way to become comfortable and acquire the skills to work effective magick. Personally I recommend Greyschool.com or Witchschool.com. From there, one can join local groups, often found on Witchvox.com. If you are new or old to Wizardry, the Greyschool also has an open campus of events at their SL campus here . They also do SL classes based on their website curriculum for students of the school."

Salient Wizard himself teaches classes inworld with help from an owl on his shoulder, called "Horton". "He was a great tool for the kids I taught at Greyschool, His name is Horton, he sees Hoos." The wizard chuckles at his reference to Dr. Suess.

I'm not sure what one should expect on meeting a wizard. This one seems playful, yet passionate about communicating and sharing his knowledge.

"The beauty of Magick is that there is no 'correct' path, it's your personal path." He tells me, quoting Cicero to drive home the point, "Omnia Vivunt, Inter Se Conexa! (Everything is alive and everything is interconnected)."

The Museum of Wizardry: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Coniston/238/85/39

Klaus Bereznyak

New Pod Station at Sedge

By Klaus Bereznyak

Last week, a new pod station was activated on the Northwest side of the mainland continent of Heterocera. These tour vehicles are found on all the mainland continents and are one of their most exciting features. Pod vehicles ply the roads, railways and waterways, chatting local information and pointing out landmarks to their riders and they are a great way to explore the grid. They can be rezzed at specific stations or an avatar can just hop into one as it passes.

Yavanna Llanfair works tirelessly maintaining the pod routes and adding new tours, and this is just the latest update to the system. Yavanna says, "I believe that mainland should be enjoyed and appreciated. Yet there is so little on mainland as a whole which attracts people, simply because they don't know about it. Most people don't travel around and look to see what is there; they go from
landmark to landmark in their inventory, without taking the time to look around them. Yet mainland has so much going for it; beautiful areas, historic locations, educational establishments, rail and sea
transport, which most people probably don't know exist. Mainland should be alive, it should be a community. We should all care about it, and then maybe we would take more pride in it and in our
buildings."

The new station at Sedge provides a halt and a rezzing place for pods H3, H6 and H7, which all pass through this region on Route 2. An announcement to the podrider's group also suggested the possibility that H4 may divert this way in the future, too. Pod stations are established on parcels willingly shared by other pod enthusiasts and this one exists thanks to Taraa Destiny, who recently acquired the land. Sedge is a lively corner of Heterocera, with much to see locally. The station lies below the Sedge Graveyard.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sedge/216/216

Klaus Bereznyak