Muses: SL Profiles IV

All Hands On Deck

Ahh..The music makers and bringers of SL, where would we be without them? For every silly nonce spamming the living hell out of his favorite gesture out on the dance floor there is a patient Disc Jockey spinning the wheels of steel for the rest of us avid listeners. And for every other person you meet who wants to be a DJ there is a Club Owner who has to discern whether or not this person's ears are up to snuff when it comes time to set the mood and move the collective posteriors of the resident masses.

Blues Brother: Niko Lyle

"We're on a Mission from GaaD..."

It's probably rare that you meet a DJ in SL and immediately hit things off. Often, these unfortunate souls can be distracted and little annoyed as they fumble through their sets trying to manage requests and deal with crowd control all in one breath. Niko here is known not only for his sharp ear and wit to pick up on any cue mentioned but also his very savvy sense of fashion that he displays at his Blog, A Shout and a Whisper , which has set a model format for slackers like yours truly who can't even bother to include slurl links in any of their fashion posts (see: thankless chore). Anywho, he just happens to be one of my favorite DJ's at the moment and a good friend so we took a little impromptu road trip to some of his favorite places today in the most fraternal way possible..barring sodomy.

First Stop the Blue Room:

M: How Long Have you been DJing here in 2nd Life?

N: I started just shortly after joining SL in August of 2007. Pretty much the entire existence of my Av.

M: What got you into actually wanting to do it?

N: I had djed before for college radio and in some small bars during the same time. Never have really had a chance to return to it though I have always been a dj of some sort. I'm that friend you have that makes the mix tapes you play in your car and add to your ipod. Bedroom djing just seemed like a natural fit, I suppose.

M: One of your strengths as a DJ, in my supposedly esteemed opinion is the diversity and range of what you play, what do you attribute to having that broad range of genre's at your disposal?

N: I was raised surrounded by a large record collection and was just lucky enough to remember a lot of the things that I was hearing while growing up. In the end, I ended up the same way in that I was just interested in hunting down whatever was new and coming down the pipes and introducing others to emerging genres and artists as I aged.

M: What for you personally, music wise are you really feeling at the moment?

N: A few different things have my interest lately. Loving the strong return of dance music through Electro and B-More. Plenty of other artists as well such as Animal Collective, Passion Pit, Marina & The Diamonds and The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. Also I have become a bit addicted to old soul and rare groove tracks lately as well as 60's dance rock.

M: What do you think of the over-saturation of DJ's and Clubs in SL, by this I mean every other person you meet wanting to be a DJ or a Club Owner or um..Both?

N: Well I think in general it is kind of a job anyone can jump into. The clubs don't really require you to have any sort of building skill to run. Just an ability to manage a strong schedule and keep people interested in returning. As far as djing goes I think it may be an easy well paying job to get into that isn't related to the sex industry and it allows you to express your personality a bit through the job.


Next Stop, clothing and apparel store, Gritty Kitty:


M: You maintain a combination Music and Fashion Blog what would you say is your personal style, what motivates you towards certain clothing choices?

N: I never really think I have one sort of style so much as I try to think of various themes then base posts around them. When I am just getting dressed for the day I tend to just keep it casual and basic. In my day to day I spend much more time in T's and jeans then I do in the finest sl clothing so I think I reflect that casual side in my blog.

M: You have a very unique way of presenting your shots on fashion items, how do you go about doing that?

N: Normally, I want to focus on a few things in each shot. I try to highlight them one by one instead of making one large outfit photo which is why I use the small panels that can be enlarged to hopefully show off the detailing of each featured item well. I basically just get the outfit all worked out, then shoot 4-5 shots of each panel head,chest,legs, and shoes with possible accessory shots. Then I toss it all together after deciding which pics to use.

M: Why is Gritty Kitty here one of your favorite shopping locations?

N: Price and originality of the items as well as my favorite hair in Second Life. This was also one of the first shops that I found with quality items at a very affordable price and I have always been a return customer.


Next stop, rock club and live venue The Velvet :

Regrettably, we left the harmonica at home.

M: Why is the Velvet Lounge here one of your favorite spots to spin?

N: First and foremost Astrud Sands. She has always been a dj that I looked up to for the amount of work and her ability to get the newest music played first before anyone knows it's going to break. Overall though I just love the atmosphere there. It's a place made for music lovers by music lovers. The requests are great and the conversation normally helps drive the sets along and gives me ideas of things to toss in at short notice.

M: What's the crowd like here?

N: Intelligent and normally well versed in music. Well dressed, hip folks that enjoy quality music of any genre. Freaks letting their Freak flags fly and having a good time together.


Then a quick taxi cab trip cross town to The Block:


M: The city landscape here is very urban and authentic looking, I noticed shops in the area, what are a few noteworthy stops?

N: Ah yes, The Block. This is definitely a dear old friend and haunt for me. I used to sit at the cafe here all the time while working out kinks in my sets or exploring the ins and outs of the buildings. The Form and Desert Moon Clothiers Main stores are found there as well as some nice outlet shops for Gritty Kitty, Dutch Touch, Gearshift, Civvies and Miau Haus. Just a lot of talented designers all in one handy location in a nice urban setting with a great stream playing 24/7. It may not be the new trendy mall to visit but it has a certain charm that I have always enjoyed since stumbling in there the first time.


Completely out of cab fair, we stole a police cruiser and drove it around till we crashed it in FuckifIknow:


M: Any final thoughts, messages or outright threats for your adoring public?

N: Let's Rock!

Niko was even thoughtful enough to prepare a set list for out little outing today:

1. The Sparkles - No Friend Of Mine 2. Ike & Tina Turner - Contact High 3. Arthur Conely - Sweet Soul Music 4. The Mar-Keys - Last Night 5. James Brown - Think 6. Curtis Mayfield - Don't Worry If There Is A Hell Below We're All Gonna Go 7. The Remains - Don't Look Back 8. Mavis Staples - What Happened To The Real Me 9. Rufus Thomas - Push And Pull 10. Sly And The Family Stone - Dance To The Music 11. The Soul Benders - 7 And 7 Is 12. Sam The Sham & The Pharohs - Wooly Bully 13. Mitch Ryder - Sock It To Me Baby 14. Screamin Jay Hawkins - I Put A Spell On You 15. Bill Withers - Use Me 16. Jim Croce - Bad Bad Leeroy Brown 17. Wilson Picket - Land Of 1000 Dances 18. The Who - Shout And Shimmy 19. Bob Dylan - Hurricane



Occasionally, I corner some unfortunate soul and get them to spill their darkest, most tawdry indiscretions for the general public's better amusement. Some are smart enough to bring along a curvy wingman to throw me off my game.

Club Stompers: Oriel Aeon & Mollie Serevi

[2:30] You: Ok, so how long have you been in SL now Oriel? Oh noes...Doc I think we've lost her.

[2:30] Mollie Serevi: lol
[2:30] Mollie Serevi: Maruko is back on.
[2:31] Mollie Serevi: he may be IMing her.

[2:31] Oriel Aeon: since Feb, 16 last year.

[2:31] Mollie Serevi: lol
[2:31] Mollie Serevi: omg I'm older than you?

[2:31] You: Ok..focus, Daniel San.

[2:31] Oriel Aeon: lol let me double check that

[2:31] Mollie Serevi: pffft

[2:31] Meta Constantine smirks (tm)

[2:31] Mollie Serevi: yes I just did

[2:31] Oriel Aeon: lol

[2:31] Mollie Serevi: lol

[2:31] Oriel Aeon: hahaha

[2:31] Mollie Serevi: let me get out my walker

[2:31] Oriel Aeon: stop it

[2:31] Mollie Serevi: sorry I'll be good


[2:32] You: So how did you get involved with Nova, did you and Maruk start it together?

[2:32] Oriel Aeon: because of Maruko, kind of yes, I mentioned a club that I was going to get involved in.

[2:32] You: You were in a SL relationship and decided to start a club?

[2:32] Oriel Aeon: no not really, I mentioned a club that I was thinking about getting involved in and the next thing Maruko took me to the space and started building and that was that.

[2:33] You: HMmm, How long have you been open?

[2:34] You: Clubwise.

[2:31] Meta Constantine smirks (tm)

[2:34] Oriel Aeon: we opened last week but it was just a preview, we are starting with Fridays next week.

[2:34] You: How's the public reception been?

[2:34] Oriel Aeon: oh great we had a great turn out at the opening.

[2:34] Mollie Serevi: fab tunes.

[2:34] You: who were some of the Featured DJ's?

[2:35] Oriel Aeon: Lennyy Beck and Muzeek Okey both had fabulous live sets.


[2:35] You: What style of music are you playing primarily?

[2:36] Oriel Aeon: minimal tech, electro, trance and house but we are only using djs who spin live on a deck

[2:37] You: Nice..who are some of your favorite artists at the moment?

[2:37] Oriel Aeon: oo thats a tough one lol I love so much

[2:38] You: anything in particular grabbing your ear at the moment?

[2:38] Mollie Serevi: Meta can I interrupt and ask you something

[2:39] You: Absolutely

[2:39] Mollie Serevi: where do you find house music in the US?

[2:39] Meta Constantine clicks off recorder..or was it a clipboard?

[2:39] Oriel Aeon: lol

[2:39] Mollie Serevi: I'd never heard of it before SL, so I am reliant on SL djs to feed me the latest.

[2:39] You: well House has a lot of roots here in Chicago and New York but has been around for now..nearly 30 years or more now in one form or another it started with a DJ named Frankie Knuckles editing tracks for the dance floor in the late 70's.

[2:39] Mollie Serevi: yes but in terms of radio stations

[2:40] Mollie Serevi: noooo really?

[2:40] You: radio stations that play House tend to be specialty types like ones on a XM satellite radio or something, college stations or larger cities where the club venues are supported moreso.

[2:40] Mollie Serevi: when I was out in clubs it was the punk scene
[2:40] Mollie Serevi: oooh so nothing on FM?

[2:41] You: Mmm not so much, in Orlando where I lived for 4 years you could find quite a bit of Dance stations but that's not typical of many cities here. But access to the internet makes finding something local as easy as going to Google.

[2:41] Mollie Serevi: ok
[2:42] Mollie Serevi: sorry to interrupt

[2:42] You: no worries

[2:42] Mollie Serevi: I don't know many people in the states

[2:42] Oriel Aeon: lol

[2:42] You: That's fine..and I have some of my best friends in the UK, so there's a twist


[2:43] You: Anywho..where were we..yes any fav artists sticking out in your mind as of late, Oriel?

[2:43] Oriel Aeon: well I listen to a lot of music Meta.....I change favorites often this week tho have listened to a lot of Jens Zimmerman who is a German dj...minimal tech.....

[2:43] You: Ok, fair enough ;)

[2:43] Oriel Aeon: I could go on forever, I have loved music forever, lol. I have a vinyl collection still

[2:43] You: What are the goals for Nova as a club? like do you intend to make it profitable or just hope to keep it afloat? I don't say that derisively, this is SL afte all.

[2:44] Oriel Aeon: we want to keep it purely for the music lover to come and enjoy the music, people and atmosphere

[2:44] You: Seems an admirable goal.. what would you personally like to see happen for Nova?

[2:44] Oriel Aeon: I would like to have a club that people want to come to regularly just to chill. Having djs who love the music and spinning live in the end its all about enjoyment.

[2:45] You: Yes...getting a regular rotation of faces to stay anywhere is a challenge , I know from 1st hand experience.

[2:45] Oriel Aeon: yes but we are up for it

[2:46] You: I think you sound pretty positive..stay focused..keep those goals attainable.

[2:46] Oriel Aeon: and being able to socialise with people who want to come enjoy too not too much gesturing, lol.

[2:47] Oriel Aeon looks at Mollie
[2:47] Oriel Aeon: Hoooo!
[2:47] Oriel Aeon: ahahaha

[2:47] Mollie Serevi: hrmmm
[2:47] Mollie Serevi: lol

[2:47] Oriel Aeon: lol jking

[2:47] Mollie Serevi: I only do that to piss off Maruko

[2:48] You: always good to know how to push buttons here in SL. Hell, some people pay to have their buttons pushed.

[2:48] Oriel Aeon: lol

[2:48] You: Is the build "complete" or would you like to make additions to it in the near future?

[2:47] Oriel Aeon: well Maruko is prob always going to tweak here and there but yes I would say it was complete, we have a great resident dj with Muzeek too


[2:48] You: Ok..well is there anything you'd like to extend to the general public before we sign off, a message, a shout out, a threat?

[2:49] Mollie Serevi: lol a threat

[2:49] Oriel Aeon: well
[2:49] Oriel Aeon: ahaha

[2:49] Mollie Serevi: come here or else

[2:49] Oriel Aeon: no threats lol

[2:49] Mollie Serevi: sorry I'll settle down

[2:49] Oriel Aeon: I dont think we need that

[2:49] You: That's the spirit.

[2:49] Mollie Serevi: actually it's an exclusive club

[2:49] Oriel Aeon: yes thats right
[2:49] Oriel Aeon: lol

[2:49] You: Yea?
[2:49] You: elaborate.

[2:50] Mollie Serevi: you have to be a friend of Mollie... oh that's the wine
[2:50] Mollie Serevi: actually you have to be in the group to gain entrance

[2:50] Oriel Aeon: she meant that the club is really there for people who enjoy this type of music
[2:50] Oriel Aeon: its not really like a commercial house club, quite different.

[2:50] You: So people are servicing this bouncer at the back door, Oriel?

[2:51] Oriel Aeon: lol
[2:51] Oriel Aeon: ahahahahaha
[2:51] Oriel Aeon: Mollie are u gonna be the bouncer
[2:51] Oriel Aeon: we wont have any fighting

[2:51] Mollie Serevi: I'll Hoooo 'em out

[2:51] Oriel Aeon: we are a peaceful club

[2:51] Mollie Serevi: kidding of course

[2:51] You: Well the "bounce" was certainly more so an observation than a occupation, me thinks.

[2:52] Oriel Aeon: lol Meta, I hope u will come to the next party Meta

[2:52] You: Absotively, Posolutely.

Club Nova

I bumped into this spinster last week by chance and found out she's friends with half the people on my friend's list, small world.

Violet Rotation: Tasty Hax

"Tasty Hax has been DJing in SL for over a year. She owns Radiant Bliss Music Project group (850-900 members) which promotes her events, resident DJs and partner clubs. Tasty creates a positive party vibe and brings people together for music, fun and friendship."

Styles: House - Funky/Old School/Deep/Progressive Funky House : fun, uplifting, bassy tunes with a touch of disco flavor. Old School: Classic tunes and old favorites. Deep: beautiful, sexy, chill tracks. Progressive: uplifting, beautiful tunes will fuller sound. Electro - French Touch/Garage/Nu Disco/Electro House Drum and Bass - Liquid/Beautiful/Sexy/Exotic Chillout - Soothing, beautiful, sexy and exotic sounds.

Very few people come with their own bio in hand so I would've been remiss to leave the above info out of this interview.


M: Ok, so..For how long have you been in Sl?

T: since 6/27/2007

M: Ok is DJing your primary hobby or do you have a few other things you like to do?

T: Music is my passion and DJing is my main interest in sl now. I have been involved in the music scene for a long time and enjoy sharing music and helping others.

M: What would you say is your primary genre of music you enjoy playing?

T: That's difficult to say. I love all genres of music that evoke certain emotions of happiness and well being. I've played many styles including Down Tempo, Drum and Bass, Electro and House. Lately I've really found a unique sound of House music I love and play that most often.

M: Any particular arttists grabbing your ears at the moment?

T: There are many excellent producers I've discovered in the underground music scene... a few of my favorites include Digital Villains, Scene Headz and Kevin K.


M: any preferred Clubs you enjoy spinning at at the moment?

T: Amici is a fantastic new club... nice relaxing atmosphere and great vibes. Koola is excellent too with a great staff and fun atmosphere. They've started doing new mixed reality events with an SL and a RL DJ streaming live from their rl club in UK. I had the honor of opening for Lisa Lashes at their first event. Dogglounge is really cool too! They have a great vision and all their DJs are top!



M: I rather like that Egyptian style tat on your face, I have some close friends who are working on an Egyptian style project as we speak.

T: It's the Eye of Horus, the all seeing eye.

M: Awesome, any personal meaning for you?

T: yes, of course.

M: Please elaborate..we don't shy from the spiritual or existential here..

T: Truth is a strong value and ethic in my life. I feel very strongly about it. The Eye of Horus is a symbol of that

M: And truth would apply to your need to keep your vision broad to the horizon?

T: Truth has many expressions in life... it's about being who you are, and sharing your unique essence through what you do. Music for example. It's about having integrity, keeping your word and seeing what is real. Art and music are pure expressions of a person... and can be very revealing of their inner nature or phase.

M: Mmmm..love that sentiment, so rare that people adhere to the high minded views of art and love. I just noticed the chopsticks in your hair are also lighted flashlights of a sort, very cool.

T: The chopsticks are not symbolic of anything just convenient when I get surprise sushi!

M: Ha ha, love that. On the music front do you simply put together sets or do you do anything to modify or mix the tracks?

T: I live mix all of my sets for each party.

M: what does that entail?

T: Searching for new music... listening to all the tracks... deciding a nice flow for the song order... practice mixing all the transitions... it's an involved process.

M: Certainly, I would imagine so.. Any particular moment come to mind for you when the crowd and the music just came together perfectly?

T: Last weekend was amazing... I spent all week searching for new music... really hours finding all new music for the set. I found some great stuff I was so excited to play, I love all of the songs. And the energy at the party was so high! I was excited to play, the crowd was excited to listen and loving the music... it was a beautiful synchronicity!

M: And where was this?

T: This was at the Amici party. We had 60 people all having a wonderful time! It's a very special memory for me.

M: I can only imagine. 60 people in SL is a helluva turnout for any club.

T: Indeed. I have some photos and a video of the party if you're interested :)

M: Absolutely.

The Amici Party

M: What are your thoughts on the saturation of Clubs and DJ types in SL, in that like every other person you meet either wants to DJ or own a Club?

T: Well this is SL! So everyone should feel free to live out their dreams here including DJs and Club owners. I think many people will be in for a surprise about how much work and expense goes into running a club without much gratitude from the crowds. I would never discourage someone from wanting to DJ... in fact I know a few people who don't DJ but should because of their passion for music! There's a place for everyone in SL even if you create it yourself. And of course each club will have their own interest and opinions about what they're trying to create for atmosphere and experience.

M: Yes, agreed I um.."dated" a club manager for a while and it gave me a lot of 2nd thoughts about using the Blue Room here as a full time venue, I really enjoy focusing on a few quality events here every month on that subject, would we be honored to have you here sometime in the near future?

T: Yes that's really a nice way to do it unless you want SL to feel like a job and yes we can talk about that.

M: Well, it sort of has become a job in a short period of time *blush* You have to get out and "press the flesh" to write about it..so to speak.

T: Yes but SL needs to have an element of free time and enjoyment also.

M: Sure, absolutely..when you have to start penciling people in..it becomes arduous

T: *lol* Yes and remember it's ok to say "no".

M: Mmmmm..Really? You'll have to teach me that one some time..Any last thoughts or statements for the good people out there in Sl?

T: Not at the moment..

M: Ok, anything silly or spiteful to say to your enemies then?

T: Hahaha, No I think they torture themselves enough, they don't need my help for that.

Something silly?

M: sure.

T: Ok, I love dumb jokes.

M: All ears.

T: A Neutron walks into a bar... he says :"how much for a drink?" bartender says: "for you, no charge"

M: Classic. I'm feelin the love here.

T: And right now i'm feeling like a short sheeted seamstress cuz I need some new material.

M: Hahahaha, excellent!

T: ok don't print this one but... guess who got back together! *pause*

Your butt cheeks.

M: ahahaahh! I'm Totally printing that.

T: Nooooo!

M: Done Deal.

Tasty Hax DEMO- Give it a Spin.

Club Lc8

Never Believe It's Not So...

Oh..oh.. Oh, It's Magick. Ya Know?

"Ready to see a bit more magick?", said the Fae, ColeMarie Soleil
with a wry smile.

"Well I uh..suppose so..", I replied with a small mix of trepidation and delight.

We had met this evening in the effervescent, violet hued plains of La Reve a unimaginably beautiful private sim of ColeMarie's friend and creator, Lash Xevious. It goes without saying that I was truly privileged to be here.


After a dazzling initial display of light and nature a seemingly innocent rainbow produced a circle of chickens that surrounded me and started to flatulate multicolored gases upon my person until they all exploded violently upon the landscape.

Messy.

From there, conversations turned to things that we enjoyed and at some point Cole transformed into the Final Fantasy, Aeon known as Ifrit. Being a big FF dork of no small stature I jokingly said, "If you have a Shiva av, you can like.. totally have your way with me. HA HA HA!"

She immediately turned into Shiva.

So in honoring my agreement, I started to disrobe to which she just laughed and continued to change into almost every noteworthy Summon Beast the series had ever touted.


We then moved on to talk of one of our favorite things which was not unsurprisingly, mythology and lore. Now I don't know how many conversations you have had where in, when you reference some random thing, the person you're speaking to actually transforms into said subject right before your eyes but this is the typical experience when you spend an evening with this being. Not only did she transition from deity to mythical creature effortlessly, she spit out complete descriptions to go along with them, educating me on each one of their origins and significance.

Mythology naturally led us to speaking on one of our favorite writers, Neil Gaiman, who has written such epic series as Sandman and one of my favorite novels, American Gods. Yet again she transformed into Morpheus and then into his sister Death.

And finally Delirium, once known as Delight.

"I won't be changing forms from here, Meta. This is who I am. This is Me."

"Time to die", said Cole ominously as she pointed me towards a rather menacing guillotine. "Hop On", she said casually enough. So much so, that I almost didn't give it as a 2nd thought as I placed my neck under the falling blade of the execution device and then watched my head fall off into a basket. From there, ya know, we.. uh pretty much like..kinda died and urm..rose into the Heavens?

No, Seriously.

Floating about in the Ether between worlds I wasted no time in cuing up my favorite "Bill & Ted, Falling into Hell" gesture, which got an immediate resounding chorus of laughter from my guide.

Finally, we arrived at the pearly gates, " This is a smoke free environment, check your baggage at the front desk, all adult movies will be charged directly to your room, etc etc."

From there we stepped into the Purgatory between Heaven and Hell. I couldn't help but remember the opening line from my last entry featuring ColeMarie.

"There's a truer essence realized, ironically, by this person who outwardly rejects all notions of divinity or damnation. An evening with her probably took me to the edge of both...I mean that in a purely complimentary way of course."

Taking a rather unfortunate an honest assessment of myself, I chose to go to the warmer option and we did a rather lovely back peddle through molten lava, then emerged inside a tomb. "Ok, let's get out of here, this place goes on for another hour or so", insisted Cole. "Seriously?" I asked incredulously and made my way for the typically, well lit exit.

The rest of the evening was spent meeting some of the Muses entourage..

Adamsway Gallery owner and builder, Alpha Klata. This very talented gentleman was nice enough to show me the beginnings of a few new art installations he's been prepping for upcoming shows.

Brother, Takuma Setsuko, looks very dashing and mischievous striking a pose in his ragtag bowler cap and afghan style scarf.

Enjoying a rather tender repose, Cole lounges back in my Blue Room with favored beau, Golink Koba.

I'm sure I could go on to some extend about the deep topics we ran off into and how the rest of the evening quickly slipped into ridiculous, hi jinks and shenanigans but suffice it to say these pictures speak for themselves, a good and memorable evening was had.

A rainbow took a huge, steamy, enchanted, dump in my brain and all I got was this freakin' T-Shirt. Ciao.

Silver Lining

Highlights From The Week(ish)

PARIS (AFP) – A few lucky people in the Indian Ocean will be treated to a rare event on Monday when an annular solar eclipse will transform the Sun into a dark disc with a blazing ring-shaped corona around its rim.

^ Fairly appropriate on what has been a fairly magic-kewl week, filled with lights, bells and whistles. Seeing new faces and finding new spaces in this little crack addiction that at times becomes a bit ironic when it is referred to as ones 2nd Life.

We even made some time to get in some actual work and a pinch of shopping which hopefully we'll get to in some entries later this week. So kick back, chillax and put your lips to your monitor for a little well placed mutual osmosis.

Making The Rounds

Not a single night goes by you couldn't get up to some sort of mischief, if in fact you were seeking to do so and then again there are occasions where it all comes together unbeknownst to your previous intentions..

Cher tears up the dance floor as some sort of an 80's pixie thingy, sporting platinum tresses and some splash paint capri type pants from Random.

First Stop Cherelle Capra & Helena Stringer's RezDay Party. I was unfortunately a bit late in arriving at this shindig but it seems all were in rare form upon my arrival, many cool party favors were being passed out as well.

Helena recently admitted to me that she is some sort of interdimensional space demon who devours all she surveys. Looking strangely fetching in this multicolored hair and horns with cool bio-mechanical scorpion tail as an added accessory, I can't help but think this is still a much milder version of her true form.

Making a rare public appearance, the notorious Fashionista..er -sto Vampire, Winter Jefferson makes a rare and noteworthy appearance on the dance floor with a very consistent purple thing going on and radically swish mohawk that looked picture perfect in just about every snap I took.

On the wheels of stealing, DJ Infiner Morigi does his thing and keeps the 80's rotation in full effect for the duration.


Then it's a brief stop off at Sidda's NYC Loft to see DJ Tasty Hax do her thing on the ones and twos... anything NYC related is very close to my heart and hip-hop roots so I kinda fell in love with this place, quite immediately despite the hellish lag.

DJ Tasty Hax shimmers as she faces the crowd with yet another flawless set.

The Coup De Grace? Long time friend, DJ Freddi Darwin shoves a rainbow colored flashlight up the planet's anus, at Organica. Seriously, this dude is a bit of a living beacon. Best B'lee.

Freddi Dude, you're fryin' my retinas! Keep Going!

Muscari Larnia, You're frying my need to wear pants! Keep Going!

Green Light

"Do I have a girlfriend? Well, Technically...no."- John Legend

An amazing thing happens when you refrain from groping every passer by with pixel boobles like a simian emerging from the depths of Lechery Town, you actually get to hang out.

Getting ones groove on at Vond Poper's Skybox felt like a 90's hip-hop video as we all kicked it to some classic hip-hop. Shannen Brooks strikes a rather Austin Power's type pose to the left.


Chillin with Vond, Brook and Aeon McMahon at the home away from home, Freudenabteilung.
Sarah Pollock stops in to give me a brief assist on some color scripting, looking a tad bit spooky in this lighting, to be perfectly honest.



Life on Mars with Cher..she seemed to like it but said there was something very similar to this favorite spot of mine at a NASA related sim. Bubble quite officially burst, I'm afraid.


Riding The Panda, at RobinLynne Raymaker's new home, sounds kinky..utterly harmless I assure thee.
Shannen visits the Blue Room for the 1st time, love the chopsticks.






By far the SLexiest thing I've laid eyes on all week, Coke Supply's new PredAlien skin soon to be available to the general pubic...public- PUBLIC!

A Touch of Magic...

Continuing to hang out in Adamsway this week and with the Fae entourage that accompanies ColeMarie Soleil, It is difficult to ascertain who may have adopted whom. In the course of an evening I got some amazing shots and had a ton of laughs with these kids, may this become more of a tradition than trend, in the very near future. Expect a bit of a more extensive entry on said liaisons later in this week.

Making a 1st appearance of sorts, this was the 1st snap I took of Takuma Setsuko, Cole's brother and ever lovin' partner in crime. More to Come.

This week has left me feeling a bit marked. I'm coursing with a tangible bit of creative energy (hence the flaming hands in the 1st shot). The Muses I ardently and so sincerely petitioned several weeks ago have serendipitously arrived at my door step, with no small ammount of fanfare. Oh, that's not to say it's all rainbows and puppy dog farts, the agents of chaos still work their collective way into people around me but I feel a bit transcendent of petty jealousies and haunting thoughts, which is a much needed relief. Check the baggage at the door and your travels tend to go a bit smoother.

Thanks for Reading.

Sin-Met@

Muses: SL Profiles III

At this juncture we've discussed incidental wallflowers and those who stand out in the crowd. How one comes to find them self in contact with said individuals varies but how does one react when they are contacted at random by a diety or at the very least a true avatar working on behalf of some Greater, Multi-Hued Swirly in the sky?

Yes, it is true, I had recently seen a small piece of this young ladies dynamic installation at the Computer Club Records, *69 Art Exhibition recently but I was simply not prepared for what the event of meeting her would mean..it's funny where one finds religion, though she'd surely shudder at the notion. There's a truer essence realized, ironically, by this person who outwardly rejects all notions of divinity or damnation. An evening with her probably took me to the edge of both...I mean that in a purely complimentary way of course.

Fairy Godmother of Particles: ColeMarie Soleil

Unless one of your crazed, SL-ex's has tracked you down to where you reside and has started griefing your property en masse, you certainly don't expect a random visitor to start in with an unprompted light show that rivals anything you may have witnessed over the holidays but upon arriving in my lounge the Fae muse set about moving through a constant vortex of color and light changes. Getting her to "turn it down a notch" just so I could take a few casual pics seemed an honest chore that she humored me with, as she seemed to effortlessly pulse with a certain innate visual synergy, the likes of which, I have yet to witness contained in any single individual. I say this not with subtle lust, or flagrant ass-kissery but with a marked reverence. You spend any viable amount of time with this lyrical presence and you realize there's something other-worldly, at hand.


Now, I wouldn't even attempt to show the range for these abilities here..they were just too numerous and extensive to post but suffice it to say, in less than two hours I'd witnessed something akin to 50 unique light signatures and 20 phenomenal costume changes. Hell, I don't even know that she would do this for anyone else at random, I never stopped to ask, "So like are you always..um..freakin' amazing like this or ..uh.." Ya know, she could appear perfectly common to someone else and leave them none the wiser, I'd wager.

So I ask her at some point to take me to a few of her favorite locations...and I ..again..was not so much prepared.

The first stop was her Untitled Installation that is the full realization of her a fore mentioned exhibit, with Live streaming video she had crafted herself and stark pieces playing at every corner set off by a overtly addicting song entitled "I Love Your Music". I dropped my professionalism like so many prim pants of yore and started dancing immediately all over the installation, jumping from pedestal to pedestal like a contestant in a heated competition for Village Idiot. Enthralled, with no residing pretense, a child at play.


Wearing: Hair- TM!-Forsaken *Shirt- Valiant- Star Bite* Pants-*Valiant- Autumn Suit Pants* Necklace- Redgrave- White Claw























ColeMarie Soleil: This art is my hobby, my personal side of sl. This build is personal, not a single thing is trivial. Every single build almost, save a few things, have a real life story. Most of these things I spent hours in black boxes, toiling over, crying and swearing.

From there we visited the Straylight sim, an enchanted fantasy laden, forest where I was led deep into the heart of the woods into a magical glen of sorts. Our conversations quickly turned to existential meanderings and random expletives.

M: I believe that people are placed in one anothers respective paths at different times for a reason..to teach you things...about yourself and which side of your nature you serve, I don't regard things such as this as purely chance.

CM: People aren't split into parts there's nothing you need to know about yourself you don't already know you know... you take the side you take when you take it. If you choose to take one at all or you could be smart and not care because it's the least important thing ever.

M: Mmmm, you're the 2nd person in recent weeks to send me a message that my notion of duality is a myth.

CM: It's true. No one is a mirror of anything, people should get that idea, "You are my mirror".
If I ever, EVER hear that again I will shoot a *CENSORED*! To truly love someone and to be good for them you need to compliment them, not mimic. People get mad when I say that, god and devil, right and wrong, it's all bullshit do what makes you happy just don't *CENSORED* other people, amazing easily.

Hahah! That's it, noooooo secret. Key to Life, 2nd Life and toast. Duality is a concept a Pisces like me should like, totally believe in but I choose not to.


The final stop along our little sojourn was at the Adamsway Gallery , an amazing little combination of all things, art gallery, nature reserve and oceanic base of operations..it looks very lived in and somehow.. impossibly plausible. It was here that Cole, played for me a bit oh her live singing performances and showed off a myriad prism of original ensembles.



















I spent the rest of the evening hanging out at her home with her and her charming and rather playful brother, Takuma Setsuko who is a fellow lover of Mahjong so he gets automatic cool points in my book. Watching video's they had made with their friends the established sense of family and bond within in their Fae circle was very evident, leaving me with a very distinct longing for that in my own SL existence knowing fully well that such things are not so easily acquired or forced and the ardent wish that this wouldn't be the last I'd see of these two.

You can view a nice listing of some of these very original and mesmerizing video clips at:

http://www.youtube.com/user/rockerfaerie

One backtracking visit here to their Gallery rendered a few pics I will leave you in parting. As always, such things are for your enjoyment, so please feel free to do so.

Muses: SL Profiles II

Continuing forward with "Muses"as my official category for interviewing and generally harassing the lovely inhabitants of SL, we actually have our 1st male entry into said, category today. That is, if a half insane robot would be considered male? Don't ask me how we'd go about establishing it's gender, I'm sure there are a great number of Hentai anime's that would allow you to draw your own conclusions in such a matter, not that I would ever participate in viewing such deviancy, beyond two entries back I am completely absolved of having any actual knowledge of the rather embarrassing thing I just mentioned...what was I saying again?

So yes a decidedly shorter snippet today...

Digital Love: Epshill Forman & Sarah Polock

















Having been friends with Sarah Pollock here for quite some time prior to activating an account on Second Life, (yes, this is the person responsible for dragging me kicking and screaming into SL so you know who to blame) I immediately made the acquaintance of Epshill Forman her honest to goodness, robot boy fri-.. er something, it remains ambiguous. Sarah almost immediately set about showing me the ropes here on creating and manipulating prims and is very much credited with helping me shape the mega prims that formed my original build for the Blue Lounge, Uzamaki, The Purgatory Lounge. A truly artistic soul, despite being a native Brazilian, sporting English as a 2nd language she has always brought my thoughts and descriptions into being flawlessly, often dovetailing any creative whim I've collaborated with her on with innovation. Gushing a bit miserably at this point, the relationship is a Big Brother/Little Sister Dynamic, though her abilities far surpass my own.

The Robot, sometimes android, Epshill, is no mere gimmick. He is for all intentional purposes a construct, an ingenious, vehemently, off kilter piece of artificial intelligence downloaded into the World Wide Web at some point in the late 90's to sow seeds of outright confusion and reckless abandon, with a monitor display that simply flashes the single word "TILT" in repetition. He's scared off many a lovely bird from my nest with his random incoherant ramblings and expletives (something about "launching the siege engine"). An artist in his own right, he works with all forms of media, from prims to actual artwork and photo manipulation. He does amazing things with color, basic shapes and lighting that seem deceptively simple at first glance but are well beyond most peoples grasp. He is not role playing his station , he is in fact the resident ghost in the machine.

Below was my brief attempt at an interview of sorts with these two.

[23:07] Epshill Forman: I originally planned this computer to play Spore
[23:07] Epshill Forman: turns out Spore sucked lololo
[23:07] Meta Constantine: Now, I would love to have a submission from you on your thoughts on SL
[23:07] Sarah Pollock: AHAHAHHA!
[23:08] Epshill Forman: man you realize this means I have to interview you later?
[23:08] Epshill Forman: It is a thing of professionalism.
[23:09] Meta Constantine: Yar.
[23:09] Epshill Forman: Anyway, SL as a system is pretty rad.
[23:09] Epshill Forman: the main thing holding it back is the apathetic and frequently mentally deficient user base the software involved.
[23:09] Sarah Pollock: ahahahha!
[23:09] Epshill Forman: So I guess that's actually two things?
[23:10] Epshill Forman: but really, the reason we're up at 4000m here is because, at ground level, the lag is terrible.
[23:10] Meta Constantine: I can believe that.
[23:10] Epshill Forman: But despite the lag, crashes, and people who want to cage you in sandboxes, SL really lets us work creatively.
[23:10] Sarah Pollock: true.
[23:10] Sarah Pollock: even if you have no monies.
[23:10] Epshill Forman: I'm actually considering an arch class or maybe even a minor in it.
[23:10] Meta Constantine: This is true.
[23:11] Epshill Forman: but even if I don't, I really like both building things and seeing people interact with them.
[23:11] Meta Constantine: Oh yes like when 2 people and an a cat that looks semi-human all jumping on opposing poseballs?
[23:11] Epshill Forman: SPEAKING OF WHICH, HAVE YOU SEEN THE FUCKING GUITAR?!
[23:11] Sarah Pollock: what?
[23:11] Epshill Forman: has he seen the guitar?
[23:11] Sarah Pollock: sure he did.
[23:11] Sarah Pollock: AHAHAHHA!
[23:12] Sarah Pollock: not in that way.
[23:12] Epshill Forman: oh god.
[23:12] Meta Constantine: I saw the beginning of the guitar ages ago never saw the finished product


[23:12] Epshill Forman: I think Sarah has the only copy.
[23:14] Epshill Forman: but, yeah, I looked up basic guitar construction online.
[23:14] Meta Constantine: remove hood so I can take the snapz.
[23:14] Epshill Forman: the only part I don't really like is the head.
[23:14] Meta Constantine: That is too awesome not to post.
[23:14] Epshill Forman: the strings are individual prims.
[23:15] Epshill Forman: the frets are individual.
[23:15] Meta Constantine: Dayammmnnnn!
[23:15] Epshill Forman: if I remember it's like 170 prims.
[23:15] Sarah Pollock: ok....
[23:15] Meta Constantine: Sarah remove your hoody for a sec.
[23:15] Sarah Pollock: 101
[23:15] Epshill Forman: can you check for me quick like Sarah?
[23:15] Meta Constantine: thanks.
[23:15] Epshill Forman: oh, really? still...
[23:15] Sarah Pollock: that's a lot for a guitar!
[23:15] Meta Constantine: any special name for it?
[23:16] Epshill Forman: I tried to think of one but all the -caster variants I liked were taken.
[23:16] Epshill Forman: it made me craaazy sad!
[23:16] Epshill Forman: man I should sell these things
[23:17] Meta Constantine: sickness


[23:17] Epshill Forman: did she take her hood off?
[23:17] Sarah Pollock: I did
[23:17] Sarah Pollock: you took the pictures already, right?
[23:17] Meta Constantine: yes
[23:18] Sarah Pollock: :D
[23:18] Epshill Forman: just making sure for, bro.
[23:18] Meta Constantine: that guitar is a labor of loveage.
[23:18] Epshill Forman: Oh dude you are telling me!
[23:18] Epshill Forman: I swore so many times
[23:18] Epshill Forman: while making it!
[23:18] Sarah Pollock: AHAHAHHH!
[23:18] Sarah Pollock: ahahahhahahahhaha!
[23:18] Epshill Forman: I thought I would punt a kitten through a pane of glass!
[23:18] Sarah Pollock: AAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA!
[23:18] Sarah Pollock: Make sure to include that on your post, meta :D
[23:18] Meta Constantine: Is that what the kids are calling it these days?
[23:19] Epshill Forman: nah, that's "punt a kitten through a cardboard box."
[23:19] Sarah Pollock: dude you're just too mean.
[23:19] Meta Constantine: All going into a note card, I'll paraphrase but we'll capture the warmth of this cold unfeeling machine, yet.
[23:20] Sarah Pollock: x)
[23:20] Epshill Forman: CRUSH ALL HUMANS!
[23:20] Epshill Forman: I need to finish my new av sometime..
[23:20] Epshill Forman: the KINGS are going through another style change,
[23:20] Epshill Forman: the top hats are gonna stay but I need a new suit.
[23:20] Sarah Pollock: yeap.
[23:22] Meta Constantine: Any parting words of advice for the kiddies?
[23:22] Epshill Forman: Education is very important.
[23:23] Epshill Forman: Also 420 MAKE SHIT GLOW EVERY DAY
[23:24] Sarah Pollock: that's sexier.

I'm modeling one of Epshill's original "Ska Bot" Avatars next to his original artwork dubbed "Grasp", one of my personal favs.

Muses: SL Profiles

From time to time you meet individuals who stand out in a crowd and occasionally you rub shoulders with a wallflower playing the corner. You take a chance, send an IM, start a conversation and find that everyone in SL has their own story to tell. Accounts range from the raunchy to the ridiculous, dramatic and mirthful. Memories are made, bridges are burned and occasionally one trips, slip and finds oneself on the compromising end of a poseball.

One thing stands to reason, that everyone has a motivation that keeps them coming back, be it abject boredom, loneliness or just a place to try out ones artistic chops in a place that makes so many wonderful unlikely things possible, like anthropomorphic sex in real time, custom prim babies or even a *gasp* active social life.

Below are a few individuals I've met this week, tossed in with a few I've known for ages, each person has a bit of that "spark" and so we stopped for a pinch to take a few lovely pics or have a discussion. Enjoy.

The Organizer: Jenniewren Writer


A master of all things inventory related, Jennie is even recruited by friends to log on and see if something can be done with the miserable quagmire that comes from buying and greedily snagging freebies first and asking questions later. Also a fellow traveler and explorer, Jenn does it all in style and has a penchant for thriftiness I have yet to acquire.


I met with her In her favorite club, known for it's Indy flair and live venues, The Firefly Cafe. The rather modern exterior of this building betrays the assumption that the interior of this lovely build is anything but organic in it's inspiration, the lag here was very low and the fireflies were positively dreamy in their meandering. Jennie suggests sunset as the best time of day to view this club.















The Party: HeftyHoney Mighty

Laugh at the less than subtle name all ya like, Hefty is the premier party girl, avid photographer and host behind of one of the coolest tropical themed beach side clubs I've come across in ages, Koola, which was very much the happening place to be upon my arrival, filled to the brim with extroverts and tiny shirts. I sat down for a moment with the Mighty one to see what was what.

M: How long have you been here in SL? Is this your 1st av or an alt from your original account?
He : July 2007, I've used the same account but have gone through close to 30 skins in that time.
M: what would you say has driven you to change your look over the years?
H: Vanity. Since I joined sl in 2007, I've only ever used one av although my looks have changed to the extreme, I've always worked at trying to get my avatar to look like me in real life.
M: Well I think that's always a good lead I myself attempt to bring a few of my personal traits here, as well.
H: Yes, I believe many people do.
M. So what got you interested in photography you have a seriously impressive range of work here.
H: well I have always played around in Photoshop and then I started looking at profile pics and saw some great ones that really inspired me. I started paying 300 plus linden for a single shot then decided I could probably do just as well so I began shooting and that's how it started.
M: PS has been a fairly challenging for me to get any good results from, any tips for people just trying to get started with it?
H: It's best to just to play around with the various filters on the same picture so you can really see the differences in them, initially, to see what you enjoy. Try to learn too many things at once, even now I probably only know 30 % of my software.
M: Today you sent me a TP to a fresh, little tropical style club, the Koola how did you get involved there?
H: Well, I'm well known as a bit of a party animal in sl so I used to go to all the best clubs and one day I befriended boo.rang, the owner of Koola and eventually she offered me a job there.
M: How long have you been working there and what are your primary responsibilities?
H: The Koola is based on a rl club in Cornwall, UK. I manage the place a few times a week which means I hire my own DJs, I get the crowds in, I write group notices and I take pics for the blog site. Recently, I came up with the idea to have a DJ competition called the Koola Klash, the prizes for which are almost 100k. We started this competion on the 19th, so right now the DJs are just fillling in the applications we start hearing them next week.
M: I imagine that can be a bit taxing at times?
H: Not really, because I have a lot of energy and I love what I do
M: This is a lovely home you have here, who designed it?
H: The same creator who made Koola, Scarlet Creatives.













M: I can immediately see the similarity, really clean and modern which I like very much, what would you say is your favorite feature of this build?
H: Hmm.. Probably the windows in the roof and the clean modern open plan design. I love all of scarlet houses and lived in a huge one before this but I find this more cozy.
M: The general decor here seems pretty eclectic and diverse, would that be safe to say?
H: Yes, I have great taste. *laughs*
M: I'm sure you taste wonderful.
H: Naughty, naughty.
M: always.

Time & Space: Cherelle Capra & Helena Stringer.

It is rare that a customer forms a long lasting friendship of any kind with a vendor here in 2nd life. Despite any parlaying for discounts or chummy reception you receive upon entering your favorite store, the bottom line is more often the not, your linden.

And so with Cherelle here, amicable and intelligent as ever, I had no reason to really think differently. Our conversations initially, were far and few between, revolving around custom work and decor as her workload at C&D Designs (which I would much rather think of as "CC Designs") has kept her busy and somewhat aloof at times. In recent weeks, maybe in my imagination at best, our friendship took a bit of substantial root and we actually have strayed from the professional script of employee/customer relations. No, no stop with your immediate assumptions, this is just to say that on a personal level, I see a very genuine and likable person here, who's made a real success of herself and currently holds court over my single favorite furniture store in the entirety of 2nd life which is maybe saying a lot, but the range and diversity of modern and retro styled lounge pieces found within the store are impeccable and tailored to my exact tastes.

On the flip side, you have Cherelle's younger RL sister, Photographer and Hair Stylist Helena Stringer , proprietor of The Stringer Mausoleum and Shrine, who is by no means a stranger to my entries here having all ready contributed some of my favorite photos on this very page. She definitely exhibits the two's love for Sci-Fi and fantasy in almost everything she does. She recently allowed me to be a cheap-ass and modify a very inexpensive set of gear for her rezday gift, which they'll both be celebrating here at the lounge next Wednesday night.

A wild child of no subtle renown, it has been an ongoing source of no small amusement to get her to fess up to Cherelle's every embarrassing secret for later use and outright blackmail. Just kidding, Cher..or am I? mwahaha...

Heaven's Going To Burn Your Eyes

Highlights From The Week:

High Rez-Ultra Snapshot of The Blue Room during Mid Day

So earlier last week I showed off some of Helena Stringer's very cool and original Ethereal Eye Set, recently looking in on Winter Jefferson's latest entry "Don't Shoot Until..." I commented on an equally cool set of eyes I had seen by eye creator, Malkavyn Eldritch, musing that I would love to see a set in Blue.

January 19, 2009 9:11 PM

Meta Constantine said...

The green set (photo 2/panel 2) have a cool old school monitor type feeling with the defined circles cut into the center, there's a very cyborg looking vibe playing off. Wouldn't mind having a set in blue (no surprise there).

January 19, 2009 11:02 PM

Malkavyn Eldritch said...

It's great to see such a wonderful review on eyes Winter! Ruina & Sky both have awesome eyes! Now about those eyes in blue... *grins*

Of course, I thought he was joking but no sooner had I logged on was I passed a very nice couple of items, an eye set dubbed Clubbing: Dune Revisited and some enhancers called "Glow Worms" that light up and lend any given eye set a rather otherworldly feel.

Ethereal set on Ultra

Clubbing: Dune Revisited

Clubbing: Dune Revisited- Glow Worms Applied on Ultra

Big Empty: Everything Must Go Sale?

So while visiting Aoharu earlier this week on Niko's suggestion due to a 50% off sale I realized that a lot of these ultra modern, posh interior buildings were alarmingly empty. Yes there were several quality items here displayed towards the front of these titan like structures but then you would find row after row after row...of nothing?

The 2nd floor, pictured above was even more depressing looking like the final scene of Highlander or something equally despotic, I didn't even get a cheery sword fight to determine the fate of humanity, for my troubles.

Go, Brooklyn!

Hanging out with Brook a bit this week, watching videos on YouTube at her and her girlfriend's very nice residence dubbed "Freudenabteilung", (yes she doesn't know what it means either but it's hella nice) chillin' like villains of no small stature. An NYC resident, she is just a very laid back girl. No pushin', no pullin', just lets me be me without a whole lot of fussy judgements and jealousy, which is refreshing to say the least.

She also doesn't laugh at me when my inner black man comes out and I ramble on, waxing poetic about hip-hop for the better part of an hour and make her watch all my favorite old school videos so there has to be a Nobel Peace prize nomination in there somewhere. This just in: "Freudenabteilung" apparently translates roughly as "Joy Division" a name her girl, Lolla picked out.

What's My Age Again?

So we do our best to get around these days, be social and such, taste the locals, dance with the delicacies or um...something like that. Here's a bit of what we got up to this week.

Bros before Hos: Dancing with the frat boys, Thadeous Drucker and Johnny Barbeque at the Crow's Foot, Indy Club during one of DJ Niko's sets.

Niko's Set List

Wearing?:
*Texture Alt, Barista from Gritty Kitty
*Grey Peace T-Shirt from Random *Afghan Stole from Aoharu
*Black Stud earrings from Muism
*Black Kroko boots from Redgrave
*Ace of Spades bracelet from ]monogrind[
*"He's So Fine" Jeans from Made Man


Standing Next To?: Computer Club Records Recording artist X-AM, whom I tease a lot for sounding like Coldplay if it were dragged in and out of the 7th ring of Hades. She does a very cool computerized voice narration at all of her shows and puts up some rather seizure inducing set pieces next to her key-boards, definitely worth seeing.

What's My Age Again?:

Driving around insanely long tracks on Go Karts at KJ's Racing, masterbating to Hentai Mags in the middle of XSaraho Mornington's roller rink? It's just another day in the life of the GOT-DAMN, boss. Seriously, I said that with a straight face. No, really.

Have fun, be safe, see you next week or sometime similar.
Sin-Meta

I Think I'm Turning Japanese...

Having viewed my friend Niko Lyle's recent blog feature "So...What Are You Wearing?" featuring some rather detailed and elaborate looking Japanese armor and gear, I felt a tangible wave of nostalgia wash over me for my rather humble beginnings here only months ago. In that, my initial focus here was very much focused on this particular culture and the Bushido code of conduct in carrying oneself.


Somewhere along the way I allowed myself to become "entangled" in less noble pursuits but I like to think I'm gaining some ground back. The Drake kimono featured here paired with the "Crying Wind" katana are amongst the first I ever purchased here in 2nd Life and certainly of the highest quality and hold a special place in my heart for simpler times. Acquired in a little out the way shop near Dirty Lynx called Hanzo's Armory, this ensemble remains in my personal profile to this day.














Suddenly appearing on the scene to offer a crimson contrast and a rather dire challenge, Red Shadow a.k.a. Brooklyn Dastardly makes her approach clear in a sudden barrage of style and sexiness.




Many thanks to her for taking the time out to snap and take some of these initial photos with me.












Moving On...


This basic black kimono by creator Giorno Brando has a nice understated elegance, I have come to enjoy, effortlessly paired with the Three Buddha's katana, again from Hanzo's (a gift from a kind passerby). I particularly enjoy the faint shine that plays across the silken black fabric, lovely.





The hair is a generic flexi-prim I lightly modded to a surprisingly fitting salt & pepper color, very pleased with it.






















Finishing Out the Set....

Taking it back to the essence, this casual blue kimono and samurai multi-prim hair by Aoharu accented by Stringer's Ethereal Eye set really aid in establishing a viable sense of serenity in the ever chaotic backdrop we navigate on a daily basis. Haven taken these pics myself, I bumped the graphics up to "Ultra" and was rather pleased with the results, much easier to do in a controlled environment.

Moonlight slanting

through all this long bamboo grove

and nightingale song.

Here where a thousand

captains swore grand conquest

Tall grasses their monument.

By lonely roads

this lonely poet marches

into autumn dusk.

Glorious the moon

therefore our thanks, dark clouds

come to rest our necks.

-Basho

King of Sorrow: A Visit to Eldemar

Doing little more than a bit of late night inventory maintenance yesterday I received a rather random IM from Fantasy Vendor & Creator Jaymee Dragonash to come check out his unreleased SIM , Eldemar, Realm of the Dark Woods, which he literally set about putting together 4 days ago after acquiring a 150 K Prim plot of land for it's overall development. We met less than a week ago so that he could show me some potential land for the project and a really elaborate full Dragon avatar he doubles as. This was all inspired by a very popular sim from a few years back called "Everwind" and he's bought the source material to most of it's core elements and builds to make something entirely new here.

Jaymee Dragonash: A few years ago I came across Everwind when I first came to secondlife, I was taken aback by the skillful placement of everything and the overall beauty. When it closed down I was bummed because it was so much fun there. So I found myself this year buying a sim and bringing it back to life. Eldemar which it is called now was the sister sim to Everwind, I am technically allowed to use the Everwind name but Grace Louden let me have Eldemar and helped me recreate the Everwind look.

Jaymee Dragonash: I spent a ton of time and money on this project to give everyone in secondlife the chance to see what I've created and so far it is a hit I've received a lot of good feedback from visitors. This will all eventually become 3 connected sims.

The Throne Room

It's good to be King or at least in this realm it certainly appears to be so. The throne room here is fairly vast with a number of quality details etched into every surface for a very elaborate presentation. I can't help imagining how it might look with a few updated textures and color choices but the base is of a solid undeniable quality, to be sure.





The throne itself comes with around 6 regal poses including a very amusing "Away With You" kind of hand motion animation that just tickles me to no given end.

The Inner Chamber

There is really a lot to cover here and if anything I apologize for the low rez, grainy quality of some of these shots as I don't run SL at a particularly high graphical rate. I'll endeavor to bring someone here in the near future who can truly capture some of the awesome corners and areas I was able to see in my time here. The king's inner chambers in particular had a very striking, highly detailed bed, with sculpted surrounding walls, as well as animated movable windows and doors. Overall, very impressive.

Wearing?

Looking to get just a bit more life out of my [OMFG] acquisitions, I mixed up a few items to throw balance in different directions for a cool effect on each opposing appendage. The sweater "skull print" from Redgrave was just thrown into the mix to break with a bit of the fantasy convention, surrounding me. I am consistently naughty when it comes to tapping on the "4th Wall" in any role playing scenario, so humor me on that.

I'll continue to bring updates and hopefully higher rez photos of this sim as it comes into being, stay tuned. Once again thanks to Jaymee for being such a gracious and trusting host.

Don't It Turn My Brown Eyes Blue

Spent a little time this afternoon with one Helena Stringer, SL Hair designer and sister to my long time friend and supporter, Cherelle Capra of C&D Designs. Helena's little side hobby/talent is Flickr photography. She also dabbles in a few other things, in this case she took an image of the top of my build and placed it directly in the middle of my iris to some dramatic effect. My snaps aren't particularly high rez but in game this looks very striking.

From there we went on to photograph my absolute pride and joy of futuristic tastiness, my Twilight bio-armor and the Vapor street bike from niche creator, Detect Surface who is harder to find in some cases and not so well known but is truly one of the most detailed creators I've encountered in SL. He doesn't have a huge catalog of things he's made per say but what he has made he's made exceedingly well through baking textures at very high resolutions. He's getting ready to release his own full scale Sim here very soon (or so I'm told).

This armor is simply unreal at it's high level of detail, animated lighting effects and overall look, in almost any SL environment it tends to drag down the room into utter lagginess but it is certainly worth breaking out for the occasional look.

The bike handles like a true and trusty steed, it has 4 gear changes, a unique light signature front and reverse animation tied directly into it's movement and goes insanely effing fast, in the forth gear transition it turns a dramatic crimson red. At around 300 prims, I've yet to find a place to really enjoy it at full power before colliding into a neighboring Sim. If anyone out their can suggest a decent SL Autobahn I'm all ears.

Helena then went on to take some higher rez pics of my modded apparel which may be a bit redundant to post here so I'll refrain, to see her very good eye for capturing detail check out her Flickr Portfolio, she seems to have the knack, using very little props or Photo Shopping she's captured some quality images to a consistent degree.