Cooper's Coffeehouse

 
By Bixyl Shuftan

Among the places one can relax in Second Life, one recently had a major makover: Cooper's Coffeehouse. Located in Lionheart Nala, people can enjoy games such as 7Seas and checkers, live music events, books to read, and of course a chat with other residents. Last month not long after it's reopening, I interviewed with the owner, Cooper Udimom about the location.

Cooper, like a number of other residents, had gotten his start at The Shelter, which had only recently closed. "I heard! I was so sad (frown). That was literally my first hangout spot in SL. I was just recounting in a chat how when someone gave me an object to wear on my first day and I wore it. Well turns out it was a giant prim penis that stuck on my forehead and I had no idea how to get it off. Made for an interesting time. Gosh its crazy to think I've been in SL ... over 15 years! My first avi was in 2004."

Cooper explained when he first joined, it was under a different account, "Long since gone (chuckle). I don't even remember that accounts name. But I started using my Alex1 Richardson avatar I believe in 2006. That's the avatar I created The Lighthouse Restaurant with. I still have all of the old products, notecards and textures. All from nearly 10 years ago. Quite the trip down memory lane." And how was running a restaurant in a place where people didn't need to eat? He actually did very well, "Honestly it was so much fun and super challenging - because there wasn't anything like it in SL. We were one of the first, so it exploded kind of rapidly. We had 1,000 plus people in our group and booked out reservations two to three weeks in advance. I had an amazing general manager, who basically ran the place after a few months. I am so sad she is no longer playing SL. We even kept touch in real life for awhile, but she's since disappeared (frown)." Checking his notes, the place had been running from October 2008 to January 2010, "We had an average of 100 unique visitors a day, 18,000 in the first 8 months."

He would take an extended break from Second Life, "I actually joined the Navy in real life. So that was why I took such a long hiatus from SL. I lived and traveled all over the world for a good eight years." Needless to say, things were different upon his return, "I came back in around 2017. I think mesh had just started to take off. I was on very intermittently until about April of this year when COVID happened. That was the biggest change. Logging in in 2020 and finding literally 99% of avatars were totally different, and you had to buy a specific'"shape' just to find clothes that would fit you. It was a massive learning curve. I really felt like for probably a month just like I had back in 2004 when  I first got into SL." When I asked how intermittently he was on, he answered, "I was on SL maybe once or twice a month from 2017 until 2020. (I) had a lot of real-life things going on."

Also in 2017 was when he first started The Coffeehouse, "That started on a tiny plot here in Lionheart, a sim or two over. ... It quickly became too small, so we moved to a very large property over in Second Norway. That was our biggest location in terms of space." He would later move a third time in June this year back to where it is now, "Definitely lots of moving around (chuckle)." Of when he first opened it, "The first few days it was very relaxed. I think we had a few live music acts. But there wasn't really anything *big.* I didn't really have the time nor the funds to pour in, moreso just wanted just a place people could come to to relax and unwind. But we developed a fairly decent group after about six months. And that was with no advertising other than the 30$L places ad, and the occasional post in a live music group or something." As mentioned, he didn't have much time, "I really only came on to pay tier and to ocassionally do some live events. ... Now that I have more time and a little bit more RL funds, I'm hoping to put some more effort into getting the word out."

Things changed in 2020 with the Pandemic, "Which was, morbidly enough, beneficial for me in the sense that I now worked from home. So I could really put more effort into SL. Granted, I went back to college also in January of 2020 so I still didn't have *too* much time. But definitely more than before. And now my schedule is really starting to mellow out as I approach graduation."

The Coffeehouse has recently gotten an overhaul. In an notecard, it was described as taking "over 20,000$L in renovations spanning three weeks ... with 1,000 combined prims." There are several games people can play with each other, "Chess, Checkers, Hangman, Memory games, Connect-4" and others, as well as 7Seas fishing contests. There are occasional chess and checkers tournaments. It is billed as a "Certified 'safe space' and child/family friendly." I asked what sparked his decision to spend the time and money. He answered, "I had much more time to devote to SL. The build before this that was here was very rapidly done. I think I put everything together in half a day. So I really wanted to take my time, get a new logo, develop my own drinks and menu, and really design the place thoughtfully and methodically. This all took me probably three weeks of four to six hours a day either on SL, researching things online, or looking up products in Marketplace. And then the obvious building, which all took place off-site very slowly."

The place had it's grand reopening on Friday October 2, " It was a very very soft reopening ... And by very very soft I mean I sent out group notices and subscriber IMs, and that was it. I'm hoping the renovation and some renewed effort in terms of advertising helps build up a better base and we can have some well attended events here in the near future. So I reached out to a few writers groups and individual artists in SL, only a few got back to me. I think we have maybe four or five SL books or publications thus far. Not much. Again, hoping to change that with renewed vigor and resources. We have a panel on our sign 'Be a Featured Artist.' We offer free exhibition space for photographers and artists and of course space in the reading nook for anything people would like to contribute." For those interested in contributing short stories, "That's okay. My plan is to in the next week or so add some sort of 'filing system' where people can contribute notecards with short stories, poems, etc."

There were people around, so I asked if the reception to the changes to the place were very good. Cooper answered, "Yes! So far very good I think we've had about 10-15 people in the first day.  Zero advertising thus far, other than our group notices. I truly think the renovation is going to be very good in terms of word of mouth advertising."

Of his plans for the near future, Cooper had this to say, "The plan is to add some small things like the filing system in the reading nook, and whatever other suggestions we may get from visitors, and then devoting time to reaching out to media outlets such as yourself to start advertising. I think after maybe two to three weeks we will start working on live music events, maybe try our bingo night again. Some of that buffer time is for mental recovery as well as financial (chuckle). I'm actively trying to hire some people right now as well to hold events so it doesn't all fall to me."

For later on, "I think long term the plan is really to just build up a good following, where there will always be people here so if someone just wanted to come here to meet new people or make friends they could. Of course I have a bunch of 'dreams' you could say. I'd love to hold charity events here, maybe an art exhibition or writers conference. Definitely a regular open-mic kind of event." Two possible charities were the Relay for Life and Homes For Our Troops.

Cooper makes no money from the Coffeehouse, though does accept donations to help pay the tier. One can check out the location's online calendar of planned events at https://teamup.com/kswj3z3t8s918a866q , though there will likely be plenty of unplanned ones.

Cooper's Coffeehouse is located at: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lionheart%20Nala/53/179/30

Bixyl Shuftan

Yosemite Brunch

By Gemma Cleanslate

It is always a treat to get over to Yosemite for any reason, exploring, horseback riding, shopping. Sunday morning I was lucky enough to have time to make it to the brunch that is held on the first Sunday at 10:00 slt. The Coffee Shop is the site for breakfast and is nicely set with a big buffet waiting, Eggs, sausage, pancakes, sandwiches, cappuccino... and other goodies are for the choosing.

There was a roaring fire in the fireplace next to which fleegle Mumblewood was taking a nap. 

Jadyn Firehawk , the owner  invites and says “These meetups are low-key social gatherings with casual conversation and friendly people to meet.“ There is also a campfire meet held on first Friday at 5:00 pm slt to suit the varied timezones and all are invited to both or either.  

There was a nice group of visitors attending the brunch and having conversations that were eclectic. Reference to the weather around the USA, the possible incoming storms next week, and wild fires in California. This led to more conversations about Yosemite and the actual good that wild fires do there in the area of the Sequoias . By clearing the understory it allows new sequoia to grow. Jadyn supplied a few links to view the so called firefall that has a long history at the park. Some who have been to Yosemite talked about their experiences of the sight of the giant trees, the new ones growing and the size of the seeds.. like footballs! The visitors joined in the conversation as they were interested in the topic. It was all very informal. 

Yosemite has also added new 7Seas fishing areas in the region. This whole area of the park is covered by servers.What  a wonderful place to sit in nature or ride a horse or just wander and fish to raise your experience points while enjoying the surroundings. 

Getting around at Yosemite is very easy. There are wonderful TP stations where visitors can choose a location and get there immediately. Visitor guides are available at the TP boards so grab one to keep. It contains all the areas to visit and the landmarks. Stop at the visitor’s center to get an idea of the real Yosemite and pick up lots of information about the wonderful park itself.Jadyn had set up a wonderful display of stones for us to take with  Then choose where you would like to visit. 

This will put you at the new fishing pond at the Visitor Center where you can start your adventure. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Yosemite/134/147/2653 

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

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

Roadside Attractions: The Diners of Second Life, Part One

By DrFran Babcock

Why do we love diners? Well, it’s three o’clock in the morning and I want breakfast, my friend wants spaghetti, and my other friend wants a roast beef sandwich and French fries. There is only one place where we can all be satisfied, and that’s the diner. It seems that lot of people agree with me, and must love diners, because they abound in Second Life.

The original diners were old railroad dining cars with their wheels removed so they could stay in place and serve meals. The diners in Second Life come in all shapes and sizes, but they share some common themes. Most of the diners reviewed here stick to the tradition of being done in an Art Deco style. The color red dominates, and shares the bill with chrome, 1950s, rock and roll and roller-skating. Almost all of them have freebie food or gifts. They all embody the spirit of America, and in my biased view, the joys of living in New York or New Jersey where the best First Life diners can be found.

 Come with me on a grid wide tour of some of the diners of Second Life. Please let me know of any I have missed, because there must be a lot of them.

The Silver King Diner – This classic spot shows up first on a Second Life search for diners. I love the location on the very north of the Heterocera Atoll Continent. What’s great is that it’s bordered by roads where rezzing is allowed. You can pull out a ride and zip into the parking spot in front of this chrome and red deco building. Outside there are a few cars you can sit in, and inside, take a seat at the counter and point to a picture of food on the wall, and it will be delivered to you. If eating is not your thing, there are dance machines and dance pads (they may or may not be paying Lindens).  The music stream is old fifties rock and roll, that matches well with the old movie posters on the walls. This is a really nice place to come for a Second Life date, especially when you realize that you can get a free pair of roller skates outside, and roll off into the sunset with your sweetie.

The Silver King Diner is located at: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ranunculus/126/238/32 and was built by Bubba Biberman (Bubba B.)

The Starship Diner – I know the owner and creator of this diner. It is none other than Holocluck Henly whose skill as a DJ is well known in Second Life. He has a reputation for taking care to tailor his playlist to suit the theme and attendees at events at which he spins tunes. He also bears a striking resemblance to a well known British doctor. So, it is no surprise that the diner is a cool one. Of course, this being Second Life, there are some surprises. But, I won’t mention the chickens wandering around inside until later.

The Starship is built with Fifties sensibilities, and sports a huge sign outside that often lists upcoming events open to all. Once inside a vast, carpeted floor welcomes you to dance. The diner counter is chrome and sports the New York special—a souvlaki meat slab. And yes, chickens…Holo has always liked chickens, many folks still call him Clucky, so there are chickens wandering the inside of the diner. Go out the back door of the diner and you can pick up some freebies made by Holocluck himself.

The best time to come to The Starship Diner is when there’s a party. Stop by to see what’s upcoming on the big sign out front.

The Starship Diner is located at: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Hydrangea/74/193/72 and is the work of Holocluck Henly.


Olivia's Creepy Diner – The next diner served up on our plate is a bit different from the first two offerings. Sure, there is the checked floor and old advertising signs, and art deco curved architecture, but that’s where the similarities end. The proprietor of this swanky spot, Olivia Scarmon lets you know in her profile picks that: The service sucks... Thats because I am usually on a smoke break. Feel free to make yourself a sandwich or something. Cold pizza is on the table if you prefer. Don’t step on my pet roaches.

I was lucky enough to run into the aforementioned Olivia when I teleported into the diner to make my report. She told me that she was a fan of horror, and this diner was her way to express this love. We spoke for a bit more, and then she promptly offered me an eyeball highball. Yum. The diner is a showplace, complete with dirty booths, spiders dropping from the ceiling, pet roaches in parade formation on the floor, and plenty of activities for hungry visitors.

Come to Olivia’s and you can engage in a horror trivia (with small Linden prizes), 7Seas fishing, dancing, eating (if you dare), and not least of all, drink in an environment that just might help with that New Years resolution to lose weight.

I highly recommend this place for its sense of humor, horror, and high level of things to do. I encountered residents at the place the few times I visited, and if I was not busy with reported for the venerated Newser, I might have stuck around and made some friends.

Olivia’s Creepy Diner is located at: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Seokcheon/76/112/50  and is the work of Olivia Scarmon

Dear reader, join me next time as we continue our tour of the grid’s finest dining options, as we explore The Diners of Second Life.

DrFran Babcock