The Drax Files: World Makers [ Episode 10: Robin Sojourner]

If you've ever tried to create a T-shirt for Second Life, enjoyed Marianne McCann's weekly fireworks show each summer at Livingtree, or tried those famous texture tutorials almost everyone finds in Our world (also at Livingtree), then you know Robin (Wood) Sojourner, at least peripherally. She's the creator of those T-shirt templates that have become the de facto standard (see here). It is her sim that Marianne sets ablaze with great regularity (SLurl). And any creator worth their salt starts in a little temple that is loaded with texture tutorial note cards (SLurl). Her influences in-world and in Real Life go much further as seen in the current episode of The Drax Files: World Makers from Draxtor Despres.

Watch it here if you'd like, but visit the YouTube page to leave your comments. Hopefully you are like me and you'd like to see an expanded episode with Robin so let Drax know. She has so much to teach us.

Slutwear & Reading

Honest to goodness, I started writing this post about an hour ago, weaving themes and examples in a deep discourse of an obsession with reading and the preponderance of slutty clothes for busty women in Second Life. After a few readings, considerable editing, and even some research across the vast Interwebs, I deleted it all out of frustration and said "I'll just post this picture of me with The Girls barely covered while I read an iPad in a chair filled with books." Enjoy.

I guess one point I wanted to make was that while I enjoy SlutWear in SL,
I'd never be caught dead wearing this outfit in Real Life.

Exploring Second Life Meme

Alright, it's Wednesday and the ever talented Strawberry Singh was far more punctual with her Monday meme challenge this week: Exploring Second Life (original post here). Sue me. Regular readers of this blog know that  I often write about places to visit (heck, explore and exploration are among the mess of post tags I mishandle). After a hectic start to the week I've finally found some time to dig into my Landmarks so here goes ...

Meme Instructions: Share 1 to 5 of your favorite places on the grid. I feel like exploring and discovering new places. Share places you think everyone should visit and also tell us why they are your favorites.

Cripes! How to choose? My Cool Builds, Recreation, and Really Scenic Places landmarks folders have so many great locations. Here is a more or less random list because some I'd like to recommend are down for maintenance (The Calas Galadhon regions, for example), private access only, or no longer exist (I miss the Isle of Lesbos).

The Lydia Rose Memorial Park - SLurl

One place I often write about (like here) is the wonderful space my brother built in Nangrim, The Lydia Rose Memorial Park, one of my homes in Second Life. With just a few gaps, The Park has been here since before I came to the Main Grid, my brother (CC Columbo in SL) having set aside a space to remember the passing of his Real Life daughter. Today, a simple flowered cross is the only indication of the land's purpose. As I mentioned, it is our family home. CC lives in the cabin, my pixy characters live in the gardner's barn, and there's a family apartment not-so-cleverly hidden well up in the sky for all of us to use.

The "Las" Islands - SLurl

This simple archipelago of five regions represents what I believe to be the best tropical islands in all Second Life so I visit often and have frequently featured them in this blog (like here). Goodness knows that Our World is rampantly populated with tropical spaces, but these are executed so well and feel so natural, I'm drawn here with great regularity. Well worth a visit if you haven't been here and if you have, it's time to go back. Today.

Mhindepinde Rez Zone - SLurl

This location outside Bay City is a surrogate for all those wonderful Linden Department of Public Works "Mole" builds that fill Our World. Search my blog for LDPW and you'll see post after post of such places. Whether you want to launch a boat, fly an airplane, have a thrilling adventure, relax on a beach, explore a seaside village, or most anything you can think of doing, our Mole friends have built something for you.

And with that all-inclusive entry, I'm going to end this post so you can stop reading and get out exploring! I'd love to read your recommendation in the Comments sometime.

Rolling Eyesores

Here is a post (and the pic above) from Shigeko Tachikawa on My Second Life (here) that I think everyone should read. Shig started ...

The bus got stuck there several days ago. Contrary to AnnMarie's claims, it did not auto-destroy itself either after becoming stuck. [x] AR filed (SLurl)

shigeko.tachikawa By the way... I wonder why there's no response from the lab yet about her (self-replicating in order to circumvent the auto-return) bus stop signs which she dropped at all rez zones all over the mainland.

vick.forcella Since those zombie vehicles run just about everywhere, since she rezzes them from her own land (she must own quite a lot of land), since she attends quite a lot of Linden Lab meetings, I suspect she is Uber FIC and above the TOS.

vick.forcella I guess Noobs will like them, residents that like to explore and drive don't.

shigeko.tachikawa She does not rez them from her own land most of the time. There are her "Bus Stop" signs now all over the mainland and they are self-replicating to make sure there will be a new one in place as soon as the old one is about to be auto-returned. Worthy an AR for abuse of region resources and littering, if you ask me.

vick.forcella Oh. I haven't noticed she uses/ abuses the rezz zones. Worthy of an AR, next time I see one.

uccello.poultry May I publish this thread on my blog, Vick and Shig?

shigeko.tachikawa @uccie: Sure, but it's probably even better to point to the ongoing discussion at SLU, where AnnMarie is even commenting on a few things: http://www.sluniverse.com/php/vb/general-sl-discussion/86077-guess-whos-again-exploiting-mainland.html

vick.forcella I'm ok if you publish Uccie.

vick.forcella She makes monies from those zombie vehicles: http://community.secondlife.com/t5/General-Discussion-Forum/Beware-of-others-spoofing-your-SL-account-in-messages-to-Lindens/m-p/2157101/highlight/true#M124061

uccello.poultry Thanks, y'all!

Miss Bay City - Angela Seale

A year has cycled by in Bay City and the reign of our first Miss Bay City, Angela Seale-Poultry, is coming to an end. Later today, a new MBC will be chosen during Hot Bay City Nights at the Bay City Fairgrounds (SLurl). The contest starts at 1pm SLT but drop in early if you'd like to enter so various guidelines can be explained and so you can check out the free car the winner gets.

The Poultry Report: Congratulations, Angela, on a full year as Miss Bay City! How does it feel to be a beauty queen?

Angela Seale-Poultry: Thank you, well, it's not something that I ever expected to be, so I guess this leads to the excitement of Second Life. Here you can experience things that you never would have thought in Real Life.

TPR: What was the highlight of your reign?

APS: I would have say Mole day, and meeting so many Bay City residents, and being able to spread the community of Bay City, I never thought I'd meet so many wonderful people.

TPR: I'd have thought it might have been riding in a custom convertible during the 5th anniversary parade. What was that like, all those people waving at you and such?

APS: That was fun and everything was amazing, but it felt a bit... strange to me being the center of attention. I'm not a very "look at me" person in Real Life, so the fifth anniversary to me is really a blur of parade, party, meeting people, designing, shopping, and it was just a blur to be honest I sort of wish I had a video of it all so I could remember everything.


TPR: You are the first Miss Bay City ever? Pretty daunting task to set the precedents, right?

APS: Yes, and I wish I had been able honestly to have had more time available to set a much higher bar, and I hope that my successors will set a much higher bar than I did. I tried initially to set a very high bar, but I didn't set it quite high enough for myself to be candid and I hope that Bay City gets a much better representative in it's future Miss Bay City.

TPR: Any advice for the incoming Miss Bay City?

APS: Relax, absorb everything, meet everyone you can, go to every event you can, and enjoy the whirlwind year you are about to have. Take LOTS of pictures, make lots of memories, and have as much fun as you can.

TPR:  Thank you, Angela, for your time today and for a great year as Miss Bay City!

APS: Thank you, and everyone remember that Bay City isn't a person, it isn't a place, Bay City is all of us, and we are in Second Life to have fun!