Issue 17

t r a e H

T A BE It Get? n a C d d O e w o m H o e c e l h s e t r Wtnoave u T e

n Magazi e f i l t Nigh d l r o W Your In

♥17 November 2010

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http://www.3drt.com

Contents

Editorial

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Lag

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Quality Management in Your Job DJ of the Month Hush Law Dancer of the Month SamCarter Clip

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Heartbreak Limbo Hell

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Make Him Over Hunt

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Social Event

Clubbing

I Met Paul McCartney How Odd Can It Get? Club Quintessence

Clubbing

Club Bada Bling

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Ginger’s Furniture and Decor A Day Off

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Entertainment Cover

Shopping Fashion

Being a Virtual Lesbian 96 Log out Greenie Flanagan’s Story 100

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www.heartbeatmag.co.cc

Editorial

Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you have had a lovely holiday and ate way too much candy!! We do not really celebrate it in my part of the world, however I did make a point to eat as many sweeties as I could.

In all seriousness, I am a sweeties junky! No excuses needed. The best thing about it, is that I live in the land of the best chocolate ever!

I digress, this time I am really serious, I swear! I would like to welcome first of all our new additions CompE and Traci! These amazingly gifted writers will be sharing their likes, dislikes and all together SL experiences with you.

I would like to take the time to congratulate the lovely la-

dies winners of this month’s DDesign fashionista competition.

For all of you fashion-obsessedout there, you can still participate! Who will win next month?

Last but not least, I realise that in the past few editions; we have taken on some serious subjects.

Heartbeat is all about nightlife, fun and games; however we cannot forget that behind all of these events, and fun loving sometimes crazy avatars are real people with real issues. It is an honor to be able to give them a voice.

I hope you enjoy the issue‌ xoxo Angel

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t r a e H

T A E B Your In

-World

Nightlif

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Magazin

also on issuu.com/Heartbeat-SL

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Publisher & Editor in Chief Angel Tzara Operations Mynxie Ireman (director) Marketing Chaonth Hancroft (director) Creative Alvar Inglewood (director) Cecilia Mistwalker

R Personal Assistant Zandalee Rigaud Production Assistant Annette Raymaker

R Events and PR Manager LuLu Coba

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Senior Editor Troy Aristocarnas Music Editors Creamy Mynx, Ginger Fanshaw, CompE Lockwood Entertainement Editor Traci Nubalo Technical Editor Bert Calamari Lifestyle Editors Keekee Dezno, ChloeRed Mornington, Khali Farspire Fashion Editors Arielle Boccaccio (women’s), Lars Foulsbane (men’s) Photographers MandyLeigh Sweetwater, Kala Balut, Samantha Lamont, YunMi Verwood, opie Camino, Ji Dallagio

R Heartbeat Magazine is published and managed by Integrated Talents Alliance You can find us online at www.heartbeatmag.co.cc and www.heartbeatmag.co.cc/fashion Please send all press releases and queries to info@heartbeatmag.co.cc For any advertising enquiries and kiosk requests please contact directly Chaonth Hancroft or Mynxie Ireman

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Lag

by Bert Calamari

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What Is Lag? Lag is the word we use to describe slowdown in the world of Second Life. This normally means that either Second Life doesn't respond quickly to your commands, or that in-world objects and avatars take longer than expected to appear fully. In extreme cases it can cause Second Life to crash.

When Second Life appears to you, a number of systems have to work well for it to appear smooth and responsive. These include your computer, the servers that run Second Life, and the internet that connects them. If any one of these is not operating correctly, or is overloaded, lag will be the result as the systems struggle to cope.

Some of these elements, such as your computer and your connection to the internet, are under your control, and there are actions you can take to eliminate or reduce some types of lag.

Finding The Cause To troubleshoot lag, you first need to be in a place or situation that causes it. You can then use tools within Second Life to narrow down the cause.

To use these tools, you first need to enable the Advanced menu, which is hidden by default. If you do not see this menu, simply press Ctrl-Alt-D (or Ctrl-Opt-D if you are using a Mac). You will then be able to find the lag detection tools grouped together in the Advanced menu under Performance Tools.

The first, and simplest, tool is the Lag Meter. This displays lights indicating the status of your computer, the network and the server.

An orange or red light next to one of these means it is causing lag.

For more detail, the Statistics Bar can be displayed from the same location on the Advanced menu. This displays a long list of changing values giving infor-

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mation about the performance of your computer, your network connection, and Second Life itself. The items to focus on are: -FPS: A low value here is one of the main causes of lag, as it indicates how quickly information is updated on your screen. This will be largely dependant on the specifications of your computer, how many objects and avatars are nearby, and if they are moving or interacting.

-Packet Loss: a value above 10% indicates a problem with your internet connection, although it can also be caused by errors in the sim you are currently in.

-Total Frame Time: a value of less than 22ms means that the sim is running well, but higher values mean it is overloaded and could cause everyone there to experience lag.

The final tool shows Avatar Rendering Cost values. This is used by content creators to help them

make items that are less likely to cause lag.

Reducing Lag If you are experiencing lag and the tools indicate a cause within your own computer there are a few actions you can take to combat it.

If Second Life seems generally slow, try closing any other applications that are open. These can affect Second Life, especially processor and memory-intensive applications such as Photoshop.

You can also try reducing your graphics settings by opening the Preferences window (found on the "Me" menu in Viewer 2, and the Edit menu in earlier versions of Second Life). Moving the slider to the left will reduce the level of detail displayed, which will increase your framerate and speed up Second Life.

More options can be found by checking the "custom" check-

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box. This displays additional sliders and settings, giving you more control and allowing you to set the level of detail for each type of item individually.

If reducing these settings helps, you may want to look at upgrading your computer. Second Life uses the graphics card heavily, especially at higher graphical detail settings. Upgrading this will allow you to use higher settings without lag. In addition, at least 1Gb of memory is recommended, or 2Gb for Windows Vista or above.

Up to date minimum and recommended system specifications, as well as lists of supported graphics cards, are always available on the Second Life website (www. secondlife.com). A link to the current system requirements can always be found on the "Download Second Life" page.

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Quality Ma in your your busin in Secon

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anagement job and ness here nd Life by lars foulsbane

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The definition of quality is quite simple. "the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs."

This definition is general. I want to distinguish that to be a model is of course a job, which includes to be a service contractor. Our service, is at first the presentation of fashion in a way. Be it as a store model, on the catwalk or on a advert in a store or magazine.

The quality we need to match is depending on the clients we work for.

So, this quality is a standard we need to fulfill to have any chances to get a job. I want to maintain, that there is like a basis of expectations and you have to grow to this point, where it makes no difference to what client you work for. The clients will all agree, that you fulfill their quality demands.

I will suggest, that this condition is, when you think about it, a state you would happily perform.

I mean, nobody like to leave a casting without success, be it for an agency or a show or any other possibility to work in your job as a model.

And I believe, there are many reasons why you "didn't make it".

Of course, there is the fact that the clients just search a special type of model, which is fulfilling special qualities. For example, the client is searching a blonde model, with blue eyes. I think, your chances as a tanned model with dark hair and dark eyes are not the best.

But we all know, in Second Life, its easy to change your appearance, so when you are maybe fulfilling the standard qualities, I will talk about in a minute, you are on the right side, even if you aren't corresponding with the clients special needs and quality requirements.

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For me, the base of quality is really simple. You have walking and posing techniques and you can use them perfectly, you have a neat and clear appearance, you are sociable with the people you work with or for and you are willing to spend time for practices and rehearsals etc.

When you feel you correlate with these features of quality and you aren't getting a job, maybe you IM me after.

I want to tell you, that there will be situations, where you fulfill this quality aspects but you aren't getting the job. The reason why it happens is simple, because there are some people who are in addition to the standards, also friends of the clients, well known models, or just having something special the client prefers. Friendship, thats quite a big part of our models business. The social network is big and I think it is important to be a part of it. When I

talk about the standards of quality, I have to add that, we listen to the people in our social network and their opinion about the standards. So some standards will be enforced and some will sink in the immersion.

Now, I want to distinguish, that we have other branches here in Second Life and I can only talk about the branches I really know, maybe there are many others. Another branche next to the model business I'm assosiated with, is the branche of creators. We have many kinds of creators in Second Life. A part of them are creating wonderful fashion designs, some are related with buildings and furniture, also some are scriptors or in anway way actuaded with writing, like the editors from magazines. Another booming business is the photography.

We speak here about a huge section of service. As a creator you have some technics, maybe

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also gained through your job in Real Life, which are possible to adapt into your Second Life. You should use them as far as you can.

Your clients are from all over the world and its a hard job to correspond with their needs.

For example, someone is visiting your store and maybe looks at your advert picture or has any assosciation with your name and then the imagination is not joining the according products. That's bad for you, because this person won't visit your shop again. So

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a business person in anway way, should be interessted in a transparent market.

In general it is very important, that you always look for inovative methods to expand your business and improve.

A fashion designer, who isn't producing new clothing, can't make sure, that the business will run forever. Sure, in Second Life, we have new residents daily and they might don't know something better at the start, but they will also realize your business isn't on the high standard and not comparable with other fashion stores.

We can say, if you want to expand and when you take your business serious you have to gain a high quality standard.

Another point, next to your own products is of course the advertising. Which brings us also to the magazines, because they are a good way to advertise your products. We have some magazines in

Second Life and they can only exist, when business people want to have a stabile company. You wouldn't advertise your product or your company, when you aren't convinced about it.

My unifying idea, why I was talking quality management was that I was terrified by some business people, who obiviously have no standard or see no standard required.

It is important to set your service in a relation to your monetary aspects and your time, but please never forget, that your should always try to have a stabile quality, which is enjoyable for many people.

Thank you.

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Lucretia Robbiani

D-Design Fashionista For further information: d-designsl.blogspot.com

ta

Section title

Ezmeralda Silversmith

October Winners

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Age: 933 SL days and Seasoned in RL Rez: 3.20.08 RL Location: East Coast, USA

Dj of the Month

by Creamy Mynx

Hush Law Hush Law: It really depends on the day you ask me, but I am the Hush Law: Well DJn has been kind of person who tries to remain in my family since as far back as Diverse. Classics I don't really mix I can remember, from my father cause I think that is ruining good having Jam sessions on his reel music... but I spin most anything to reel, to my cousin DJn in the from rock to hip hop. Some days then Disco club. Music and DJn I may have you wondering what has always been a part of my life. the Hell is Hush Playing.

So therefore it was bound for me to evolve and step up and throw Where do you DJ? What is my hat in the DJ Arena. your schedule?

Why do you DJ?

What style of Music?

Hush Law: Weekly I do "Body English" which is mainly geared

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for the Ladies. A male revue on Sundays 6-8PM SLT, also on every tuesday 12 noon - 2 pm SLT. I do a talk show with my partner UncleSlappy, on BOSL Radio... my Schedule is not set in stone but the real way to keep up with me is to be in my group the "DJ Hush crew" What are your favorite 3 songs?

tivity up in Secondlife, cause I think SL would be a very different place with out DJ's... oh and to all the content creators, scripters =) they get some love too Do you have any advice for SL noobs?

Hush Law: My advice for anybody new would be to go slow, take it all in cause SL can be overwelming when you first get here.

It took me a good 6 months before I found the urban community.

Hush Law: Raheem Devaughn - Believe Simply just a powerful song. I like most of he rap group R.O.O.T.S stuff... not just one song by them. Saul WIlliams I Because the month of Nolike the collective album that he vember for some represents a put together. Amethyst Rockstar special time of Thankfulness ... is the name of Saul's album, and What are you most thankful for Norman Brown - Just a touch of in SL and / or RL? Jazz. I threw in an extra one and gave 4 favorite songs/Artists.

Hush Law: Number one I Is there Someone(s) you want would Say my RL Mom, cause to give a shout-out to? without her there would be no me; so I say thank you mom. For Hush Law: Man I would like to my RL children, I have a lil angel shout out all the DJ's in SL who who just turned 1 years old, she is Grind everyday, and Keep the ac- a blessing and I am thankful for

Dj of the Month her as well. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for all my children but just the time she came along, she is like a breathe of fresh air. Also to anybody that has ever supported me, in what I wanted to do.

This writer found *Hush Law* (what a Yummy name), to be charismatic and charming and quite strong in character. He has a sexy smooth voice and a warm enticing DJ style. He gives shout-outs to all that enter and really knows how to work an event, party or show. When you party with DJ Hush and let him know that you enjoyed his song selection he has been known to say in a friendly way "Thank you and now you've been.... HUSHED!" lol.

This is the quote on his profile...

"Always Appreciate what you have today!"

From writer Creamy Mynx ...

To those that celebrate it... **Happy Thanksgiving to you**

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by Creamy Mynx

SamCarter C About SamCarter Clip from her profile: I am 6 feet, 11 inches, 195 pounds..

My favorite color is Blue. I love tails, and glowing things. My fetishes are: Leather, Latex, Rubber, Whips and Spanks. I am hot and sexual and love to flirt. If you like to get down and dirty show me how much and PM me. I want to take you away to a place of your desire. The only thing I wonĂ­t do is voice, sorry.

my Escorting Scheduling is per my availability and our mutual time.

What do you like to do when you are not dancing?:

SamCarter Clip: I like to shop on SL and check out th new Scifi locations. Offline I am a scifi geek, I enjoy going to conventions and hanging w/ friends. I have many Sci-Fi shows I like, including Stargate (yes where my sl Where do yo work?: name comes from), Dr. Who, Eureka, just to name a few. i am also SamCarter Clip: Intimate De- part of a Pirate group called "The sirez - Monday thru Friday 6-9 Dead Pirates of Sci-Fi fandom". pm SLT. I also do Escorting and

Dancer of the Month

Clip

Rez Date: 10-24-2007 RL Location: GA, USA

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What has been your favorite memory of SL, so far?:

Any shout-outs:

SamCarter Clip: Yes to the SamCarter Clip: I love all the Staff at Intimate Desirez staff, my people I meet and the things I Friends and my Sisters... LOVE can help them with. So I would YOU GUYS! have to say the first time I met my first Newbie and got to teach him Because the month of Noand show him around. vember for some represents a special time of Thankfulness ...

Share with us your favorite What are you most thankful for tips in SL, be it dancing or just in SL and / or RL? goofing off: SamCarter Clip: In Sl I am SamCarter Clip: Just Have thankful for all the people who I fun, this is a place for you to re- have met to learn about them and invent yourself or to just make them about me has been wondernew friends. If you want to have ful. I am also grateful to SL for relationships on here be truthful giving me a place where my dirty to each other. Just because your mind can't get me in trouble LOL. Avi's doing the dating be mindful In RL I am thankful for both my that there is a RL person attached Blood family but also my Pirate to the other Avatar. Be willing to Family. My blood family may not teach and to learn while here in understand me or get me but they SL and let your mind grow. still love me and my Pirate family always gets me and always loves my for me.

Dancer of the Month

This writer found SamCarter to be oh so sweet and sexy. She radiates happiness and warmth. She is bubbly, giggly and very feminine.

She likes to IM her tippers for that added personal 1-to-1 touch instead of just emoting Thank you in local chat... I found that very appealing especially since it

can get lost in a busy, active local chat. She was a joy to talk too and makes one feel like her new best friend.

From writer Creamy Mynx to you all I wish a... **Happy Thanksgiving**

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Heartb Limbo Hell

By Khali Farspire

Social

break When I first entered the world of SL I had absolutely no idea what it was all about. I was completely unaware that one could build, be another species entirely, DJ, design, create and indulge all manner of physical pursuits, just to list a few. How green I was! I just wondered around, as my newbie/ noobie self, not knowing what to do, or rather, where to begin.

Fortunately for me, I was lucky enough to meet the right people, who have become and still remain, dear friends. Their guiding hands pointed me in the direction of skins, hair, eyes, AOs and fashion. And as a direct result my Avatar was transformed.

I was happy with the work I had done, in my eyes I looked normal, free to roam and explore without standing out in any particular way or without the occasional noob jibe that came my way (how quickly these people forget that they were once new too!). Well, at least that is what I thought O how wrong I was. My transformation saw the end of the noobie comments and introduced me to something else entirely. The SL pick-up lines! And believe me, they came thick and fast!

"Hey, great looking AVI, Wow, you are gorgeous! Do you wanna have some fun? How about a f*%^?" Original pick up lines? I think not. I certainly did not know

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what to think, although a stream of questions formed in my mind.

People can do that in SL? What else do they have here? Dating?

Marriage? Families? As I have discovered in my time here, the answer is yes to all of the above and yes to so many more questions.

Essentially, it boils down to this : what you can do in RL, you can do here, and then some! Whether you are new to SL, or a long term resident, no two days are ever the same unless you want them to be.

Your talents can be set completely free and you can indulge all of your passions. However, this comes with a warning, take heed!

Not everything in the world of SL is shiny, happy, sweet and grand.

Let me explain one issue that I see occurring time and time again.

It is all too easy to be caught up in the attention you get from others, believe me, I know. Fortunately for me I possess a level head and the barrage of atten-

tion was only flattering for a short time and I never thought for one moment that I would EVER fall for someone here in the SL world.

And this is where I admit, Dear Reader, that I was wrong. I did.

We met at a beach. He was kind, he was sweet, he didn’t use a single pick-up line and dare I say, his pixels were nicely arranged. We developed a friendship and that friendship grew. Before we knew it, we were inseparable, we were partnered, we had an apartment and our SL lives went on. Unfortunately for us what we did not count on was RL. Time passed and his obligations to RL grew until one day he was no longer here in SL. Just gone completely and utterly gone. To me, it was no less heartbreaking than if he had left in RL. I waited and waited, stuck in that dreaded limbo of not knowing what was going on. “Will he come back?” “Is he ok in RL?”, “Did I do something

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wrong?� were just some of the questions that crossed my mind.

As time passed, I was able to put him further and further back in my mind and follow other pursuits, namely working and earning those coveted Lindens.

Eventually, he did come back however things were not quite the same. We are no longer a couple but I am lucky to say we remain good friends.

My experience led me to think more and more about that state of limbo that I was left in. I have now seen it happen to many others around me completely in love and yet left waiting endlessly for the recipient of that love to return. And no gender is exclusive, it happens to both men and women. Quite frankly, Dear Reader, it is horrendous. People left behind to pine for the one that has gone missing. There they sit for countless hours, staring at their friends list in the desperate hope that they

will return. They cling desperately to the notion that they will be back, that the feelings they shared were completely mutual, asking friends if they have seen or heard anything and counting the hours and the days as proof of their loyalty and their love.

For many, this experience is no less traumatic, no less emotional than if the scenario was being played out in RL. In fact, through discussion with many others, I know that this state of limbo does impact on RL Ăąsleeplessness, loss of appetite, tears and confusion and it breaks my heart to see individuals go through this.

So, having experienced it myself, and seeing so many suffer through it as well has led me to the question: how can people prevent this from happening to them?

And the answer is obviously simple: be honest. Be honest with a potential partner and be honest with yourself. If you don’t have

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the time to commit to someone in SL, then don’t! If you decide that SL is not for you, or RL no longer allows you the time you once had for SL then face up to that fact and let your partner down gently. Don’t be a coward, disappear and leave them hanging in limbo.

It is a heartless thing to do, and a painful thing to see happen. If we chose to be more honest then yes, the hurt will still be there but there would also be finality along with it and a complete understanding of where each person stands. We all need to remember that behind every AV there is a living, breathing human being with all the emotional frailties and faults that we see in each other in real world.

However, Dear Reader, I would like to tell you that if you ever find yourself in this position, being left in limbo, SL life does go on eventually. You will experience a plethora of emotions along your

way to healing, love, anger, resentment, fear, love again, bewilderment (the list goes on and on), but believe me when I tell you, it will get better!

Over time, I have managed to move on, and I now have someone amazing in my life. And yes, we have made a promise to each other to be honest, to not disappear without a trace and to let one or the other down gently if needs be. Of course, I love to believe that we will never have that conversation but we have been honest from the start and plan to continue that way with each other.

So, donĂ­t shy away from romance or love as you never know what awaits you, but do remain honest! Take a deep breath and enjoy every experience that you have, but do remain honest! If we all adopted this approach then the heartbreak would be softened, honest!

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Keeping Yo with Khali

Keeping your Cool

our Cool i Hi Dear Readers,

I know you enjoyed reading this issue of our hot mag, from cover to cover, and I just know you are hungry for more! And, dear Reader, you shall have more because all of us at HeartBeat Magazine aim to please!

The next issue will be jam packed with lots of features for you to be able to sink your teeth into, not least of which will be my new column, 'Keeping Your Cool with Khali'.

Now, this where you get to help. Have you go a problem relating to relationships and / or sex? Does she want you to wear something you're just not comfortable with? Does he want you try some moves that just don't do it for you? Are you trapped in a relationship that is just not going anywhere? Are you being tempted by a gorgeous stranger? Have you taken things too far with someone and regretted it in the morning? Just a sample of what you can ask! I will feature, and respond, to as many questions as I can each month, from the serious to the humorous! So, get those notecards into me!

Khali Farspire

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Make Him Hunt: On Journey o Fashion

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m Over ne Epic on Male

by Troy Aristocarnas Photos by Kala Balut

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MHOH stands for Make Him Over Hunt, a search for freebie items in-world geared toward the male avatar, a Second Life species most often notoriously regarded as hopeless fashion victims who jeer at the lady shopaholics. But there may still be hope and promise in fashion for these male avis as it turned out in the MHOH, the fourth edition of which ran from September 20 to October 20.

Event

Consider some statistics first.

One hundred sixty-six stores sponsored MHOH4, up from the 150 in the hunt’s previous outing.

With these many stops in a hunt, MHOH can very well claim to be the mother of all hunts, involving a grid- wide search of expedition proportion. Those hunts geared for female avis indeed are many but not as massive and are often in-store promotions to entice customers.

When thousands of hunters storm the shops Participation in MHOH4 is also phenomenal. Eros Fenutzini, one of the hunt organizers, estimated that there were about 9,000 avatars who joined in. But that estimate may even be conservative.

During the hunt, the MHOH group membership roster was already near the ten thousand mark.

And conceivably, there are many others who joined the hunt but

chose not to be grouped in the MHOH. Online, the website of MHOH was also generating something like 7,000 hits a day, reveals Eros.

And these exclude the visitors to many other blogsites which followed on the progress of the hunt, to the extent of adding hints, updates, and tips, and uploadingphotos of items that could be had gratis.

So what’s in the MHOH that seems to have morphed the males’ instinct to hunt for fashion wear, accessories, etc. instead of going for some wild game? One reason could be the challenge to finish it.

Going through 166 stores, wading through vague (and sometimes inexistent) hints can certainly be grueling. This ironman of a hunt demands many hours of controlling keys, camming, and zooming to find that hunt item, the male symbol styled as the

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MHOH icon that will yield the gift from a sponsor.

And then there’s the brain calisthenics of interpreting the hints, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, thought out by the sponsoring shop-owners, creators, and fashion designers. Some of the clues, for a less sophisticated, can indeed be too mind-boggling.

What for instance is a hunter’s move if the icon searched for is “camuflated” or “mimetized?”

Fun, camaraderie and more in deciphering hits and clues Thankfully, a hunter can always throw questions at the MHOH group chat. With groupthink, most hunters were able to decipher the hieroglyphics and Rosetta stones of hints thrown at them.

Camuflated it turned out is an icon rendered flat at the floor surface and the mimetized, a symbol so minute and well blended up in the texture wall. Sans team ef-

fort, less patient hunters stand little chance of locating such minuscule and well-hidden icons.

Hence, the interaction and fun within the MHOH group is what also make the hunt tick and attract a wide variety of participants.

Chatter within the group reveals hunters who are themselves shopowners, creators, and fashion designers. The mix, of course, includes newbies who want to upgrade their avatars with the topnotch quality MHOH gift items including shapes, skin, and hair that can all be had for free.

And then there are the group members who either use English as a second language or speak little or no English at all, again an indication of the popularity of the MHOH. The situation can turn hilarious as those having difficulties with the hints in English seek help in group chat.

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In search of a MrHunter Classic case was the clue telling of “birds of a feather flock together (and it’s free).” Trying to interpret, one hunter bravely ventured on a further hint on what happens when a group flocks. Eagerly, another proposed that “a group that flocks is a group of flockers.”

Order was nearly lost with male guffaws and chuckles when it was added that “a group that flocks will flock often.”

Such is just one example of the fun and camaraderie that propels an MHOH outing; because, there’s more. There’s also a competitive spirit as a prime mover for the hunt. Those who completed the 166-store epic shopping spree are eligible to join the MrMHO4, organized by Maverick Design. Participants have to assemble a new look out of the hunt gift items they found, and vie for the close to 50,000 lindens in prizes

and gifts. At press time, the coveted title is still being contested by about 50 entries.

Nonetheless, such an MHOH roster is already enough an indication that male SL fashion indeed remains alive, well, and ticking.

Section title

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Im Pa McCa

or d

By Traci Nubalo

Entertainment

met aul artney

did I?

When I learned that I was about to meet Sir Paul McCartney I felt a thrill that I had never experienced before. After all, he is more than a living legend. Much more.

My friend and I ushered into a large, private, very nicely-appointed hotel visiting area. There were probably 50 of us on hand to greet him, on the night before we were to enjoy his concert here in L.A. And there he was, smiling and shaking hands while we waited our turn. He wore a very nice deep blue suit and a crisp white shirt, sans necktie. And he was gorgeous!

As we neared him for our minute or two my mind spun deciding what to say to him. Clearly any mention of Yoko Ono or Heather Mills was out the door. I began to bitch at myself for not having come better prepared.

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Entertainment

Suddenly, he turned to us and I had this amazing feeling that ALL of his attention was totally focused on us for that moment.

I stood there gaping at him, running a very high risk of embarrassing myself in front of a man I had held in awe for my whole life.

I missed Beatlemania by about a decade-and-a-half. But their music was part of my life from my earliest memories. I suppose a little cultural explanation is required for me to tell this story. I understand because I got some of this by word of mouth myself.

But itĂ­s a fascinating tale, one that weĂ­ll never again come even close to witnessing. This is because we no longer have music stars anywhere near the popularity of The Beatles in their time.

I know, I know: someone wants to challenge me already. Maybe a Beyonce, or Led Zeppelin or Black Eyed Peas fan. But trust me, as great as our current-day acts

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are, The Beatles were in a league of their own in terms of cultural popularity and social importance. And they literally changed the course of world history!

President John F. Kennedy had just been assassinated; the country was in a desperate way; our government was in severe disorder; unrest from the failing Vietnam war was showing up on campuses across the country.

Nikita Kruschev was banging his shoe on the UN table, threatening to bury the US under a hail of the dreaded nuclear weapons that both sides were stockpiling in dizzying fashion. As a society, it must have seemed like all innocence had been lost. We were very clearly moving into territory that we as a people had never even imagined.

Into this sad and bewildered national scene appeared the strangest music group imaginable at the time. To begin with, they had

hair all the way to the collars of the smart jackets they wore. Immediately, the country (and the world) sat up and took notice.

The Beatles were clearly talented most people, even their detractors - could sense this. They were not only musically fascinating, but they knew how to work the press to their advantage. They held some of the funniest press conferences ever: “When do you plan to get haircuts?” George Harrison: “I just had one yesterday.” “How did you find America on your last tour?” John Lennon: “We turned left at Greenland.”

And they just refused to go away! They broke into the American music scene in 1962 with their first hit "Love Me Do". By mid-1963 Beatlemania was in full swing on both sides of the pond, and the group’s appearance on The Ed Sullivan show in 1964 sealed the deal in the colonies.

During that historic one-night

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appearance 73 million television sets were tuned to the show, and a number of major U.S. cities reported that not a single crime was committed during that one hour.

By April 1964, the group had cornered the market. They had written and recorded the top five best-selling singles in the U.S. while simultaneously owning the #1 and #2 slots on the album charts, as well as scattering other assorted other hits throughout the Billboard Top 100. The Fab Four continued to place #1 hits consistently until their breakup in 1970.

At their concerts worldwide, girls would scream and swoon while making so much noise that the band claimed to be unable to even hear themselves play! The crush of the fans (and the press) virtually imprisoned the members of the group everywhere in the world they traveled. George Harrison described their life on

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the road as, “A car, a hotel room, a theatre, a car, and another hotel room.” Despite this insane lifestyle, the groupies recordings carried a message of peace, love and hope that was heard around the world. Even behind the Iron Curtain kids played Beatles records in secret gatherings, trying to decipher which face on the album jacket was who, since the remainder of the liner notes were banned in Communist countries.

Into this amazing cultural phenomenon entered a dark and lasting mystery. In 1969 reports surfaced in the media that in November of 1966 Paul McCartney, the heart-throb bass player - half of the Lennon/McCartney songwriting team that had penned many of the most popular songs in recording history - was reported to have been killed in a gruesome auto accident on a dark and rainy English motorway in the early morning hours after walk-

ing out on a tense and argumentative scene with his bandmates in the Abbey Road recording studio.

The British version of the CIA, the Special Operations Executive (SOE) was said to have cornered the remaining members and demanded that they enter into a conspiracy to hide Paulís death from the groupís millions of fan, ostensibly to avoid a rash of mass suicides that could result.

The tale goes on to claim that one William Campbell, who had won a Paul McCartney look-andsound-alike contest, was recruited to replace the popular singer/ bass-player in public appearances.

Extensive plastic surgery ensued and the game was on, with “Faul” (fake Paul) now appearing in public as part of the group.

Eventually, of course, reports about the charade sifted through to the worldwide press. Denials from the group's management

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team quickly followed, and McCartney (or was it his Doppelganger?) issued a statement from his home in Scotland cribbed Mark Twain, commenting that rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.î The alwaysascerbic and opinionated John Lennon was widely quoted as saying: "It's rubbish. It's all a load of shit".

But the tale persisted, and was bolstered by stories from many sources that The Beatles - by now growing unhappy with this bizarre arrangement - were placing ìcluesî on their albums alerting fans to the situation. Such clues ranged from supposed "backward masked" messages on the recordings to visual clues inserted into the accompanying album art. Literally hundreds of supposed clues were claimed to be found on every one of the Beatles albums to follow. In fact, there are too many

clues to repeat here. I would suggest that the interested reader simply Google "Paul Is Dead" - and be sure you have plenty of time; You'll be inundated with lists of sites covering the event, ranging from the fascinating to the absurd.

I found myself running out of time, my hand holding the hand that had written 'Yesterday" and "Let It Be", I heard myself stammer something to Paul about how important the groupís music had been to me throughout my life.

He patiently nodded, pretending that this was not the millionth time he had heard this. He replied that, yes, many fans do offer this report of gratitude and that he found it sweet and very humbling.

“We really were just four lads who formed a tight little group, and watched in amazement as the situation swept us into history.”

I began to take my sweaty hand back, but he kept a soft grip

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on it - not a day's hard labor was even done by this hand! - and he leaned forward, with his beautiful mid-sixty-year-old face next to mine.

In an almost-whisper I heard him say: “But, there is one thing that happened to us that really blows my mind to this day..."

Fast forward to 2010. Lennon has been shot and killed outside his NYC apartment. George Harrison has passed away from throat cancer. McCartney (or was it Faul?) has mounted a number of wildly-successful world tours performing with all of the vocal and instrumental skill evident in the early years. The plot thickens:

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Los Angeles filmmaker Joel Gilbert claims to have received a plainly-wrapped package at his office reputedly sent by George Harrison just prior to that Beatleís death. A few years earlier, George (my favorite Beatle) had barely survived after being attacked and stabbed by a deranged fan. Claiming he was fed up with holding this secret, George states in an enclosed note that the tapes were his ìlast will and testamentî and that he wanted to finally unburden himself of the guilt of the decades-long deceit. Gilbert claims to have used Harrisonís voice from the tapes as the narration for his documentary ìPaul McCartney Really Is Dead - The Last Testament of George Harrison.

When I saw this DVD advertised I contacted the film company who graciously provided me with a review copy. I was also offered an interview slot with the

filmmaker which I passed on for reasons I will explain in a moment.

From the outset I think it's important for me to state that I do not believe that Paul McCartney was killed on that dark and lonely highway several decades ago. In fact, I find it laughable that anyone with good sense could believe that a conspiracy as far-reaching and farcical as this could be real.

That said, however, the question arises, “Why are you bothering to write yet another article on the topic?”

What I'd like to comment on in this piece is the cultural significance of an urban legend that could last so long and created such a volume of response as this has.

One thing should be said in fairness to the legend itself: in a way, Paul (as the main representative of The Beatles) had, in fact, gone through a symbolic death at that point in history.

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The group's touring career was over, ended by the sheer inability for the boys to show their faces in public without causing mass hysteria and risking being torn limbfrom-limb in the frenzy by their own fans. As the two most famous songwriters in history, the very prolific Lennon/McCartney duo had long since been dissolved.

The hit songs that were now topping the worldwide charts were written by one or the other, despite the contractual arrangement that made it seem like they were still writing partners.

Always trying to lead the creative charge, Paul/Faul had produced several abysmally-disastrous short films featuring the band visually vamping to the latest, now-psychedelicized single release. In these disappointing efforts, however, he was unwittingly blazing the trail for the music video which would be all the rage in a decade or two.

But, as Lennon wistfully sang, “the dream is over”, in all practicality, The Beatles (and Paul McCartney with them) were - at least for the moment - no longer among the living as creative entities. Such a fall from grace! It must have been an unbearablycrushing blow to the ego and the lives of four men who had known only massive success for their entire adult lives.

This - in my opinion - is the true “death” which visited the band, despite the effort of Joel Gilbert and his creative team to re-spin the “Paul Is Dead” legend. By the way, the DVD is a mildly-entertaining 90 minutes, but will be truly interesting only to the Beatle devotee who MUST consume all things Fab Fourish. I passed on the offer of an interview with Gilbert on that basis.

But, as the sun began to set on the British empire’s most famous citizens, there was much, much

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more happening on the world political scene. The events would equal or surpass in significance everything that The Beatles had ever dreamed of!

To this day, I donít know why Sir Paul chose to semi-whisper this to me rather than making a stir by sharing it in the room. Perhaps this was just one more piece of evidence of the man’s true and deep sense of humility and his honest awe at the band’s incredible list of accomplishments.

I really wish that the other three could have been with me to hear this, he said. “When my current band and I first played in Moscow, we were invited to meet with Mikhail Gorbachev, then president of the former Soviet Union. During our conversation with him he said: You four boys were able to accomplish something that the combined political and economic forces of the world failed to do: you brought freedom

to the people of the Soviet Union.

You smashed the Iron Curtain forever.”

I stood there stunned. This was a concept that I would never have thought of in a million years, and it was whispered to me by Sir Paul McCartney himself.

And whoever it was who was so graciously placing a respectful kiss on my cheek - Paul, Faul, or the Walrus - he clearly was not dead.

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How Odd C

Welcome to t

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Can It Get?

the Tunaverse

By Traci Nubalo

Photos by Shava Suntzu

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How odd, indeed? It was a Monday night - early at that. I’d been in Second Life for just a short time. I was still walking into walls and entering chat into the wrong window. But I was on a mission.

I was exploring this new virtual world to see what forms of musical and entertainment species lived and thrived here. And one person I spoke to told me that I had to - HAD to - see a show by this Tuna Oddfellow character.

At that point I didnít know that Tuna (who has been called the ìPeter Max of Second Lifeî) was already a longstanding inworld favorite.

I hadn’t heard that Tuna had won a million lindens in a popular NBC television series America Has Talent.

And I really didn’t know that Tuna (and his ‘Beautiful Assistant’ Shava Suntzu, also his rl significant other) were busily working at

the very cutting edge of the science of performance art.

So, armed with such a pathetic base of knowledge (and with no warning that one day I would be called upon to write this article!)

I appeared in Tuna and Shava’s theatre standing nervously under a huge magician’s hat along with a couple dozen other avatars. Then, in an instant, as Shava admonished us to keep our hands inside the car, off we went into my first experience of the Tunaverse.

The printed word could never do justice to what is to be experienced at the Odd Ball, other to say this: you are totally immersed in drenched in! a 3D visual imagery experience heretofore unknown to even the most ardent dance club fans. The music - primarily streaming trance/dance/techno, first rate - provides the sonic impetus while Tuna, manning a coliseum-sized control console, deftly improvises the imagery to

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fit the musical changes. It’s truly art in it’s most creative and intense form!

Let’s let Tuna and Shava fill us in a bit more: Shava Suntzu: We call it the Cathedral Effect in our documents.

There are elements of sacred architecture that use some of the same geometric tricks we use - statically, of course - to get that hushed awe when you walk into a cathedral or a mosque. It's also the feeling you get looking out over a valley from the top of a mountain.

What we are working on is a set of neurotransmitters that are all based around vision, proportion, the internal model of the body (proprioception) and those are also the systems that hallucinogens work on.

Tuna Oddfellow: I'm a performer in my first life and when I came to SL, I thought, how can I connect to people? How can I get that "WOW!" that I get from a

crowd with my magic in a world where people learn to fly the first day? I mean, cutting a lady in half doesn't do much for folks here. So one of the things that dazzles people, virtual/real space, is fireworks. It started with fireworks and effects and then Shava came into the picture. We got the award from NBC, and people started hiring us for sim openings and such. It made it worthwhile for me to learn to make my own effects, and commission what I couldn't make.

And for the first time, it really started to feel more like, you know, my art.

TN: So - when someone shows up at your theatre what will they experience?

TO: Oh, that's hard.

TN: Sorry *smile* TO: Well, I like to say, "I blow minds for a living."

I'll create a texture, and then find 20 ways to reinterpret that

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texture, and get new filters and twists, and there's a lot that get thrown out. In order to generate these textures I use a variety of tools, like TextureMaker, GIMP, FilterForge, BluffTitler (makes animations) - we're doing more of those into the future. Various little toys and gadgets.

TN: Very often there is a sort of tubular X-shape that appears.

SS: Yes, those are toruses.

TO: I've been trying to find similar processed textures and do the animation by hand, because that's easier on everyone's computer than doing actual animations a lot. I have a few animated PNGs I use, with a script that makes them come to life as people watch them.

TN: The immersion aspect is important.

SS: There's a sense of immersion that's intense. LOL! We said it at the same time.

TO: But it gets to you. I'm the artist, Shava's the science geek, but I know what grabs people. So I do things intuitively and then she spends library time figuring out what we just did.

Back in the studio, avatars were blissfully whirling about the sim, making utterances in Open Chat that seemed to be taken directly from an arcane Hindu spiritual text. Clearly, all of this torus-manipulation (or whatever they were talking about LOL) was having a deep and positive effect on those present, including me. I felt a great sense of ease and an almost giddy style of happiness such that I couldn’t tell what was causing it, the music, the images, or the combination of the two? And you know what - I really didn’t care and I still don’t.

TO: Sometimes it'll be an entirely different style of texture that just grabs me, and sometimes

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Photo by Tim Deschanel

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new shapes and ways to manipulate things.

One of my behind the scenes projects is to double the amount of hypercubes (rezzing devices) we use in the show.

Currently I'm using 9 channels of rezzing devices, and I want to use 18. It'll take a few tricks to make it work but some of the visuals will blend and pop and go together more easily for me.

TN: In the madness of the show it can be easy to miss the fact that this is absolutely cutting edge art.

There's also a very evident "here/ now" component to your work.

TO: While it's all happening, the music is always there, and the music moves me to keep effects slow, or speed things up, color, mood. People give me textures and I've manipulated the texture on the fly and thrown it up into the balls. I'll look for images relating to conversations and manipulate it, mash it up, and put it

in the show, just right then. It's like graphical jazz, juggling, and magic all together. It's crazy!

TN: Yes - wonderfully crazy. wonderfully crazy By the end of the evening I was exhausted! I mean seriously physically spent! I had only pixel-danced but my body felt like I had been grooving and whirling for the entire two hours. Iíve since experienced dozens of Odd Balls - each wonderfully different from the others. I’ve probably taken more than 100 friends to the Tunaverse and not one has ever been less than enthusiastically complimentary.

Like my new friend tried to tell me early on - this is an event that simply HAS to be seen!

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Club Quin

Clubbing

ntessence

By CompE Lockwood Photos by opie Camino

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If you build it they will come, - more than good advice. One might say it is mandatory for a multipurpose, live music dance spot. One might conclude, vital for a karaoke venue, and one might surmise, imperative for a community of frivolous friends.

One might say it is quintessence.

One would be right. Welcome to Club Quintessence where the music is hot, patrons are cool and "Dreams become Reality."

Starting month two of adventures in cyber-world, Club Quintessence is the blood, sweat and pixels of Bronx Barbosa and Tanja Barzane, business partners in Second Life and the real one. "We both went through rough times and decided new beginnings meant a time to try anew at what we enjoy clubs" co-owner Tanja said about the new endeavor.

Partner Bronx Barbosa emphatically agrees, ĂŹIĂ­ve always wanted to own and operate a club. This

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place is here for the joy of providing a great location to have fun.

And part of the work is part of the fun.

Uniting with a global team of designers, builders, and planners, and most of all, friends, Team Bronx/Tanja launched Project Q. "We had no set time to gather, no formal meetings" recalled Tanja.

"We just looked at what was done and added what was needed. They kicked around ideas adding this, taking away that. Global collaborators, who will probably never meet in real life, designed a club for avatars to meet in the second one."

The result is a SL hot spot buffet. There is live music from some of Second Life's best performers. Add to that, dancing, singing, and friends meeting new ones and youĂ­ve got a good time in a pixel universe.

Folks from across the world visit Club "Q", for many it is a

bright and shiny cutting edge discotheque. For others it is like the Cheers Bar: A place where everybody knows your name.

"We cater to everyone" Tanja said,"People come here because it's classy yet open they like the room available to move around and dance. And that's part of the success. People have to feel welcome" she added. "They must feel at home like they are family and not just another visitor. She knows of which she speaks. Tanja brings real world experience. She has been a real-world DJ for nine years."

The Q folks give the customers what they want by using a strange tool, very rare to Second life, called Listening. "We hear suggestions, and if possible, implement them!" said Bronx. "Customers want a steady schedule of live performers and events. We got it." In addition to scheduled shows, Club Quintessence offers

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Saturday night parties, contests, and live performances. A Halloween costume party is being planned for later this month and Christmas and New Year's parties are being finalized. "We will have more performances" said Tanja, "as soon as we get them booked."

Lots of SL entertainment sites have dancing and music. This one has live karaoke. And just how do avatars perform karaoke? "Verrrrry carefully," said Tanja. "A lot of performers have background music and perform on voice. Others have streams piped into SL and play the background music and sing on their streams."

Dancing is all over the place.

But the primarily two-level club emphasizes cutting the rug on the ground floor. Many live performances are on the second floor stage. But regular visitors mull about everywhere. Much call this place home "They say it is classy

yet roomy," said Tanj, "Easy to move around in."

The staff is excellent, loving this labor of love in a cyber club.

It's a great place to meet friends old and new. Share an imaginary drink with someone from around the corner or around the world.

Drop by for a visit, take a cue from the Q. It's more than a club, it is Quintessence!

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It's more than a club, it is Quintessence!

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Clu

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Familiar Name For A Unique Club

ub Bada Bling

by Ginger Fanshaw Photos by Kala Balut

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As the name suggests, Club Bada Bling has a mafia theme. The inside has the look and feel of a city basement with mafia movie posters. The "Godmother", Marcy Thorne, and her partner, Wes Albanese, are the owners. The club plays a variety of music including: 80's, 90's, Top 40, and classic rock.

They've been around since November of 2007, but have moved eight times! Still, they've managed to keep over 700 VIPs. Marcy Thorne: "We move so much we may have lost some members along the way. We hope they return. We are seeing new faces though!"

What I found most interesting about this place were their original ideas for events.

I've never seen a "Dance-off' in SL for example. What they do, is have the guests request a song and get on stage. They should have their own dance that they've chosen to work well with the song.

The crowd votes on best choreography. Marcy Thorne: “The Staff and I will dance periodical-

ly throughout the event toshow how it done. “I watched Marcy dance to a Madonna’s Give It To Me. I have to say, it was pretty cool.She was even dressed to look like the singer. Group dances are done as well.”

Another favorite is Speed Dating. They actually found a way to make this work with the Intan couple dance system. The guys can dance with whom they choose, but then they must switch partners after 8 minutes. This gives each couple the opportunity to get to know one another a bit in IMs. They try to run some sort of event every night. Inventory scavenger events are another one.

However, they are running on reduced hours at the moment until they can hire some more help. If anyone is looking for work, stop by. Sezy Kips is the General Manager and Tommy W DJ Manager.

Bada Bling also has a beach area outside with a swimming pool. The dance floor is under the

Clubbing pool. Guest come for 7Seas Fishing and Zyngo as well.

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by Keekee Denzo Photos by Kala Balut

Ginger's Furni

Shopping

iture & Decor

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One of the fastest growing builders of furniture, decor and buildings has to be Ginger Fanshaw of Ginger's Furniture & Decor at The Shops at Zanzibar.

Ginger Fanshaw didn't start out as a builder. She started out the way many SL residents do, in the clubs, hostessing and dancing. From that she went to owning her own club and mall which was very well known but a lot of work and stress for her. So she got away from that and was just renting stores for her reseller lines.

Then one day she opened her own mall because all of her friends had clothing lines either as resellers or as designers and were always asking her where to put their stores.

So along came The Shops at Zan-

zibar. Once Ginger opened her mall she asked herself, "how do I get people here to buy from the vendors", well that was where the answer Midnight Mania Boards came into play. From the boards she had to come up with things to put in them so she began trying her hand at building. It took her trial and error to make and perfect her builds but she has become an accomplished builder and always uses the best scripts. When the Midnight Mania Boards started to get more common she knew she had to step up her ideas to attract people so she began using scripts for sex and builds using sex items. Her MM boards bring people to her mall constantly, both new people and people who

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Shopping

come back daily to see what she has built now. From her boards she had so many builds she decided to purchase another part of the sim to open her own store just for her builds. This is the most amazing part of Zanzibar.

That is where Ginger's Furniture & Decor opened it's first doors. Ginger has built things such as, Vanity Table & Chair, Bookshelves, Hutch, Naughty Bar & Stools, Bathtub, Dining Room Sets, Living Room Sets, Children's Furniture, Picture Frames, Trees with Swings, Romantic Picnic, Rose Covered Gazebo, Garden Bench, Gazebo, Outdoor Furniture, Fire pits, and houses like the Beach House, Swiss Chalet, Persian Palace, Church and many more. Ginger's latest builds include Roll in the Hay Wagon, Magic Forest, Moon & Stars Swing, and Spider Web for the Halloween decorators.

Ginger has had so many request for her builds for others to put in their Midnight Mania Boards that she is considering opening a section with items for copy/trans that can be used for such. Ginger's builds keep her mall vendors happy with their sales and keep her busier than ever, but she enjoys it no matter how busy she gets. So stop in and see her wonderful furniture and buildings before they are taken away from lack of space; she builds daily and will sometime have to run out of space. http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Dawn%20Star/239/105/24

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Being a Virtu and RL stra

by ChloeRed Mornington

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ual Lesbian ight I'm dancing at my favorite lesbian club as lush virtual eye-candy gyrates and writhes around me, a butch DJ spinning the latest Top 40, where am I? I'm in Second Life and I'm embracing my lifestyle. Beside me is my girlfriend she likes the music too but the atmosphere is all new to her. She doesn't quite get the straight jokes in open chat or anything about being a lesbian. All she knows is that she is in love with me. I'm

her very first girlfriend and if you would have talked to her a few months ago she would have said "I'd never be with a woman.

I like men too much" It's so cliche to say "Never say Never" but in this story I believe that statement is indeed the right one to make.

While I'm waiting for the contest we have entered to finish up I browse a few of the other girl's profiles, out of boredom I guess, but something interesting I noticed

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in several first life tabs "Happily married to the man of my dreams; Mom of 2 beautiful children" The happily married part did not puzzle me nor did the fact that a lesbian woman has children. It's going on 2010 more and more lesbian and gay couples have happy and functional families of their own.

As I continued to view this particular profile the woman described how in love she was with her Second Life partner who she happen to be slow dancing with yet in real life she is happily married to her husband. That's what puzzled me so much and I almost felt a little offended because I don't think my lifestyle and preference is a game or something to pretend to be.

I'm a lesbian in both worlds and I embrace who I am of course I don't shout to the rooftops about my sexuality. It is my private and personal business. I am who I am full of confidence and positive selfesteem and very lucky to have real

life and second life friends and family that love and accept me for who I am. The more I began to think on this subject I decided to talk to a few of my friends to get their input on the topic at hand.

I asked EllaGrace Babenco, Do you find being a lesbian in Second Life easier to accept than in the real world? EllaGrace replied "I'd assume so. You have less of a social stigma attached here than you do in real life. I feel that there aren't many people here that are judgmental although no one should care anyways it's none of their business or their love life. You don't have to explain anything here whereas in real life you have to talk to people about it and defend yourself. Least that's how it would seem, that's how it is for most people who know they are gay."

I discussed this same topic with another friend Descendant Frakture and his reply was interesting

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as well he said " In second life it is a lot easier to explore your curiosity without any consequences on your real life. Same sex relationships don't even phase me anymore it's just people loving people.

After all Love is Love. I'm from California and that's just how we feel out here it's going on 2010 no one cares anymore it's just apart of our life and culture." I believe if everyone had that same attitude it would definitely make it a lot easier for others who know they are lesbian and gay to openly come out of the closet and live their lives happy and free.

In conclusion, I agree with both EllaGrace and Descendant, second life does make it easier for everyone who has a curiosity of being with the same sex. Actually, most here in second life think it's so cute, the countless times I've heard what a cute couple me and my girlfriend make. Of course it feels good to be accept-

ed by so many and I'm sure that is why others live out their second lives as what they wish they really could be in real life. I say to them be strong, stand behind what you believe in and don't be afraid to make the choice to be what you really are! After all the truth really does set you free.

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Gree Flan

by Keekee Dezno Photo by MandyLeigh Sweetwater

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enie nagan's Story Living with Cancer

My father was diagnosed with cancer when I was 6 years old and given 3 months to live. He realized that wasn't enough time to do all he needed to do so he decided to stay with us for 7 years instead. At the time of his passing nobody had lived with his cancer for more than a year.

I will always miss having him here with us but I celebrate the fact that he found a way to love my Mom, Sister and myself enough to last a lifetime in those wonderful 7 years.

I think part of his magic was that when he was diagnosed my parents sat down with my sister and me and told us, and though I do not remember that day at all, I am sure there were tears. What I do know is; the next day we

didn't wake up living with cancer, we woke up living as a family, loving and celebrating every moment life gave us together.

People do not have an "expires by date" stamped on them anywhere.

Greenie Flanagan (Although Greenie's story is short, I felt it was so very touching that it needed to be written).

If you have a cancer story you would like to share, please write it on a note card and send it to Keekee Dezno. It can be published with your name or anonymous.

Thank you all for your interest in these stories and in my own story from the September Issue. This column is very near and dear to me.

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t r a e H AT BE e

gazin a M e f i Nightl d l r o -W Your In

c co.c . g a e at m b t r .hea www