Cafe Lilardo

 

Friday February 6 was the grand opening of a small new club, Cade Lilardo. Located high above the Crest sim, the music started at 2PM with DJ Rex, and would go on throughout the afternoon and evening, with DJ Juana at 4PM, DJ Whiskey at 5PM, DJ Squeaks at 7PM, and finally DJ Gwen playing from 9 to 11 PM SL time. Several times there were contest with several thousand in prizes given out. 

 

The venue is owned by Ardo Topaz, with LilyBethPatterson helping to run it. "Our grand opening was this evening and our goal is to be a venue for theme events, coffee talk and great vibes," she told me, "I have been a manager at Scorn and co-owner at SIN so with that experience we wanted to own a club or venue that had a feel good vibe. So with Ardo's experience and mine...we were dancing one evening and chatting and decided to give it a try."

Of the club's structure, a green-framed building of glass , Ardo would say, "I was perusing LEONs when I came upon the greenhouse pavilion. I had seen the huge one at Merrymount and I thought it would make a nice cafe and hangout. Extend the idea yet shrink it in scale."  Ardo would also say he's going to install a Bellisserian passport stamp terminal. 

A counter would show 71 people in total dropping in that day and evening.

 

As of now,  a weekly schedule is still being drawn up. Lilybeth says they should have something available soon.  

 

The club is located in http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Crest/98/224/3502

 

Addition: On Sunday, Lilibeth would post this message:

 

The Grand  Opening at Café Lilardo’s was a great success!!  We had around 71 guests (friends and family) who stopped by to support our venture.  The evening was filled with fun, laughter, jokes and dancing.  However, the most impressive moments of the party were the friends and family who took the time and effort with their love, guidance and advice.  I would like to take this moment to give a special shout out to the following people because without them ,we would have not been able to succeed the way we did.

•    Brandi:  You are a beacon of positivity, a burst of energy and an all-around superstar.  We are humbled and thankful for your friendship, support and guidance.  You ROCK on all levels!!
•    Maliit:  Thank you for the time, grace and coaching you have always shown.  We are forever grateful for your love and unwavering support.
•    Juana:  We beam with pride that you carved time to support our goals and vision. We are forever grateful for your love.
•    Whiskey:  Thank you for coming through and always being the supportive back-up that we need.
•    Gwen:  Thank you for your counsel and presence in our lives.
•    Zee:  What a rock she is!! You always bring THAT VIBE wherever you go! 
•    Rex:  We are happy you have been a part of our journey with your love and support.
•    Jade and Noc:  We are blessed for your cheerleading spirit and support.

There are so many more people to put on this list and you know who you are as we extend hugs and love to you all.  Café Lilardo has been placed on the map as we plan and prepare for our next BIG event.  We are READY!!  So, be on the lookout for our next event. 

 

Bixyl Shuftan

Kondor’s Art Café

 

By Netera Landar

Hermes Kondor arrived early to greet guests before the art café opened.

A Facebook invitation announced the grand opening of a new space for Kondor’s Art Cafe on Sunday, Jan. 11. Hermes Kondor’s artwork was featured in the Dickens Project Art Show last month, and I learned that he has an art center. Arriving early to the event would allow me to take pictures of Hermes’ collection without disrupting the event. To my surprise, Hermes was at the center. 

Hermes explained that the art café is a transformation of an old concept called “The Terrace,” which had functioned more like a club. His notecard explained the concept and intention of the art café.  It would serve a small but meaningful purpose as a Sunday cultural and elegant salon. The terrace would motivate people to meet in an art and cultural environment, to socialize, listen to good music, and to dance. Thursdays would feature exhibitions, and Sundays would focus on connection and atmosphere. 

As Hermes started greeting other early guests, I clicked on the sim’s music stream and began walking through the realistic art center. Sydney Couerblanc was greeted by Hermes. She explained that she couldn’t attend the 1 p.m. opening but was interested in seeing his new materials. She told him she liked the tight color palette and the highlights and shadows in one of the photographs, then continued her self-guided tour.

From the stairway, interior view.

My own tour was one of observation, appreciation, and a desire to speak with each photographer and artist about their composition. What were they trying to capture and express? Art is like poetry; you can try to interpret it, but it’s more than a personal point of view. The poet feels compelled to select the right words, while the photographer waits for the perfect angle and lighting to capture the image he/she desires. 

Before I knew it, artists, photographers, and art supporters began arriving. Thirty-three at my last count. They gathered on the terrace and listened to DJ Pris and then DJ Medea. The majority were dressed casually. All commented positively on the collection and said they couldn’t wait to see future exhibits.

Artists represented in the art center/museum.

Here are a few pieces from the collection.

 

“Waves Roll in My Thoughts” by Paola Mills.

 

“Fighting the Dark” by Duraya.

“Tangled” by ilyra Chardin

“Shoot Speed Kill Light” by Traci.

“Distortion 24” by Angelika Corral 2023

“Failure” by Margherita Hax.

“WOS Away” by eta Mae

 

“Relativeco” by Selen Love.

Slurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Royal%20Tea/159/82/30

Netera Landar
 

Meeroos Addresses It's Pet Issues

 

 

By Bixyl Shuftan

 

Meeroos have been around for a long time, since 2011. While they've long past their heyday, there are still some people who continue to raise and care for some. This includes one friend of mine who will remain anonymous in this article. They did have some trouble early on when Linden Lab banned the asset manager of the company by mistake. But it was smooth sailing once that was resolved. 

 

For quite some time things have been uneventful other than their cute noises and asking for snuggles. But a couple weeks ago, she started telling me they had problems, not working right. Some were unable to eat. Other people in the Meeros group were saying they were having troubles too. But there was nothing heard from the staff, no announcements. And the website at http://www.worldofmeeroos.com/ hadn't been updated since 2022. 

 

Finally there was an update, an announcement which my friend passed to me, from a 77ecb6 (UrsulaMarie Sakura). 

 

As most of you know meeroos is having some issues, and i'm aware of most of them. I'm the one who broke everything during the transfer.

Meeroos previously was located on some hosting that had massively scaled up in costs that was untenable putting everything in the red and causing moxie to have to pay out of pocket to keep it all up.

I was called in during the holiday to find solution, the main solution was migrating off old hosting to reduce costs and cancel some sims to further reduce costs. 

Meeroos is not going away or dying, however, I did encounter some issues in the translation of things from 2010 operating system and code to modern operating system and code. 

Thus a ton of bugs and issues occurred from this sadly. With that being said at this time best course is to reduce breeding in this time frame while I repair the core functions and stabilize the systems.

My main focus is the game core first, then csr internal systems/site, then lastly the public facing website. Is no point for me to fix the public site when current CSR's can't even access the tickets, 

I have to do the things in a specific order that makes sense, obviously the game core is the most vital and most important aspect, everything else is bonus beyond that, not forgotten just in the queue of tasking.
I'm the only one working on this as no one else has the knowledge or familiarity of the systems involved. If i didn't step in we would have already been at our end at the end of 2025. That's not my goal as Meeroos is my childhood and matters greatly to me so i'm doing my function to get everything back on track. 

I know about the meepets and starving red text, I have already helped quite a few customers with this problem, right now the best solution is to do REBUILD on the live meeroos to ensure they sync up properly, I was with a customer for hours last night while we investigated it even further and tracked down the issue that her roos stopped talking since the 9th JAN 2026 and the updates were not going in. She rebuilt half her roos last night and this morning the half that was rebuilt is back to normal, the other half she rebuilt this morning after giving her the all clear. So if your facing this problem then please try a REBUILD, if after 24 hours if not looking better, let me know, I will provide a means of how to let me know at the bottom of this notecard.

I'm aware of the glitched nest skin problem, investigating this problem, Every Meeroo ID past 8715393 will be fully audited once I'm assured that the birth/nesting process is stable, any that are incorrect will be rectified to at least equivalence of the parents. If you have these nests please avoid birthing them / breeding with them in this time as it will just result in more clean up.  I will find all these in the audit, but if you have further concerns please follow the contact information at the bottom and will be able to sort it out once rectification is complete.

The CSR's and Moxie are very limited in what they can help with at this point, CSRs can still recover nests and lives, but are unable to process tickets at this time, a lot of the recent issues are stuff that I will likely have to resolve, so please have patience at this time. 

I can't resolve a nest if it has no meeroo_id, if this happens try to rebuild the parents. 

If you encountered an issue that isn't above please contact me.

My friend would go on to say her pets were better. So it would seem Meeroo's latest issues of pet problems is being fixed.

 

After about fifteen years, the company behind Meeroos is still taking care of it's pets.

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

The Dickens Project Art Show

 

By Netera Landar

Where the Dickens Project 2025 Open Art Show is being held.

Always eager to explore the photography and paintings of the SL community, I stepped back in time to enjoy a true winter holiday tradition. Talia Sunsong informed me about the Dickens Project 2025 Open Art Show. The show opened at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20, with DJ Nicholas entertaining the crowd. It ends when The Dickens Project closes on Jan. 5, 2026.

Stevie Morane Basevi spoke to me about the contributors' artwork.

I was greeted by the art show’s coordinator, Stevie Morane Basevi, as I entered the building's foyer. She wore a stunning burgundy Victorian gown, and we talked in one of the two rooms displaying the contributors’ artwork.

“Have a wander around. This work was done by some of the best and most talented artists in SL," Stevie said. “I love the Dickens Project very much. I talked to some of the wonderful artists. Several are returning for the second or third time.”

Left, Winter Moon at Calas by Carelyna, and right, Dickens 00001 by Hermes Kondor.

As we moved through the foyer, she told me who the artists were and said their bio statements were in the clickable panels under the art. Stevie was responsible for arranging the artwork and decorating some of the buildings on the theme-related sims. With a smile, she says, “It was a labor of love.”

View from Harbour Lighthouse - Dickens 2020 by Caledonia Skytower and Christmas Present - Dickens 2020 also by Caledonia Skytower.

Artists featured in the art show are: Carelyna Resident, Stevie Morane Basevi, Hermes Kondor, Caledonia Skytower, HoneyHeart Resident, Dante Helios, Pagan Lane, Raven Arcana, LadyDragon Kazan, Gillian Gustafson, TaliaSunsong, Prins Evergarden, Rosvald, Yanashvaniva Resident, Aquarius27Denimore, and Elvira Mistwood.

Sleighing with Merrylegs in the Snow by HoneyHeart and Winter Scene by Dante Helios.

The artwork focused on winter landscapes, settings inspired by Charles Dickens’ novella “A Christmas Carol,” scenes from the play, carriage rides in the snow, and even a photo of a sculpture.

Ghost of Christmas Past by Pagan Lane.

According to Caledonia Skytower, the Seanchai Library has presented Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” since the library's inception in 2008. In 2012, it began its evolution to the fully immersive, region-scaped environment it is today.

Left, "Coming Home for Christmas" by Raven Arcana, center, photograph by Hermes Kondor, right, The Wealthy, Spoiled Princess by LadyDragon Kazan.

“The Dickens Project is a Second Life winter holiday tradition that invites guests to walk in the steps of Ebenezer Scrooge in an environment inspired by Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella “A Christmas Carol.” The project brings together different SL communities, and celebrates the work of Dickens and his seminal Christmas story through music, story, and a wide variety of events,” said Caledonia.

Marley’s Ghost Photomontage by Gillian Gustafson and Covered Bridge In Snow by Talia Sunsong

“Our goal is to create as many entry points for exploration, discovery, and entertainment as possible,” Caledonia added. “So, whether you like dance club events, literature, curated educational content, or just exploring with your friends, you may well find something to engage you at The Dickens Project. We thought it would be a great opportunity to encourage that community and further encourage SL image creation by holding an art show. We decided early on not to limit it to images created at The Dickens Project, but to keep the requirements ‘Dickens adjacent.’ ”

Left, Winter Love Valley by Carelyna, center, photo by Prins Evergarden, and right, Dicken’s Project by Rosvald.

The environment lets you experience that specific time period. Create new SL holiday memories by wearing Victorian attire and taking pictures for your greeting cards.

Left, Feziwig's Christmas Party by Aquarius Denimore, and next to it, Dickens Project - Allaway by Yanashvaniva.

SL residents are encouraged to create and submit artwork for consideration in next year’s show.

Painting, Time Travelers, by Elvira Mistwood.

To head straight to the art exhibition, go to http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Dickens%20Project/46/181/24  

 

Seanchai Library, which means “Storyteller” in Irish Gaelic, promotes the power of stories to transform and inspire through live voice presentations. 

 

For more information, visit http://irelandslstory.blogspot.com/ or join the group.

 

The main entrance to the Dickens Project is at The Dickens Project (129/128/1401).

Netera Landar
 

The Lost Gallery

 

 By Netera Landar

 

At the entrance, there was a candy booth, a grand piano inside a Christmas gazebo, and a walk-through Christmas tree. Strands of twinkling lights wrapped around light poles, tying the scenery together. 

The Lost Gallery is hosting its 3^rd Annual Holiday Exhibit, featuring over 20 artists in a whimsical landscape. The opening weekend celebration was on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 6 p.m. with entertainment by DJ Sam. On Sunday, Dec. 14, at 1 p.m., Sax Player Steve Who performed. The event runs through Saturday, Jan. 3.

An art exhibit and entertainment. That’s a perfect combination when hosting an event.  

The exhibit’s setting was beautiful and realistic. Photographs and paintings were showcased on easels along a long, snow-covered pathway. The work was easy to find and well organized. Each artist contributed three pieces for the exhibit. 

I teleported there early Saturday night before the contributors, organizers, and Lost Gallery’s supporters arrived. Harlo Jamison was already on the frozen pond dance floor, ready to greet people as they carefully stepped upon the ice. Harlo and Maggie Magenta are the event’s organizers. 

The exhibit’s setting was beautiful and realistic. Photographs and paintings were showcased on easels along a long, snow-covered pathway. The work was easy to find and well organized. Each artist contributed three pieces for the exhibit. Some provided bio statements, and a few offered gifts for the art patrons to take home. At the entrance, there was a candy booth, a grand piano inside a Christmas gazebo, and a walk-through Christmas tree. Strands of twinkling lights wrapped around light poles, tying the scene together. There’s even a Santa in a hot-air balloon.

Eager to know more about the gallery, I asked Harlo if Lost Gallery had a building for exhibits.

“The Lost Gallery is more of a concept than an actual building. Though we sometimes do use a building. We tend to move around the grid, sometimes doing art walks for other sims. Maggie and I both have our own small galleries, so Lost Gallery is a partnership more than anything else. The only thing permanent about Lost Gallery is that we always do a holiday exhibit!” said Harlo.

Asked who was involved in building the setting, Harlo replied, “I do the building…Maggie is our people person. I’m a slow builder…it took about 3 weeks for this one.”

Participating artists include:

Mikal Angello, DragonAngelvs, Michiel Bechir, Zia Brenner, Duraya, Prins Evergarden, Dante Helios, Johannes Huntsman, Georgie Iceghost, Harlo Jamison, Sparkly Mc Baubles, Maggie Magenta, Serena Marabana, Vixen Reigndeer, Alex Riverstone, Rosie Riverstone, Reign Rolfs, Doc Romano, Jamee Sandalwood, Giselle Seeker, Gayle Sweetwater, Kika Yongho, and Mary Zimmer.

 

DJ Sam and Aya Intikhab dancing together.

During the first entertainment session, DJ Sam played holiday music, and Aya was the hostess, while everyone skated or danced. Loved the sparkling lights beneath the ice and the giant snow globe. A few songs Sam played were, “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” by Harry Connick, Jr.; “Almost Christmas” by Chris Isaak; “Christmas Lights” from Coldplay; “Come On Home for Christmas” by George Ezra; “Baby It’s Cold Outside” by Dean Martin; “Mistletoe and Holly” by Frank Sinatra; and “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” by Small Town Titans.

Everyone enjoyed dancing to the holiday music.

I asked two of the contributors about their work while they were dancing. I hated bothering them when they were having fun.

 

“I did a holiday photo and set it for just 10L, mostly as a gift,” said Vixen Reigndeer. “The other two are winter scenery and a hot chocolate stand…it’s all about the feeling the holidays bring.”

Mary Zimmer describing her work to GMetal Svartur. Left to right: Winter Refuge, Winter Sunset, Snowing While the Sun Shines. 

Mary Zimmer said her three photos are of Winter landscapes. “Winter Sunset is one of my most popular photos. They were taken a while ago, so the sims may not still be there. Snowing While the Sun Shines was taken at Blue Finch. Winter Sunset was taken at Echo Ridge.”

Serena Marabana’s Echoes of Snow, Snowdrops, where winter comes to rest. Pictured are a gazebo, a frozen pond, and a lighthouse.

Make sure you check out the exhibit before Jan. 3. Help support the contributors by purchasing their work.

Johannes Huntsman, Winterscapes 25, in blue tones, gives you the winter vibe. Johannes is the creator and owner of Kultivate Magazine and galleries.

Vixen Reigndeer's photography. I see adorable snowmen on the side of the road, frozen branches endangering a tree, and warming up with a cup of coffee.

Zia Branner’s Zale, Liberosis, and Cascade.

Gayle Sweetwater’s Winter’s Spring, Wandering Snowman, and Winter’s Winter watercolor paintings.

Giselle Seeker’s Through the Trees, Holiday cheer, and Arctic Sun. 

Holiday Candy booth and grand piano in a Christmas gazebo

Kika Yongho, Think, Early Bird, and Travel in Time.

Slurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Moran/78/193/53

Netera Landar 

 

The Pharmacy

 

By Netera Landar

“All you Hotsy-totsy dolls, and rollin'-in-money gents, get your sweet little selves over to Pet’s Pharmacy”

The Pharmacy is the cat’s meow!

The exterior of The Pharmacy appears to be an average business. Go through the passage and you'll know differently.

Creating a Speakeasy in a virtual world dominated by oldies, blues, classic rock, jazz, and heavy metal venues requires extensive research.

That’s exactly what Pet Pinklady and her team did.

Pet owned a rock-and-blues club before The Pharmacy. When someone suggested creating a venue that captured the vibe of a speakeasy, she thought that was a great idea. Pet closed her club and opened The Pharmacy during COVID, when everyone was homebound and needed something uplifting.

“I did a lot of research on speakeasies and found that a lot of them were in basements. If you glance at my building, you think you’re looking at a drugstore. You have to go through a secret passageway, like you had to sneak in during the 1920s. The entire venue is decorated in that era’s style. It was so much fun,” said Pet as she sat with me at the venue’s bar. She’s wearing a silky pink gown, a white stole, and a long strand of pearls. In her hand, a swirl of smoke rises from her cigarette holder.

Pet said that she wasn’t familiar with swing music until she opened The Pharmacy. Through DJ Suzie, who spends hours every week finding appropriate music, and Thomas Crown, she learned about the genre. Suzie, who is the club’s DJ on Saturdays, plays revival swing, which isn’t the original records. They are more of a modern-day swing. Loren is Tuesday’s DJ. He prefers original swing music and throws in electro-swing.

Asked if it was challenging to find period-specific furniture, drapery, and décor, Pet replied that she learned many of the speakeasies had black-and-red interiors. When she first opened The Pharmacy on the July 4thweekend of 2020, she had a red-and-black design, but she decided to change it to black-and-gold. 

There are two different builds. The exterior presents a pharmacy that actually masks a second building, accessible only through a wall portal. Click the arrow, and your avatar crawls through the wall and enters the club. Pet purchased the build from Marketplace, took it apart, and retextured everything.

The elegant interior of the speakeasy is inviting.

“I probably shopped for months. It was a labor of love. Everything you see here, I purchased separately. It was challenging, but when I was done, I was really pleased with how authentic it was,” she admitted. 

It took her a long time to find the right dances to pair with the music, but she did.

Attendance gradually grew as her regulars from her previous club started attending the shows. Then, in October 2020, Angela from Focus Magazine wrote an article that increased attendance. Pet promotes her venue through Events, Facebook, and word of mouth, which play a significant role in attracting attention to the club.

As for the hosts, she has three regular and one substitute. Arella Soren and Laurianya rotate on Saturday. Eve Thornhill works on Tuesday, and Piper Waterfalls is the substitute. Piper is also the social media manager. She posts events on Facebook.

Asked what brings the venue’s regulars back week after week, Pet replied, “The feeling of belonging to a family.” That was another reason she opened the venue.

“We talk a lot in chat about what’s happening in everyone’s lives,” she said. “People tell me that they don’t get the same feeling in other clubs. Top it off with good music. That always brings people back.”

Netera 

 

Tiki Grove Resort Welcomes Singers From Around The World

 

By Netera Landar

It’s half an hour before the open mic comes to life at Tiki Grove Resort. Dancing cheek-to-cheek are singer Gabriel225 Greymoon and his lovely lady, Chrys. Gabriel is singing before the audience arrives. He’s been performing in Second Life since 2012. You’ll find him at venues, open mics, and at concerts. He takes a few steps towards the stage. Minutes later, he’s singing “Your Everything” by Barry White. He’s wearing a stylish black jacket, white shirt, and black pants. Greymoon owns La Tangueria, an Argentine tango venue.

 

Next in the queue is CeliMarie Orman in a shimmering gold mini dress. She’s singing Sting’s “Every Breath You Take,”

while the Tiki’s owner, Sarge Darkwyr (SgtPinback Darkwyr), plays the guitar and greets his guests. 

 

Ananspaz wears a sweet, strapless pink dress. She’s singing in Portuguese. The audience cheers her on. 

 

After Betty, from the Philippines, sings, Leo Emmanuel, from Argentina, performs. He has a sexy voice and style, garbed in a long coat, matching pants, and a comfortable tan sweater.

The entrance to the venue before the show began.

I return a day later to interview Darkwyr when he isn’t juggling his responsibilities as a venue owner. The tropical setting is calming, and no one is dancing on the large aquarium dance floor. As we sit at a bistro table, his poodle jumps up, excited to be with her dad.

Years ago, Darkwyr managed the ~O~ Lounge on the open sim grid Encore Escape. Clearly, there’s a connection. He goes by the name Cowboy Bob on other grids. 

“Canipanic, who owned the ~O~ Lounge in Second Life, recently retired and closed it,” he explains. “He had a venue set up that no one used. I found it and wanted to put it to good use. I started doing an open mic in Encore Escape about six or seven years ago. Canni approved. We had a lot of people who came there.”

Then Encore Escape’s grid closed. Darkwyr said the lounge was moved to a Canadian grid, but it wasn’t the same. When that grid closed, Darkwyr decided to ease back into Second Life. Diesel Muircastle, a friend of his, showed him his sim. 

“I asked if I could do an open mic there, at the Hog’s Breath. We were there for a year and a half, and everything was going great. When the land changed ownership, we were nudged off. He moved and went with the name Tuscan’s Island, and I had Tiki Resort there. Then we moved to Zenith Island, and I’d say we’ve been here for five years,” said Darkwyr.

Tiki Grove Resort is located on an eighth of a sim. There’s a smaller stage on the other side for more intimate performances. Urban Harvey and CTM Underwood modified the venue. CTM built the aquarium, and Urban helped with everything.

“It took three weeks to build, reconfigure, to change colors, make the railing, and purchase the furniture,” recalled Darkwyr. “The open mic items on the stage came from Urban, as well as the logo and big banner. He was instrumental in decorating and redesigning. The basic club was bought on Marketplace.”

The open mic queue helps organize the event

The open mic events are on Wednesdays, from 6 to 9 p.m. There have been times when the event has gone longer. Participants can sing one or two songs when it’s their turn. Many attempt to sing in English, or they can sing in the language they are most comfortable with.

Asked what’s involved in running this type of event, Darkwyr said, “Lots of patience. We are an open mic location. You do not have to be a professional performer. It’s for anyone to come here and express themselves. I supply the club stream, which can only be used at the club. They can also use their own stream.”

Darkwyr said that the open mic participants tend to be from overseas. 

“We’ve been dealing with them for quite some time. We treat them with respect, help them with their streams, and help them solve problems when they sing. Catdanc can help them more because she’s a singer. We’re both encouragers.”

There are also individual singers on stage on Tuesdays, on alternating weeks: Southcity Genesis and Star-Menna, and Wayne Rhodell sings every week.

As with any venue, click the tip jar to support the open mic. If you need a DJ for your special event, call on Sarge. Not only does he know the popular songs of several eras, he’s also a great entertainer.

Netera Landar