October 2009 Issue
architecture in sl
That’s Entertainment! Melodee McDonnell : Performing in Character The Gay Clubber Goes to Myst Dance Club’s Pirate Party Toby’s Juke Joint: Friendly Blues Rockin’ with DJ Dena McMahon
Holistic Point of View
16 98 120 164
Dreamwork/Soulwork Horoscope for the Month of October
156 160
Designer’s Den Artistic Autumn Attire
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MiaMai Ora Trei Designs Wear Gray
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cont
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14 50 110 72 132
From the Desk... Eddi Haskell interviews Alex Bader of Skye Castles
Human Interest Yours Truly, Ann SLanders Architecture in Second Life: A Builder’s Perspective Twisted Thorns Textures: Haven for Artist and Builders Entertainment in an Immersive Environment Tribute and Triumph of Human Imagination
tents
On the Cover: The cover should say “Grand Entrance Lobby of the Rose Theater by Eddi Haskell”. See interview with Kaya Angel of the Rose Theater on pages 72-91. Photo by: Eddi Haskell See our online edition at http:// www.vr-style.com/
VR Style Editorial Staff: Ariel Lingiuan Publisher & Editor in Chief Aristippus Larsson Sherrie Shepherd Iolejanana Chajit Nadia Felwitch Segment Editors Eddi Haskell Creative Director Contributors: Sherrie Shepherd Eddi Haskell KathleenK Spitteler Cort Parkin Luscious Giano Rajeesh Navarathna Shartan Silverstar Willow Wonder Staff Photographers: Luscious Giano Pam Astonio Nellie Choche Carey DeCuir
Editor’s Notes: Friends, Building in SL is a part of our day to day activity. Although some of us may not be full time builders, we do tweak things one way or the other. Some do it more professionally and earn their way using their skills in this area, one way or another we’re doing it. In this issue, we will be presenting to you some of the wonderful creations that our fellow residents have made. Along with my VR Style family, we have witnessed some awesome creations here in the grid. I have shown them to my RL friends and they were amazed. I used to work for an architectural company in RL and for them to be impressed says a lot about the work here in SL. Here’s to the crafty imagination of our friends here in SL, and we do hope that they continue to share with us their skills and creativity as we look forward to continue being awed. Cheers!
Ariel Lingiuan Ariel Lingiuan Publisher + Editor in Chief VR Style
On October 10, 2009 Buck Morane & Willow Wonder unite in marriage Congratulations!!! from your VR Style Family
Dear Ms Slanders, I’m having trouble getting it through to my BF that he’s the only one for me. I tell him over and over but he keeps saying he’s not good enough for me. How do I convince him that he’s the only one for me? It’s very discouraging to have to tell him this all the time, without getting through to him. What is a girl to do? Disbelieved Dear Disbelieved, Your BF is suffering from an extreme lack of confidence. Sometimes it could be something in his past that he revisits. Maybe somebody he was with couldn’t be trusted and he got used to being treated badly. Perhaps he has lost confidence because of past treatment. What you have to do is try to overcome his past treatment, sometimes a hard thing to do. Just sit him down and tell him that you are concerned that he’s not hearing you. That he can trust you and that you would never hurt him. Tell him that it hurts you, that he’s not believing you. Once you have him listening to you,and make sure that he is, with no distractions, give him a great big hug and kiss and tell him he’s the guy for you and there is nobody else. Be sure to spend enough time with him. Sometimes confidence is built up over time. When he knows you love him for sure then I’m sure he will start to gain confidence. Ann SLanders 14
Yours Truly, Ann
Miss SLanders takes a lightheart and how to deal with each othe in this wondrous world of SL.
You might start off asking what country they’re from, how they like SL, what THEIR interests are. People love to talk about themselves. Once you get the conversation started, it would build from there. Talk about common interests, foods you like, ted look at friendships, romance the weather or anything that interests you or them. After finding out about this er with more respect and humor person, I’m sure you would make a new friend. Once a friend you will be able to contact them and find out about how Dear Ms SLanders, they are doing. Just be interested in how I’m kind of shy. I’m having a hard time they are and what they have been doing. meeting people on SL. I go to clubs and I think that’s a good start to a friendship, find it hard to reach out to other people. interest. I’m always sitting in a corner and just Don’t sit in the corner, It’s kind of a sign watching other people who seem to that you don’t want to be contacted. Get be having a good time. I would like to out amongst the crowd. Be visible at least. apear friendly but I have a hard time Don’t be surprised if somebody doesn’t asserting myself. People probably think contact you first. People are in SL to talk I’m stuck up because I don’t try to contact and if you are amongst the crowd, they anyone. What can I do to get over this will want to know all about you. Just get shyness? I really do want to meet people out there. but I’m just not sure anybody would think Ann SLanders I’m interesting.
nn SLanders
By: KathleenK Spitteler
Shy Guy Dear Shy Guy, I know it’s sometimes hard to break the ice. There really are a lot of friendly people in SL. You just have to give them a chance. A good way of doing it might be to ask someone to dance. That would let them know that you’re interested in talking. 15
Melode Perfor
BY: Sherrie Sh
Melodee McDonnell graces the while delivering performances McDonnell has performed since solo performances in RL for qu encouraging her to perform in
She is inspired by the people i when I sing, I try to go into that Enjoying popularity and having a fan base is simple, be heard play the “numbers” game in SL to hear me then fifty who don’t just know I want to sing and al hear me sing.”
What she enjoys about perfo perform in my PJ’s and still fe and gorgeous in the gowns my
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McDonnell thanks all of her SL au allow her to have a “voice” here to visit her club, The Four Sea secondlife/CZESTATE%20Kau Of The Four Seasons she says, and, I hope, inviting to others people to enjoy and place fo We do special themed events a a store, Arizona, co-located w where southwestern pottery and as other southwestern influenc check out her website, http:/ myriadentertainment.
ee McDonnell; rming in Character
hepherd
e stages of many venues in SL entertaining audiences with her beautiful dulcet tones of easy listening and classical favorites as well as Broadway hit tunes. e the age of ten being blessed with a voice that was just a ‘natural’. She has given uite some time. A long time friend of hers invited her to SL and showed her the ropes SL.
in her life and her own life experiences. McDonnell says, “I’m an actress at heart and t character in the song and become that person.” g a loyal following, McDonnell talks about her philosophy, “My philosophy for building d by as many people as possible and if they like what I do that’s a thrill for me. I won’t L. Yes it’s great to have a huge crowd but I’d rather have five people who really want t even have the stream on. I never imagined anyone would really want to hear me, I lways have. Singing for me is purely selfish. I feel totally blessed that others want to
orming in SL is, “I can eel absolutely elegant avatar gets to wear!”
udiences who in essence e. She also invites SLers asons, http://slurl.com/ u%20Lei/137/15/22. “It’s beautiful, colorful, s. It was created for or people to hang-out. as well.” She also has with The Four Seasons, d rugs are sold as well ced items. Be sure to //www.myspace.com/
Welcome to another issue of VR Style Magazine. This column is my place, as VR Style’s Creative Director and lead photographer, to share some observations I have with our readers about Second Life, Design, and the emergence of design and style in virtual reality, in addition to conducting one indepth interview with a leading Second Life designer.
From the Desk of VR Style Eddi Haskel Alex Bader of
Photography by
Our interview this month is with Alex Bader of Skye Castles, builder of some of the most richly detailed and evocative in Second Life. His designs include deco, steampunk, gothic, Japanese, and a totally wild outer space castle that looks like something from one of my favorite movies, Starship Troopers. The photographs that accompany this article were taken using new settings in the Emerald viewer, a featurespacked third party viewer that does all sorts of cool things, like let you know which avatars are around you without the need of radar One thing is also has going for it are a large number of unique light settings which can be accessed using advanced sky settings in the viewer environmental editor. I have used a different setting for each of my photographs and which is indicated as a caption under each photo.
I begin my interview with Alex with my standard first question, asking him a bit Skye Castle Basilisk Keep (Cullin) photographe about his real life. 22
using “that spells moon” setting in Emerald Viewe
e’s Creative Director: ll interviews f Skye Castles
y: Eddi Haskell
ed er.
Eddi Haskell: Where are you from in real life? Alex Bader: I am a designer from Scotland which perhaps explains why I ended up designing and building castles. EH: Is SL your first virtual world? AB: I have had an interest in computer games for a while now, but SL is my first online experience. I was immediately taken by the opportunity to combine my creative and business experience while having fun in a game! EH: Do you have any formal design or architecture training? AB: I studied graphics and have an interest in architecture and building in RL. So, I was really off to a head start with some of the software I was using in conjunction with SL. Having said that, I had to learn a whole new way of using Photoshop to create textures for my builds. EH: When did you first enter SL? Did you enter with the intention of building then or is this something that you decided to do after you entered SL? AB: I was one of those people in 2006 who was intrigued by the publicity SL was generating in the UK. So, when I got here, my idea was really to explore how I could use my creative skills and make to most of the virtual economy. I don’t think I had anticipated that I would find SL such an amazing way to realize a latent passion for fantasy virtual architecture! 23
Skye Deco Castle photographed using “baffin� setting in Emerald Viewer.
Skye Deco Tower House photographed using “whirld spinnin’ setting in Emerald Viewer.
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EH: How long were you in SL before you your prepackaged castles. built the first project you are proud of, AB: One major advantage of prefabs and what was it? over the custom buildings I was building is AB: I spent the first two months in the that prefabs allow a much greater input public sandbox, teaching myself how to of time and effort. I could never spend 2 use the building tools and wondering what months building a one-off and expect to I may sell. I made all sorts of weird stuff balance the books. While I’m very proud - hover monsters, towers, alien crafts, and of the custom work on Skye and remain some very bad sunglasses! At that point I committed to the estate - some residents had recently finished building my house in have been with me for nearly three years, real life and have been heavily involved this new way of working has opened up in the design of the building. So I suppose all sorts of possibilities for creating game it was natural that I should use my new content. So now I have an extensive range found 3D tools to visualize some notions I of packaged buildings and accessories, had for new house designs. all designed to appeal to slightly different After a while I decided to buy a plot of SL markets. mainland - a beautiful cliff site in Jenner. I split it in two, built two custom villas and landscaped as much as was able with -+3m terraforming. When I sold each one for the same price as I had paid for the whole plot I confirmed there was definitely a market for custom builds. It wasn’t long before the Skye Estate popped into existence and I was designing building and selling custom builds on my own sims. The challenges of creative land development - balancing land management and costs with the time a custom build takes to sell eventually led me to explore other creative opportunities and the prefab castle business was born.
EH: Please tell our readers about your prepackaged castles.
AB: The Skye Castles range started with a modern take on the Scottish baronial theme - what a castle look like if it was built today. My idea was to work through architectural genres and explore ways to create new interpretation of familiar themes. So I have an Art Deco affair, a Gothic Castle as you may expect - all sorts of builds. I suppose the more castles I have made, the more I have let my imagination run away. Skye Faery Castle is an improbable building, a fantastic structure with very little to do with RW architecture. Skye Basilisk Keep EH: What are some of the best is a mythical creation, while medieval examples of your work in SL? I know in its starting point quickly developed a you also do custom building besides serpentine theme. The show model now 27
Interior of Skye Deco Castle photographed using “study vessels� setting in Emerald Viewer.
sits in the mouth of a thundering waterfall Interior of Skye Faery Castle Milovaig photogra which tumbles about 50m from the Skye “eye of mowron” setting in Emerald Viewer. Cuillin sim into Skye Ullinish. EH: What are your newest castles? AB: More recently I have taken the idea of space archeology and alien artifacts to create Skye Veralarti, an otherworldly structure of unknown origin. But I also enjoy a more down to earth approach and my passion for nature and landscape has inspired my most recent build - Skye Kyoto Walled garden which compliments Skye Yasumidokoro House, a Japanese themed house. EH:What are the prices? AB: The castles and buildings come in a range of sizes and of course, prices. The largest castles are L$15000 which may seem a lot of money to some, but when you consider that these have been built over a two month period (or two to three weeks full time) with considerable attention paid to detail, it is easy to see where the prices come from. I’m committed to creating high quality game content and I consider it my goal to offer the very best content available to SL residents. EH: Many of your castles have a fantasy genre. They are far from boring. Are you a devotee of steampunk or science fiction, or art deco for that matter? AB: I’m a big Sci-Fi fan. Ian M Banks is my all-time literary hero. I suppose I’m not a specialist in term of my fantasy passions, 30
aphed using
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Skye Faery Castle Milovaig photographed using “teak weak” setting in Emerald Viewer.
Skye Veralarti Space Castle photographed using “gelding morose� setting in Emerald Viewer.
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I love the idea of Steampunk as much as Faeries or long forgotten alien species. I’m inspired by fantastic notions of any kind and if I can bring this inspiration to others in the form of amazing buildings and structures, then I’ll be a happy man. EH: Where do you get your textures? AB: Given my background in design it’s not too surprising that I make my own textures. In fact I have recently introduced and am building up a range of texture sets for other builders to use. EH: What are you future plans for building in SL? AB: I’m building all the time, and my goal is to offer a wide range of distinct products rather than subtle variations on a theme. You can expect to see me explore the fantastic and unusual, and not just castles. I want to offer people something inspirational and exciting. I’m also currently redeveloping the Skye Sims as show areas for my buildings. I’m aiming to create some of the finest landscapes in SL and provide interesting places for people to visit beyond simple castle showrooms EH: Do you have any advice for aspiring architects in SL? AB: My advice to aspiring SL builders is spend time learning the tools, look at the highest standards you can find and make that your minimum goal. Pay attention to detail as people quickly smell lazy building. 35
Skye Veralarti Space Castle interior photographed using “unorthodox happy� setting in Emerald Viewer.
Be unique, creative - don’t get bogged down in selling copy-cat products. But above all, let your imagination go wild and enjoy building... selling your work is just a bonus. EH: Thank you Alex for spending time with VR Style Magazine today. Alex Bader’s web site is at http://www. alexbader.com/ Skye Castles range in price from L$490 to L$ 15,000. The SLURL to Skye Castles is http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Dark%20Skye/108/82/71 Eddi Haskell is the Creative Director of VR Style Magazine. Eddi’s main blog is at http://www. eddihaskell.com/ Eddi’s YouTube channel is at http:// www.youtube.com/eddihaskell
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Skye Gothic Watchtower photographed using setting in Emerald Viewer.
g “stay stonkin”
Skye Yasumidokoro House photographed using “orient delight� setting in Emerald Viewer.
Skye Steampunk Castle photographed using “London 2050� setting in Emerald Viewer.
Skye Faery Castle photographed using “fog mystic 2” setting in Emerald Viewer.
Architecture in Secon a Builder’s Perspective by : Hunter Nieuport
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Photograph
ondLife, e
hy By: Pam Astonia
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When I first arrived in SL, I had only the vaguest of conceptions regarding what it was and what I would find here. I have enjoyed video games my whole life (I can still wipe out anyone who challenges me to a game of Galaga) but I’m not really a dedicated gamer. In recent years, I have enjoyed the Grand Theft Auto series and most notably a game called Mafia. What really captured my imagination in these games was the 3D environment, a created city that could be explored. This was especially true of Mafia, which consists of a huge explorable environment based on New York City of the 1930s and is nothing short of beautiful in its execution and design. Driving a rendition of a classic 1937 Cord Convertible up and down the city streets, gazing up at the deco -inspired skyscrapers . . . the experience of this game is still unparalleled for me. On first experiencing Mafia, I was fascinated with how the illusion of buildings and other structures and trees could be created through the application of clever graphics on simple building blocks. It is this concept that continues to fascinate me in Second Life™, both in my own experimentation and execution of client projects, but also in exploring the work of other builders around the Grid.
Hunter Nieuport and Pam Astonia
artist and website designer, I have worked in various versions of Adobe Photoshop for almost ten years, and generating texture imagery is almost second nature to me as I employ these identical techniques in creating websites. When I first arrived, I explored many varies widely. It was during this period Before arriving in SL, I had never before of exploration that I pieced together worked in 3D computer modeling or my own outlook of what I construed architectural rendering. As a graphic 52
anything is possible. Castles can literally be built floating in the clouds and many have been. For my own work, I fall rather firmly in the Realistic category. My builds tend to reflect my own world outlook of what I would like to see, and I pay great attention to the detail of my builds, both in the texturing, as well as the physical construction. I want my work to be believable. Many years ago while still in high school, I was playing Debussy’s ‘Claire de Lune’ for my piano teacher in preparation for an upcoming recital. When I finished, she told me that I played it perfectly as written on the page, but it was still not the way it should be played. She explained to me that a piece of music has an organic life to it, and that I needed to let the music ‘breathe’ as I played it. She taught me to look for the natural pauses in the music, and how to give it life. She told me that when an audience listens to a piece of music that doesn’t ‘breathe,’ that subconsciously it won’t be believable, and those who as good work, as well as identifying listen will not like the music as much and what my personal style would be when I won’t know why. settled down to learn the building tools Indeed, this principle applies to art in to begin experimenting. general, and for me, the art I make is The builds and architecture in SL what I build in Second Life™. Making basically fall into two categories: the a build subconsciously appeal to visitors Fantastic and the Realistic, and each is something I strive for as far as the have its dedicated audience. In a world believability of what I make. Seeing a where rules like gravity, physics, and stairway with the risers floating in space engineering can be completely ignored, looks interesting, but subconsciously the 53
brain rejects it as being impossible, which in my experience causes a drag on the enjoyability of the build. In the buildings and homes I make, I want them to have the feel that they “make sense” and that they could exist in the real world. This is accomplished through a variety of means, such as visible supports and believable materials to ground a structure, properly scaling features such as stairs, railings and doorways to be consistent with the size of an avatar, and finely-tuned texture work such that the elements that comprise the texture are properly scaled to an avatar while taking into account light and shadow. I
firmly believe that when the subconscious is satisfied, a visitor can then truly enjoy and allow himself to be immersed in a created atmosphere. With these elements in place, I am then free to focus on the aesthetics of what I’m making as far as architectural styling and the incorporation of actual artwork. I have worked in many different architectural styles, and my inspirations are nearly limitless, from the ancient to the modern. Artwork is something I always incorporate into my builds, whether it’s subtle tile work and artistic paned glass, or flagrant mosaics and painting. I generally go
to original source materials for these elements. A villa, I created for a client on one of my first commissioned houses, featured authentic mosaics and frescos from Pompeii. In one of my most visible builds, the Frank’s Place Jazz Club, the art deco glass windows I designed were directly inspired by the steel facade design of the Empire State Building in New York City. Detail has become the signature of what I do, and is the most consistent compliment I hear from clients and those who visit structures I’ve built. Indeed, my goal for anything I make is that I want the viewer to see the building, not the prims I used to construct it. I want the
illusion of what I’m trying to convey to be as believable close up as it is from afar, and indeed those who closely examine what I make are frequently rewarded with details that aren’t readily apparent. The challenge of doing aesthetics work in Second Life is of course the relative scarcity of prims. Having a budget of 20,000 prims to construct a two-sim presentation for a client sounds like a lot, but when you get in the trenches of building you realize very quickly that trades and compromises have to be made between modeling detail with prims and applying clever texture work to conserve prims. I know I’ve done my job properly when the textures and prims 57
work together and mesh seamlessly into Frank’s Place Jazz Club. a final presentation that is much much Frank’s Place was my first “big” building more than the sum of its components. project in SL. I had done several custom As this seems to be turning into a and prefab homes up to that point, and generalized treatise of building in was casually acquainted with Gymmy SL, I’ll change gears and discuss the and Nanceee Sinatra as I was a regular architecture and construction of a few at Frank’s Place Jazz Club. To say that projects that I consider to be some of I was surprised when Gymmy contacted my best work in SL. Two of these are me asking for a meeting to discuss very popular landmark destinations the development of a new Frank’s that receive and accommodate tens Place club building would be a gross of thousands of visitors every day. understatement. I was given a vast The other is a private residence that amount of creative freedom to come up has been seen by a relatively limited with a concept design, limited only by a audience, but did manage to win 3rd size estimate and liberal prim budget Place in this year’s ARA sponsored “Best of 2500 prims for the finished build, and the request that Nancee wanted to Home in SL” contest. move away from the cold white marbles 58
of the then current club version, and have a warmer club incorporating more woods. The goal was to take Frank’s Place to a whole new level and make it an unparalleled experience in SL as Gymmy was in the process of launching the Frank’s empire that exists today and continues to grow. In developing a concept for a new Frank’s, I immersed myself in media from the era of Frank Sinatra. I watched old black and white movies from the 1930s and 40s, looking at the grand and elegant nightclubs that were portrayed, taking note of how they were laid out and the art deco design of many of the elements. While I was constructing my builder’s presentation model for the new
club, I listened to a constant stream of big band music from the 30s and 40s, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Louis Prima. My goal was to make the new Franks Place a far grander vision than the old, but still have the familiar elements that regular visitors would instantly recognize. The club would have to be elevated, as part of the guest experience is the grand entry up the staircase to be greeted by the Hostess. I wanted to preserve the feel of the large expanse of dance floor, open to the stars, and an elevated private dance area for couples to enjoy a more intimate dancing experience. For the architecture itself, I looked at many examples of art deco design 59
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from the 1930s, retro architecture from the 1950s, and added a few Mediterranean elements such as the railing wrought ironwork, fluted Doric columns, the crowning Classic Greekinspired frieze and facade with a row of Italian hand-painted tile. For the walls I used fieldstone columns framing my custom-designed art deco glass windows with a common wall matrix of Mediterranean terracotta stucco. The main floors of the club I completed in a polished mahogany, and the dance floor was another custom creation drawn from black and white marbles framed with fine borders of hammered copper. The design of the encircling “promenade” that completely surrounds the club was actually inspired by the popular luxury cruise ships of the day.
It was during the construction of Frank’s that Nieuport General Contracting went from being a one-man-show to a partnership. I had been teaching Gubatah Tigerpaw how to build, and she helped with much of the texture fine-tuning on the building. The decoinspired wood railing supports are her design as well as almost all of the furniture in the building, which is exclusive to Frank’s Place. She soon brought in her friend Gimli Garzo who is a whiz with computer programming languages (and now fluent in SL scripting), and the partnership of NGC was born. The Sphynx Jazz Club The opening of the new Frank’s Place Jazz Club was a stunning success, and 61
today, almost a year and a half later, the club still welcomes tens of thousands of guests every day. The project also brought much exposure to Nieuport General Contracting. A couple months after the unveiling of the new Frank’s Place, I was contacted by William Zeta, owner of the Sphynx Jazz Club and a host of other sims. He also was looking for a whole new concept for his club, which was one of the oldest in SL. This time, we had two full sims at our disposal to come up with a grand new concept for Sphynx Jazz. For the main sim, I designed and constructed the main club building, and Gubatah designed and constructed the Sphynx Jazz mall complex, which I still consider to be one of the best-designed in Second Life and which today houses some of the best designers and merchants in SL. The 62
adjoining “exploration” sim was pure improvisation, with an oasis, pyramids, ruins, and a waterfront promenade. A boat ride was also developed by our hard-working scripting guru Gimli, to carry visitors to different points around the sims. In designing the club building for Sphynx Jazz, I had two basic ideas: design a club housed within majestic ancient Egyptian ruins, or create a sparkling new edifice drawing heavily from ancient Egyptian architecture. I ended up choosing the latter concept. To begin I sat down and watched the old 1933 film “The Mummy” with Boris Karloff, as one of the opening scenes in that movie took place in a luxurious Cairo nightclub that had expansive views of the Nile and the pyramids on the Giza plateau. I then paged through many books from my own library of the ruins, art, and architecture of ancient Egypt. Drawing from both of these sources I came up with the concept of doing a luxurious nightclub as would have existed in 1930s Cairo. The architecture was based very strongly on the ruins of the Temple of Hatshepsut (the colonnaded foundation and grand ramped entry), Luxor (the titanic columns and ceiling), and the New Kingdom Temple of Horus at Edfu (the twin tapered elevated structures that flank the club). I also filled the build with lush texturing, featuring authentic ancient Egyptian painting, tile work, carving, and adornment. The distinctive railing design was actually taken from a carved cedar chair-back, once owned by Tutankhamen. For my building materials, I worked with limestone blocks for the walls, polished limestone flooring, polished green and red granites, and of course towering intricate windows featuring etchings of various ancient Egyptian deities. I designed the club to be a Second Life™ landmark to the elegance of a former age, and a celebration of the art and grandeur that was ancient Egypt. To date, the Sphynx Jazz Club is some of the most detailed and intricately-textured work I have completed in SL. The Chateau d’Sphynx Private Residence During the course of our working relationship with William Zeta, Nieuport General 63
Contracting designed several themed residential sims, and one of the best prefab home businesses in SL, Sphynx Luxury Homes. Early on, William had discussed with us the possibility of creating a full-sim castle, with different sections that he could rent to tenants. So many ideas were discussed for the castle that there really was no clear vision as to what it would be, and it was shelved until other projects were completed. When it came time to come up with a design concept, I took the project as my own while Gubatah designed another residential sim for William. Again, I went to my library and paged through books on European castles, absorbing the layout and design, how they were adorned, and how different stone materials were used in creating them. My vision for the castle was a romantic one rather than a foreboding Gothic castle suitable for Vlad Tepes or Dr. Frankenstein. After going through my fourth or fifth book and finding nothing that fit with the vision I had, I was suddenly stopped by an absolutely gorgeous castle built on arched foundations on a river in France. It was the famous Chateau de Chenonceaux. Originally constructed in the 16th century (probably on older foundations) the castle was a typical chateau of the period, designed more for luxury than protection, but still incorporating some of the older defensive architecture of 64
towers and turrets. As soon as I saw it, I knew it had to be built. I then set about basing a full simsized castle drawing heavily upon the architecture of the original Chateau. The stone walls and ornament textures were derived from photography of the Chateau. I then incorporated lush interior textures with moldings, wallpapers, period French hand-painted tile, and carved gilded woodwork. I designed 6 distinct residential “units” all accessed by common hallways, a central arrival area with stairs leading up to an arched grand entry, and the large central “keep” of the castle which was to have been used for dancing and community functions. The largest of the residential units and the hallways were inspired directly from the original Chateau in France. The other structures and the layout was my own improvisation, carrying the style through different structures and incorporating majestic glass ceilings and high towers. The entire castle complex is constructed on arched foundations over water, and is nothing short of breathtaking. It took me almost three months from design to completion to construct the Chateau d’Sphynx. Towards the end, William told me that he was so taken with the design that he wouldn’t be renting it out, but would be keeping it as his private residence. In all, the castle stretches over an entire sim and uses approximately 8,600 prims. Gubatah completed 65
the interior design work of the castle, designing all the furniture, decor, and chandeliers that adorn this palace. Even now, a select few have seen the Chateau d’Sphynx, and all have told me that they have never seen anything like it in Second Life, and literally spent hours exploring it. For me, building in SL is a passion. This is my art. The more I build, the more I want to build, and my inspirations are almost endless with what I would like to create here, from a reconstruction of the fabulous Roman Forum of the Caesars, to the towering pyramid complex of Tikal (in modern-day Guatemala) at the height of the Mayan empire. As of this writing, I am currently working on putting a new prefab home business together with my partners in Nieuport General Contracting, and joining forces with the Sinatras once again to create Sinatra Estate Homes which is due to open on the 21st of September.
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The Rose Theater
Entertainment in an Im By Sherrie Shepherd
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mmersive Environment Photography by: Eddi Haskell
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The Grand Entrance Lobby
The Rose Theatre, http://slurl. com/secondlife/Angel%20 Manor/133/180/22, is a masterpiece of immersive design housing the most exquisite entertainment venues for SL residents to enjoy. Creator of The Rose, Kaya Angel, has poured his heart and soul into this labor of love providing an elegant Ballroom/ Theatre where popular SL entertainers 74
like Melodee McDonnell and Elvera Lerner have graced the stage to packed audiences in an atmosphere of class and beauty. The equally as magnificent Opera House has staged productions like the Phantom of the Opera to enthusiastic SL fans. The cinema theatre resident within the build has to be the most luxurious cinema found in the entire metaverse.
with his dear friend, Eponie Angel, to research other virtual worlds that could afford them the right platform to fully develop and create their concepts. Of his venture into SL he said, “In a very short space of time, we really started to see the value of SL. To me, SL was raw humanity in the most creative media I had ever come across. Both Eponie and I had a fascination with virtual worlds because we had learned so much about ourselves from our experience within virtual worlds. Finding a place that was so open and creative really excited us. Here we were in SL with an open canvas and like many others did not know what to do.” The path that led to the creation of The Rose was one of many choices, changes and re-directions as they moved forward exploring and experimenting in SL. Their initial idea was to build a venue for simple social interaction, not really understanding the business models or social models existing within Angel joined SL after a long term this environment. Angel reflects that, involvement with another virtual world “We knew the best way to learn was to where he founded a robust group with jump right in and start experimenting.” members numbering approximately An initial build was designed in the style 10,000 strong. After five successful of a 1930’s era ballroom with a strong and educational years leading the period feel. Realizing that the 1930’s group, he realized that the limitations approach represented a very niche of that particular game prevented him market, they decided to expand to from taking the endeavor any further. reach a broader market. However, The With reluctance he began, along Rose still possesses many of the beautiful 75
Stairway in Grand Lobby
Rose Ballroom
Hallway
design features from the initial build. In terms of inspiration, Angel says there were a number of RL buildings that inspired The Rose; however, what he really attributes this achievement to is more motivation rather than inspiration. He explains what he means by motivation, “The greatest push for me has been the motivation provided by the wonderful people who are also part of the building. The original team of people who started the very first build was I, Eponie Angel, Kezzy Forwzy and Elvera Lerner. While I built The Rose on my own, these three people have played a massive role in providing the motivation to build and expand making The Rose Theatre what it is today. I have worked with Eponie, who is my dear friend, for approximately seven years. She has been a great person to bounce ideas off because I’ve always known she gives honest answers to my sometimes over ambitious ideas. Kezzy has been the light relief in the group and after a day’s hard work, I could always count on Kezzy to come over or drag me away to do something mad and crazy. Elvera has been one of our favorite performers and also works with me to produce an active program of events. I know I would not have been as driven to keep on building without these people. I’m not forgetting all our wonderful host staff and fabulous performers, all who have been so supportive. I think the
strongest form of both inspiration and motivation are other people around you. The friendships and connections of all the people I’ve met along the way and all the people that have shown wonderful support for The Rose are the glue that holds all those prims together and brings the building to life.” When asked about the process of establishing The Rose as the popular attraction that it is, Angel said, “Anyone who has a venue knows that it’s an expensive business and building up any venue simply takes time as you have to earn your place and the respect within the SL community. The only way to do this is damn hard work!” In RL, Angel is a professional lighting designer and has worked in theatres across the UK. His day to day duties involve working with artists and clients to provide them with a lighting design that enhances their performance or event. It was natural then for him to turn to the production of shows at The Rose. The stage designs of both The Rose’s Ballroom/Theatre and the Opera House are the result of his keen sense of functionality coupled with elegant design. The stunning stage and lighting effects, which have become a trademark of The Rose, are probably the best one would ever see in a virtual world. This in itself gives evidence to Angel’s RL talent and expertise. Angel explains how difficult 81
Ballroom Stage
Opera House
it was to achieve this, “Along the way I made many mistakes but continued exploring how I could build big sets and get them to move like a real set and have lighting that changes along with the emotion of any song or performance. It all took a long time to perfect and get right. As each performance became more professional looking and feeling, our group and audience started to see that we were pushing the boundaries of what can be done within SL. As well as improving our performance and presentation, I also worked hard on improving the theatre build itself. I’ve always wanted people to feel as if they are in a real theatre and since I come from a gaming background, I really wanted to build a place that was immersive. By immersive I mean, I did not want the person to experience the venue through their avatar but I wanted the person to be pulled into the venue and experience it as if they were there themselves.” Angel runs The Rose as a non-profit operation and has no adjacent commercial area for shopping as most venues do. Explaining his reasoning, he said, “I did not want to go down that route because too many times I’ve gone to a sim that sounded interesting to explore only to find little of interest and more in the way of shopping areas. I genuinely wanted to create a place that people could just enjoy and am fortunate 86
Editor Sherrie Shepherd and Creative Director dance in the Rose Ballroom
r Eddi Haskell
enough to fund The Rose personally.” The exception to this is his fine furniture store within the build, present for the sole purpose of providing funding to pay the artists who perform at the venue. Angel emphasizes, “I am happy to pay for the sim myself because the reward of seeing people enjoy themselves on the sim is a massive personal reward for me and worth every penny I put into SL.” While Angel does not specify a style that he requires performers at the venue to conform to, he senses that the performers themselves naturally feel they want to perform music that matches the elegance of the venue. Of the performers he said, “Many really enjoyed the space because they could perform material they don’t often feel they can at other venues. Therefore, we tend to get a lot of numbers from musicals and films.”Angel, a gifted pianist himself, has been coaxed by his friends to perform at The Rose. He gives them some hope that he will consider doing this. However, for now he says, “I personally am quite happy hiding in the shadows backstage.” Looking to the future, Angel can’t predict how The Rose will expand in the future. He speculates that, “I think all anyone can do is just push on in the direction they want to go and a direction that feels right and more importantly is fun. Part of the adventure is simply seeing where that leads.” 87
Movie Theater
Angel invites SLers to visit The Rose and hopes that they enjoy themselves with great entertainment in a warm and welcoming environment. He wants people to feel free to explore the building. Also, when they attend a performance, he wants them to see firsthand that he has pushed the limits on visual presentation. He wants every performance at The Rose to be not only an audible treat but a visual one as well. He goes on to say, “The venue is here to promote performance within virtual environments and we also offer the free use of performance spaces for anyone wanting to put on a performance/ production. We also have free exhibition space for artists wanting to exhibit their work. We make as much as we can free to the public to help support and promote the arts within SL. If you have any ideas or thoughts about something you’d like to do, please get in touch.” More information on The Rose can be found on their website, http://www. impl.org.uk/. A video tour of The Rose can be found on their home page.
Kaya Angel, Designer of the Rose Theater
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Rear Garden
The Gay Clubber Club’s P Photography
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goes to Myst Dance Pirate Party by Eddi Haskell
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Myst club owner Zach Kilberry and Gay Clubber Eddi Haskell
RobnHood Merryman and Travis Velde
Zach Kelberry’s Myst Dance Club is one of Seco September 13, the club threw an energetic pira sheer energy of the place. That, together with a place for the single gay male (or any person fo hot and friendly crowd. Myst Dance Club is ope themed events.
Myst Dance Club Blog: http://mystdanceclub.bl SLURL to Myst Dance Club: http://slurl.com/seco Gareth Sodwind
Eddi Haskell is the Gay Clubber. He blogs at ht
ond life’s hottest dance destinations. On Sunday, ate party. One great thing about the club is the clique-free atmosphere makes the club an ideal or that matter) to go and easily socialize with a en most nights of the week for themed and non-
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ttp://www.eddihaskell.com/
Bill225 Westland
Visiting Twisted Thorn Textures is more than just a delightful experience into a world of art, it’s a special place in SL where artists and builders gather to share ideas and techniques, constantly expanding the metaverse that has become SL. Building in Second Life has become a passion for many people and since SL is created entirely by its residents, building new, more creative and interactive environments greatly expands the matrix we all get to play in. Nighty Goodspeed, owner of Twisted Thorn Textures, notes that building in Second Life has evolved dramatically in a very short time and with this rapid growth the building industry has also become very competitive. Builders are constantly searching for ways to improve their creations and enhance experiences. Nighty feels that “Now more than ever, textures are a crucial in setting your creations apart. “ A friend, Thorne Goodspeed, introduced Nighty to SL and she was immediately mesmerized by the prospect of having such a creative outlet. “I love the creative freedom and having the opportunity to share and learn with so many other talented people. Second Life is a blank canvas where the possibilities are limited only by one’s imagination. “ Nighty’s mission in SL is “to create a haven for people who have as much passion 110
for learning as I do. A place where the focus is not about who can make the most Lindens or feel threatened by each other as competition, but a place where we can open our hearts and minds together to the wonderful possibilities in this virtual medium.� Twisted Thorn Textures started as a small rented shop on Venice Island where Nighty explored her texture making obsession. It quickly grew into a full sim and evolved into a place and a group where other creative-minded people could come together to collaborate. Asked what Nighty is especially passionate about in SL, she quickly states that her “true passion is texture creation. My obsession with textures led
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me to building because I wanted to see textures through a builder’s eyes in order to make them as build-friendly as possible.” Listening to group chat at Twisted Thorn is like listening to a giant collective with over 2000 artists sharing ideas and techniques. Nighty affirms that this approach was absolutely intentional. Nighty explains that when she first came to SL it was difficult for her to learn texture making. There were not many help groups or classes in SL and the groups she did enter usually prohibited chat. So, Nighty wanted to create an art group that was totally opposite, “a place where members could feel like family, an uplifting place that inspired instead of stifling creativity.” Nighty also organizes events where group members share their work, often giving things away. Nighty explained that the group gift exchange happened by chance. One weekend, a member asked to share his creations with the group. When it was announced to the group, someone else asked to do it, and it just snow balled until she had a courtyard of items to share. Everyone enjoyed it so much and was so inspired that Nighty made it a bi-weekly group event. “It has since grown to massive proportions and taken on a beautiful life of its own.” It is a wonderful way for members to promote their shops 112
and creations, and for new creators to learn from other more experienced members. This kind of gift exchange is only possible because of the generous members willing to share their talents. Twisted Thorn also features artists outside of her group. Nighty explains that during her many travels she constantly finds small shops that have magnificent creations but little traffic. Nighty felt it was tragic that such great artists were not getting noticed, so she established a featured guest artist at Twisted Thorn. Here invited artists display their work for a week and provide an LM to their shop. Thank you Nighty Goodspeed. I am truly impressed by what you have done and your commitment to helping people. You have certainly made SL a better and far richer place for the rest of us.
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Friendly Blues By Sherrie Shepherd 120
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Toby’s Juke Joint, http://slurl.com/ s e c o n d l i f e / To by s % 2 0 J u k e % 2 0 Joint/214/203/29, is a welcoming Blues club where patrons, DJs and hosts enjoy the best of blues and the best of company in a warm friendly environment. Owner of the club, Toby Howton, loves all types of music but his real passion has always been the blues. Early in his SL life he had an in-world friend who was a touring blues musician. One day, Howton got the idea to build a stage on the beach and have his friend play there. Howton said, “It was fun; around forty people came which represented a full sim at that time. That was the first time I considered the idea of a club.” The Juke Joint has a regular line up of live musicians throughout the week and a busy schedule of DJs. On Sundays, there is always a Trivia game going on which Howton says, “Is always great fun.” Of the clientele at the club Howton says, “They are really wonderful! The real entertainment is the fun that people have in the club. There’s always great conversation, lots of banter and lots of laughs… and, of course, the music is that we have stuck to being a blues club, dedicated to music and we don’t have great too!” strippers, escorts, money sploders and What sets his club apart from other Blues the other gimmicks adopted by some clubs in SL in Howton’s opinion is, “The clubs. Nor do we continually push people atmosphere, the people, the unusual too for tips, so they don’t feel pressured.” (you’ll have to spot that by coming here)! Of the club business, Howton says, The other thing that makes us unique is “Running a club in SL is hard work and 122
needs dedication and conviction. Toby’s has the best team there is and the people make the club.” Close friend and co-owner, Ima Flanagan said of Howton, “He’s the best and has fostered a friendly atmosphere here as well as sharing the club ownership with a couple of us good friends.” She added to that,
“We do love to have fun here!” Howton would like the SL community to know that, “If you like good music and a good time with great people, come to the original SL Blues bar... three years of entertaining people from around the world.” 123
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Tribute and Triumph of Human Imagination By: KathleenK Spitteler Photography by : Eddi Haskell
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Frank Lloyd Wright is regarded as one of the premier architects of the 20th century. He also regarded himself as such. He called himself “the greatest architect that ever lived.� His contribution to American culture is held in such high esteem that no less than 17 of his buildings have been retained by the A.I.I. Apart from his architecture, he had a fascinating life. Some of his views at the time were considered outrageous and unique. He was way ahead of his time in some respects. But in others, he was considered flamboyant. He was a womanizer and even designed some buildings with leaks and bulging walls. He had a way of changing facts to make himself seem grander than he was. According to family legend, his mother decided he was to be an architect when he was a small baby. It was theorized that he got his inspiration from his nursery in which there were supposed to be decorated with engravings from English cathedrals. But the truth was, he grew up in quite a small house with several other step-siblings. There was probably no room for a nursery. So he made a habit of self aggrandizement, most of his life. But his talents were awesome. Some of his architecture was way ahead of it’s time.
built that depicts some of his greatest works. You can walk through them and feel as if you are really in one of his works of art. I spent many hours there, just marveling at the work of art that has been created there for our benefit. Even if you never get to
In Second Life a new sim has been Portrait of Frank Lloyd Wright. 134
visit any of his homes in RL, take a look at the wonderful rendition of his art here in SL. You will be inspired by the work that went into recreating FLW’s masterpieces. You really do have the feeling that you are in the presence of a master, as indeed Wright was. The FLW Museum, which officially opened on the 25th of July, was founded by a group of life-long fans of the iconic American architect and in homage to his remarkable work and the influence he had on architecture around the world during the 20th Century. FLW has been called simply the greatest artist America has ever produced in any field of the visual
arts. Born in Wisconsin just two years after the end of the American Civil War in 1867, he was witness to the extraordinary changes that swept the world from the 19th century horse and carriage to the 20th century space technology. He was known to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the unprecedented scientific and technological advances of his time without losing the 19th century spiritual and romantic influences seen in his work. Director of the museum, Frey Bravin, tells the story of how he got involved with the museum, “I was invited to attend a lecture in SL on FLW given by Debe Wise several months ago and being a life-long fan of the works of FLW, I jumped at the chance. When I arrived, I was amazed to see the large crowd that the event drew and discovered just how many FLW fans there are in SL. After the talk was concluded, a bunch of us stayed and were talking about things that we could do to promote FLW in SL. One of the things that was suggested was a list of LMs to FLW buildings reproduced in SL. Out of that conversation, the idea for the museum was born.” Expressing his feelings about the experience of being involved with the development of the museum Bravin 135
Jacobs House 2 (1944)
A panoramic view of the museum.
A panoramic view of the museum.
said, “I am so very humbled and pleased to have been able to be the glue in creating this project that means so much to so many. I spend a great deal of my time walking around the sim talking to visitors, hearing the stories they have to offer and getting to know them. All of them go out of their way to thank me for the museum. In turn, I have to thank them for their support. Without them, the FLW Museum would not exist.�
The reproductions include: The Peterson College, built by Elam Muse; The Robie and Jacob Houses, built by Miltone Marquette; and arguably the most famous of all, Fallingwater by Ethos Erlanger. The museum itself was designed and built by the talented FLW devotee, Troy Vogel, in the style of FLW. On display there are photos of FLW and of his builds along with his biography and the background on every single build. It is truly a great Reproductions of famous FLW resource for all information about the builds surround the museum and are architect and his world famous work. available to tour for the enjoyment of Bravin himself has gotten the building SL enthusiasts of the famous architect. bug and created the Breeze Wine 140
Bar and Galleries adjacent to the museum, meticulously and beautifully built in the style of FLW. He has just completed a reproduction of the 1940 Greggor Afflect House built by FLW in Bloomfield, Michigan.
information: new exhibits, special events, new houses, etc. KS: What do you do in your special events?
FB: Well, last week we had a build off where we had fifteen people come in Spending some time with Bravin, we and spend two days in a contest building talked more about the masterpiece Wright houses. that is there for all to visit. KS: I wish I could have seen that. KathleenK Spitteler: I noticed you FB: We had roughly 850 people come have a group. What do you do in your to the sim to watch them build. It was group? amazing. Frey Bravin: The group is used to get KS: I should join your group since I information out to those interested in like to spend so much time here. upcoming events and general museum 141
Robie House (1910)
Interior of the Robie House
FB: You should! We have a lot of things planned for the future. We are about to auction off some private parties for the Robi house and Falling Water. We will provide everything, entertainment, the works. This sim is a lot of fun.
FB: I haven’t, but I’ve heard about it. I would love to read it. I just read an article about the author. She owns a Wright house. One of the things I like to do with the group is, when I read KS: I just love looking at his work. He’s anything about Wright, I like to post it. an inspiration to me. I do glass and KS: There are quite a few Wright craftsman glass is my favorite to do. homes here in California where I live, I’m working on a craftsman piece in RL some by his son. right now. FB: A number of the original Fellowship FB: I try to keep things fresh in the museum by changing the exhibits frequently. KS: Wright is an interesting character, that’s for sure. I just read a fictionalized version of his life with his mistress. The book is called “Loving Frank” Have you read it?
did homes there as well. About the group, our next build off will be November 6th, 7th and 8th. It will focus on the craftsman style. Debe Wise will be teaching a class on Craftsman style. KS: I really would like to see more of
A major part of the Museum are large photographs on the roof of the main building that sho
his houses.
KS: Is that what influenced your love FB: You should visit Oak Park then. That’s of his work? where some of his greatest works are. FB; I grew up with it but I never knew. Have you even been in a Wright house Every time I drove down that road I before? would look up at one of those houses. I KS: No I haven’t but I sure would like think I was about 5 years old when I fell in love with that house. I am working on to sometime. building that very same house here in FB: When you first walk in. You have SL. the feeling of walking into a church. KS: Isn’t SL great for that? You can KS: I just love his designs...and his kind of live your dreams? colors. They’re so warm. FB: Indeed you can. FB: I do too. In the town I live in. I can see his influence everywhere. I grew up KS: Do you intend on building Taliesin within 5 miles of two Wright houses and some day? I think that’s my favorite a school that he did a lot of unaccredited Wright house. work on. FB: We have somebody working on that right now. And last night I was told that
ow Wright’s masterpiece works
One of the winners of the Frank Lloyd Inspired build-off in August at the museum
Detail of Frank Lloyd Wright inspired glasswork panels used extensively at Museum
KathleenK Spiteler and Eddi Haskell relax on the roof terrace of the museum
somebody is building the Guggenheim for us. KS: Wright really was a powerful character. FB: I really would have loved to have met him. KS: Oh yes! To be in his presence! FB: I’ve seen film of him but it’s not the same thing. KS: Thank you for showing me around the museum. This has been great fun chatting with you about Wright. FB: You’re welcome any time and please consider joining our group. This sim is an excellent example of some of his works. The enigmatic Wright 152
would have been truly impressed at the work that was done here to exemplify his work. And what would he have thought of the virtual world? I can only think that he would truly been impressed. Truly, he would have wanted to be part of this new experience. He was a forward thinker. “Architecture is the triumph of Human Imagination over materials, methods and men to put man into possession of his own earth. It is at least the geometric pattern of things, of life, of the human and social world. It is at best the framework of reality that we sometimes touch upon when we use the word ‘order.” Frank Lloyd Wright
Lamps and lighting on sale at one of the shops at the museum
Dreamwork/Soulwo Part two In a 3 Par By: Willow Wonder In part one of this series on dreams we explored ways we can coax dreams into the night garden. In part two we will dig deeper into dreams and share ways to nurture our inner explorations as well as learn a basic dream interpretation technique. Nurturing the Plants As the dreams emerge and start to grow we need to tend to them as carefully as we would tender seedlings. Dreams need to be protected, fed, watered, supported, weeded, and pinched back if needed. Sharing dreams. Just like any other new and fragile essence, dreams can be damaged by strong forces. We need to be very careful with whom we share our night journeys. Some well wishers want to interpret our dreams for us when in fact the only person who can really interpret your dream is you. The act of someone else commenting on your dream may actually lead you away from some crucial understanding of a particular dream component. Listening to your dreams. Dreams have a way of returning to us again and again until we are ready to accept the message. For years, I had dreams about dirty bathrooms. In these frustrating nightmarish episodes I would go into public bathrooms that were always hideously dirty with stalls that had no
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latches. The toilets were always disgustingly dirty and usually overflowing. I would always awaken with these images thick in my mind. In my early thirties I did some intense inner work and felt energy shift on many different levels. I was not too surprised when my dirty bathroom dreams changed. I have only had a couple of bathroom dreams since then and they have all been sparkling clean and in perfect working order. Holding on and letting go. Some dreams ask to be considered over and over again and others want to be left alone. One dream you may spend hours thinking about, and analyzing, and interpreting because you know that it has an important message waiting to be uncovered. You may go at it like an explorer searching for buried treasure. On the other hand, another dream you intuitively know to just let lie. Sometimes you won’t even write it down. It’s almost as if it’s something rotten. You know not to touch it. The key is realizing this about dreams and
ork rt series
trusting which is which.
Acting on dreams. Dreams are sometimes temperamental spirits. If they don’t feel heard they may quit talking. Once you have decided which dreams really need attention it’s important to acknowledge the message and to act on it if need be. About ten years ago I had a very vivid dream about a multi-story house. In the dream I was exploring the different levels and the various rooms on each level. When I reached the bottom level I was shocked to find a wall with a large gaping hole. I was very concerned about the hole so I found a huge piece of iron and repaired the hole in the wall. Several months later I had minor surgery and lost a lot of blood. It wasn’t until a couple of weeks later when I was extremely exhausted that I remembered the dream, and went back to my journal, and realized that I needed supplemental “iron.” Harvesting the Fruit Once the dreams are bountiful we need to think of ways to use them. Sometimes they are as plentiful as late summer zucchini and sometimes dreams are as rare as a perfect white peach in Arizona. It’s important to always date your entries so that you can refer back to them from time to time. It’s also helpful to give your dream a title so that as you are skimming over dreams you can use the title to jog your memory rather than having to read the entire dream. Another helpful tool is to keep a dream index. Sometimes I leave a blank page in the back of my journal and record dream titles with the date. Since my journals are usually chronological I can then flip to the date to easily find a particular dream. Once you become accustomed to recording your dreams, when a certain dream
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calls to you for further investigation, here are some ideas of ways to use the harvest. Basic interpretation. Most people want to know what a dream means. Friends will finish an in-depth description of an intense dream and with tremendous emotion they will breathlessly ask, “What do you think it means?” My answer is usually the same, “Well, what do you think it means?” This is not always a satisfying answer because it is so much easier to have someone else tell you what he or she thinks than having to excavate the meaning for yourself. The basic method that I use to tease out the symbolism of a dream is this: 1. I write the date. 2. I write the dream in narrative form being as descriptive as possible. I don’t correct mistakes or spelling errors – this version is completely uncensored. 3. I go back through the dream description and circle words, or images, or feelings that I think are important in some way. 4. Then, I make a list of those words on another page and beside each word I write what that word means to me. I use a form of free association to list everything that pops into my mind concerning that particular word. 5. Next, with those personal symbols fresh in my mind, I re-read or re-write the narrative version of my dream and more often than not the dream has become clearer in one way or another. Now that our dreams have grown stronger and have started to show us who they are stay tuned for part three in the next issue for more ideas on working with dreams. Sweet Dreams! Willow Wonder
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Horoscop O
By: R
LIBRA: Of course this is your month. Of all the Libran traits, your love of beauty will be the most emphasized this month. You will find beauty in all things and in all people. You can’t help it: it’s a wonderful world and who better perceives hidden beauty than you? One thing though: be patient with others. Not all those who seem foolish really are. They may know something you don’t. SCORPIO: You’d better loosen up a bit on that lover of yours. Whether you are just good friends or united in the bonds of holy matrimony, your tendency to grasp is going to backfire on you if you squeeze too hard. Also, be prepared to take “no” for an answer, even if it doesn’t make sense. All will become clear to you in a few weeks. SAGITTARIUS: Hold on to your hat: there is a Libran in the wings who is about to knock your socks off. This won’t be a quiet, calm relationship. We’re talking serious fireworks here. So much so that it could blow up an innocent bystander if you aren’t careful. If you already have a special someone in your life, watch for a new friend with whom you find you have everything in common. CAPRICORN: Don’t plan on a lot of movement this month. It just isn’t in the stars. Yes, I know you are slow to anger and slow to excitement. But right now is a time to sit quietly and watch the world – very closely, I might add. If you try to force yourself to move, you will almost surely move in the wrong direction. Sit tight and keep a close eye on your property. 160
pe for the Month of October 2009
Rajeesh Navarathna
AQUARIUS: Love is in the air: way up in the air, in your case. It won’t last long so enjoy it while you can. You’ll find it among people whose ideas seem charmingly strange. You never go with the mainstream anyway, so that shouldn’t be a difficulty. Now that I think about it, you may find several instances of love in the air, probably at the same time. Don’t worry about choosing: it will all work out just fine. PISCES: Keep your hand on your wallet or purse. You are particularly susceptible to get rich quick schemes this month. And the more incredible they seem, the more you will be attracted to them. The person who brings you these schemes will seem the most trustworthy person in the world. Now, unusual ways to make money sometimes do work. But it won’t work for you right now. Earn your money the old fashioned way, and HOLD ON TO IT! ARIES: Indecisive is not usually a word in your vocabulary. So be prepared when it shows up in your behavior, especially as Libra’s influence waxes up to the 15th of October. Someone will come to you with an important question in the first part of the month. Try your best not to give them a “definite maybe.” TAURUS: That long-awaited period of comfort and peace is at hand. Doesn’t mean you won’t have any troubles, but they should be relatively minor and easily solved. Bask in the calm and happiness that awaits you this month. 161
GEMINI: Those who think you are two people in one can take heart: this month you will be four people in one. The changes in personality will be a little less chaotic than normal, however so that may make things easier for those who love you. By the way, someone does love you. Wake up and see who it is.
CANCER: Believe it or not, now is the time for you to come out into the world and spread yourself a bit. Oh, come on! It won’t hurt, and you will be amazed at the opportunities you will find. Your tendency to stay withdrawn will be a major hindrance this month, so come out of that shell and enjoy the sunshine. And remember to be nice: the person you snap at today is the person who will be in a position to help you with a problem in the next couple of months. LEO: Darling, you are beautiful! And the world is going to recognize this more than ever in the coming month. But the beauty they perceive won’t be that winning figure or style. It will be the fabulous person inside. It’s too bad the Oscars aren’t this month. You’ll be primed for the red carpet! VIRGO: Feeling a little let down? That’s not surprising: last month didn’t go the way you wanted it to, did it? You feel particularly frustrated because, as far as you are concerned, you did everything right. After all, that’s what you do best. I wish I could say this month will be much better. But it’s going to be up to you to make it better. It won’t improve on its own.
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Rockin’ with DJ Dena McMahon By: Luscious Giano
I sat down with my good friend Dena to get down to the nitty gritty of her life in Sec found out about SL while taking an eCommerce class in the spring of 2007. The day of asked if anyone had heard of Second Life. Dena had not and decided when she software and check it out. Within 3 days, Dena went from a free account to a prem with us ever since.
Looking into the many different aspects of SL, Dena decided to try her hand at creati of boots, Melicious Gal, are still one of her top sellers today. These boots were creat of opening her own business or DJing! Supported by several of the people she w decided to create her company Extraordinaire along with her business partner Meroe taking off and now include boots, shoes, jewelry, furniture and gazebo’s. Dena loves scratch, branching out now to include sculped boots and shoes.
Extraordinaire is located on a 1/4 of the Sinners Bliss sim and is well worth checking http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sinners%20Bliss/192/65/23
In January 2008, Dena tried her hand at DJing. In her own words, “I became known a a lot of that off the wall kinda music.” Trust me, I’ve had the privilege of sitting thro events at Flattlined and it gets wild and crazy! Dena has a wonderful sense of humor t list of “warped” tunes!
She became one of the partners/owners of The Love Boat until the other 2 partners de they wanted to do, so Dena bought them out and ran The Love Boat on her own for finally came time to let it go. (And a sad day that was)
I first met Dena in May of 2008 when we somehow ended up partnered as DJ and like to think of it as the “BEST Mistake Flattop Ever Made”. At the time I didn’t kno was shortly after this time I heard her DJ for the first time and was simply amazed. S 164
cond Life. It turns out Dena f her last class, the instructor got home to download the mium account and has been
ing footwear. Her first pair ted before she ever thought was starting to meet, Dena e Lane. Her designs started building and creating from
g out!
as the “Warped DJ” playing ough her famous TV Themes that goes with her extensive
ecided it wasn’t really what several more months until it
d Hostess at Flattlined. We ow she was also a DJ but it She’s brash, she’s bold, she’s
funny, charismatic...she’s a top notch entertainer! Playing country - old and new, rock, and recently added to her playlists...southern rock. Dena os also the General Manager of Autumn Skys, and highly involved with Treasure Quest. No matter what she’s playing, or what she’s building, or even if she’s trying to come up with new events to keep her clubs exciting, Dena always has time for her customers and friends. To sum up who is Dena McMahon? Simply put, she’s a class act! 166
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Brain Cancer represents about 2% of all cancer deaths; one reason why it is often referred to as the ‘forgotten cancer’. Because of this, treatment options are limited. More research is desperately needed in order to better understand the causes and to develop new treatments and techniques for early detection. Second Life™ provides a wonderful opportunity to help bring awareness and contribute to charity events. I met with one such lady, Sanura Snowpaw, who has started a group in SL called “Wear Gray” to help raise awareness for Brain Cancer. Allow me to share her story: “I lost my cousin this year to brain cancer and the day after I heard about a day where people were going to Wear Gray for a day in RL as an effort to raise awareness for brain cancer. When I saw this it touched my heart and I thought I would make a plain gray tee for SL to wear in remembrance for my cousin and others that have died due to brain cancer. From there things started growing. A dear friend of mine, Prue Genira, blogged about it and before long I had creators and others asking what they could do to help. So I decided to take things further and start a fundraising campaign. With the help of some friends, I created an alt, WearGray Button, and the group: Wear Gray For A Day. We began sending out packages to designers and bloggers and received a lot of support. As of now we currently have 40 vendors and our own blog: http://weargray.blogspot.com/ . I was originally going to do the fundraiser only for the month of September but have decided to continue through the month of October since quite a few vendors have asked me to do this. Each vendor has made an exclusive gray design for our group and contributes 50 to 100 percent of proceeds from sales to us. Currently we have raised $500 USD. At the end of October all proceeds will go to The American Cancer Society. Everyone is welcome to join us. Anyone wishing to become more involved or with any questions can contact myself, Sanura Snowpaw or one of the other organizers Colorful Sinister, Prue Genira, or Kali Jetcity.” For the month of October a central location for all vendors will be provided at: http://slurl.com/secondlife/pavo%20isle/103/150/2502. Special events will be held during the month at this location by N.A.I.L productions. SilverStar Modeling Agency will be hosting a fashion show with all the Wear Gray designers on Oct 5th at 7pm slt.
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Cancer is an ugly creature and comes in many forms. Anyone can be its next Victim that includes YOU. Join the campaign for October and help raise awareness for brain cancer. Everyone can help make a difference. When humankind unites all things are possible. What we can do today will affect our tomorrows. There is always hope in finding a cure. “What is hope? Hope is reaching past today, dreaming of tomorrow, trying a new way, questioning all the answers, and always seeking more�.
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