Performances at Club Image

 By Grey Lupindo

Last week my neighbor Celtic Infinity invited me to attend a dance performance at Club Image, located at Club IMAGE, Laem Singh (198, 29, 2021).    The Sunday morning performances, which are held every week, are suitable for all residents.   The dancers and audience are predominately Japanese, but there were other nationalities represented, too.  Performances start at 7am SLT.

        On the Sunday that I attended, Daylight Savings time had just gone into effect within most of the U.S., but not in Japan.   The time change caught a few people off guard.   In addition to the time issue, SL was having a few technical issues.   But even with these difficulties, the performance was amazing.

       As curtain time drew nearer, Misse Tigerpaw (misse.tigerpaw) greeted everyone and explained about the time issue.   She has been a resident since December, 2007.  Misse is one of the Image dancers and was to be the featured performer in the second act that morning.   She reminded everyone to have a seat and make sure their music was turned on.

         The show began with two dancers, a particle light show, and a lively mix of music.   The first song was “Call Me".  The performance was great, with a snappy beat, high energy dancing, and lots of particles.  The songs that followed were varied and well known. 

        The transition to the second act began with a storyboard of “Little Red Riding Hood” that included pictures of Misse Tigerpaw in costume.   The background music included Sarah Vaughan’s “A Lover's Concerto”, Nat King Cole’s “L-O-V-E”, and Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World”.    Then the London Philharmonic Orchestra began playing “Enchanted Forest” as Misse Tigerpaw began her performance.   She performed a stunning and beautiful ballet as Little Red Riding Hood.   There was fire and ice, a blood moon rising, and even some wolves.    

           After her performance, due to technical difficulties, the order and scheduling of the Image Dancers was changed.  Diawa Bellic was the next dancer.  She has been a resident since 2008. Her talent and professionalism was awesome and overcame the minor technical difficulties SL threw at her. 

      The final act was a group performance of six Image Dancers, including Terri Wardell, Misse Tigerpaw, and Diawa Bellic.  Unfortunately I was unable to confirm the names of the other three dancers.   Their performance, set on a busy urban street, was fun and energetic.     

      Nearly 40 residents watched and cheered the performance.   At the end the performers exited the stage and received more congratulations as those who attended left the theatre.  

       The Image Dancers put on a great show that I heartily recommend.  If you go, plan to arrive early so you can get a good seat.   There is no change for the performance.  However, pictures of the dancers are on the wall and serve as a tip jar for anyone who wishes to donate.    Don’t worry if you don’t know Japanese or have a translator.  Celtic gave me a translator so I could understand the chat better, but I didn’t need it for the show.   Music and dancing are universal.  

Grey Lupindo

Death in the Desert

 By Grey Lupindo

If you like riddles and mysteries, the new “Death in the Desert” site should be on your list of go-to places.    It opened October 1^st and will remain open until October 31^st.   The site was created by Slueth-Sayers Builders and is located at Death in the Desert, Fun and Games (130, 20, 22)

The mystery is that that Edmund Mallory, a great archaeologist but perhaps a not-so-great person, is missing.  He has lots of enemies, including rival archaeologists, shady businessmen, government agents, and even his own son.   There are notecards which give you the background on the historic site, as well as a few bare facts about Mallory.  After the original investigator was promoted to a position with INTERPOL, a new agent—you-- is assigned to the case.  To make matters more interesting, the evidence that the first Investigator found has been stolen from the police evidence locker.    

Since I love hunts and mysteries, this seemed like a perfect challenge for me.    The locale is beautiful, too:  an Egyptian market surrounded by the desert, the Nile, a pyramid, and lovely oasis waterfalls.    

The first problem I faced was too high a script count.   To its credit, the sim keeps lag down by keeping scripted avi’s at bay.    Warning messages told me how many scripts I needed to lose or risk being sent home.   It took a bit, but I finally got my weight down without shedding too many clothes.

You are instructed to first go to the police station to meet Police Chief Fasir.   This is easy since there is a large sign.  At the police station you receive a Case File filed with photos of the main suspects, interview notes, clues and other items.   You are then sent out to investigate. 

To work the case you will need to look in every shop and back alley.   As you hunt you’ll find some freebies as well as some beautiful items for sale.   I picked up some free clothing, lots of snacks, and a few other fun items.   The goods for sale range from beautiful furniture to inexpensive trinkets.   My favorite furniture item was an inlaid desk with drawers that open and close.   My favorite fun item was a pool of blood on the floor, which was for sale for $30L.   I passed up buying either item, but I may go back after that desk.

 There’s also a train and a boat to ride, both of which were fun and passed by sites where you might find clues.  I hopped off once or twice, but when I stayed off too long the train left without me.   It was a long, dry walk back to the market.  

After receiving the case file, I snooped around and soon found informant Badru Fayad.   I collected some evidence off of him, including a pick axe and shovel.  Then I was off to dig up more clues.

As soon as I found my first person, I was able to access the interview sheet.   I quickly realized I was going to have to gather all of the basic information before I could solve the crime, just like a RL detective should do.   Once all of the evidence is gathered, the rules tell you to take your time solving the mystery.  If you guess wrong, you have to start all over gathering the clues again.  

So far I’ve found four of the people I need to interview and lots of evidence, including a potentially useful recipe for poison.   I’ve filled up on snacks and Skeleton Cake, too.   In short, I had a great time.

The names of the ace detectives who have already solved the puzzle are listed at the entrance.  My name isn’t there yet, but I’m working on it.

 Fun and Games (130, 20, 22)


Grey Lupindo

Art Exhibit “Realism in Second Life” Opens

By Grey Lupindo

A new art exhibit featuring artists Rubben Acajou and Sandralee Palianta opened May 19 in the Cuauhnahuac Gallery located at Instituto Espanol (48, 134, 31).   The exhibit is titled “Realism in Second Life” and features a wide variety of photographs and paintings of landscapes, still life, marine, and other subjects.
  

As you enter the Gallery, a sign at the entrance explains the historical significance of its RL structure.   The Gallery replicates The Palace of Cortes, which is now a museum located in Cuernavaca, Mexico.  The RL structure is almost 500 years old, making it the oldest preserved colonial era civil structure in the continental Americas.  

The SL Gallery is a massive, two story stone and stucco building, with thick carpets in many of the rooms, and Spanish arches and tiled floors in the hallways.    Beautiful floral arrangements add to the ambiance and create a perfect place to enjoy art.  

The current exhibit showcases the work of two painters and photographers.  Rubben Acajou’s exhibit begins with paintings of still life in which the fruit looks so real you want to reach out and taste it.   In the adjoining rooms, there are landscape and marine scenes.  

Although all of his paintings are beautiful, I liked Acajou’s interpretation of the sea best.   His subjects ranged from “El Faro” (The Lighthouse) to “Pescadores” (Fishermen) to sailing ships and storms.  Marine 2 is a real photograph where he captured the white capped waves beautifully.  

On the second floor of the Gallery the works of Sandralee Palianta are featured.  Palianta is a photographer and graphic artist from San Francisco.  She is exhibiting her work for the first time in Second Life. 

Palianta’s exhibit starts with a large colorful ink brush abstract entitled, “Mexican Pattern”.     The colors are vivid and energetic.    From there the exhibit moves to pencil, pen, and photographic mediums.  Many of her photographs are of everyday vegetables like cabbage, peppers, and mushrooms, but she manages to turn them into works of art.    Other subjects are more abstract, such as “Glass Hearts” and “Beaded Face Masks”.    

Many of her photographs are of places, including ones taken in Arizona and on San Francisco’s Pier 39.  She has captured the desolate beauty of desert mountains as well as the delicate beauty of wildflowers. In one photograph of a bee in a cactus flower, she shows the contrast between the delicate petals of the flower and the sharp spines of the cactus.   My favorite photograph is “Fall in the Black Hills”, which shows a man, perhaps a Native American, walking near a pond against a background of colorful fall foliage. 

Some of Palianta’s photographs are studies in black and white.  In one she highlights the stark beauty of a coyote on a frosty morning near Lake Mead, Nevada, and in another, “Mist on the River” she shows the beauty of fog.     Other works, however, are colorful and bright.  In one she has photographed a jewel-colored carousel horse.  In “Outhouses” she has captured a fun array of Americana signage and what looks like old license plates.

Grey Lupindo

VMA Spring Build-Off Winners Announced

By Grey Lupindo

The Virtual Museum of Architecture held its Spring Build-Off at the Builders Brewery Sandbox at Builders Resource (127, 131, 22).    The theme was Homes of Feudal Japan.   Colorful cherry blossoms and flying kites added a festive note to the competition.    The first picture, taken by SL photographer Sanfroggy, shows an overview of the competition area.
 

       This Build-Off was very different from past competitions.   Djinn Dasmijn, Co-Director of the VMA, said, “This has been one of the Virtual Museum of Architecture's most unique build-offs yet. ... Builders had asked for something off the wall, different, non-Western. Well, how better to be non-Western than to go East.”    

       There were a total of 10 entries, five in the Pro category and five in the Novice.   The number of entries was intentionally kept smaller for this event so that the builders could have more room and prims to use for the houses.   Many of the homes featured traditional Japanese gardens, rice paper walls, bamboo, and beautiful murals.   The photographs taken by Sansfroggy show the exterior of the First Place winning entries in each category.  The winners Pro Category were 1^st - Celestine Ghiardie   (House 4);  2^nd - Terra Tepper  (House 2); and 3^rd -  Granelda Oh (House 1).   The People's Choice Award also went to Granelda Oh.    Also building in the Pro Division was Rottin Dean and Sandi Glas.    

 

           The winners  in the Novice Category were 1st - Winter Nightfire; 2^nd -  Rage Quintessa; and 3rd - Vencat Boxen.   The People's Choice Award went to Winter Nightfire.     Bartimaeus Brandenburg and LunaEnigma also built in the Novice Category.     

           An Honored Sponsors Village was designed and built by Garvie Garzo.  In addition to Builder’s Brewery, which donated the use of the sandbox and provided other assistance, the Build-Off was sponsored by  XD – Gadgets, Creations for Parkinsons, Ashira's Aerie,  [zED]ge-NeticS, MeadowWorks,   Lucid Design, MrMultiWriter, Smiling Faces Entertainment, Look REAL w/Starla Farella, Top Jobs,  DRUM, and Affection Island.     

           On Sunday, March 3, the Museum held an awards party, complete with entertainment.   Twostep Spiritweaver, DRUM, Mr.Multi “Mic” Writer, and Ed Lowell performed.    The viewing time was limited at Builders’ Brewery because the event was being held on their sandbox.   However, Djinn Dasmijn hopes to find another location where the Homes of Feudal Japan will be able to stay longer to allow more SL residents to view them.

Grey Lupindo

Content Creators’ Conflict Leads to Fundraiser

     A conflict involving allegations of copyright infringement and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) have resulted in one resident’s creations being removed by Linden Lab, and her friends and fellow content-creators holding a fundraiser to assist in her.   They also hope to focus attention on the issues raised by the DMCA.   The One Voice Fundraiser is being held at Mesh (18, 131, 22).

     The controversy is between Gala Phoenix, owner of Curio Skins, and Hush Darkrose, owner of HUSH Skins.  The issues involve not only copyright and DMCA law, but also international law and the impact on SL.   The RL people behind Phoenix and Darkrose live in different RL countries.   

     According to information posted by Gala Phoenix at http://curioonline.org, she initially filed a “take-down” notice against Hush Darkrose because she believes Darkrose’s skins infringes on her copyright.   Darkrose filed a counter-notice and also copyrighted her skins in her real-life country.   Darkrose then filed a lawsuit in her country against Phoenix, and filed a notice of the action with Linden Las.   Phoenix failed to take any further actions after filing her initial  take-down notice.  

      If all of this sounds really complicated, it’s because it is.  Once court actions are initiated, the law requires specific responses, usually within certain time limits.   In addition, under the DMCA process, when Linden Labs receive notice of a lawsuit, they require that the products at issue be removed while the court action is pending.  The result is that Gala Phoenix’s skins have been removed from SL, even though she was the one who initially filed a “take-down” notice against Darkrose.   Darkrose was the one to filed in court, and sent notice to LL of that action.    At this point there has been no decision as to which party infringed, or if there was, in fact, any infringement at all.

      Many content creators are taking part in the fundraiser to help Gala Phoenix and also to let the SL community know about this process.  They feel the action taken by Darkrose is unfounded, but the process to fight it is expensive and it could happen to any of them.   Eku Zhong provided the location for the fundraiser.  Over 50 different creators are taking part, with 50-100% of the proceeds going to help with legal fees.   Gala Phoenix estimates those legal fees will be over $20,000.00 (US).   The fundraiser will be held from July 9-16th.

Grey Lupindo

Jukebox Build-Off Winners

There were six contestants in the Jukebox building contest sponsored by The Virtual Museum of Architecture, located at Purdue University (207, 113, 26).    As you may remember from previous articles, their Spring Build-off theme featured 50’s drive-ins.   The theme proved to be so popular that they decided to hold a mini Jukebox building contest. 

Elaara Wylder-Hansome (elaara.wylder) won first place with her fun design.  Elaara never expected to win.  She said, “I was excited just to take part!”   Her entry features lots of neon in colorful pink, blue, green, yellow and purple that rotates and changes.  Records move and drop down, too, just like the old jukeboxes used to do.   (Or so I’m told.)     

One of the criteria for the contest was that the jukeboxes had to be able to play music.  Originally the requirement was to play a 50s stream, but that was later modified to require that it could play a song that was provided.    Neither Elaara nor I could remember the name, but it’s an upbeat, familiar-sounding rock-n-roll tune.  I couldn’t resist dancing a bit.  

Neural Blankes won Second Place, and Third Place was awarded to Toxic Darkmatter.   Darkforest Dean (rottin.dean) created a jukebox with six selections in it, including Doo Wop and a Rockabilly station.  Jolie Serendipity and Djinn Dasmijn, who coordinates the contest, also competed.

The winners were selected by members of the VMA, who voted for their favorites.  The competition was tough as all of the jukeboxes look great.    They are on display now, along with the drive-in trophy designs, inside the VMA building.

Grey Lupindo

Rasmuson Gallery of Alaskan Artists

A few days ago I visited the Rasmuson Gallery of Alaskan Artists, located at Rhetorica (203, 235, 86).  The SL Rasmuson Gallery eliminates the miles and miles that separate us in RL and lets us experience the people and their art that we might otherwise never get to see.  In RL it is located at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks.   In SL, a quick teleport takes you to an open-air, multi-story gallery filled with light and connected by a virtual flowing river.       

The current exhibit highlights the winners of the 2012 Individual Artists Awards.   There was a simultaneous event held in RL and SL on June 5 when the Rasmuson Foundation announced the winners.   This was the sixth year that they have held the event in both RL and SL.    According to their press release, the SL location was projected on a big screen at the RL event located in Anchorage, Alaska.  

 The 2012 Distinguished Artist Award was presented to Kes Woodward from Fairbanks for Visual Arts.  He received a $25,000 Award.  He was born in South Carolina and moved to Alaska in 1977.  He is a Professor of Art Emeritus at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he taught for twenty years.  In October 2004 he received the first Alaska Governor's Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts.

Fellowship Awards of $12,000 each were presented to   Da-ka-xeen Mehner, Visual Arts; Jack Dalton, Presentation Interpretation; Tommy Joseph, Visual Arts; Karina Moeller, Music Composition; Kat Tomka, Visual Arts; Brendan Harrington, Visual Arts; Sonya Kelliher-Combs, Visual Arts’; Philip Munger, Music Composition; Morris Palter, Presentation Interpretation; and Laura Bliss Spaan, Media Arts.

As you walk through the gallery, there are photos and notecards of the featured artists and exhibits of their work.  The art is beautiful, and the artists are a very diverse group.  Da-ka-xeen Mehner, who was born in Fairbanks, describes his parents as Tlingit/N'ishga (mother) and Hippy/American (father).  His work examines his multicultural heritage as an urban Native American in Anchorage and as a rural Hippy in Fairbanks living without electricity, running water or phones.  He is an Assistant Professor of Native Arts at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the director of the UAF Native Arts Center.

Tommy Joseph, of the Eagle Moiety, Kaagwaantaan Clan, has been a Northwest Coast carver for over twenty years.   He carves totem poles, masks, bentwood boxes, and more.  He is now working on Tlingit battle dress and armor.

Karina Moeller is an Inuit performer from Greenland, but has lived in Alaska for 16 years with her three children.  She has toured all over the world with the Greenlandic Theater Silamiut and with the Alaskan group, Pamyua.

Philip Munger debuted as conductor in 1963, and he also helped start the South Seattle Youth Symphony.  Currently he is Interim Director of the Anchorage Civic Orchestra.  He has been on the faculty of the University of Alaska Anchorage since 1995, and he has also been named to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Bugler Hall of Fame. 

Laura Bliss Spaan is a visual storyteller, journalist, and independent filmmaker whose work has been nominated for Emmy awards.    She frequently focuses on the Eyak people.  “More Than Words” tells about the last Native speaker of the Eyak language while “Parlez-Vous, Eyak?”, her most recent film, follows the Eyaks and a young man from France who is helping them to learn their language.  She is currently working with the Eyaks to create new stories in their own language using archival audio and film.

Kat Tomka is a Professor of Art and the Program Director for the Painting program at the University of Alaska Anchorage.  Her art work has been exhibited in West Africa, London, Germany, Canada, the Czech Republic, and throughout the U.S.   

Brendan Harrington was born in Massachusetts and raised in Kodiak and Juneau, Alaska.  Throughout most of his life he has combined working as an artist and as a commercial fisherman.   He lives in Kodiak, Alaska now, but he lived in Germany for a while.  In addition to exhibits in the U.S., his drawings and paintings have also been exhibited in Europe.

Mavis Muller is a "story weaver" from Homer, Alaska, who combines basketry, poetry, and storytelling. As she weaves baskets, she tells about the plants, trees and landscapes and how they are carriers of messages and blessings.  Her baskets have also been exhibited in museums, art galleries, and juried art shows. 

Rosemary McGuire is a writer from Cordova who focuses on contemporary Alaskan life.  Her work has appeared in Quarterly West, River Teeth and ISLE. She has been recognized by Association of Writers and Publishers and The Atlantic Monthly. She has written two books which have been excerpted in literary reviews.

Last year's event was filmed and will be part of a film being produced by Pooky Media, a SL company.  The film is expected to debut this month and will show how the Rasmuson Foundation is using SL to promote Alaskan art to a world-wide audience. 

Grey Lupindo

50's Drive-in Build-Off Winners

The Virtual Museum of Architecture celebrated the fun of 1950’s drive-ins at its Spring Build-off this year.   The two winning designs can be seen at Purdue University, Virtual Museum of Architecture (208, 113,26).  Mickey Wizardly won First Place in the Pro Division with “Betsy’s Drive-in”, and Toxic Darkmatter won First Place in the Novice Division for “Double T Drive-in.”   

     Both designs featured colorful neon signs and the popular 50’s colors of turquoise, hot pink and black and white checked floors.  Cars and motorcycles are parked outside, and “Betsy’s Drive-in” includes some “squawk-boxes”, too.   Signs from the 50’s, tempting malts on the counter, and a rock-n-roll tune playing inside the “Double T Drive-in” added extra fun and authenticity.
 

      In front of each drive-in is the winner’s trophy, which was created by Doe Silverspar.  The trophy, entitled “Skating”, was the winning design in a mini-contest held about a month before the drive-in build-off.   I chatted briefly with Silverspar about designing and building in Second Life.  She has been involved with this activity since she joined SL in September, 2007.   She suggested that residents who are interested in building join Builder’s Brewery.  “They offer top notch classes constantly, and the classes are free,” she said. 

      Builder’s Brewery, as well as over a dozen other SL businesses, sponsored this year’s event.   Djinn Dasmijn was the Build-off Coordinator.  

Grey Lupindo

Be the Ninja! The Nexus Core System RP Sim

Ninja Combat System is a complex MMORPG (Massive Multi Online Role Play Game) created especially for SL. It is located at NxCS (12, 120, 3159). The role-play is wildly popular, with over 4000 members. When I visited there recently, it was my first introduction to the world of Ninjas and role-playing games. I was fascinated by this detailed, creative world. Peaceful, beautiful music plays in the background, but danger lurks everywhere.

BioBlaze Payne and Silicon Plunket own NCS, and Numberofthebeast Angelus is the main Builder. Currently the role play area of Ninja Combat is set in Yōso no tochi, Land of the Elements. The site is expanding rapidly. Currently you can find a Village set within a volcano, waterfalls, meadows, and more. Outside of the role play area is a Mall, library, classrooms, and a combat practice area. If you are not familiar with MMORPG, there are classes, notecards, and friendly people who will help get you started. There is even a blog dedicated to Ninja Combat: http://blog.ncs2.net/.

NCS can be enjoyed in many different ways. The premise of the game is built on a legend about three brothers who come from a distant world but then go their separate ways. The middle brother lived among nature, communing with the Forest and eventually the elements themselves. From the elements he gained longevity and prospered. His descendants became Yōso no rēsu, the Race of the Elements. Some of these people have the ability to control "Chi/Ki/Chakra" a spiritual energy that gives them power to protect or to destroy. This ability is so valuable that others will kill to have it.

In order to protect the children who are born with this power, the people joined together in clans and families to form Villages. The villages offer protection and employment for those with this miraculous ability. An individual Ninja can join a clan and take part in massive group events or go on individual quests and journeys. Elaborate histories of the groups and clans exist and drive the plot of this RPG. Each Ninja who joins the group brings his or her own story to the game, enriching and adding to the community. The Ninja advance through different levels and complete missions as they progress through life.

To play, you pick up the free game box on Marketplace. Inside the box you’ll find a HUD, weapons pouch, some clothing and both male and female shapes. The HUD is key to the game because it intertwines the RP with missions where you find and seek objects or engage in combat. Wear the HUD and go to the landing point listed above. Create your character by choosing a name, your abilities, symbols, village and clan. NCS guides you through the character building process. In addition to the HUD, notecards, signs and other tools are available to help you.

I decided to be a male Ninja. I wore the male student shape and put on the Nagushi uniform of Kunai Holster. NCS provided the Nagushi clan shinobi pants, wrist band, shingaurd boots, headset, and projectile pouch. It didn’t include a shirt, which isn’t a problem for a real male. In my case, I added the tunic from a male outfit available in the Linden Library.

Like any endeavor, the more thought you put into this, the better your outcome will be. But don’t let lack of experience stop you from trying this game. I was able to create a presentable character with minimal effort and no prior Ninja knowledge. Once I looked like a Ninja, I needed to gain some knowledge and experience.

In the library there are rows of books, some of which give out freebies and experience points. There are also classes, which BioBlaze Payne and others teach to newcomers. In addition to the library, a weapon practice area and other “safe” zones exist so you can learn Ninja skills without getting injured. For those who want to support the community with Lindens, there is also a way to purchase experience and other benefits. The purchases help the sim and the community, too.

But I wanted to jump into action. Ready or not, I teleported into the Village.

The Village is an impressive, multi-level structure constructed of dark, grey stone and linked by bridges. One of the bridges is featured as the cover art on the game box. A few private meeting rooms are tucked away behind the massive pillars. Fireplaces have been placed in the center of the room to offer warmth and light. The rooms are great places for small groups of Ninja to meet and plan their strategy. A hospital is located in the corner of one of the buildings, although it appeared a rock slide had damaged it.

The creative Builder of this world is Numberofthebeast Angelus. He took me on a tour of the Village, including some hidden and behind-the-scene areas. We started with a walk-through of the Village area, where we made a quick stop for Take-Out food. Angelus made the Chef, who is an NPC, a Non-Player Character. “The Chef,” Angelus said, “is my fav NPC to date.” In addition to cooking, the Chef gives out missions, such as sending a Ninja on a quest to find a needed ingredient. Angelus’ creativity and humor are found in the carry-out boxes, too. “Go Home Happy” is written on them.

New areas and creatures are continually being added to keep the game exciting and fun for the Ninja. From the Village we went to a hidden hot springs that is still being perfected. The giant Slug is slated to become a Mission Giver. Other creatures, like moles, leeches and ants, are in the works, too. But the human-looking NPCs were my favorites. The detail and diversity were amazing. Even more impressive is that they are only 1 prim each.

In addition to the NPCs, magical plants have been created at another hot springs. A new HUD is in the works that will involve a mining system. Different ores are being created, ranging from basic iron ore up to valuable diamonds. A new village that will be hidden in a forest is also planned, and Angelus will build living quarters for anyone who wants to live at NCS.

On another visit to NCS I met Vasari Nagushi, who is the Nagushi Sama of Noumugakure. He has been a member for three years. In addition to his duties as the Nagushi Sama and working security, he helps new people who want to get involved. His village has 21 people in it, but one of his goals is to increase that number. While we chatted, another Ninja, Isela Yuhara, joined us. She and Vasari Nagushi are members of the same clan, but reside in different villages.

But Ninja seek adventure, and it was time for me to return to find one. One of the first missions given a beginning Ninja is to kill the Lava bees that live in a giant bee hive. The bees are attacking the farmers and villagers and must be killed. As I stood there, debating whether I really wanted to get near the hive, encouraging messages came to me. One message said, “Lava Bees are attacking. This is a good chance for you to show us what you learned in School.” Another note encouraged me to “Go dwindle their numbers.”

I had to try to save the Village. With no experience and even less knowledge, I took on the hive. At the end of my fight, I received a message that said “You have Damaged yourself 8 time(s)” and another one that said “You have done a Direct hit 6 time(s)”. Not bad, I thought. But the best message was “You have done Double Damage 6 time(s)”. I saved the Village—at least for the moment. It was time for a reward. Time to shop.

I went shopping at the Gateway to Cosplay store, located in the mall area. Here I found a wide variety of clothes and outfits for both men and women. The women’s clothes included beautiful silks, fishnet stockings, boots, and hats. The men’s Shinigami Captain's Haori outfit was very dashing. On the other side of the Mall I found the Birth shop, where skins, eyes, and shapes are sold. The Mall is large, with lots of room available for more shops.

If you have ever wanted to explore the fascinating world of the Ninja, the NCS sim is a great place to start. With the HUD, notecards, posters, and classes to teach you the basics of this world, you can be a Ninja. You, too, can find adventure here.

Go defeat those Lava Bees!

Grey Lupindo

Virtual Museum of Architecture - Fall Build-Off

The Virtual Museum of Architecture (VMA) held its annual Fall Build-off on Builder’s Brewery, located at Builders Resource (111, 30, 22). Djinn Dasmijn was the Build-Off Coordinator. The theme was Art Deco, a style developed in the 1920’s and 30’s. During a whirlwind 48 hours, competitors designed, built, textured, and tweaked their creations. The aim of the competition was to see who could create the most functional and appealing Art Deco commercial building. There were two categories: Novice and Pro, for residents who had previously sold builds. When the building ended on Sunday, SL residents voted for their favorites.

Djinn Dasmijn stated, “I am impressed with the quality of builds our competitors come up with at each build-off.” There are two large competitions held each year, with a different theme each time. This was the first time the Art Deco theme had been used. Dasmijn said a small contest was held to select the best Art Deco trophy. Because the Build-Offs are so popular, Dasmijn may be adding smaller events throughout the year.

There were 21 competitors this year, 10 in the Pro category and 11 in the Novice. The variety and quality were amazing. Among the builds were restaurants, department stores, a theater, and even a dolphin sanctuary. Some of the builders created notecards about their inspiration or method of creating the piece, which I found very interesting. Camden McAndrews, for example, first built a 1:32 scale model of his structure.

One competitor, Darkforest Dean, took time out to talk about his build and allowed me to photograph him. He placed a radio that he had made inside his structure, and the radio served as the inspiration for his build. Another builder, Levi Ewing, built a tall, luxurious “Flag Ship” store to symbolize the richness of the 1920s and capture the mood of the carefree lifestyle people were experiencing then.

Morgan India created “The Hindenburg Club”, a sky harbor/bus station redesigned into a “high-class speakeasy”. India’s entertaining notecard explained the problems faced by executives of Dirigible-Omnibus Harbor, Inc. that resulted in this structure. India’s real inspiration for the build was a hangar at Lambert Field and by Art Deco icons, such as the Paramount Theater in Oakland, CA [1931], the Musical Hall in Kansas City [1932], and the Gold Ballroom of the Overlook Hotel.

A very unique design was the Mariposa Dolphin Sanctuary, built by Enoch Kips. This two-story structure had a second floor observation walk where you could watch the two rescued dolphins swim. Movies were well-represented in the competition, too. A great corner theater was built by Deo, while Simi Firehawk’s stucco, glass and gold structure included Casablanca posters and pictures of movie stars inside.

The end of the competition was celebrated by a dance DJ’d by Etoile in the exhibitor’s area. The Winners were announced at an Awards Gala on Monday, October 24th, from 7:00–9:00 PM SLT, on the competition sim.

The winners of VMA's Fall Build-off 2011 are:

Novice Category:

1st place: Jolie Serendipity, 2nd place: Arteer Oliva, 3rd place: 2Rottin Dean

Pro Category:

Tied for 1st place: Terra Tepper and Marcan Aridian , 2nd place: Hideo Inaka, 3rd place: Granelda Oh

People's Choice Awards:

Novice: Camden McAndrews, Professional: Granelda Oh

Grey Lupindo

Steelhead Participates in the Hunt Steam 5

The steampunk hunt, Steam 5, began September 1 and continues throughout the month. It has with over 200 residents officially signed up to participate. Since the Hunt is free and doesn’t require any special gear to play, there are probably more residents who are hunting informally. Approximately 190 stores are participating.

Since I had recently visited Steelhead and liked it, I decided to visit the shops that are located there. The first shop I went to was Peterman Ltd Dry Goods, located at Steelhead (88, 214, 25). Peterman’s are “purveyors of 19th century clothing, hats, and objects d'art.” Like all great general stores, they carry a little bit of everything. In this case that includes oil paintings by Pacific Northwest artists, Victorian, Edwardian, Western, and of course Steampunk clothing and items. This cog was easy to find, and the gift was a unique outfit.

Next I strolled around Port Harbor to find Cedar Bay Home Furnishings. This store is located at Steelhead Harborside (159, 15, 25). Many of the stores in the Hunt, especially the larger ones, leave a hint near the sign. The hint at Cedar Bay was great. It read, “Avast ye scurvy dogs! Hoist th' mizzen, fire th' guns an' prepare for plunder!” As you can see in the picture, the clue was as good as a treasure map. The treasure at Cedar Bay is a tea set that tells fortunes. I hope it predicts that I’ll find all the hidden cogs.

The third shop on Steelhead that I visited was Luminous Designs. This shop advertises that it carries “clothing for the elegant brat.” The store, located at Steelhead Shanghai (68, 13, 56) is a tall cylinder shaped building. An easy-to-use teleport system zips you quickly from area to area, or you can use the ladders to go at a more leisurely pace. Luminous Designs (LD) carries everything from elegant evening gowns to historically accurate outfits. This cog was harder to find, but probably because I was window shopping as much as hunting. They gave out both a men’s gift and one for women. Foxettes, I decided, were allowed one of each. I can’t wait to wear them.

The last two shops were smaller, but they gave out very unique prizes. Froobert’s Furthest West is the smallest of the participating Steelhead stores. It is located at Froobert's Furthest West , Steelhead Shanghai (153, 32, 49). Their gift included AOs for both gents and ladies, a pose stand and more. St Helens Dry Goods, located at Steelhead St Helens (73, 146, 39), gave out a revolving dance gear.

If you are a Steampunk fan or like the challenge of a hunt, Steam 5 is a great way to visit new sites and have fun in Second Life.

Grey Lupindo

Toy's Art Gallery

A grand re-opening of Toys Art Gallery was held July 17 and 18 at its location on Grojnowski (33, 19, 1001). The show is titled “Mirages of Art”. I wasn’t able to attend the reception, but I went over early to check out the new gallery.

Toysoldier Thor is the multi-talented artist, builder, and designer who created the work. The gallery, which is said to have taken 5 weeks to design and build, is a unique, circular structure with a colorful walkway that winds around the 5 levels of gallery space. The top floor opens onto the Starfield Patio. Throughout the gallery, subdued lighting highlights the art work.

Unlike real-life galleries where touching is forbidden, Toy encourages residents to touch his art. He has created a notecard for each piece that explains his creative thought process, often provides the Second Life location of the photo, and shares other helpful or creative information. For example, his “Farm Falls Frost” was taken on the Alirium sim, located at Alirium (204,119, 22). He stated, “This is a place I strongly recommend my fellow SL'er must visit and explore. I wanted to express a peaceful abandonment of a home long since vacated and the view from a window of this home as the land around it overgrows. The arrival of winter is hinted with the frost on the few remaining panes of glass as well as no leaves left on the trees.”

In contrast to this pastoral scene, one of his other works is “Stormy Streets”, an urban street scape from the sim Sin City – Hard Rock Park. He added layers of additional color and elements to the Second Life photo, including some elements taken from real-life. The result is a vibrant scene, with symbolism and danger lurking everywhere in this city.

One of my favorites, shown in the second photo, is “Black Mamba Floral Delights”. Toy created this as a collage from photos he had taken of the many flowers found on the Black Mamba sim and which he enhanced with Photoshop.

The last photo shows another of my favorites, “Morning Meadow Hunt.” Toy found his inspiration for this work of art at the Gulf of Loon. On his notecard, Toy wrote, “I ended up bumping into this amazing Crane (at least that’s what I think he is) that was hiding in the cattails actually hunting for fish - and even caught one right in front of me. I had to capture his morning meadows hunt onto digital canvas! After several photos of different angles and a lot of photo manipulation to set the tone of the day, this is what I came up with.”

Toysoldier’s other works are equally varied and complex. Some of them, like “Magi’s Realm,” depict the mystical side of SL. Other of his works, such as “Barren Harvest” and “Floral Fox” include images from his real life that he brings into Second Life. Toys Art Gallery brings such a wonderful variety of colorful, unique art to SL that you will want to visit it often.

Grey Lupindo

Those Magical Meeroos

Meeroos are the latest breedable “animal” to hit SL, but don’t be concerned that you’re never heard or seen one in RL. A Meeroo is the unique creation of Malevay Studios, whose official website can be found at www.worldofmeeroos.com. Malevay Studios has gone a step beyond the usual breedable SL animal with the Meeroo by incorporating social interaction, breeding limitations, and an appealing “legend” and mythology. Their goal is obvious. They want Meeroos to appeal to everyone: entrepreneurs, pet lovers, and gamers. So far they appear to be succeeding.

Meeroos became available in SL on May 21, but they were previously available to some in Beta. Wizard Muldoon and Lady Elysa were two of the lucky residents who had beta Meeroos. Both of them were enthusiastic about the new animals. Muldoon, who has raised both horses and cats, likes Meeroos because they will have personality and interact with their owners.

When I met Lady Elysa, she was sitting in a lovely, surrounded by Meeroos. She and her Meeroos are located at Elegance by Elysa, Oasis of Qaf, Rare Jewel (167, 132, 25). The Meeroos were very cute, and Lady Elysa was friendly and helpful. Not only did she spend time talking with me, she has created notecards about Meeroo breeding, eye colors, and other useful information.

Describing the appeal of Meeroos, Lady Elysa said, “The creators gave us a little creature that recognizes us. They wake up when we come into the area. They come to us. They respond when they are petted, and they beg to be picked up and snuggled.” When Meeroos are petted, they glow.

Meeroos come in different sizes, from tiny tea cup to giant, and in a variety of fur and eye colors, including dusty or clear eyes. As with the other SL breedables, some colors and types are rare and thus more expensive. What makes Meeroos most unique, however, are their personality traits, which include shy, friendly, mischievous, lazy, and aggressive. (Aggressive ones are more talkative and interactive, not mean.)

While Lady Elysa and I were talking, Mary Meeroo came up. In my chat window appeared, “Mary Meeroo whispers: Elysa Swansong will you please pick me up and snuggle me?” I was amazed! I have many animals that I talk to, but none of them has ever initiated a conversation with me. Lady Elysa explained that this happens all the time, although some Meeroos are chattier than others.

The prices for Meeroos vary. Ones with clear eyes, which are more rare, cost more. Also the tea cup and giants, being the smallest and largest, cost more than the in-between sizes. I found an auction where the current bids were $8000L each for three tea cups, two females and a male. I don’t know if that was the final price, however.

Entrepreneurs are hopeful that some of the safeguards included by Malevay Studios will help Meeroos hold their value. Unlike rabbits and some other breedable animals, Meeroos will not mass reproduce. Only specific Meeroos will breed with other specific Meeroos. It is hoped that this will keep the market from being over saturated.

Malevay Studios has also added a feature called Regard points that owners can earn. Whenever the owners pet Meeroos, they gain points, although it was not immediately clear what the points do. Owners can socialize with other owners and their Meeroos to earn points that way, too.

Meeroos are busy little creatures, constantly digging and exploring. They dig up buried treasures like broken pipes, old coins, and rotted fruit. Gold exists, too, but is rare. However, if an owner clicks on any treasure, Regard points are awarded.

So far lots of residents appear to be interested in Meeroos. At one site, seven people were looking when I stopped by. The seller, Lanier Matova, said he had sold 6 already, and it was only the second day after their release. At another site, residents BlueJeanSparx Melody and Bryan (greg1990) were hoping Meeroos were cheaper to keep than horses. Bryan told me his horses ate so much that he was paying as much for food as he did for his land rent. A typical Meeroo will eat one bowl of wild Berries a week, which will cost $63L.

For residents that aren’t interested in breeding and selling, there is an option that turns the Meeroos into an easy to care for pet. For a one-time payment of $1500L, the Meeroo can be transformed into a pet that does not require food and can be kept forever. Also, Lady Elysa emphasized that petting and interaction is optional. She said, “There's no need for anyone to stress, thinking that they will be a lot of work, because it's all totally optional.”

Grey Lupindo