Shockwave's Alien Egg Hunt Maze

By Grease Coakes

 

When people think of Easter a lot of people think of the Easter bunny and chocolate. For religious and spiritual people the death and rebirth of Jesus comes to mind. What Shockwave Yareach of the sunweavers had in mind was one of his fun mazes. Instead of you eating colored eggs from those egg coloring sets you played with as a kid, Shockwave thought what if the eggs ate you?

 Shock to celebrate the Easter season instead of making Easter bunnies created an excellent maze based off the "Alien" movies with Sigourney Weaver. When you warp to the LM that Shock gave out in the Sunweavers notice, you see a massive building shaped like a long rectangle. Click on the nearby square to get your HUD. There’s an egg outside the maze to shoot at to make sure your gun works. 

 

Picking a gun at random, I found a plushie gun I bought year ago and forgot about. I told Shockwave this and here’s what he had to say: "Kill them with cuteness!"

 

Apparently it works with the HUD on I get a message saying you have slain this egg it cannot harm you as I hit the dangerous egg with a plushie. When you open the door I hear the star trek sound from whenever the holodeck doors open. The inside of the maze looks realistic as if you’re in a science fiction movie or reading a book.

 

Don’t be fooled however. Even with my deadly plushie gun in hand this maze is no mere walk in the park. Like the NES game contra one hit you’re dead the same is true for Shock’s maze. I’m walking around the maze lalala ... AHHHHHHHH FACEHUGGER!!! And your avatar goes back to the start of the maze with a facehugger on your screen losing your score. Shockwave himself said his wife was getting on him in real life for yelling in terror as his wolf avatar got killed in the maze.

 

The maze is cheat proof too if you try to walk in without the HUD the door won’t open. So walking around the maze with no HUD to not experience death is a no-no. I said then the maze wouldn’t be a challenge.

 

Shock said it’s fun to build in Second Life as to build a real life maze would be way too expensive. I commented that it’s very easy to buy a furry avatar for 800-900 Linden. In real life you would have to build one yourself or pay someone a large sum of real money to build a fursuit to walk around as a furry in real life.

 

Shock may not have a Hollywood budget in real life to make the next Aliens movie, but he certainly did a great job making a great maze to entertain the Sunweavers or anyone else who likes shooting things. Next time you eat or paint eggs this Easter season be careful that it doesn’t explode and hug your face like when I visited Shock’s fatal Alien maze.

 

Shocky's Lair, Sunweaver Space (191, 135, 61)

 

Grease Coakes

Tribute City

By Gemma Cleanslate

 

 

I have been fishing at the Tribute City sim for a while. At first we fished from the steps of the canal. But now there are three new and interesting venues, a wooded area with ponds, a moon venue,  and a seaside beach. There are also weekly contests where you can just hang out and fish and hope to have the highest points for a prize. The venues are hosted by Johannes 1977, known as John, and he does two fishing contests daily, morning and night.  

 

I looked around the sim and thought this looks like an interesting place to visit so took some tours around the entertainment and shopping district to see what was there. It was part of the Flying Tigers sims which closed in 2012. Club Capital management, owned by Jessii2009 warhol, (jessii) and Guarocuya Giano, now has  a very pretty sim reminiscent of Venice with lovely canals and walkways. You can hop on a gondola that will take you through the canals, by lovely shops and buildings as the gondelier sings to you, or you can rezz a segway and go around the streets and walkways. 

 

 There is a lovely church building that is great for newbies. Not only is there a good collection of freebies necessary to start SL properly, but also tutorials to help orient the new arrivals.   Right now there is a Green celebration going on through out the region through March.

 

There are four clubs for partying : Club Capital, Amelias' Pilot Lounge, Club Nation, and xTreme CT Rock Club. The sim is always busy with visitors and partiers. I attended two parties that were packed and rocking!  There are contests and special activities for the month of March in honor of St Patrick’s day. You will see pots of gold at the end of the rainbows  arching over the main canal.  The green shamrock decorated kiosks along the canal offer clothing from several of the shops and other goodies for sale. I found a gazebo that offered a free shamrock hat for St Pat’s day and also a glass to green beer to wear with it for the 17th. There is a Green Festival Raffle  for 1000L . Look for it in a windowed building near the church facing  the kiosks and the canal or in the clubs. 

 

I asked Jessii about the sim and she told me “My goal when setting up the sim was to have a nice and friendly place for all residents. I also wanted shopping and clubs where people could enjoy, dance, listen to good music and be away from drama. We do have a newbie area on sim, that has freebies and SL help information. The Torch SL Guide, a blog and inworld help center for newbies, is also located on sim, for newbies who need help and resources.” 

 

The owners maintain a  wonderful website for Tribute City that will keep you up on all the activities  http://www.club-capital.info/  If you like the sim you can rent there also. Have fun exploring! 

 

Gemma Cleanslate

Bible Study at the "House of Prayer" Church

by Grease Coakes

 

Bixyl mentioned that he wanted an article about a church in Second Life, so I thought I’d check one out. Using a random search I found “God’s House of Prayer Church,” which showed a high level of traffic, about 10k. When I warped into the sim, I was inside what seemed like a real-life church that may be in your neighborhood. I looked around and saw a schedule which showed that when I warped to the sim a Bible study was about to start in 5 minutes! 

 

 Walking inside the church I felt positive energy as I followed a lady up into a large room with artwork you might see in a church. I found a seat as I was surprised that it wasn’t 4 or 5 avatars came in attendance but about 20 or so not including the Bible reader Jehoshabeath.  Before the Bible study started Chanasitsayo sang a song with a live acoustic guitar over voice chat. She sang the song “My Life Is in You Lord.” He stopped reading and asked the group do they as individuals feel they are more or less Christian then others? Agape Scorpio said that it depends on family and your upbringing whether you are in a Christian family or not. She certainly makes a strong point as family does help make you a good person along with being a good Christian.

 

Moka, another lady at the Bible study expressed, that she felt as if she wasn’t always perfect at being a Christian. It sounded to me as she was talking over voice chat that she was being hard on herself. I told her to take your time and, “So Moka you should learn about Jesus at your own pace ^.^ .” Moka also said that she wasn’t good with hard things as challenges that God presents to her “Not good with hard things  :s” I answered back to her,“Moka the hard things will still be hard but you will still be able to accomplish them”.

 

The Bible study leader asked a second question about why does Paul say to see God with your heart and not with your eyes? Lots of people answered in various ways. I answered, “God is pure love you can't see love with your eyes or your brain." Another question was how large is God? I answered that he is infinite while Moka said infinite at the same time I answered. I chuckled at that.

 

A lot of the Bible study was discussion based and it was neat to hear what everyone said. I commented that Moka was hard on herself for not knowing so much about God. But also she was participating a lot which made me think that she knew a lot more about God then she may admit or realize. A question that was asked was “Why is praise important?” I answered that God wants to receive love just like we do.

 

The Bible reader Jehoshabeath said he has no kidneys and that will continue to keep serving God until he is called home. Moka’s voice comment about she thanked Jesus of how she is alive and well every morning. That made me think that not everyone in life has the ability to walk that most people take for granted. Not everyone has the ability to walk and that’s something to keep in mind as I worked for MDA aka Jerry’s Kids as a telemarketer in real life.

 

Chana offered an ending prayer and sang a song called “Even If” by Kutless to end the Bible study. As Jehoshabeath quietly said that the bible study was meant to be short but ran over time anyway.

 

God is praised in many ways in Second Life and real-life. I can’t speak for whoever reads this article whatever way towards God is best for you. My experience at “God’s House of Prayer” church was certainly a positive experience. If you are feeling down and out this church seems like a good place to express yourself to God. There seemed to be lots of people there to share their experiences with God. When I wrote this article their Bible study was on 6pm SL time on Tuesday. That seemed like the right time to stop by.

 

When I mentioned I was writing for the SL Newser, Agape Scorpio was thrilled! She also said that tonight’s Bible study happened to have a lot more people than usual. I’ll be glad to share this bible study and the group’s love for Jesus in this article as I had fun.

 

House of Prayer (72, 113, 38)

 

Grease Coakes

Reflection Island

By Grey Lupindo

Reflection Island is a beautiful place where residents can live or visit.  Reflection Island (206, 14, 22).   The island is lush, with lots of trees and waterfalls.   Exotic sounding birds sing and call to one another and add to the tropical atmosphere.  While my home on Syzygy was being transitioned, I rented a tree house apartment there from Spirit Rock Rentals.  The island is a mix of fantasy and nature. There are dragon tours, lakes, lots of meditation places, volcanos, and more.
 

        I especially enjoyed the dragon ride, found at Reflection Island, Reflection Island (95, 147, 24).  This is an excellent way to get a first look at the island.  As his wings swoop up and down, he flew me on a tour.  Don’t be alarmed by the fire and growls.    

     Reflection Island is owned and managed by longtime residents, Ka Brevity and her partner, Seth Haalan.  Ka has been a resident since 11/10/2006, and Seth since 2/23/2009.  Their group is One World, Many Paths.  Their notecard states, “There is something deeper behind all the magical and metaphysical teachings in spiritual traditions and philosophies. Our vision is that by bringing people of diverse but sympathetic views together, these deeper truths can emerge and become more clearly evident to all involved.“   

        Chakra spheres and meditation sites are located throughout the island-- in water, underwater, beside fire pits, in a volcano, and many others.   One meditation tower, located at Reflection Island (225,119,28), offers an ocean view.  Jump off the tower, and you’ll splash into a refreshing pool.  Climb through a little door at the edge, and you’ll be transported to a maze-like structure in the sky. I explored this build and found a beautiful book on alchemy and a life-size chess set.    

     On the island, near the dragon tour, there is a library to explore and get items at, some of them free.  Many other places can be explored, too.   For example, The Nest, a treetop platform, is located at Reflection Island (190,70,148).   A beautiful underwater park is located at Reflection Island, Reflection Island (206, 220, 8).   Sea turtles and sea horses, lovely coral, schools of fish swim by.     There's a bathing pool with lavender water for residents, too.  Mermaids will love this place. 

        For SL residents who are interested in exploring  spiritual and philosophical ideas, Seth holds discussion groups and maintains a library of writings on his webpage, www.dragonintuitive.com.   I attended one of the lectures, which are held in the Hall of Creativity, located at Reflection Island (128,123, 2036).  Six or seven of us participated in the lecture that Seth led on the topic of “Fun”.   I had to leave before the discussion was concluded, but everyone seemed to be enjoying the exchange of ideas.         

Grey Lupindo

Life Cycle of an Island

By Grey Lupindo

 In August, 2010, my community of Syzygy decided to expand.   We had been a large community surrounded by water, and the expansion gave us more islands and even more water.   Many of us liked to fly and to sail, and the expansion would allow us to do both in style.  

 An island named Corvus was created, and I was fortunate to be able to build my fantasy home there.   It was an exciting day when the frozen land emerged from the sea.   For about two weeks, I watched the island go through an ice age, a volcanic era, and finally a cool down phase.    While this was happening on Corvus, other islands were being built and land expanded on the original Syzygy.   New people moved into our community, too.   We had great parties, and many of us created temporary exhibits to showcase our art and interests.   It was a heady time.

For over two years I lived in my dream wilderness home, the Aspen Loft cabin from Stonewood Homes.  I filled the land with wild animals from many creators in SL, too.   It was exactly what I wish I could have in RL, which is the wonderful thing about SL.   Here I could walk among the wolves and not worry about becoming their dinner.

 Unfortunately, the last year brought health, financial, and time challenges to many of the residents of Syzygy.   In January the community was faced with the prospects of closing down totally unless some adjustments were made.   One of the residents, Celtic Infinity, took up the challenge of trying to keep as many of us together on Syzygy as she could.   With the help and assistance of Samantha Glume, our long-time CEO, Celtic raced against the clock to protect and save our island community.   

 For a while it didn’t look like anything could be done.  I spent many hours last month looking for a different place to live.  At first I thought I would take a long cruise to get over the loss.   But I soon realized I couldn’t afford to do that.   So I began looking at other communities, and I was amazed at the diversity on SL.   There really is something here for everyone, although for a long time I wasn’t sure there would be anything for me.  

I enjoy Steampunk, and there are a couple of great communities in SL for that.   But my wolves weren’t going to be happy there.    Too much clanging of metal and hissing of steam vents.   I looked at renting a boat dock and living by the water.  But the industrial ones were too scary, and the resort ones were too hot.  

I began looking at apartments in beautiful foreign cities, but they didn’t seem like home.   I looked at apartments in cities more like home, and realized that I just don’t like cities.   No matter what country they are in. 

It was a sad Sunday morning when I logged into SL and found that Corvus had totally disappeared.   I knew it was coming, and I had packed up all my things a few days before.   But it was still a sad and empty without my island.   I missed the birds singing and peacefulness that I felt when I walked through the woods and listened to the waterfall.   Most of all, I missed my friends. 

So I was very happy when Celtic told me that she and Samantha had a plan to keep at least some of Syzygy alive.   They are working on the details now.   I’m not sure how much or who will remain there.   But as of today it appears that I will be able to move back to the original Syzygy.  My neighbors will be my very good friends-- Grjandomore Greene, whom we call Gri, and Muse Nishi.  Gri and I were neighbors on Corvus, and he is a great person to share land with.   He never once complained about my wolves howling or disturbing him.   Muse Nishi was the first person I became friends with in SL, many years ago.   She’s very creative and fun, and I’m glad she will be a neighbor.

The island of Corvus was a wonderful place while it lasted.   I will always have happy memories of it.   Until my new place on Syzygy is finalized, I have rented a temporary apartment in a place that seems to be much more suited to me—a tree house in a forest.  I’ll let you know how the wolves adjust to live among the branches.

 Grey Lupindo

Laura Liberty’s Valentine Town

By DrFran Babcock

You may, or may not remember my story about the wonderful Christmas Town that I wrote for this esteemed publication. (http://slnewserplaces.blogspot.com/2012/12/christmas-town.html ). Well, it seems that Laura Liberty, a builder I have admired for many years, does a build for most of the holidays, with themed building activities, and shops. I figured it would be worth it to see what she had in place for Valentine’s Day. I was not disappointed. Valentine Town (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Elizabeth Town/151/170/36/ ) is a joy for all whether or not you have a loved one.

The Build

Laura Liberty is the creator of Valentine Town. Of course, the color palette is what you would expect, reds, pinks, purples and baby blues. What was uncanny to me is how well Laura works with her prims and her colors. I was sure that the cartoony houses that surround the perimeter of the sim were made of mesh, but I was told that was not the case, as I found out. I had the great fortune to run into Laura Liberty when I dropped in to do my story. I gushed like the fan I am over her work, and asked her what program she used to do her meshes. Here is the exchange:

DrFran Babcock: what do you use for your 3d software? Your stuff is always so coordinated and well done?
Laura Liberty: I use Photoshop Elements, and thank you.
DrFran Babcock: But the 3D??

Laura Liberty: 3d textures?
DrFran Babcock: no the building It's not all regular prims, is it? It has to be mesh.
Laura Liberty: the buildings are just prims and some other bits are sculpts. I think I have one or two small mesh things.
DrFran Babcock: you are even more amazing then.

You simply must come to Valentine Town to see this build, and tell me if you thought it was mostly regular prims. The secret, I suppose is in the carefully thought out color scheme which cannot help but lift your spirits and feed your eyes.

The Activities

There is a lot to do at Valentine Town once one is through wandering around and admiring the look of the place. In the center of the village square stands a huge gumball machine spitting out giant colored spheres. There are two ways to dive in here. You can sit on any of the dark maroon gumballs and “mosh pit” your way around, or touch the sign and get a bunch of free, floaty gumballs. On my last visit, an international assortment of residents was rolling an laughing all around.

You can also leave your mark on Valentine Town by taking a photo of yourself there, and sending it, full-permissions, to Laura Liberty. She will put it up on the Snapshot Board located near the giant gumball machine. In addition, you can get a free face emoter HUD, so you can be smiling in all your pictures.

There are two fountains in the central square, and both of them have great animations for hanging out and chatting, or taking pictures to give to Laura. I spent some time dangling my feet in the water while I tried to speak Italian with a handsome guy.

Shopping

Valentine’s Day is a day that is often about gifts and flowers, and jewelry and lingerie, and…love. There is no shortage of all of this at Valentine Town. Absolutely anything that you can think of that relates to Valentine’s Day is on sale here: Animated furniture with models to try, full perm textures and sculpt texture maps of valentine-related shapes, flowers, landscaping, decorations, clothes, lingerie, sweets, balloons and cards. Everything you’d expect, but with a special twist. My favorite store was the LOL Anti-Valentine Gifts. There’s a certain someone who is going to get the blow-up doll with curlers that is in the shop.

Are you pining for someone, still in love with your ex, or do you have a secret crush? Well. Laura Liberty has a solution for you. No, she won’t get that person for you, but you can send them an anonymous gift. All you have to do is buy something on the sim (just about everything has transfer rights), put it into a folder along with a notecard with the recipients name and the date you want it delivered, and give it to Laura Liberty. Gee, I think I have about five of those to send out.

But, Wait, There’s More

When you love someone, sometimes you hold on to a little suspense to keep the tension going. Therefore, I will wait for another time to tell you about the little corner of the sim, hidden away and cloaked in yellow, purple and green. Can you figure what holiday uses those colors? Stay tuned for more about this astonishing builder, and the holiday sims she features.

DrFran Babcock

The Greyhaven and Pala Sims

 

By Gemma Cleanslate

 

These are two sims that I love to visit for many reasons: The owner works hard to keep both sims drama free at all times. They are the kind of sims where everyone feels welcome. Grey Nacht is the owner and protector of both sims and of them he says,  “Both sims have always been an expression of the fun that SL can be. We keep the lag at a minumum by not having any things that usually create lag on the sims. The fishing platforms, like Clockworks or the Spacestation are made of builds which are either bought, found or hunt prizes and not the usual fishing holes. Makes it fun, if a bit confusing for some folks. Not everyone takes the time to explore, but those who do usually find something interesting.” 

 

They have been around for a long time and I have been going there for about four years and cannot understand why it took so long for me to write about them. I go fishing there when I have time for the contests that occur almost every day. Grey has so many variations to the fishing contests that others do not have. He watches every catch and counts them and rewards those who reach certain catches with bait. He has built so many cute individual boats that are fun to ride and can be rezzed during the contests. There are many catchable customs available. His wife has made lovely jewelry that is boxed and catchable. After each contest Grey sets off spectacular fireworks that drop falling animals on your head if you are not careful. Makes for a great party. There is a secret room that is filled with free gadgets to be used at other fishing areas. 

 

There is a library of Arcadia Asylum, now known as Aley that is part of the several libraries set up across the grid to preserve all Arcadia’s creations which are free to anyone who wants them.  The waters are dotted with Arcadia’s underwater decor.There is a skypark where the old retired customs are still available for catching if you are a collector. As you look around the regions there are many areas to explore and  teleports to get you there.  At the Greyhaven entrance you can choose 10 places, including the secret room which is not really that secret. I visited the mill house where I had a wonderful view of Greyhaven. I clicked a cannon across the way and ended up inside so I shot myself out! I first landed in Pala, passing many interesting objects along the way. I visited the giant aquarium, one of the new additions to the region where wonderful creatures sway and swim in the water. There are fishing contests here sometimes too. 

From the entry point at Greyhaven you can walk across a drawbridge to reach Pala, Again you will have an array of destinations to explore. I love the space station (also a fishing place). There are various space vehicles on display. It is fun to explore the corridors along which there is a coffee room and to the right of that, a door that says freebies. Here you will find vendors containing wondrous items by Alety, all for the taking. I picked up a new pirate outfit while I was there. In the coffee break room I ran into three little chattering aliens I had first met at Burn 2 in October. You never know what you will find in space! 

 

Next I visited the firing range all outfitted for those who enjoy target shooting. Grey has free guns locked in a safe for those who need one and you get to choose your own game. Above the space ship sits the time vault encased in H G Wells book, “The Time Machine.” It is lovely and houses a Nemo Organ. The centerpiece is a  beautiful Time Vortex. My next TP landed me in The Clockworks. Here you will be surrounded by Aley’s (Arcadia Asylum) creations and machines, and a train running round it all. 

 

I will leave the rest of the TPs for you to try. But, be sure to take a walk around, or fly over and you will find many fantastic places to visit on the ground and in the air. No matter which sim you are in, you will find fishing everywhere. 

 

The entry is here : http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Greyhaven/148/222/27  

 

Gemma Cleanslate

The Winter Safety Game

By Grey Lupindo

 Your car is stuck in the snow, and your cell phone is dead.  Now what do you do?    You can find the answer and information on avoiding other winter hazards at the Winter Safety Game, located at Bailey (117,115,23).    This is an interactive game that educates you about the dangers of winter weather while you try to get to your grandma’s 75^th birthday party.

 The Winter Safety Game is a project created by the National eXtension Initiative, which is an Internet-based educational network that provides objective, science-based information through the internet.  The information comes from universities and partners nationwide.  Its web site is www.extension.org.

When you first arrive at the game, you find yourself standing next to a car stuck in the snow.   Eerie heartbeats and the desolate landscape set the tone of the game immediately.   But in order for you to actually play the game, you must find a green sewer pipe and descend into the information chamber.      

The brightly lit information center has large, clear signs that tell the object of the game and how to play.  There’s a section for new residents who might need more help, too.   Experienced residents can skip that part and go quickly to get a map and a HUD.    

The storyline is that it’s your grandma's 75th birthday, and you are the host/hostess.  You are planning to drive to the party, but a blizzard is in the forecast.  To further complicate things, you have to pick up your cousin, Bob, as well as Grandma.    You also have a roommate and a barn full of animals to tend before you can leave.   As you prepare for the storm, the HUD keeps track of your points.   If you collect enough points, you'll not only live, you'll get a reward.  

Many of the items are fun, like a lantern and a candy bar.  But others, like the Winter Safety Book, are filled with valuable information.   As you progress through the game, information signs and quiz questions allow you to gain points while checking on your winter safety knowledge.

A “To Do list” from your roommate is actually a valuable list of ways to prepare for severe weather.   One challenge is to thaw the frozen pipes.    If you’ve never had to do this in RL, you may be surprised at how it is done.        

There is a lot of valuable information about emergency kits, “go bags”, and a free Winter Survival app for your cell phone.    Some of the items are easy to find, but not all of them.    I collected a lot of “tokens”, which were helpful, but my HUD wasn’t registering any points.   I wasn’t sure if there was a flaw in the system or if I really wasn’t doing enough things correctly to earn points.      

After the house and barn chores are completed, you are ready to rez a car and head to grandma’s house.    But the notecard tells you to drive to the gas station and have the car winterized first, which I did.   However, Susie the mechanic said, “If you're planning to go very far in this storm, you probably should get some snow tires.”   I asked how much they cost, and I was told that was the wrong response.

 Another SL traveler, Tainith Resident, was following after me and pulled into the garage behind me.   There really was only room for one car at a time.  Tainith and I managed to get our cars stuck in the garage for a bit.   

 After I got out of the garage, I went to the General Store.   Tainith came in while I was still hunting for my supplies.   I was curious as to whether she was finding more items than me, but I didn’t want to ask.     

Finally I was on the road again, but not for long.   I had to stop at the ice fishing shanty to pick up a trout for Grandma.     It was shortly after this point that I made my first mistake.   I forgot to stop for cousin Bob.

There is a map that comes with the HUD, but I didn’t have room on my screen for the HUD, map, notecard, etc.   I decided I didn’t need the map.  Big mistake.    I missed the turn-off to Cousin Bob’s house and got stuck in the snow.     After a lot of backing up and going forward, I managed to turn the car around and went to retrieve Bob.   

It was a good thing I did, because I saved Cousin Bob’s life.  I won’t tell you how I did it because that might spoil that challenge.    Bob was grateful, I’m sure, but my HUD didn’t register any points earned.    By this time I was over half-way through the game, too.    I thought I should have gotten points for that, but I decided to continue on to Grandma’s house.

I went back up the mountain road---and got stuck again.     Tainith Resident also got stuck, but that was little consolation for me.   She got turned around first, and I never saw her again.   I finally got turned around and went down the mountain, but I couldn’t find the road I needed.   When I came back up the mountain, I got stuck in nearly same spot as before.   By this time it was late and I needed to leave SL.  

I learned a lot about winter hazards, and I ended up earning 30 tokens.    I plan to return to try again, but this time I’ll buy those snow tires and remember cousin Bob.

Grey Lupindo

New Rawhide Club

By Grease Coakes

 

By looking through notices (and I get a lot of them) I saw a notice for a Native American music event at 4pm SL time. This seemed neat to check out. Curious, I talked to my buddy 2 medicines on the Spirit Nations sim I go to hang out with Heart Speaker and others for his weekly gatherings. 2 medicines and I chatted for a little bit and wanted a hug from me in her child avatar. I eventually found out where Rawhide was by asking “Where’s this live music event?” in the Spirit Nation chat. I got a LM right away from the owner LittleStream through IM. I showed 2 medicines the LM and I warped over wanting to check it out.

 

I found a green field with a few shops in sight. There’s also a country bar close by as I was greeted by the owner LittleStream. I said hello and asked about the event I want to check out later. LittleStream says that she created her club a mere month ago with the owner Topper Redfield as a hangout for Native Americans. I certainly got the western feel as I explored around. By the other end of the sim I saw some teepees as well.

 

 Wanting to dress right for the event I looked around and saw some vendors. A lot of them sold clothes for women, but towards the end I found some men’s clothing befitting the western or cowboy motif that the club was all about. When I found something that looked cowboyish, a red cowboy jacket, I bought it for a mere 199L.  What was interesting that Littlestream thought I was a fox. This is true as I do have a fox animal totem; however I was walking around in a griffin avatar instead. When I explained what a griffin was she expressed that she was honored that I visit her club as a part eagle avatar. She then explained that her spirit animal was that of the eagle (like in her profile picture she pointed out) a powerful animal totem in Native American culture. Also she said it is against the law for anyone who is not a Native American to own bald eagle feathers.

 

When I asked LittleStream about her spiritual experience later on she explained that suddenly was able to write and understand Native American words. LittleStream said that she is not a Native American by birth; however she said that her eagle spirit led her to this path.  She started a jewelry business and had the urge to work with turquoise and Native American beads. Over time LittleStream said she saw visions of a plain or a special place where she met with a brave. As time went on, her visions were stronger as she saw her father as a medicine man and many tribes. She thought she had a brain tumor at first but later one she figured out that her present life and past lives were merged together. I said that must have been unsettling and she agreed with me. She recently joined Second life as a new avatar and met with someone named Eaglefeather who says they are connected in a way but won’t say how.

 

She created the rawhide club as a place for Native Americans to hang out at. She invited me to her club group and encouraged me to stop by at 4pm SL time. I went to a sandbox and grabbed the clothes I bought. I was impressed for 199L I had a nice looking cowboy outfit a cowboy shirt jeans and a belt. I logged off for a while for some time away from SL and came back on for the Native American dance. The music itself was very relaxing and put my mind at ease.

 

When I came back on, there was a slowly rotating circle of poseballs by the fire. The DJ Mountain String spoke in voice and said he only played Native American music. He also warned be careful not to watch the rotating dance too long or it might make you dizzy. I cheated by writing this article during the dance event so I wasn’t always looking at the  rain dancing avatars When you jumped on one of the poseballs your avatar slowly danced around the fire along with others who joined in like a rain dance. 20 minutes past 4pm SL the slow dance circle was filled.

 

It was a joy to listen to Mountain String’s music as he played a lot of ambient music with flutes and some rock songs. A lot of the songs talked about Native American beliefs and their way of life I heard words like warrior and sacred circle along with mother earth. Or songs about being a certain tribe like Cherokee and Lakota. A lot of the avatars dancing with me were dressed in high detail Native American clothes.

 

It was something fun to experience goofing off and telling stories when I could with Heartspeaker and others was one way to experience native American culture at the Spirit Nations sim. Being to a Native American dance was a whole new experience. LittleStream’s club also plays soft rock. Stop by the rawhide if you get the chance if you’re looking for a new club hang out at, or something new in general.

 

Grease Coakes

Nat's Jazz Club

By Gemma Cleanslate 

 I was enticed  to visit a region by a notice that invited me to view Bona’s “Fine Art in Visual Jazz.” I have seen some of his art at  Monroe Snook’s Studio 33 so was interested. When I arrived I found out that the whole region, Ephesus, was reopening including a primary focus,  “The New Nat’s Jazz Club” in a part of the sim is called Paradise Valley, a historical area of Detroit, Michigan. 

The builder of most of the sim is also the artist, Bonafidenutts ( Bonafide) Aries, known as Bona. The Gallery is across from the new club so I visited there first. The paintings are varied. There are bold, vivid colors in some that flow across the canvas.  In others  there are delicate depictions of musicians and instruments, and some portraits. Bona describes his work as a story that changes from the its inception as he works with various graphic editor tools to the ultimate presentation. You will enjoy working your way through the two floors of art. Outside there is one 3d piece you should not miss  ... a gospel choir I believe. 

Then, turn and gaze across at his new elegant Nat’s Jazz Club build. This is a main reason for the sim and its being. As you enter the Club you will pass more of Bona’s art.  I did get a chance to attend a party there when CECI Dover, a well loved SL singer was performing. Nat’s has a rich history that Linda Sautereau is recreating in Ephesus region. She says, “We've combined the old with the new.....more shops, a bowling alley and snack bar on the ground floor of the 50 Grand Lounge, a beautiful park next door to the NEW Nat's Jazz Club, with more surprises to come!” 

The whole sim is reminiscent of old Detroit and its musical heritage. Detroit has a history of music and musicians that is comparable to the other centers of jazz, like New Orleans, and R&B from Motown  and much more. I found a bike to rezz and took a ride over to the 50 Grand Lounge in the area called Motown Village. I saw the bowling alley and went up to see the Club on the floor above.This is a less formal gathering place for parties and hanging out, reminding one of the times when  the great musicians jammed after hours to the delight of the audience.  

Since the sim is so new I  passed many buildings still under construction. There will be shops to rent and I saw famous name buildings. One of my favorite hair creators is already there. There are also re-creations of houses from the past eras .  You are invited to join the group to keep up with all the events that are coming. I plan to revisit the region again when it is complete to see all the final work. Go visit!

Gemma Cleanslate

Roadside Attractions: The Frootcake Diner/The Diners of Second Life, Part 3

By DrFran Babcock

I have been wandering the grid looking for diners for a while now. It’s funny that I forgot one of the first places that truly entranced me in Second Life: The Frootcake Diner. This place was the first encounter I had with in world gaming, and I have to say that it was the first time I enjoyed playing a game in world. DrFran is not a gamer. I wore more boxes on my head as a newbie, than I have in my inventory now. If you haven’t been to The Frootcake Diner, you have to TP there now!

The first thing I loved about The Frootcake Diner was the design of the place. It is built in a Jetsons-style fashion of futuristic 50s, with lima bean shaped tables and booths spread about the place. The center of attention is the game table in the middle of the floor. According to Ripken Habsberg, the creator of the diner, Frootcake the game is based on Geschenkt by Thorsten Gimmler. The beauty of the this game is that like the Chinese game of Go, you can learn how to play in five minutes, but learn strategy for the rest of your playing days. Also, you can easily blame your loses on bad luck because luck figures highly in the game.

I will not detail the rules of the game, because if you go to The Frootcake Diner, you can watch a video that explains the game, or get a notecard with the details of the rules. The winner of the game is the one with Frootcakes that add up to the least amount of points. You can play the game straightforwardly, or you can be spiteful and extortionist. It’s up to you to decide.

Frootcake is also a social game. It cannot be played unless there are three or more participants. For those of you who are looking to get closer to friends, or maybe alienate them through spit and extortion, this can be a help. Once three folks are seated, you get a HUD that allows you to pass on or keep the frootcakes, valued in points from 3-35.

Let’s face it, with the holidays a dim memory it’s just a matter of time before you will be passing along your frootcakes. If you haven’t been to the diner in a while, or have never had the chance to pull a stool up to the Formica tables, why not give it a whirl?

The Frootcake Diner: Located at: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Malrif/109/93/32

The diner was built by Charter Member Eggy Lipman and Moon Adamant from Beta Technologies.

Watch the Frootcake video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn6M3O7mBiQ

Frootcake Website: http://playprocyon.com/sl/frootcake

Department of Corrections: I heard from two of the people about whom I wrote in last week’s diner story, and they sent me corrections to some of what I thought were facts:

Sharon Scofield from Sharon’s Diner IMed me after reading my article to say: “Let  me give you two things to correct, though, we've been here since 2008 rather than 2006, which still isn't shabby yay me, and the Gogomodo trivia is just automated practice trivia—the paying trivia is live and written by that day’s host.”

And, finally, I was contacted by Felizitas Barbosa, who told me that I had listed her as a co-owner incorrectly.

Ooops and sorry to both of you. DrFran wants always to give you the true news, the right news, and all the news.

DrFran Babcock

Reader Submitted: Tombstone, Roleplay in the Wild West

By Deesue Parx 

 

I step off the stage coach, let the dust clear from my eyes and stare down the dirt road. "So this is Tombstone" I think to myself. A man on horseback races by me, and from somewhere I hear a shout "Stop and drop the money now or I'm gonna shoot!" and soon afterwards I hear gun shots. A little too close for comfort. I run for the door of a nearby saloon, my heart racing. "Man down! We need a Doc on Allen Street!!"

 

What have I got myself into?

 

Yes, those were my first moments, but after spending just a few short hours in this 8 sim 24/7  roleplay life.. I realized it was that excitement and so much more. It is like stepping out of a time capsule direct into 1899.

 

The creators of this western wonderland have gone to extreme care to mimic and recreate as much of the buildings, landscape, dress and lifestyle of the time period as possible. Ladies in full length dresses, men in western wear, orphans running barefoot scurrying down the back streets.

 

It's easy to get a look around..  a short visit to the Greeting Center.. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Broken%20Rose/127/184/704 handed a long list of rules that in basic say "Hey! This is 1899.. roleplay is key.. and fun.. there are free clothes right there and as soon as the greeter meets with you and hands you the proper "travelers" tag you can feel yourself.. s..l..o..w.. down.

 

So many choices. What are you? An outlaw? Lawman? Doc? Maybe a Soiled Dove dancing on the bar top in Dutch Annie's? An Indian from the nearby Apache community? Or maybe just a newlywed couple looking for a quiet ranch to start your family.. all that and more is here waiting for you.

 

Dances most every day in Broken Rose, Benson, Bisbee, and Black Diamond, fight nights, live shows at the Birdcage Theater, and the courthouse is always hollerin' for jury members. The list is endless and only limited by your imagination.

 

I came for a visit and never left. It happens to a lot of folks here. I'm in the bunkhouse just past the Moving Picture Theater. Easy to find, just follow the train tracks outta town, past the town of Goldfield. If ya get to Pearce ya went too far.. I'll wave from my front porch as ya go by..

 

Oh, make sure ya leave town from the right end. The other leads to the Cavalries Fort, Apache land and Outlaw town. If ya go that way, be prepared to run for your life!

 

Pictures by  Mystic Glenwalker

 

Deesue Parx

Roadside Attractions: The Diners of Second Life, Part 2

By DrFran Babcock

Hello again, dear readers. I am glad you are back to take a trip with me to those symbols of the American way of life—the diner. The United States of America was the first country to become automobile-centered, so people on long trips would look for places along the road to stop and get cheap and plentiful eats. Here are a few more places you can try:

Sharon's Diner: According to owner, Sharon Scofield, her diner has been around since 2006. The special of the day, and every day is trivia. Folks come every weekday at 9:00 am SL, to participate in trivia games with money prizes. I stopped in one day and there was a spirited crowd, yelling out answers to the Gogomedia trivia challenges. The crowd was dancing outside the diner, and Sharon was happily interacting with the residents. This seems like a fine way to spend what would be lunch hour for me. Are you good at trivia? This might be a necessary stop for you. If you need food items there are free ones in the diner. If not, you can just come and listen to the Oldies on the music stream, dance, eat calorie-free food, and socialize.

Sharon’s Diner is located at: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Doldari/113/120/3001 and was built by Rocky Sassoon, an oldbie with a great reputation

The Bealiner Diner : The few times I have been to the Bealiner, it was vacant. I thought to pass on writing about it, until I did some reporter investigations. It seems that this little piece of Americana has some real history to it. The diner is located off the main road of the Montara sim, on the old original mainland continent of Sansara, very close to my favorite SL Bridge, that links Montara and Hooper. In order to get to the diner you have to climb up a very steep drive. What makes it a part of Second Life History is some of the people involved in its creation: Beabear Rebus (2004) and Fleabite Beach (2003 Charter Member!), who is famous to us historians for her role in the Second Life Tax Revolt of August and September 2003. (http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2003/09/tax_revolt_in_a.html )

The magenta and pink décor are pure Art Deco, and the owners really aim to please. According to the Beabear’s profile, the goal of the Bealiner is: To provide Rural SL's finest deep fried cuisine and the muddiest cuppa joe in town.

It seems that there used to be more activities at this venue. A notecard I was given speaks of “Beaball” and shooting hoops, but I walked around the whole place in vain searching for a playing court. The notecard speaks of a Bea’s Chines, which doesn’t seem to be in existence any more, but I am glad this diner remains. I think most beta members of Second Life were not aware of the history they were making, and did not take pains to preserve their early prims. The Bealiner seems to be one of landmarks of the early days. Here are the credits for the place, according to the notecard: LINE COOKS: Beabear Rebus, Lleah Lupis, Fleabite Beach. IRONCHEF COOKS/FRY COOKS: Jai Nomad, Zenny Rhodes, Bosozoku Kato.  STUNT SCRIPTER: Garth Fairlight.

 There are some freebie textures, but most of the items in the store are 1 Linden. I couldn’t resist scooping up a basket of deep-fried prims before I left.

The Bealiner Diner is located at: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Montara/163/74/47 , and was built by Beabear Rebus.

Psy City Diner: The meshy goodness of this diner is planted on a sim that is billed as the place where music comes alive. If you have never been to Psy City, you need to teleport there and take a stroll around this detailed urban build. The textures and attention to detail distracted me from writing about the diner. I just couldn’t stop walking and gawking. All that trekking made me hungry, so I headed over to The 69^th Street Diner, aka Psy City Diner. The diner is built in the old deco, red and chrome style, and sports textures that have that real-life worn quality poularized by Arcadia Asylum many years ago. Inside, there are dishes in the sink, and mud on the floor, but the curvy baked in design of the booths and counter are worth a teleport from anywhere.

Things to do: There is a jukebox which allows you to choose a genre of music to play, dance balls, and, er, um, even some balls that say "Love" above them. There are not many freebies. In fact, the only thing I found was a bottle of Coke from the dispenser, but I encourage you to come take a look at the sim.

The co-owner Felizitas Barbosa/Louise Françoise de Dampierre wanted me to let you know that the sim is celebrating its five-year anniversary in 2013. I expect there will be festivities, and I will let you know about them surely.

The Psy City Diner is located at: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Altha/137/65/38
And was built by Rica Broome, who no longer seems to be inworld.

Club Enchanted Diner: Similar to the 69^th Street Diner, The Club Enchanted Diner is part of a larger sim build. Across from the red and chrome structure is a huge ocean liner: The MS Enchanted. Unlike the other places, it is a doublewide that allows a lot of room for dancing. There is a large dance floor in the center of the structure, and lots of animations for couples and singles. There is even a set of line-dancing poses on the dance floor. Fun! This is clearly a venue for DJs, music and dancing, although it was empty when I visited. There are DJs and contests on Thursday and Friday nights, playing Oldies from the 50s to the 70s. A full menu behind the counter offers a large assortment of freebie food and drinks.

Directly in front of the diner you can hop on a horse-drawn carriage that will take you on a cruise through the sim, which, at this moment, is covered in snow and is exquisitely appointed. I didn’t go into the cruise ship, but will save that for the future.

The Club Enchanted Diner is located at: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Enchanted%20Seaport/125/141/24 and was built by the owner Arlene Bronet Claven.

So, that’s the roundup for this week. If you are looking for something to do, maybe a trip to a diner is just the thing. Folks often say there is nothing to do in Second Life, but a little searching and the world opens up. Sit down, have a cup of java, listen to some tunes, play trivia, and before you know it you will be smiling.

Next week I will cover a diner that’s been in the news a few times, but really deserves more attention.

DrFran Babcock

Winter Wonderlands in January

By Gemma Cleanslate

I took a quick tour around the sims I heard have ice skating since some of you asked for more rinks. Here are some of the ones I found and I will keep looking for more .

If you like to spend some time shopping while you are skating take a trip over to Christmas sim. Two nice skating rinks surrounded by numerous cute decorations you might like, including skating rinks themselves. Santa’s sleigh roams over head and bells ringing keep you company while you skate with bears for companions. I stopped in one of the shops there and picked up a really cute outfit for the holidays, one of the pitfalls of exploring. Free Skates available for your collection .  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Christmas/123/164/22

I found another lovely little rink at The Gold Mine. The serve donuts and coffee which was nice. I stopped there right away for some energy to continue skating. The rink is great and is edged by some skating accessories stores. There are solo and couples pose balls for skating if you don’t have a skating AO. I spotted  a free skis kiosk and  a ski lift near by and hopped on to check out the sking area. It is a short ride to the top and a nice path down. Put it on your winter tour list.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ralle/177/73/23

Ice Water Village has an extensive place to skate. The whole place is frozen over so you can skate on the ponds and rivers or just head off over land. This is also a good place to fish and there is a hunt going on for fishing customs and accessories. Quaint shops are clustered in certain areas. Hot chocolate is available too!http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Icewater/59/175/22

Ice skating in Vine is a pleasant experience . The rink is colorfully decorated with trees of varied colors. You wind your way among the trees and by a waterfall,  find cozy places to sit and relax by the fire. There are couples and solo pose balls there that you can take to view the whole rink with little effort or try the trick skating . http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vine/108/175/112

My fishing friend, Frosty Muggins, has created a sweet skating rink in the sky that you will love I am sure. It has loads of Christmas decorations from the Corner and. cookies and coco await you. There are free skates and pose balls for skating effortlessly. Nice place to just hang out with a friend and enjoy the quiet with no shops to distract you .  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Yadkin%20Valley/215/212/22
   
One More for you. This is another sim where you can skate or shop and there is also an advent calendar gives daily gifts. It is the Shortbeach Mall Christmas. Santa has a sleigh on nearby snow. The view is very pretty and the shops lining the walkway also very attractive. Here I tried to stay out of them. You can have a nice skate at this place. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Short%20Beach/203/122/22

If you find some enticing skating and winter activity places send them to me on a notecard and I will go try them out .I know there are hundreds more out there. The grid is huge!  Have a great time exploring all these regions. 

Gemma Cleanslate