Category: second life blogs

So Much GEEK!!!!

So Much GEEK!!!!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

So the Geeks And Nerds Fair, a hugely anticipated event, has finally hit the grid, and it is rather good indeed.  If you’re a proud Geek or Nerd in real life then you will really appreciate the time and effort that has gone into producing this event, and the quality products that you’ll find on sale. There’s a predominately Sci-Fi vibe to the event, with nods to Star Wars and Doctor Who, as well as the obligatory Harry Potter inclusions and a few old school references as well. 

I’m a total Geek so wasn’t really paying much attention to the Nerdy stuff  but I can vouch that Nerds are well accommodated here, although the event seems to be predominately Whovian, which is to be expected because it began during the Doctor Who 50th weekend.  I sure as hell ain’t complaining! You’ll find all sorts of Who-related gubbins, from Tardis teapots, to necklaces as well as the celebrated range of Whovian inspired outfits from Damien Fate. If you want to be Doctors 11 and 12, or the companions Rose Tyler and Amy Pond, then at last , courtesy of Damien’s mad mesh skills, you can be.  Damien’s costumes are fantastic re-imaginings of the clothing worn in the show and the ladies outfits in particular stand up to being worn in their own right. They’re pricey, but if you’re a committed Doctor Who fan these outfits are essential additions  to your wardrobe.

This is quite a compact event , ripe for photographs (look out for the Dalek and K9!) and I came home laden with goodies.  I particularly loved SECOND SPACES array of power strips and cables, joypads, cartridges and the Tardis pencil-holder. MISH MISH have produced two fantastic collectibles based on famous, nay, iconic Sci-Fi characters for the event, Mr. Spoon (NOT the guy from ‘Button Moon’) and Princess Donut. The best thing about these is they look just as awesome in their packaging as they do out! Something else that I really love is the  ‘Bird Nerd’ set from LARK.  As usual, Sienia has failed to disappoint with her creations and has used beautiful textures in her work. These have been applied with a delicate touch, which has added to the realism of this set. Everything a bird watcher would have in their fancy is included; Binoculars, field guide, calendar, and other assorted bird-watching finery, including an astonishingly pretty desk.ISON clothing are well represented at the event too. and the Wookie bag. I have raved about ISON before on these pages, and guess what, I’m doing so again. They’re selling a sweater/shirt combo at the event that you can manage via a hud. This means that you can change the shirt textures, and also choose to display an embossed logo on the chest area of your sweater. It’s fantastic; no issues when worn and fits straight out of the box, which is exactly what you need! I’ve never had any issues with ISON clothing and I don’t think I ever will, they’re just such a good brand:) Finally  you MUST check out Elephante poses at the event. They’re super-creative, enabling you to suggest motion perfectly in your snaps. There are a number of pose-packs from Elephante (and other equally awesome pose-makers) at the event but I must draw your attention to the ‘When We Were Young’ pack which I am using for these images.  These are Gacha winnings and evoke whimsy beautifully. You can take a cheeky peak at all of these items and more by checking out the Seraphim coverage of the event.

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Finally, while we’re on a Geeks & Nerds trip, Strawberry Singh’s weekly Meme challenge was all about the same subject this week.  Here are my answers!

1. What do you consider yourself to be? Geek? Nerd? Dork? None of the above? All of the above? I’m a Geek for sure; but there is also a nerdy side to me too. I adore History, and Archaeology, especially Ancient History. Egyptology is probable my favourite topic, and I pay an annual pilgrimage to the British Museum to get my history fix. (This year we saw an exhibition there about Herculaneum and Pompei which was pretty spectacular.)

2. What was the first computer you ever owned? The first computer I ever owned was a Toshiba MSX! It was BRILLIANT, but was a bit of a niche item in the UK. MSX never really caught on like Spectrum and Commodore, which was a shame because it was pretty superb for the time graphically if I recall correctly!) I used to buy MSX magazines and my Father and I would code in the games . It would take an afternoon to type in all the code and by the end all we would have achieved would be a crappy tank rolling across the screen, but it was a huge bonding experience. I used to buy my games on tape from a market stall on Chesterfield market. They were Mastertronic games,  and I’d zoom home happily to insert them into my tape recorder and play them.  To think, these days kids won’t experience the joy of loading a game from tape. Remember the sound it made? “Deeee-doop. Deeee-dodopdkddopdkdpskspsss….” There was nothing worse than waiting ten minutes for a game to load only for it to crash as well…

 3.When and how did you first get on the internet?  I think I first got onto the internet in 1996. I had a website and my own domain at one point that I just used to stick crappy photos and shitty gifs on! I used to use a program called ‘Pirch’ for IRC chat, and would spend my evenings chatting to people all over the world on that.

 4. Which Geek fandom do you subscribe to?  LOTS of them! I love Sci-Fi, and am a huge fan of Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who,  Battlestar Galactica and Fringe. I also adore The Walking Dead, and Breaking Bad. I collect comics and Catwoman figurines, as well as erm…My Little Pony plushies!  In fact I love so many things it’s scary! I wear tees and hoodies that declare my love to all around me and I am a very proud 40 year-old geek indeed.

 5.Star Wars or Star Trek?

Are you kidding me?! BOTH!!!!!

 6. How Geeky are you? Apparently I’m 74% Geek, and I’m quite chuffed by that result because it was a tough quiz! I don’t think I’ll ever change, indeed I hope that I don’t. I love being a geek and being passionate about it, even though it really can be very alienating. (never has a phrase been more apt!) Mind you, I live with a Geek.  My fella collects Arcade Machines and is a World Champion after all, so I doubt that I’ll ever change!

Dare To Stare into The Blackened Mirror on December 1st!

Dare To Stare into The Blackened Mirror on December 1st!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Imagine a TV series that features all the very best elements of film noir, Steampunk and horror and you’ve pictured  ‘The Blackened Mirror’.

The series returns for a second season  on Treet TV, Aview and a showing on Metaverse Week in Review later this week. If you visit the official page you can catch up with all the episodes from the first season, as well as read character profiles too.  This season features a guest star too; Peter Jurasik (Londo Mollari in Babylon 5).  This season promises intrigue, mystery and fabulous entertainment; you’ve only a few days to wait before the first episode airs! Click HERE to visit (and like!) the official Facebook page.

NEW RELEASE: The Toronto Kitchen from Bazar

NEW RELEASE: The Toronto Kitchen from Bazar

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

Feast your eyes on this bad boy; and yes, feast is perhaps the most appropriate term of phrase because this, boys and girls, is the totally scrummy delicious Toronto kitchen from Ria Bazar. 

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When Ria kindly sent me this package, I opened it and this is precisely what I did:

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(Click on the picture above for a larger version and you’ll see why)

Once I had finished wiping the drool from my monitor and keyboard I got to playing about with the items included.  The Toronto Kitchen is a modern, modular set-up that you build using the components included in the package, so you have tons of freedom to design your dream kitchen to  fit perfectly in your given space.  Like everything in the Bazar Toronto range, the kitchen is predominately wood that can be  colour-changed to light, medium and dark at the click of a button.   The open-plan styling means that you can add pots and pans and accessories to your hearts content, but the units do come complete with some lovely accessories already included, such as stainless steel kitchenware, utensils and plates.

A particularly groovy touch is the blackboard surround. This comes with a chalk-layer that you can add to the ensemble, and I’m sure you could make your own alpha-layers and write messages on them to really add the personal touch!  (Kitty-fact: I have a wall painted in black-board paint in my kitchen. I draw cats on it, rude messages for my beloved and occasionally the odd shopping list…) You’ll find shelves included in the package, as well as a light-fitting (different to the one in the main picture but equally fabulous) and a kitchen island .  There’s also a stainless-steel cooker and air-vent which adds a funky, industrial feeling to the collection.

This is a 100% original mesh production, and you can choose from either a PG OR an Adult version of the kitchen.  Of course, like all Bazar products, there are some excellent quality animations included in the package. The poses  are fantastic and will enable you to have some brilliant encounters with your loved one (although it’s a bit unhygienic being so intimate in the kitchen, don’t you think? No? Just me then.) I guess you can’t help it when feelings of desire overcome you as your chap stirs soup sensuously!  The oven  is pretty nifty and has multiple cooking modes so you can pose as a cook par excellence and ‘prepare’ soup, meat and fish, my favourite dish.  You can also wash dishes and clean the kitchen should you wish. Everything that you need to bring your virtual kitchen to life has been thoughtfully included by Ria.

Another inspired addition is that the collection includes a quick-rez version of the kitchen.  This is really useful, because it can be pretty daunting when starting a layout from scratch. Of course you can remove and replace pieces should you so wish.  This is what the quick-rez version looks like:

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Something that’s missing from these shots but features in the main image is a fridge, but Ria has that covered.   She has just added a couple of fridges to her range, and they’re just as excellent as you would expect. In my kitchen I have the Retro Fridge (Exclusive) on display. It’s a bit of a corker. For starters, it’s texture change and you can select from ten options to suit your every mood.  (I especially like the retro, lace and cat print textures.) It’s stocked with food and drink items, as well as single and couples poses too.  Some of the poses are great fun, and pretty true to life:

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Well, true-to-life if you’re the kind of girl who raids the fridge on a frequent basis. The fridge also dispenses a vast array of food and drinks through a menu, and you can wear all of them.  It’s a pretty essential item to add to your kitchen and one that offers substantial options for the very silly price of L$199. You’d be daft not to buy one. 

I’ve had great fun styling my Toronto kitchen and I’ve incorporated pieces from other elements of the Toronto range (such as the Dining Set and Toronto Study).  I have also added multiple Arcade winnings and some of my favourite kitchenware to create my dream kitchen. Isn’t it pigging divine? 

I know I harp on about Ria Bazar on these pages guys, but like I say every time, she creates items that really do make such a difference to your Second Life.  Her work is exemplary, it really is, and I wouldn’t be such a fan of it if it wasn’t.  This is going to sound daft,  but this kitchen makes me want to invite friends over for virtual dinner parties.  But I’m sure sat at my keyboard with some nibbles and a bottle of wine they’ll feel like the real thing, especially when I get very, very drunk!  Oh, and a final note, this kitchen is priced so reasonably considering the content that it’s practically a scandal. The PG version is just L$635, and the Adult version is just L$685. The retro (and modern) fridges are just L$199 each. and   The whole lot are a must buy, and you can pick them up via the marketplace or in-world at Ria’s store.

Main image includes items from the Toronto Kitchen and Dining rooms, as well as various accessories sourced from different stores across the grid. The lighting is from Trompe L’Oeil and is available at C88. 

Has Project Interesting Impacted Your Second Life?

Has Project Interesting Impacted Your Second Life?

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

In a less than positive way? The reason I ask is since Friday I’ve had unbelievable problems getting into Second Life, and when I finally manage to get in, I am surrounded by grey goo, the kind of which I haven’t experienced since 2007.

It was also around the time that Project Interesting started to get a lot of publicity and cause a buzz on the grid. If you aren’t familiar with this term, here’s a video narrated by the ever-amazing Torley Linden about it:

Now I do not know for certain that this is what is causing my problems, but it’s very coincidental. I know a few other Plurk friends and at least one other blogger who are experiencing issues as well.  Linden Lab, what the chuff have you done?!

It’s all kinds of frustrating, and if I’m being honest, upsetting too. I adore my Second Life, and I adore writing about it, but this issue has had such an impact upon me at the moment that I’m finding it hard to take photographs successfully let alone blog! (Hence my lack of updates this week.)

So what happens?  Well, when logging in I get stuck at the ‘Requesting Region Capabilities’ bar; it attempts three times before it tells me that ‘we’re having trouble connecting, there may be a problem with your internet connection or the Second Life Grid’.  Well, my internet connection is absolutely fine; I work from home so it’s imperative that my connection is viable. Nothing has changed for me; if anything I’ve been enjoying rude health in SL since I got my new graphics card. I’d fallen head over heels in love with my virtual world again, and now this issue has reared its incredibly ugly head.

If I do manage to get in-world successfully then I see grey goo.  Items in my immediate environment take an age to load, and then when they do often they blur (usually when I am trying to take pictures, grr!) I’m also experiencing issues rezzing items.

In the grand scheme of things this isn’t the end of the world, of course it’s not, but when the virtual world is such an important part of your life, as it is mine, then it’s paramount you can access it successfully. If I could turn back time I’d turn back to a week ago, when my Second Life was running smoothly and happily..now alas, it’s breaking me. Project Interesting? Project pain-in-the-arse more like.

Are you having issues in Second Life? What kind of issues are you experiencing, or have you found a solution? If you have any ideas, please help and post a comment below!