Aloha Beach

By Wesley Regenbogen

 Every once in a while we all have the need to go to a place to relax in Second Life. Although there are many places to relax around Second Life, some of those get crowded to often, because many avatars find their way to that place. The only solution : finding another place. That’s not too difficult, but if you want to relax and like a beach, check out Aloha Beach.

Aloha Beach is a tropical beach where you can relax and sit down and just enjoy the view of the beach and the waves coming towards you. There is also a place where you can play basketball, although that didn’t seem to work for me, and you can also dance to the music. There are many chairs that you can sit on, so choose one and right-click it and choose “Sit here” and there will be a pop-up message that asks you which sitting pose you want to take on the chair.

 You can even take an ice cream at the ice cream stand. You then get an object named “ 1 scoop” v1 or v2 or v3, depending on which one you choose. You then need to go to your inventory and look into the “Objects” folder and search for the name of the object mentioned above. You can then choose to “wear” it and then you will see that you are holding an ice cream in your hand. So, then you can relax sitting on a chair with an ice cream. Virtual life can be simple and easy, don’t you agree?

The place is owned by Ikapono Catnap. It was claimed by him on the 23rd of June,2013. But since he only understands Japanese, I wasn’t able to ask him any questions about the place. I don’t speak Japanese.

The music in the background really makes you want to relax and enjoy it and the environment itself. There are a few shops around, but I didn’t buy anything. There’s a bird sitting on a stick and when you right-click it and choose “Touch” the bird takes off and flies around for a round and then it returns to his stick. The waves in the water are really amazing to watch, they are so beautiful you can watch it for hours. Even the water itself is amazingly beautiful too.

So, if you like beaches in Second Life, this is the place to be.

Relax and enjoy the environment and the music, and maybe one day we can meet up there.

You can find this place at :

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Veil%20ofthe%20Moon/20/150/21

Wesley Regenbogen

The Jungle

By Gemma Cleanslate

Do you  enjoy looking film or videos or pictures displaying  the lushness of a tropical jungle?Make sure you visit The Jungle region. When you arrive, you are invited to teleport to the many sites recommended to visit.  The owners of the Jungle, Perry Krell and Leigh Elton Krell opened this region in May and already have had almost 15,000 visitors. It is now on the Destination Guide. 

Actually, Perry told me he built the teleport because he was getting lost all the time. Or, you can take the walking entrance which is the Lion’s Mouth and wander off on the stone paths I spotted a pride of lions as I set off. Immediately you meet a whole elephant herd lazing in the sun, enjoying the pools of water to drink or bathing . The experience of being surrounded by vibrant flowers that glow, the massive trees, and the thick vines that hang from the trees, and buzzing insects will give you the feeling of being in the real jungle. I felt dwarfed by the foliage, some of which appeared  ready to eat me, but their  loveliness made me pause to look. Sweet bird songs, along with roars and howls of the animals surround you as you meander through the trees.   

I climbed one of the vines and rode a zip line to the ground. I took a boat ride down the river and viewed wild animals  along the edge of the land feeding or taking a drink of water. There is a cannibal village where the ferocious cannibals look like they are ready to go hunting for food....wild animals I hope. Waterfalls abound in the jungle and along the river. I spied 7seas fishing along the river and think there will be contests there soon. 

And who did I run into in this jungle? Breezes Babii, my dear friend And you recall her stories here in the paper too. She is a guide and a lion in the jungle!  

I visited the Art Gallery that has some relaxation areas to dance or just relax and cuddle. This is a sim to visit alone or with friends and every time I go there are people moving among the animals of just relaxing in one of the sites planned just for that. I asked Leigh what gave them the idea and she said,”We love the jungle and wanted a place of peace for avatars to be able to come to for relaxation.  The beauty of this jungle is among the best in Second life. The reality of the animals and the things than take place all over the jungle is amazing.  If you are in a hurry you will miss the point of the visit to The Jungle ; it takes time to explore and to enjoy!”

One thing I came across was a plane that had crashed where hyenas were rummaging in the area and Leigh told me that starting in the fall there will be a game connected with that called Plane Crash Survivors. That should be interesting. 

There are activities and entertainment going on at the social venues that you might enjoy so join the group for notices. Kudos to the builders ! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife//1/160/27

 Gemma Cleanslate

AERO Golf Club

By Wesley Regenbogen

Golfing, it must be the coolest sport around the world!

The AERO Golf Club was created by Kaja Ashland and Marcus Bremser, who are also the owners of the club, and the opened in November 2013. Although this isn’t the first golf club within the Second Life environment, it’s a cool and nicely created club.

The number of visitors depends on which time of the day and which day of the week you there. But actual numbers on how much visitors were not given. But they have large club of golfers that come in and play regularly.

How to golf in AERO Golf Club :

To play golf, you must first join their group, and then you get a “Golf HUD” and a “Golf Club” handed to you. You must accept it to go further. This is done to keep order on the golf terrain and to keep it’s landscape nice. Another reason is that they want to avoid everyone using the golf club as a sandbox. So, only group members can rez the golf ball and other things to start playing. You need to wear both the HUD and the club in order to play golf.

Then you must move your avatar to the first hole, which are indicated by the red-white indicators. On your Golf HUD there are three words : “Putter”, “Wedge” and “Driver”. Those are the type of clubs to make your tee get towards the hole. Physics do have an effect on gameplay, so natural effects like wind, weather conditions and the golf ball also reacts to ground shape and other objects on the track.

Once you putted a hole, you can move on to the next tee, which is clearly indicated with arrows with “ Next tee”. Before you start to try to push your golf ball towards the hole, you can adjust the direction of your throw by using your arrow keys. More precise targeting is done by holding down the Shift-key and the arrow keys on your keyboard.

On screen there is always the wind speed in mph. Once you are ready to golf, just click on “Driver” and then you can hold down the left mouse button until the speed indicator from green towards red, allowing you to adjust the speed of your throw.

To hit your golf ball, you can release the left mouse button. Your avatar now shows an animation of a golfer hitting his golf ball towards the hole. Once your golf ball has landed somewhere on the course, it will show a marker where the ball is. To teleport towards the golf ball, you need to click on the marker, your avatar will teleport there instantly.

There are 18 holes to complete before finishing the game. I haven’t completed a game of 18 holes myself yet.

There are basic and advanced tutorials, which are available at tee number 1 under the white tent.

In my personal opinion : this is the coolest golf club that I have visited in Second Life so far. But I have only visited one golf club in Second Life, haha ….

You can find AERO Golf Club at this location :

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lavender/128/86/28

Wesley Regenbogen

The Dawn Kingdoms : Walking with the Dinosaurs in Second Life

By Wesley Regenbogen 

The Dawn Kingdoms ( located in the Fort Nowhere sim) is the place where you can walk around aside the dinosaurs. The name comes from dawn, which means the early ages of Earth and kingdoms reflects on the empire that was owned by the dinosaurs.
 

This sim was created in the year 2007 and the Dinosaur Shop was opened in 2008, and is a full-sized sim. The owner hopes to expand the sim, when the funding allows it. The creator/owner of this all is Wanders Nowhere, but he gets assistance from two trustworthy friends of him (Alevan and Kaitlyn ), who are also sim admins of the place.
 

Wanders Nowhere created this sim all by himself and he also created the dinosaur mesh bots. Those dinosaur mesh bots are scripted bots that can react when an avatar is nearby, by roaring at them. The owner says it was difficult to create those dinosaur mesh bots in the beginning, but now he can create one in 1 or 2 weeks’ time. He is experimenting with new scripts and new methods of moving of the dinosaur mesh bots. Some dinosaur mesh bots are difficult to create, because they have unusual features, feathers and other things that all need to be animated and put into place. I have also seen a T-Rex in the Dawn Kingdoms, that was quite a scare, because it really is huge.

Wanders Nowhere also says that it has been hard work to create it all, but he says it challenging and rewarding to make it all. In the future he will create so-called “guests rides” where they follow a path or even fight with avatars who wear combat HUDs on them. There is also a group where you can get updates from this place, but I haven’t joined it yet.
 

Before you get in the actual dinosaur adventure, you arrive at the dinosaur shop and the entering area. To “time warp” into the sim, you need to follow the arrow , which takes you to a glowing orb and you need to touch it ( right-click and select “Touch” ). You then need to “sit” on the glowing orb and wait until the teleport system transwarps you to the era. Before entering it asks which era you want to teleport to. But there is only one option, at the moment of writing this article, so, you click it and it takes you to the sim itself.
 

The landscape of the sim is beautifully rendered and the dinosaur mesh bots are awaiting you. When you get a bit closer towards the dinosaur, it will roar once you near it very closely. This is the reaction that the owner put in place to allow the dinosaurs to “react” to avatars. When you wander around the place you encounter a few dinosaurs, like a T-Rex, and raptors and other dinos.
 

This place is one of the coolest places that I have ever visited in my lifetime on Second Life. In my personal opinion, this place is awesome and I hope he can continue to create further here.

It’s worth a visit, trust me.

You can find it at :

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fort%20Nowhere/129/68/1102

Wesley Regenbogen 

Creations For a Cause

 

By Gemma Cleanslate

 

What a delightful time I had visiting the region, Creations Park. Originally I went over to view the Dreamscapes exhibit featuring some exquisite art by five SL artists in the elegant Gallery . The pieces were all lovely and represent the artist’s images of what is Dreamscape to them. Be sure to view them during August and September. There will be a new theme for the following months. When I said I was going to Creations, someone said to me that the region was lovely and to explore it. I set out from the Gallery on foot and picked up a notecard telling me about the purpose of the sim and landmarks not to miss. 

 

The mission of the sim in SL is to support the Team Fox founded by actor Michael J. Fox, whose mission is raising funds for research into Parkinson disease. The founder and owner of the sim, Barbie Alchemi, relates her feelings, “After 2 years in Second Life, my brother and I felt a desire to give meaning and purpose to the hours we spent in-world. Our Dad died with Parkinson's and our Mother has it now. To quote her "I may have Parkinson's, but it does not have me." At 85 years young, she has entered Second Life and is thrilled to see herself running and dancing again.  This sim was created for everyone to enjoy. Those of us in Second Life can have fun while knowing we are making a difference in the real world. Those who are affected by Parkinson's can learn about SL, a world where they can be free of physical limitations.“

 

I picked up a demo horse and took a ride along the paths and over the brick bridges that connect the areas. There is a marvelous beach with a water slide, relaxing beach chairs, cozy cabanas and cuddles. Under the waters you will find a gorgeous underworld mermaid paradise. I happened upon a party of mermaids dancing while I was there. Around the dance area the underwater decor is lovely, including an Atlantis setting . 

 

Back on dry land, I wandered along to the village of shops where I ended up purchasing some fall outfits . All or half of the money you pay for the items goes to Team Fox. It is nice to buy something and know that part of the money goes to a good cause. There are two lovely shopping areas there with some well known fashionistas  involved. While I was there a summer hunt was going on so I picked up some nice gifts. 

 

I visited the towering Castle filled with interesting secret rooms.One teleport took me to a snowy winter wonderland with midsummer ice skating, skiing, balloon ride and more available and it was a frosty treat! Some dazzling Christmas trees were displayed in gingerbread  houses around the skating area. There are activities going on during the week at various places around the sim so you are invited to join the group to be informed, or join the subscribo for information.  

 

A teleport board  is placed all around the areas giving the option of getting to the numerous venues easily . There are more places to visit than I talked about and you will find them there for your pleasure to explore. I will definitely be back for more!  This entrance will put you near the tp board , or near a demo horse to rezz to start your travels.  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Creations%20Park/192/68/22 

 

Gemma Cleanslate

The Shelter : A Place to Relax And Enjoy !

By Wesley Regenbogen

The Shelter is a newbie-friendly place where avatars can meet and chat with each other in a nice atmosphere. People can just relax, listen to music, dance or just head out to the pool and relax there. Or, if you like water, you can take a dive into the pool itself. 

The place was created by Travis Lambert and Lars Bismark and was founded on August 20, 2004. So, within a few weeks they will celebrate their 10^th birthday in Second Life. The current coordinators of The Shelter are FireEyes Fauna and Shadow Pidgeon. They have 22 volunteers and 11 DJs giving their time to add to the enjoyment of our patrons. Their events are listed on the Second Life official website, but they also have a forum (http://www.slshelter.com/forums/) and an in-world group to announce their events.

Newbies will feel welcome at The Shelter as there are a staff of volunteers that are answering questions and offer advice, also to older avatars. Members of the group can also set The Shelter as their home. The Shelter offers a calm, friendly place to socialize and dance, and also relax. The Shelter offers a shelter from the chaos of Second Life. They have pool parties on the weekends. There's dancing on the deck or take a relaxing dip in the pool.

Their soon to be 10th birthday is quite an achievement in Second Life terms speaking, and they are proud of it.

They have a large group of supporters and shops and ad rentals that keep them going. Without the support of these supporters The Shelter wouldn’t have existed. They can always use more help, to help them exist another 10 years.

The creator of The Shelter, Travis Lambert once posted on the forum : "When I was a newbie, SL was a very different place than it is today. The entire grid was limited to 100 mainland sims, and there were no private islands. Events were so few, that Lindens actually announced them grid-wide with blue popup messages. There were still plenty of things to explore, but if you wanted a more social experience, your options were pretty much limited to chaotic welcome-areas with little policing, or a few Sex/Orgy clubs that were so raunchy it'd make a porn star blush. After a few months of frustration, Lars Bismark & I decided to try our hand at our own place with our own vision, and opened the Shelter. The idea for the name came from an alternative club in Detroit, where Lars and I were both from, and it seemed to fit perfectly for what we were trying to create: A Shelter from the chaos of SL."

So, if you are looking for a place to relax, then The Shelter is the perfect place to be.

Maybe we can one day meet eachother there and have fun.

The Shelter can be found at this location in Second Life : http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Isabel/44/226/81   

SL Wiki entry: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Shelter

Shelter forums: http://www.slshelter.com/forums/

Wesley Regenbogen

The Cornfield: An Old Region Renewed

By Gemma Cleanslate

The Cornfield was pretty much a mystery to me until last year when the Lindens brought it out and placed it at the SL10B . Then I learned the legend. It was a place where griefers and other naughty persons were sent in the early days of second life to consider their transgressions. If reformed they came back to the normal sims. Well, The Cornfield is back but in a new resurrection. I went to see it.

In order to get there, I went to the Linden Realms Portal entrance where you can access several interesting places, The grid hunt, the Linden Realms, the Wilderness,  and The Cornfield,  and some hang out areas. I entered the walkway  leading to a large old barn, passed through it, was TP’d  and arrived in a similar  barn where I was handed a basket to wear on my back and a plank to carry as a weapon along with a hud. I picked up rules for the game. The barn was filled  with people coming to empty their baskets into the bins.

This is a very busy game so be prepared to run like the wind, watching all around you for horrible creatures (griefers) of all sizes and shapes that are intent on catching you. They sneak up on you from all sides! Some look like dead pumpkins, others like cornfield zombies, some like wild scarlet eyed half animal half beast. While you are busily looking for corn cobs and coins, and other treasures in the field they are on your tail. If you are caught you end up in a graveyard and lose all the corn you have collected in  your basket. Then you start over again with the collection of cobs, luckily your coins do not disappear. 

The cobs are converted to coins when you empty them in the bins. The coins can be spent in the company store for various prizes. They can also buy you some armor and other tools that help you fend off  or kill the griefers in the field and gain coins they leave behind as they perish. One problem is that as you kill one griefer another kills you so you miss getting some of the coins. I am not much at killing zombies in SL but these guys deserve it!  I learned to use the buildings in the field to remember where I was and try get back there before someone else grabs them. 

The hud appears and disappears when you enter and leave the region. To reach the barn you need to start in the Portal, follow the path to the cornfield barn  and go through the rear door there to be tp’d into the Cornfield barn. I met some friends there on my second day.Marianne Mccann is a fan and has been playing for a while. She informed me that there are other hidden treasures in the fields besides the corn and griefers. Using the plank to kick the griefers is not easy! I already have my armor but now to earn enough for a better weapon than a plank!  Hates to leave you with that little info but you will learn by playing! See you there !

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LR%20Portal%20Park1/126/127/24

Gemma Cleanslate

The Pony Sim At Nisa

By Grease Coakes

When I interviewed Amehana Ishtari about her new book Selkie skins Castle And Wells, I noticed that the sim was unique as it was a friendly sim for Ponies, or rather; ponies akin to the popular show "My Little Pony : Friendship Is Magic," or in shorthand MLP. When I warp to the sim, I hear a classic rock music stream which fits the mellow atmosphere of the sim.

When I got off work one night Amehana and I agreed to meet at Nisa (97/243/25). She was hanging out with her two friends Phoenix another pony and YunaJones Resident under the second name Twilight Sparkle High Note.

Amehana told me about a summer solstice event which was like a treasure hunt looking for dragon pearls. The dragon pearls were used to craft items that were useful to the pony in one way or the other. She said that RP or Roleplay is not required, however it adds to the sim environment. She mentioned Phoenix her friend was very good at creating quests for ponies. You can learn more about their summer solstice event at http://www.manelands.com/topic/the-solstice-approacheth .

I asked Amehana is roleplay required and she said this, "RP is not required here. There are some that simply come to explore and enjoy. RP is encouraged though, as it's intended as an MLP sim, just with our own lore as Nisa, Thessalia, and the Ibex Empire are all fan created countries in the universe."

"You'll find that those that RP here tend to like magic, science and knowledge very much. You'll find some nods to other things here too."

I asked Amehana about her own character and she had this to say about her kirin fursona. To double check, a kirin is part dragon and unicorn She said for this sim she said it was a different species. Instead Raikou Hare is more like an alicorn (like Twilight Sparkle from the TV show), "Raikou Hake is a kirin from the Ibex Empire. That country is populated mainly by Ibex, other kirins, and dragons. She grew up in what equates roughly to a samurai family that oversaw rice plantations. Her family has a love of learning and it's own library, and from an early age she loved to paint and write. When she was very young she wrote a story that shocked her parents and her father's friend... a priest at the crystal shrine local to her family (and he is a dragon). As a result she ended up studying story crafting and art...with a large dose of  'study all the things.' She also has a very strong bond with the Ibexian Life crystals... When that becomes it's own sim she will be fully boded with those crystals."

To add to the roleplay experience Nisa and other pony sims like Canterlot have their own website at http://www.manelands.com/. Ponies add in their characters so people have an understanding of each other's fursona. Amehana mentioned so long as no one blows up the sim and makes sense, they are accepted within the website as an approved character. In fact to fufill the lore and RP of the Nisa sim they are looking for dragon characters. Dragons need apply if any scaly fire breathers are looking for a pony roleplay sim.

A good time to come to the sim is on the 16^thth of this month where Amehana announced there would have a Jellicle ball http://www.manelands.com/topic/jellicle-ponies-come-one-come-all.

Part of Raikou Hare's description is she's the sim librarian. She's planning a poetry workshop in the near future.

Over at the Trotsdale library Amehana was reading over voice lore about the pony sims to any interested ponies or anyone else. She added in this, "The books that I have read for Trotsdale are ones that I thought would be enjoyed by the pony community. I read 'The Last Unicorn' and then 'Mitama' with a bit of my poetry between those, and some poetry by young Oliver Lambert. What is available here in the Nisa sim are lore cards for sim RP, and some short stories and poems I wrote -as- Raikou for RP purposes."

"It was Mondays at 6PM I was reading. I finished the book this week and am taking a break while what's going on with that library is worked out. However I do read at the Sapientia Concha Librarium in the Computer sim Saturdays at 6 or 7 PM SLT. That's different from my MLP involvement though (even though I often don't change back to my usual avatar). Trots Mon at 6 (holding). Computer Sat at 6 or 7."

Amehana also gave me an info notecard explaining the rules of the Nisa sim. A lot of it is common sense on how it's a tolerant environment. No trolls or being mean to other ponies is allowed. Fair warning that any such behavior will get you banned. Also that Nisa is a G sim so no dead ponies or extreme violence. No adult themes either.

During the interview, a friend of mine from WAYYYYYYYY back IMed me asking what I was doing. I told him writing about ponies. His name is Sneaky Krugman and those who remember Tj Icey's before it was changed into Dance Island may remember he used to work there as a host. Sneaky is also known as a DJ and creator of voice emotes. Crim and Amehana and I encoruaged him to try out the sim as a pony. Sneaky felt like he was crashing the party and warped elsewhere. But maybe the ponies could recruit him as a dj.

Crim Mip, one of Rita Mariner's Sunweavers, is one of the main ponies of the Nisa sim along with his girlfriend Lacy. Amehana herself is also an admin. Crim Mip also showed up and asked if I had any questions, and I told him Amehana was very helpful. He commented, "She's a great help in watching over the sims."

There are a few houses for rent, at no cost, as Nisa is always looking for more dragons in particular, or any other sort of mythical animals or ponies. Amehana added in there's also caves to explore.

Amehana mentioned this was a home to her. Why not check out Nisa and see if it's a great fit for home for you as well?

Grease Coakes

Dance Island

By Wesley Regenbogen

 Dance Island is one of the places you can visit if you are into dancing and listening to good music. Sometimes you can enjoy a live set of many of the DJs that are resident in the club. If you are into dancing,just click on the floor and choose your dance animation and your avatar will start dancing. Aside the club itself there are many tattoo shops and other shops around the Dance Island area that you can visit and buy items from.

Dance Island was created by a few citizens (Rich Greenberg, Roxette Mabellon and Deirdre Masala ) on July 29^th 2007. So Dance Island is nearing it’s 7^th birthday soon. The club building was created by a citizen called LadyXray Acer. Since February 16^th 2013, Money Wonder and Deirdre Masala have been the current owners of Dance Island. Deirdre Masala is currently the general manager of Dance Island. Her main tasks are hiring hosts and, managing the schedule.

Aside the group called “Dance Island”, they also communicate via Facebook, Google Plus and SL Events. They also have a stream on UStream (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/dance-island ), in which they broadcast most days between 8 am and 2 pm.

On their 7^th birthday, Dance Island has scheduled a 24 hour event in which 24 of the best djs of Dance Island will play their sets in a one hour slot. More information on this event is made public very soon.

And last but not least, readers can find more information about Dance Island on these pages :

• : http://bit.ly/di_dj ( for a schedule )
• On Facebook at : https://www.facebook.com/groups/danceisland/
• At Google Plus on this page : https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/115593057276780148921

I wish everyone that visits Dance Island a great stay there and maybe we could meet eachother there one day. Also enjoy the fine music that is played in Dance Island.

Wesley Regenbogen

New Citizens Incorporated Kuula : A Beginner’s Safe Haven

By Wesley Regenbogen

New Citizens Incorporated ( NCI ) is an organization within Second Life that strives to help new avatars in Second Life and make their stay in Second Life as smooth as possible. They have different locations to visit, but Kuula is the place where most new avatars arrive at when they first sign up to Second Life. Older avatars often go there to help out their fellow citizens, because older avatars know how hard it can be to adjust to the new environment called Second Life.

If you are looking for new free clothes and other freebies, you can get free items in the Freebie Shop. Don’t know how to do things with your avatar, there are tutorials available to help you get around in Second Life You can also just go there to enjoy the music or the atmosphere or just relax and chat with people.

To make a short story shorter, Kuula is the ideal place for new avatars to start their adventure in Second Life. New Citizens Incorporated was founded by Brace Coral on April 23,2005.

At the NCI Campuses you can follow classes in many different areas like scripting, texturing, clothing and building. NCI has three campuses : NCI Kuula, NCI South and NCI Beach. A roster of the classes can be found at NCI Kuula. There are other locations listed on the website : http://wiki.nci-sl.info/doku.php?id=nci:locations

At NCI there are 100 volunteers that help run the NCI places and try to help newbies to get started. The NCI has 10,000 active members. There is also a group of NCI that enables you to chat with members of the group to answer your questions. 

Here are a few screenshots of NCI Kuula :

Wesley Regenbogen

Storytelling at Rawhide Native

By Grease Coakes

Due to real life work having the same schedule every week for a long time I wasn't able to see DJ Aurora for a while. But another event I missed out on was Heartspeaker's storytelling at Spirit Nations every Thursday (article). I gave it a shot but Mary said no I need you on Thursday for the truck. Mary is a nice lady, but I know better than to push my luck. Luckily on my day off on Wednesday Heartspeaker told a story today so I was able to say hi to my friend and hear another of his stories.

Spirit Nations the sim itself shut down however Heartspeaker said on voice that the Spirit of Spirit Nations lives on at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Tender%20Heart/67/65/22

Before Heartspeaker told the story of lightning bolt he made small talk with Two Medicines and myself. He commented the book he bought which had the Lightning Bolt story he was telling today. Raimi a friend of mine accepted an invitation to join me in listening to Heart's story. The day I wrote this article and heard Heart's story was July 9^th and Heart said his birthday was the previous day July the 8^th I wished him a happy birthday. Heartspeaker said the hat I wear made by Hawkin Starsider was the cat's meow for me or the fox's yip. Hawkin Starsider created the hat and I bought it years ago at the original spirit nations sim. As I was talking with Two Medicines and Heartspeaker the effects of the sim were pretty to look at as I saw dandelion seeds floats towards me on my screen.

Lighting bolt went to see his teacher Goose Flying as Goose Flying was telling of an event in the future. He sent Lightning Bolt to see Iron Blanket down the mountain on the Wyoming side of the river.

Lightning Bolt had a vision of the goddess and traveled on a horse named Big Nose. He saw the universe and mother nature appertaining the beauty of snowflakes and rainbows. Also the beauty of magpies. He asked is life and death interchangeable. And the magpie said yes. Looking for knowledge and answers, he joined the army looking for money and riches.

Heartspeaker told the story at a perfect pace in an elderly voice with vigor. It was fun listening to him add emotion to the voice. When he finished the story, he laughed remembering when one of Heart's elders named Chima a 6^th generation Native American told him he would tell stories for a living. When heart was younger He blew off Chima's prediction thinking it was nonsense. Today it's very clear that Heart is an excellent storyteller.

There's more to the Rawhide club than Heartspeaker's story telling there were many sights to see. two medicines the child avatar hung out with me and Raimi chattering away acting like a five and half year old (but in real life she is very much an adult).

Wandering around the sim I saw a pretty waterfall and a picture of a Native American prayer. Also many various animals and sounds effects you would hear in nature of just being outside. I also saw a tall totem pole colored turquoise. There's also a shop to purchase Native American clothes. There's also dance balls of water dances around a pit.

Two Medicines confirmed that Heartspeaker still has his story time at 1pm every Thursday.

As Heartspeaker said the spirit of Spirit Nations is still in Second Life in the Rawhide Club. Native Americans have a presence in Second Life just like in the real world practicing their beliefs and traditions.

If you're curious about Native Americans and their beliefs and the way they speak with spirits feel free to stop by http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Tender%20Heart/67/65/22 and look around. Or if you want a place to relax and hang out to try something new the rawhide club may be right for you.

Grease Coakes

The Queen of Hearts' Farewell

By Bixyl Shuftan

It's always a little sad when a club closes down. Each represents an idea and a dream, to provide others with a place to have a little fun. Many last less than a year, sometimes just weeks. One, however, lasted for about sevreal years. For eight years, the Romance-themed sim of Mystery entertained visitors in Second Life, with the Queen of Hearts riverboat club as the main area of events for most of this time. It's owner Tygeria Mirabeau and it's manager Amythe Moonlight kept it going year after year through many happy times. But in late June, Tygeria announced to her staff that problems in real life were making her unable to keep up the sim. Friday June 27 would have the last events. So it was with heavy hearts that the staff prepared for one last day of music and dance.

10AM SL time was the start of the "Memory Lane" event, a "come as you are" party, with Amy herself DJing the music. And people came in, not just the regulars, but people whom hadn't been over for a while, including former staff whom had moved on. "Black, I missed you." But they still took things with a little humor, "Aim better next time." Moria the hostess called out, "TP your friends, your man, your girl, your eye candy, and anyone in between."

Amy told everyone, "We are having some dedications to the club and the family we have here tonight ... how I feel about what we build and have built - it's the journey where you meet all the people and help them on the way- that's what makes it special. ... The Queen has been a home to many of us for a long time and some of us for a short time but it's the YOU the people that make it special. ... TONIGHT IS FOR THE PEOPLE!!!!"

The normally 250 Linden prizes for best male and female were raised to 500L each. There was also a jar of candied gummi frogs for anyone to take one. Once in a while, fireworks were placed on the ground, to lauch and explode near the ceiling.

At 12 Noon came the second and final show, and Amy turned over the music to DJ Mac and hostess Aislinp for the "Best in Red" event. There were all kinds of outfits in theme for it. Mac wasn't showing any red at first, so someone joked that it was his underwear that was red. The playful banter continued, between two ladies, "pour some sugar on me." "If you pour sugar on your underwear dear it will not be nice at all, though it will be sweet." "Sugar on underwear....yikes."

Eventually, Mac closed things off with the Club's adopted tune, the last song for an official event here.


Miiiiidnight,
and I'm a-waitin' on the twelve o' five, 
hoping it'll take me,
just a little farther down the line.

And moonliiiiight,
you're just a heartache in disguise,
won't you keep my heart from breaking,
if it's only for a very short time.

Playin' with the Queen of Hearts,
knowin' it ain't really smart,
the joker ain't the only foo-ol,
who'll do anything for you.


"Thank you Mac for a wonderful send off!" Amy told the DJ, then she turned to the crowd, to both the staff and the regulars, "Keep your eyes peeled for notices and IMs. Just give me a couple of days to sort things! We have the staff meeting on Sunday and maybe there will be news then. On Monday we will go to my sim Condunrum as a temporary home."

"Thank you everyone. Look after yourselves and I'll let you all know soon what's happening."

And so ended the last event at the Queen of Hearts riverboat club. As of the day I was writing this, the club was still around, just with no one aboard. It has seen much over the past several years from live music events by a number of singers to costume balls, and of course the scene of romance as couples came for parties both while dating and committed. Then there was the "masked lover" whom for months pursued the object of his affection while still keeping his identity hidden.

The Mystery sim remains up, for now, and there is much to see across the place from the "Alice in Wonderland" exhibit, to the train ride, to the little village tucked away in the valley. But eventually it will fade away into the virtual nether, leaving nothing behind but memories.

For now Amy's sim of Condunrum will take over as the new home for the Queen of Hearts staff and fan group, the Cape Hope club at Conundrum (213, 10, 22),  But for the fans, there's only one true "Queen of Hearts," and she will be missed.

Bixyl Shuftan

Pine Lakes

By Theonlyjohnny Resident

 An unending friendship, and a place to call home are just 2 of the many things offered at Pine Lakes. I have spent just a few days at Pine Lakes, and I can assure you, it is something that is amazing, and something different from other places.

While other town/city RP sims have just the basics, houses, law enforcement, fire station, and shops, this has more. This has a deli that seems to be 5 stars, or at least 4. It has a church, with active priests. The houses are affordable, and there are enough for a lot of people to live here. There is even an adoption center.

This reporter decided to stray from the fire department and join the PD instead, and within only a few days, I am having so much fun here that I can do nothing but give it good reviews. There is no discrimination, take it from me, I'm using a female furry av here, and they don't care, they treat me like one of them.

The design of the sim is very easy to follow, and difficult to get lost in, since it's not made like a labyrinth. Not to mention, the people here are nicer than ever. I am not kidding, you may feel a bit threatened at first, because of how they act, but when you get to know them, you will see that they are awesome people, and even better friends.

I would definitely recommend this sim to anyone reading this sim. It's amazing, and worth a look.

Johnny

Visiting Second Life Israel

By Grey Lupindo

A few days ago I was visiting SS Galaxy, SL’s luxury cruise ship, when I saw a sign for their latest featured destination, SL Israel.   Since I’ve never been to either RL or SL Israel, I decided to visit.    The landmark from the Galaxy teleports you to the Old Port, located at SECOND LIFE ISRAEL, KnoWorld (11, 249, 27).   

        The note from the Group that operates SL Israel describes the site this way:  “Israel Island presents a comprehensive Israeli experience featuring:  Seminar Hakibbutzim College, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Eilat, Caesarea, a Museum dedicated to the Peoples of Israel (Jews, Christians, Muslims and more), plus a village in the sky...”.    The sim is not only a place where you can learn about Israel, but also the home site for SL Jewish residents to connect and socialize.    I discovered there are a lot of things to do here.     

       I started my trip at the Old Port because I came directly from the cruise ship.  There’s a balloon tour available here that gives a very general overview of the sim.    However, I recommend using the excellent teleporter system instead.   They are conveniently located throughout the sim and are very fast.      I also recommend turning on the music associated with the site.    I wasn’t familiar with modern Israeli music.  The sim radio station has a good selection, at least from the prospective of someone experiencing it for the first time.  

         The teleporter offers a variety of modern and historic sites.   Most of them were familiar names, but there were a few surprises.     My biggest surprise was Zoola.   I was expecting a zoo, but discovered it was a resort style swimming pool.   The site was beautiful, with easy to rez swim balls and a swim-up bar.   There were lots of lounge chairs, too.   A great place to meet and mingle with your friends.

          Pioneer Park, located at KnoWorld  (128, 25, 2493), is serene and has an eternal flame memorial.    From this location you can walk up the stairs to the Exhibit Hall.    This site currently has a beautiful art exhibit featuring the paintings of two artists,  Raphael  Perez and Leonid Afremov.   Perez has a studio in Tel Aviv, and his paintings are bright and colorful.      Afremov is Russian-Israeli who has a very distinctive style.   He is known for selling his work only through the internet and rarely is involved in RL galleries or exhibits.   His works were also very colorful, but he used darker shades.   The exhibits are on display in association with the Arts and Culture Department of Kibbutzim College.  

             One of my favorite sites was Education Hall, found at KnoWorld (128, 194, 2496).  Inside is a wealth of historical information and photographs.  Currently the featured program is “Birth of a Nation”, which is a very interesting presentation on events leading up to the creation of Israel as an independent country.   Topics include the Birth of Zionism, World War I, British Mandate, World War II and Holocaust, United Nations Partition, and more.    I recommend that any SL residents who are interested in world history visit and plan to linger a while here.     

            The teleporters can also zip residents to Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea, Caesarea, and Jerusalem.   But SL Israel is not all work and study.    There’s a shopping district at KnoWorld (247, 114,2493).   There’s the usual array of fashions and skins, but also a few different shops.  At GiGi’s Art Gallary, operated by GiGi Onmura (Gigi Firecloak), there are colorful paintings depicting Jewish life as well as other subjects.   Next door is another art shop, Eligrafiks, owned by Eliyakim Brinner.  This shop’s motto is “Mesh are our art pictures.”   The shop features items not usually found in SL, such as menorahs, statutes, Mezuzahs, and more.   

       The two shops are typical of the international flavor found at this sim.    GiGi Onmura (Gigi Firecloak) is from Brazil, and Eliyakim Brinner is French.    While English signs are plentiful on the site, there are also signs and note cards written in Hebrew, French and other languages.   

       The Temple is located near the shopping district.   Inside is information about Shabbat candle lighting times for all of the major world time zones.   There is also information about educational classes in Hebrew as well as other topics related to Jewish culture.   A bookcase along one wall links to web pages with more information on music, books, the Talmud, and more.  

       My final stop was at the gym at Kibbutzim College.   I tried out a few of their exercise machines, too.  The SL version of the college is partly based on the new one that will be built near Tel Aviv.  Inside one of the conference rooms is a picture of the proposed construction.   Very impressive. 

         In addition to working out, SL residents can sky dive at the airport and take part in many social activities.   There’s a website at Israelisland.com that gives information on upcoming events.

Grey Lupindo