Press Day At The SL15B

By Gemma Cleanslate

The usual gem stone for the 15th anniversary of some things in real life is Ruby. A single gem for this anniversary was not enough so the SL15 birthday has chosen Crystal for the theme of this birthday celebration. A wise choice. As I roamed the  sims I was so struck with the beauty of the builds, many incorporating so many types of beautiful crystals.

My first thought was “WOW” ! This was not only for the builds themselves. It was for the knowledge that the sl Moles (Linden Department of Public Works) had been here . The roadways.... the canals... were built by the beloved Linden Moles who  do a lot of infrastructure and put things at the bottom of the oceans and do so much in Second Life.

What else.. the Center stage!! the   Crystal Stage is the creation of the Moles!!.I loved it! I recall my first visits to the early birthday celebration, the ones that the Linden Lab ran.I remember standing next to Philip Linden at one of the first ones, maybe the SL3B ,in awe. not only that He was there but that I was there next to him! I was young in Second Life
 then and impressionable.

When the birthdays were handed over to the residents it was a risk. The leaders took it and ran with it and it worked and has worked every year since. I was an EA for five years and loved it but retired. Now, I miss the work and the fun getting the parcels ready, but just enjoy the entire week as a visitor.  I spend a lot of time visiting the builds. The parties are great so I do attend some of the live performers and DJ parties. The auditorium presentations are wonderful and that  building  this year by Anthony is terrific .  I will try to be at the Linden’s talk every day if possible at 1pm SL time and some of the other presentations . You should book mark the schedule to check for those auditorium events you want to attend . http://www.slcommunitycelebration.info/auditorium-talks-announced/

The parties at the stages are well attended all week long, almost 24/7 from around all the time zones. Here you will find live performers, djs, who spend some hours entertaining you on the gorgeous stages. And, the hosts who spend hours meeting you at your arrival. Give them all some thanks.  Check out the SL15B website to see who made these wonderful places you are standing on. Appreciate the work that went into this one week !

I will be writing about some of the builds that I really enjoyed visiting. Take  pod ride around . There are several routes to cover all the regions and you can hop off any time you want.I checked out the pod stops, and they are all running.

My visit for the SL Newser on Press Day took me first to the Welcome Area where I found lots of friendly greeters waiting to welcome me. I picked up the press packet  and went off to see the main entertainment stages, the Auditorium, the Tapestry of Time that looks like the Portal Parks with each year of Second Life marked. This was put there by Ancient Mole.

 Make sure to take a ride during the week. since the installations will be there until July 4th you have plenty of time to return as often as you like and try the rides.Added to the regions you will see two familiar places , Bear Island and The Cornfield. In the beginning of Second Life, if you were naughty at the event you were tossed out to the Cornfield. It is for visiting this year! There is lots to see and enjoy all week!

This is one of the Welcome areas where you can start on your travels.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SL15B%20Fascinate/171/125/25

Gemma Cleanslate

Relay Media Day

By Gemma Cleanslate

The entrance way to the Relay for Life big weekend is a lesson in what is going on those days of the Relay for Life, Passport to Hope, and  how to make the most of your visit. Read the posters as you walk along the hallway and collect some information about events , locations, and more. 

 I met Grace Loudan and asked her how many entertainment stages there were . she told me, ”One Live Music, one DJ/Dancing and one Variety stage with dance troupes, theater, tribute band and a mermaid show. “

I stopped off at the Museum of past years. This is maintained by Bryan Rickena.

 I took a lap around most of the sims on my segway and then rested at my Team Shadow Victory Cove Roadway Park. It is right here that I will rest on lap day. I took the time to set up a few luminaria in memory of friends in Second Life and real life who have died of cancer. That way I won’t forget when I do the Honor lap for survivors. There seem to be more twists and turns in the roadway this year and I will have to pay attention. 

It s a jam packed weekend and I hope you will all get a chance to stop over and wander through. Check the website for information. The opening ceremony is at 10am slt Saturday July 13 and closing ceremony at 10am on Sunday morning however the sims will be open for after parties and visiting. Check here for more information and directions how to get where you want to go.
http://relayforlifeofsecondlife.org/event-day/

Gemma Cleanslate

Press Day At Burn2

By Gemma Cleanslate

 I had a wonderful time at Press Day at the Burn2 sims. I met my friend Leondra Larsson, a Ranger and builder  at the entrance and was greeted also by Molly Nakamori, one of the official greeters. The theme this year is Davinci’s Workshop. 

This event is described, ”BURN2 is an extension of the Burning Man festival and community into the world of Second Life. It is an officially sanctioned Burning Man Regional, the only virtual world Regional out of more than 100 Regional groups worldwide, and the only Regional to burn the Man! This unique virtual Regional spreads the culture and Ten Principles of Burning Man year-round in Second Life, culminating in an annual major festival of community, art and fire in the fall - a virtual echo of Burning Man itself.” Many volunteers work year long to put on this event. 

The area in the center this year is filled with the Center Camp which remains mostly in its usual form but is surrounded by the “Man” by Pygar Bu,’‘ The Temple’ by Toady Nakamura, and a lovely home for the Lamplighters. I visited with the Lamplighters for a while and watched them perform before I joined in. iSkye Silverweb, who is a lead for the event distracted me from my purpose and I spent time there playing instead of working! LOL .I did find out that the Lamplighters will be doing two processions a day after the opening Saturday morning at 10am slt where you will see them perform. They will be at the burning of the Man and the next day, The Temple next weekend.

I was able to take a tour of the sims in a flying machine. As I flew over in a device that is reminiscent of Davinci’s famous drawing I saw so many marvelous plots that made me feel I was back in the day of the artist. You can catch this traveling machine near the Deparment of Mutant Vehicles where you can also find some fun machines to travel along the roadways. I visited the DJ Stage where there will be parties every day during the event. I did see Toady sitting in the temple enjoying her work. She was happy to build the temple but told me that iSkye made the Da Vinci Printing Press/Censer where you can leave messages to be read while the temple burns. iSkye spent many hours preparing it Toady said. 

I also ran into some friends whose parcels I will be visiting during the week and will write about. I stopped to pick up some gifts at the gift area you will see near the entrance so don’t miss those. The greeters have a whole backpack of goodies for you too. Here is the entrance to get you started. Have fun and plan to visit often during the week.

 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Deep%20Hole/164/33/25

 Gemma Cleanslate

The Windlight Winter Art Show

By Gemma Cleanslate

 I was able to make it over to the Windlight Winter Art Show region on press day before the sim was crowded.  Some of my favorite artists have lovely pieces there and I was lucky to get good looks at everything. Bryn Oh’s art always make one thoughtful and Secret Rage’s piece also makes one meditate. The committee provides cute cabins for the showing or photographs and SL art for your wall. I saw some wonderful wall hangings that I would love to have. I ran into Jamie Wolf one of the artists and owner of Wolf Photography in SL.  He is happy to be involved in the event. I stopped in the cabin of Johannes 1977 who is also showing his photographs. He is a member of the Advisory Committee of the SL team and has worked very hard to make the event a success.

Everything there is for the benefit  “This event will take place from December 7 to December 14 and will include seven days of live djs, performers, tribute concerts, art exhibitions, contests, shopping, a hunt, a gingerbread building contest and more!”

Besides the wonderful artists there is a lovely little square where Santa sits on his throne and is surrounded with shops full of your favorite designers of clothing and household items and more. I visited many including Park Place which I love for wonderful furniture and Moonstar where I find wonderful outfits.

It looks like the whole week is filled with activities to make your visit a pleasure. It is all for the benefit The American Diabetes Association. The hope of Team Diabetes of SL is” Our focus is to bring awareness and dispel the myths of diabetes. We will hold a variety of fundraisers in support of The American Diabetes Association and we invite you to plan your fundraising events to help fight this global epidemic.”  Be sure to get there between December 7 and 14 to support the cause and have some fun!. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Crestwood%20Acres/93/47/22

Gemma Cleanslate

Press Day at Burn2 "Carnival of Mirrors"

By Gemma Cleanslate

The Burn2 Carnival of Mirrors opened its doors to the press Friday and I was glad to get a preview of it. Burn2 is always a busy Second Life event and very crowded at times. So it is a treat be able to dash around to see all the marvelous builds that creators have been working on for weeks. There will be parties all day at the stages too starting from the opening October 17. 

Since I used to be a ranger I know all the work that goes into the preparation . The sims must be set up with the roads and plots. The Man has to be created to be seen from all sides so the burning will be visible from a distance in case the nearby sims are full as they usually are. The Temple also takes precedence over other plots and burns the day after the Man. 

To really understand this event, it is good to check out the website that will tell you the history of the real Burning Man every year in Nevada USA. http://burningman.org/  It is a huge event drawing visitors from all over the country and the world. Burn2 has a history in Second Life too for the past years involving many Lindens http://burn2.org/burn2-history . “This year’s theme is about mirrors and masks, mazes and merger. It will be a kind of magic show that takes the form of an old-­fashioned carnival. This Carnival of Mirrors asks three essential questions: within our media­-saturated world, where products and people, consumption and communion morph into an endlessly diverting spectacle, who is the trickster, who is being tricked, and how might we discover who we really are? “ Those words were for the creators and their designs. 

 On arrival I was greeted at the entrance and offered my press kit of information. I picked up some nice freebies just outside the tent. Don’t miss them. I took off to view the Man and there he was tall and straight waiting to burn. My next visit was to the Temple which is absolutely gorgeous. It was built by Toady Nakamura and so fits the theme. I checked out the Center Camp where many events and parties take place and it looks very comfortable as usual. There is another stage also where parties will take place .

I ran into Yman Juran riding through. Her CHANGHIGH SISTERS FIRESHOW of Light, Life and Love will be performing Saturday the 17th at 1:00pm slt and again at the same time on saturday the 24th. The show fits the theme so well,Carnival of Mirrors .Try to see it. There are invited and juried artists who have lovely plots and I will write about them during the week.here is the list Juried and Invited Artists: Johannes1977 Resident, Ilianexsi Sojourner, Marianne McCann, Daark Gothly, Kerrryth Tarantal, Caro Fayray, Galatea Gothly, Secret  Rage, emilia Avindar, Attica Bekkers ,Veleda Lorakeet, Alesha Hax, Jce Emoto, Leondra Larsson, iSkye Silverweb, Quinny Placebo...Some familiar names and some new. 

The Playa looks wonderful from all directions. The street signs are topped by jaunty top hats or masks . The Lamplighters will pass along the roads daily to light the lamps and  Skye Silverweb told me “ and something special this year with Lamplighters:  I should mention...on the 25th which is Temple Burn day, the Lamplighters will have a special procession 3 times that day, 1 hour before each burn, and we will feature a Fire Dance in Center Camp for about 10 minutes as part of our processions.  Processions at 5am, 11am and 5pm.” I am glad to hear that . I could never seem to make the lamplighters procession  last year because of the time it was held and it is a favorite of mine. 

A wonderful way to get an overview of the Playa, all six sims, is to hop on the balloon tour that starts not too far from the entrance and is visible . I stopped and looked at the cute circus tent of Coяᴘᴛєᴅᴅʏ Aяᴀωɴ (corpteddy) who is in the burn2 for the first time. Make sure you look around for gifts as you pass through the builds. Many of the artists leave items for you . I picked up a windturbine at corpteddy’s site . The greeters at the gate have a whole back pack of goodies . The BURN2 Carnival of Mirrors opens to the public at 12:00pm SLT  October 17 and will be kicked off by a Lamplighters procession. You have a whole a whole week to visit and enjoy before the Man burns and the next day the temple. The schedule will be found on the website above . Here is the gate.  More to come.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Deep%20Hole/153/245

 
Gemma Cleanslate

Press Day at Burn 2

October 17 was Press Day at the Burn2 area. Bloggers and newsletter writers were invited to come by for a sneak peak. And in the corner of my eye I saw a few such as Inara Pey. I arrived a bit late to be part of a tour group. But there was plenty to see.

Almost right away, I ran into one builder: Alexi Denortak (Shawnna Chrome). Alexi showed me her paper-mache castle in Burning Man-Elko, "good thing it never rains in the desert," two towers connected by a bridge.

One could pick up a copy of Alexi's castle, "buy" it for zero Lindens, as well as the couch and top hat inside.

Nearby was a "Pancake Breakfast tent." By the looks of one set of tables, the owner heard about the Tinies' reputation for a great love of waffles.

 And there was the 3-D Maze, this year's theme being Ancient Egypt.

 

This place looked real colorful and trippy on the inside.

Gemma recommended I head to one particular build: Leroy Horton's Quetzalcoatl exhibit at Burning Man-Deep Hole (113/197/25)

Quetzalcoatl was an Aztec god whom a provided notecard depicted as nurturing human civilization, which fit in nicely with the Burn's "Cargo Cult" theme, and condemning human sacrifice while promoting self-sacrifice. The build was best viewed at midnight, in which the light effects were best seen. The parcel stream played Mesoamerican music.

Besides the notecard, one could pick up a t-shirt and a wearable snake. I asked Leroy how might he react if a group in anthro-reptile avatars came to see his exhibit. "That would be cool! I'd love it!" he responded.

"I have had a problem getting some of my friends to come because they hate snakes!" Leroy laughed, "I take it as a compliment as I hope they think they look real enough." The tail on the bigger snake and the head of the medium sized ones move a little, but Leroy's working on making it look like the snakes breathe.

Nearby was a tall statue of a nude (PG) woman. When touched, packages would rain down on her. After a certain amount, she would sink to the ground in flames. A plaque in front explained the exhibit's theme.

 Following that, Mrs. Mia Wallace (Mia Quinote) invited me to her exhibit at Burning Man-Black Rock (190/177/24). "Welcome to John Frum's little home," she announced when I got there. The build was a flying saucer stuck in the sand.

 Mia directed me to the back, where there was a display for a youtube film, "I filmed this story told by Danger Ranger on the Black Rock City Playa this year." She reminded me that Danger Ranger was a co-founder of the Burning Man festival. "This video is well, the story of John Frum and the playa." If one can't see the video inworld, one can get a link to see it on one's web browser.

Two objects will send you upward, one to over over the saucer. The other will have you standing on top of it to open a box, "Meet John Frum. ... when you watch the video, you will get the connection."

And what's in the box and video, well, you'll have to visit the exhibit to see for yourself.

Mia then directed me to Camp Everywhere, where there's a number of pieces of 2-D art. She called for it's host, DocLivingston Resident, who soon arrived.

 "Welcome to Camp Everywhere," DocLivingston greeted me, "I am a real-life Burner for eight years in a row, and a three year Regional Contact for the real-life Burning Man." He had heard of the festival, but it took a friend who told him, "We Need You There!" So I loaded up My Big Sound System a couple months later and a whole bunch of camping stuff and headed to the desert, 'Wow,'  my whole life changed in that Moment."

At the real life festival, there is also a Camp Everywhere, "It is Built by the Regional Network all over the world." In Second Life, it was a little different, "it's a place to come and Learn about the real-life Burn and to meet the people who help to run it."

How was it being a contact for the two festivals? "Mostly amazing. Defiantly when its all said 'n done, it is worth every bit of effort." He did feel it was "sometimes frustrating to me ... but, the people are the same, Beautiful, Loving, Passionate, Currious, Generous, Willing to Help each other."

"I had a transition I had to make deep inside my soul," Doc explained, "yet a learning experience I would never take away, one that tought me that ANYONE can be a part of a more Beautiful World whether it be at the real life Burn or a regional burn around the world."

Of Burn2, "I am blessed to have met soooo many amazing people." For Second Life Burners who had yet to go to Burning Man, he recommended they talk to someone who had first, "get an idea of what to expect from several peoples experiences."

 DocLivingston was proud of his mutant vehicle, "my Art Car the Yellow OyStarrrrr." He had yet to see much of this year's exhibits beyond Camp Everywhere, and was looking forward to experience what the artists had to offer.

I was looking for one final exhibit before calling it a day, Ub Yiffu's. Fortunately help was right there a minute after leaving Camp Everywhere, and she told me where to go.

 UB Yiffu's exhibit, "Flesh Dreams," definitely had a post-apocalyptic look to it.

There were a few ways to interact with parts of the exhibit, so come by and see how.

And with that, my Press Day came to a close as events in real life needed my attention. Don't forget to come by Burn2 yourself. The festival starts Saturday Oct 19.

Bixyl Shuftan

Burn2 Press Day

Thursday September 29th was Press Day for the Burn 2 sims. Although they were closed to the general public, those in the press group could drop by. And so yours truly dropped in for a short look around.


Dropping in via the LM for Burning Man Deep Hole (224, 92, 25), there was some information nearby on the various groups involved.

And walking away from there, it wasn't long before I was in the thick of the Burn.

Cthulu in the desert? Unlikely.

I soon ran into someone, who told me there were dispensers for rezzing vehicles for anyone to ride. But the one she pointed out to me were chess pieces. The rook I got was difficult to steer, but I managed to find Ranger and fellow newser Gemma Cleanslate, and a few other Burners, "Welcome home."
A burner shows off another vehicle: a backwards tube of toothpaste that leaves a trail as it goes.

A tour group had been planned, but apparently the guide had been held up by real-life matters. Gemma suggested I take the tour balloon out for a spin.


The balloons hold up to four, and one can hop to them from the ground. They slowly move about a path through the sim.

Yours truly crashed, and returning to the Grid, found this unusual exhibit. Apparently if you touch it, you can load a picture, your profile pic encouraged, and the display swirls it around, giving it a "kaleidoscope" effect.

I soon found another balloon drifting overhead, got onto it, and was on my way again.

At 5 SL time, the Burn2 Art Department hosted a party at the Party Center Camp, with numerous artists and others involved in the Burn. Gemma was among those there.

One of the Burners becomes aflame with a freebie animation she says she got as a newbie.

And it wasn't long before larger flames went around.

Musician Tukso Okey provided some music for the party until about 6 SL time. At 6:30 was the final event of the day, the Lamplighters Procession, where people were invited to "Come drum with the Lamplighters."

After that, the sims were closed to the press, at least temporarily. On Saturday October 1st at Noon, the Burn2 festival opens to all.

Bixyl Shuftan