The Heterocera Embassy Opening, And A Glance At The SLEA

 
By Gemma Cleanslate

My busy week getting back to business and fun was a mixture of events I could get to. Eduardo Minghuang dj and owner of Cuban Cafe has post blockade Cuba featuring “Latin tunes & dances: BALLROOM SAMBA SALSA MAMBO MERENGUE FLAMENCO LAMBADA BACHATA KIZOMBA RUMBA TANGO! Also beaches, Cuban coffeehouse & Revolution Museum.”
The venue is open on Mondays Tuesdays and Thursdays.. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Friskies/19/240/22

Romie Vella invited me to this event and I am glad I got there. The visitors were both Spanish and English and all had a great time listening and dancing to the tunes.

I went over to SLEA for the first time in a long time. I received a notice that the Art Walk had new artists exhibiting there . Most of the artists were new to me and so interesting. It is a very eclectic grouping and each installation is one that takes some meditation to explore the theme.

I was taken with Bryn Oh’s exhibit. It is so different from her usual story lines. I walked into her garden of flowers and was immediately surrounded by giggles! It was so pleasant to walk through I had to do it several times enjoying the laughs of the flowers I touched as I walked. She was the only artists I was really familiar with .

Another build that was fun to walk on was the particle show. By walking on tiny islands set in a pond I was able to activate particles nearby. The artist ,Tyrehl Byk, calls it The Ego’s Many eyes. Have some fun there.There are other installations to explore and enjoy. I will let you have the pleasure of understanding the artists and their work. Just walk along the path , barefoot if you like as Tansee suggests . It is a circle that takes you by each exhibit . In front of each you can pick up a notecard that tells you the background and experience of each artist in real life and SL. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLEA7/128/67/23

Saturday there was installation of a new Ambassador for the continent of Heterocera. Daria Raynier received her key from Suη (Dark Sunflower), a BBB official, since Abnor was was not able to attend.

Yuriko Kimura (Rydia Lacombe) Hiraya mayor greeted the audience and Dariah as the new Ambassador and wished her well in her new position. There were several other Ambassadors attending.

Dariah graciously thanked her and made a short and sweet speech , “Last Saturday I celebrated my 13th rezday. Now I am pleased and have the honor to contribute to our communities. Now in a new position as ambassador I did a lot of travel things in the past. And I am happy to do new things for Heterocera and Bellisseria now.Thank you all for coming. We will no go to the music and fun part of the day …”

And the party began with music by Mandy Dorfler ,known from the grid-wide famous Harlow's Women Club. That was the end of my week. 

The embassy is at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Tersa/180/116/92

Gemma Cleanslate
 

Some New Year's Eve Events in Second Life

By Bixyl Shuftan

It's now a new year and a new decade. And all around Second Life, people celebrated New Years Eve at different places.

Club Cutlass held it's New Year party early, on Saturday night December 28.

There were party favors, notably hats, people could pick up and wear.

There was an extra large prize, 5000 Lindens, up for grabs for the top male and top female New Year's look. Shockwave Yareach won the prize for the men. For the women, it was a four way tie. This was one of only two times a Cutlass contest had five winners in recent years.

Sunday night, December 29, was the Holiday staff party for Nydia Tungsten's White Vixen Enterprises. Normally, the DJs, hostesses, and other folks considered staff can't enter contests. But this was one party in which they could. It was held in the ballroom of Mouse Hole Manor.

DJ Snowbuns (Skylark Lefavre) was the DJ for the party, which went on for three hours. The prize would be split between Aubrytia Resident (Nikkita), Ranchan Weidman, and Nydia.

I can't remember what theme Eternal Desires had on Monday Night, December 30, but this guy was in the mood to bring back the "Roaring 20s."

Tuesday Night, December 31 was the big night, and many places had celebrations. This included Montecito Bay at the Magnum Opus.

"The Moff" played tunes for his audience there while doing crux dances on stage.

Another place was T1 Radio's Arinultra Cay, which really decorated their pier for their "Rockin' New Year's Eve" party.

Netara Landar, a former writer at the Newser, was hosting at a club doing a live music event.

Virtual Ability had a small party, with a conversation that got interesting at times, "I look at the film, 2001: A Space Odyssey and we aren't quite there yet, by a long shot." "Who thought the 21st century would suck this bad." "No PanAm flights to the moon." "Not even a flying car."

As it turned out, there are flying cars, at least in Second Life. "There's a lot of good that's happened in this century, and a lot that's gone wrong that hopefully can be put right."

For the Sunweavers/Angels, there would be no scheduled party at either the Happy Vixen or Club Cutlass. Instead they and the people of Caledon partied at the Goblin Cave in Caledon Downs.

 Duchess Cynthia Farshore invites everyone to celebrate the coming of the 20's at the Goblin Cave! Starting tomorrow around 7 PM SLT, that's one hour till midnight east coast, on till it passes the west. Wear what you want but be fun and come styled in the 1920's. Hopefully this party no one will crash it at the end. ..but there may be some explosions!

Cynthia played the music for the party, in which the suggested wear was fashion around the 1920s. So it was more "Dieselpunk" than steampunk.

And the party had it's own ball drop. Ten seconds before every hour, it would start to lower, and once at the bottom, it would ring in the New Year in another time zone with a few fireworks.

Bay City would have it's own New Year's party, the Prim Drop at the Bay City Fairgrounds. As it took place at 11 PM SL time, not everyone from the East Coast and Midwest could stay up that late. "Rawring 20's about to begin at Bay City!"

Among those at the party was everyone's favorite Linden bunny, April Linden. "It's rare that I can manage to stay awake past midnight."

There was no shortage of chatter, and jokes, "Hide your alcohol from the bay city police.  The 20s are about to start." "Who's gonna clean up all of the confetti THIS year?" "Not me.  i'll be hiding behind the prim."

 Eventually, the final moments of 2019 arrived, and the prim slowly went down the pole.

And with the clock striking 12, 2020 had officially arrived in Second Life. Marianne McCann would announce that their total for fundraising for the Childs Play charity was L$217,000. "Here's to Bay City, Second Life, and especially to everyone who makes this such a special place every day! Second Life is as good as its people, and y'all are gold!"

It was a brand new year, and a brand new decade.

Bixyl Shuftan

The SL Newser Anniversary Party

Saturday June 3 was the Second Life Newser's seventh anniversary party. The party took place at the Happy Vixen beach club in the Purrfection sim. For seven years, the Newser had made it's home in the Sunweaver/Angel community which the sim and club are part of, and now it was time to have a little fun for both the writers and their office's neighbors and other friends.

Bastian Endless was the DJ for the event, spinning the tunes with a little flash.

Gemma Cleansalte doing a dance on the beach club deck. Deaflegacy was also by for a short time before real life called her away from the computer.

One new visitor to the club, Rakucka, a pink landwalker sharkgirl, fit into the theme of a news publication's party with a video camera, which got cartooned later on.

The club had other new visitors as well.

 Gemma's friend Bejita was also there.

Rita Mariner, the leader of the Sunweaver community, also dropped by the party.

There was a "Come As You Are" contest with 1000L on the board. Valkyrie Ice and Skylark Lefavre tied and split the prize. Some money was also thrown into the 'sploder.

It was a fun time had by all. And the Newser is looking forward to it's eighth party.

Bixyl Shuftan

Club Cutlass' Grand Re-Opening

By Bixyl Shuftan

Almost since it's beginning, the main club for the Sunweaver community has been Club Cutlass. Starting out as a pirate-themed club, since then the popular hangout has seen four transformations, most having an open-air dance floor with no ceiling. These included a Meso-American pyramid style and a steampunish/pirate themed round design, labeled "The Donut," that saw regular performances three times a week every week from February 2012 to it's final performance last week on March 14, 2015.

But just as the "Donut" was being taken down, a new club, Cutlass Six, was being readied for action. Larger than the previous club, this one is a steam-powered airship with four levels, the service deck with engine room, the hangar, the activity deck, and the bridge.

The club was built by Cynthia Farshore and Shockwave Yareach. A number of details were worked in, such as flickering fires for the boilers, an elevator that could take people (or planes) back and forth from the hangar and service deck.

In front of the dance area is a sitting room for a more relaxed social gathering. It's also where there are several Relay for Life kiosks for "Bid Me" and other events.

On Wednesday March 18 at 6PM SL time, the new club was finally ready for it's first official event. The LM and SURL were given out in group notices and group instant-messages respectively. The theme: steampunk.

OK. HERE WE ARE. IT'S THE BIG GRAND OPENING OF THE NEW CLUB CUTLASS, AND FOR OUR FIRST EVENT, WE HAVE DJ CYNTHIA AND OUR 'STEAMPUNK' PARTY. SO GET DRESSED IN PROPER ATTIRE, JOIN OUR CONTEST, AND LETS LAUNCH THIS NEW SHIP!

Cynthia addressed the crowd, "Well ladies and gentlemen it has been a grand effort to bring this ship from dream to reality. Tonight we launch and even though the ship is underway there will be much left to do. In the coming days months even year improvements and additions will be made . It was a labor of love and tears. Much was learned during the build along with my partner Shockwave Yareach we brought this together. So now Shocky you have anything to say?"

Shockwave's response was, "Through the trials and the pain, we have brought this into being from nothing.  Long may this ship serve its crew and their friends!" Hearing the music, he grinned, "And we're launchign to a Genesis song too."

Cynthia then asked Sunweaver chief Rita Mariner to do the honorary breaking of the champagne bottle, "Rita Mariner captain of the airship Cutlass please christen your ship." Rita wryly commented, "If Gil was here, she would pee all over it." Then swung the bottle, where it shattered against the DJ stand, "I broke it!?!, Sweepers, man your brooms!"

And with that, the party began. Cynthia spun her tunes while the crowd danced away on the floor, or a few people on the dance poles.

The party went on past the end of the contest at 8PM to a bit past 9 (Midnight EST).

The 1000L prizes that night went to Crim Mip for the men and for the ladies Sheila Lapine.

And so, a new chapter has begun for the main club of the Sunweaver Estates. It will have regular events on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 6PM to 8PM, sometimes going on for an hour more or longer.

Sunweaver Bay (115, 107, 157)

Some pictures from Cynthia Farshore.

Bixyl Shuftan

The Galaxy Laser Club Closes It's Doors

On Sunday Sept 29, The Galaxy Laser Club, also known as the GLC, held it's last event. The club was about five years old, and had been moved to the Purfection sim a few years ago when it was called The Cocktail Lounge. Since then, it underwent a few changes from a boat to a nightclub, in addition to it's name which was changed to Poison Ivy Club, and then to Galaxy Laser Club.


The club was owned by Rich Mordly, who ran it with the help of Emma Mordly (Fehrenufski Resident), and Firefox Doghouse. Although Rich did not normally wear a furred avatar, he signed the club up in the Furry Club Alliance led by Nydia Tungsten. The club coordinated its events with the other two in Purfection, Club Zero Gravity and Raised Tail Resort, to avoid schedule conflicts.

While attendance was good, the amount of tips received by the staff was small. Rich and Emma came to the conclusion they couldn't keep up the expenses of running the club with our tips. So last week, they announced they would have to close the club.


Therefore, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday will be our final events.    This is a passionate plea (as I'm sure you can tell) from someone who really cares about the club.  Please, please come this week.  Please TP your friends in.


Wednesdays event was "Latex," for Thursday it was "Uniform, and for Friday the event was "Lookalike Musicians." For Sunday September 29, the final show, the event was scheduled to be "Best in SIlly" for 300 Lindens. Before long though, the amount was raised to 1300L, and the theme became "Sexy and Silly."

The audience had a mix of looks. The biggest avatar there was a huge dragon, Geerkil Ziskey, that had somehow squeezed through the door. On the "silly" side were some pony avatars, which pranced away on the dance floor. And on the sexy side, there were a number of scantily-clad human and near-human avatars. One girl had on tacos for shoes and sported a long beehive hairdo with a car sticking through it, making her both "sexy" and "silly."

There were a few balloons and signs placed around for the event. Most of the signs read "farewell." One was a thank you by one of the staff.


Thank you for attenuating our final event at the club. Emily, Rich, Jon, and I have worked tirelessly to keep the club open for you. It is with a tinge of sadness that we are left with no alternative but to close.

We'd like to thank Rich for his masterful ownership of the club for the past ice years. If it wasn't for the club, friendships that will last a lifetime would never have been formed. We'd also like to thank the staff that have worked here in the past and present. We wish you all well.


First prize for the contest went to Firefly Dash (MelodyHighnote Resident), one of the ponies. Tying for second were Geerkil and Kitacelia Resident.

Emma told the crowd that she didn't plan on being inactive, "This is not the end, just the beginning of a different chapter. And we all know about chapters and volumes." Rich added, "I am very thankful  for you all coming here, and I will be back (in Second Life) soon. It is sad to have closed my club after I have been running it five years, with Firefox who has been with me the whole time. We will be back soon, somehow, somewhere. Thank you Emma, Emily, and John." Firefox spoke, "I want to give a warm thank you to all those who have worked with us and have gone out of their ways to help keep this club running as long as it did."

And so, the people began going their separate ways, and the club shut down for the final time.

With the close of the Galaxy Club, the Furry Club Alliance is down to four clubs, CLub Zero Gravity, Raised Tail Resort, Club LIttle Dove, and Club Cutlass.

Bixyl Shuftan