Arts Poetica

Space stations are not the first thing one thinks of when it comes to poetry. But reporter Grey Lupindo found the Orb Space Station hosting the works of fifty poets for the Author Convention and Exhibition. Those interested in hearing some poetry readings will find them here this weekend.

To read the story, Click Here to Community.

Biosphere

Biosphere is a whimsical and environmentally beautiful spot to visit. The small area is a treat for the senses-- tall green grass, a bright blue pond, and the pleasant sounds of singing birds.

When you arrive, you will find yourself on an island. Before you cross the swinging bridge, be sure to look for the turtle swimming in the pond. Across the bridge is Mocha, a shop filled with country inspired clothes, accessories, and furniture. Watch out for the animals as you approach! The whimsical Gmoks will talk, or at least grunt, if you touch them. A pair of llamas, which are rare in SL, graze contentedly nearby.

But the real treats are inside Mocha. On the first floor are sweaters, shoes, and lots of quaint clothes. One unusual feature is the demo mode that lets you see exactly how the shoes will look and fit before you buy. No more wasted Lindens buying the wrong shade or the wrong heel height!

I also liked Mochás rings, which sell for only $10L. There are 3 designs in 16 different patterns available. The fun part is that the ring you get will be a surprise–they are given out randomly. You may not get your favorite the first time, but at this low price you can afford to try again.

On the second floor there are country style textures, carpeting, wallpaper, and tile for sale. It even looked like the farm house could be purchased. The back room has a small selection of country furniture, too.

If you have additional time, there are two smaller outbuildings next to Mocha. One of them sells butterfly tattoos. Enjoy Spring and wear it, too!

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Biosphere/78/215/28

Grey Lupindo

Syzygy Celebrates Alice in Wonderland

Thirteen residents and friends of Syzygy held a progressive Alice in Wonderland Mad Tea Party on March 20. Resident Kulta Hannu organized the event and led the group on a trek down the rabbit hole.
  
     The party kicked off at Cake, http://slurl.com/secondlife/cake/72/92/24 . Cake is a fun, whimsical sim owned by Pipsqueak Fiddlesticks, another resident of Syzygy. The party-goers imbibed some wicked tea, brewed up by Dr. Elric Anatine, and snacked on tasty cakes while they waited for everyone to gather. Approximately 13 residents came to the party, all dressed in Wonderland costumes.
  

      The first stop was Cheshire, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cheshire/7/69/33 . Everyone crawled through the spiraling door that led to Alicés Room. A few residents hopped into Alicés drawer, and one reportedly got trapped. Soon the remaining residents were spotted climbing on blocks, riding the train, and exploring Alicés other possessions.
  
      Next the group visited the Alice in Wonderland Dark Ride, located at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Black%20Sand%20Beach/103/200/25. The rezzer for the gondolas wasn´t working, but that did not stop the party-goers from enjoying a walking trek through this amazing treat. Kulta had warned everyone to beware of the jabberwock and jubjub Bird, but some did not heed the warnings.
     After everyone recovered from the ride, they were off to the last stop, New Wonderland http://slurl.com/secondlife/Silence/188/8/27. Although this is a RP sim, visitors can explore it without taking part in the play.  An Observeŕs name tag can be picked up near the fireplace and worn. One by one the group climbed onto a chair and jumped Through the Looking Glass to continue the Mad Tea Party adventure.

  
Grey Lupindo
Photos by Bixyl Shuftan

Looking for places to explore?

Grey Lupindo takes us on a trip to Amsterdam in the community section while Gemma looks at the opening of a new sl school that would instruct in the lifestyle of the Victorian steam punk San Francisco. 

Woman´´-- An Exhibit of Art By and About Women

  "Woman", a new art exhibit, opened this weekend at El Castillo de Cortes, located at the Instituto de Español (61, 213, 25). Colorful flowers and symbols decorate the exhibit rooms and point the direction of the tour. The exhibit honors International Womeńs Day, which is celebrated on March 8. In one gallery, flags from the nations that celebrate this day line the walls. Very festive!

     International Womeńs Day commemorates the work and contributions of women to society. Much of the exhibit features photographs and historical works of art about and by women from all over the world.

 One somber exhibit focuses on the danger and violence that many women encounter. This exhibit features art depicting the deaths of women in Juárez, Mexico, a border town across the river from El Paso, Texas. Since 1993 there have been thousands of women killed in Juárez, with most of the murders remaining unsolved. A notecard provides excellent information about this tragedy as well as information about the violence related to the drug trade.

     The exhibit also showcases the talents of many SL women residents. A few of my favorites were "Masks", a pastel by Juliete3d Quintzet, "Storm Spirit" by Fuschia Nightfire, "Wikked", an acrylic and mixed media work by Trill Zapatero, and "Starcosis Hunts" by Eleses Faulkes. A large variety of styles and price ranges are available.

     The exhibit runs through March 19.

Grey Lupindo

Virtual London

One of the great things about Second Life is that you can travel anywhere in the world without suffering jet lag or having to eat airline peanuts. I decided to take advantage of this and visit London last week. I started at the London Freebie Store. (Knightsbridge, 108, 114, 22)

They have some great clothes at a great price–free! The selection for gals is awesome. Dresses, pants, shoes--even British hair. For the guys there are business suits, a tux, and some cool shoes. There are so many T´s they are boxed in Collections and found at two locations, London Freebies and the Knightsbridge Club. I picked up all 5 Collections. You can never have too many T́s!


The t-shirt collections have something for everyone, especially music fans. Elvis, The Beatles, Kiss, Led Zepplin, Bob Marley, Grateful Dead, and more. There is a T for every taste. There are lots of free jeans to go with them, too. As soon as I put on a new outfit, I was ready to tour London.

My first stop was the Knightsbridge Department Store (231, 126, 22). There were no freebies here, but beautiful evening gowns, Bridal gowns, and some boots to die for.


Just down the street is the Underground Club (Knightsbridge, London 175, 135, 22). With brightly colored lights and lots of dance balls, it looked like a great place to party. I was there at an off-time for the Brits so I had the dance floor to myself. But even at an off hour, the lights and music were great.


Further down the street was a SL Sister Cities display. A variety of sites were listed: Moscow, New England, Munich, Luxembourg, Swiss City, and others. The teleport looked like a convenient way to try out some other sims, but I didn´́t check it out on this trip. I still had a lot left to see in London.

At the edge of the town I found a replica of the UK Military Memorial Park (London England UK 99, 26, 25). It was small, but very interesting and moving. There were rows of crosses listing the name and service branch of many of their fallen heros. At the base of the memorial, some SL residents had left crosses for their loved ones.

No visit to London is complete without a visit to Hyde Park. (Hyde, London England UK 159,228, 21) At SL Hyde Park there was a Memorial Garden and a Tribute to Princess Diana. A Royal Parks Donation Box was there to collect Lindens and help maintain the RL memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales. Nearby is an Orientation Hub for new residents and a sand box, too.

 

Grey Lupindo

Elderglen

Recently I went to Elderglen Infohub (127, 127, 29) to check out some of the new Linden houses that will be offered to Premium members. The houses are cute and interesting, but I was more excited when I found the site loaded with whimsical fun and freebies that everyone can have.

     The arrival spot drops you in front of the bridge that leads to the Weary Travelleŕs Inn. Inside the Inn you can watch tutorials while you have a bite to eat. There are a few musical instruments that you and your friends can play, too. In the side room there is more food as well as bread you can knead. You can even scrub the floor. It́s a fun intro into what scripts can do. But since I come to SL to skip such chores, I didńt do any of that.

     I did stock up on a few apples and oranges. They have bat juice and fish juice, too. And when you are finished dining, check out the outhouse on the side porch. I had never seen anything quite like it in SL. 

     Even more interesting shops are located along the stone path. The Curiosity Shop was my favorite. It is filled with fun freebies that will charm anyone who likes the whimsical side of SL. I picked up a magic wand, a spell book, a lucky crystal, fairy wings, and a crystal staff. No home would be complete without these essentials. But if whimsy isńt for you, there are candles, available in 7 colors, that would look great with any decor.

     As soon as I saw Fairy Jars, I called my friend Muse Nishi. It is always more fun to catch fairies with a friend. We each grabbed a jar and ran outside. The fairies hide in the flowers, and you have to get close to catch them. When you do, the fairy automatically gets trapped in your jar. Be sure you have your sound on–fairies are very funny when they get mad.

    The next shop was the Iron Forge, a metal working shop where you can try out the tools. There are free swords here, too. At the back of the shop is a smaller room where you can enjoy a piece of Elderglen Pie. Yummy.

     Further along the path is the Elder Cottage where you can sample Honey Nectar and pick up a few more free items. The last shop I visited was the sorcereŕs shop. It has a purple spinning door, wizard hats for the taking, and more crystal staffs. You will also find a wishing well near the center of the shops. Crystal flowers and magical mushrooms abound, too!

     Behind these buildings are the model homes. Some of the houses feature stone facades while others look like moss-covered cottages. A few are springing out of tree trunks or carved out of the hillside. At any moment you expect to encounter an elf and a wizard. Even if you dońt want this type of home, Elderglen is a fun site to visit. 

Grey Lupindo

Syzygy Community Celebrates First Anniversary

The Syzygy Island Community celebrated its first anniversary on January 9. The party was held on Helios at Imagine Peace (181, 221, 34), owned by Olorin Tigerpaw. Tigerpaw is the Community Events Coordinator for Syzygy. Grijandomore Greene, another founding resident of Syzygy, DJ́´d the event, and the other residents and their guests danced and partied.

    The second picture, provided by Pipsqueak Fiddlesticks, shows Syzygy being created in January, 2009. As future residents watched, Syzygy came on-line. This magical event was followed by weeks of work by Administrator Samantha Glume, and the other officers, Elric Anatine, BW Jinxing, Pipsqueak Fiddlesticks, and Olorin Tigerpaw.

    The Community is comprised of four areas: Eos, Helios, Pyxis, and Selene. It is a covenant community, with a general nature theme, spiced with a touch of the Ancient and the whimsical. Elric Anatine, manager of landscaping and common grounds, continually beautifies the public areas and changes the seasons. Currently Syzygy is a winter wonderland, with skating spots, a hot tub, gardens, and other interesting sites located through the sim. There are many small nooks and seating areas for quiet visits, romantic dancing, or simply as a break from the hustle of SL. Syzygy is open to the public, and visitors are welcome. 

By Grey Lupindo

SL Ice Hotel

The 2009 SL Ice Hotel is now open. Located at Lapplandia (231, 154, 21) the Ice Hotel sits high on the Artic Circle, with beautiful views of snowy mountains and glacial blue ice. Like its real life counterpart, the SL Ice Hotel will melt when the warm weather returns. In the meantime, you and your mate can enjoy all the best that winter offers: ice skating, snow sports, dancing, and of course, cuddling.

     Ice skates are provided free, and there are benches and booths for resting and putting on skates. Sleds can be rezzed for fun times, too.

     The hotel is managed by Ewa Aska and Jesper Prinz.  Ewa gave me a tour of the hotel and its surroundings. The lobby is decorated with hanging furs, a concierge desk, and even has a register for guests to sign. Standard rooms, which rent for $700L per week, come with furs, table and chairs, dance balls, and a great view. Or you can splurge on a larger deluxe room for $900 per week that has furs on the wall but a real bed.  A deluxe room is perfect for a honeymoon, anniversary, or holiday treat.

     There are bars, ballrooms for dancing, and even a wedding chapel. The chapel is elegantly simple and seats around 30 on tiers of ice. Furs are provided here, too, for everyone´s comfort. Bridal consultant services are also available. 

 

By Grey Lupindo

Trans Siberian Orchestra Rocks SL

On December 13, SL rocked with sounds of the Trans Siberian Orchestra. The group played a rare concert at Dreamcastland, complete with laser lights, and a full stage of guitarists, singers, strings, and drums. The group played all of the holiday music that they are famous for: "Wizard in Winter", "Nutrocker", "Christmas Canon Rock", "Christmas Eve Sarajevo", "A Mad Russiańs Christmas", and more.
     The musicians who performed  were: Lead guitarist Dagoth Graves, Drummer Vyper DeSantis, Lyorick Flux on Keyboard, Guitarists Chuck Morgridge, Toaster Ragu, and Kenny Moreland, Singers Giggsy DeViana, Blaize Rockett, and Tarn Haalan, Violinists Nikolaos Frog, Morningstar Braveheart, and Redangel Paine, Celloist Ruth Sandalwood, and Sarena Penucca on Bass.
     A huge crowd cheered and applauded during the hour long concert. The sim quickly filled, and many residents were unable to get in. This concert was the second of three held in SL. The last one will be December 23 at the Sands of Freedom.

By Grey Lupindo
(pictures also by Bixyl Shuftan)

Giving in Second Life

The season for giving is here, and I wondered what opportunities existed in SL to help others. So I visited Aloft Nonprofit Commons (143, 81, 31). There I found a huge number and variety of causes from many different countries.

In addition to Aloft, there are 3 other connected sims: Plush, where weekly meetings are held; EcoCommons for environmental concerns; and HealthCommons for health related nonprofits.  All of the areas can be reached by teleport from the main hub.

At the hub you can take a tour by horse carriage or magic carpet. The carriage didn´t want to work for me, but the carpet ride provided a quick tour of the basics. I hopped off about mid-tour to walk around the different shops and offices.

There is also a large display that lists all of the organizations and their location. This is the best way to find a specific group and get there quickly. The list is not alphabetical. However, once you find the group that interests you, it is easy to get there. A click on its number causes its location to be listed in your historical chat, where you can quickly teleport to the site.

The variety of causes was extensive: animal rescue and protection groups, museums, hunger and health groups, Sierra Club and child protection groups. Whatever interests you, there is probably a group for it here. Being a furry, I was especially partial to the Mountain Lion Foundation, which is still under construction, and the Sierra Club, which is build in a tree house.

Kiva, a group that works to end poverty by giving loans, has a large presence here. "Turning Lindens into Loans" is their motto, and their shop is filled with photos of the people they are helping. I didn´́t see any wreathes for sale at this shop, but they are selling them at Winterfest through Xstreet, and the money goes to support their cause. On the second floor, they had a donation barrel, too, where you can drop off items for re-sale.

Another group, NSW Animal Rescue organization from Australia was selling rugs for $49L. The rugs have photos of different types of dogs, and you can buy one to show your support for your favorite breed.

The Aloft sim has lots of fun things to do. Horses for Healing gives you a horse that you can ride as you explore the sim. There is a picnic area, hang-gliders, and a swimming pool, too.

I went back 3 times, and I still haven´t seen it all. It is a great place to give and have fun, too.

Grey Lupindo

The Western Front

To honor Veterańs Day, I visited the First World War Poetry Digital Archives at the Western Front exhibit. (219, 199, 646).

This site focuses on the First World War and how it was experienced by the British poets, soldiers, and nurses who served in it. The site has archived poetry, letters, interviews and photographs into an interactive exhibit.

At the point of arrival, the site requests that you change into one of its free uniforms, either a soldier or nurse, before you proceed into the encampment. I chose a nursés uniform for my tour. To enhance your viewing, it also gives directions on changing your sky to evoke the mood that existed near the front lines. This is easy to do and adds a lot to the experience.

The exhibit starts with a typical encampment of tents. As you walk through the sim, the sounds of marching soldiers and bugles can be heard. (Walk slowly because it takes time for the soldiers to rez.) When they do, you will hear interviews with the men who lived through that War.

The topics include typical war information on weapons and training, but also less common information on day-to-day life in the camps.

In addition to the figures that rez, there are blue and red boxes scattered around the site. The red boxes are archived interviews, images and videos of the veterans. The blue boxes are readings of the poetry by Edward Thomas, Siegfried Sassoon, and others, accompanied by images of the poets and their manuscripts. There is a teleport to the hospital tents, trenches, and front lines. Near the rear of the site there is a transport that will give you an aerial view of the trench system, but I couldń't get this to work. However, I teleported easily to the hospital tents and trenches.

The interviews at the hospital were an interesting and sober reminder of the horros of  that war.  From here you can walk through the trenches to the front lines. Allow yourself time to go slowly through the trenches because many of the items are not initially visible.

By Grey Lupindo

Introducing....

Our newest writer  

Grey Lupindo

Find her first article in the COMMUNITY section