Fusion Magazine - January 2014

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FUSION

i s s u e - f i v e JANUARY-2014



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P U B L I S H E R Libby Farleigh

L E A D - D E S I G N Libby Farleigh

FA S H I O N - E D I T O R Daija Arida

MARKETING-MANAGER December Dollinger

FUSION S t a f f contributors


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Bliss Windlow Rylan Carling Chaotic Monday Auryn Beorn

R

S

PHOTOGRAPHERS Rylan Carling Harvest Dezno Jada Tigerpaw Ivana Lockhart

FA S H I ON - T EA M Emilianamarie

Alex1985 Diabolito

On this month's cover:

Photography by Jess Orleans Modeled by Falbala Fairey

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Oakley Foxtrot



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NOTE-FROM-THE-PUBLISHER

W

e've got a bit of a mixed bag this issue. Firstly it's our first issue since the New Year, so we've got a couple of New Year related articles for you, but it's also our last issue before Valentine's Day, so we wanted to cover that too. I know, I know, Valentine's is one of those times that really divides opinion. It's all fine and dandy for those of you in relationships, and we do cater to you guys with Rylan Carling's beautiful top date venues feature, but what about those of us who are single? Some of you are probably like me in that you're single through choice. I know being alone, and being happy alone is a foreign concept to a lot of people. Most humans yearn for that couple status, and quite naturally so. I do, however, believe that learning to enjoy and be content with one's own company is often something that is overlooked, often to our own detriment. I think learning to accept who we are as individuals and not defining ourselves by our relationships makes us stronger. I think there is strength in being able to say 'I'm alone, and it is by choice'. Because it really is a choice. It's very easy in these perma-connected times to find someone to be with and by rejecting the idea that anyone is good enough, we enforce within ourselves that we're worth more. Whatever your relationship status this Valentine's Day, I hope you are able to find some time to invest in yourself as an individual. In the words of the indomitable Whitney Houston, learning to love yourself really is the greatest love of all.


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picture by Libby Farleigh


New Year

r e s o l u t i o n s by Bliss Windlow

I am always amused that New Year’s brings with it a whole focus on self and improvement that seems to last about a nanosecond of time. At best it signifies we are aware that we are not perfect. At worst, it pretty much underlines in big red ink, those things that we consider most important in life, usually meaning, the way we look and how much money we have, the thing is our goals for each year are almost always the same, because we never seem to accomplish them. We are creatures of habit. We are more comfortable with the dysfunction we know than we are with the happiness we seek. People who have a brush with death do not always stop smoking or drinking, or are able to exercise more and eat differently. Even their own lives in jeopardy cannot induce them to make the necessary changes.


So perhaps this year the goal should be to understand yourself, who you are, what your needs are and why you do the things you do. Accepting that you are who you are, some great things and some not so great things, is key. Sometimes understanding that, “Hey, I enjoy food and I want to eat with wild abandon what I want and when I want,” can be the impetus to setting up a more realistic health plan. In this case you might decide to stop focusing on starving yourself and put more effort into smaller portions of what you like and a more active health style. On the other hand you might just say, “I am going to get off the body image treadmill all together and stop feeling guilty about it. This is who I am.” That is a choice you get to make.

It really is worth the effort. 

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Knowing yourself and being comfortable in your own skin is the gateway to a happier life where you will feel more in control and empowered to make choices that have a chance to bring you real happiness.



by Rylan Carling

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�Dating Destinations�



"Atelier Kreslo is the perfect spot for a casual date. Buy a coffee, or a tea, and sit together in a cafÊ on a shopping sim, enjoying each other’s company. Atelier hosts festivals and you can pick up cookies & cupcakes, depending on the theme at the time. Who knows, if things go well, you can cross the stream and buy a house!"

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Atelier Kreslo



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"Majilis Al Jinn is an island of worn ancient cliffs, sheltering a garden of wonders. The intention of this sim is to create a mystical East, encompassing the wonder of 1001 Nights and Prince of Persia. Explore the grand castle, the enchanting grounds, and venture into the sunken ancient temple hidden beneath the palace. This is a perfect setting for both the adventurer and romantic!"

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Majilis Al Jinn



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"The Basilique Playhouse is located on an adult sim but there is no nudity in the play and the sim itself is not what you would typically find when you think 'adult'. Come to the theater and check out the current schedule. Go and see Romeo and Juliet and impress your love with your appreciation for the arts, what a perfect date!"

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The Basilique Playhouse



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Venexia

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"Venexia is a dark action roleplay sim, however, it is worth the exploration and the setting is magnificent. Make sure you wear your 3 day explorer tag and hop on the gondola to make your way to the city. Bring your poseballs for a picture opportunity, or dances to dance the night away under the stars, it’s rez friendly! It’s your date, make the best of it!"



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Pangloss

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"Pangloss in one word is breathtaking. Dress up in a white suit, gentlemen and, women in your light, flowy dresses and step into this fairytale. Romantic spots can be found scattered across the pink backdrop. Find the secret cave and see where it leads you! This is the place to go to make your heart go pitter-patter."


LINKS SCAM

or LEGIT

Greetings! The rise in incidents of stealing accounts by spreading misleading links has made many people so scared of links, that they refuse to click any of them. This may cause us to reject valid, beneficial links, because we systematically reject them without understanding why. This article's goal is to explain how web addresses are built, so we can understand what makes a link valid or not.

by Auryn Beorn

In a nutshell, a link consists of three main parts: Protocol://Server/Page Protocol specifies technical details about how the information is transferred. We don't need to know the details, but at least recognize the most used ones: http and https. After protocol, we always find the characters :// together. What comes next, before the next / character, is the server. Then, after the following / character, what we find is the specific page within the server (which may be located under a certain folder, so we may find several / characters). The important thing for us is to learn how the server name is built. First: Server names are built of two or more parts. Parts are always separated by a dot . character. Second: At a minimum, there's first a domain name, and following that, a top level


domain (TLD) like com, com.es, gov, co.uk, etc. For example: http://secondlife.com/ The server is secondlife.com. The domain name is secondlife. The TLD is com. Then, there may be at least a subdomain name preceding the domain name. It will also be separated by a dot from the domain name. For example: http://wiki.secondlife.com/ This link is the wiki subdomain within the secondlife domain, TLD being com. Official links from SL will always have secondlife as domain, com as TLD. Phishing links are built by creating domain names that resemble the original names, to trick us. Now we can understand why the following links are not valid SL links: http://market.secondlifecom.com/ (Domain name is... secondlifecom? That's not secondlife!) http://altervista.secondlifemarket.co.uk/ (Again, domain name is not secondlife) http://marketplace.seconlife.com/ (Double check domain names for spelling! This one says seconlife, that's not secondlife!) and why the following links are valid:

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/

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https://id.secondlife.com/

Remember before entering any login and password data to check the web address in your browser. If it does not conform to the rules explained, then do not enter any data. Stay safe. Enjoy your SL. ď Ž


FUSION COVER MODEL article by Chaotic Monday photography by Skip Staheli


SUPERMODEL

fairey

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af lbala


F

albala first found out about SL in 2006 from her real life brother. She was immediately intrigued and wanted to join, but unfortunately didn't have her own computer or internet connection until February of 2008, when she immediately joined Second Life. The first three days of her Second Life were spent as an Alien avatar. Slowly, during that time, she explored ways to change her appearance using the sliders for her shape and clothing. During her first two years in SL, she held a variety of jobs, everything from DJ to dancer, club manager and at one point, she even designed furniture and clothing. During this busy time in her SL, she still found time to invest in roleplaying, and at one time, even had her own roleplaying sim built to mirror the beauty of the Avatar movie. While she owned this sim, she came in contact with a modeling agency CEO. In April of 2010, she was asked to model. Over the next few years, she continued to work and took over a modeling academy, Next Generation Academy. She ran this by herself, and continued to participate and compete in contests, eventually winning “Miss Avatar World 2011” and “Miss VW Germany 2012”. Now, after nearly four years of modeling and contests, she says she finally feels accomplished. She has established herself as a photographer for designers such as Finesmith, Mea Culpa and Angel Dessous. She also blogs, and gives private lessons to those in need of modeling help or advice. She loves to help people feel more confident on the runway or during any other aspect of modeling. In October of 2013, she took up the numerous challenges of the Miss Virtual World pageant and has the pleasure of being the official Director for both Mr. Virtual World and Miss Virtual World. Currently, Falbala is also looking forward to being a German and English teacher for the Miss Virtual World Academy.


She no longer pursues contests, but she continues challenging herself in other ways; such as modeling as an elf. She took a risk by not staying completely human, but she felt it was a risk worth taking as SL isn't just for humans anymore. She knows that SL consumers aren't just human, and the fashion world of SL should be just as flexible as the SL avi can be. She embraces the fantasy of SL and so far, it has paid off for her. It makes her smile to see other models bringing in aspects of fantasy in their modeling and likes to think she has made a small difference somehow. Her favorite things also center on the rich fashionista world that she loves so much. She loves the fantasy that avant garde, and haute couture designers bring out. White Armory, Mea Culpa, Champagne Sparkling and Desir would be her picks for clothing. For furniture, it was a hard pick for her, as she is usually on her platform or in a chaotic parcel filled with photography props. But, if pressed to choose, she would go with LISP or Pandemonium for their fantastical designs that are usually perfect for her photographs. Her favorite photographer was an easy choice, she went with family. But when your SL father is Skip Staheli who could argue a daughter's love? She credits his amazing ability to bring out the emotion in a picture, which really blows her mind. As for bloggers, that was a stalemate for her. She couldn't decide on one specific blogger, because in her words, her favorites change from day to day.

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When asked what SL was lacking or what it needs more of, she loudly and resoundingly said RESPECT. It's disheartening to her to see people with important tags such as CEO or OWNER over their head treat others with such disregard. She is the first one to admit that humility and a good attitude brought her farther than any tag or title she could ever wear. ď Ž


NOT

resolutions, R

GOALS! by Rylan Carling

esolutions are meant to never be met. They are simply a to-do list that gets left on the kitchen counter, piled on with junk-mail, and then recycled, never to be looked at again. Resolutions get broken as soon as the hangover from New Year’s Eve diminishes and becomes a blurred memory. Let this year be the year of short-term goal setting, especially if you’ve been in SL for a longer period of time. No, seriously, it’s not as bad as it sounds! Start off with thinking about things that you have never done, but have always been interested in doing. It could be as simple as you having a curiosity about something, add it to your list! Don’t make this overwhelming, think of your top 5 choices. The Destination Guide is your key to practically everything. Depending on your availability, set a goal that is attainable, without stressing yourself out. How about picking a new place to venture out to once a month? Surely you can hit that Destination Guide, open it up, and randomly pick a new place to visit. Who knows what adventure awaits you out there? The Destination Guide can be found in your SEARCH tools.


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] The Pixel Bean Coffee House ]


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Step off that platform and be social! You would think in a virtual venue like this, socializing would be obvious and secondhand. Well, not so much. Many people suffer some degree of social anxiety and even behind the safety of a computer screen and a good-looking avatar, the anxiety is still very present. Take baby steps, you don’t have to be the life of the party, you don’t even have to interact, but try going to a venue that includes others being present. The perfect example of one such place is The Pixel Bean Coffee House. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Mist/206/50/2 You’ll find a calendar of events, including such things as Poetry Night. If that’s not your thing, look up music events, concerts are always taking place and it gives you an opportunity to see what talent is out there in our virtual world! Each person is here for his/her own reasons, and some have issues that they seek to overcome. One such inworld group offers solace to those with depression, people who have loved ones with depression, those who have attempted suicide and those that have lost someone to suicide. You can find SOS, Survivors of SuicideDepression Support Group, in your search tab or by visiting. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Schoomere/164/37/23 The group offers peer to peer support group meetings, and the chat feature as a 24/7 support. The mentors also help find real life support that is local when possible. If you are interested in possibly becoming a mentor, there are plenty of opportunities as well.


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] SOS Support Group ]


How about watching some fabulous tutorials? There are a number of programs out there including, but not limited to, Photoshop, Blender, QAvimator, etc. Let some of those creative juices flow and make something! It doesn’t have to be the next best thing, but everyone starts somewhere, don’t they? If you feel you are stuck in a rut and doing the same old thing, why not take a shot at some of the programs? Tutorials are available at your fingertips and it might be nice to throw yourself into something new for a while. Go out there and conquer your goals! GOOD LUCK! 

] Be a Newbie Mentor ]


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] Learn Something New ]


� Metallurgy by Bliss Windlow

I

t’s the New Year and perhaps you were lucky enough to have scored one or two great new pieces to add to your jewellery collection. Perhaps also, like many women, you struggle to know how to use your pieces so that they add to an outfit and look effortless instead of looking like your necklace is wearing you. Look for balance. Depending on your dress style you may not even want a necklace – a stunning bracelet may be the one bold piece you are looking for. Belts can be jewellery if you need some added bling or colour and don’t just look to wear them in the traditional ways. In addition, here are some suggestions regarding necklines that may help. Tank type dresses that you want to just flow or hang need their simplicity so forget a belt. A necklace might also take away from that flow. Consider multiple rings or ear cuffs instead of earrings. Remember you can wear rings on all your fingers AND above or below your knuckle. Experiment.


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photography by Harvest Dezno



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Sweetheart necklines look best with earrings that are well above the shoulder and a single statement piece necklace that sits well above the actual defined neckline. Pendant type necklaces work best in a deep V, and you could layer with varying lengths. Your earrings can also be bolder and more showy. A halter dress is probably one where you skip the necklace and go for a single bold or many bangles. You could also wear some shoulder dusting earrings depending on the print etc of the dress. Backless dresses can look great with a belt. It is unexpected and can put some bling where needed. Again earring and bracelets can be the focus, or you might consider a necklace that actually sits down the back but pay close attention to how it presents in the front. You want to look good from all views. One shoulder dresses scream for bold bracelets and/or stunning statement earrings; crew neckline allows for multiple necklaces of all kinds and a strapless gown is often best without a necklace but with some statement earrings. There is a lot to be said for pulling out all your jewellery and trying your different pieces in different combinations with your outfits. Try colours that seem impossible, you might be surprised what makes that blue dress pop. Above all, and perhaps more important than any rules for how to pull together an outfit, is your confidence and attitude when you walk out your front door. If you aren’t questioning what you have done, chances are no-one else will either. ď Ž


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FUSION

Picture Contest Thank you so much to our entrants! The judges all agreed these three participants were the best of the bunch so many congratulations to Tilly, Polly and our grand prize winner Annelly. Keep an eye open as you'll be contacted with your winnings in the next couple of days! Our next contest will be open from next month and we're excited to see what everyone comes up with for the next one.


3rd place

TinkerTilly Resident

Polly Elan

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2nd place



1st place

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AnnellyStone Resident



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Fashion Editor N O T E

H

ope you all had a happy and safe New Year. And from our family to yours, I hope you all achieve all the goals you set for yourself this year and the years to come!

This month I have harassed a few people and have featured them in this month’s Fashion Section. Diarmuid Miklos & Lauryn Arado (who is my current blog crush) are the 'Looks of the Month' for January. All of our normal line ups are back and fun, so I hope you enjoy the magazine!

Thanks so much!!!

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If you have any questions or suggestion, please feel free to email me at daijaarida@gmail.com


blogger's corner

By Alex1985 Diabolito

Its the third week into 2014 and I've already broken my resolution of trying to spend less in SL so I decided to show you some of the cool stuff I have bought recently. This month I've been in an 'urban wear' kind of mood and with so many stores doing relevant releases I didn't have to hunt for stuff for too long.


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Skin David from Tableau Vivant Hair Tableau Vivant - Dreadlow Shirt Not so Bad - Billy Denim Shirt Pants Chronokit - Parachute Pants


Skin David from Tableau Vivant Hair Action - Paul Jacket Kal Rau - Leather Jacket M2 Pants Kal Rau - Casual Chinos Shoes 2Real - Holbrookz


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O N E I T E M THREE OUTFITS


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BY EMILIANAMARIE



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looks of the month

Modeled & Photographed by Diarmuid Miklos http://www.flickr.com/photos/ispachi/


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Modeled & Photographed by Lauryn Arado http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurynarado/ http://slstylehunter.com/

73



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Article by Bliss Windlow & Photography by Ivana Lockhart

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Valentines


Y

ou know when they make the big Valentine box at school and all the kids bring their Valentine’s to put in that box?? And then, you all make little Valentine baskets to take your Valentine’s home?? Ya well . . . that sucked.

It is kind of like giving people at the casinos a bucket for all their winnings when they first sit down to play the poker machines. Let's face it, not everyone is going to be a winner and having a bucket with 1 coin or no coins is really depressing, especially when someone is dancing around with their full bucket and screaming "YAHOOOOOO look at me!!" I hate that. Winners should be quietly demure and not in everyone's face about it. Like the losers should be allowed to walk the runway and have songs sung about beauty and be given a bouquet at a beauty pageant, not the freaking QUEEN. She already won the car, all the money and the year of everyone fawning over her. She should just go home and get some sleep. Valentine’s Day at school was never fair. Some suck-up gets chosen to be the mail man and then they hand out all the Valentine’s and you sit with your one valentine in your basket, the one from your brother, because your grandparents made him. Then, some stupid girl named Corrine Jackson is saying things like, "oh my gosh, I have sooooo many Valentines, I need another basket ... a heh heh heh heh heh....” and the cute boy would laugh when he read your valentine to him and show everyone and snort and laugh before he ripped it up and cuddled up to the girl with the long perfectly straight hair. The teacher would shake the box and say there had to be at least one Valentine in the box for you and she would find it, and it would be the ugliest Valentine of all the ones handed out and she would smile and say, "Oh look, here's one for you


Blissy. From me!" "Don't patronize me Miss Blainey, I may be only 5 but that smile on your face diminishes me, and sadly, you!" After two years of that, I just made my own arrangements. I bought the biggest pack of Valentines I could find, made them out to me, and signed all the kids in the class' names to them. I would have gotten away with it too except that there were only 31 kids in the class and I had 283 Valentines. Some of them were signed with things like "love Queen Elizabeth," "love you forever, Davy Jones," and "your biggest fan, Santa." I guess it just wasn't believable.

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I think some of those kids knew that Santa wasn't real.


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