Alamo Exhibit Opens in UT Arlington

On Tuesday May 4, the University of Texas officially opened its Alamo exhibit in Second Life. The unveiling began with a Grand Opening event on the exhibit grounds, with live music and some dancing. Following that, the creator of the build, Lora Chadborne, offered tours.

The exhibit was open at 2:30 PM SL time. Getting there, it took a little time for everything and everyone to rezz. And there was an unusual “bounce” effect on the avatars, feel sinking into the ground for a split second then being shoved hack up. Group chatter had a few reports of glitches elsewhere, so it seemed a few of the gremlins showed up at the opening event as well. At about 3 PM, a patio with a piano appeared in front of the Alamo. A musician, Brookston Holiday then sat down and began playing and singing. Most people just listened, but some were dancing.

At 4 PM, the music was over. And Brookston wished everyone well and left. But Lora Chadborne stepped by the entrance and offered tours of the Alamo. Lora was the woman whom had built the Alamo exhibit. She had recreated historical settings in Second Life before, notably the Mayflower and Plymouth and the Apollo 11 moon landing area.

Near the entrance was a sign that explained the shortage of pictures from inside the real Alamo: they were prohibited. But Lora told be she had no problem: the sign was there because the real-life Alamo had one.

The inside had the same fine detail as the outside, or as Rocket Sellers put it, “this Alamo is unforgettable. Touching parts of the exhibit often gave you a notecard explaining the event. The baptistery and confessional near the entrance converted to powder magazines. The main room had photos of the real Alamo through history, portraits of Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, and William Travis, a plaque of Travis’ last letter to Sam Houston, as well as a number of flags. Others included one with a flintlock on display, the Sacristy where the women and children hid during the final siege, which had a painting of Santa Anna ordering the bodies of the defenders burned in a mass funeral pyre.

In the back of the main hall was an 18 pounder cannon, the largest of those the Alamo had, a case with a newspaper account of the battle written 18 days later, and another comparing the fight to the Battle of Thermopylae of Ancient Greece. Nearby was the “Pop Culture” corner, with a movie poster and a kid’s toy Alamo set, “from the Davy Crockett craze of the 1950s.”

Nearby, Lora showed a recreation of the Alamo's well. In a nearby building, there was an art gallery, including photographic pictures of the actors playing the roles of David Crockett, Jim Bowie, and others. The building also had a gift shop. Lora gave me a coonskin cap for free as a souvenir.

A notecard gave this brief history of the “Mission San Antonio de Valero: Erected in 1718 by Franciscan missionaries bringing the Christian faith to Tejas (Texas), this mission served for decades before being abandoned and secularized. In 1803, the decaying site was used as barracks by the Spanish army, who renamed it 'the Alamo' after the Spanish word for 'cottonwood tree.' When the merciless Santa Anna discarded the Mexican Constitution of 1824 and became a dictator, American (and Mexican) settlers in Texas rebelled. Those of the nearby town of San Antonio de Bexar moved into the Alamo fortress, where they stood against the advancing army of Santa Anna -- outnumbered twenty to one.”

After 13 days, the 189 defenders, Texans and Mexicans opposed to Santa Anna, were overrun and all killed but the women and children, whom were let go.

More info on the Alamo exhibit can be found on it’s webpage: http://www.uta.edu/secondlife/alamo/


The Alamo exhibit is at UTArlington III (161, 113, 22).

Bixyl Shuftan

Saint George’s Church

While at one of Gemma & Quark’s parties recently, I ran into someone with whom I got into a talk about Easter. She mentioned a church building in Second Life would be decorated for the holiday: Saint George Church in the Larsson sim. So on Easter weekend I hopped over.

The sim itself was white with snow, trees both bare and evergreen covered with ice. stone steps lead up to the Eastern Orthodox style church, which has white walls and blue domes with crosses of shining gold. There is no closed door in the front, but an open archway leading inside.

Inside, there are a number of icons, Eastern Orthodox religious paintings, on the back wall, called an iconostasis, along with a number of paintings on the ceiling. There are also numerous lit candles, including incense candles. Some are on candlesticks or holders on the ground. Others are in a chandelier on the ceiling. Behind the wall of icons is the sanctuary, which houses an altar. In real-life. Traditionally, there is only one ceremony a year inside this room.

The notecard I was given, which can also be found by clicking a plaque near the entrance, did not describe St. George’s as being based on a single real life church, but rather based on the style typically found in Eastern Orthodox churches.

This church is one of the the most accurate and detailed in SL. The building itself is almost entirely hand-made, photoshop techniques have been used sparingly and only to accent the build. All icons and trim come from RL Eastern Orthodox churches in Europe and the US. The building itself is done Byzantine style with elements from the Serbian, Greek and Russian churches. St. George is 100% accurate down to the choice of icons and their placement in the church; one may even peek behind the iconostatis and find an altar area ready for a liturgical service.

Another aspect of this church is that it has been a group project. Various members of the "parish" community have contributed at different times, each giving something according to their ability; things, ideas, Linden$ and labor. The process has been very "real' in the sense that we have all learned to "live" and work with each other ..... and in the end value each other; it is a community composed of Serbians, British, Americans, Germans, Italians, Swiss, Bulgarians, Russians, Australians, Greeks and Dutch.

The church will not be used for actual liturgical services but instead as a place for learning about the Byzantine/Eastern Orthodox faith and cultural influences. The intent of the St. George community has been to provide a warm, welcoming spot in SL that is in a natural setting. The choice of a snow sim was accidental, but the church has become the jewel in the monochromatic setting and now the building has taken on an organic quality to it linking it to the snowy surroundings. The grounds are extensive, and include a pilgrim's chapel for private prayer and a wilderness trail that can only hint at the beauty of God's creation.

Eastern Orthodox icons are images which give us glimpses into the spiritual word, images that bring us into a more complete, unbroken reality. Icon writers (they are called writers not painters) understand this fundamental concept. Yet, icons are not only boards with images; humans are icons as well, made and called to reflect that complete, unbroken reality. So we offer St. George to SL as our icon, written by a community seeking that Complete, Unbroken Reality.


St. George’s Church is at the Larsson sim at (113, 71, 103).

Bixyl Shuftan

Random Ride Through the Stargate

On a particularly boring day last week I decided to simply fire up the ol' Stargate and see where a series of "/d Random" commands would take me. As the Stargate is pretty old technology on the grid, I figured the only places I would end up at would be older-than-dirt abandoned areas long forgotten by the pixels of time and barely worth a mention.

Boy, was I ever wrong.

/d Random

First stop took me to the Grayling Army Airfield (Grayling Airfield sim; 13, 128, 29). It's a nice little military base sim, with planes, bombers, and things of that nature. As I prefer the medieval past instead of that which is technologic, I only stayed for a short time and did a once over at the maximum range of my camera. The effort shows in the building of the sim, and appeared to be anything -but- an "abandoned place forgotten by the pixels."

/d Random

Stop #2 on my list of ten took me to Trinity Products and Defcon 1 (Amella sim; 34, 29, 128). After emerging on the floor above where the stargate was (not even the stargates are safe when you route teleporting to a set point), I had a look around to find that it was full of transformers and Star Trek things... mostly starships (some of which appear to be flyable versions).

The building also had a lot of barren land around it, making me wonder just how often it was visited. The sim itself looks barren on the world map, quite a bit off the nearest major road. Makes me wonder if they couldn't move it closer to the road so it could be seen by people who have the $L to spend, because they're -not- going to see it from the main road unless they're looking right at it.

/d Random

Off next to "Earth" (Dreamworld Gem sim; 83, 84, 22). It looked to be an office with a pretty neat teleporter effect they set up. But I ran into a dead end as the only way out seemed to be blocked by a large prim, so it was back to the gate after a very brief stay.

/d Random

Chronotis Sec at New Gallifrey (New Gallifrey sim; 161, 71, 3273) was by far the most impressive place I found on my travels. It looked like a bit of a Dr. Who museum, with a couple of doors off to one side of the landing point declaring "Beware of BOB." Naturally, I went straight for the doors.

Bob's a dinosaur. A Triceratops, to be exact. Unfortunately, I encountered him in a bit of a spot --- he'd ended up with his nose to the door I emerged from, and one of his hind legs had gotten caught in the rocks behind him... such is the fate of objects left "physical" in SL, I suppose.

I was VERY VERY impressed by the amount of work done on the area I did explore. The textures were amazing, and I smiled to myself as I found I'm not the only one to retexture both the outside -and- the inside of the "anywhere doors" used to get from one place to another.

5 Stars, hoards, or whatever. I would suggest going to see this build.

Dr. Who isn't my thing, so after about 20 minutes of looking around...

/d Random

My next stop was Fisher Island (Fisher Island sim; 192, 118, 3002). As it was 3000 meters in the sky I figured it was going to be some sort of hidden base or something just as interesting.

It wasn't. It was a flat featureless megaprim with a stargate. NEXT!

/d Random

I didn't stay very long at Vico (Vico sim; 200, 78, 701). I ended up on someone's build in the sky that was currently in progress, and they'd set a stargate out to accept random wanderers on the network. A quick hello, a quicker goodbye, and it was off again on my trips through the stargate network (double-checking my co-ords for these locations, I went back a few days later to find only empty air, resulting in a 700-meter skydive). Whee!

/d Random

It was off to the Rizzo sim (Rizzo sim; 48, 40, 501), which ended up a tiny shop in the sky, appropriately named the "Little Shop". This one had TWO stargates in close proximity to each other, so when I next triggered one, I'd trigger them both. The shop itself had a couple of vendors, but as they seemed to be Dr. Who vendors... yeah, time for me to "choose a gate". Triggering the stargates, one of them was about three times as slow on the rotations. I don't know why that is.

I tried triggering my home gate before hitting a random one --- only one succeeded, the other one shut down as "gate not found".

/d Random

I wound up at the campsite of the "civil barbarian" Aaron Kukulcan (Adeo sim; 20, 84, 38). This DID seem like an old spot to me and just had that "empty" vibe going. On the world map the area looks mostly undeveloped. It's on a small set of three private islands though, and who am I to judge... perhaps they wanted it mostly undeveloped wilderness as a nice and peaceful place to relax in.

Another two stargates, but the first choice lead directly into a packed sim (as in, 20 people near the landing point) with a sim name that sounded like it was a den of vampires. Not wanting to end up fed to the undead, I picked the second of the two gates.

/d Random


The result was the Destiny Isles, a solitary wilderness sim (Destiny Isles sim; 69, 153, 22). I laughed when I did a search a week later to find there is not only a Destiny Isle sim, but a Destiny Isles sim (with an s) as well.

It carried the "old" vibe, as if it hadn't been used in a while. Nothing spectacular to see here, unless you count the terraformed box canyon as part of "not being spectacular". It was the most creative use of terraforming I'd seen in a while and for a brief time considered doing it to my dragon cave and layering a megaprim over it as its roof. But since I have changed the appearance of my home four times in the last 5 weeks, I thought... nah.

Still, a very good job to the sim owner. The effort shows.

/d Random

My final stop ended up being a private residence, so I'm withholding the location.

Let me just say two words. Murphy's Law.

After that, I knew it was time to stop warping myself through space, time, and the grid, so I did a quick "/d wyv" and headed home.

So it does seem that not only is the stargate network not an abandoned piece of technology as I originally thought, but it is in fact thriving. You can get a free modifiable stargate at OS Labs over in Eternal Calm (210, 49, 22). It's about 125 prims though, so you'd better have room for it.

Xymbers Slade

Monaco Yachts

If you need a bit of luxury in your SL, Monaco Yachts is a new sim you’ll want to check out. It’s located at Monaco Yachts (214, 123, 22). The new venture is the collaboration of SL residents MichaelCorleone Losangeles and BlackBarbie Bravin. There have been some recent closures of large sims in SL, so the opening of a new one is a welcome treat.

MichaelCorleone Losangeles, who has been in SL since 2006, is Chief Executive Officer, and he is the yacht designer, too. BlackBarbie Bravin is the Chief Operations Officer. She met up with Losangeles a few months ago and persuaded him to expand on his building venture. Losangeles started building yachts as a hobby three years ago, and sold a few of them under “Christensen Shipyard."

Now he and Bravin have combined their talents to start the yacht club concept. They are joined by resident Anoron Hanson, who has also been a SL resident since 2006. Hanson is the Lead Architect for the sim. Currently there are three yachts and a large building designed for shops and events.

The nautical theme is very well done. When you arrive at Monaco Yachts, a lovely fountain, accented by an anchor, decorates the landing point. Inside the building is a beautiful aquarium that lines one wall, plush carpeting, and more nautical accents. All of this luxury is set against a background of Monaco.

Bravin gave me a tour of the yachts, which are very impressive. Their flagship yacht is 87 meters and has three decks. When describing his yachts, Losangeles said, “I can't build small.” The black yacht is a perfect party destination, while the white yacht has a more residential feel to it. In both yachts, the furnishings are very upscale. Doors open automatically, and functional stairs are concealed until they are needed. The bathrooms were especially nice, with vessel sinks and lots of granite. Be sure to check out the showers—they’re great!

Costs for the yachts range from $20,000 to $40,000 Lindens, depending upon furnishings and other details. If you are interested in a vacation rather than a full-time residence, the yachts can be rented. The ballroom, stores, and other amenities are also available. SL residents are welcome to come to fish, jet ski, swim with dolphins, or lounge on the beach. I rezzed my little sailboat and had fun sailing around.

Monaco Yachts is open now for anyone who wants a sneak preview. The 7 Seas Fishing is set up on one pier, and I saw a few of the dolphins. More items will be added in the coming weeks. The Grand Opening will be May 31.

Grey Lupindo

AM Radio to Close His Places in Second Life in Six Months

AM Radio is an artist in Second Life whom has worked several places like a canvas. Some of his builds are small, others larger which take a little time to go about. His wheatfield, also known as The Far Away, is perhaps his best known work, and was shown to me by a few friends when I was new to Second Life, notably in Voss’ Second Life Tours. It was at the tour group I saw the artist himself, a tall avatar dressed in a rustic black coat and stovepipe hat.

Unfortunately, these classic places now have a time limit. In the Prim Perfect blog, it was announced AM Radio had made a group statement saying his places would be gone after six months time.



Dear Friends,

I know there are folks who visit my sims daily, weekly, or monthly and that these spaces have become a part of their experience in Second Life. I am announcing the closing of my spaces 6 months in advance so that it won’t come as a surprise, drama, or rumor.

It is merely the end of a series of artworks. I continue to paint, sketch, photograph and write about my time here on this little rock collection that’s spinning and hurtling through space.

IDIA Labs of Ball State University has been gracious to host my work without demand or requirement. The sunsetting of the IDIA Lab sim is the result of positive and thoughtful input from IDIA, myself, and many of you.

I have archived the work already, and I appreciate the impulse to want to save the work.

The work though was as social as any avatar in SL, making friends with many of you and enabling so many positive experiences many of you have let me know about. ALL OF YOU are what the artwork really was. It isn’t in the prims, the textures, or scripts. It was in your willingness to explore and experience the world in a way I tried to share it. My time in SL has been like having hundreds of people analyzing my dreams every morning. I have learned so much about many of you, but truly learned so much about myself.

Please feel free to continue to visit. Please encourage anyone you know who will miss the spaces to visit them with you. See my picks in my profile for landmarks. The extent of my estate is a foothold by the water. All are welcome to the infinite within it.

Sincerely,
AM Radio

In an interview by Rowan Derryth, AM Radio described his grandfather as one of his major influences, working on the Gemini space program’s fuel cells, “He was doing a lot of the prototype work in his own basement.” His father’s interest was in old time tube radios. In many of AM radio’s places, one can find an old radio in a corner.


AM Radio has places at the following:

The Quiet – IDIA Labratories (150, 79, 23)

The Far Away – Dreamworld North (220, 130, 22)

A Little Further Than Before: IDIA Labratories (145, 229, 3476)

Superdyne: Surface: IDIA Labratories (164, 183, 3024)

Surface: IDIA Labratories (137, 110, 2058)

The Ferry: IDIA Labratories (133, 160, 1309)

Checking out these places for myself, they certainly had the feel of a work of art in three dimensions. One on which one can walk about, and sometimes be a part of. In the Wheatfield (The Far Away), by touching part of the windmill one can float around, for instance.

Perhaps not as large as some places, but Second Life stands to lose a classic.

::: I never stopped sketching you.
::: The smooth flesh on your cheek,
::: the gentle wave in your hair
::: dictating calculations of graphite onto paper.
::: The blurry trees behind you
::: drawn like baby's breath
::: in a wreath around your portrait
::: growing like vines
::: in stop motion animation
::: until you're gone.
::: The memory is left behind,
::: imprinted with a chemical mix
::: in a grand collection
::: of landscapes upon a life
::: of sketches as memories
::: looking to incorporate the next.

::: -- AM Radio

Source: Prim Perfect

Bixyl Shuftan

The Cheeky Cow Golf Course

I went off to see an sim I heard about, but instead found an interesting place next door. It is a wonderful Golf game sim called The Cheeky Cow. Marilyn Philbin and Taylor Revnik are the owners who seem to keep everything going. There are free golf lessons too.

I have never played golf in real-life. In SL, I have played mini golf on the Galaxy so I decided to check this place out and try it without lessons. What fun! I got lost after the first hole, and took a wrong turn. I spent a lot of shots falling down hill, into water, sand and then discovered I was on the wrong approach to the wrong hole! Good thing I was just practicing. I was not using the score hud which tracks everything you do and keeps score.

I watched some other people playing and realized, well, maybe I was not that bad. I invited Qwark to join me and Bejiita came along to try it . We had a riot and some cheating went on I am sorry to say, but we made our way around the first nine. I will definitely be going back to practice some more before I play with anyone again.

It is possible to rent clubs but I went the whole way and bought the clubs with the hud. At the entrance there is a store where you can buy all the clothing and accessories you want. And the free scoring Hud is on the wall in the store so look for it. There are golf tournaments often I see and the winners have amazing scores. You are invited to TP to a Haunted course if you like. Scary!!

It is a new adventure for me in SL and I will be playing for a while . There is also a “walkabout” and they call it, and it is a great place for a horseback ride. Look for some other fun things to do there too. My friend Alarice, who is a real-life golfer, and I will play soon. I have not even seen the second 9 yet but there is a tavern next to 18 which I popped into for obvious reasons.


Begin your adventure here: Kitykana (131, 234, 26)

Gemma Cleanslate

Changes at the New Bastogne WW2 RP

This year, there have been some changes going on at the New Bastogne WW2 Combat Roleplay area.

For one, the layout of the region has been changed, as well as the number of sims increased. Last year, there had been three sims in a reverse north/south arrangement, with the German teams in New Bastogne, the Allies in the bottom edge of the southern sim, and the land in-between as open territory. This simulated the situation with the Allies still in England, making raids into France.

Early this year, the arrangement of the lands was changed with the south sim moved west of Bastogne and renamed “Allied sim,” later changed to Perrone Airport. The German teams moved their bases to a sim east of Bastogne named Schloss Burg Eltz, with the airport to the south. North of Perrone Airport is Saint Quentin. North of New Bastogne and east of Saint Quentin is Huertgenwald, which is still being worked on.

To the south of New Bastogne is the New Fallout sim, which seems to be made into an Eastern European region. Then there’s Tataria to the southeast, which is new. For now, the action remains in New Bastogne, with the two teams staying out of each other’s “home” sim. Across the sims, some railroad track has been laid out, with a trolley occasionally moving along.

Saint Quentin has a club, the Saint Quentin Ballroom, which has two dance parties a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 PM SL time. The club plays 1940’s “big band” music the WW2 RP is known for, on occasion mixed in with other music from earlier times. The club is neutral ground, and players from both sides, and visitors, are welcome. People are requested to wear clothes appropriate for the time period, and visitors are asked not to disturb any players in combat outside the club.

Saint Quentin also has a small weapons store, next the the train station, Saint Quentin Importers, “No need to worry about oil or fuel prices,” joked Allied leader AngusGraham Ceawlin when he announced it’s opening. Then there is the Saint Quentin Cathedral. There are plans for a priest, Father Kravyn, to hold brief services every Sunday, “in addition to weddings, blessings or other types of services upon request.” The blessing of the cathedral and it’s first service is scheduled for April 3rd.

The northern part of the German sim has a large dark castle, with numerous rooms, and a dungeon. Work on furnishing the interior is still in progress (the rumors that the dungeon is not used for interrogations by the Germans but rather hot dates have been neither confirmed or denied).

New Bastogne continues to use two combat systems. The Vice system is used for most of the week, with the newer Blitz in play for Friday and Saturday. This had meant that for these two days aircraft couldn’t do more than scare ground targets, their bombs being unable to damage. More recently, a couple Blitz aircraft were offered to the pilots. For some pilots, however, the changes with the sims have posed a problem. Possibly because of the extra sim crossings, some pilots have found it difficult to stay in the air very long without crashing. Fortunately for them, the weekend raids on the Flying Tiger’s WW2 Pacific sims are still going on.

For the Germans, there has been some changes in the leadership. The leader of the Armee group had to leave New Bastogne. Vickster Khun, whom was in charge of the Luftwaffe group, assumed command. Duarte Koray was placed in command of the Richthofens. Some new players have also risen to prominence. Nohime Runner quickly rose from an entry level pilot to one of leading officers, taking charge of projects such as the construction of the German castle.

Besides the combat, there have also been some races. Last month, there was a horse race in the Saint Quentin sim, with a track set up around the cathedral. There were several contestants, including one Russian Cossack. A few warm-up laps were held, followed by a serious race, which was ran again when it was clear lag was causing some people to miss a turn. The winner was a lady from the German teams. Following the horse race, March has been the scene of tank races every Saturday from 3 to 5:30 PM at New Bastogne (71, 199, 3001).

On Tuesday March 15th, the Saint Quentin Club hosted a party in honor of the one year anniversary of the Bastogne combat RP, “Come Celebrate With Vickster Kuhn, our founder, the vision and continued growth of these wonderful sims.” About two dozen players and visitors attended, with Big Band music played, and a few prizes given out.

At one point, Allied commander AngusGraham Ceawlin spoke up, “I would like to thank all of you for coming in honor of the 1st anniversary of Bastogne. We owe much to Vickster Kuhn for her vision as well as countless others who have contributed their time and talents towards the continued success of New Bastogne and the Bastogne Project.” He asked all to raise a toast to her, and all at the party did, "Prost!" “Congratulations!" “Grats.”

Vickster responded with a smile, “Thank you all. ... Project Bastogne is a success due to the efforts of so many people! Not just our great sim owners Like Zewe Major, Seaone Bunyip, Joe Sparrow, Nohime Runner and Miss Ichi Yazimoto! Our admin team makes it happen! People like Miss Deusen Marx, Angus, Aeryn.... so many others! I'm so happy with the results of all our efforts!”

And so New Bastogne marches into it’s second year. Not completely without problems, but bigger and better than ever.

Bixyl Shuftan

Goonies Escapades

What a great time I had the other day. My friend, a SL inner kid, Everett Piek, called me to tell me that The Goonies Island had become Escapades and was totally different from the last time I saw it. I went to visit Everest at his little shack and we took off for a tour.

Loki Eliot has transformed the whole place. It is delightful. After stopping at the center of Rickity Town, Everett wanted me to see a surprise at the docks so off we went. Once there he took me into the John King Pirate Tavern. There I saw a scroll and a painting as the center pieces. The scroll began a story, and then we touched the picture and went into a world of the unknown.

Along the way we heard the story of Jack, with audio and visuals to enhance the trip. It is an adventure not to be missed when you visit . Everett took me around back of the Tavern and we took a ride on the Da Vinci copter up into the sky where there is a landing area on Sky Pirates Platform where you can visit the Ferret Bar. Make sure you look for that copter when you visit.

The next day I went back to look some more and ran into Loki in Rickety Town and he showed me a few of the fun things you can do along the way. I picked up a bashing stick to find treasures or taunts hidden in bushes, barrels, mushrooms. Of course I bashed a hornet next and acquired a follower that taunted and stung me.

Back in town I stopped at the market and bought some fun steam punk roller skates created by my my friend, Myrtil, who first introduced me to the SL kids on Goonie Island. There are many nooks and cranies to explore all over the island so take a trip. All are welcome.

This LM will put you in the center of the island in Rickity Town to begin your adventures. There you will find a map with teleports to the fun places. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Escapades/123/163/25

Gemma Cleanslate

Alvastra Monastery

One of the newest, real life places to be reproduced in SL is the Alvastra Monastery, located at Omberg/Alvastra Monestary, Gigli Aragami (99, 139, 22). One of the things I like best about SL is that it allows me to see places that I wouldn’t otherwise get to see, like this historic Swedish treasure.

SL resident Ewa Aska lives near the RL Alvastra Monastery, and she has done an outstanding job of replicating it in SL. This lovely, tranquil spot is a tribute to the RL restored Alvastra Monastery, located in Alvastra, Ödeshög Municipality, in eastern Sweden.

The original Monastery was founded in 1143 A.D. by French monks of the Cistercian order. They came from Clairvaux, France, to the province of Östergötland, Sweden. At its peak, Alvastra was the largest monastery in Sweden. It thrived for almost 400 years, but it was demolished during the Lutheran Reformation in the 1530’s. The Monastery in RL has been restored and is open to the public.

When you arrive at SL Alvastra, look to the right to see the replica of the ruins. At the landing spot there are signs where you can join the Group or donate to its upkeep. On my most recent visit a stage was set up there in preparation for a party.

But once you walk through the stone arches, you’ll find the Monastery is filled with lovely flowers, such as Black-eyed Susan’s, Foxglove, and wild garlic. You can relax with sound of a nearby waterfall and singing birds. The arches and columns create small rooms that are fun to wander through. Off to one side you will find the monks’ garden. In another small alcove there’s a quiet spot where you can kneel to meditate or pray. Here and there you’ll find a bench or a table and chairs. Bring a book and a glass of wine. There are some perfect spots to relax or just soak up some Swedish history.

Outside the ruin, past the landing area, a stone path leads up the mountain and opens into a beautiful meadow. Ewa had done a wonderful job of showcasing Sweden’s natural beauty here. Keep climbing to reach the top, but remember to bring an umbrella and wear a jacket. It’s still cold in Sweden at this time of year.

Grey Lupindo

Space Destiny Island Sim Closing Down March 1

Checking out Daniel Voyager’s Blog, I read about a science sim that I hadn’t heard from in a while: Space Destiny Island. One of the “Sci-Lands” sims, it is a great sim with places that both inform and entertain. Unfortunately, it is about to vanish from Second Life.

Porting in at the LM given for Space Destiny (85, 94, 24), a short distance to the south is the Liyana Hall, which offers a sign and notecard explaining about the sim, and has a small picture gallery with a few exhibits. Also hear the entrance is a display explaining about the Sci-Lands in general, along with flags of the countries of people whom sent donations to help pay for the sim. Down a trail to the west is the Solar Hazard Research Center, which explains sun-related dangers such as solar flares. Over looking it on a hill is a planetarium.


Going east of the entry point across a bridge, one will find Sustainable Communities, which explains a little about how certain skills familiar to 19th century pioneers and the Amish will prove useful again to planetary colonists, notably the need to be self-reliant with just the resources at hand. The Midrivers Project Space Center discussed health and well-being in space, mentioning of the “vibrating dumbbell” on TV commercials, saying its origins were in the space program. It also mentioned Tuna Oddfellow’s Odd Ball, saying the psychological effects the show has on some people could prove useful for researchers looking for drug-free ways to relive stress and homesickness on astronauts. North of that on the coast were displays of aquaculture (farming in the ocean), and “Sea-steading” - structures for living and research built over the ocean like oil rigs.

The northeast part of the sim is Skylon, it’s huge rocket plane visible on the map. Here one will find exhibits on aircraft and ariel science, as well as a flying carpet to take you around. Down the east coast are exhibits on space stations and rockets. In the southeast corner of the sim is the Study Centre for Food Production in Controlled Environments. There, one will find exhibits on agriculture in space, notably a centrifugal force chamber to simulate gravity in a space station (plants don’t get dizzy). There was also a link to a Youtube of the University of Arizona’s CEAC Lunar Greenhouse (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4Dbh0nvh-4).

Just down a path west from the Food Production Center is a recreational area with lounge chairs and dance floor. Looking around, I found a notecard with a LM to a Trek roleplay area over the sim (157, 207, 2048). Going there, I found a Trek space station: Outpost 17. Looking around, I found a dispenser that could manufacture phasers, datapads, and Starfleet uniforms: gold, blue, and of course red. While there, I ran into two members of the RP, Flea Habilis and Yoiko Hax. “We've about two days left,” Yoiko explained, “Still not sure exactly what's gonna happen to our station here. ... At least everything's backed up. Even a lower prim version -just- in case. ... I feel worse for everyone on ground level. As many times as Space Destiny seemed to change direction, they all preserved.” Their RP was also known as Space Station Hideki.

Exactly why the sim is closing was not explained, though they did say everything was being set up on Opensim, with people invited to contact Silviana Jenvieve (Dr. Jenny Oliver in RL). So those able to go to Opensim will still be able to see it. For those who can’t, Monday February 28 is the last chance to see this educational sim.

Once again, the entrance is at: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Space%20Destiny/85/94/24

Source: Daniel Voyager's Blog

Bixyl Shuftan

SL New England

SL New England is located on the united sailing (open waters) sims. This group of sims is in danger of being scrapped seemingly due to bad management. In an effort to save the location, a handful of residents are attempting to generate some public awareness and interest in the area.

Various areas are located on the estate, including Mystic, the Village, Dove Cottage, Fenimore Art Museum and Mystic Beach. In addition to shopping, multiple events are held regularly, including art exhibits in the square, music concerts, marina parties, fashion shows, weddings, scavenger hunts, fishing derbies, just to name a few.

Arriving at the LM, I was presented with two boards: one was a group joiner and the other was an opportunity to take a walking tour of the estate. I clicked on the tour ball, jumped on and began the tour.

SL New England is a series of 35 sims designed with a New England theme. One of the regions is Mystic and one is Nantucket. This is where you will find the SLNE village. Beautiful waterways and beaches are everywhere.

On Nantucket is the outdoor theater. This can be accessed by swimming or sailing up if you like. Musical performances are usually hosted daily. A recent concert featured Simon Voix in the town of Mystic. Hailing from Argentina, Simon plays an ecclectic mix of rock, soul Brazilian funk and Latin rythms on electric, classical style guitar with percussion backing tracks, He is inspired by the American rock & roll music of Jimi Hendrix, Living Colour and 70's music, soul music of artists like Stevie Wonder , Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye and the Latin rthyms of Carlos Santana & the Afro Cuban Musicians. This is just a sampling of the many musical performances that take place in New England.

Also located in Nantucket is the Nantucket Barn. Not your typical barn with horses and cows, it boasts 2 floors of New England Merchants. At the Barn, you can purchase anything from a ship to a blouse. Definitely worth exploring for all you shoppers! At The Nautical Shop, you can find items from maps of NE, boat oars and other boating items and sealife artwork.

At the marina, the largest, three-masted schooner belongs to the harbor master. A visit there will inform you about available slips. Beware of the brig though, there is zero tolerance for piracy. Boat prices range from $L250-$L4000.

Slipping off the pier and into the water, much to my surprise, I landed straight into the underwater world of the Mermaids! All types of merfolk avatars and attire can be found in these depths. There's truth in the saying "you never know what you will 'fall' into."

In the heart of Nantucket is Nantucket Square where art exhibits often take place. A simple click on the Art in New England signs will allow you to join the group and be kept aware of exhibits planned. Many of the shops are historically built and much of the other builds are based on actual buildings throughout the RL New England. Outdoor cafe tables are scattered throughout the square.

A virtual New England port town would not be complete without its share of pubs. The pubs also have swim-up entrances which aid the Merfolk but are utilized by all. Relax in a pub with a view to the water and watch the ships sail by and come into port.

Please help support this gem of sims. Have a visit, take a boat ride, make a purchase and donate if you are able. Inquire about renting a home or shop. Your patronage of this charming, quaint area may save it from taking its place in the SL landfill!

Shellie Sands

A Visit to the Criss MCA

I am always happy to get a notice of new artists being displayed at the Criss Museum of Contemporary Art . It is a pleasure to visit the Alajuela sim and the Museum building itself is intriguing. Go inside and you will find three floors of exhibits, each dedicated to one artist. They are usually very varied in their works and that is true of this exhibit.

On the first level you will find the the fascinating art of Sedge Roffo. His pieces are all created in SL and not in real-life. I recall some of his builds from the SL birthdays and Burning Life 09. He has created a process called primagery. Some of his “sculpts” are in the exhibit for you to enjoy. Climb the stairs to the second floor and there you will find a very different atmosphere in the midst of the works of JadeYu Fhang. JadeYu’s pieces are ethereal in my eyes. She says,” There is no split between the "virtual " universe, and the "real" one, as they are commonly named.” And that is the feeling I get when I gaze at her works.

Archibald Sideshow had his pieces on the third floor so don’t miss the stairs. His art is stunning and each takes some time to absorb. As you move from floor to floor you can pick up a note card about each artist and their philosophies of art as well as their backgrounds. I see that Scotj Criss the CEO is opening some galleries in the rear of the museum building for rent by artists to display their works so take a walk out to check the new area. A good starting point.

The gallery is located at Alajuela (184, 76, 22).

Gemma Cleanslate

Cap Estel Goes Safari

Maurice Messmer’s latest SL work is wild. Really wild. He has turned Cap Estel into the Serengeti. Start your adventure at Cap Estel Goes Safari, Cap Estel (229, 223, 53).

You can tour this Serengeti by giraffe or by horse. Hop on the giraffe or use the saddle rez station to get your pick of one of the four horses. They’re temporary, but they will last as long as you ride them. I picked the giraffe tour since I have horses at home, but I’d never ridden a giraffe. Their gait is surprisingly smooth.

As you ride into the Serengeti, you hear its sounds: beating drums, roaring waterfalls, and snarling wild animals. Cap Estel Safari is teeming with giraffe, zebra, Oryx, hyena, sable antelope, and even a rhino. Messmer is known for his realistic scenery, and he has outdone himself here. I felt like I was in Africa as I walked on the cracked, dry earth, crept past the animals, and peered over steep gorges filled with rushing water.

Near an old VW bus I met resident Melanie774 Kidd. She had just finished making a video of her giraffe ride around the site. The video is posted on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSSPa8rQ5rQ.

We chatted about how much we both enjoyed Messmer’s work. Kidd said this was the first time she had seen one of his sims. She learned about it from another SL resident, Shoji Kumaki, who displays photos of Messmer’s work in his gallery. “I love his photos,” she said, “so I had to come see for myself.”

After our chat I continued my tour of the Serengeti. I walked across the rickety rope bridge that spans one of the gorges. On the other side I found a tall observation tower and complimentary sweat towels and water. After that hike, I needed them. In keeping with making his places special, Messmer has even made the water bottles special here. All of the SL bottles and cups that I’ve seen are scripted to automatically give you a drink, whether you want a sip or not. But with this water bottle, you are in control. You only sip when you touch the bottle.

After you hydrate, climb up the tower. It’s a tall one. But you’ll be aptly rewarded by a great view and a cold bottle of Beck’s Beer at the top. Rest up in one of the Adirondack chairs to enjoy the brew and catch your breath. If you’re in the mood for some authentic African music, touch the drum.

When you go down the tower, walk toward the middle of the area, away from the rocks, to find a zebra herd. But be careful. Danger lurks in this jungle! I saw a number of slithering creatures.

As interesting as the Serengeti is, it’s only half of the Cap Estel Safari experience. A tropical jungle waits below, and you can reach it by grabbing onto a rope swing that is near the trail. Hold on tight to descend into the heart of the jungle. You’ll land at a platform that has security screening around it for your safety. Immediately you’ll see and hear the richness of the jungle -parrots, hummingbirds, moneys, and insects of all kinds live here.

Follow the torch lit path around the lake. Here the landscape is lush and beautiful, a treat for the senses. Take your time and linger. There is much to see. Colorful butterflies flutter from flower to flower, and a baby chimp plays on a swing. Hippos lumber in the shimmering water, but a small pile of bones reminds you to keep alert.

When you reach the cafe, you can pick up one of their yummy blueberry crumb muffins. Take a moment to sign the guest book, too, and drop a few Lindens in the tip jar if you can. All those hippos probably eat a lot. Then relax in one of the chairs on the deck. The pesky dragonfly will hover around you, but he won’t bite. Look for shadows on the water while you’re resting. Messmer has thought of everything.

When you’re finished feasting your eyes and your sweet tooth, you can find a quick TP behind the fan. It will zip you back up to the Serengeti. I’ve already been to Cap Estel Safari three times, but I’ll be back again soon. I always see something new each trip.

Grey Lupindo

Arctic Greenhouse

My friend, Kulta Hannu, knows I love freebies and flowers. So when she sent me a note about Arctic Greenhouse, a new site where you can win free flowers by playing puzzle and memory games, I couldn’t resist.

The games are located at the Arctic Greenhouse at the Alternate Reality sim (148, 161, 25).

You will rez onto a game platform that is surrounded by sofas, a table of coffee and cupcakes, and the games. The game level is underground, below the arctic ice. Surrounding the platform are plants, steam vents and volcanic activity.

The memory game has 5 levels, each one progressively harder and more complex. The goal is to match the flowers hidden under squares. After an easy first level, bombs appear. Touch the same bomb 3 times and you lose. Just when you think you have the hang of it, tornado squares begin to appear. Touch one of them and the board gets scrambled. It‘s a fun and addictive game!

There are five tables of this game so there shouldn’t be a wait to play. The prizes change daily, too, so you can return and play again. The night I played, I won a beautiful potted aloe.

The two puzzle games are harder. Picture pieces of the plant prize are scrambled in a frame. The goal is to move the pieces around to form the correct picture. The first night, they defeated me. But I returned in the morning with a fresh cup of coffee and triumphed over the first puzzle. I’ll tackle the second puzzle another day.

At the end of the platform is a transport bubble that takes you to the main greenhouse above ground. Or you can go there directly at Alternate Reality (143, 139, 54). The greenhouse is filled with beautiful plants at very reasonable prices. There are Valentine Day specials, too.

The Arctic Greenhouse is the latest creation of Logan Bauer, a SL resident since 2004. At the Greenhouse he has created plants that are low-prim but don’t look low-prim. He has used sculpts and other magic to make them detailed and beautiful. Walk around outside the greenhouse, too. There are a few trees and plants for sale outside. But watch out for the baby dinosaur!

Grey Lupindo

Casablanca Hotel

Recently I visited The Casablanca Suites & Hotel Beach Resort, located at Casablanca Hotel (207, 51, 32). The Hotel was built by Patch Thibaud, and Frolic Mills is CEO. In addition to the Hotel, the Resort includes a residential community, convention center, country club, chapel, shopping, theatres, and more.

The Hotel Manager, BlackBarbie Bravin, has been the manager for 6 months, and she has one of the most glamorous work sites in SL. She gave me a VIP tour of the hotel, including a luxury suite and penthouse. We met in the lobby, which is a bold mix of red, leopard, and black. A subtropical floral centerpiece, created by Lilith Heart of Heart Nursery, accentuates the exotic luxury of the Casablanca Hotel. The red and black couches are perfect for meeting friends before an evening out.

Two small shops are located on the left side of the lobby. Casablanca Boulevard has unique sandals, and KPD (Kathrin Pearl Designs) has upscale ladies fashions. My favorite KPD is the Autumn Winds ensemble. It’s an entire outfit in a box: mini skirt, sweater, belt, bangles, brown leather boots, and a sculpted fur jacket (fake fur, I hope). In addition to the lobby stores, Bravin told me there are over 80 shops located here.

Rich, gold paneling carries the exotic theme from the lobby into an area that serves as a meeting room or a space for small parties. Deep red carpet gives this room a quiet, plush feel. Five small couches, each with a table big enough to hold a pair of wine glasses and a cheese tray, are located along one curved wall. A hallway gleaming with polished black marble leads to the formal ballroom. Bravin said the ballrooms are available for guests at no additional charge, and non-guests can rent the space for special events. They have had weddings and dinners in the formal ballroom. Glass doors open out to the lake side of the Hotel. There are water fountains, a nearby mall, and even a white sandy beach where you can catch some rays.

On the opposite side of the Hotel hallway is a spectacular infinity pool. You can sit at one of the umbrella tables, sip a tropical drink, and gaze at a stunning view of the ocean. For a more romantic evening, there are four private dining tents on the far side of the pool.

The most fantastic part of the Hotel—the suites and penthouses—are not public. There are eight regular suites and two penthouse suites. Bravin explained that for privacy and security reasons the rooms are accessed by landmark only. The rooms are available, however, for residential or limited rental. Approximately 4 to 6 SL residents live here full time. Contact her for rates and details.

First Bravin showed me the suite, and I was amazed at how spacious and beautiful it was. The living room had a fireplace and lots of room to entertain. Beautiful art and floral arrangements are found in every room, too. Bravin explained that Frolic Mills, along with Editorial Clarity, did the interior decorating. There was also a large bedroom with an adjacent bath.

On our way to the penthouse, Bravin told me that the Casablanca Hotel is home to a SL celebrity. Miss Virtual World 2011, Serene Faith, has a Master suite here. It was part of the prize package she won in the pageant.

The Penthouse was also lavishly decorated. The first floor was spacious, and it also had a fireplace and romantic balconies. A small staircase led to a hot tub that was tucked discretely in one corner. Another staircase led to a second floor and additional rooms. Bravin explained that any of the furnishings could be changed or removed at the guest’s request. “The goal,” Ms. Bravin said, “is to make you never want to leave.”

The Casablanca Hotel reached its goal with me. I would have loved to stay longer. When I mentioned to Bravin that the Hotel would make a lovely Valentine get-away, she smiled and said they already have a Valentine’s Hunt planned. The dates for the Hunt are February 14 – 28. I’ve already marked my calendar.

Grey Lupindo

Cape Able Gallery

Feathers Boa sent an invitation to her opening at the Cape Able Gallery and I arrived a little late but made it. To my surprise there was my friend Gentle Heron of Virtual Ability. Little did I know that this is a sim related to promoting the disabled in SL.

I found out that the Cape Able sim is owned by Virtual Ability. The Gallery is lovely and the exhibit hosting four SL artists is definitely worth a visit. On the lower floor, you will find vibrant fractals by Piaget Hax in one hall. His note card explains it all! In the next hall is an exhibit of John Brewster’s 19th century portraits of the early American citizens, brought into SL. There are note cards about the gentlemen and ladies in the portraits and numerous children’s portraits with some history of the child.

Moving in to the next hall you will find the haunting SL photos of Kirk Smythe, photojournalist. Each of these artists is disabled in RL, but oh so able. You can pick up a note card in each hall about the artist and their SL and RL. Above on the second floor you will be able to view and interact with the enchanting works of Feathers Boa. They are very intricate and in some cases as I have learned, have deep, intense personal meaning.

After touring all the exhibits I was introduced to Treasure Ballinger, the estate manager. She told me she is always seeking disabled SL artists to display their works in the Art Gallery and if you know of a deaf or disabled artist they are asked to contact her. The present exhibit will be there until the end of February so you have time to get there.

If you would like to learn more about Virtual ability you an visit the website http://virtualability.org/default.aspx. Before you enter the Gallery pick up a note card that gives a wonderful explanation of what Cape Able is all about and a thought provoking statement about who is the disabled.

To visit the gallery you can use this entry point: Cape Able (103, 147, 23).

Gemma Cleanslate