SPOTLIGHT ON BIOLOGY CLUB- A Multi-Genre Experience- Lanai Jarrico Reporting…

“Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science.” - Edwin Powell Hubble

Scientists like Edwin Powel Hubble, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Nicola Tesla, and other great minds throughout history helped shape our world with their findings. Science in all forms of study provides us with a greater understanding of the world around us.  

The very essence of science begins with biology. It is the study of all living organisms. Plants, animals, physiology, and behavior are what it is to be alive. Second life is the perfect social experiment that thrives on human behavior. It allows us to experience things to which we may not have physical access.  As a virtual world community, we have certainly evolved bringing together technology and life with a virtually realistic perspective. 

For all you wisdom explorers out there we have a special treat for you! Biology Club is a multi-leveled venue with many areas into which to delve. Dresi Ligati (dresella.joubert) is the mastermind behind Biology Club and with her team, Brit Kitora (holly65) and Solgazer Kitora (solgazer.sittingbull), they are skilled professionals in their field of expertise.  

Much of the inspiration for this venue comes from Dresi’s background as a science teacher. Her love of education combined with over a decade of experience in Second Life inspired this multi-genre marvel. This isn’t her first venue by any stretch. She has also created venues that took visitors back to the prohibition era and to the ice age with dinosaurs.

Like Science, Dresi and her team are always evolving. Recently, SLE met up with Dresi, Solgazer, and Brit to learn more about the Biology Club, who they are, and what they do.

SLE: How did you ladies discover Second Life and come to work together?

Dresi: I got into SL because my RL sister was in world and she brought me in here.  Interestingly, after she brought me in, she was interested in things that were of no interest to me.  So, I took a different path.  I started working in clubs.  Along my journey, I came to know Brit and Sol.  Brit and I started working together when, on New Year's Eve about 7 years ago, she came into one of my clubs (Safari Club) because she was curious about the name and what kind of a club it might be.   She liked the vibe of the place. The next time she visited, she filled out an application.  I asked her to do an audition after my set.  Her favorite story is that the next thing she knew, I was telling everyone in the club that I had a surprise - that DJ Brit would be playing right after me!  LOL  She did, she was great, and the rest is history.  She's my daughter and I can tell you that this feeling goes way beyond SecondLife.  

Brit:  My RL sister played in SL all the time.  She came to stay with me and got me into it.  I played for about a week and got tired of it and then came back sometime later and then stayed. Sol and I met at a club, she took a picture of me to send to her sister.  Then, Sol was helping someone set up some events and I had been working with Dresi and we were doing some events as well.  So I went to one of their events and Sol was there.  She and I became friends and after some time Sol and I started dating each other and over time we got married.

Solgazer:   I actually was playing Sims Online, so when that was no longer available one of the options was Second Life!  I’ve been here ever since.

SLE:  Tell our readers more about your experience with clubs in SL? What other venues have you designed separately and or together and what has drawn you to be in the entertainment business?

Dresi:  I kind of got into the entertainment business in sort of a backward way.  As I mentioned above, my interests in SL led me into hosting at a club where a friend, Rebelheart Sabra, was the GM. I learned to host and then she asked me to open a club with her. Unfortunately, she soon had to leave SL due to health problems and I was left to figure out club ownership on my own.  As a struggling newbie with a club, I was fortunate enough to have met Dave Gran who picked up where Rebel left off and taught me a how to operate a club and how to get into DJing.  I started DJing out of a need to have a backup DJ at my club.  Turns out, that's become a true passion of mine. 

Over the years, I have owned several clubs individually and in partnerships - Heavenly Bodiez/Heavenly Destinations was my first club with Rebel.  Next, I had Xtinction, Prohibition – owned with two other friends, Safari Club, and now, Biology Club.

Brit: At 45 days old, I had a club.  I had met someone named Kelynn who was my first friend in SL.  She worked at a club and the boss of that club had a second club called Mingles and asked me if I wanted to run it.  I was taught to DJ by a woman named Sophie and she was a RL DJ.  I had a lot of music to start with and she felt that I had a good sense of music and would be a good DJ.  She would give me tapes of her real DJ sets and she critiques my sets.  I helped her build a club and wound up DJing for her at her club.  Clubs owned:  Mingles, Club Dragonfly, Dragonfly on the Water, now Biology Club.

Clubs managed:  Safari Club, Sophie's Haven

Solgazer: Before I met Brit, most of my time in SL was spending time with friends dancing.  I ended up helping my SL sister with a club, Backcourt, decorating for themes and fun parties.  I also managed another small club. 

SLE:   This is a pretty amazing undertaking.  Have any of you done anything like this before?

Dresi: Yes.  I’m an ideas person and so I have concocted a few thematic clubs in SL.  My first foray into the themed club approach, Prohibition, was a 1920's speakeasy.  It was co-owned by myself and two other friends.  Xtinction was a themed rock club inside a cave, complete with dino fossils and indoor waterfalls.  Next, I decided to build a club that had animals and the rainforest as its backdrop.  The idea was inspired by the RL Rainforest Cafe and the club was called, "Safari Club".  I was approached by Brit and Sol to go into a joint venture.  Since I am a science teacher by profession, Biology Club was born.

Brit: Yes, after successfully managing Safari Club with Dresi, Sol, and I decided to embark on a new adventure building and running a club called Club Dragonfly.  We began with a smaller place that we eventually outgrew and rebuilt Club Dragonfly to accommodate the need for a larger space.  Then, Sol wanted to have a club with a more intimate setting, so we built Dragonfly on the Water, a waterfront club with a rustic cozy setting.

Solgazer: When I met Brit, she was working with Dresi at Safari Club.  Once we started dating, I became more involved with understanding the DJ side of things as Brit DJs all over the grid.  Once Safari closed, Brit and I opened Club Dragonfly!   We had that for 4 years I believe, but due to some health issues, we decided to close. 

SLE:  Tell us about you three individually?  What skills do you bring to the table to make this Club a success? 

Dresi:  All of us come to the table with a very similar SL skill set.  We all have been in the club business for quite some time.  Sol has developed strong skills in hosting and managing hosts for many years.  Both Brit and I have been DJing for many years and we bring not only those skills but also club management and prior ownership (as does Sol).  Brit and I bring building skills to the mix and Sol is a wonderful decorator.  I also have business organizational skills in RL that I bring.  

Solgazer:  We love what we do, each one of us has a different skill set.  One thing I’m not is a builder, but I love to decorate.  Brit and I have been doing monthly events for as long as we’ve had Club Dragonfly, and we work well together.  Brit gets an idea in her head of what she wants, we put that idea into play and  then I do the final “fluff stuff” as she calls it! Lol

SLE:   How did you come up with the Name, “Biology Club”?

Dresi / Brit: We wanted a way to mesh our independent passions:  Brit and Sol's love for the dragonfly and its meaning and being a RL science teacher, we could also satisfy my passion for science.  Since Biology is the study of living things, we thought it would be a way that we could mesh it all together. 

Solgazer:  Dresi is a science teacher.  We had been talking about different ideas that could incorporate aspects from all our interests.  Once we started talking about biology, she knew where it was going to go from there!    She looked up the name, saw there were none with the same name, and there we have it!

SLE:   Could you share some of the events here...what the club is about?

Dresi / Brit: We are a multi-genre venue that hosts live DJ'd events and live musicians.  We are for adults only (18+).  We have 4 separate party venue sites:  The main club, a futuristic set of science labs; A poolside venue that is adjacent to a beautiful garden site for lovely photo ops; a beachfront venue with a wonderful beach bar; and the Big Event site where we host monthly events with a different theme every month.   At the moment, we are open Thursday - Saturday.  On Thursdays, we feature EDM/dance/pop music.  On this night, you will want to wear club attire and be ready to dance the night away.  Fridays are our naughty nights where explicit music is played and sexy attire is allowed, provided all bits are covered.  Saturdays, Rock music is the focus and we have some of the finest Rock DJs on the grid!  Once per month, we host a large-scale event that spans the entire weekend, from Thursday to Saturday.  It is a themed event whereby participants are encouraged to dress to the theme, making sure that they have on one piece of free club merchandise to join a contest worth Lindens and gift cards.

Solgazer:  If you think of Science, each room is a different lab.  Biology, physics and so on.  We also have Marine Biology as well.  We actually had our first monthly event on May 28th,  “Coming Out of Quarantine.”  It was a huge hit!  We’re looking forward to our next event, “The Masquerade”.  Details forthcoming.

SLE:  The grid has many nightclubs all vying for guests.  What makes Biology Club different from the other places out there?

Dresi / Brit: It is unique in its theme and its approach to multiple party sites to keep guests interested and intrigued.  It is a highly interactive venue with a lot of photo opportunities and exploration potential.

Solgazer:  It’s something that hasn’t been done before!

SLE:  Who are you hoping to attract?  What kind of clientele? 

Dresi / Brit: We hope to attract people who enjoy a variety of music and are looking for a club home.  We work very hard to create a welcoming environment and we want to attract a clientele who wants a regular place to hang out that offers variety and excellent entertainment.

Solgazer:  All those who love all music! Each day is a different music genre!  Thursday is EDM/dance, Friday is Naughty Night, Saturday is Rock!

SLE:  How might someone learn more about this amazing place?

Dresi / Brit: The best way to get a feel for the energy of Biology Club is to actually visit and become a member of our "social experiment".  Potential guests can follow the SLURL below or join our Facebook page (also listed below) to keep well informed about club events.

Solgazer:  We have a Facebook page and a group that people can join.   But everyone needs to come out and see for themselves how awesome a place it is!

SLE:   Anything else you would like our readers to know about Biology Club?

Dresi / Brit: We want to make sure that everyone knows that Biology Club prides itself on providing a welcoming environment for all.   We do not discriminate on any basis whatsoever.  We are all about Love and Acceptance... and are a No Drama Zone!

Solgazer:  You really have to look around!  There is something unique in every place you look and it’s not just in the main club! There is the garden, the poolside dance area, and a gacha area.  Take a trip with the seahorses down to the beach.

Additional information
SLURL:     https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Desert%20Moon/139/129/3002

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/BiologyClubSL/

Read More

GeekSpeak – The Future of Garbage Join the discussion on Saturday the 27th at 12PM SLT

What happens to our rubbish now, especially our nuclear waste?  And what should happen to it in the future?  Should we shoot it into the sun?  Or into space?  Or dump it into the sea?

How about Extreme Recycling?  What if we could recycle every atom and every nanoJoule of energy back into use?  Would we still need new materials?

What can we do about all the rubbish in the sea?  Could we filter all the oceans of the world in search of the last bit of plastic?  And maybe, kill the last fish?  What if we don’t clean the seas?  Will they end up 99% plastic?

You may want to watch the video 'The Future of Garbage' by Isaac Arthur on YouTube.
Join us in GeekSpeak.  Bring your friends and a feather duster.

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday at the GeekSpeak auditorium at 1pm SLT, if you have ideas for new subjects.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/143/127/51

Read More

LUXE Paris LOOK of the YEAR: LET US APPLAUD THE LAST GROUP OF SEMIFINALISTS!

Bravo to SPAJKIE HANKS, LAMB KNIGHT, RENAEE AVINDAR, LILY, MARGOT LASALLE, NAOMI GALLAGHER and BAILA who have been selected as SEMIFINALISTS for the LUXE Paris LOOK of the YEAR contest.

This week, for the last selection, the judges have elected 7 semi finalists as one semifinalist from Week 3 withdrew from the competition. Tiy found out that as the first runner up of Miss SL, she was not allowed to participate in any other contest unless she resigned.

326 ENTRIES!

We have now 30 semifinalists selected among 326 entries and the jury will proceed to the election of the 12 grand finalists. The result will be published on July 8th here in the SL Enquirer and on the contest website at LUXE Paris LOOK of the YEAR.com

SEMIFINALISTS | LUXE Paris LOOK of the YEAR

The 12 finalists will then be invited to the Judges' Brunch where they will be asked to explain why they would be a good ambassador for LUXE Paris. No score will be awarded during this event but the finalists' presentations will allow the judges to get an idea of their personality, which will certainly influence their evaluation during the grand final.

At the grand final, which will take place on July 26th, the finalists will participate in two challenges, one on the theme of a Sunny Afternoon on the French Riviera and one on the theme of A Night at the Met Gala in New York. It is the sum of the scores awarded for each of these challenges that will determine who will be the next face of LUXE Paris.

The 2020 LUXE Paris LOOK of the YEAR will win L$50,000 cash as the two runners up will each receive L$10,000 cash. Several other prizes will accompany these sums of money. A total of L $ 175,000 in prizes will be distributed among the holders of the top three scores.

FOLLOW THE GRAND FINAL

ON YOUTUBE!

To keep the lag at its lowest level so that the finalists can shine brightly, the grand finale will not be open to the general public. However, everyone will be able to follow the progress of the event since it will be broadcast live on YouTube by Villa Media. The link to access this broadcast will be published two days in advance on our website and in the SL Enquirer.

The presentation of the two challenges will be immediately followed by the announcement of the winner and the two runners up. The results of the competition will also be published here in the SL Enquirer as well as in the magazines SL Confidencial and L'Amour Diversity.

14 judges from fashion and media will assess the 12 finalists. You can see the composition of the jury on our website.

Thank you to all the stylish women who participated in the contest! Your interest in representing LUXE Paris brings us great pride.

Thank you also to our wonderful sponsors who allow us to carry out this exciting competition: SL Enquirer, Swank Event, Womenstuff, Tone Makeup, Zuri Jewelry, In-Nova Modeling Academy, ProPose Modeling Poses, Bon Amour Avant-garde Hair, SL Confidencial magazine, L'Amour Diversity magazine, Stavros Hexem Photography and Villa Media Broadcaster.

Read More

Charlie TooMuch- A New Star is born- Lanai Jarrico Reporting...

The music scene in Second life is teeming with talented musicians, singers, and DJs that set the tone for parties and concerts across the grid. At any given time, there are events happening.  In the midst of all the entertainment, a new star rezzed in Second Life. He arrived with one thing in mind and that is to share his talent. Some quietly find their way or stumble upon someone who knows someone that can help get their name in lights.


Recently the SL Enquirer was introduced to Charlie TooMuch. With only two weeks of SL experience, he was just learning how performing on a virtual stage works. With a little work and some great connections behind the scenes, we are excited to interview this fresh new artist with our readers.  Meet Charlie Toomuch.


SLE: Can you share with our readers a little bit about your music background? 

Charlie:  Of Course!  It all started with my Uncle,  he used to be a sound engineer and songwriter.  When I was a kid, I always had a knack for patterns and technology, so around 8 years old, my uncle decided to show me music theory with a piano.  Next, he taught me Cakewalk, which used to be a very popular recording program.  Since then, I have been composing and producing for fun.  By 13, I was learning the drums and thus helped immensely with my rhythm and timing.  I actually grew up most of my life listening to Hip Hop, haha.   At around 18, like every other hipster on the planet, I picked up the guitar.  To many people's surprise, my favorite genre is actually Electronic Classical(Think Haywyre).


SLE: Where are you from and what brought you to Second Life?

Charlie:  I'm from the NYC tri-state area.  Grew up 5 minutes from where I live now, I've got 100 blood relatives in a 10-mile radius, so as you can imagine its hard to leave a support system like that, even though it's so dang expensive here!  As for finding SL, I found myself wanting to play out, since COVID had me trapped, so, like any rational person who doesn't know the answer to their problem, I used "the Googs".  The search engine led me here, and the rest is history.

SLE: You have only been in Second Life for under a month. What was your first impression of the concept of a music scene in a virtual world?

Charlie:  I was incredibly surprised!  Both in the artists I saw and the breadth of the capability to put on a show here. Being a content creator, in coding, music, art, and the like, I was pleasantly surprised I had an opportunity to bring all 3 to the table!  I immediately dove in and started reaching out to hosts and venue owners as I went to shows.  Everyone was pleasant, so far!

SLE: We went to our first concert at Gonjaland and was blown away by your performance. You can hit those high notes, your breathing is perfect and timing is right on point. That is key and very impressive. How long have you been singing in the real world?

Charlie: Believe it or not, I only recently began singing, within the last 7 years. When I was about 20, My first note in a failed audition was "You sing too quietly..", which makes me laugh now because I can get LOUD.  After around 21, I joined two Acapella groups and started a band that played some pretty impressive spots in NYC, playing mostly originals. I think the skill comes from two things, first and foremost, I am extremely lucky and blessed that it came naturally. Second, growing up I did voice impressions of cartoon characters and sorta beatboxed.  I think the control on my voice comes from the vocal impressions, the ability to change my voice at the drop of a hat.

SLE: You have such a broad range. You can perform most genres in a smooth transition This is unique in SL. How would you describe your genre?

Charlie: "Neo Pop-Soul-Funk-Rock", HA!  Only Joking, but I would say that I attribute the variety to the jazziness of my voice, and what I said earlier about my voice flexibility from doing impressions most of my life. For my originals, I think my music is definitely poppy, with a mix of shotgun-style rapping, I try to give it a healthy mix of catchiness and danciness.  You can find one of my originals at my Soundcloud to see what I mean: https://soundcloud.com/charlie-toomuch/ask-what-version-3

SLE: Do you play any instruments?

Charlie: Heck yes!  I play the piano to produce my beats actually.  However, I also used to play drums, jam on acoustic guitar, and use a vocal loop station I won in a karaoke contest in college.  As a matter of fact, all my songwriting starts with my making a vocal loop with about 4 layers over 5 buttons, so 20 tracks of just my voice!

SLE: Most performers pick a genre that fits their voice.  Can you share with our readers, your music inspirations, and some of your most favorite songs to perform?

Charlie:  I actually try to do that, not always with success, haha.  But, fun fact, I write more than I listen, and many songs I sing, I don't listen to on my own time. Regarding my inspirations, I would say Jon Bellion(Pop/rap), Eric Hutchinson(Folk), Jason Mraz(pPop), Chet Faker(Soul), Haywyre(Electro classical), Grandson(Alt-rock), Murphy Lee(Hip hop), Nina Simone(Soul), Daft Punk(ElectroPop), AJR(Pop-Rock) Gorillaz(Trip Rock),Andy Grammar(Pop?) and Gnarles Barkley(Pop/Soul). Not necessarily in that order. It's hard to pick a favorite song, since there is such a variety and it depends what I'm feeling at the time.  But if I were to be totally honest, my own originals, "Come again", and "Ask What",  they are pretty new, and I love to guage the audience's liking to my writing.

SLE: How can venues book you?

Charlie:  Leave me a notecard, message me directly.  My username is charlietoomuch, my full name is "Charlie TooMuch"!  Not "too little", not "just enough", "TOO MUCH"!

SLE: It was a pleasure meeting you and wish you all the best in Second Life. IIs there anything you’d like to share with our readers?

Charlie: Yes of course.  I've already learned first hand, the rabbit hole that is SL.  And while I am no expert, I do want to mention a few mantras I live by that serve me well in SL:
"Meet others where they are at, not where you think they are, and chances are you don't know, SO ASK"

"What you are given in gifts you lack in character, the better you are at something, the higher you should raise your self-expectations, not everyone is so lucky. So be Humble"

"Humility is not putting yourself down or ignoring your skills. It's understanding exactly where you are at, how to use them for everyone, and knowing we are all equal"

"If you think you are perfect, that's when you stop improving."

Finally, I just want to say thank you to everyone for being so kind to me!  I have received so much help since I've been here, and I appreciate it so much.  There are a lot of good people in SL, and I look forward to meeting more and more of you.  Don't hesitate to shoot me a message, I don't bite and I encourage it!


Additional Information

SL Group:secondlife:///app/group/49de49b9-8fdf-c3a8-e43f-12e309a67418/about 

Calendar: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=q1i2406v2ptltviaf5uhp202rk@group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/Los_Angelos 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/charlie_much
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/charlie-toomuch

Preferred contact: In SL or realCharlietoomuch@gmail.com (Myself, Myself and I just me, myself and I)

Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The New Kid On The Block: The Beehive Event July 4th-29th

We are proud to announce The Beehive Event. It is an event and service that caters to a wide variety of creators. We appreciate diversity and equality and place these values as our core principals.

The Beehive event kicks off on the 4th of each month and ends around the 29th.  This gives shoppers plenty of time to see the products for sale.  We don't like to let anyone lose out, so if you're missing out on something as a shopper or vendor please let us know!

This event was created  by family, and we treat you like you're our family as soon as you walk into our premises. We hope that you feel at home at our event. There's even a 24/7 radio and the occasional DJ sets throughout the week. While not the largest, and most popular place this side of Second Life, the effort put in to make sure you're taken care of is our priority. From animesh, fashion, and artistic ventures to furniture, hair, home and garden - we accept it all!   Finishing up our first round in June has brought us the success to move into future rounds with ease!  There's no exclusives required, although encouraged if possible!  We always ask our vendors to provide a low cost or free gift for those who are low on lindens.  There's also always a place to sit and just relax, as well as a comfy place to sit and take your photos!  Thank you to all who have continually supported us!

Slurls:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Morgan/122/87/27

URLS:
https://www.kieransomerville.com/second-life#/the-beehive-event/

Social Networks:
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/beehivesl
FB: https://www.facebook.com/thebeehiveSL/
Instagram:  thebeehivesl

Contact Info:
beehivexsl@gmail.com OR contact Tokyo Enyo or Starlordx1983 Resident for more information. 

Read More

The Underground Garage: Reopening with Jack Slade- Fynnyus Reporting...

            I met Layla (Layla Mesmeriser) a couple years ago at a blues club called Junkyard Blues. It claims to be Second Life’s oldest blues club and three-time Avi Choice winner of “Favorite Blues Venue.” It plays traditional blues music, country blues, soul blues, folk blues, blues rock and it has a Louisiana bayou theme. Layla and I became fast friends. She’s witty and charismatic and just fun to be with. She owns a club called the Underground Garage that originated in 2008. The club was starting to come back to life after a few years of being pretty much dormant. On this particular day, the club was having its first live act in a long time. Seasoned Second Life performer, Jack Slade was billed for tonight’s performance. I spoke with Layla about the club, her thoughts about music, and the influence Second Life has had on her, then listened to Jack Slade.

Fynn: So, tell me the origin story.

Layla: The Underground Garage was created for our love of classic rock and blues, however, the name came from Little Steven’s Underground Garage Radio station that digs deep into the soul of music and that is why we picked the name.  We wanted to not just play your traditional rock/blues music but dig deep into the history of rock.

Fynn: “We” being you and Mr. D (her former partner)?

Layla: Yes, he was actually the one that came up with the name. He is more the music genius behind it all, I created the grunge look and feel because I felt it best suited the music we wanted to bring to SL.

Fynn: What was it like to run a music club?

Layla: Amazing! We got to know a lot of people with similar music tastes that appreciated the love for deeper cuts of classic rock and blues. We worked hard for years to provide something that we felt was missing from other classic venues. We kept our music to 60's/70s and slightly into 80s, but our club was a true classic rock club with a mix of blues to give it an extra special feel for the love we had/have for music and the artist we grew up listening too.  It was all a labor of love and our guests and friends felt it. They would compliment us on the uniqueness of our style of playing.

Fynn: Tell me more about your love of music.

Layla: My love for music goes back to my younger years. Even in junior high, I remember getting lost in a particular song for hours, taking out my small record player, and playing the same classic rock song over and over again. It continued well into my teens and young adult years. It’s since developed into blues, but my love started with classic rock, had it from the day I received my first 45 disc of The Doors. Even now as an adult, whenever something is going wrong in my life music will always ground me and refocus me on what I seem to be feeling. It lets me escape and soothes me better than any drug around.

Fynn: What influence has SL had on your love of music, if any?

Layla: SL has actually helped me grow in my love for blues. I was always more focused on classic rock, however, meeting other people here and listening to other DJ's and live artist . . .  I have expanded my love for music to include Blues, Garage Rock, etc. It has shown me that we should never limit our taste to just one particular decade.

Fynn: I'm interested in your opinion about music in SL, the current situation, and how you've seen it change?

Layla: With everything going on in the world now, I have seen more people are returning to SL and finding solace in music much like I have been doing for years. I have spoken to so many now that have returned because music in SL has expanded to more live artists and even the DJ's have tried to cater to the heart and soul of what people are feeling. So yes, compared to 2008 when I first joined, music on SL has definitely helped a lot of people in finding that comfort, if only for those two hours that the DJ is playing.

Fynn: You just started the Underground Garage up again after a fairly long hiatus, had a couple deejays, a few friends hanging out here, how have things been going lately?

Layla: Due to real life we had to close some of the things down here, it got too chaotic to be here so many hours to manage this venue, but due to the recent lockdown I had more availability. It started with just rebuilding the club. The venue itself never closed down, I have never allowed that. It remained open for friends to still come and listen. I should point out we have an amazing stream called "Dirty Waves" that is run by a close friend IsisRea Diavolo, old regulars and new people will come even when I am not here to chill and listen to commercial friend classic rock and blues. And when I finally did return on a more regular basis in early March, it was easy to reach out to the few friends I continue to speak with, which led to more new friends joining and it’s been amazing!! It feels like it did back when we first started the club. It’s just a place for a good friend to hang out listen to some good tunes in a relaxing setting and have a few laughs.

Fynn: Was the UG popular back in the day?

Layla: Goodness YES!!! We had a great following. From day one back in 2008 we had a strong following, mostly because we kept it to classic rock and there was a very big need for good rock music. We'd have theme events every Friday. We had live music, tribute concerts that we use to produce ourselves, and we use to do an open mic. I would change up the club almost weekly and we had a strong following, but it was a lot of work and things were different in real life, I had more availability.

Fynn: And how is the club doing?

Layla: The UG is still a premier rock and roll club. Its urban grunge city setting features the best in classic rock, garage rock, punk, and blues. When we play our music it is from deep down in our core and we want our guests to feel where it's coming from—that we are playing so that they can feel the music just as powerfully as we do when we play it. I want people in SL to know that classic rock and music, in general, shouldn’t just be played without truly feeling the lyrics. The UG is here to give you that home you need if only for that single moment.

Fynn: Is there a future for the UG?

Layla: I hope that it builds up to how things were back when we first started, that it continues by word of mouth of what this little grunge venue provides, that it doesn’t just serve up one of the best classic rock music on the grid but that it also houses a great group of friendly folks that are always welcoming to anyone who needs a place to call home.

Fynn: Tell me about tonight, Jack Slade is performing, why him? What is your hope for this evening?

Layla: Jack is just fantastic!! He has a way of transporting you into his music. He sings about SL love/life and if you live here like most of us do. We can relate completely. I found Jack a few weeks ago at another venue and have been a fan since!! I hope that our friends and regulars will have the same experience I had weeks ago, when I listened to Jack sing for the first time.

            And it was a fun time! Jack played many popular tunes, but also many of his own songs. He sang Harry Chapin’s, Cats in the Cradle; Gordon Lightfoot’s, If I Could Read Your Mind; Bob Seger's, Turn the Page; Leonard Cohen’s, Hallelujah; Larry Norman’s, The Great American The Norman tune is a great protest song, and quite appropriate for today’s chaotic world situation. It's a great thing when a performer is in tune with world affairs Jack’s original music included titles as, “Did I Lie to You,” “I Don't Know,” and “I Don't Want to Write No Sad Songs,” and a few others. Indeed, Jack sang well beyond the hour you get from most SL performers. His sound is mellow, with a folksy-blues style, and the song selections were perfect for his voice. On a whole the performance was a synergy of space and sound, the vocals and the architectural choices all came together very nicely. His voice was sounded like warm, blueberry pie on an early spring day. Go see him and have a slice on me.

And so, the Underground Garage seems back in business.  Upwards of 40 people came by, so the restart was quite successful. Several old-timers from the early days of the club came by. People told me that it felt like the old days.

Read More

FURZONA II – FRACTURED – A MARVEL IN HIGH-TECH: BYJOSH (THOMAS1 BELLIC)

I recently attended the Grand Opening of the hottest, most creative, and arguably the absolute finest club to be found anywhere on the grid in the past 16 years! Furzona – Fractured.  The first impression you get when you land at the arrival area for Furzona 2020, is one of space.  The sightlines extend off into the distance.  As you look out over the expanse, your eyes are drawn to the DJ platform at the far end of the massive dance floor.  Almost three stories tall from floor to ceiling with balconies and comfortable lounge areas, interspersed with expansive gaming areas. This sim is the result of a true team effort, using a software development approach, with Game as the designer, and Aki Norin as the builder, bringing the dream to (second)Life.

And then there are the people.  The electronic energy of the room is magnified by the bodies of the dancers, Club staff, and other onlookers. While the bulk of the group is on the dance floor itself, others wander around the club grounds, exploring this monument to Imagination, descending the grand staircase, admiring the artwork, or exploring the many kiosks that line the entry area with items found nowhere else on the entire grid.

It was there, tucked away in the corner of the room, I found Game Wylder, one of the true Visionaries behind Furzona.  

JOSH BELLIC (JB): Hi there, Game.  What an amazing new place you have here.  In what ways is Furzona II different from its predecessor?  What makes this place truly unique among sims?

GAME WYLDER (GW): The difference between V1 (our anniversary build) and V2 (Fracture), is mostly our expansion. We wanted to expand the entire venue, expanding upon not only the physical form, but also the concept of the club. We wanted to re-incorporate EVERY aspect of the original build in the new one. We didn't just want to build it bigger, but Better. We wanted to take the six months of research and development into a massive overhaul of the entire experience.

JB:  Fracture is obviously much larger than the original Furzona. In fact, with few exceptions, it is probably larger than most every club out there today.  What is the capacity of Club Fracture?

GW:  Since we used to share the sim with other parcels, it used to be under 100 patrons, but now, we can go as high as 110. We've fit up to 90 people in the previous club, but it felt claustrophobic. Now, we can stuff 100 people in here with it still feeling spacious.

JB:  Are Mesh builds really that much better? What advantage does a “Full Mesh Build” have over a Prim- build?

GW:  Prims are good, but when making complex structures, Mesh is the way to go. We can make way more dynamic builds when we do it straight from Blender. The biggest advantage is the optimization when the club is empty, a moderate machine should be able to run up to 90 FPS. We wanted to make sure Furzona can run on almost any machine.

JB:  This is the first I have heard of Furzona II.  How long has Fracture been in development?

GW: It's been in development for about 2 months, we've kept it a very close secret between managers. We wanted to take our time on this project. The last build felt somewhat rushed, whereas this one feels extremely flushed out and optimized.

JB:  I see signs around the place that talk about “Red versus Blue”?  What is that concept as it applies to your club here?

GW: Furzona has always been a Red and Blue themed club. So, we like to play on the Red vs Blue theme, that is prevalent in most games like Halo.

JB:  You have an area on the upper level called the Wall of Gratitude.  What is that all about?

GW:  We recently started up a Patreon for any people who wish to support the club ( http://www.Patreon.com/clubfurzona.  We had a lot of people approach us, and ask us how they could donate, so we decided to setup a way for them to do it proper. The Wall of Gratitude is a wall designed for those who support us at the $5 tier.

JB:  Tell us about some of the events you plan for Fracture?

GW:  We will continue to do our weekly events.  Our next event after Fracture is the GYC pride event on the 26th.  GYC is one of the Adult Furry Clubs on the Grid, it stands for Gay Yiff Club lol. It's the #1 Furry club in SL. So, we wanted to work with GYC to do a LGBTQ+ Pride event, and we're hosting that next week. Outside of that, we are planning seasonal events, like a summer event, some video game themed events, and community events!

JB:  Are you already thinking about your next grand Project?  And what might that be?

GW:  One step at a time, we wanted to put all our focus on Fracture before thinking about the next big thing. Rest assured, now that Fracture is open, we have begun planning for our next big thing.

JB:  Is there anything else you would like our readers to know about Fracture? The floor is yours, Sir.

GW:  We wanted to thank all of our staff and patrons for supporting us through these past 6 months. We couldn't have made it without your support. Fracture is our gift to all of those who have supported us. We wanted to re-design the club to feel more like a home to all of you. So please, enjoy.

So, there you go, Folks.  If the clubs you are used to visiting have become kinda cold and stale, then you need to TP your pixeled buttocks on over to FURZONA FRACTURED for the HOTTEST tunes, the HOTTEST lightshows, and the HOTTEST  DJs on the grid!    See ya there!  Aloha!

Josh 

SURL:   http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Furzona/64/71/2013

Read More

Lanai's Diary: Entry 6/21/20- The buffoonery that is in SL Business work ethic is just ridiculous

Dear Diary, 

It has been a while since I’ve cracked open my diary and unloaded my thoughts about Second Life.  Sometimes I’m like… wow SL is still really awesome after all these years and other times I scratch my head at the buffoonery and think WTF….just WTF.

I’m talking about work ethics. Not morale ethics because we all know there are some questionable things going on in Second Life. I’m not a judge and jury but I would say a lot of activities are acceptable by the culture. I’ll leave that up to you to decide what is moral or borderline squint worthy.

One of the most important components needed to support Second Life’s economy is Business. To be successful you must build trust with the community. Have a great business and marketing plan put together and to top it off a disciplined work ethic.

I don’t have to be captain Obvious to tell you that.

Business is business no matter how you look at it. It doesn’t matter if it is in a virtual world manned by pixel CEO and employees. When a product or service is exchanged for currency. A business transaction has occurred. At that point, accountability and professionalism become a thing if you want to keep “earning” business.

Those are not the only things business owners need to succeed. Customer Service is the cherry on top for the best businesses and practices in the virtual world.

I’ve traveled the grid and have met many business owners through the years. The very first creator I encountered was in my noob days. There I was barefoot exploring and minding my own business when I stumbled upon an affordable shoe store.  I tried to put on some blocky heels. One ended up strategically placed up my backside. Thank goodness avies don’t feel pain I would have been hurtin!

 Anyway,  I was all bent out of shape literally and messaged the creator all frantic and accused them of playing a sick joke. 

I didn’t know any better and was paranoid of griefers.  It turns out the business owner wasn’t a griefer and assisted me in removing the footwear from where it did not belong. I was grateful for the help and it gave me a better understanding and newfound respect for virtual world business and how it is just like real business.

Customer service has been on a downward spiral with the introduction of bots greeters and automatic information givers that have taken the place of an actual Avie at the business location. Many are left standing around with questions or needing support and they are forced to leave an offline message or drop a notecard for help on something that could take 5 minutes but has now extended to 2 days with a follow up pending. It all becomes so frustrating.

Bad Customer Service 

Recently I was at a popular skins store helping someone try to figure out how they could get rid of the infamous “Dirt neck” situation that occurs when purchasing a mesh head and body with tones that do not match perfectly. For those who are familiar with mesh, skins help with the problem in some cases.

 Upon landing at this packed skin store, there was no customer service to be found. In desperation asking anyone who would offer some help and being led in all kinds of wrong directions. Something as simple as purchasing a skin or blender or whatever it was needed to solve the problem became a week long quest in search of alternative remedies to just fix the problem and still no response from the skin creator or other representative of the brand. That ish gotta stop. At this point just collecting lindens from avies but not really helping them is just not right.  Get it together or I’m taking names on  brands that have poor customer service.

Friend List Conference- Event Shoutouts.

Ok now this right here has got to be the most annoying feature to have when used as a group notice.  So imagine having 1626 friends and about a third of them insist on friend list conferences to spam events or carry on whole conversations. This can really light up your IMs like a christmas tree causing you to nearly have a seizure.

I try my best to just close it out since I don’t really want to unfriend them. At one point I even created a PSA to cut and paste in the conferences to promote SLE. That tactic didn’t work so I tried to make myself invisible. Sighs. I’m lost for ideas on how to go about this in the most professional way I can. If you happen to be a friend , please don’t include me in friend list conference spamming. Thank you.

If you come across this with groups you are in , you can easily solve the problem by opting out of receiving group notices.

Arrogance

In business, it is best to remember where you came from if you have any ounce of humbleness remaining once you hit “the big time”. If there is  one thing that gets under my skins it is those SL business owners who act like they don’t sit in the same infamous David statue “The Thinker” position whilst using a bathroom.

 A Positive attitude is always a good thing so leave the big head at the door, or you might get stuck in the door frame. Like a well known swinger beach club owner with a sandal wedged up his (BLEEP) sideways…. I won’t go there but he knows who he is. Or that makeover service provided who goes rogue buying the wrong stuff with their client’s lindens and somehow blames the patron for an unsatisfactory job done.

I think I let out what I needed to say on this topic for now. If you have suggestions or comments about business ethics please feel free to comment in the box below and please use your avie name, anonymous seems so stupid when the comment is nasty.

Lanai Jarrico

Read More