Jasmine Dawn on The Halloween Haunt And Her New Computer

 By Bixyl Shuftan

There's a club tradition at the Happy Vixen. Every October, a Halloween-themed build goes over the club. Over the years, it's had something different every time. The creator of each of these builds is Jasmine Dawn. This year, it's a double build. There's a haunted house for club events. But there's also a spooky maze for people to try and find their way through.

Just before it was completed, I had a few words with Jasmine.  She was at the haunt, but the public door had yet to be set up, the only one active being one only a few she told knew about. "A sneaky way to keep people out of here while I work above the club," she called it.

Jasmine had done mazes before. But she called this one, "My most complex maze to date, at over a staggering 1600 prims.  Brandi loves mazes and gave it a go last night. She was lost within minutes. ... She uses the trick that if you follow a wall around all the twists and turns, that it will lead you to the exit, (a) process that many maze runners use. ... I used all that I know to defeat the usual tricks people use to solve mazes. One such trick I used is pitfalls. (It) drops you into a sub area with four ways out. One stairway will hinder you and leads nowhere. Two will put you close to the exit. And one with a bit of navigation and negations will put you back on the right path. Not to say there isn't other, surprises, in the maze."

It was decided to close the Happy Vixen for club events for a week for Jasmine to do the Halloween build. Jasmine felt she could do it in less time, but felt a few extra days wouldn't hurt in case something happened. As it turned out, something did happen. "I had played some Minecraft that morning and then had a chat with Nydia, a short chat with Kryxia, and then had to go outside and do some needed maintenance on my car. ... I had left it on, it would go into sleep mode when not used for more then 30 minutes. Came back and sure enough, sleep mode, or so I thought. But the lights in the keyboard was out and the lights in the mouse was off. No response whatsoever. I powered it down and commenced to take it apart to see what had gone wrong. I finally discovered popped capacitors on the motherboard and burnt circuit paths.  It was non-recoverable."

With her computer gone, she took her smartphone and gave her friends on Second Life the bad news, "I let everyone know. Kryxia the next day surprised me by having set up the GoFundMe. I thanked her, but during this Covid-19 pandemic I was thinking realistically that people was already having a hard enough time, that we couldn't or wouldn't meet the $1500 goal. I know people has it tough right now. Many people out of jobs and having to scrimp and scrap to get by. I honestly didn't expect us to make (the) goal.

"But thanks to many generous donations from all my friends, we met goal and then some. There was a last minute donation that covered the gofundme sites fees and a additional $200. The final total raised was $1700. I was quite literally speechless and it brought me to tears, knowing what everyone had done. Everyone pulled together to help me. Even my brother while he is in Rehab for his legs, he allowed me to use his desktop computer to be here now. Normally we fight and argue, but he was actually cool with me using his system. Not like he can use it where he is currently. And to note, his legs are getting better. I prayed he would get to come home soon."

"One the workers at the Rehabilitation center tested positive for Covid-19. The place enacted a 28 day mandatory lockdown. All residents are confined to their rooms and the only saving grace for my brother is his XBox. He's slowly learning to play Ark: Survival Evolved. So while he is there, I am here taking care of myself, my Dad and his house and area, his livestock in the mornings and afternoons. He claims it's boring, nobody except him and the critters here. He sleeps a lot, watches his hunting shows." When I asked if he applies what he sees there to the Ark game, Jasmine answered, "He's struggling to build a base on the Eastern Side of the Island Map, complains that the raptors keep getting him.

"Back to the computer and the GoFundMe.  Due to a time period on the funds transfers, I have to wait to receive the funds from Kryxia. Once I receive the funds and place the order, the parts should arrive within a week, two at most. And then a few hours for assembly and setup. I could be up and running on the new system by the middle of October. 

"I wanted to say thank you to everyone that helped me, everyone that contacted me, those that gave of themselves to help. Some couldn't but wished they could. I asked that people do what they can and no more. To not short change themselves for me. I've been helping my dad with his bills and helping take care of both his place and mine. I was already on a budget and the death of my computer would have sunk me into debt.

Giving the maze a try, Jasmine recommended a light source. She had a lantern rezzer by the entrance, the lamp originally made by Richard Linden. The corridors were grimy-looking brick with an occasional spooky sight such as a dead body. Trying to navigate it, it wasn't long before I fell into the drop-zone underneath. Then there were the eerie noises, which could be disturbing-sounding heavy breathing to cries for help, to animal growls to sinister laughing. While it's likely to frustrate you, it won't be boring.

As for the rest of the Halloween Haunt, much of the upper ground consists of a spooky forest with a misty fog covering the ground, with  a pumpkin patch to the side. Walking to the back is a haunted house, with a cloud with lightning just overhead. The lower floor is the dance area. The upper floor is a tribute to a certain movie monster, with some "mad scientist" equipment around, including a table with someone strapped in. Anyone wanting to tip Jasmine for her work can do so with a pumpkin tip jar on the lower floor.

A delightfully spooky place fitting for the Halloween season. 

To get to the Halloween Haunt, head to the Happy Vixen, and go through the door in the middle of the dance floor.

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Purrfection%20Estates/236/219/24

Bixyl Shuftan

Ub Yifu – RFL Designer Builder

By DrFran Babcock

My first awareness of Ub Yifu came during the 2009 Burning Life. We were still calling it Burning Life, and not Burn back then, and I still recall the sense of wonder I experienced upon encountering Ub’s Gulliver installation. “How did he do that?” was the question everyone asked upon seeing his larger than life Gulliver, tied to the playa.

I was thrilled and surprised to find that Ub Yifu was doing a designer build right next to my team’s camp. For those who don’t know: Every year for Relay for Life most teams build a campsite, but some residents are invited to do a build on the annual theme (this year: 100 Years of Hope), and these are called Designer Sims.  As soon as I realized that Ub was our neighbor, I ran over and asked him for an interview. He could not have been more pleasant.

By the way, if you run into Ub Yifu, you will never forget him. Bryn Oh, well-known Second Life™ artist, described his avatar as her favorite. He is a recreation of the famous Picasso Don Quixote and Sancho Panza drawing, complete with both characters! He is a original and creative fellow, and I was happy he agreed to talk with us:

SL Newser: How did you find out about Second Life™? What has kept you here? 

Ub Yifu: I first heard about Second Life™ in 2007 on French TV. They were saying that anybody could build anything in 3-D there, so I wanted to try[smiles]. And… guess what? It was true! So, I got addicted to building things and haven’t stopped for six years now—starting from the basic prim to mesh now.

 SL Newser: How did you come to make statues in Second Life? 

Ub Yifu: I came here to create things, but since I was painting as a hobby in Real Life I started earning a few Lindens importing my Real Life painting into SL. Then, I decided to make the 2-D paintings in 3-D, and I started reproducing famous painting from Matiss , Picasso, Magritte, and DEGAS in 3-D. That lead me to reproduce real life sculptures 

SL Newser: Tell me about your workflow. How do you go from an idea to a three dimensional Second Life™ object ? What tools do you use? 

Ub Yifu: I usually start from pictures and use several 3-D software programs to do the shapes I want. Now meshes are changing the game, and open many windows to 3-D creation.

SL Newser: How did you arrive at your concept for the build you have made for Relay for Life? 

Ub Yifu: Well, I had some help! Ipunin Pera is very aware about the cancer fight with her own charity and she gave me a lot of good advice. The theme is 100 years of the fight against cancer, and I  in the present time sims,  so I tried to symbolize the research from all over the world with a giant microscope studying earth looking like an atom. Around this, the researchers are working hard and helping people. On the ground the people from all over the world gather to do the fight! (Note: You have to come and stand with Ub Yifu’s statues, and experience the feeling of being part of the fight against cancer.)

SL Newser: What would you like the rest of the world to know about Second Life™? 

Ub Yifu: It’s really a place where you can make your dreams come true, especially for people who like to be creative. 

SL Newser:  What other plans do you have for the future?  

Ub Yifu: I’m working on new mesh statues all the time now, and the new thing on my sim is the exhibition of a new Flickr artist doing Second Life™ pictures every month. I found a great community of creative people there and I’m glad to share some space with them. During July 2013 come see Bamboo Barne’s pictures.

I could not agree with Ub any more. I went to the sim where he has his gallery, and ended up exploring and playing in his Gallery for over an hour.

Ub Yifu’s Relay for Life build is a colorful series of paths that lead to a giant research microscope. There are also rides to play on, and multitudes of settings for taking of pictures. As the sign in the playground  there reads: Imagine a world without cancer.

Where to find Ub Yifu’s work:

Ub Yifu’s Designer build at Relay For Life (opening July 13, 2013): http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/RFL%20IMAGINE/34/147/21

SKY SCULPTURES GALLERY: https://my.secondlife.com/ub.yifu/picks/077bf72b-71c7-df01-d9d5-876953e804e4

Ub Yifu also does custom work, and can recreate your avatar as a three dimensional sculpture.

Also:
Gulliver statue at Burning Life 2009: http://www.flickr.com/photos/99404124@N00/3936144076/in/photolist-6ZPLv3-7KDPBK

DrFran Babcock

SL10B Interview: Marianne McCann

By DrFran Babcock

Second Life’s Tenth Birthday is on June 23, 2013, and the celebration is going to be the biggest birthday bash this virtual world has ever seen. There is a lot of buzz about Marianne McCann’s full-sim build, some of which was covered in prims, and the rest of which had signs asking folks not to take pictures. Top secret builds are always a fascinating draw for the public, so I decided to see if Mari would grant me an interview prior to the opening of her history-themed sim.

I was surprised and pleased that she was willing to speak with me. We met on the SL10B build on Beguile, but you won’t see any photos of the build until press day^—not really that much of a loss, because Marianne is a delight to speak with. I have always found her to be someone who both takes Second Life™ seriously as well as playfully. That’s a sophisticated feat to pull off. Here’s what she had to say:

SL Newser: Mari, you were not in Second Life™ from the beginning--you came in during the rush of 2006, as did I. However, you possess an enormous love for the history and anthropology of this virtual world.

Marianne McCann: At heart, I’ve always been an explorer, no matter the world -- and part of that means understanding the history, the background. You know, getting a sense of what a place or thing is all about, and here, it became understanding the stuff that predates me, looking at how the world had evolved before I made an account in 2006.

I found it fascinating to watch the evolution, and read the history of things that sound like almost mythical things. The tax revolt, the Jessie War... all these things that made the fabric of Second Life™.


SL Newser: This is one of the first major builds I have seen you construct that does not focus on the Child Play community. Many people who do not know you here may come to know you as someone who is a genius of history, not a pioneer in the freedom to be whatever one wants to be here. What are your feelings about this?


Marianne McCann: I’m actually okay with that, really. It’s a funny story, in a way, and one that typifies my Second Life™ I guess.

I came to Second Life after hearing about it from friends, and felt it might be a good respite from actually doing a lot of community activism in my first life. Then, quite unexpectedly, found myself doing much the same here! “No matter where you go, there you are” became a very true thing.

On the plus side, we've all come a long way since then. A lot of those battles have been won or lost.
And really, it has allowed me to show off more facets of me. Like the interest in history, or some of the builds I've done in and for Bay City. That doesn't stop me from still keeping a foot in kid stuff, and staying watchful, but it gives me a more varied palate.

SL Newser: Can you explain the process you went through in coming up with the design of the build? I really want a glimpse into your inspiration...and your perspiration. What was it like to conceive of a build this large ?


Marianne McCann: Well, I have a bad habit when doing builds at the SL Birthdays. My first stop is to look at the World’s Fairs in the US in the mid-century. See, there’s that history interest, and in this case, I knew I wanted to showcase everything year by year, and give people a place to walk around and reflect.

This build was inspired a bit by the Avenue of Flags at the 1933 Century of Progress Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois. The upright flagpoles come directly from it, I'll admit, but I opted to make it a plaza, with the pools and fountains to give it a more “park like” feel. The large arches in the back, feature the Second Life™ sun image from the old viewer as a fresco, to emphasize the passage of time. And of course the big box prims up there, a play on the old slogan: “It all started with a cube.” But ya, it winds though, with a sign or two for year to year, giving the highlights and some pictures, as well as the various items. Most everything is from its actual years, with items dating back to early 2002 and textures back to December 2001!

The first item on the walk is the remains of a slideshow that Linden Lab gave in 2001, at the Demonstration conference, talking about their upcoming Linden World project.
It's fascinating to read through and get a sense of what Philip & Co. envisioned early on, and muse about how close it may have gotten.


SL Newser: How have you been able to amass so many artifacts of the history of Second Life™ Who are your mentors, idols, etc?


Marianne McCann: Well, in some ways, it just sort of happened. An inventory in the 95k range and all...but back in 2007, I believe, I was writing for the Metaverse Messenger, an in world newspaper, doing a kids page. I started to watch for interesting happening on the grid then. I spotted a big gambling protest in Pooley, and photographed it. Also, I got a couple of their protest signs,  some of which I could not display on a General rated region! This led to me starting to collect items here and there relating to this history: protest signs, stuff from the tax revolt, then old maps, other items of note here and there, Eventually, well, you can see it all here,  I suspect.


SL Newser: Oh, and bears ? I guess the bears are too primmy?


Marianne McCann: I actually donated a few to another build here: Bear Island. I would need a full sim just for that collection; I have over 400 Linden Bears, and some of them are, um, not exactly prim savers. It was  my first collection, I suppose. I remember trawling through Ambelside hunting up bears.


And mentors:  I think that the SL History wiki, and all the work Oz Spade and Eggy Lippman put in on our history also helped fuel me, and Salazar Jack, too, and of course, Lalo Telling, who did some amazing history work. This build is actually dedicated in the memory of Lalo, who passed recently.
A number of times while doing this build, I’d come across something and think: “Lalo would love this!” or “Oh, Lalo would know this.” For example, finding evidence about what may have been the first Second Life2 road network in Tehama via old pictures of Natoma, that sort of thing. Oh yes, Daniel Voyager. He puts so much heart into everything he does.

SL Newser: What would you like folks to know about Second Life™?


Marianne McCann: I want people to think of Second Life as a place, a tangible space we can all share and can all do great things within. In my neck of the SL grid, Bay City, we’ve got this great community of people, all tending to work together and make our community great. I love that. So ya. I guess that. It’s this incredible place where we can all share, and learn, and grow. I also love to see people come together and make something greater. Being good neighbors and helping each other. I’m a hippie kid at heart
.

SL Newser: You have been quite open on your blog and elsewhere about your reasons for playing a child in Second Life™. What have been the positive and negative outcomes of this?

Marianne McCann: Well, the positives are that, first off, folks know where I and other kids come from. It’s a “light a candle versus cursing the darkness” thing. It’s made things better for kid avatars, I think. Its helped people see what it is, what we’re doing, not thinking we're all here for some deviant purpose or whatever. Otherwise, what would they learn? Not from the stuff on Report Mainz or Sky News? That’s not the kids I know.


The negative: Well, most of the negatives came out of ignorance of why I was a kid here, though I think that it has caused me to be a bit pigeonholed. People just think of me with kid stuff, or they think I’m going to be more radical, or...I dunno. I'm good with that!

I've taken some pains to try to make this build as open as I can. I mean, so it's not just “my” history. I mean, hard for it to not be through my own lens, but I have tried to be objective A lot of the photos I’ve used here are ones I’ve shot, so it is through my eyes. However, it’s not “scenes of my family life,” or what have you.


SL Newser: Pie or Cheese? (Note: This “joke” question was a standard in the old Metaverse Messenger.)

Marianne McCann: And there can be only one answer: Apple pie. With a slice of cheese.


SL Newser: Is there anything you want to say about how you came into SL, why it clicked for you, and why you love it so?


Marianne McCann: I had actually heard of SL way back. I had a first life boss who ended up being one of Linen Lab's first marketing guys. At that time there was no Mac client, and I saw no obvious value in buying into a service I could not even use, so I “filed it,” as it were. But come late 2005, early 2006 I had a couple friends who were here regularly, and raving about it all. I decided to come here for a week or two and see what the hubbub was all about. I wasn’t initially impressed. My computer was a bit slow for SL, even in those days, so the user experience was low. I could not even properly finish the tutorial on Orientation Island! The Ahern Welcome Area was a madhouse, and I quickly moved my home to the Sami Infohub.

Then I met up with the folks I knew who were here. This is the funny bit. I had three friends: One was a young mouse in a family of furs, one was a kid out on her own, and one was a kid in a family.
I thought was a bid odd but after I explored a bit what they were doing, seeing what they were up to, it seemed like quite a bit of fun. I ended up stretching those two weeks... a bit. We both grinned a lot at that statement.

SL Newser: One last question: What do you forsee in the future for Second Life™?

Marianne McCann: I’m going to tie that a bit to this display, in a way. When I started to write out all of the different things that happened in Second Life™, year by year: Gaming Open Market (GOM), Windlight, the Banking Ban, Ansche Chung, Flexiprims, etc., etc.

I realized that every innovation, every highlight, every controversy, every policy change could be written with a sentence that ended: “This was widely criticized as a bad idea, and it was said this would be the end of Second Life.” Every year, Second Life™ has been ending. Free accounts would be the end of it, or whatever, and yet, here we are, ten years on.

We have had our dark times. When the Lab laid off so many of its staff right at the end of the M Linden era; then I did worry, but we persisted, even past that. There’s some amazing stuff right now. I am a sucker for mesh stuff, and the materials stuff is amazing too.

I don’t think we’ll ever see Second Life™ like it was at the end of 2006 into 2007, the wunderkind, with all the corporations flicking about, but we’ll survive, and grow.


SL Newser: Thanks so much Marianne. What a thought-provoking interview. I can’t wait until the world can see your build.

SL10B opens June 15^th, 2013. More information can be found here: http://slcommunitycelebration.com

DrFran Babcock

Credit for the Liquid Prim: RRaskolnikov Roffo of the Lollygaggers (one of my favorite objects in my inventory)

Interview with Amythe Moonlight

Amythe Moonlight, the manager of Mystery, long a beloved personality in her sim, becoming known as the "Princess of Hearts." Recently she became the center of attention with her “Masked Lover” Bloodrose Writer revealing himself, and then Mystery’s “Royal Wedding” between them both. Recently, I had a chance to interview her about her time in Second Life, past and present.

Bixyl Shuftan: So how did you find out about Second Life?

Amythe Moonlight: Someone in another game told me about it, so I came to see what it was all about. I discovered I could make things in here. That interested me and I started building. I began with art, and moved onto other things, In fact, we are sitting in one of the first big things I built - Stonehenge.

Bixyl Shuftan: Oh? Interesting?

Amythe Moonlight: it wasn't on Mystery then. It was moved here.

Bixyl Shuftan: (looks around) I didn't think this was among someone's first builds.

Amythe Moonlight: It was one of mine (laughs), after the art and a few tables. I actually created it from a photograph I took of the real Stonehenge.

Bixyl Shuftan: Nice, what kind of art did you create?

Amythe Moonlight: I started with 3D animated art, abstracts, and some photographs. I used to do a little landscape photography in real-life.

Bixyl Shuftan: Sounds interesting. How did you meet Tygeria?

Amythe Moonlight: I met her at a live music event (smile), and she asked to see some of my work.

Bixyl Shuftan: So she developed an interest in your artwork?

Amythe Moonlight: No, by then I was building houses and had built an semi-Asian style house. She asked to see it.

Bixyl Shuftan: What happened with the house?

Amythe Moonlight: She came and looked around, and was interested in part of the rooftop garden I had built on it. She asked me if i could build a shrine, which I did. Then she asked me for bridges. I think some are still here on Mystery. That's how I became part of Mystery really. I saw what she did here and wanted to help. Tygeria has an amazing talent for bringing out the best in people. So much talent. She is an amazing lady.

Bixyl Shuftan: It's my impression people think of you more as an organizer than an artist. When did you become Mystery's manager?

Amythe Moonlight: Well, I began to build on Mystery. Tygeria was changing things around then, and I worked with her trying to make the things she was seeking. The more I worked with her the more, I learned and the more I fell in love with Mystery and it's concept. To help people, with information, with knowledge, with somewhere safe to visit, with friendship, residents new and old, and to give them somewhere to come to feel at home. In my eyes that was such a wonderful concept, I wanted to become part of it. And so I started here as a builder, and then it grew, and grew, and I never left - and I never will. Mystery is a very special place, and The Queen of Hearts the most wonderful place to call home.

Bixyl Shuftan: How much of Mystery have you built?

Amythe Moonlight: I think Stonehenge, the cafe and the pub, and one shop in the village were originally my builds. But I have worked on other parts of Mystery along with Ayjay. And of course as we update, things change a little. That is one thing about Mystery that I love. The fact it doesn't stay the same. It is seasonal and changeable. You never know what you will find here. What is here this month may be gone next month, or be changed, or be added to.

Bixyl Shuftan: That's true, over time, there have been some interesting things that appeared for a while, like the funhouse.

Amythe Moonlight: Yes the funhouse, the rollercoaster, ruins have come and gone. We even had a kraken live in the lake for a while. That has moved on, though Nessie has stayed throughout . Our lake monster has been here from very early days.

Bixyl Shuftan: The lake monster?

Amythe Moonlight: Nessie - our version of the Loch Ness monster. Even Nessie changes though. She must be getting older; she found a hat and scarf last winter when we had snow here.

Bixyl Shuftan: Heh, with the 7Seas fisher at the lake, does anyone get their rod and reel yanked away? (grin)

Amythe Moonlight: Hehe! No-one has reported it yet! ... Well we have bumper boats out there, so they might scare her off. Hehe!

Bixyl Shuftan: Heh heh. ... Of the seasonal builds, do you have a favorite?

Amythe Moonlight: Ohhh, hmm, that's a hard one. I love the village in the winter with it's snow covered rooftops, and it's trees and lights. The little shops look very quaint. Last year we had ice-skating on the lake that was great fun, with a Christmas market all around the edges, quite Dickensian.

Bixyl Shuftan: Considering that Mystery has thrived for five years, I imagine there have been quite a number of memorable happenings.

Amythe Moonlight: The anniversaries and the supurise parties spring to mind. But everything here is memorable. And the fact it changes keeps people coming back to see what is here now.

Bixyl Shuftan: Anything stand out from the first few years?

Amythe Moonlight: I think the biggest and best thing in the early years for me was meeting Tygeria herself and getting to know her as well as I have! She has taught me so much. She is very inspiring and has the most creative ideas. I just try to make them come to life (smile).

Bixyl Shuftan: Someone told me that you and Tygeria make for an interesting pair of personalities, she the lively funmaker, and you the "straight woman" trying to keep her in check.

Amythe Moonlight: No-one keeps Tygeria in check. We work well together though, and have been sim partners for several years now.We are different, it's true. I tend to be quieter, but we both work towards the same goals and concepts.

Bixyl Shuftan: One of the more recent events has to do with another over a year ago, when you started getting some aynominous love notes.

Amythe Moonlight: Oh the Mystery Man! Yes someone was requesting songs for me from the DJs and live artists, and doing it anonymously. I could not think who it was, though I tried to find out. The songs were wonderful! And I admit it intrigued me. Early this year at one of the live events he revealed himself to be Bloodrose Writer.

Bixyl Shuftan: How long until it get to the point Tygeria was putting up "Wanted" posters?

Amythe Moonlight: Hmm I think that was after the first few months . She posted a reward! No-one claimed it though, since no-one guessed. He sent requests vs newbie (accounts) and remotely. He wasn't in Second Life at the time, so I never suspected him. I had known him for years though, and worked with him a lot in past years, but with him out of SL, I never dreamed it was him.

Bixyl Shuftan: Heh, I imagine it was a big surprise when he reveled himself.

Amythe Moonlight: Oh yes!!! And at an event too! Good surprise though.

Bixyl Shuftan: Did you ever suspect Tygeria might have known who it was?

Amythe Moonlight: I did ask her once, but she said she didn't. She seemed as puzzled as I was.

Bixyl Shuftan: So only speculation as who the "Masked Man" might be?

Amythe Moonlight: Yes it was all speculation until he revealed himself. I believe the live artist Debi Latte was in on the secret, but only for the last couple of weeks.

Bixyl Shuftan: So now that Mystery has had it's most memorable wedding, what are you plans for the future, for you and the sims?

Amythe Moonlight: Well I own Mystery's sister sim, Conundrum. Conundrum is a retail and visiting sim. It has a selection of small shops and a boardwalk and quay with boats to drive around the sim, as well as beaches and things to do. I design clothes and have a dress shop over there, and hope to have a fashion show later this year. I also have my Bears &Stuff business there, animated and chatty bears for all occasions. “Gone Squirrely” also has it's HQ there, so you have to keep one eye out for stray squirrels!

Bixyl Shuftan: Oh yes, the squirrel game. (grin) Supposely it's real fun to play in micro avatars.

Amythe Moonlight: Yes the squirrel game with rogue squirrels to catch! It's such fun! Ayjay and I have been working on that for a long time. We should have version 2 coming out in the near future.

Bixyl Shuftan: How have the practice games gone so far?

Amythe Moonlight: They went well and it is out for sale as version 1. Now we are working on a new version with even more in it! There will be some changes on Conundrum soon, and some exciting new merchandise in a new shop over there, so keep an eye out!

Mystery of course, always changes, and to see the changes here you need to keep visiting! The sim grows with us - it is a place much loved and cared for and as the seasons pass so she grows new things to entice us. As for plans, well there are many. But suffice to say I think we will see several changes here in the coming months.

Always a mystery! You never know what you will find!

Bixyl Shuftan: Anything else that you'd like to add?

Amythe Moonlight: Working with Tygeria and with Mystery is both an honor and a delight. She is my closest friend and my confidante. Without her Mystery would not be what it is today and neither would I. I have grown and changed since I came here as the island has herself. This is the magic of the place.

They say magic is full of mystery. But I say, Mystery is full of magic, both seen and unseen. It touches the heart and resides in the memory. I am so glad I found this place and became part of it, it is now part of me.

Bixyl Shuftan: Thank you for your time Amy.

Source: Queen of Hearts

Bixyl Shuftan

King Kong vs Mega-Macro Lomgren

Following The Walk for Relay for Life, for a few days until the teardown people continued to have fun at the various sims around the track. People explored around, collected freebie souvenirs, or just got together for a party. The various Relay groups would hold one, and anyone else was free to drop in.

On Monday July 19th, the Relay Rockers group were holding a bash at their camp, which looked like it was set up for a celebration, with it’s picnic tables, balloons, stuffed animals, cupcakes and cakes. Standing above it all, one giant multilayer cake, with pink icing, candles, and a slice cut out. People were partying across the camp, including a few on the giant cake.

I dropped in along with a few others from the Passionate Redheads. Among them. one of the two main builders of the Redhead camp, Lomgren Smalls. Lomgren is unique among Second Life residents as the “tiny kitty” avatar he uses almost all the time is just six inches in height. A skilled builder, a few years ago he tried pushing the limits of Second Life’s physics by seeing just how small he could make an avatar that could move more or less normally, being able to do most common actions except dance. It’s certainly been a conversation-breaker, and in a job fair in Second Life even helped him get his current real-life job.

We enjoyed the party, dancing to the music when we heard, “Big ape.” And looking up, what came into view was a big mass of muscle and hair: a macro gorilla avatar, probably King Kong size. It danced alongside the rest of us for a little while, then I saw one girl appear in it’s huge hand, as if doing one of Fae Wray's scenes, “EEEEEEEEE!! It’s got me!! Help! Heeeellllppppp!!”

Someone decided to help in his own way. “I’m going to put that gorilla in his place,” Lomgren commented, then zipped away. A minute later, something appeared, towering over the gorilla. It was Lomgren, but in a much, much, larger avatar: a mega-macro. He had also decided to try to take avatar building in the other direction, building a huge feline that put most macros to shame. I didn’t get a measure of just how tall it is, but it was probably over 100m in height.

Lomgren stuck around for some minutes. One guy teleporting in found himself between the huge avatar’s toes. The girl held by the ape soon dropped from it’s hand, and soon the gorilla was gone from the party, not wanting to look like an organ-grinder monkey next to the mega-macro. After the hairy primate was gone, Lomgren disappeared again, then came back as his usual six-inch high self, “I prefer being this height.”

The master builder had his chance to stand tall literally as well as figuratively.

Bixyl Shuftan