Today I had the great pleasure of meeting Jenne Dibou in her wonderful world in Second Life. Jenne is a very imaginative and talented builder/designer in SL and some of her amazing work can be seen at the JD Mechanical Toy Factory, SOL Solution Island (201, 24, 318).

Her work is most impressive to say the least! I was visiting with a friend who suggested we go see some of her builds and I immediately felt like this was more than just another typical place. Upon landing you can see her attention to detail everywhere you look, from the sculpted buildings to the fine sculpted statues and highest quality textures she uses on everything she makes. Of course I had to buy a few items while touring…I just couldn’t resist the model train and her nifty little scripted backpack!

Jenne and her team create some of the most beautiful mechanical clockwork engine robots in Second Life. Steampunk and Art Nouveau designs in buildings, clothing and accessories.

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Popularity: 47%

A few friends of mine are opening a bar, and Friday night is the grand opening. The Roadhouse, a little biker bar in Gula, with some great tunes and events everyday. This place even has a cage for the band to play in, just like the movie Roadhouse.

The Grand Opening is this Friday at 7PM SLT and everyone is invited. They are planning on having live entertainment and I guarantee you will have a good time, stop by and check it out. A couple events that are already listed are best tattoo, stupid avatar tricks, and a skydiving contest based on accuracy and style.

Tell ‘em Stone sent you and get a free beer.

Second Life URL

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From notecard and group notice:

The Second Life Book Fair 2008 will be held April 25-27, on Book Island and Publishing Island, and with loads of events, there is something sure to please everyone. Here are some direct SLURL’s to event areas.

Book Island Stage

Cartland Court

Beach Discussion Area

Publishing Island Stage

Here is the event schedule:

Friday 25th
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Popularity: 38%

Evanston, IL – 04/11/2008 – Avatrait Gallery, Second Life’s premier site for “Digital Impressionist” art, has recently undergone a major renovation as part of the on-going upgrades to the Simuality sim. They are very pleased to announce the resumption of monthly features with an exclusive showing of images by noted artist Shoshana Epsilon, starting with a gallery re-opening celebration on Saturday, April 12th, at 1pm SLT.

Shoshana noted on her blog:

“I’ve been working privately for months to try to come up with a new set of pictures that would be unique. … I’m really excited about this show. I’ve really stretched, as far as the subject matter is concerned. There will be topics on display that I’ve been too sensitive to touch before.”

She notes that many of her images have “a back story” and invites attendees to ask her about these, but also adds that some are just pure whimsy. Aside from the April 12th opening, Shoshana will be available for additional “meet-the-artist” events during the month: Thursday, April 17th at 4pm; Sunday, April 20th at 5am; Tuesday, April 22nd at 4pm; and Tuesday, April 29th at 4pm (all times SLT).

Shoshana Epsilon’s images can be purchased both on an exclusive basis in-world (only one copy of the image exists), and as high-quality real-world prints. As always, there is a “freebie” framed graphic by our featured artist available across from the gallery welcome desk.

Second Life URL

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Coming March 22nd, 2008 - 4th Annual Satellite Exhibition. Learn more about science, space and innovative scripted creations in Second Life.

Looks pretty neat.

From the group information:
4th Annual Satellite Exhibition
This year’s event is in March 2008

The exhibition seeks to demonstrate the various autonomous, moving, scripted projects that Second Life residents have created.

Hosted by Timeless Prototype

Gold sponsors:
Wayne Porter

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Popularity: 33%

Received via notecard:

SL Book Fair 2008, 25-27 April at Book Island and Publishing Islands

It’s on again! The SL Book Fair 2008 will be held on 25th April - 27th April on Book and Publishing Islands. Last year saw over 1400 visitors attending the Fair in the course of three days. There were over 40 exhibitors and nearly 20 events and the response to the event was overwhelming. This year will be even bigger and better as it will take place across two sims. Don’t miss out! Once the exhibit stalls are taken, they are gone. If you are into books in any way this is your Fair!

Get involved in:

Setting up an exhibit stall - stalls are available for two weeks rental to cover before, during and after the fair at L$250 per week. (Prim allowance 20).

Holding an event to promote you and / or your product using the first class facilities on Book and Publishing Islands (priority will be given to exhibitors when scheduling events).

How to exhibit:

Visit Book island Book Island or Publishing Island and pick up an exhibitor’s application form from the red boxes near the TP points.

Save it and return it to the box or send it to Selina Greene. Nearer the time, we will be in touch with further information about renting your booth and setting up. Submitting your application ensures that a booth will be built for you.

Events:

If you would like to hold an event, please send a notecard to Angeline Blachere or Kitumscheid Writer and they will send you an application form.

Deadline for all applications: 13th April 2008

See you at the Fair!

Book Island

Publishing Island Book Village

Contacts: Selina Greene (exhibitors and general), Angeline Blachere or Kitumscheid Writer (event scheduling), Diana Allandale (either).

If you would like to rent a shop on Book Island or Publishing Island outside of the fair, please contact Selina Greene or Angeline Blachere

Popularity: 24%

Circuit City has recently relaunched their Second Life presence, creating a four sim Island, they refer to it as Circuit City Island in the terms and conditions of their contest, a contest in which they are giving away 10 iPods to the lucky avatars who find them. The iPods are ten (10) Apple 4GB iPod Nano ARV: $149.99, Model No. APL MB245LLA.

According to the rules they will randomly hide one iPod on the island, the sims will not always have an iPod hidden there, and the avatar who finds it, must click on it to claim it. I was all over this place tonight, PRETTY sure it wasn’t there. It would be nice if they would post a winners list so we can see if there are still prizes available. The sim has all kind of great info on the island, including a walk through giant digital SLR camera that shows you its inner workings.

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Popularity: 27%

I just got back from the Hospital of the Future in Second Life, Palomar West, I think I am about a pound lighter after the experience. This place will be something else and if it is truly like this in rl, it will certainly draw people to the area looking for better healthcare. The virtual version has a GREAT walk through demo of what it will be like, taking you through the room, surgery and recovery, it is definitely worth checking out.

This is the main lobby, make sure you have updated your version of QuickTime to the latest, I had not upgraded mine when I first got there and couldn’t get the bracelet that you need to try it out.

I need to have my gall bladder removed, Oh Noes!

This is my Doctor, Dr. ummm, I forget, I should try to remember that.
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Popularity: 49%

Privateer Space: a Galactic Mistake… by Aribella Lafleur

For a select few, the thirst for adventure can never be slaked; whilst others are the unwilling victims of circumstance - dragged through Interesting Times with their designer sunglasses blinkering their eyes and iTunes filling their ears. Some choose to seize the day with gold-tipped tweezers or attempt to hurriedly capture it under a glass, lest it escape and bite them. Caught with both tweezers and glass in hand, I….

…Stirred to the disquieting awareness that I was trapped in the frigid confines of a space vessel, glazed eyes staring out through fogged breath and frosted portals into the swirling abyss. Wiping a trace of drool from my chin, I tried to comprehend how I could have been transported to the far reaches of the cosmos. Seeds of remembrance awakened slowly within the swirling miasma inside my skull. Replaying the scene in my mind, it became yet another tardy reminder about the hazards of drinking with a crowd of pirates in a seedy tavern.

It has been said that in the depths of the void no one can hear your scream. My crew heard. Far-reaching galaxies will hear, in millennia to come, that primal scream and the angry tirade that ensued…to no avail. I was caught like a hamster in a wheel, with nowhere to run. As asteroids whizzed past faster than I could say “Where’s the brake?” I closed my gaping mouth and reached for a seatbelt, assuming the increasingly familiar crash position.

Our route meandered through the treacherous asteroid field towards a giant hunk of rock which appeared to contain a drab and dreary refueling station. The promise of a chocolate bar was enough to add a mote of excitement, but the turbulent landing dampened my growing enthusiasm.

We carefully entered a dimly-lit teleport chamber, the walls slick from years of grease deposits. Abruptly and haphazardly transported in a jumbled huddle, we landed in a rather unexceptional galactic truck stop convenience store. Passing the reeking rest rooms (which were, of course, out of order; a mandatory feature of truck stops throughout the known universe and possibly beyond) my space-pirate crew followed their assaulted olfactory organs to the source of the fried, fatty cooking smells – the diner.
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Popularity: 82%

In a notecard titled “….and thanks for all the fish”, Morris Vig announced he is closing Oyster Bay Sculpture Garden and Aquarium. I teleported in to take a few pics and saw Morris there talking to his friends, so I flew over to say hi and thought for a sec about asking him a couple questions about it. He was talking to his friends and I didn’t want to intrude, so I didn’t, here is the slurl if you want to take a last visit.

Dear Friends of Oyster Bay:

It is with no small degree of sadness that I am announcing the forthcoming closing of Oyster Bay Sculpture Garden and Aquarium.

For those of you who know me well, you know that the time since I took my latest RL job in mid-August 2007 has been extremely frustrating for my Second Life. This situation has been exacerbated further by a transfer that took place in January 2008.

I do not have the time to do what I want in Second Life. I see wondrous new creations from fresh names, and I recoil from approaching them because I don’t have time to treat them like I want. I have a wonderful performance space but don’t have the capacity to do anything with it. The legendarily-dynamic sculpture space (”There’s always something new at Oyster Bay” has been a mantra here…) is largely static because I haven’t been able to give it the attention it deserves.

Long story made short - I have a deep sense of obligation to you, the Oyster Bay community. I’ve been skating by for months now. That’s not fair to you, and it’s tearing me up. It’s time to end the frustration and move on.

Thus, I’m going to close Oyster Bay over the next few days. As part of that, I’ll realign the Oyster Bay groups, so please don’t be surprised to see an “ejection” (such an ugly term). I don’t have an exact timetable, so bear with me as I work through the shutdown.

I won’t be leaving Second Life. I will keep my property and perhaps build that mansion that I always thought would be cool. (Odds are there will be a lot of art on the Oyster Bay grounds, too. Just personal collection pieces, though.) I’m also keeping the Second Arts blog (http://secondarts.wordpress.com) and will report what I see out in SL…especially in its vibrant arts community. I also plan to do a little more creating of my own; I’ve taken to playing with WindLight-generated SL photography and can twist a prim or two as well. And I’ll be around.

You have honored me with your support and involvement in the Oyster Bay community. It is because of ALL OF YOU that Oyster Bay achieved the notoriety that it enjoys. Reflecting back, I take solace in the fact that we honed a model for successfully running a PG-based arts community that paid for itself for nearly a year. That’s right, folks. I have a 1/2 sim devoted to Oyster Bay and haven’t paid tier in nearly 12 months. That’s because of all of you.

Beyond that, friends like Cyanide Seelowe, Petronilla Paperdoll, Isolde Flamand and Tayzia Abbatoir helped institutionalize things like ArtTalks, gallery concerts, the Balloon Festival, outrageously huge shows like “Hidden Starax!,” “14 Days, 14 Sculptures,” and the “Black Tie and Blues” machinima premiere.

Second Life is a wondrous place where creative minds can literally take any idea and give it shape and form. This is a magic moment in the dawn of the 3D internet, and I’m so glad to be able to share it with you.

Thank you, all of you, for a wonderful time as we built a community that celebrated this spirit. Don’t stop building, don’t stop scripting, don’t stop texturing….and don’t stop supporting the people who do it, too.

Be good.

Morris Vig

So long Oyster Bay and thanks for all the art. Second Life URL.

Popularity: 27%

Journey Rock Band Gets A Secondlife - By Mozy Pera

The Rock & Roll entertainment giants Journey have opened a new virtual island in Second life.

On February 1st the multi-platinum rockers held a grand opening party to celebrate their new virtual world sim called Journey Island. I got the news a couple weeks too late so I can’t say first hand how the event unfolded although I am sure it went well.

After hearing about the new Island, I teleported over to have a look around and was greeted by one of the Island welcome committee members and also a nice pre-recorded voice greeter. Journey fans were dropping in to my left and to my right. Many of the band’s fans are new to Second life and are signing up through the bands newly designed website Journeymusic.com – via the link to Second life.

The band is currently on the road doing a world tour to help promote their new album (due to release in 2008) and this virtual platform will allow them to stay connected with their fans while touring, as well as their off seasons.

Journey Island was built by Industrial-Design.com, Journey’s long time web developer and features work by SL builders Farrokh Vavoom, Argus Collingwood, Jocelyn Sands and Adrian Harbinger. The Second life region is named Journey Rock Band.

I was fortunate that the two sim managers Farrokh Vavoom and Argus Collingwood were hanging out on the sim and shortly after meeting them; they offered me a tour of the island and an informal interview. They teleported me to a quiet little water world area under the grid where I was greeted by several friendly ocean critters including sharks and jellyfish. Whoa!

The entire sim has been setup very well and a lot of thought and planning went into the development, layout, design and function of it. Owning and designing sims myself, I can appreciate all the hard work they did there.
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Popularity: 73%

Here is a little collection of Starax stuff I found on BlogHUD and Second Life search tonight, as I said I would look occasionally in this post, and I found quite a few things I had not seen yet.

Starax Giant Demon at Plum.

This one below is called Imagoel doll by Starax on Utopia.
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Popularity: 34%