Travels with Chip- A Journey Through Second Life

Lights, Camera, Action....

2009-01-20T10:20:00.005-05:00

We have made a machinima starring Fricker Fracker, Dimitri Illinois, and
featuring Sundial at it's best- Enjoy!

Think Pink...

2008-12-14T17:13:00.007-05:00

Greetings again- Dear Reader-
Chip is away this week- a short trip to Aruba to visit his
cousin, Alphonse.
So while the horse is away- the rider will play!
This is Photon Pink's domain- castle and environs on an open sim
space in Second Life- Sort of Willie Wonka (the Gene Wilder one)
meets the Yellow Submarine, and some extra special particle stuff
thrown in...
This is Photon Pink- part mad scientist, part pixie...
She took me on the deluxe tour of sim, there are 2 trails- one jungle and one coastal..both leading off from the teleport landing pad... there are many sights to see, I only have time to mention a few of them- Here a crystal cave..
and on the coastal tour, an Octopus' garden- How lovely!
And over here in the tidal pool some rather pointed remarks were made about the urchins...
And of course, no mad scientist is complete without a secret arsenal- Behold, the bubble gun- looks innocent enough- doesn't it?

But somehow I ended up in a bottle- the notorious bottle gun- strkes again!

and the magic settles in for another night- just a touch of fairy dust left on my shoes...
Have a lovely- dear Reader- I will be back from time to time with these notes from our virtual worlds- Best, Annabelle

A night at the Theatre

2008-12-01T04:55:00.008-05:00

Greetings again, Dear Reader-
This week we had a night at the Theatre- Up at the Hypercube in the NMC Arts Lab.
The show is called "The Rings", and it's a creation of the C.A.R.P. group- the Cybernetic Art Research Project. This collection of international artist have collaborated to present this musical extravaganza- yes, that's the only word for it- Performance spaces always have a quiet anticipation to them- don't they? Make sure to get there early for a good seat! And tune in the new camera system, which switches the views around for you- How civilized!
The show is off to a grand start with many intense scenic changes and costumes-
The costumes and dancing are spectacular.
And as an audience member, you are surrounded by the experience.
Incredibly talented and dedicated people here.
Deacon was impressed by the love and care that went into this production.

And don't forget- 2nd Live opens today- Come and see Reflexive Architecture- and interact with a building- Until next post- Dear Reader- Enjoy your first and second lives!

The Key to it all...

2008-11-22T20:54:00.019-05:00

Greetings Dear Reader- It's been a big week for Chip and I- a most exciting week.
Keystone Bouchard- yes, THE Keystone Bouchard, invited me to contribute to his
latest commission..
It is an installation of his reflexive architecture for the Exeter Phoenix group on their 2nd Live Island, and is called Scratch 3.
Here is the link to their website..http://www.2ndlive.org/scratch/3-brouchoud.html
Keystone asked me to create some trees and landscaping that would respond to the presence of people (well, you know, our avatars, really).
With the able help of Vicki Brandenburg, we created 2 new species- the hornbeam and the horse chestnut (Chip's favorite).
We also adapted some of our favorite veg- the paper birches, and our shrubbery to respond too-
How lucky we are to have an accessible 3d world that we can create together.

Keystone's work is evocative,emotive and excellent- is speaks to artist and architect alike- and suggests that they each consider the possibilities of what their creations could be.

So pop over to the 2nd Live sim and take a stroll- bring all of your friends and see how Keystone's building responds to a crowd...not in ways you would expect, but I shall not reveal everything- just go and visit, and see for yourself.

It waits for you...

And, for those of you who want to move to another planet- your model apartment is ready for viewing at Mongo- Check it out- all the modern conveniences- a fireplace that turns into a fountain, big screen tv for Mongo cable, and touch activated furniture... the modern bachelor/bachelorette pad...

Until next week, Dear Reader- I'm going to take a short nap-

Pluto Rocks Hard

2008-11-16T17:30:00.021-05:00

Hello Dear Reader-
Back again with reports of some hard rockin going on in SL-
Is your dream to be the lead in a Rock n' roll band?
Up front- strat in hand? Watching the groupies swoon?
Join the club- it's a large one ;-)

So, meet Pluto Fairey-
Several times a week, she puts on the avatar of a rock and roller and performs for the Fallon Group. They have tribute concerts for just about every band you can imagine...

I caught up with them at Wild Hogs- doing Pink Floyd....

Of course- I get to meet the star of the show- having that all access pass- LOL

And then there are the celebrity visits to my sim- Trees- Hi there Mick- want to borrow a sweater?

And of course the band "3 doors down" brings out the eye candy...reason enough to attend one of these well produced concerts.

Pluto has the drums well in hand- as they rumble through the repertoire..

Drawoh Giano as Angus Young is here.
And of course I got thrown off the stage for this stunt- Damn groupies!!!

Vicki Brandenburg seems to enjoy a bit of AC/DC...

Rock on Pluto!

You can find the schedule and group info for these concerts in world at-
Fallon Fans Concert Fans- Bobby Fallon is the founder

And have a lovely- Dear Reader!

Hugs and a big soft nose from Chip-

A

My Pretty...

2008-11-02T18:41:00.009-05:00

Hello Dear Reader- It's offically time for some FLUFF! You know how it is in Real Life, no need to remind you, and it's been awfully serious in SL too...
Hmmm- remember FUN- Well here is some eyecandy to have fun with-
Hope it makes you smile...

This is Jacquelin Seinsenbacher- "wig maker to the stars"

Can you imagine wearing such a confection of a peruke?
Just visit her store in Caledon, Kleinenschwein Designs and this ship will sail with you...

And speaking of the Sea- a quick trip over to Anne Bonny Cove to check out the Mermaid's carosel that Shanna Sungsoo has built- and you know how I feel about seahorses---

Don't tell Chipper though, he gets a little jealous.

And now for the glitter fest- Planet Mongo, which gets prettier everytime I go by..
and they never have to wash the windows!

Yes, Dear Reader, the rumor is true- LunaRai Gunn and I will be decorating 2 apartments in the Mongo residences- Sort of Buck Rodgers meets Sister Parrish...
Stay tuned! More on that later...

Sundial- the Sim!

2008-10-26T21:44:00.002-04:00

Greetings Dear Reader-
We are back! Chip has rested (he sleeps upside down like a bat)
and I have finished my plantings- so here you are- the first pix
of Sundial- Please come by and say hi!

Timeless Love

2008-10-11T20:35:00.010-04:00

Greetings Dear Reader-
I went to my first Second Life wedding this week. Poulet Koenkamp and Martin414 Timeless made a commitment here, and will soon meet in Real Life to make further bonds.I can think of no other person than William Shakespeare to provide the words
that will go with the pictures I took of the event... Enjoy, and reflect on
the power of Love.....

Not from the stars do I my judgement pluck;

And yet methinks I have Astronomy,

But not to tell of good or evil luck,

Of plagues, of dearths, or seasons' quality;

Nor can I fortune to brief minutes tell,

Pointing to each his thunder, rain and wind,

Or say with princes if it shall go well

By oft predict that I in heaven find:

And, constant stars, in them I read such art

As truth and beauty shall together thrive,

If from thyself, to store thou wouldst convert;

Or else of thee this I prognosticate:

Thy end is truth's and beauty's doom and date.

Shakespeare XIV

All the best, dear reader- Annabelle

See you next week...

2008-10-06T13:50:00.002-04:00

Chip and I are exhausted-built a massive maple, and planted about 200 trees-
We will be back next week with some fun pix.
Until then, be safe and come see our trees!
(Region "Trees" in the search.)

All the very best-
Annabelle

A mere bagatelle, my dear

2008-09-28T08:47:00.005-04:00

Greetings Dear Reader- A real mixed bag (or bagatelle, if you prefer)for us this week. I want to show you first, a little experiment I am doing with my class at NYU. Here in Second Life, I have made a virtual model of the same little theatre my students are building in class. As they become more adept at building, my hope is that they will come over to this part of second life, with a theater plan in mind, and use the space to plan their productions- or just hang and chat about them if they wish. I have also invited some of the folks I know in SL, who are producing theate in world, to use this facility for their meetings too.

I kept it in the "plywood" mode because I want the user to feel free to change everything- to build with an open mind- looking at the possibilites that occur as things are constructed.
So go nuts, guys! and don't forget to take your prims when you leave ;-)
OK, for those of you who don't know- SL's answer to Burning Man- know in world as "Burning Life" has started- here is a early shot, I grabbed just as the doors opened last night...Looks like fun, and Typote and I are planning an excursion over this week, so stay tuned...many more pix to come.
And finally, I leave you with some shots from Sundial, my new sim. It is a portfolio piece first, and a tree shop will be there in a few weeks. come by, bring your horse and a picnic lunch!

That's about it for this week, have fun, be safe, laugh hard...Annabelle

Tournicoton, je ne sais quoi...but I like it

2008-09-22T06:42:00.006-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers-
Sometimes, well, the interviews just don't come together for the week, and I am left with the fall back plan...enter, the Land Mark cache-Yup, I save them- all!And this morning I was pleasantly rewarded for my packratedness...Welcome!, or should I say "Bienvenue" to Tournicoton- an elegant French Galerie d'artto, and shops for artisans.
Their current exhibits include photography, as well as sculpture and drawings, all with that standard
of elegance the French are known worldwide for.

Typote has some interesting cartoons, as well as some spiffy decor available in his booth.
Fantastic Paintings and sculptures abound,it's a visual feast from one end to the other.

And most interesting, is the display for the E-Troubadours, a traveling band of performers now currently moving through France, just as their ancestors did centuries ago (without the GPS tracking of course). A lovely idea, and fascinating project. Bravo! thanks for celebrating the creative spirit- Tournicoton.

A Tale of Two Cities...

2008-09-15T18:13:00.008-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers-
It's been an incredibly busy week for all of us, end of the summer in our hemisphere, start of it in another. Construction everywhere, and as I promised here is an update on one, and a preview of another.
You may remember from July 28th, my visit and interview with Chenin Anabuki concerning his company Avatrian and their work for China Tracy on her new project RMB city. Well- here is the latest...I was invited over to a reception for the Yokohama Triennale and got the chance to run around with the camera, and even more excitiing a chat with China Tracy herself. Here she is in the pushcart, and that is me in the pink hair...

[2:47] Rodion Resistance: Welcome to RMB City People's Worksite! :)
[2:48] Annabelle Fanshaw: congratulations on the inception and construction here
[2:48] Annabelle Fanshaw: I wish you great success
[2:48] China Tracy: Thank you Annabelle

[2:48] China Tracy: are you from NYC?
[2:49] Annabelle Fanshaw: yes, I am
[2:49] Annabelle Fanshaw: I have seen that you were here
[2:49] Annabelle Fanshaw: with your show
[2:49] China Tracy: yes?
[2:49] China Tracy: who r u?
[2:49] Annabelle Fanshaw: I am a friend, I know Chenin
[2:49] Annabelle's translator: 我的朋友，我知道诗南
[2:50] Annabelle Fanshaw: and he invited me to see this
[2:50] Annabelle's translator: 他邀请我看到这

[2:50] Annabelle Fanshaw: I am also a blogger
[2:50] Annabelle's translator: 我也一个Blogger
[2:50] Annabelle Fanshaw: and started a piece about this project a few weeks ago
[2:50] Annabelle's translator: 并开始一项关于本项目在数星期前
[2:50] Annabelle Fanshaw: I have been tracking it
[2:50] Annabelle's translator: 我一直在跟踪它
[2:51] China Tracy: Good
[2:51] Annabelle's translator: China Tracy: Good
[2:51] Annabelle Fanshaw: So of course I was thrilled when Lovelette called me this morning
[2:51] Annabelle's translator: 因此，我当然非常激动，当lovelette打电话给我，今天上午
[2:51] China Tracy: maybe you with Chenin together to see my NY show before, right?
[2:51] Annabelle's translator: China Tracy: maybe you with Chenin together to see my NY show before, right?
[2:52] Annabelle Fanshaw: unfortunately, I was not aware of it at that point
[2:52] Annabelle's translator: 不幸的是，我不知道它在这一点上
[2:52] Annabelle Fanshaw: I met Chenin at the Virtual Worlds conference in March
[2:52] Annabelle's translator: 我会见了诗南在虚拟世界会议在三月

[2:53] China Tracy: maybe i saw you image from ZAFKA or chenis's flick
[2:53] Annabelle Fanshaw: it's possible- I have stopped by several times
[2:53] Annabelle's translator: 它的可能-我已停止了数倍
[2:53] Annabelle Fanshaw: once I was this close to your av
[2:53] Annabelle's translator: 我曾经是这个贴近您的AV
[2:53] Annabelle Fanshaw: but you were away
[2:53] Annabelle's translator: 但你远离
[2:54] Annabelle Fanshaw: so you didn't know I was there
[2:54] Annabelle's translator: 所以你不知道我是有
[2:54] Annabelle Fanshaw: I waved
[2:54] Annabelle's translator: i挥手致意

[2:55] Annabelle Fanshaw: So are you going to live here too?
[2:55] Annabelle's translator: 因此，你要住在这里，太？
[2:55] China Tracy: here? RMB City you mean?
[2:55] Annabelle's translator: China Tracy: here? RMB City you mean?
[2:56] Annabelle Fanshaw: yes
[2:56] Annabelle's translator: 是
[2:56] China Tracy: yes
[2:56] Annabelle's translator: China Tracy: yes
[2:56] China Tracy: welcome you stay also
[2:56] Annabelle Fanshaw: very good
[2:56] Annabelle's translator: 非常好
[2:56] Annabelle Fanshaw: I will come see you here- but I have another home
[2:56] Annabelle's translator: 我会在这里看到你，但是我还有一个家
[2:57] Annabelle Fanshaw: My own sim
[2:57] Annabelle's translator: 我自己的SIM卡
[2:57] Annabelle Fanshaw: which you are welcome to see anytime
[2:57] Annabelle's translator: 其中，欢迎您随时见
[2:57] Annabelle Fanshaw: I am also under construction
[2:57] Annabelle's translator: 我也正在建设
[2:57] Annabelle Fanshaw: although I don't have so many helpers
[2:57] Annabelle's translator: 虽然我没有这么多的助理

[2:58] Annabelle Fanshaw: What do you think you will do after this?
[2:58] Annabelle's translator: 您怎么看你会做后，这？
[2:59] China Tracy: don't know yet, now it already drive us crazy
[2:59] Annabelle Fanshaw: LOL, I'm sure

[2:59] Annabelle's translator: lol ，我敢肯定，
[2:59] Annabelle Fanshaw: it is very complex
[2:59] Annabelle's translator: 这是非常复杂的
[2:59] China Tracy: no plan is the best plan
[2:59] Annabelle's translator: China Tracy: no plan is the best plan
[2:59] Rodion Resistance: :)
[2:59] Annabelle's translator: Rodion Resistance: :)
[2:59] Annabelle Fanshaw: perhaps so
[2:59] Annabelle's translator: 也许因此，
[2:59] Annabelle Fanshaw: leaves one open to inspiration
[2:59] Annabelle's translator: 叶一开放的启示

[3:00] China Tracy: life always out of plan
[3:00] Annabelle's translator: China Tracy: life always out of plan
[3:01] Annabelle Fanshaw: yes, even though we try to make it in the plan
[3:01] Annabelle's translator: 是的，即使我们试图使它在该计划中
[3:01] Annabelle Fanshaw: it escapes
[3:01] Annabelle's translator: 它越狱
[3:01] Annabelle Fanshaw: China Tracy you make me smile
[3:01] Annabelle's translator: 中国特雷西，你使我的笑容
[3:01] Annabelle Fanshaw: I like your courage and conviction
[3:01] Annabelle's translator: 我喜欢你的勇气和信念
[3:02] China Tracy: thank you:)
[3:02] Annabelle's translator: China Tracy: thank you:)

[3:02] Annabelle Fanshaw: I wish you lots of luck on this one- I know it will be a big success
[3:02] Annabelle's translator: 我祝你很多的运气，这一次我知道这将是一个大获成功
[3:03] Annabelle Fanshaw: Unfortunately, I must get ready for the RL now
[3:03] Annabelle's translator: 不幸的是，我必须作好准备，为研究部主管，现在
[3:04] Annabelle Fanshaw: Ty for having me by the party
[3:04] Annabelle's translator: 性因我受党的
[3:04] Annabelle Fanshaw: ty everyone!
[3:04] Annabelle's translator: 性大家！
[3:04] China Tracy: OK
[3:04] Annabelle's translator: China Tracy: OK
[3:04] Annabelle Fanshaw: Enjoy yourselves
[3:04] Annabelle's translator: 享受自己
[3:04] China Tracy: haha, i like the translate
[3:05] China Tracy: "sex everybody" in chinese
[3:05] Annabelle's translator: China Tracy: "sex everybody" in chinese
[3:05] China Tracy: your auto translator
[3:05] Annabelle's translator: China Tracy: your auto translator
[3:05] Annabelle Fanshaw: I'm sure my translator is not aware of it's mistakes
[3:05] Annabelle's translator: 我敢肯定，我的翻译是不知道它的错误
[3:05] Annabelle Fanshaw: my apologies for any offence
[3:05] Annabelle's translator: 我道歉的任何罪行
[3:05] Lovelette Yifu: hehehe
[3:05] Annabelle's translator: Lovelette Yifu: hehehe
[3:06] Rodion Resistance: hahaha
[3:06] Annabelle's translator: Rodion Resistance: hahaha
[3:06] Annabelle Fanshaw: but it is also funny some times
[3:06] Annabelle's translator: 但是，这也是一些有趣的时代
[3:06] Rodion Resistance: that was hilarious
[3:06] Annabelle Fanshaw: glad you all liked it
[3:06] Annabelle's translator: 很高兴大家都喜欢
[3:06] China Tracy: yes
[3:06] Annabelle's translator: China Tracy: yes
[3:06] China Tracy: i like the mistake
[3:06] Annabelle's translator: China Tracy: i like the mistake
[3:06] Rodion Resistance: hahaha
[3:06] Annabelle's translator: Rodion Resistance: hahaha
[3:06] Annabelle Fanshaw: life has no plans
[3:06] Annabelle's translator: 生活并没有计划
[3:06] Lovelette Yifu: hahahah
[3:06] Annabelle's translator: Lovelette Yifu: hahahah
[3:07] Annabelle Fanshaw: and neither does my translator
[3:07] Annabelle's translator: 也没有我的翻译

Here is Avatrian's Flickr site for loads more pix.http://www.flickr.com/photos/avatrian/
And in another part of Second Life- the temporary city of Burning Life is starting to rise from the hard pan...Poulet Koenkamp LMed me over to see her build- that's me on the top of her enormous pool table, and looking around, I think I see next weeks blog...

so until then Dear Reader, stay safe be happy, enjoy both lives...

Snap Snap- Pix from the Big Bash

2008-09-07T21:22:00.009-04:00

What can I say? We all had a great time! Special thanks to Leanne, Josey, Rommie,
Trishda, and PhoebeAnn for bringing their music and entertaining us all. And special thanks to Maddy who helped me set up for this.

Land ho!

2008-08-31T11:03:00.013-04:00

It's here! the Big Bash! Time to party!
Click on this picture to blow up the details
and TP in on this URL. If you are a blog reader,
make sure to introduce yourself to me! See you
in "person" next weekend...

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Impish%20Glee/67/253/40

Greetings Dear Reader-
It has been a big exciting week for the Chipster and me.
Our new sim was transferred over, and we started to terraform it-
Since this was a process that I had to do a lot of Internet research to
figure out, I thought I would share the salient points with all you
aspiring terraformers.
Ok, here is the land- looking rather waffle like at our first glance- Yuk!

Those of you who know me, know that I am an obsessive planner- so of course, I modeled out my sim in SketchUp, to see how it would lay out. There were a few requirements I needed to fulfill- a loch for landing seaplanes on, horse trails (of course), vehicular access, someplace for the Mer friends, and my new tree shop. From the SketchUp plan, I pulled off the topo lines and went over to PhotoShop to make a gray scale "height map". Each shade of gray indicated to the terrain in SL, what height it shall be. Black is the lowest- o meters elevation- white is the highest- 255m elevation or there abouts, it can vary depending on some other land reading factors, that I will point out in a bit.

When I had filled in the topo in a gray scale palette, I saved it and loaded it into a nifty little program called Bailiwick. This will take in your jpg image, and add the layers necessary to make a RAW file that the land engine in SL can read. Here you can tweak things like landmarks area, plots for sale, as well as the land scale settings, so your land height factors are reasonable and not at all like the Himalayas ( unless that is what you want).
And then about 30 seconds after we loaded the finished RAW file into the SL database- Poof! magically, new terrain! How cool is that?
Now, like Goldilocks deciding on here bowl of porridge, I looked over the results of the 3 versions of height maps had prepared, and settled on the most natural looking one. So- At last! Sundial is born, and I can start the build.

Luna Rai Gunn who was with me during this whole process, decided that the perfect thing for my new loch, was a Nessie. So she became one, much to my amusement and Chip's confusion.
So here we are, in our new shop and sim. We are putting in our evergreens- very low prim- and the platforming early. When MONO becomes available in our sim (which is soon) we are adding the season changing trees and soon the whole sim will change seasons on a daily basis.
Watch for the announcement of our grand opening- we look forward to seeing you!

Of Unicorns

2008-08-24T18:20:00.012-04:00

Greetings Dear Reader-
Sometimes, I just get an image to inform and shape my weekly post-
and this week- well, it was a Unicorn. We all love them, in fact,
my friend Deacon says that properly prepared, they taste like chicken-
He's kidding of course- stop those gasps of horror- ;-)
So, where does one find a unicorn in Second Life?
I went looking....

Welcome to Luskwood- home of the Furries- some of the greatest and most
innovative builders in Second Life- and also one of the oldest groups.

Defined by a series of aerial platforms, and connected by teleportation, the
outward simplicity belies the internal complexity and understanding of group and SL dynamics.

And here I am- as a Unicorn in Old English dress- just couldn't wear a modern look
with such a medieval creature- although someone did suggest a tutu...

Luskwood is perfectly designed for it's purpose- getting folks together- and it's
foresty decor is easy to live with, especially if you are fur bearing.

I enjoyed my visit, and will stop by again,just to say "Hi" to the gang up in the trees.

My search for the elusive unicorn was rewarded with an introduction to these mythical creatures....That's Pegasus Ziskey on the left and his partner Findhorn McLaglen on the right.

These fellows were excellent company, and Chip was most delighted to meet some equine
company. Findhorn and I had planned a ride, so we set off to S. Haras to take on the
cross country course.

Snappy outfit, Find! He did tell me that for the first 2 years in SL, he had to make his own avs, that there were none other available. Of course, now we have several
sources to chose from.

Haras has the best course in SL, quite a challenge for the Chipster and I.

All in all, it was a splendid afternoon, and hopefully, we can ride again soon.

So, my gracious Reader, I hope you enjoyed this brief glimpse of the mythical critters of Second Life...I have been very busy with my Big Bash Party- 12 days to go!

And the latest news- I now have a sim- it will be called "Sundial"- and will be home to my new garden shop.

See you at the party on Sept. 5th-7th

Bye for now-
Annabelle

Fair Skies/Blue skies..

2008-08-14T20:30:00.019-04:00

Greetings Dear Readers,Those of you who have followed this blog for a while know of my interests in aviation-as a tiny pink leopard in the RCAF, I have had some spectacular crashes interspersed with some relatively straight and level flying. This week, we have a special place to visit-the Balsa Airport and Aviation Community in Aveousa.

Here on the "Flight Line" you can see some of the planes that Bancos Milestone has built and sells here.

Let's listen in to his commentary, as we walk and talk...(Please note, dear reader, that I have edited for clarity and brevity)
[17:19] You: ok, So what was your first plane?
[17:20] Bancos Milestone: my first aircraft was the Sutra.....which was a combination of the Sukoi and the Extra 300, but I was not very good at scripting then so only used basic flight scripts but it sold reasonably well
[17:20] You: Got one around?
[17:20] Bancos Milestone: I don't even sell it any more
[17:20] Bancos Milestone: sure
[17:21] Bancos Milestone: c
[17:21] You: she's a beauty
[17:22] Bancos Milestone: and it had a formation that went with it
[17:22] You: 5 planes?
[17:24] You: Well, that's impressive
[17:24] You: an entourage
[17:24] Bancos Milestone: first ever formation flying in sl
[[17:25] Bancos Milestone: I try to always give something extra with each plane
[17:26] You: I see
[17:27] You: and how did you start all this?
[17:27] You: are you a pilot in RL?
[17:27] Bancos Milestone: yes
[17:30] Bancos Milestone: yes I had polio at age 18 months old
[17:30] You: ok,
[17:30] Bancos Milestone: which is not known by many here
[17:30] Bancos Milestone: but that is fine
[17:31] You: and ?
[17:31] Bancos Milestone: so I had some unusual physical challenges to overcome in order to fly
[17:31] Bancos Milestone: walked on forearm crutches all my life
[17:31] Bancos Milestone: but my feet still work on the rudder pedals
[17:31] Bancos Milestone: and I have built 3 homebuilt aircraft in RL
[17:32] You: Wow
[17:32] You: so flying for you means more
[17:32] You: than to the average person
[17:32] Bancos Milestone: it is where I am the same
[17:32] Bancos Milestone: no limitations in the air
[17:32] Bancos Milestone: and that is why I love second life
[17:32] Bancos Milestone: I am the same here
[17:32] Bancos Milestone: with no physical limitations
[17:32] Bancos Milestone: as I do in Real life
[17:33] You: yes, i understand
[17:33] You: and the freedom
[17:33] You: that it brings
[17:33] Bancos Milestone: My dad took me for my first plane ride at age 5
[17:33] Bancos Milestone: in a brand new 1956 Cessna 172
[17:33] Bancos Milestone: and I never got over it and neither did my twin who is Real Bright here
[17:34] Bancos Milestone: I built every model airplane I could get my hands on
[17:34] You: as soon as I could
[17:34] Bancos Milestone: I learned to fly in Jersey
[17:35] Bancos Milestone: at a now closed airport called Asbury Air Terminal in Asbury Park New Jersey
[17:35] You: yes,
[17:35] You: there was a lot on the shore that is now gone
[[17:36] Bancos Milestone: a whole lot more in 1966 when I first soloed in a new Cessna 150
[17:43] Bancos Milestone: my SkyKing songbird
[17:43] Bancos Milestone: from the series in 1950
[17:44] You: ok, simular to the one you flew in as a child
[17:44] Bancos Milestone: this was Sky Kings first plane The cessna T50
[17:46] Bancos Milestone: but Sky King flew around saving everyone in various adventures
[17:46] Bancos Milestone: so it had an impact on me as a kid
[17:46] You: yes, I vaguely recall the show
[17:46] Bancos Milestone: another thing that created a passion for aviation
[17:46] Bancos Milestone: you can still get the videos today on DVD
[17:46] You: of course ;-)
[17:47] Bancos Milestone: He later switched to the Cessna 310
[17:47] You: And do you still sell this one?
[17:47] Bancos Milestone: yes
[17:47] Bancos Milestone: on the flight line
[17:47] You: ok
[17:47] Bancos Milestone: it even plays the opening theme when you start the engine
[17:48] You: is there a fantasy plane that you would like to build?
[17:48] Bancos Milestone: This was probably it in terms of my favorite.

[17:49] You: do you bring in the drawings and work from the original?
[17:49] Bancos Milestone: yes I don't care for Sculpties as they are just now starting to get to where I am considering using them
[17:49] Bancos Milestone: yes
[17:49] Bancos Milestone: I scale every airplane
[17:49] Bancos Milestone: to exact scale using plans
[17:49] Bancos Milestone: that I bring in world
[17:50] You: i see
[17:50] Bancos Milestone: This was for the Bf109
[17:50] You: oh, this is good
[17:50] You: let me get a snap as soon as it rezzes
[17:51] You: I love to show process
[17:51] You: if the builder will share it
[17:51] Bancos Milestone: I use Side , top and front views

[17:57] Bancos Milestone: the big bombers the B17, B24 and B47 were the hardest
[17:57] Bancos Milestone: of my builds
[17:57] Bancos Milestone: but some of the most popular
[17:57] Bancos Milestone: and very detailed in terms of Textures, and scripting
[17:58] Bancos Milestone: B24 Liberator
[17:59] You: oh man
[17:59] You: that is incredible
[18:00] You: love the nose art too
[18:00] Bancos Milestone: all of the engines can be stopped in the air with a 25% power loss for each engine
[18:00] Bancos Milestone: so just as in RL you must throttle up the remaining engines
[18:00] You: and what does that mean?
[18:00] Bancos Milestone: to maintain airspeed and altitude
[18:00] You: I see
[18:00] Bancos Milestone: so you can simulate an engine out if you want
[18:04] Bancos Milestone: most of my planes have working ailerons, flaps and Elevator and Rudders

[18:05] Bancos Milestone: B47
[18:05] Bancos Milestone: was first time Boeing mounted the engines on the wing
[18:05] Bancos Milestone: and was responsilbe for all of the jetliners you see today
[18:05] Bancos Milestone: including the B52
[18:05] You: that had to make the engineers nervous
[18:05] Bancos Milestone: yes
[18:06] Bancos Milestone: This was used in The Strategic Air Command
[18:06] You: yes
[18:06] Bancos Milestone: as a Nuke deterant
[18:07] Bancos Milestone: This had no thrust reversers
[18:07] Bancos Milestone: so it had a drag chute
[18:07] Bancos Milestone: to help stop the plane after landing
[18:07] You: I see
[18:07] Bancos Milestone: and I have that on mine and it works
[18:07] Bancos Milestone: also have working instruments on the control panel
[18:08] You: the chute?
[18:08] You: works in Sl?
[18:08] Bancos Milestone: yes
[18:08] Bancos Milestone: causes drag when you touch down
[18:08] Bancos Milestone: you deploy the chute by typing "d" in the chat window

Totally, well, awesome! Bancos!

He also has a steampunk plane, and just rolled out some new items- Notably the Mosquito Bomber (you know you want one!)

and a GeeBee High Performance plane for the Tinies- in fact Dear Tiny Readers, he has started a whole line of planes for tinies.

Ok, now over in another part of Balsa, one of Bancos' former students is hard at work on some very special planes.
In RL Josh is an intructor in Hot Air Balloons, but I'll bet that these go a lot faster... the P-47 (affectionately known as the "Jug") and the Super Thunderbolt.

But the most exciting plane in Josh's growing inventory is a scale replica of the Electra- the very plane that Amelia Earhart flew into the books of aviation history, when she and her copilot Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean. Obviously, this was a labor of love- Hours and hours of work, and you can buy one for your very own.

So, Dear Reader- a rather long blog this week- hope you enjoyed meeting this passionate pilots- I sure did. Here is the LM for you to visit them, and see for yourselves.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/BALSA%20INC%20AVEOUSA/177/160/29

Oh, Yes and stay tuned for Big Bash Party News- My celebration open to all, at my estate in Impish Glee- Dancing, DJ's, Freebie hunts, and introducing- the AV slingshot! A Vicki Brandenburg creation- How far can you fling your av?

Stay tuned- the fun really begins on Sept. 5th...

That's all for this week- Be safe, have fun.
Annabelle

So in dog years, we are how old?

2008-08-09T20:16:00.009-04:00

Greetings Dear Reader,
How long have you been here? 6 months like me- or forever?- err, well more than 4 years?
Welcome to the Second Life Museum of History- a fairly modest place- but chock full of the great cocktail party banter, you know you have been looking for...

You know you want to casually drop the fact that Eggy Lippman was the first to ever attach over 5000 objects to an avatar...
And How about this? First Stone Skipped In SL: "I think I (Rickard Roentgen) am the first person to skip a stone in sl :). The stones are in a bucket on the dock at the Fire Island Lighthouse in Sami."
OR this? "The Man" statue- Natoma has since gone through many changes, some Linden builds disappeared and only two old builds were left from its past. These surviving builds are the Arch'D Linden Grande (from the Newbie Corral era) and The Man statue. Thus The Man stands today as the oldest original still-standing build within Second Life.

Cases display early models built...

And some pretty interesting early avs...And over in Kirkby- on Linden land, there is a pretty interesting collection of stuff-
First the Wall of History- with it's many links to the various historically notable events and builds...
It's a big layout, and surrounded by ecclectic collections, big models and strange objects.. Just like Second Life!
It's a big place, and has lots of areas to visit...

Robots to meet...

And look, the 50 foot woman left her shoe!

Lots of art to look at...

It'a a place you can explore for a good while....

Oh, yes- the countdown has begun for my big bash party- Sept. 5th- Sept. 7th- out at Seadrift, my estate. Stay tuned, I'll put the schedule up soon-Have fun!

Brief Encounter x 2

2008-07-28T22:40:00.015-04:00

Jonathan Kazan-Scientific artist or Artistic Scientist?
Hello Dear Reader and welcome back to my blogspot...
This has been an exciting week- so much is going on it
can make your head spin- and I'm just talking about Second Life.

A while back, I was visiting Squirrel Island at the behest of my
new friend Rye Checchinato, and noticed as I walked around, some
very interesting art installations. Environmental art has always been
a passion of mine, so I went over to investigate...

And found out that they were interactive..another passionate interest!

Well of course, that led to some more exploration and I found these-
"Color Reeds" writhing and wiggling in the water...

So, of course I had to meet the artist who made them...

Meet Jonathan Kazan- Molecular Biologist in RL/ Environmental interactive sculptor in SL. He started with this as a way of exploring the creation of artificial life
and well, you know how it goes...our creations have a way of owning part of us.

I traveled over to his current exhibit... to meet him and check it all out...

And he showed me some of the many and varied pieces he has installed there...

Each on offers a different way to interact, and makes the observer into a creator too.

I especially enjoyed this one- they are sculpties each made from snapshots taken in SL, and the noise that they generate is also derived from the image- in some ways, kind of what goes on in my brain ;-)..,
But these are best seen in motion- Pach Voom has made a nice short vid about Jonathan, and you can catch it here...

Jonathan's exhibit is at Artractus 233,109,22

Avatrian takes the challenge of RMB City...This is just the beginning...
Now I want to let you listen in on a chat I had with Chenin Anabuki- founder and principle of Avatrian. They have won the commission to build China Tracy's RMB City, a build that can only be described with adjectives like massive, stunning, complex, witty and timely. China Tracy is know as Cao Fei in RL. Avatrian got the call a few months ago, and was presented with this video.

Only the Preview Center is accessible to the general public at the moment...but let's listen in as I talk to Chenin (Note: I have edited this somewhat for clarity)

[19:00] Chenin Anabuki: But it opens up on October.
[19:11] Annabelle Fanshaw: so how long so you think this will take to build?
[19:11] Chenin Anabuki: It is actually a 2 year long project and social experiment.
[19:11] Chenin Anabuki: But, most of the city structures will be here by September/October.
[19:11] Chenin Anabuki: But, we will be adding custom avatars for visitors too...and vehicles.
[19:12] Chenin Anabuki: Plus several collectors and art institutions will be holding their own events here.
[19:11] Annabelle Fanshaw: what do you mean by social experiment?
[19:12] Chenin Anabuki: Social Experiment,
[19:12] Chenin Anabuki: because the artist sees this as a project to learn more about the metaverse and how it affects RL behaviours and decisions.
[19:13]Chenin Anabuki: Cao Fei is really interested in the evolution of the city, not just in the final end product.

[[19:14]Chenin Anabuki: They do the launches of the venues here in RMB City along side gallery exhibits in RL.
[19:14] Chenin Anabuki: Last week was the UCCA in Beijing and the Serpentine in London.[19:14] Chenin Anabuki: In September, it will be a gallery in Yokohama
[19:14] Annabelle Fanshaw: yes, I saw that

[19:15] Annabelle Fanshaw: and who is going to do all of those objects that make up the city?
[19:15] Annabelle Fanshaw: your group? or many model makers?
[19:15] Chenin Anabuki: Avatrian
[19:16] Annabelle Fanshaw: you guys will be busy!
[19:16] Chenin Anabuki: We're pretty much doing all of it.
[19:16] Chenin Anabuki: Yes, but busy in a very good way.

[19:16] Chenin Anabuki: All the existing elements here right now are Avatrian creations.
[19:16] Annabelle Fanshaw: i see
[19:16] Chenin Anabuki: We whipped it out in two weeks.
[19:17] Chenin Anabuki: But, we have more time for the rest of the buildings and other objects.
[19:17] Annabelle Fanshaw: and there will be residences?
[19:17] Chenin Anabuki: I think so.
[19:17] Chenin Anabuki: But the first ones here will probably be art institutions and collectors.

[19:18] Annabelle Fanshaw: ah, I see
[19:18] Annabelle Fanshaw: I want to ride the aerial bus
[19:18] Annabelle Fanshaw: and go to the forbidden city on the top
[19:18] Chenin Anabuki: That will be here eventually.
[19:18] Chenin Anabuki: So are the jets and boats
[19:18] Chenin Anabuki: I will build the forbidden city myself.
[19:18] Chenin Anabuki: :)
[19:19] Annabelle Fanshaw: good!

[19:19] Chenin Anabuki: It will be amazing once all the elements are in place.
[19:19] Annabelle Fanshaw: well, it sure looks great
[19:19] Annabelle Fanshaw: in the vid
[19:19] Chenin Anabuki: We are attempting to capture the feel from the video.
[19:20] Chenin Anabuki: But, there will probably even more elements in the RMB City here in SL.

[19:22] Annabelle Fanshaw: you are getting quite a crowd
[19:22] Annabelle Fanshaw: that is great
[19:22] Chenin Anabuki: Seems like people are slowly finding the place.
[19:23] Chenin Anabuki: That is good.
[19:23] Annabelle Fanshaw: yes
[19:23] Annabelle Fanshaw: build the buzz

[19:24] Annabelle Fanshaw: so what would you call the style of architecture in the city?
[19:24] Chenin Anabuki: Oh gosh, that's a good question.
[19:24] Annabelle Fanshaw: you can get back to me on it
[19:24] Chenin Anabuki: I have to think about that.
[19:24] Chenin Anabuki: yes, will do.
[19:24] Annabelle Fanshaw: will there be retail too?
[19:25] Chenin Anabuki: Yes, some spaces will be for shops and commercial endeavors.
[19:25] Chenin Anabuki: There will be a marketplace in the city.
[19:25] Annabelle Fanshaw: great!
[19:26] Chenin Anabuki: Imagine how bustling this will be when all the other spaces become open.
[19:26] Annabelle Fanshaw: yes, one hopes to see that
[19:26] Annabelle Fanshaw: and hopes it lasts
[19:26] Chenin Anabuki: It's a worthwhile goal.
[19:26] Annabelle Fanshaw: yes
[19:27] Annabelle Fanshaw: you have to give them a reason to return again and again[19:27] Annabelle Fanshaw: events and shops do that
[19:27] Annabelle Fanshaw: as well as residences
[19:27] Chenin Anabuki: Those are in the plan.
[19:27] Chenin Anabuki: Making my head swim now with all the todo things for the future.

So there, Dear Reader, that is what kept me busy this week- Many thanks to Chenin Anabuki of Avatrian for the preview, and to Jonathan Kazan for his time and especially to
Rodion Resistance and Lovelette Yifu of Avatrian for patiently answering all my questions while I took picures of the build in progress.

Until next week- Have fun- Annabelle

Are we there yet? Traveling to other worlds through the OS Grid

2008-07-27T07:23:00.011-04:00

Hello Dear Reader, and welcome to another episode of "Av in the City"...
well, not quite, I have journeyed to the Flatiron district in New York City to attend a Metaverse Meetup- officially titled "OpenSim and virtual worlds interoperability".

Think anyone has noticed that I have a suit on today?

At the meeting (left to right in the picture) was Adam Frisby (Adam Zaius in SL) from DeepThink Labs, David Levine (Zha Ewry in SL) from IBM Research, and moderating was Tish Shute who writes about OpenSim on her blog- Ugotrade.com

In a very small nutshell, OpenSim is the very beginnings of a network or system that will interconnect all the virtual worlds- Imagine- to paraphrase David Levine- going on a quest in WOW, cutting off the dragons head, taking that head over to your favorite bar in Second Life to show your friends, and having a victory dance. The problems, legal and technical, involved in making this data transfer happen, are numerous and complicated- but these guys, and others
have taken on the challenge. And with the Lindens have set up a portal that the folks in Second Life can get too. For details on how to set up your own entrance to the OpenSim go here- http://osgrid.org/index.php?page=home&btn=1

Here is Adam watching someone port into Wright Plaza, one of the entry points in the burgeoning collection of worlds here.

And here I am, just ported in. Note to visiting fashionistas-
you don't get to bring your attachments,
just the basic hair and clothes will appear.

They provide instructions for getting around.

And sandboxes for the building types.

And interesting movie kiosks- nicely done!

It's a whole 'nother universe- and it's just starting to open-
go visit!

The Harsh Beauty of Skjern

2008-07-20T05:08:00.020-04:00

Greetings Dear Reader-
The post this week is decidedly adult, and probably not for everyone. This week, I had the privilege to interview Poseidon Dagostino, one of the premiere designers of Gorean Sims. These sims are for serious role play, and as such make some extraordinary demands on the designers... Imagine if someone handed you the complete works of Charles Dickens, or the Odyssey, or for that matter, the Nancy Drew series, and told you to make it into a world where avs could inhabit the roles in the book. John Norman has written 26 novels of Gor, and these are the basis for this RP world.

As the designer and associate designer of 7 sims so far, Poseidon and his design firm- the Trident Group- have a lot to consider. The culture of these novels is similar to that of our world's, as inhabitants were actually transplanted from Earth. Skjern is modeled in part on the Vikings life circa 1000AD, with a farming, fishing and mining based economy that intertrades among the better than 20 plus sims that make up the Gorean presence in SL. When he designs a sim, Poseidon also has to consider the "playability" of the environs.

So let's visit, shall we?

First stop, we disembark from a "serpent" one of the longboats of Gor.

Very nicely organized with common spaces as well as homes for rental...

These fellows are Bosks, big, shaggy, and not too talkative...

Baked goods! Who knew? Bosk pie anyone?

The Village Smithy- very important guy in the Iron Age...

Here is the Great Hall, for the feasting and general celebration..

And of course, the kitchen behind it where the meals are prepared...

The Scribery is next- where the note keepers and map makers work.

Now matter where you go- there you are- Great maps!

Next, down in to the salt mines- a labyrinth under the village..

And from there you can get to the Arena, where contests and tournaments are held,
warriors come from all over to compete-kind of like Yankee Stadium...

And this nasty place is the jail or dungeon if you will..

And once they let you out, you can clean up in the baths...quite civilized in my opinion..

And don't forget the beehives, need that for the mead making..

From Skern, we traveled to the Vosk River Outpost- home of outlaws, and the notorious Panther Girls- women who have rebelled against the male domination of Gor and left the society to form their own village..

Complete with a sunken villa- Well Done, Poseidon!

The visual serenity belies the rather fierce rp fighting that goes on here...

And finally, the Panther Girls outpost...a whole other world, aerial and interconnected, with rope swings that take you across the chasms.

As you can see, Poseidon makes a complex design look easy, like it has always been there...

Well, Dear Reader, that is a peek behind the veils of 2 of the Gorean sims- as I said these are mature rp areas and not for everyone, and as such I shall let you seek
out the landmarks if you want to join them.

Hey, get that horse off my lawn! Secret places to ride in Second Life

2008-07-13T08:03:00.004-04:00

Greetings Dear Reader, and welcome back!

Today's post is a joint effort between woman and horse-

Chip poured through the Search so he could showcase

some of the exciting places to ride in SL-

(just between you and me, I think he did it extricate me

from the workshop and out for some more rides)

So, in no particular order are some of his favorite places...

Ah, the lovely harshness of the Forest of Kahruvel

(in the Rodeo Sim (97,127,58)

A fair amount of high range riding here, be prepared to do some flying too.

One of my personal faves- the canyon land under Grendles

Avaria Kro (36,196,61)

There be dragons here, and the occasional space ship ;-)

Here in Ilanril, *AE Industries* has set it all up for horseback riding-

it's just lovely! Ilandril (149,239,78)

Ok, now for those of you who really like to travel...

On the ground at Planet Mongo- Red Randt and Lumiere Noir are

terraforming a new place that should offer some very interesting riding-

while you look for the ruins of the Mongo Empire...

And as pretty as any Monet painting- be sure and visit Provence- if

you don't have a horse, you can also take a carriage ride here. Just lovely,

don't you think? Ville Est,Provence Coeur (130,206,33)

And finally- for those who want to do a little exhibit viewing while they ride-

Science Friday has some wide open land, which abuts the NASA exhibit, and

and Space Island (See the Leviathan!) Science Friday (53,157,34), and Leviathan

on Space Island (128,15,33)

All of these places get 4 hoof stamps of approval from you know who-

Until next week, dear reader, Happy trails!

Annabelle (and Chip, of course)

Digging around in Second Life

2008-07-06T05:27:00.009-04:00

Hello again, Dear Reader, and welcome back,
This week I was fortunate enough to meet Canadensis Yellowjacket,
a RL archaeologist who also teaches the subject in Second Life. He has
found a home at Robert Welch University-

Robert Welch University, Teaching 6 (42, 61, 22)

Let's go visit....

Canadensis Yellowjacket (let's just call him CY, shall we?)
has set up a classroom for one on one tutorials- looks comfy!

As well as a vitual archaeological dig site to teach his students
about how to dig, how to uncover the past correctly- as he says
"Excavation =destruction" so one must do it carefully.

OK, first things first- set up a methodology for your site,
How, where and in what timeline will you dig?

On the site, is a screen which links the students into
Nabonidus.org, a worldwide registry for archaeologists to share
the info from their digs.

Set up your page, make your arguments to CY about your methodology,
and once approved, you are good to go...recording in Nabonidus as you go..
BTW, Nabonidis was the last king of Babylonia...;-)

At CY's site, you lift the layers by touching them revealing, the ages
and artifacts past- a bit easier than in RL, but it teaches the same thing.

CY told me that we have about 10 meters of depth average
between our time in RL and the time of Augustus Ceasar, so
that's a lot of digging for the RL archaeologists- whew!

And as you work your way down through the site, artifacts are
uncovered, and when they are touched, you are linked to
various web pages that feature these items, explaining
their historical frame and meaning.
So now, I am beginning to get it- this is what the words
layers, contex, deposition and events, mean to an archaeologist-
Very clear, CY!

So, what does an Archaeologist think about SL?
CY has some interesting things to say about that-
and if you touch the rotating sculpture in his site, you will
get a list of places he considers a worthwhile visit. Places that
educate by using "situational learning" or just have the
whole archaeological thing going on...

Think on this for a minute- Dear Reader- How do the
rules of SL reveal themselves in the objects that get built
and thrown away? CY asks that to us.

Did you know we have a dump? yupper!- the SL Dumpster
(an archaeologists paradise, btw)

SL Dumpster, Fearzom (209, 43, 67)

Drop your unwanted stuff in the SL dumpster, attach a decay script to
it, and watch what happens- and besides from being a fascinating art project
it will clean out your overstuffed inventory-

CY has plans for the future too- A larger, elaborate site such as the one
at Okapi, all linked in and referenced of course...

Okapi Island (archaeology resear, Okapi (90, 116, 36)

And of course the Greeks, who have lots of ancestry to be proud of
have built a reconstruction of the Parthenon and the theater-
visit it here-
Greece Official in SL, GreeceOfficial (53, 53, 24)

And of course, Roma--RP! Citizen!
ROMA (SPQR) - The Ancient Roman , ROMA (214, 25, 22)

Other schools have gotten into the act as well-
Here is the Applied Media and Simulation Games Center
on Crimson Island- the "Classroom in the Clouds".

IUP - Crimson Island, Crimson Island (97, 60, 21)

UC Davis- this lab explores Schizophrenia and it's manifestations...

Virtual Hallucinations, Sedig (26, 45, 22)

And last, but not least- Vassar has made a virtual Sistine chapel-
for those of us who cannot make it to Rome this year-

Vassar Island, Vassar (170, 87, 24)

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. William Butler Yeats

Until next post, Dear Reader, be safe, have fun-
Best,
Annabelle

Close to the Edge/ Près du bord

2008-06-28T16:06:00.026-04:00

Greetings Dear Reader,
How lucky I am to once again have a truly gifted individual to introduce to you-

Meet Khades Zenovka, founder and leader of the Khades Group.

There are few avs that you meet in Second Life who have put together
such a talented following- her group is 300 strong and growing...

Who are they? That question has an answer as varied as SL itself, so fasten your
seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy ride...0.0

Bonjour cher lecteur, Comment je suis chanceuse d'avoir une fois de plus un véritable talent individuel de vous présenter - Rencontrez Khades Zenovka, fondateur et chef du Groupe Khades. Il ya quelques avs que vous rencontrez dans Second Life qui ont mis en place un tel talent-suivant son groupe est de 300 et de plus en plus forte ... Qui sont-ils? Cette question a une réponse aussi variés que la SL lui-même, de sorte attachez vos la ceinture de sécurité, ça va être une course chaotique 0,0 ...

Khades herself has put it this way- think of the group as a big shared disk- a common inventory that all can access, and a common place to meet, help one another, find friends and have fun.
Everything that they make is given away, or sold for very little in her store, and the Lindens that she gets from that are put back into the group as funds to pay for uploads and other services that they need. With that system, she believes that the lindens will come back to Linden Labs, in a way to cover the costs of their free accounts.

A fair proposal, I would say.

This group is a young one in SL and as she puts it- just a test. She hopes that more creators would like to contribute things and add to the group pool.

Khades elle-même a mis de cette façon de penser du groupe comme un grand disque partagé-un inventaire commun que tous peuvent accéder, et un lieu pour se rencontrer, s'aider les uns les autres, trouver des amis et avoir du plaisir. Tout ce qu'ils font est distribué ou vendu pour très peu dans son magasin, et la Lindens qu'elle reçoit de qui sont remis dans le groupe que les fonds pour payer les téléchargements et d'autres services dont ils ont besoin. Avec ce système, elle estime que les tilleuls y reviendrons Linden Labs, de manière à couvrir les coûts de leurs comptes gratuits. Une proposition juste, je dirais. Ce groupe est un jeune dans un SL et comme elle le met-il juste un test. Elle espère qu'un plus grand nombre de créateurs voudrais contribuer choses et d'ajouter au groupe piscine.

Here is her shop- called Littlestore- in Marketin ! France. The coordinates are 176,82,21.

Voici sa boutique-disant Littlestore en marketing! France. Les coordonnées sont 176,82,21.

For our first meeting, she created this conference room for our comfort, with the
space alien, of course.

Pour notre première rencontre, c'était juste un peu de salle de conférence elle a créé pour notre confort, avec l'espace étranger en présence, bien sûr.

As you can see, the little space alien is available in the shop
along with some caged teddy bears, and many accessories.

Comme vous pouvez le voir, ce petit étranger est disponible dans le shop,
de même que certains cage ours en peluche et de nombreux accessoires!

Billy wears them well, don't you think?

Billy porte bien, ne croyez-vous pas?

And for the Neko- some very interesting tails...

Et pour les Neko-certains très intéressant queues ...

Honeymoon popped in to say hello, during our meeting.
Lune de miel spontanément pour dire bonjour, au cours de notre réunion.

Interesting- real looking hair is one of their specialties...
and you know how hard it is to find good hair!
Intéressant la recherche-réel cheveux est une de leurs spécialités ...
et vous savez combien il est de trouver de bons cheveux!

Speaking of the Neko- here is kiezako...
Parlant de la Neko-kiezako est ici ...

I picked up a pair of those sneakers myself! Thank you, Khades!
Je pris une paire de ces chaussures de sport moi-même! Je vous remercie, Khades!

Khades also does special commissions- such as this massive cake- ;-)

Ne Khades également des commissions spéciales, comme ce gâteau massif-;-)

If you really want to see things through Khades eyes- try Ctrl+Shift+R-
Aha! the truth revealed...

Si vous voulez vraiment voir les choses à travers les yeux Khades-essayer Ctrl + Maj + R
Aha! la vérité révélée ...

In her words, "I think that every person who joins this group looks for an atmosphere.
They look for certain humor and of the friendship in this individualistic world.
I also looked for it by creating the group. For some time I have to admit that people
seem to me nicer and much less individualistic. I hope that the future of this group will go in a good direction."

Dans ses paroles, «Je pense que chaque personne qui se joint à ce groupe cherche une atmosphère. Ils regardent pour certains et l'humour de l'amitié dans ce monde individualiste. J'ai aussi cherché en créant le groupe. Depuis quelque temps, je dois admettre que les gens me semble plus agréable et encore moins individualiste. J'espère que l'avenir de ce groupe vont dans une bonne direction. "

Bon jour, Dear Reader, until next time-
Annabelle

It's Elementary- this is Exceptional.

2008-06-21T11:45:00.008-04:00

Hello Dear Reader,

This week I have something a little better than special for you.

Meet Red Randt- Artist, Designer, Builder and Bon Vivant ;-)

Not often seen in human av, here are some samples

of his av designs for Planet Mongo

(Mongo World Domination Outpost 9, Planet Mongo (31,128,353)

And another for one of our many festivals- pumpkin pants-

never should have gone out of style...

Now, Red has made some amazing avs, but it doesn't just

stop there. Like many of us, it was an instant attraction

to the world of SL, that brought him here. Rez day 8/11/2007.

And the exploration and progression began-

First build, a hat! straw skimmer- very jaunty...

And then not finding what he liked in terms of furniture

he began to build his own.

Now he has a new shop in Mongo-

Just look for the big sign, can't miss it!

And come by to check out Red's collection.

Just up the stairs, and

Past the cookie jar...

His shop has lots of Victorian Furniture, and

a special section devoted to 21 Baker Street-

the abode of Mr. Sherlock Holmes...

And for all of you Victorian Science fans...

Some very lovely microscopes.

Screens, and chaises abound-

Bookcases too..

And make sure to ask him about his art, sculptures and

bas reliefs..

Spectacular, isn't it?

And a comment on the surreality of SL, through

the surrealism of RL...

And outside he can rezz up for you some

of his larger works- Monuments to

imaginary titans- as if SL was created in

the Victorian era...Does the city council

of Victoria, Caledon know about these?

And just when you cannot pull your

jaw up any more, Red will calmly

inform you that these are all made

from prims- not a sculptie in sight-

He contends that you can do more with

them than you can possibly imagine...

Keep imagining, Red- We love it!

Wow, what if you had the biggest gallery space in the world?

2008-06-15T08:32:00.010-04:00

Hello Dear Reader,
Have you ever heard of "Hyper Formalism?"
Do you like to see amazing environmental art, on
a huge scale?
I've got the place for you to visit!
This exhibit is called "Kiss the Sky" and it is
brought to us by the New Media Consortium
and the Museum of Hyper Formalism.
But don't let that put you off! this one is fun-
but remember your flight pack, because if you are like me,
it's a long way down, and flailing isn't pretty.

It's a series of ramps, walkways and platforms
that let you get good vantage points on the art.

Some of them are animated, others just stand
there and look pretty.

Here's another view.

and of course they have interactive pieces too,
the pink tentacles will respond to you.

Especially if you fly through them ;-)
And the textures are wonderful!

And as a contrast, a very interesting ensemble

on the ground under the exhibit-

I'm not sure what it means, but I like it-

Check it out-

NMC Arts Lab, NMC Arts Lab (149, 26, 395)

And for those of you who want to know more- here are excerpts from the Press Release:

New Media Consortium and the Museum of Hyperformalism Presents "Kiss the Sky", an art historical survey of Hyperformalism in the virtual world of Second Life A 21st century art movement, native to the the virtual world -
Curated by DC Spensley (DanCoyote Antonelli in Second Life) May 2, 2008, (Second Life) - Virtual worlds are a place for discovering new territories and exploring meaning outside the context of the material world.

Even in virtual worlds there is an avant garde, a native artform spawned from unique conditions.

"Kiss the Sky" is an exhibition of artists that have been wowing viewers since 2006 with art installations indigenous to the virtual world that artist/curator DC Spensley calls Hyperformalism.

Artists included are the most notable creators in the virtual world of Second Life, chosen specifically for their Hyperformal direction. On display are Chance Abattoir, Vlad Bjornson, nand Nerd, Selavy Oh, Adam Ramona, Nebulosus Severine, AngryBeth Shortbread, Sasun Steinbeck, Sabine Stonebender, Seifert Surface, elros Tuominen, Juria Yoshikawa, and i7o Zhu
Hyperformalism is non-figurative abstraction in hyper-medium and has been known to include abstract objects arranged in simulated space, navigable on a network as well as expressions of reactive and interactive artwork behaviors and geometric or algorithmic pattern play in 2, 3, and 4 dimensions. This list is far from comprehensive. Because Hyperformalism is not representational, viewer relationships are less fettered by pre-existing symbolic weight and artworks encourage fascination with form for its own sake. The virtual world provides the ability to liberate the work from scale constraints and provides a perfect context for this post-conceptualist form.
With a figure in the picture, nobody notices the landscape. Hyperformalism proposes that that by removing the comfortable cliché of anthropocentricism a viewer will be more open to a whole other class of experiences that resonate on a more basic level of awareness and reflect back to the viewer their own humanity. The perception of immersion and variable point of view implicates the viewer into unique relationships with the work destroying all of the usual boundaries between the viewer and the work.
While space in virtual worlds is a simulation, place can be real. In fact art experiences are the only thing that can be real in both the virtual and material worlds at the same time. Abstractions that exist as discoverable objects are somewhere between object and concept. It is the state of half existence between object and concept that differentiates formal abstraction in virtual worlds from preceeding expressions of formalism, minimalism and abstract expressionism. Hyperformalism is not Modernism, it is not Post-modernism because it is native to a continuum where only the human mind can visit and where the body and the ideological weight of the figure are not the default fixed point of view. About DanCoyote Antonelli (DC Spensley)Hyperformalist artist and cultural theorist first invited to exhibit in Second Life by Ars Virtua curator Rubaiyat Shatner. Continued residency in Second Life is supported in part by the New Media Consortium where DanCoyote Antonelli (DC Spensley) has been artist in residence since 2006, private collectors and many other generous patrons of the arts in both the virtual and material worlds. DanCoyote Antonelli (DC Spensley) has exhibited internationally in museums and electronic arts festivals. About the New Media Consortium (NMC)The NMC is an international consortium of more than 250 world-class universities, colleges, museums, research centers, and technology companies - and the largest educational body in Second Life - dedicated to using new technologies to inspire, energize, stimulate, and support learning and creative expression.

Lifestyles of the Not so Rich....but famously happy

2008-06-09T12:28:00.006-04:00

Greetings Dear Reader-

Rumors of my early demise have been greatly exaggerated...

In fact I'm alive and kickin' and just getting the "take a deep

breath" part of my build at Sea Drift- my mini estate in SL.

Part vacation home, part club house, this is my online portfolio as well.

So let me show you around...

Here is the wide wide wide shot, so you can see the coast line of Impish Glee- a PG Sim- so keep your clothes on!

As you can see there are 3 main rooms over looking the ocean- let's start at the lowest

and work our way "up the hill"

Here is the sitting room, my most public of rooms- were we can sit and chat, read the

tour guide of SL's greatest builds, and check out the featured artist of the month, over here on the easle.

And on this side, are the teleporter buttons- just touch and go to any level on the complex, even across sims to my other property, but more on that later ;-)

On to the dining room- Poof! and here we are.

A more formal meeting place- for those sit down meetings, and light SL dinners.

Also the best place to watch sky from- beautiful isn't it.

Alright, up to the Study or Library- the top level in this complex. As you can see, I have a wall with pictures of my av pals on the wall, and on the table, my portfolio book for all to peruse.

A great place to watch the sunset from.

So, studying done? Time for some fun- down under the sea kind of fun-

To the Bubble Room! Just look for the fish button on the wall...

Here we are, inside Sea Drift's aquarium for people- so the fish can watch us!

In the center bubble, a place to hang, and chat-

And on the ends, we have tanks with my favorite fishy friends- I'm telling you this place is a Mer magnet! I'm thinking of putting pose balls for them on the rocks up top- a mermaid needs someplace to comb her hair!

And last but not least- still under construction

the Aerial Garden- 250 m in the air, and one sim over- thank goodness for teleporters!

As you can see, it is a pocket sized park- stay tuned, I have some interesting plans for this area....

That's it for this week, next week, I hope to see you again, here reading about my adventures in SL- And stop by Sea Drift- it's open to the public, and if I am there, you get the 2$L tour!

Sometimes things just fall out of the sky!

2008-05-26T19:53:00.007-04:00

Hello Dear Reader-
A special treat tonight, and quite unexpected, I might add.
I tp-ed over to Mongo- the new sim being developed by Lumiere Noir. Those of you who have been to the Ivory Tower of Prims will recognise the name, you may even have seen him, decked out in the spy av from Mad magazine's Spy vs. Spy.
Anyway- Come see Mongo! It is a whole sky city built with a wink and a nod towards the old Flash Gordon aesthetic. All that Art Deco! Makes this designer want to swoon...

See it from the air, it is so large that you don't get the effect from just walking on the "ground".
Lovely to behold, and so complex!

There are more prims in each one of these floors than in my whole tier!

It just opened, but soon it will be filled with
Flash Gordon fans, and prim mongers ;-)

An overhead shot! Look at the scale!

Makes me dizzy! In fact, so dizzy that I actually fell off the sky platform it is built on..
a long fall.. arms flailing..you know you have been there ;-)

And I landed on this desert, and met none other than. Lumiere Noir! creator of the Ivory Tower and prim master. So we struck up a conversation, and he offered to show me a few vehicles that
he has been developing.

This one is known affectionately as the "Vomit Comet", and let me tell you- the RCAF will want one of these!

Several hairpin turns and sonic punches through solid walls later, we returned to the sand dunes.

Here is another one of his crafts-

The classic UFO shape, but fully loaded with
special effects and sounds!

Do you want one? You know you do!

Ok, and now for the submersibles-
Meet the Sea Monkey...

How cute is this?

She is capable of several barrages-of various sorts- and I have never met weaponry with such a sense of humor!

And of course, like all of Lumiere's stuff, there is an autodestruct- just because, well you know
all these things should explode... What an
unexpected treat! I will keep an eye on Mongo as
it develops, and keep you all posted!

Until next week, Dear Readers- Be well, and have lots of fun- don't forget to fall out of ordinary life once in a while- you never know who you will meet down on the bottom ;-)

A

Bombs away- Flying with the Tiny Air Force of Caledon

2008-05-19T12:42:00.010-04:00

Hello Dear Reader-
My post is a bit late this week, too much going on!
And of course, just when I think I have the new house
set- Someone comes along and puts up a lighthouse-
right in my view... So I'm back at moving my house parts
around again...But that's another story- more on that later...
Yes, Dear Reader- It is true- I have joined the Armed Forces
of Caledon. The RCAF to be exact- Royal Caledon Air Force-
Private lowest class Fanshaw reporting to muster- perfectly capable
of serving coffee and doughnuts to the flying aces that make
up this remarkable force.
My first introduction to this was through an interesting blog
called "A Victorian Aesthetic" penned by Edward Pearse.
Go visit it- it's completely full of all kinds of Victoriana, Steam Punk
and general Caledon notes.

Here is the link: http://victorianaesthetic.blogspot.com/

So you can imagine my delight when I discovered that not
only did Caledon have an Air Force, they have an Air Force of
Tinies...
Gives new meaning to the expression

"A mighty flame followeth a tiny spark" Dante Aligheri

Here is where the action is...the Connolly Aerodrome

Leading the " Screaming Tinies" Squadron is Eladrenen "Skeeter" Laval, and she
was kind enough to spare me some time to check out the airfield
and show me around the RCAF airfield and explain what
the procedures are. She also gave me my uniform- so I can
fly as a member- as soon as I learn to fly that is..

Laval explained to me about the various planes they use
and the weapons systems that they carry. Known as the TCS-
or Terra combat System, this allows our aces to duel in the skies
and practice their flying skills in weekend dogfight competitions.

Snark Light Fighters,

Minature Marine Mauraders,

the Edison Tiny Light Swoop,

and her plane- The Cricket.

The classic Air Ace and her plane shot!

And here I am in the new uniform-
quite the dashing figure-

Don't you think?

Ok, preflight checklist done-
It's time to take this craft up ...

And head out over Caledon Sound,
where they practice their aerial
skills.

Eladrienne?
I think I left my stomach over there-
on that last hairpin turn...

Time to buzz the blimp!

And we flew so far that we passed through several SL time zones, before landing
smooth as silk at the Connolly Aerodrome
strip.

I'll be back to dogfight with the tinys...

That's it for this week. Until we catch up
again- Enjoy your Second Life.

Catch of the Day- the lovely Mer

2008-05-11T07:09:00.009-04:00

Greetings dear reader- welcome back for another snippet of my life in our Second Life. Chip is staying home this week- he is not much of a swimmer. But to keep the horse theme here- I am going to visit the Mer folk, as this crusty old seahorse- complete with babies, and a sex change I guess! Ah, the life of the sexually ambivalent- Welcome to SL....

We will meet the Mer folk in a minute- but first a stop at Sirens- to see all the options- oh my head is swimming- Many of these outfits were designed by one of the Mermaids we will meet- Shanna Sungsoo- who keeps a large estate at the Anne Bonny Cove. Need to get your pirate on- go there, it has it all..

And as I was leaving- a rare Merman sighting- sigh!, wish more guys would wear these avs

Must be something about the fins, but this seahorse finds it attractive...

Now, if you dive into the Kelp and Karaoke Lounge, on Private Blake, you can sign in the lounge, and even rent a nice little Mermaid house- complete with central bubbles...

And over in Zip Tripsa in Gorlen Bay- my two favorite things together- swimming, and underwater ruins.

Ah, now I understand how they pay for it all- these Mermaids are decked-

an undersea cotillion and the Easter Parade all floating right in front of you..

Land side, on her island- Boston Light at Boston Harbor Light- (Go Sox!)

Mindy Princess has a lovely garden, and the harp is just the right thing to make

it all go along swimmingly- ask her for the tour sometime...especially if you cannot

get to the beach easily

And speaking of well dressed Mermaids- check out this tail! She only spoke the

German dialect of Mer, so we just waved- how lovely!

And here is Shanna Sungsoo, herself- wearing a lovely ensemble complete with companion

fish- She obviously loves to design and it shows in her creations...

And one final- very special Mermaid- Luna Rai Gunn. One of the few steampunk mermaids in Second Life- usually seen cavorting around in Babbage. Speaking for myself, I love when we get this cross pollination in Second Life- and cannot wait to discover more of it.

And what's this? Well, dear reader, as you may have surmised, next week, we talk to the tinies (are you supposed to capitalize that? or is lower case the right way to go?) and here I am in my new pink leopard av- and I tell you, I have never looked so cute in my life! and (Spoiler here)
the structures behind and below me are the beginnings of my new home in SL- Sea Drift- you all will be invited to the house warming...later on this summer.
Enjoy your week- be safe and have fun! xoxox Annabelle

Hey! What happens if I touch this?

2008-05-04T06:52:00.012-04:00

Hello Dear Reader,

As I mentioned last week, I wanted to show you all some hidden places in SL- not entered into easily, and sometimes surprisingly alien to the place you just were. For example- this nasty place- who was the decorator? Mephisto Volcanito? Whew- is it hot in here? or just me? Actually, it is the combat role play area under the lovely green glades of Avilion....

I have just come through that mirror on the left, after touching the mirror above ground...

here...who knew that this lovely mirror would take you to such a nasty place??? who knows why I touch mirrors????

Ok, here we are at another mirror in Avilion-
Chip is telling me not to touch it- but well, who listens to horse sense?

Ding! we arrive in another secret place...

the ice caves of Avilion, and we took a swan boat ride! Don't think the swan was too happy about
the weight- we capsized at the other side...
right to the bottom like a stone with all of that armor on...

So what do you get when you enter "Hidden Place" into the search tab- why a hidden place complete with teleportation
device!

Actually, this was recommended by Wandering Tomorrow-
who keeps the secret of it's location.

and here in the secret Hidden Place- a nifty night club.

Our next spot is in Svarga- and if you haven't been there, Dear reader, you haven't seen
one of the most facinating regions in SL.
But did you know that there is another region
800 meters above it? Yes, the Ambipod waits for you, all you lovers of the psychadelic. Head to the landing pad, call the hover craft and launch your self up there...

and viola! a music and light filled Experience- just lie on the floor and decompress!

Thanks for showing this to me- Rexington!

Popular with all folks- even the tinies!
Hi Betty, Hi Xerxes- see you guys in the
tiny land in a few weeks...

And now- an unexpected event in one of my favorite haunts- the Teahouse in Fate gardens-

I'm just coming back from visiting the Mer folk, all wrapped up in my Seahorse Av, and whoa!
it's black box city- scary!, but also kind of cool too. Like RL, SL has it's dissention...

So, my dear reader, I have come to the end of this weeks post- Next week, treasures in store!
Meet the Mer folk...

Does Bad still mean Good?

2008-04-26T09:11:00.007-04:00

Hello Dear Reader,

Welcome back to my blogspot. This week I promised you a blog about "bad neighborhoods" and I don't mean something next to a strip mall- strip club maybe...

But to do this post, I was advised to take another meaner looking guise, maybe a bouncer or tough guy type. So I tried a few of these skins on- (I shall spare you the visuals) and let me tell you, nothing is more ridiculous that a thug named Annabelle. That just like I was asking for a beating. So I opted for an animal form, and the folks at the Werehouse provided me with a lovely wolf avatar.Chip is a bit miffed that I didn't get him something, but he's getting a big present for his birthday (Shhh! don't tell him).

So off I went, without Chip this time, into the worst of SL.

First stop- The Crack Den- a role play sim based on New Orleans- post Katrina I assume- and teaming with some not so nice peeps.

These ladies thought of kicking me in the ribs (strange, how in rp, you get a third person narrative in the chat box) but opted to flick

the cigarette at me. Nice. I opted to stay in my role as a wolf, and snarled and growled back at them. Just another exchange of
pleasantries in Crack Den. But just when you think things are really nasty, a little bit of whimsy. Who would have expected a pink flamingo in the front lawn, in this place?

Well, so long Crack Den- Hello Toxic Gardens!

Whew! I could smell this place a mile away... Just goes to show you what a little uncontrolled chemical experimentation can lead to...

Is that the Statue of Liberty, in the weeds?

Next! Toxian City- another rp sim, and this fellow had the winning name. Meet Restroom Chemistry- everyone.

Ok, la pièce de résistance- Midian. They definitely get the prize for best design. This sim is on a Blade Runner level of detail, and the avs are right in tune with it.

Here are some street shots just to show off their great work.

Thanks to Deacon for pointing me over to this one.

Whew, I'm exhausted! More next week, Dear Reader

when I show some of the hidden and surprising

places I have found-

Like this one in Avilion

Twilight Amos- Avatar of a 1000 faces

2008-04-19T14:10:00.008-04:00

Hello Dear Reader-

Remember Twilight Amos, the large red dragon I met just after Gynna was hatched? She is something special to show us today- her avatar collection..And although I don't have the space to show them all to you (she has over 150) we will get a good sampling of the forms she has appeared in to me over the last few weeks.

Rainbow pegasus ponies- anyone?

Here, Twilight and I are visiting
the canyons of Grendel's to hang with some friends...

And because they can- Twilight and Tcille are taking a more aquatic form, and showing off the jumps...

Later on that afternoon, joined by Dreamer, and our hyena friend
we settled down for a chat.

A few weeks later, I contacted Twilight and asked for a photo session. Here she is showing off her rainbow bubble breath. What kind of rocks do dragons eat to make that do you suppose?

Oh, and now butterflies- "Twilight, that tickles!"

And now, an elegant feathered serpent- Quezacoatl, I believe.

And here, as a snow leopard- with her "boys" the 3 drakeletsthat she has hatched. How did you get the egg holder to stay on those leopard sholders?

And in the form that she admits is her "closest to human" Twilight is a lovely leopard lady, "nice avs, Twi!"

Uh-oh, this one means business! Nasty basilisk, wouldn't want to run into her on the other side of bargain table at Loeman's.

And this one reminds me of my 5th grade teacher- Brrrr!
She still scares me!

For the literary avatar! a flying book- light reading I resume?

And the mythical Gryphon...

Whew! all that shape shifting has made me tired.
Let's settle in and watch the fireworks over the beach...

Bye for now, dear readers, next time- dangerous neighborhoods!

The Well Appointed Werewolf

2008-04-11T20:49:00.010-04:00

Welcome dear reader- Today I am going to talk about
the lifestyle of one very well appointed Werewolf-
so pardon me while I channel my inner Robin Leech...
This is Layton's house, while still a work in progress, as you
can see it's quite well along, and quite beautiful.
Let's start in the garden and take a look around.

Dragonflies dart over ponds, swans swim, and flowers bloom.

Waterfalls splash

Quite lovely from every angle, as you can see.

And how do we get around? By wormhole of course!

Up in the tower- Bachelor Werewolf elegance!
and you though the Vampires had all the taste.

Fish tanks and fountains- lots of steampunk touches.

A player grand piano- Butterflies hovering over it.

And it doesn't take much of a
request to see Layton's avatar collection-

And as you can see, inspired by my host's environment-
I have changed my costume to the dark elegance
of the steampunk aesthetic.

First one av

Then another- an old favorite- - Bravo Layton!

Time to fly- on my new hoverboard- Chip

is not amused....

Shape shifters continued in my next post-
Hanging with some friends at Grendel's canyons, and showing off the avs.

How to hatch a Drakelet- Part 2

2008-04-05T15:03:00.007-04:00

When last we left our hero...well, me anyway, I had just spotted a big double nest, in the cliffs below Grendel's Children...
At last!
I zoom over, and discover that I am not alone in my cliff side search. In fact, there are 2 lovely ladies waiting around the nest. Unfortunately, our conversation was limited as their native tongue was Japanese, and the translator is somewhat ineffectual for casual small talk.

So I settle in to wait, hoping for some sign of life from these eggs- 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes- nothing, and it's awfully quiet around here, just the sounds of birds in the distance.

Hi ladies- How about those Red Sox? Do you like Dice-K?

One of the ladies- bails out- so it just me and Nagaru, who rocks back and forth slowly. I'm not so sure that this is for real...

I'm having my doubts.

But it must work, because Nagaru has a ghost drakelet on her shoulder,

so what am I lacking here?

What a beautiful cloud drakelet, she is showing us that their appearance reflects the location of the egg's hatching location. This ones nest is located somewhere in the clouds above.

Finally, I get some answers from Jitterbug- here on the deck of a ship she is hatching her 19th dragon, so we can assume that she is some expert on the matter. A few questions, and she tells me about where to find the egg carrier, which one must carry to the nests. Aha! now I am in business.

So off I go, back to the double nest, with my egg carrier, but not my hair as the two things don't seem to co-exist in SL.

And now, I get signs of life, and my egg starts to develop into a drakelet. It slowly disappears, and eventually the drakelet is added to my inventory- same place where Chip sleeps.

And here is a picture of the three of us, together for the first time...Chip, Gynna, and me.

Next post, dear reader I'll introduce you to 2 avatar collectors-

Layton, and Twilight- they are the shape shifters of SL- until then, happy days!

How to hatch a Drakelet- a cute pet dragon-Part 1

2008-03-31T19:06:00.026-04:00

Hello dear reader- here is my account of the process of hatching a draklet. They are cute little buggers- cling to your shoulder, squawk like a miniature Godzilla, and breathe fire. You can see why I had to have one... Chip and I suited up in our dragon hunting armor, and headed for "Grendel's Children" where I had some sketchy info about the locations of draklet nesting places

Lovely place- kind of Fred Flintstone meets Babylon, with a little Asia Minor thrown in. Just wandering around the many levels and ramps of this place- which by the way is built on large rock cliffs that float way up yonder. Just looking over the edges of the balconies made Chip a bit queasy.

I quickly came to realize that in order to really look around, I would have to travel lighter, so I sent Chip back to the stable (my clothes closet really, he leaves horsehair all over my clothes), and went off on my own.

And eventually, while trying to climb up the rock surrounding the library buildings, I fell off and discovered a whole 'nother world under us. Starting to channel Alice in Wonderland now...

Of course since my avatar body is immortal, I picked myself up and started to fly around- looking for draklet nest locations. It was

a strange land that passed beneath my eyes.

I found the top of an old mine, and decided to investigate...

That led to old mine tunnels, and of course forks

and switchbacks, and dead ends. Eventually, I came

into a lovely underwater lake. My list of hints mentioned

this as a possible place for nests, but I never saw one.

And I forded streams, looking and looking for the draklets

eggs...

As day turned to night, I met some interesting individuals.

This oyster was the first panhandler I have met in SL. He

wanted me to loan him 650 Linden, and in return would

repay me the following week with 1500 Linden. Now I had

to ask myself, would I make an unsecured loan to a mollusk?

The next day, my efforts were rewarded. I spotted my first nest- a big double one on the cliffs. Now how to hatch one of these eggs, and adopt a draklet...Stay tuned, we'll pick up the remainder of the story in the next post.. Until then, dear reader, may your searches prove successful.

Best- A

Medieval Madness

2008-03-28T12:58:00.010-04:00

Remember Dungeons and Dragons? Did you play online as a kid? No? Well, some folks must have because they have brought their imaginations to Second Life, and set up several Medieval themed worlds. Ready to enter one? tighten your seatbelt and we will Teleport ("tp" in SL parlance) over to the village of Bramdeane. First stop? Why to get some armor, and a snazzy outfit for Chip.

Francesco is the proprietor here, and the designer/creator of these lovely outfits. Ladies why look for a knight in shining armor, when you can be one yourself? Like Chip this is all attached to my avatars body, and includes a lance, shield and helmet, which I'll eschew for the time being. Not planning to joust anyone just yet! BUT- If I did, right around the corner are the jousting lists... After some unpacking- complicated outfits like this come in "boxes" basically electronic folders that look like crates- and have to be opened so that they will store in your Inventory. All avatars have an inventory- kind of a Mini storage for all of your stuff- clothes, landmarks, scripts, notecards, etc. Mine has quickly degenerated into a mess- so time for a Spring cleaning!

Do I really need that Prince Charming outfit? Nah!

Francesco helpfully got Chip and I dressed, and told us about some other places to visit. Tp! off to Triskele- Very MacBeth! Just look at that castle!

And how about Eternity? Talk about a Middle Earth Medieval fantasy! I'm waiting for Bilbo Baggins to come by...

and the Market place has all the supplies you could ever want!

But what I really want, is a pet dragon. And I have heard of a place to hatch one! We shall try our luck with dragon husbandry in the next chapter of TWC.

Until next time- Annabelle

First post- Meet me and Chip

2008-03-26T15:27:00.009-04:00

Two weeks ago, I was born as Annabelle Fanshaw in Second Life.
Blame the impulse to go virtual on a combination of cold meds, and
chocolate, if you will, but I am glad I did. It's a wild,weird, world over there.

For you newbies, it's kind of like a glorified chat room with a common visual reference. But, I get ahead of my story. First things first-getting a body-your avatar.
Not surprising, it doesn't look much like me, with the same sort of passing resemblence that Michael Jackson has to his Thriller cover, or me after an overdose of Botox. Everything about my features are stiff and new- but like most things virutal it can be changed. I'm off to find a better body and most importantly, better hair! There are lots of places to buy these things, and you can use your Linden dollars to do that, or you can go for the freebie malls, which are also in abundance.

Linden dollars are bought with your real American credit, but the exchange rate is favorable-
about 8$ for 1000$ Linden. And 1000$ Linden can go a long way if you are a careful shopper.

At this point, with all this purchasing to be done, you may ask yourself- What does my heart desire? Easy for me- A horse, my kingdom for a horse! So off to AKK stables to check out the stock. Riding a horse in SL just seems like a natural way to get around, there are lots of fields to gallop across, beaches to ride on, and rooftops to teleport to. Yes, we can even fly- my horse and I. Meet Chip, my virtual horse. Together we are exploring this virtual world. Here is our story...

It all started here- on Orientation Island, where your avatar takes shape and learns to walk and talk. Chip and I are wearing our Medieval look, because in the next post we will show you some of the great Medieval realms in Second Life.

In the meantime, here are some of my early shots- showing me exploring the NASA site. I am standing in the gift shop of the massive NASA site, chatting with 2 fellow visitors, one from Denmark, and one from the JPL lab in California. One of the default animations for an avatar is making typing motions while you type a chat response, kind of strange with out the laptop infront of you, but it gets the point across- I'm busy typing!

Here I am visiting a marina- where you can sail around the oceans of Second Life. They offer nightly sails. As you can see, the sun is setting here at the Marina. As you move throughout SL, you will encounter different time zones and their corresponding celestial orientations. However, since you are a god, you can change this- force the sun to be at it's noontime orientation- no problem.

And my first ride on Chip- We are out on the fields of AKK Stables, I'm trying hard not to steer him into the trees- He hates when I do that.

And out in the "back 40" of AKK, we have changed into our Medieval outfits again.

Until next time- when we start the Medieval tour- A