Virtual Yosemite

Wandering around SL the other day, I was informed of a place called Virtual Yosemite. It is touted thusly: "Enjoy the natural scenery of Virtual Yosemite. This virtual version of the famous national park in the USA is an example of a whole new generation of sculpted off-sim environments by Sominel Edelman (Landscapes Unlimited). More info at http://landscapesunlimited.blogspot.com."

I don't know what I was expecting, but when I got there, whatever original expectations I'd had were quickly shattered. This is one of the best sims I've seen on the grid in a long long time, and the effort really shows. It's a pretty open sim, surrounded on all sides by off-sim mountains representing the area around Yosemite. There's a little campground, a store to buy the off-sim mountains and environments, a little wooden lodge, and... well, that's it, really, but no one ever said a sim had to be full to bursting of prims to be attractive. I looked around and then got in touch with the creator of this wonderous landscape, Sominel Edelman, to talk to him about his masterpiece of Virtual Yosemite.

Sominel Edelman, "Hi, welcome!"

Xymbers Slade, "This is quite the landscape. I haven't seen many, if any at all, better than this one in a long time. (smile) How long did it take to design all of this and put it together?"

Sominel Edelman, "It may very well be unique in SL; about a month, perhaps even a bit more. I've used a new technique on this one. That's why it takes so long, the first one is the hardest."

Xymbers Slade, "Was it a difficult process? Or do you find generating landscapes comes natural to you?"

Sominel Edelman, "The technology can be difficult, but the process of sculpting itself is fun. Nothing but fun (smile). I'm a geographer myself in real life. I studied landforms like these."

Xymbers Slade, "What got you interested in landscapes specifi... well, I guess that answered that, then. Heh."

Sominel Edelman, "At first I did jewelry, but I didn't find that very motivating. I'm not a jewelry type of guy (grin)."

Xymbers Slade, "So you go around looking at landscapes all the time?"

Sominel Edelman, "No, I don't go around that much. Except in real life, I love to travel there, visit new places. in Second Life, I'm mostly just busy making new things."

Xymbers Slade, "I guess I was expecting to see Old Faithful or something here. I don't see it included... didn't want to add the most famous part of the place?"

Sominel Edelman, "Uhm... Old Faithful is part of a different park (grin). That's Yellowstone, this is Yosemite."

Xymbers Slade, "Shows how smart I am, I have the direction sense of a brick and the geography sense of a bag of apples."

Sominel Edelman, "This is what it should look like: http://www.yosemitedistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/yosemite1.jpg "

Xymbers Slade, "What do you use to make these kinds of wonderful landscapes?"

Sominel Edelman, "A few 3D programs and a couple of scripts. I won't be very specific about that.... I'm sorry."

Xymbers Slade, "Ah, ok, no problem. I can understand not wanting to 'reveal trade secrets.' Is there something you want to do landscape-wise but can't, due to limitations in SL or something else?"

Sominel Edelman, "Well... The amount of detail you can get in off-sim builds is not that big. It would be great to be able to use mesh, but meshes can't be that big."

Xymbers Slade, "I wasn't aware meshes had a limit but then again I don't build."

Sominel Edelman, "The waterfalls, for example, I wish I could make a more natural shape. They can just be 64x64x64 meters... this is 1024x1024 so they [mesh] would be way too small."

Xymbers Slade, "What's your next planned project? I find this hard to top off the top of my head."

Sominel Edelman, "I do have the Grand Canyon high on my list, but... there are not that many trees there, and I do love the off-sim trees."

Xymbers Slade, "Heh. Maybe add a little creative artistry then and add more trees (grin). I've never been out there so I don't have a clue (I live in a major city, so)."

Sominel Edelman, "I have a couple of other environments that I want to make, I think they should all be on the Unesco World Heritage list."

Xymbers Slade: "You mean the Grand Canyon isn't?"

Sominel Edelman, "I want to go all over the world (smile). It is, this is too, but it should be special to people, and well-known all around the world."

Xymbers Slade, "Ok, last question in this little rapid-fire... do you do commissions?"

Sominel Edelman, "How do you mean, commissions?"

Xymbers Slade, "Like if someone asked you for a specific landscape or skybox (off the top of my head I know a dragon looking for a new lair, so to speak)."

Sominel Edelman, "No, in general I don't. I did that for a while, but it made me go off-track. I want to keep my focus."

Xymbers Slade, "I know what you mean (smile). Keeping focus is definitely a skill in Second Life when there is so many things to see/do/create and whatnot."

Sominel Edelman, "And, it's hard to create something someone else has in mind. They can almost never show me a picture, and that makes it hard."

"That's great, thank you Xymbers! How did you find this place?"

Xymbers Slade, "Honestly, my editor mentioned it to the rest of the reporters and went 'who wants it?' --- I haven't done a piece in months, so I said I'd take it on. (smile)"

Even as a big open space, it's a wonderful quiet spot for when you need to unwind from the hustle and pixel-flavored mayhem of SL. Without a doubt I'm giving it 5 Dragon Hoards out of 5, and I'm not even a huge wilderness buff!

Virtual Yosemite can be found at the Landscapes Unlimited sim: Landscapes Unlimited, (99/143/22)

Xymbers Slade

Mcarp Land in LEA

When I spent time talking to Aley in her sea at LEA, she told me she was sharing the sim with her friend, Mcarp Mavendorf. I had seen Mcarp’s giant avatar image over looking the sea from above. But on closer inspection she had just stepped on a church like structure and ruined it. Well, it was one of her own builds so I guess that is ok. 

There are several more buildings on the sim, all seeming to be cathedral or castle like  buildings. Each is lovely . In each you find clocks, all set to the proper SL time. Each clock is more interesting than the other. If  you open the large map while you are there, you will see the sim is actually a clock itself! The most magnificent building is filled with interesting clocks. Someone said to me when we visited,  “this is a temple to time.” 

I met Mcarp in the cathedral and she took me for a tour of the clocks and explained her thinking in creating them. She admitted she is obsessed with clocks.  She is evidently a math wiz and loves to script, some scripting based on calculus. That was the end of my understanding. I know she would like to have more but is running out of ideas on new creative ways of making clocks. “my problem is I don't do clocks where the face is some picture, in those you can do a million of them ... to come up with some new mechanical concept so each clock is about a different mechanical look.”  

Her favorite center piece is in the sanctuary area of the church. That is not a clock but a counter based on AND gates (complicated) .  We took a tour of the rest of the building where you will find a lovely organ that you can play. There is a gorgeous fountain in the middle which is a fully functioning carillon on top.  The windows are beautiful and enhance the cathedral. We then moved over to the castle where there are more clocks. In the kitchen Mcarp turned on the dishwasher, one of Aley’s creations and immediately plates began falling to the floor and smashing. We went out to the lift and met Aley and we all took a ride over the sim where we could see all the churches and the mount with faces that they called "Mount Lag."   When I sat in the lift, I was left holding on the outside desperately not to fall. “this is our special 'hang the reporter out to dry' sit target” said Mcarp. On the way back I was able to sit on the roof. 

There is not room enough to write about all I saw or learned. Be sure not to miss the garden gnome at the draw bridge . Fascinating!  This exhibit will be in LEA for about four more months. I know you will love and understand everything if you are a scripter. but if not you will love just to gaze at it all and enjoy. The first time I went there I climbed a long set of stairs arising out of Aley’s sea. You could go that was but  I will make it easier for you to get there.

 
http://slurl.com/secondlife/LEA11/39/155/21  Have fun!!

Gemma Cleanslate

The Titanic in Second Life

This week marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. For Second Life residents, there is a sim-length replica they can visit. One can head there for an appreciation for the history, take someone out on a date, or both.

Teleporting into the sim, one arrives at the dock. It's a few steps to the entry ramp to the ship, the start having an overhead sign "RMS Titanic, White Star Line." Besides walking up at one's own pace, there's a couple's walk animation that a pair can use to go about the ship.

Heading to the right once you get up to the ship, one can go to the bow and with a friend re-create the "I'm King of the World" Scene. Or one can go about exploring the ship, whether on the outside, inside and both. There is much attention to detail, notably in places like the stairways with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Going about, some of the cabins seen also had fine details. The sim's website stated here, "you can be a passenger and experience the romance and luxury of a bygone era." That the ship succeeds in doing. There is also a Titanic Museum, "A Second Night to Remember," on the port side of the top deck.

Second Life being what it is, there have been some compromises made. To help with expenses, a shopping area has been set up where one can get a selection of dresses and jewelry, and some tuxedos. The very bottom of the ship is the engine room. But only on rare occasions can one see the engine up and running. Most of the time it's packed up to cut down on lag. There is also a pool, and a wedding area. At the bow of the ship is the ballroom, where live musicians perform for dace parties. One can dance in the ballroom, or on the deck outside.

The ship is owned by Mara Menges, who bought the ship from it's builder, with Guus Menges as co-owner. The dress code is formal, with the crew reserving the right to bump off the ship those who won't answer requests to change. Animal avatars (also known as ferals to some) are also banned. This does not mean nonhuman characters are always disallowed as neko and furry avatars dressed in formal wear are welcome.

The Second Life Titanic was built by Reborn Wingtips, or Morphius Barbose as he was known at the time of it's construction. A sign on the bridge stated the ship is 254 meters long, slightly shorter than the real-life Titanic's length of 269 meters, and 60 meters high. It consists of roughly 4,500 prims, not counting the furniture.

Reborn stated on the sign, "Titanic has been a build of passion. I studied it in school years ago. Claude Kirshner made land available free of charge for me to build it here in Second Life. Obviously I couldn't create the ship to detail as prims don't allow it. Plus Second Life has tier fees, etc."

"It has taken six months (for the ship) to reach its current condition. This is the fourth or fifth build. I needed to take a few steps back to make one step forward a few times. Later on as the Titanic was nearing completion, the build was discovered by Kallisto Estates, who have generously jumped at the opportunity to provide a sim to sheer Titanic with the world."

" … I think I was in college when we did a big study on the Titanic in Social Studies, covering every aspect, even some things that weren't commonly known. There was a rumor that there was actually a cursed mummy onboard. Even now if I try to imagine being on the ship that night, I get a chill, the humble men, the fear, the desperation. What was God's involvement that night? That's my biggest question."

The website states more than half a million residents have visited the ship since it's opening in 2009, with over 700 visitors a day. This week marks the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the real Titanic. Over 2100 visitors came to the ship on April 12th, which was also the day of the "Last 1st Class Dinner on the Titanic" event for European visitors. On Friday the 13th, there will be another such event for American hours at 5:30PM (reservations required). Saturday the 14th has the Steerage Party, from Noon to 2:30PM SL time, 2:30 PM being when the ship hit the iceberg (reservations required).

On Sunday at 1PM is the memorial service. This event takes place outside the ship at the Titanic memorial on the sim's land. This event is open to all. In an article on the Metaverse Tribune, Mara is described as setting up the memorial after meeting the great-grandson of Captain James Smith, "she discovered that many of those who were lingering at the memorial were relatives of witnesses or survivors."

There is also a souvenir shop where one can get a memento of their visit to the ship. Considering the history of the ship and how its memory is kept alive by numerous books and movies, such as the one by James Cameron a few years ago, this is one build that is unlikely to be forgotten, and a place one may end up returning to again and again.

The entry point to the Titanic sim is at Titanic (128, 191, 134). For more information, one can go to the Second Life Titanic's website at http://www.titanicsecondlife.nl/.

Bixyl Shuftan

Easter Town

I was able to see a few Easter events this weekend. There were a number of small events, mostly egg hunts of some kind. But the biggest show was probably at "Easter Town."


"Easter Town is a holiday destination that dips you in colorful happiness, visual wonders and experiences sweeter than a chocolate bunny. Ten talented designers have come together to sell an eclectic range of original items. Combine this with egg hunts, peep races and other holiday activities, and Easter Town is an panoramic explosion of holiday joy."


Dropping in, it took a few minutes for most everything to rezz due to the crowd there. What got my attention about the people around were the several child avatars around, "Look, the Easter Bunny!" Hopping around in a circle were a "BugsBuny Resident" and a "BabsBuny Resident," in avatars resembling the cartoon characters. I never found out if they were part of Easter Town, or a couple alts made by a visitor for the holiday. By clicking on the "Bunny Hop" cube in the middle, one could join them.

The place itself had a cartoonish style, with the stores made with crooked windows and colored roofs. There were also a number of whimsical exhibits, such as an Easter egg machine that cranked out colored eggs factory style, and one of the Easter Bunny after apparently having over-indulged on his candies until he had a bellyache.

There were a number of freebies around, such as a bouncy ball one could sit on and bounce around on. There was also a freebie "egg avatar," which looked strange and hilarious with eggs with human heads walking about. There was also a basket for an egg hunt going around on the sim. Looking around, I found only one egg.

Some attractions one had to pay to play, such as the Peep Race. The stores themselves had a number of Easter-related goods for sale from clothes to jewelry and more. But one didn't have to spend money here to have a pleasant time. The freebies and cartoony atmosphere made the place well worth a visit.

Easter Town is at Elizabeth Town (151, 104, 22). The exhibit is scheduled to remain up until April 15th.

Bixyl Shuftan

Castle Blarney

For those who haven't had enough of St. Patrick's Day, or feel like a trip to see something Irish, one place to go to is Castle Blarney. And yes, the place is home to Second Life's own Blarney Stone. The build is located at O'Hare's Gap in the Wilde sim at (150, 110, 33).

For those who don't know, Castle Blarney, about five miles from the town of Cork Ireland, is a popular tourist destination. People go there to kiss the Blarney Stone. Legend has it whomever kisses the stone will be granted the gift of gab (or be "full of blarney"). A scroll near the stone (and the teleport point to upstairs) states the following from Irish bard Francis Sylvester Mahony:


"Tis there's the stone that whomever kisses
he never misses to become eloquent.
Tis he may clamber to a lady's chamber,
or become o member of Parliament.
A noble spouter he'll sure turn out, or
an out and outer to be let alone.
Don't try to hinder him, or to bewilder him,
for he is a pilgrim of the Blarney Stone."


Getting to the Stone is simple enough. One takes a teleport to the top of the castle, walk over to the stone, and clicking on it to lower one's avatar to bend down and kiss the Stone. If one teleports back down and exits the building on foot, one gets a reminder that a certificate of one kissing the stone is available. One clicks on a sign near the doorway.

The real Blarney Stone besides being a popular tourist attraction is the subject of legends and even modern fiction. Wikipedia mentions one legend of the builder of the castle being involved in a lawsuit appealing to the queen of the fairies for help, and is told to kiss the first stone he sees in the morning. He does, and wins his case. He then takes the stone and makes it part of the parapet of his castle. Another legend holds the Blarney Stone is actually part of the Stone of Scone or Coronation Stone used in the coronation of monarchs in Scotland and later Great Britain. Another was of Queen Elizabeth requesting an oath of loyalty to retain the land, and the castle's owner responded with subtle diplomacy and promises. Elizabeth proclaimed he was giving her "a lot of Blarney."

The ritual of kissing the stone once needed assistance from someone to hold the kisser's legs while he or she lowered himself, as it was possible to fall from the height. A "Sherlock Holmes" radio program had the sleuth investigate a death in which a man fell while trying to kiss the stone. It turned out his boots had been greased and he slipped from the assistant's hands. Today, hand rails and protective bars make kissing the Stone much safer.

For anyone going on a date for two to the castle, there is a nearby village to stroll about in as well as the countryside. Or one can teleport to Dublin and head to the Blarney Stone pub. Whether or not kissing the stone can make one better at talking up to making a casual date to a hot one has yet to be determined.

Special thanks to Jasmine Dawn/Orasine.

Bixyl Shuftan

Skyrim-Inspired Sim and Builder Merceal Smythe

A few months ago, the computer game Skyrim was a big hit. With it's popularity came parody Youtubes and online comic references. It was probably inevitable someone would try to duplicate it in Second Life. And someone has been doing just that.

MistressBubbles Bondar, or just "Bubbles" to her friends, recently came back to Second LIfe after taking a break. After a while, she got the idea of doing a sim based on the world of the Skyrim game. She wasn't alone. She managed to get some talented help from sim builder Merceal Smythe.

After some work, Bubbles invited me over to see what she had. Yours truly hasn't played the game. But it's been in the media so much, the sim was recognizable as the setting. Rustic wooden buildings with a Norse feel to them in a snow covered winter area. "The whole sim is still very much a work in progress," the elven lady told me, "but I figured I'd show off what we have done so far. The castle is Merceal's work. Well most everything here is. My job is to find the materials so he can build (laughter)."

She offered to show me around, and we walked through some scenery, across a bridge and into a fortification structure, "This is one of my fave places so far aside from the castle. We hope to have battle scenarios through here." We walked further, and came to a cabin, "And here's my little cottage (smile). This is the biggest one of the batch. I have two more smaller ones I'm going to make to place around the sim. … I had fun with making a close to period timber frame house. … Still have a few things to fit properly. Like I said we are still building things (chuckle). So there will be snow drifts and more structures and a farm or two. … We will have a small port as well."

Getting to the riverbank, she teleported across and sent me one, "makes it easier untill we have a boat set up to ferry is across." Going to a settlement, she showed me an incomplete marketplace, and a windmill which would later be moved to a farm yet to be set up. She then offered to show me the castle, "it's not finished yet, but it's still really cool. It's pretty close to Dragonsreach, but with enough difference's to be on the safe side. (laughter)"

Going inside, there were still some things yet to be placed such as no throne on the platform yet. There was an upstairs with a good view, "and for sniper archers (big grin)." She thought when finished, the castle would be 300-350 prims, "not bad when you look at the size of the structure."

"The sim is not officially open yet, and we are looking at doing a soft open with personal invites going out to help us 'Beta test' the story lines and systems we are working on. We are starting out as a text base or freeform role-play. But we do also plan to bring on a simple combat meter to help us keep track of stats for full on battles."

Bubbles wanted to make two things clean, one that the sim wasn't really her effort, bringing up Merceal Smythe, "He's the main builder and the one in charge of this project." She also pointed out, "Just remember it's not a Skyrim sim,"it's loosely inspired by Skyrim. (Giggle) We don't want to get into any legal issues with the game's makers."

As it turned out, Merceal was soon available to chat to. He appeared before us, clasping his hands together, "So! yes, I'm the developer and renderer for the sim. the concepts were inspired from several points of interests, but primarily historical and mythical Lore. ... my main sources of inspiration are Viking, Gaelic, and Norse Mythology, as well as their corresponding cultures. What helps is that recent popular game releases, such as Skyrim, are based of like histories and lorries. So the storylines wont be too far off from one another." "And there is a lot of interest out there for a role play world of this kind," Bubbles added, "because of the said popularity of those games."

Merceal went on, "I've tried to make a name for myself in reguards to an understanding and respect in the art of role-play, and understanding of the need of an immersive environment to correlate with it. The problem is Second Life is capable of so much, but due to its... engine and server designs, limits its own potential. So the trick, is creating such worlds and stories in this 3D environment, without the world itself taking up too many resources. A single avatar, if designed improperly, can lag a viewer. Viewers, rely not just on the data being received from the Asset servers, but the performance of the computers themselves. if the Viewer takes up the majority of the systems resources alone, and suddenly has new avatars appearing in and out, it'll overload the RAM and create a lot of problems.. so like i said, the trick is keeping the surrounding environment... simple, yet detailed and immersive. This is from my experience and observations over the course of over four years."

Bubbles commented, "Merceal is a bit of a master at things like prim management and efficient use of textures. He's worked on a number of sims in the past. Most of them Star Wars related I believe." Merceal replied, "So far, I have a vast amount of experience in it. And even when my other associates are offered free building services, they come to me, because I create the worlds the right way. I take pride in my work, and if I'm not happy with something, I wont call it complete, and will even start over. (And) yes, most of my sim projects have revolved around sci-fi roleplay sims, namely, Star Wars and sci-fi RP."

As it turned out however, many of those roleplays were ruined by internal drama, "However, due to the struggles and ill management of that RP community, i can no longer role-play or do deep association with a lot of the ... sim owners, because their interests lie in personal gain, rather than community development and immersive roleplaying. My sims were always top mark, mostly prim, to save on latency. And in addition, individuals from several RP environments came to the sim. During nearly every sim opening, the sim capped on the limit of players that could enter the sim. The last sim we did came out great. And it's pretty popular as far as a Star Wars role-play sim can be at present. I always enjoy seeing individuals enjoy an immersive world. I just wish I had more trade skills in the scripting and mesh field to offer more creations. However, due to my ... real-life conditions, I'm limited on such resources, but I still provide the best i can with what I have."

Bubbles commented, "But Star Wars roleplay is dying for the very reasons Merc mentioned." Merceal agreed, "Yeah... sadly too many people want control, as in, they want to dictate the every action of each individual RP'er, and they don't like losing. The thing about RP, is no one can control the flow. The stories write themselves in the environments they cake place in. The stories are written by the events, not whoever screams 'I own this sim and RP group' the loudest, and throws the most money at it. Sadly, that isn't understood by a lot of sim and group owners. They feel because they front the money, they get to decide everything in such an environment. The most anyone can do is 'guide' the flow of events. But there is no control over human will and spirit." Bubbles added, "It was hard walking away from Star Wars roleplay. But we are looking ahead to a bright new future with this place."

"Where there is one group of people with the desire to create such a world, there is another, with a different personality, and different approach and vision to it all. Its just a matter of knowing the individual, and when they'll be around, if they aren't already. For example this sim. I don't own it. A friend of mine owns it, as I wish all those I associate with to be. However, I place most of the prims, and do the work, and we work together. Bubbles has been a huge help in reguards to research and locating materials needed and necessary for the sims development. The team work and chain of roles has been very beneficial to its development, considering I just started this new sim design yesterday (laughter)."

Bubbles responded to the complements by blushing, "I like to hunt stuff down and find the best deals. It's a lot of fun watching how the tools I find are used and come to life. Besides, I am also learning how to build better along side of everything else. … compare my little cottage to the ones I made a year ago."

Merceal went on, "I just wish it was easier. I don't think people realize how to price what they've made that makes economic sense. … personality characteristics that show signs of greed, but i cant say for sure (grin). I made this sim for free, and when i do need lindens for more projects I charge very little if anything. The other thing is if i have the time and patients for these projects (laughter). Sometimes sim owners who hire me for work tend to want things done yesterday, when I started the project 3 days ago, and I have at least 4-6 months to work on it (laughter). However, I normally complete my projects take normally half the time."

Bubbles noted, "I remember one of our projects that was like that. You were working on it for a week straight, getting a lot done. We projected it would take a month and the client comes up and dumps another three months of work on top of it and asks if it can be done in half the time. (grin)" Merceal responded, "That is the WORST situation I come across. We come in agreement of a verbal contract of how the sim will be built or designed. And suddenly, out of no where, they redesign the whole thing, no warning, and expect me to scrap the whole sim. That is, rather frustrating. Not to mention the projects are normally three times larger, and require more supplies than I posses. I mean, my inventory is HUGE with primarily building supplies, like sculpts, textures, and meshes. sounds, scripts... etc."

Merceal went on, "But I build in all sorts of themes, and make little to no lindens... so when my generosity and flexibility of work is taken advantage of beyond the original concepts, demanding more work and resources from me, and disrespecting me because they decided to be a pain and change things? Just indecent and rude... I've sadly had to drop at least half the projects i've taken on due to things like that. just flat indecency and inconsiderate actions." "It's shocking how often that happens too," Bubbles added.

"Of course, I get a bad rap for doing nothing wrong but the right thing," Merceal commented, "so I can make myself available for another client who is A, more respectful, and B, more deserving and willing to create worlds for RP and living this 3D reality. It's hard to put a price on a way of life, and I try to avoid that (grin).

Of the Skyrim inspired sim, Merceal spoke, "I'm hoping things go well here. I also am crossing my fingers that drama-proned individuals will not repeat unfavorable habits while here (grin). i plan to write broad but fair guidelines and regulations to make this environment enjoyable for all, mainly in the approach of the storyline and sim lore itself." Bubbles nodded, "we are looking to build this place up with the goals of offering a clean, low lag sim that allows the freedom of roleplay without personal agendas to mar the way."

Oh his plans, Merceal stated, "my goal is to lead in project developments that 'enhance' the role-play experience, and do not get in the way and make over all performance degraded by the new addition of aids and features. I wish it was easier to add scripts into the viewer itself as a type of add on feature. But the SL viewer's.... normal performance is far below capable of even achieving it at the moment (grin)."

The talk soon drifted to Bubbles thinking of getting her old friend Aiko Swashbuckler to work on the trees, and we ended up talking some about our days in Woodlin. Eventually, we went our separate ways. And it was goodbye for the moment to this tribute to Skyrim with a promising future.

Bixyl Shuftan

Mystery Science Theater 3000 in SL

Have you wondered where the worst science-fiction B movies you have ever seen went?? I found them! They are in the comfortable theater located at the sim, This Island Earth.

A quote from the land says, “Keeping the world safe from bad B-Movies by keeping them contained." Somehow Squeebee Wakawaka has sequestered them all and they are playing 24/7 for your viewing pleasure. All you have to do is sit and touch the box at the poster to start or catch up if it is in progress. If you want to have an outdoor view and lounge by the pond you will find a screen there too. How he found these films is beyond my comprehension, but there they are. Grab a bag of popcorn or a pizza and settle down.

There are comfortable seats for all and for those who like to snuggle up with a partner there is seating for you too. I sat and watched part of “Fugitive alien” and on another visit, “ Star Force Alien 2." I had to chuckle and then laugh out loud at the films. Hopefully that is what the owner wants, or, my apologies.

I met Mordoc Blackheart and asked if he were involved in the theater. And yes, he is a Saturday night host for the showing of a movie. He told me they had been in this sim for about a year and in another one previously. Most of the films are from MST3K which was on TV from 1988 through 1999 in the USA. Mordoc said they had almost all the films that were shown during that period and also some other interesting science films.

If you want to learn the story behind MST3K check it out at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_Science_Theater_3000, or search it for other informative sites. The building is a copy of the space craft where the MST3K crew spent their time forced to watch these films (Listen to their comments!). There are huge tribute builds of the robots who were part of the crew outside. There appear to be hosts for events each day at one time or another. There is a group for notices about get-togethers for events if you would like to join and keep up on the current offerings.

Have a fun afternoon at the movies. http://slurl.com/secondlife/This%20Island%20Earth/205/153/23

Gemma Cleanslate

Cartoonimals Changes Hands

In January, the Cartoonimals sim, noted for it's virtual critters, amusing gadgets, and other fun items available for purchase, was in danger of closing. In mid-February, I heard the sim had been saved. A buyer had stepped forward and took the place under her wing.

Dropping in to take a look, the place had been changed a bit. Much of the sim was bordered by cliffs and trees, including some picturesque waterfalls, and there was a stretch of beach with crashing waves. And the layout of the attractions and vendors had been rearranged some. But it was still basically the same place, with their critters and whimsical goods still up for sale. Near one waterfall, an elephant stood in the water and hippos were swimming. At the beach, seals were jumping out and back into the water.

While looking around, I noticed a couple people nearby in a building and went over. And there was Duggy Bing, the builder of the cartoonimals and the old owner of the sim, and Ima Flanagan, the new owner of the place. Ima greeted me with a joke, "Hi Bixyl! Lovely avatar you have there. Be careful ... Duggy might make you into a tip jar." After some initial laughter, Duggy Bing told me, "It's Ima's sim now." "I did a bit of rearranging , but not to difficult when you have these great creations to work with. I purchased it , hope to save it. Hate to see this leave SL."

The two were currently working away, Duggy saying, "We're trying to get the stupid messed up vendors to work. The transfer messed things up." "Makes for extra work," Ima told me, then leaned closer to whisper with a grin, "Of course they came back with my name on them. … shhh, don't tell Duggy."

Part of the reason Duggy had sold the sim was he was increasingly busy in real life, "lots of projects." Asking him if there would be any more of his products, he answered he was, "taking a break. It will be a while."

I asked Ima what plans she had other than giving the sim a new look and the vendors straightened out. "There will be a large freebie store," she told me, "not the usual minor items, but many things people need to get started in SL. There will be more stores, but I hope to keep it on this sort of theme. I am not a fan of a sim full of buildings. This is a joy, because these items, play well with landscaping."

I asked them what reactions they heard of the sim up for sale and it's purchase. Ima answered, "One woman dropped by, she gave me an article her friend had written about the sim, and Duggy selling it. She said she didn't want the sim to go. She had a look about and was pleased with the changes. That was good to hear. Loyal fans of sims are sometimes unnerved with changes. She was pleased and was off to tell her friend the sim survived the change."

Duggy Bing was happy at how things turned out, "I'm delighted that Ima Flanagan agreed to take over Cartoonimals sim. She is a longtime freind, and a creator who has built some marvelous environments. She's the perfect person to not only maintain Cartoonimals, but also reinvent it as a whole new experience for SL residents to explore and enjoy." Ima considered it fortunate for her that she was able to get the sim, "I'm the lucky one."

Talking a little more, Ima did have some plans for a social center where people could hang out. After saying goodbye, I looked around a little, and away from the main area saw a small deck next to the beach, animated by waves crashing onto the shore, and the silence interrupted by bird calls.

And so the sim built around Duggy Bing's whimsical creations continues under new management, and with a slightly new look. It should be interesting when Duggy is ready to resume making new goodies once again.

Bixyl Shuftan

Syzygy Communuty Expands and Celebrates

On Feruary 13th, Samantha Glume, the CEO of the Syzygy Communuty, warned Syzygians of a "sim-sized" asteroid headed toward their homeland. At the time, Syzygy was winding up it's winter season and planning for Winterfest. The asteroid was detected from the SGE Space Station and was closely observed as it entered the atmosphere. The asteroid, later determined to have come from the former Cake sim, impacted Syzygy on February 14th.

The impact occurred in the water, and no residents were injured. However, there were rumors of sightings of sea creatures from Alkahest, which were apparently disturbed by the impact. The Cake-asteroid was fractured and altered upon impact. The exact metamorphic process is being studied by Syzygy physician.alchemist Elric Anatine. The asteroid piece, which became pink on impact, had hard outer shells, and gooey centers, similar to fried ice cream. The pink chuckles littered the ice near the impact area. Pipsqueak Fiddlesticks described one specimen as "small and looks sort of cute." She also stated, "It's making imploring 'plock plock' sounds."

The force of the impact caused part of the southeast tectonic plate to rise, creating two new islands. The new islands are named Syzygy Theia and Syzygy Cetus. The new land masses are cooling rapidly and may be safe for exploration with in the next few days.

This was just in time for the Syzygy Winterfest, which was planned for Sunday, February 19. If you like winter activities, this would be a good time to visit. The community is now comprised of nine islands, all open to the public, and currently surrounded by ice and snow. However, at the end of the month, warmer weather is in forecast.

If you plan to visit, a good starting point is the Community Center, located at Syzygy Eos (18, 20, 76). Inside are maps, notecards, and a folder of winter landmarks. You and your friends can play a round of Greedy, Greedy here, too.

Bring your skates, too. The entire area is available for skating. If you would rather go sledding, you can find rezzable sleds at Syzygy Eos (147, 141, 36). While you’re out on the ice, you’ll find a snowball fight area where you can pummel your friends, and Warbugs rezzable fighting planes to fly. You can even rez a helicopter for an aerial tour.

Ice fishing is available, with warm camp fires and some crazy fishing companions. The areas are 7Seas fishing stations, too, so you might catch a great fish. Some of the best spots are the Lighthouse at Syzygy Corvus (26, 195, 21), the Fishing Snowmen area at Syzygy Eos (91, 96, 21), and the very gothic ice fishing hole at Syzygy Nyx (107, 50, 21). While you’re at Nyx, be sure to check out the sack of goodies under the tree. It might just toss you a present.

On Syzygy Calliope (236, 235, 21) you will find a Communications Tower to explore. Step inside and activate the elevator to reach the top. Here you can take a teleporter to the SGE Spaceship,which also has sections that are open for exploration.

If you like a little whimsy with your winter, come to Celtic’s Slice of Heaven on Syzygy Selene (67, 34, 38). Bears and other animals are skating and sledding and enjoying the festivities. But beware of the Badgers!

The winter Greenhouse is one of my favorite places, also located on Syzygy Selene (162, 208, 38). When you approach, you’ll see a herd of reindeer munching hay. A cold wind whistles outside, but inside it’s cozy and warm. The charming greenhouse has pots waiting for the spring thaw and a warm fire.

Syzygy is also home to a Neko tea house, gardens, and shrine. The Neko teahouse is located at Syzygy Selene (37, 110, 21). Walk inside for a serene and calming cup of tea. Cats rule here. Meditation spots are also tucked away throughout this area. If you have time, follow the path for a relaxing and scenic journey. Listen to the birds sing and enjoy the beauty of nature. The view is magnificent at Neko Garden at Syzygy Selene (70, 139, 88). The mountain goats are friendly, too.

No trip is complete without a snack, and you can find a great one at Syzygy Pyxis (205, 179, 21). Here you can enjoy an Asian noodle cart and a sip of sake. Delicious!

If you time your visit right, you might see the Aurora Borealis that appears often on Syzygy. It is especially beautiful from my home, Grey Wolf Retreat, located at Syzygy Corvus (186, 218, 23). Feel free to relax on the deck or take a hike to see elk, wolves, and other wildlife.

These are just a sampling of the things you can do on Syzygy. Many more places are listed on the notecards available at the community center. Winter will remain on Syzygy until end of February. At that time, the ice will thaw and the winter fun will end for this year.

Grey Lupindo

*Editor's Note* For more on the "Cake Asteroid," check the Syzygy Community Blog.

"Game On" at Linden Realms

Don’t you just love running hither and yon.. up and down mountains, rocky ledges .. through toxic waste.. over hill and dale? Not only that, but don’t you love having huge ugly rocks with rumbling noisy gaits chasing after you and tossing you out of the space you are in? "You burned in the outer layers of an expanding star!” I was informed. That was a good one. How about going down a deep mine shafts with falling boulders trying to flatten you to the ground?

If you can’t wait to experience all these creepy events and even more, take yourself off to the Linden Realms to go treasure hunting. Wow! It is an experience you can’t afford to miss. Fortunately when you are crumpled on the ground, you are sent to a resurrection circle where you revive to begin the chase again. The goal is to reach some crystals of various colors and value that can be traded in for Linden dollars. It is really great fun and a hilarious experience.

It works like this. You arrive at the Linden Realms Portal and make your way to one of the entry portals. Walk through, and fall to the ground, groggy. You will be prompted to wait for a hud to load and sometimes it appears, and sometimes not. But I have learned by experience that your gems are being carefully noted and held for you, hud or no hud. The hud will keep track of each colored gem (worth points for exchange for lindens). There was one avatar there that was cashing in 22000 orange crystals to exchange (a little over 2000 lindens!).

You will find the base camp nearby and some information there but will mostly have to figure it all out as you go along your way through the forests and groves and along toxic waste rivers and ponds. Beware! There is danger behind very tree or hiding in the hillside. I recommend that you set “always run” in the world menu and learn to jump.

It is a great way to earn lindens, but requires alert attention at all time in contrast to the old form of camping. In about 4 hours of running and being immolated and resurrected on different occasions I earned about 108L. This is an fun active game within Second Life. Enjoy: http://slurl.com/secondlife/LR%20Portal%20Park1/130/128/25

Gemma Cleanslate

Castaway Cove

In the virtual world of Second Life, lots of clubs seem the same. Contests to draw regulars or new blood, the same DJs or events. Human and furry clubs both have to think of new and innovative ways to make itself stand out, to draw the furry and/or human clubber.

Nydia Tungsten has done that with her new club Castaway Cove. And she did say humans are welcome just like the furry crowd the Nydia aims to draw to her sim. Her main goal is create a common area for the residents or outsiders to come and relax.

The first thing I noticed after I used the landmark Bixyl gave me is that I land on the beach. Not many clubs are located like that. Then I see, "Ooo neat looks like a pirate ship sliced in half." And indeed there are two halves of a pirate ship laying on the beach as if it was in a shipwreck.

Another thing that Nydia brings to my attention is the Psicorp vender that one of her employees Sylnaya Windlow brought to Castaway Cove. Psicorp in the furry world of SL is a big deal for various furry products. Local builders like Fortunas Sands and Lsai Aeon also have shops here at her club.

In addition to the basic dance area I saw many other attractions on Nydia’s sim. For one example the game "Primtionary," which happened to be in an earlier article of the SL Newser but I asked anyway, "Primtionary, what game is that?"

In Nydia’s own words, "Well if you have ever heard of pictionary, it is like that, but instead of drawing the clues you build them with basic prims."

"So if I wanted to build an apple it would be a red sphere with a stem at the top?"

Nydia said yes, and she gave one hard example of Lsai having to explain jet lag, which she did accomplish after a lot of hard work. Each correct guess wins a small linden cash prize.

On top of having a unique new game on her sim Nydia also has jet skis to zoom around on and board games to goof off playing with friends. Also there was Bruce, a large crab at the bottom of the ocean. It was a big daddy! Be sure to ask Nydia about her special tub and to view it at sunset.

After I finished this interview I had fun playing the SL version of the game Clue with Helios and Rua. Besides Clue I also saw Greedy Greedy.

So next time you want to try out a new hangout spot just to try something new. Go to Nydia's Castaway Cove, located in the Kalmeere Paradise sim (18, 184, 21)

Grease Coakes

Natural Wilderness

Are you ever looking for a really quiet peaceful place to go hang out with a special friend? Perhaps it is a first date, and you would like to just sit and talk without interruption.

I found a delightful place called Natural Wilderness in Loch Haven. The site is filled with trees, shrubs, flowers, hills and valleys but as you wander around you will come across gazebos, benches and intimate nooks with pose balls for cuddling or dancing. I found a fisher, JT Cortes, just hanging out on the dock. He told me he loves to fish there in the solitude.

There were some dancers enjoying one of the dance floors and the music. Right now there is a winter place if you like to dance in the snow. You may want to hang out with some friends chatting by the fire, or just sit and gaze at the waves. The trees and flowers are delightful and it is a restful sim.

You can pick up the notecard near the landing place that tells you that above there are some sky boxes for rent if you would like more privacy and you have your choice of venues and activites. I took a short look at the Autumn bathhouse where there is a building in which you can enjoy a snuggle in the hot tub. In the Spring Forest Glade Skybox, you will find dances and a place to chat with friends or snuggle up with a special one while looking out onto the trees. There are other options. It is possible to take a look for free and then decide if you want to rent for a while.

The TPs and the prices and time limits are near the entrance. I enjoyed walking around and discovering little corners of privacy and I hope you will too. I tried not to be intrusive to the avatars I came across on my travels.

The entrance is here. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Loch%20Haven/119/237/24

Gemma Cleanslate

Cartoonimals Sim to Close

Daniel Voyager had some unhappy news on his blog the other day. The Cartoonimals sim would be closing in about a month. Owner Duggy Bing had put the region up for sale, saying “real life projects” were taking up too much of his time to keep the place.

Cartoonimals was a store, but its creations are so funny and whimsical the place is well worth a stroll through just to chuckle at the goods. There’s a wide variety of items from virtual pets, wearable and grounded, tip jars, novelty items, and more. The place is arranged in a circle so the sections are fairly easily accessible. There's also a roller rink in one corner, presumably designed for social events at one time.

Duggy will still be selling his items on SL Marketlace, plus his vendors will still be up in various places. He stated some details in a notecard:


I’m dropping you a note to let you know that I’ll be closing Cartoonimals in about a month. Real life projects have been taking increasing chunks of my attention and I simply haven’t had time to devote to creating new products and attending to marketing (never was too good at that). It was a terrific couple of years and a very rewarding experience. Not a single customer issue that could not be easily resolved….in SL that’s saying something! I want to especially thank those of you who helped with ideas, scripting, building and support.

I’ll continue to offer my stuff on Marketplace, as well as through affiliates. I will be inworld at least once a week to assist customers and replace missing items. As always satisfaction guaranteed.

So again, thanks so much. If I ever find a Third Life I hope you are all there!!!!—Duggy


Treet TV took a look at the place in 2009, and the video is still in the archives. But it’s no substitute for visiting the island yourself. Head to Cartoonimals (162, 157, 24).

Bixyl Shuftan

Forgotten City

The city hovered on rocks high above me as I made my way in on cobble stone roads, passing a a marker, like a gravestone , on the way that said “Forgotten City.” It was a long walk over several bridges until I came to a sign that said elevator. I pressed a button and down came an ancient box. I had no idea where I was so after pressing a few buttons a cage closed and I went up to level 2. The cage opened and I almost stepped into an abyss until I realized it was a two way cage and stepped out the back door carefully.

This is a silent empty sim with magnificent buildings to explore. The doors are impressive and the wall paper in one of the lavish buildings spoke of older times as did the parquet floors. No furniture remained and no portraits on the walls. I passed a neglected sign that said "Rent a House." I came across the first automaton in the square stationed in a kiosk that said "News Tobacco and Souvenir Stand." I glimpsed a lamp lighter in the distance but as he approached I saw it was another automaton. I was to see many more as I walked along . They are the workers who keep the City going.

I came across a fantastic steampunk water wheel behind the houses and stopped to watch it work for a while wondering what purpose it served. I saw a zeppelin take off and vowed to take a ride in it next time it came down. In the meantime I set off to visit the Capitolorium. There some wonderful eclectic pieces of art on the walls inside the building . The centerpiece in the entrance way is an old fashioned train set with locomotives and cars rounding the tracks of a miniature village with miniature people waiting to board the cars outside a the station. The tiny towns have familiar names to me: Chesterfield, Bellows Falls, Brattleboro ... all in the state of Vermont in the USA and I have been to all of them. It is a sight not to be missed.

I stopped in the saloon to watch the dancers on platforms move around and around. Out back in the courtyard I found a map of the city recommending rentals of the abandoned buildings. As I roamed I did find that indeed some people have returned to take up residence in the city in various corners . So perhaps in the future perhaps it will come to life again. I finally caught the Zeppelin and took a ride over the city. It is a great overview of all there is to see there. There is an intricate system of pipes running through the entire area carrying power from the waterwheel I assume in the form of steam. I found the port with a schedule of vessels that come by at various times and you can hop aboard or you can take a row boat and explore the canals.

I was lucky enough to meet the owners and creators of this spectacular sim. The newest addition to the city is a Winter Park (you will need a mesh viewer at the Winter Park) with ski jumping and other fun activities, and I went there and sat down to talk to them. I was interested in why and how the sim became. Jenne Dibou and Mandy Marseille are the creators of the City. Mandy explained “we had a different island here, called SOL Solution Island, owned by a good friend, and built too mostly by Jenne ... but that friend left SL and so we had to decide to go homeless or try to build something that's more than a playground for us. Something 19th centurish thing, but more Central European than British, so the build style is really a mix of 'fantasy' and secession/jugendstil, a kind of branch of Art Nouveau that was common in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and the story is basically that our dear renters (who we love very much!! *smile* ) or explorers arrived here around 1885ish ... they have discovered this city in the middle of nowhere really. And they realized that people are gone, even though you can see Lincoln or Napoleon had once visited this place.”

After I left I paid a visit to the JD Mechanical Toy Factory. That is a must and you can find teleports around the Capitolorium and in the streets to take you up to it. Outside you will be able to try some of the games available. Horse racing was great fun! Choose your horse and watch it win or lose. Play poker with a friend. I lost! I tried the shooting gallery and did not do too badly there. Inside the factory itself you can purchase lots of fun steampunk items including creepy avatars, automatons, flying machines, motor vehicles of past ages, and entire buildings. It is a steampunk aficionado’s delight!

In the meantime plan on a long visit to the Forgotten City. As I look at the last view of my visit I know there is more to discover. It has been a while since I have found such an amazing sim to visit over and over. Perhaps I will see you there. It will be not so much "forgotten" but unforgettable.

Forgotten City (175, 210, 35)

Gemma Cleanslate

Pure Land: Exploring Buddhism

There are so many lovely, quiet places in Second Life where one can go for contemplation, either religious or meditative. I have written about some of them. A friend passed on a land mark to Pure Land Buddhist Practice in Takeuti.

It is very easy to see that the owner has arranged a place where one is able to move around to all the individual shrines in a peaceful setting. As you explore there is a mandala where you can sit and sip from a choice of drinks while you read the notecards and learn about the practices of Buddhism in this sim.

You are invited to join the group which in its mission statement says, “If you join us, the only thing we ask is that you are a respectful seeker. We are open to, and welcome everybody. Current beliefs or lifestyle do not matter. What matters is the practice. What we practice, and what we teach – through that practice – is the Dharma as taught by the Buddha. Truth is One, the sages speak of it by many names. Anybody can discover that One Truth. All of us have different experiences, all of us can contribute.“

You are invited to visit the various shrines and you will find a teleport board with all of them listed there. One TP you must take is to the Space Egg where you may float in meditation or try Reiki. The principles or Reiki are listed on the board. There are many thought provoking elements to be found in the Egg. You will also find a tarot reading area in the Space Egg. It is a sublimely quiet place to spend some time.

When you TP back to the Information Center you will see a schedule of all the Buddhist Meditations that are available in Second Life with the days and times and will be able to pick up the landmarks for each of them. The information Center is here: http://slurl.com/secondlife//220/198/26 .

Gemma Cleanslate

The Mitt Romney Information Center and Meeting Area

Last month in December, I heard about something that seemed a little off to me, a Mitt Romney dance club. Actually, the name listed was “Mitt Romney for President.” Curious, I decided to investigate, and teleported over.

For those not in the know, presumably mostly outside the North America, Mitt Romney is one of the leading contenders to be the Republican Party’s candidate for the Presidency of the United States. In 2008, there were several places on the Grid that were either the locations or planned locations for builds to publicize both Democratic and Republican candidates for their respective party nominations. And now, one had arrived for 2012.

Arriving at the club, attendance was light. But the enthusiasm of the people seemed to show in their “Believing in America” tags. The partiers whooped and “Yaaaaay”ed and gestured much like other clubs I went to. Stacey Zirgar was the lady DJing for the club. Noticing the club listed her as the owner, I spoke to her when the event was done.

“I didn’t plan this,” Stacey spoke of the party, “I just kinda got it there. I figured the best way to get the word out was for me to DJ.” I asked how a club with a political candidate’s name on it came to be, “It’s not really a club. I am a DJ in SL, and I DJ at a lot of clubs, but I created this for a couple reasons.” She wanted to educate others about Mitt Romney, as well as make a place like-minded supporters. She found no one around when she dropped by the GOP Cafe, “so I decided to make this place today. There is nothing for Mitt in Second Life, so I rented this parcel, set up the office in the back, got the group, and all the rest of the stuff I had in inventory.”

Noticing a larger building in the back, I asked if that was the information center. “It will be,” Stacey answered, “and a meeting area.” She invited to show me around, though told me she had yet to put in much detail. In the land description, she put, “This office is for supporters of US Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney. Weekly meetings and events will be announced through this group. If you want to volunteer, please contact Stacey Zirgar: www.mitromney.com .” She told me she had a fundraising page on his website, “I don’t take fundraising money in Second Life.” I asked if the place would remain open until Election Day should Romney win the nomination. She told me it would.

Stacey didn’t have anyone else helping out at the moment, “I just started this today, so I have to get the word out.” She did have a classified ad somewhere, and had a donation jar if anyone wanted to help pay for the cost of the land. She had a $500 US dollar fundraising goal, “but mostly this will just be for information and meeting others who also support him.”

Stacey told me she’s also a DJ in real life. On the Grid, “I have tons of stores in Second Life, so I am really a business-oriented person." It wasn’t long before she had to be elsewhere, and we parted ways.

I dropped by again this week. Although the land was still in Stacey’s name, the stage and info canter were gone. Perhaps she is in the middle of rebuilding. The group "Mitt Romney for President" and her fundraising page are still active.

"Mitt Romney for President" was at Mastic Beach (103, 133, 22).

Bixyl Shuftan