Nov 2009 - Issue 9
ICON of the Month
Tristain Savon Fabulously Renee Renee Lowenheart
Making Men Look Good Calico Ingmann One Show at a Time: An Interview with AMFORTE Clarity
1
|  ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
|
2
3
|
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
|
4
5
|  ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
|
6
7
|  ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
|
8
9
|  ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
| 10
11 |  ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
| 12
13 |  ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
15 |  ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
| 16
17 |  ICON lifestyle magazine | Aug 2009
Publisher’s Note Another Month, Another Edition, another opportunity... Now that Jordan is taking over the Editor in Chief duties, I have the opportunity to use this space to talk just about anything. I hope I am able to use this space to make you laugh, or walk away thinking about what was written here and hopefully you will benefit from it. As I am writing this, I am one day short of my 2nd year in Second Life and I have found it to be a very interesting 2 years so far. The day I rezzed I started finding my way around, learning to walk, fly, and not run into walls and others. I found my way to this little place called “Heaven above the Clouds” and it did not take very long before I was transformed from the very awkward, wobbly and unattractive avatar into a better version. I met a few ladies who
made it as their mission to make sure I fit in right away. I found out that you needed a shape, skin and hair and they got me on my way. Thanks Dru and DD. Before I knew it, I was a part of this fun and interesting group of people who made me feel very welcomed and like I was a member of their family. I knew I had a place I could go and actually talk to people and just hang out while I was learning how to navigate through SL. After just a month I was already flirting with the ladies and trying to get to know people. Heaven is now gone and everyone is scattered all over the grid, but every so often we reconnect and say hello and talk about the good ole days. The good ole days, too funny! Just 2 years and I’m already old by SL standards. | 18
These are the people that shaped me and put me on the path I am still travelling on. They were all unselfish and had no problem welcoming a “noob” into their fold. From that, I found love and friendship, along with some disappointments, but through it all, a very positive experience. It’s unfortunate that I am not able to maintain the level of contact we
all had in the beginning, but it is nice to get a “hey”, or “hello” or “how have you been” from the old gang. These people are responsible for me deciding whether or not I continued in SL, and because of them I had a great experience in the beginning and that has carried throughout my SL experience. In addition to these amazing people, I’ve also had the opportunity to meet and 19 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
develop relationships that have added to my excellent experience in SL. Unfortunately not everyone has the experience I have had, but they can, if each of us decide to take just a few minutes to help someone that has just landed in this new world. So now after two years I am going to start paying it
forward. We might be annoyed when we see a wobbly, awkward noobie walk up to us and ask us for jobs or lindens etc. But somewhere in there are the ones that really just need a nudge, a new shape or skin, or a helping hand to show them the way. You never know, that one time you offer to help you might be helping a new talented designer, model, personality in SL or just another regular citizen, which is just as rewarding.
So I am asking each of you if you will join with me and lend a helping hand when you have the opportunity. There are so many people that are just looking for a little help to get started.
Thank you - Eve, Dru, DD, Jen, Kali, Cyfer, Shine, Ali, Bella, Jean, Mary, Mel, Thouchy, Scott, Eric, Dixii and all the rest of the Heaven group. I will always be grateful for your help and your friendships.
Wil Dreadlow Wil Dreadlow, CEO and Publisher, ICON lifestyle magazine
| 20
| 22
Editor’s Note Wil’s musing lately have had me thinking...and trust me, that is never a good thing. Firstly cos I’m a former blonde, and secondly, Wil will now think I actually pay attention to anything he says! But he’s started me thinking about the people who have wandered in and out of my life here in SL, their legacies, and how they have shaped the avatar I have become. There’s the ex-romantic interests, the friends who slowly faded into the ether, the friends who I fell out with through some silly reason or another, work collegues, acquaintances and contacts. Then there are the people who are special to me and who brighten my day in countless little ways. So to those people in my SL, past and present...thank you...even if you are on the list of those who are gone from my 23 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | Aug 2009
SLife. Without you, I wouldn’t be the fantabulous person I am in SL today! This is the third issue of Icon I have had the pleasure to work on, and I couldn’t ask for a more supportive and awesome team of people to be involved with. I enjoy seeing what they come up with to share with us. Issue after issue I find myself inspired and intrigued to search out these places and people. My inventory doesn’t thank them, but I do! I hope you enjoy learning more about our SL world as much as we enjoy bringing it to you.
t t i h W Jordan
Jordan Whitt
| 24
ICON contents
RadaR ICON of the Month: Tristain Savon
29
Fabulously Renee
37
Nevar and Amethyst’s Relay for Life
41
The Suicide Centrefolds
47
Style Bedroom Confessions with WTW
53
Designer Watch - ELATE!
55
A Wishbox Masquerade
61
Style Men: *FIR*
63
Fashion ICONs of the Month
65
lifeStyle 75
Playing Pretend: Role Play and Fashion
79
Meat You in Stepford
81
Making Men Look Good: Calico Ingmann
89
Sir Iason Hassanov: Grand Marshall of Caledon
93
The Great Sailing Adventure pt 2
98
Gadget Girl: Episode 6
enteRtainment & aRt 105
One Show at a Time: AMFORTE Clary
111
Never Looking Back: DJ Aphius
116
Ministry of Motion’s $100k Giveaway
121
Quiz: Are Your Ready For Him To Pop The Virtual Question?
125
The Colour Factory
Viewpoint 133
8 Tips to Creating a Successful Shop
135
The Greatest Love of All
141
But I Don’t Do SL Relationships
27 |  ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
| 28
29 |  ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
Tristain Savon To His Own Beat
“When words fail, music speaks. If you’re happy, sad, mad, whatever your mood is, turn on the music. Let it help guide you through all the times of life. Music, to me, is what makes the world go around.” - Tristain Savon, Vengeance Radio CEO
By Sahara Mehrtens Photos by Shannoncharlize GossipGirl | 30
RADAR From the musings of a simple Second Life DJ in 2006, one of the hottest radio stations on the grid came into existence, and Vengeance Radio was off and running. Who was the driving force behind it? His name is Tristain Savon, and in his own words, the station was born because he “never dreams small.” “I wanted to do something different,” says Tristain. “What is there in almost every sim on Second Life? Media of some sort playing. Multiple sources streaming in Second Life playing songs people enjoyed, but the advertisements were all for real life companies.” So seeing a need, he began to brainstorm. “I made a plan”, he says. “I had the equipment, learned the programs backwards and forwards and did some test ads for people. I began to run music 24/7.” The station was created and was soon being picked up on media streams all across the grid. “Vengeance Radio started as a pure rock station with commercials for businesses in Second Life,” Tristain says. “It made more sense than streaming in FM stations that are based in real life, and of course we all want our piece of the Second Life ‘pie’ so making a few Linden’s does not hurt either. People put so much money into 31 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
“every
Secon
and
yone looks for their
nd Life niche
d I found mine”
ad boards and magazines which get over-looked or not even rezzed. In my opinion it is the best advertisement available in Second Life at this time, as most people have their media players on 24/7 while on Second Life, listening to good music and advertisements for products that are actually available while they are here.” Inspiration seems to be everywhere for Tristain, and he stumbled across the name for the station by accident. “The name came up in a search for texture I was doing one day, and it just stuck,” he says. “Vengeance did start out as a pure modern rock station; its very ‘rebel-ish’ and I thought fit well.” Tristain’s journey into the entertainment industry started at an early age in real life and his love for music carries over into everything he does in Second Life. “I’ve been into entertainment since I was 14 years old it has always been one of my biggest loves in life,” Tristain says. “One of our first hangouts was a club called Kittens. It ran events all day and night, but only ran a radio stream from outside of Second Life. They had one DJ, the owner’s boyfriend, who only played death metal music. This inspired me to learn how to DJ right away, based on my knowledge of music and passion for entertaining people.” | 32
RADAR Learning how to DJ in Second Life was actually a pretty easy transition for Tristain. “It’s a funny story of how I came to DJ here. I found a book, Second Life DJ’s for Dummies,” says Tristain. “I bought the book, learned what I needed, then hooked up my own equipment to give it that professional sound while playing for hours on end till I perfected my sounds and skills.” “Everyone looks for their Second Life niche and I found mine,” he says. “I’ve always been into music. I played for years in a bar band starting at the age of 14. I’m very comfortable on a mic or in front of people. I learned at a young age what entertainment is, and try to bring those skills into Second Life. I try to make each show I do fun, and it helps being comfortable in your own skin and environment.” And, just as Vengeance is a total rock station, Tristain is a total lover of rock music. “I love rock,” he says. “I love most music if a song is good. There are good dance, trance, classical or country songs out there, but my I Pod is 100% straight rock.” But like any good DJ, he 33 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
knows that when DJ’ing you have to be prepared to play other types of music as well. “I’ve learned to expand over the years and now play a large variety of music in all my sets,” he says. “I figure if you’re just going to play the stuff you like then you might as well play for yourself. I try to play whatever my crowds are feeling. The best thing about rock is that it has never been defined by a single decade rather it grows and always expands.” Tristain sets goals for the station all the time, and he loves looking toward the future to see what’s in store. “My goal is to keep bringing music and fun times, and to break all our own records,” he says. “I’m not really worried about trying to compete with people, but to do what we do best and learn to always do it better.” He continues to smash Second Life radio records and can’t wait to see the station continue to grow. “Our stats move up every month and I want to break our numbers as often as I can,” he says. “ In September alone we had a total of 7,701 unique listeners from 76 countries. I think that’s just crazy, but
I love to watch the cold hard numbers move up every month. Right now that is across 7 different genre of music and I hope to expand that as well.” Balancing the demands of the station, a job in RL, as well as his personal life in Second Life has become a challenge for Tristain, but advances in Second Life as well as planning have made things easier. “Let me give you a list of what a day in the life of Tristain Savon looks like,” he says. “I’m up at 6:00 a.m. working on Second Life until around 9:00 a.m. then off to my real life job. Then I come home around 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and its back to work on Vengeance until 11:00 p.m. (when I usually pass out). I try to fit the real life cooking and cleaning in-between. This is usually my Monday through Saturday schedule. On the 7th day God said rest, so that is just what I do. It is the day my new wife, Cynthia Ultsch, and I devote to each other to just doing what we want - watching movies, etc. It’s demanding, but I love every minute of it, and if I didn’t I just wouldn’t do it.” And if Tristain isn’t busy enough, he is
a newlywed as well! Tristain recently married Cynthia Ultsch, CEO of CNS Poses and Cynful clothing. “Ever think you met your soul mate? I thought I had many times until I met Cyn,” says Tristain. “Now I know I’ve met my soul mate. It’s an amazing feeling. She is one of the most amazing people I have met in my life.” The couple were married on September 26, and their wedding was, like Tristain’s life, centered around music. The couple literally danced down the aisle. “The wedding was inspired from a video we had watched and had a bit of both of us in it,” he says. “We wanted to do something a bit different than other Second Life weddings. They are always so stuffy and the true meaning gets lost with just how crazy people get. We wanted it to be fun for everyone as well as have our serious moments. I think it was the perfect punctuation to our relationship.” Though they live on completely different sides of the world, (Cynthia is from Germany) the couple manages to make time for their relationship. “You might think it’s difficult to overcome time issues but we do it everyday,” he says. “I | 34
RADAR don’t think many Second Life moments come or go without us being together. If I’m doing my stuff, she’s doing hers. The nice part is, even though both of our Second Life worlds are different, we are usually together while doing them. I never have to go many moments missing her.” Though many people view this couple as having large Second Life roles and responsibilities, they don’t see it that way. “I guess we don’t really see ourselves having such large roles in
Second Life, he says. “We are probably two of the most down to earth people, just enjoying what we do in Second Life. I have met lots of people that believe they are Second Life divas or more important then others in some way, however I think everyone in Second Life is equal. To them I extend a pin to pop their bubble, as it takes everyone to make Second Life work. Never forget the person who just logged on for the first time. They grow up one day. How do we balance? *chuckles* Well that’s become easier with GreenLife and its auto response. We don’t have to feel so rude when spending some alone time.” Besides DJ’ing, running the radio station and finding time to hang out with Cynthia, Tristain has other hobbies in Second Life he manages to fit in on the side, though they all center around music as well. “I do a lot, and I mean a lot, of DJ drops for Second Life DJ’s. The high quality sound of my equipment and of course the fun special effects it helps those back room DJ’s put a little spice to their sets they can’t make on their own,” he says. “I’ve also started
35 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
to dabble into the stream business by selling pro quality audio streams. Since we host our own streams I think it was a natural progression for Vengeance to start getting into all the different audio aspects.” Tristain’s Second Life journey began three years ago, when a friend turned him on to the world of music here. “I started Second Life about three years ago when my best of friends, Mari a.k.a. Mariska Simons, owner of Blacklace, dragged me by my ears here from a game called Never Winter Nights and I was hooked within the first hour of joining,” he says. “Mari had been here about a week or so and in my first hour, I fired up my credit card at Naughty and put the first version of Tristain together. I really enjoyed the social part of Second Life right off. I had been in RP games for six years, so the thought of just being myself in a virtual environment was very enticing.” His favorite thing to do is chill with his family and friends in Second Life. And he says his favorite place is “in my baby’s arms”... (I hope that gives me a get out
the dog house card). My world can get crazy and it’s nice to have a place just to escape.” In all of his endeavors, Tristain has had a lot of inspiration and support. “Everyone has inspired me in Second Life,” he says. “Miguelina, Cyn, Gracie, Potvin, Loch, the list goes on and on. The fans of Vengeance Radio and even the people you get to know for two hours at a show inspire me. I see people love the stuff we do, and it makes me want to keep going day after day. So to that I bow to all the people of Second Life.” Tristain’s advice for people seeking a career in radio or DJ’ing in Second Life is simple, love what you do, and do what you love. “If its fun, do it,” says Tristain. “Never get down about crowd size or listener counts. Vengeance started off with 1 listener and 3 years later it’s grown into a monster. Learn everything you can. Be fun. Enjoy and love life. And always keep yourself grounded. And if it didn’t work the first time give it time. It will come.”
| 36
RADAR
Fabulously Renee
By Vespa Runner Photos by Shannoncharlize GossipGirl
Renee Lowenhart is one of SL’s most dynamic personas. She is owner of the Fabulously Free in SL groups and Headquarters, diligent fighter of content theft and avid protector of designers and their creations. Lovingly known by its members as Fabfree, the main group was started by Cherlindrea Lamont in September 2007, who gave leadership over to Renee in November 2008. Renee started out as a blogger for Fabfree (http://www.fabfree.wordpress.com) and has made the oldest freebie/ dollarbie group in SL one of the biggest. Since taking over, the group has skyrocketed to close to 7000 members, with designers sending out gifts at each 1000 member benchmark to celebrate. The blog itself gets between four and five thousand views a day. 37 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
“Without these designers, SL would be nothing. The group and blog are my passion I have made so many great friends because of them. I consider each of the bloggers part of a family. Oh! And the mods in the group! They are truly wonderful. All of them have been instrumental in the group.” An unusual fact about Fabfree is that it actually has a physical headquarters where designers affiliated with the group can put gifts out and thus promote themselves and also help keep the spirit of giving that permeates the group going. Floatie Hock, FabFree mod and owner of Hell Bop, built the headquarters, known as the Car Wash, and sold the land to Renee for 1L. The group owns the headquarters and there is no tier so it too is Fabulously Free. “All of the spots are owned by the designers. That was important to me. I did not want control over anyone’s perms. The headquarters normally has several people there. Everything is free, or should be.” Renee still blogs regularly, posting about
4-5 items a day. She even has a male shape she uses to model items for the guys. There is now a male blogger to give a leg up to the men in SL. Tarsis Gausman, one of the organizers for the Make Him Over Hunt, posts regularly, along with Farah Palmer and Whisper Swansong, to keep us “Fabbers” on our toes. Content theft is a huge issue in SL and Renee is a big leader in the fight. She does everything from distributing anticopybot devices in the group for designers to use, to IM’ing people and alerting them when they are wearing stolen hair or skins. Oddly, many people are not aware they are wearing stolen items. This is why items are not allowed to be passed in group. LM’s and suggestions on where to find them are allowed. “That’s my ultimate goal in FabFree, I think. To educate the members on what content theft is and what they can do about it. The group has newer and older members and it’s great when members defend the designers.” One of the biggest issues with content theft, despite the fact that it’s wrong | 38
RADAR
and takes advantage of designers and creators, is that when caught, those who partake in it can be prosecuted by LL in RL. “Content theft is a huge issue for me. I am not a designer but I am very passionate about protecting designers and their creations. There are so many copybotters and people out there that are trying to make a buck on someone elses creation. It’s a very sad issue. Every designer that applies for FabFree has to fill out an application. I don’t care if I already know the store. I then check each and every store. I inspect the boxes and see who the creators are of each item. If the designer isn’t the creator I will contact every creator listed and send them a note with the store information.” The process in which designers have to go through to get stolen content removed is called a DMCA, which stands 39 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
“The group and blog for Digital Milinneum Copyright Act. So when someone “files a DMCA,” they’re actually filing a take down request because of a violation of the DMCA. Designers have to file information with Linden Labs and fax it to them. Once LL gets the form, they can then begin removing the questionable content. It’s a very lengthy process so an ounce of prevention goes a long way. “It’s very sad for the designer because for them, they are seeing their creation
a pile of gift cards and will pass them out in the group. We have a FabFree Quiz Day that’s a lot of fun.”
are
my passion.” (their baby) that they worked hard to bring to SL stolen from them. Anyone that applies and is the legitimate designer gets a tag. I dont care if they are the best or worse designer in SL. If they are doing it legitimately and trying, that’s all I ask.” FabFree is a very generous bunch of people that love to work together to make shopping and looking good in SL as fun and inexpensive as possible, while promoting designers. “Often I will get
There is a Give Thanks Harvest Dance in the works for November, around the 15th, with a gift card drop and several live musicians. Join the group to keep up with events and regular gifts, not to mention the hints from group members about designer freebies and crazy sales, and follow the blog at fabfree. wordpress.com. If you are a designer, contact Renee for a designer tag. “It’s a great way for designers to get noticed. Many people have said negative things about giving free stuff... but even the big companies in RL give free samples of their products.” Singles take notice, too. “The group might be the best place for a guy to meet someone!” So you never know what you’re going to find in FabFree.
| 40
RADAR
Nevar and Amethyst’s
Relay For Life.
By Ruin Quan, Photos by Mystique Sassoon (c/o Amethyst and Nevar) While interviewing Raven Pennyfeather for last month’s issue of ICON magazine, she asked me if I had ever met Nevar Lobo and Amethyst Starostin, organizers and managers of the Clothing Fair for Relay for Life in SL. I hadn’t, so she wrote a letter of introduction for me and delivered it to them herself. The result is this interview. I met two great people with hearts as big as they come and was able to get behind the avatars, so to speak. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as we enjoyed doing it. Ruin: Relay for Life is one of those groups in Second Life that it seems everyone knows about, but I’m sure that hasn’t always been the case. How did you get started? Nevar: When I first came to Second Life, I had no idea about Relay for Life or that you could do any type of work like this in a virtual world. 41 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
It wasn’t until we started work on the first Clothing Fair that Rebel Hope suggested we look into Relay for Life. I did, and because of my personal life and just having gone through two bouts of Breast Cancer with my best friend, that I knew for me it would be a fit. Since that day, I have lost friends to cancer, I have made new friends who have cancer, I have seen what Relay for Life does for people and I have directed my work in Second Life to raising money to help more people out there. That is why I continue to give tirelessly of my time and energy to making sure the Clothing Fair is successful and gives the designers of Second Life a place to show their passion for and desire to find a cure for cancer. Amethyst: I got started with Relay after I met Nev in June 2007, right after I found SL. I missed almost that
| 42
RADAR whole Relay season, but walked the track that year. In 2008, I started to help with the Clothing Fair and have been hooked ever since. Ruin: Where do the funds go? Nevar: All funds we raise at the Clothing Fair benefit Relay for Life. Over the past three Clothing Fairs, we have raised over 11 Million Linden Dollars for Relay for Life. Amethyst: All monies raised go to the American Cancer Society. Ruin: What qualifies a group to receive some of the funds that you raise? Nevar: There are many important charities out there, and we wish that we could work for every one of them. The work that I do for Relay for Life keeps me going all year round and between my personal life and working for SkyBeam Estates here in SL, any other projects I take on are done at negotiated rates. Amethyst: Since the only charity we raise funds for at this time is the American Cancer Society, that is a tough question to answer. We work 43 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
“This event means the world to both of us working together on it is very rewarding�
on Clothing Fair and with ACS all year and combined with the work we do on SkyBeam and other event planning, anything else we do at this time is on a for hire basis. But we would certainly be open to talking about it. Ruin: What events have been your greatest successes? Nevar: I have worked on many events here in Second Life. Of course when someone asks me about what event has been most successful for me; my answer is always the Clothing Fair. The money raised through that event is mind blowing, but the success isn’t just about the money. Through that event I have met some of the most amazing designers, bloggers, and people from all over the world. People coming together for one cause, and then right away being anxious for the next one to start. That makes it a success. Beside the Clothing Fair, I have worked with my wife in setting up the SkyBeam Estates Birthday Party, Caliber Designs Re-Grand Opening , and other large RFL events. I also work with the group Liberal , a
real life Keltic group from Italy that raise money for an animal rights group called SOS GAIA. Amethyst: I think by far the Clothing Fair is our greatest love and achievement and I really can’t take credit for the first 2 years of it. Nevar originally founded the Clothing Fair with Pips Fetid and the two of them began the success story. I’m just honored to be able to work with him now and continue to grow on that strong foundation. Other events we’ve planned and worked on are the SkyBeam Estates Birthday Party, Caliber’s Grand Re-Opening and other RFL events, like RelayStock, during the season. I’m also the Event Manager for SkyBeam so we’re always working on some smaller event or another. Ruin: Obviously, most things both in world and in real life have been affected by the economic situation. Are you seeing a drop off in contributions? Nevar: We have really seen no difference in the Clothing Fair funds raised because of the economy. I did | 44
RADAR anticipate seeing a drop off however, but I believe that the event happens at the beginning of the fundraising season for RFL and most people are anxious to donate. This gives them the opportunity to do the two things they love most. Donate to RFL and shop. Amethyst: I haven’t seen it. In fact, the Clothing Fair and RFL both broke records last year. I think the heart knows no boundaries and people will do whatever they need to contribute to something close to them. There are many Relayers out there that will camp or work in SL and donate everything they make here just to make a difference. Ruin: This is a large endeavor, how does it affect your personal life, if I’m not being too brash to ask? Nevar: I have never really thought about this question. Over the past few years I have given over 100% to working on the Clothing Fair because the only thing I had for me was Second Life. I am disabled in first life so this gives me the opportunity to be a productive member of society. Now 45 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
that I live fulltime with my partner, Amethyst, I have had to teach myself to allow that personal time come in and not spend so much time on Second Life. This event however, means the world to both of us and working together on it is very rewarding to us both. We take time every couple months to have dinner with our dear friends that we have met here, Raven Pennyfeather and Avrele Guisse. That keeps us sane and reminds us all that we have to take breaks and laugh, enjoy our friends, and enjoy life outside of SL. It’s the only way we can keep the stress down during the planning of this type of event. Amethyst: It does affect our personal life quite a bit because we do take it so seriously. We are passionate about this in RL and SL so many times over dinner we’re planning sims or event ideas but we do try very hard to balance our time with other things as well. I also work full time in RL so that forces a break for us as well. Ruin: What do you have planned for 2010? What events might we see?
Nevar: Most events that are held through Relay for Life don’t start getting planned until February. Because of the amount of time that the Clothing Fair takes to plan and organize, we don’t even think about other events. Amethyst and I will be working on spreading the word about the International Relations Committee of Relay for Life of Second Life. We are chairing that committee and will be working hard spreading the word about Relay for Life through the different communities of Second Life. Amethyst: It’s a bit early yet to see what we’ll bite off. We’re currently working on this year’s SkyBeam Birthday Celebration in November but after that it will be all Clothing Fair until March. We will also be working hard on the International Relations Committee and getting that together.
right person in ACS. Any one who is bilingual and would like to help or get involved can also contact Amethyst or myself. Most RFL events won’t start up until after the first of the year, but we can help get anyone who wants to help find the right person to talk to. Amethyst: They can contact either of us and we can help get them in touch with the right people to get started. As you can see, these are two people that have a real passion for helping those who may not be able to help themselves. It is truly my honor to bring them into the light for the readers and hope that their example will motivate all of us to join in.
Ruin: How can an individual like myself, or any of the readers get involved? Nevar: They can drop an IM to one of us and we can get you plugged into the Clothing Fair or refer you to the | 46
RADAR There’s a head-turning niche in Second Life’s world of fashion that can’t be found on any runway. It’s the off-shoot of the modern day pin up girls (and boys) found in real life - The Suicide Girls, known in SL as the Suicide Centerfolds. If you haven’t heard of the RL group, check out suicidegirls. com. I think there’s a free tour to lure you in. While you’re at it, check out the Flickr stream of the SL Suicide Centerfolds at http://www.flickr.com/ photos/41837301@N03 and get a peek at the inked and pierced fashionistas that ooze the playful and sensual side of SL’s fashion industry. “I think that a lot of people only think someone is a beautiful person when they look something like a Barbie doll. We’re not the cookie-cutter type. We see beauty in all shapes, sizes and colors,” says Rory Haiku, concerning the ideal she and her business partner, Voltaire Serpente, have worked hard to exemplify as they continue to evolve the Suicide Centerfolds and the group’s interaction in SL’s community. 47 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
The Suicide
“We’re
not the cook
Centerfolds
By Vespa Runner, Photos by Mrohs Baxton
kie-cutter type”
Suicide Centerfolds is a part of the Suicide Girls’s Affiliates Program found in real life. They applied when they had their original group, which was about 5 months ago, but ownership changed and the new group has been affiliated for about 2 1/2 months. Currently there are about 20 plus Suicide Centerfold girls and 8 Suicide Centerfold boys. They receive 3-4 applications a day on average. A lot of the girls are RL Suicide Girl hopefuls or just plain enjoy what Suicide Centerfolds has to offer them in SL. “I think the body is a big canvas and I like see what people decorate it with. Whether it’s Neko, Emo, Punk, Goth or Glam, we like to see how original people are with their styles or their versions of those styles,” quips Voltaire on what she and Rory look for in Centerfold candidates. Rory adds, “We look for models that share the same passion as we do. They must have nice skin and hair (general appearance). They must have visible tattoos. They must have a sense of humor, as well as look good in photos. We like to think of Suicide Centerfolds as a growing family, being | 48
RADAR
49 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
close friends with models, rather than treating them like an employee or just another pretty face.”
and peruse the gallery. Join the group for notifications on events or to keep up on additions to the Flickr site.
Suicide Centerfolds has a lot planned for the near future. A website is in the works that will feature the photo sets and they are hoping to have blogs from the models as well (a lot like you can find on the RL site). They also have a calendar and magazine in the works, and currently have merchandise available at the Suicide Centerfolds Homestead. This is also where you can find the centerfolds hanging out, photo shoots going on (unless they are on location)
“The rules are there are no rules! We welcome everyone to come hang at anytime, whether we are having events or not.” There you have it...your official invitation from Rory Haiku. “I think we ARE fashion. We belong in the fashion industry. You can find a normal model almost anywhere but we bring a sense of uniqueness to the clothes and things we model.” | 50
51 |  ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
| 52
STYLE On Boe HAIR: MADesigns - Chris Tartan F1 (Red) SKIN: Belleza - Jonas Beard (chest hair) OUTFIT: Dreambox - D-B SQL Striped Shorts On Lovena OUTFIT: WTW lingerie ver9 & WTW lingerie spring special panty in purple SHOES: Bliss Couture Hollywood Pump HAIR: Truth - Evie in Chocolate SKIN: Sawode - Suntan
Bedroom Confessions
with
Photographer Shannoncharlize Gossipgirl Poses by NLimbo Custom Poses Models Boe Cortes & Lovena Allen 53 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
WTW
On Boe HAIR: MADesigns - Jude in Tortiseshell Brown SKIN: Belleza - Jonas Beard (chest hair) OUTFIT: Vitamen - Ribbed Cotton Boxer - Wet On Lovena OUTFIT: WTW ver19 flower-pink SHOES: Minx - Sassy Sin in Silver/White HAIR: HOH - Nightlife in Coffee Bean ACCESSORIES: Paper Couture - Jasmine Parure Earrings & Total Betty – Diamond Bangle SKIN: Sawode - Suntan
On Boe HAIR: MADesigns – Eric in Roman Sunrise SKIN: Belleza - Jonas Clean Shave OUTFIT: Laqroki - Boxers - Stripes White On Lovena OUTFIT: WTW Lingerie Babydoll in Green SHOES: Bliss Couture - Hollywood Pump HAIR: MAD – Akami in Brown ACCESSORIES: Donna Flora - Blue Tears Earrings & Total Betty- Diamonds Bangle SKIN: Sawode - Suntan
| 54
style
Designer Watch: Kellie Iwish
Elate! - A New Beg By Sahara Mehrtens Photos Supplied by Kellie Iwish For almost one year now, Kellie Iwish has been creating some of the most unique, yet simply chic outfits on the grid. Her soft, feminine style mixes with interesting colors to create striking designs and interesting outfits that are perfect for the runway or date night. With success come growing pains though, so Kellie recently moved her Elate! store from the Cupcake sim to Sunny, a new sim that she opened with Annette Voight of Decoy “I was beginning to outgrow my shop on Cupcake,” says Kellie. “And, I wanted 55 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
a place I could build and create my own representation of Elate! Also, I am planning on moving more into creating prefabs and furniture and I’ll need the space to display them.” Her recent grand opening was a huge success despite some lag, and many people came out to cheer her on, and of course shop! “The Grand Opening was a blast! So many of my friends showed up to support me despite the maddening lag of a nearly full sim,” she said. “Everyone was really supportive and excited about this huge step.”
ginning Currently plans are to keep Elate! open at Cupcake as well as the many other locations on the grid. “I have more than 17 shops in total,” she said. “Including my main store on Sunny. Each store is updated regularly, too.” Though she has achieved a very high level of success in the designing world, Kellie’s beginnings were very modest. “I was fairly new to SL, and I read an article by a popular designer talking about her humble | 56
STYLE beginnings of starting out with a tiny shop and no customers. It occurred to me that it might be possible for anyone to try their hand (and succeed) at designing. Also, I figured creating my own clothes would be cheaper than buying them.” And thus, on January 10, 2008, she made her first top. “A few weeks later, I opened my first shop,” she said. “It had a whole three items for sale.” When asked about her unique store name, Kellie divulged that it originated from her constant need to make people around her smile. “Elate means to fill with joy or pride,” she said. “I have always been a happy, optimistic person. I wanted to use a word that would make people smile.” Though there are many designers in both SL and RL that influence the fun and lovely designs, Kellie said she draws from many muses when she actually begins the design process. “I will usually see someone wearing something beautiful and be inspired by
57 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
a shape, color palate, lines, anything, she said. “This will create a sketch in my mind of an idea. As I work on the dress, the idea becomes clearer until all the pieces come together. I usually don’t really know what the dress will look like until it’s done.” Her most popular item is still one of her earlier dresses, the Felicity dress. “Even though it’s an older dress, it’s still the best seller overall. It’s one of my favorite creations and I still wear it often,” she said. For Kellie, designing has ups and downs, fortunately mostly ups though – especially with a name like Elate! “The most exciting part is definitely seeing other people wearing your items, especially if they’ve combined them with other pieces in a creative way,” she said. “This is why I love the fashion blogs. I love to see how bloggers can pair pieces from different designers to make creative, beautiful outfits.” However, there are things about designing that aren’t as exciting.
| 58
STYLE “The most difficult part of designing is probably putting hours into an outfit, only to end up trashing it because you can’t quite, to quote Tim Gunn from Project Runway, “make it work,’” Kellie said. Though she’s had several requests and has pondered it for awhile, she doesn’t see herself venturing from female clothing to male clothing anytime soon. “Sorry fellas,” she said. “But, I’m just not inspired by male fashion. Female fashion is more interesting to me.” Kellie has decided to surround herself with some of her favorite SL designers on her new sim. “There are far too many great designers to list here, but I think Antonia Marat, Anya Ohmai, and Annette Voight (obviously) are all extremely talented and have really creative styles,” she said. “To find a lot more of my favorites, just take a stroll around my sim! I’ve done my best to fill the shops there with designers who I admire and who’s work I love.”
59 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
One piece of advice Kellie has for people wanting to get into designing is, “experiment! I’m still learning new things about creating with every dress I make,” she said. So, take a spin around her new sim or one of her 17 other locations around the grid to get a taste of happiness, and be Elated! dresses shown: Silvia, Felicity, Joy & Eve
Simple. Feminine. Soft. Beautiful.
Elate! | 60
STYLE
A Wishbox Masquerade
Photographer Moose Moomintoog
On Boe Cortes HAIR: MADesigns – David in Dark Brown SKIN: Belleza- Jonas Beard OUTFIT: Hoorenbeek Tuxedo Jacket and Pants in Black SF Design - Rockerfella White open neck shirt with prim collar and loose bow tie SHOES: Redgrave - Casual Loafer in Black MASK: Illusions - Civetta Venetzia Black/Silver 61 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
Laya Felisimo GOWN: Wishbox – Thumbelina HAIR: Truth - Tanya in Mocha SKIN: Belleza - Jesse in Sunkiss 7 (Cleavage) EYES: MADesigns - Soul Eyes in Pale Grey FLOWERS: Wishbox - Sculpted Hair Wreath in Lavender
On Lovena Allen GOWN: Wishbox - Signora Della Rosa in Blue HAIR: HoH – Nightlife in Coffee Bean MASK: Civetta Venetzia JEWELLRY: Donna Flora – Blue Tear set SHOES: Shiny Things - Ruffle Boot in Black | 62
STYLE
Style Men: *FIR* from Rob1977 Moonites
Photographer Moose Moomintoog Model Dimitri Shinn
EYES - MADesigns - Mirrors – Confidence SKIN - Fire - Aral – Soul Patch (Hair) SHIRT - *FIR* Pink Polo Shirt PANTS - *FIR* Classic Dark Blue Jeans SHOES - Urban Bomb Unit Slip-ons MultiColor WRISTBAND - *FIR* B&W Skulls Wristband 63 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
Eyes - MADesigns - Mirrors – Vanity SKIN - Fire - Aral – Soul Patch (Hair) SHIRT - *FIR* White Biker Wife Beater PANTS - *FIR* Dirty Jeans SHOES - [ Hoorenbeek ] Nylon Trainer CAP - *ARGRACE* Baseball Cap WATCH - [BUKKA] Watch Lasta TATTOO - Aitui Tattoo Hope Song Fresh
EYES - MADesigns - Mirrors – Vanity SKIN - Fire - Aral – Soul Patch (Hair) SHIRT - [W&B] Mark Long Sleeve Henley PANTS - *FIR* Acid Jeans SHOES - Treads KBoots in Black CAP - *FIR* Casual Cap in Wheat SCARF - *FIR* Lexie Scarf in Black | 64
STYLE
fashion ICON
Vega Arida, is an incredible stylist. She posted a fashion picture on our flickr page and I was instantly hooked. Not only is she an expert at fashion, she also has her own fashion blog http:// vegaarida.wordpress.com, and is the Editor-n-Chief of Vain Living for Vain Magazine. Interior Designing is just a different way of styling. Its fashion for the home. SKIN: Dutch Touch - Cleo Caramel PiP HAIR: Fri.Day - Jasmine SHIRT: Milk Motion - My Check Shirt in Black JACKET: *COCO* – Tuxedo Jacket in Black SKIRT: *COCO* - Feather Skirt HAIR ACCESSORY: &Bean - Prodigal Summer PIPE: [glow]studio - Smoke Pipes B&W CANE: KatatOnik - Ana-Cane SHOES: N-Core - High School Xtreme Heel
SKIN: LeLutKa – Eclat Jade Drack in Makeup 3 HAIR: Pididdle - Balloon Hair in Black HAIR ACCESSORY: Wild O - Head Dress in Blue SHIRT: Zenith - Checker2 in Red SKIRT: Sugarcube - Sugar by Sugar Dress PANTS: SK Designs - Adrenaline Outfit SHOES: J’s - Real Toe 2Way Short Boots 65 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
| 66
STYLE
fashion ICON Our male fashion ICON of the Month is Clyde Saunders. He is not an official stylist but I told him he should be. He is a top model for several well known agencies and has featured in Avenue Magazine as Model of the Month. But I love his style and wanted to feature the way he dresses. I love it when men can dress themselves without help. Photographer Moose Moomintoog SKIN: -Belleza - Ewan Sk-1 HAIR: Uncleweb - AI in Black SWEATER: Moderno - Caprese Sweater MUFFLER: Argrace - Check Muffler in Mocha PANTS: Alphamale - Formal Pants SHOES: Muism - Ankle Boots in Brown
SKIN: Belleza - Ewan Sk-1 HAIR: MADesigns – Boyd NBI JACKET: Grasp - Fur Trim Hooded Jacket SHIRT: Muism - UJ Tank Top in Night PANTS: Armidi Limited - A001 Jeans in Black SHOES: Kalnins Shoes - Gallop in Black
67 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
| 68
69 |  ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
| 70
71 |  ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
| 72
73 |  ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
| 74
Lifestyle Remember when you were a kid and used to indulge your imagination? It was always so interesting to take that Sunday dress out of your closet, put on your Mother’s heels and stomp around like you were the Queen or some foreign dignitary that obviously required large clothes and pearl beads. You could fashion a cardboard sword with some handiwork and some ingenuity and then you were a warrior, battling for Greece. With the cardboard box that your parents’ television came in, you were sailing to Troy and ready for anything. We had imagination back then, and we used it. Somewhere along the way, we decided that we were too grown-up to even fantasize. When we stopped imagining that broomsticks are ponies and that paper towel tubes were telescopes, things stopped being about the enjoyment of fantasy. Who needs that? Thankfully, in the open-ended world of Second Life, we have the ability to play pretend 24-7. Some of us do that too, with regions and sims devoted to Role-Playing, there’s entire worlds full of details that people forget. 75 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
Playing Pretend:
Roleplaying & Fash
Wr
Discover
what your Second Life i
hion in Second Life
ritten and Photographed by Aradia Eberhardt
is capable of becoming.
Personally, I’ve roleplayed in all of the popular sims before and have created multiple characters whose avatars were solely devoted to those roles. Creating a name just so you can dress it up as that character, give it a reality and act as that person? Some people do that and their Second Life is nowhere even close to who they really are in their First Life, but imagine if you did this to play pretend on a mass scale? With people doing the same thing and without trepidation, playing pretend can become rewarding and empowering and it’s like reading a book that you and a group of other people are constantly writing. My favorite part about it though, and the real meat of this piece, is the detail embedded in roleplaying. It’s the way your character’s setting can dictate how you dress, the accessories you wear. The weather can mean your character needs a scarf or a jacket, maybe even a bikini and sandals, and it doesn’t just end there. Wounds can be inflicted when your character is hurt, thus facilitating the need for prim bandages and wound | 76
Lifestyle layers, or eye-patches to make your avatar look truly badass. Even deeper than that is the designer’s mystique, designing items that can be used to fashion even more intense detail into your character’s life. Maybe your character is in a sim where it’s 1937. You can take your avatar to Ivalde and Armidi and deck them out completely to look like a loving couple outside of a dime movie theater in early Boston. Perhaps you live under the rails, futuristic and uncaring of your surrounding in another sim and latex, boots and brass-knuckles are all your character needs to roam the gritty streets. Sometimes, period-themed roleplay can be the most fun to indulge in because not only are you creating a fantasy life, but you’re doing it within the restrictions
77 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
preset to that time so you have to fit it into that and research. To me, that can be the most fun: Research! When you Wikipedia the details and finer points. Would women in the 1950’s wear a skirt above or below their knee? What about if you were playing a Goddess in a Mythological sim? Maybe you’re a military faction leader within another region, what would you need to facilitate your character’s BDU’s? The options are literally endless and add a completely new and refreshing reason to deck your avatar out in some of the best clothing and most unique pieces. Playing pretend doesn’t have to be just for children and living in a world of fantasy doesn’t have to be such a dirty connatation. Open up your minds and discover just what your Second Life is capable of becoming, with a little help from your imagination.
| 78
Lifestyle
Meat You in
Stepford!
By Vespa Runner Photos by Jordan Whitt
Up the quiet street towards the park, there appears to be preparations for a barbecue underway as rotisserie spits are going and coals are red hot. You seem to have remembered passing a jar with a label saying something about a “meat lottery - for ladies only,” but passed it off as some sort of odd random town giveaway, much like the cake walks where you grew up. Standing under a tree enjoying mountain view, you can’t help but overhear some conversation. A woman scantily clad in black leather says, “At this rate, there won’t be nothin’ to grind up and we’ll all go hungry.” An odd comment to be sure, but you’re new. What you need to know about Stepford is they’re friendly and they like to cook.
Stepford is dedicated to the Art of Dolcett, which focuses on the themes of snuff, consensual cannibalism, sexual cannibalism, torture, sex, death and ‘fine dining’ as well as impalement & asphyxia. That’s not to say that other forms of ‘play’ are forbidden, of course. Stepford is an equal opportunity town for those who live and play in this lifestyle. Among the other conveniences in Stepford, such as the restaurant, you’ll also find a motel you can live in. One of the rooms is sparsely furnished but very homey. Low on prims, too. Simply a blood-stained mattress and a St. Andrews Cross were seen upon a quick peek in one room before I realized it was a residence. Oops. Thank goodness for radar. The bathroom is public at the hotel, though, which all you ladies know is a god send...unless, um, well it’s not really the kind where you do your thing and wash your hands. This one falls into that category.
It’s what they cook that is of interest in this picturesque little town. 79 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
No information was ever provided about the meat lottery. However I have a hunch it has something to do with the butcher shop and the head displays in the window. My suggestion is to tip the jar and leave quietly. They’re always hungry for more around there. Stepford welcomes any race or breed of Second Life avatar (realistic or fantasy), as long as it doesn’t interfere with the performance of the sim or with other people’s roleplay (they may ask you to change if you’re a 100ft high particle spouting cyborg, for example, but if you’re a coffee cup, fine). Furries, nekos, fae, elves, aliens, demons and other assorted anthros and hybrids are always accepted, as of course are pure bred animals. Also, Stepford has no restrictions based on gender or sexuality from being a chef or being meat. Males, as well as females are snuffed and eaten - and many females enjoy cooking in Stepford. Next time you’re out looking for a place for Sunday dinner, be sure and stop by Stepford. They do have a very good diner there. | 80
Lifestyle
Making Men Look Good: By Ruin Quan Photos by Brie Pinazzo
Calico Ingmann
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a freak about making sure my avatar is as attractive as I can make it. I have spent a lot of time finding just the right skin, the right shape, the right eyes, clothes and maybe even more importantly the right hair. I prefer a longer hair but I do have some stylish short ones for certain situations. Time and time again I go to a hair store only to find that there are at most 2 or 3 men’s styles and they are similar to the last hair store I was at. I’ve even on occasion bought a woman’s hair style to augment my collection, because they are so more superior to what I find in most cases. Fortunately there is a store is SL that devotes as much energy to making sure I look good as it does to the women. I have pretty much every hair style (I know, I’m a bit of a neurotic about hair) that the fabulous Calico Ingmann makes for men and when I thought about writing 81 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
an article regarding something that is important to me fashion wise, I looked her up. A delightful woman, who seems to really enjoy making her male customers look good, here is Calico Ingmann. Ruin: One of the things I hear often in Second Life is how most designers make the majority of their products for women, and that men are kind of an afterthought. I think that with the exception of a few designers, like yourself, hair is one of those products. What prompted you to design such an extensive mens line? Calico: There isn’t a lot of men’s hair, as compared to women’s style. It is needed. When I started my shop in 2005, I would get tons of requests for more men’s styles and I still do even now. So after hearing all these requests, I took it upon myself to create the biggest selection of mens hair I could, and I am constantly
| 82
Lifestyle making more, updating my techniques and styles to offer the best quality of men’s hair out there. Ruin: There are a lot of hair makers that only make short hair for men; is there a reason for that? Is it more difficult to make long hair for men than women? Calico: Not at all! I adore long hair on men, and I personally think long hair on men is sexy, but that’s me! When I first started making hair there was a lack of long mens styles at the time. I would get people coming to me and specifically asking for these longer styles. I was inspired by my RL husband as well. For most of our time together, at least until the last year or so, he had really long, curly hair and I wanted to bring more of that into SL. In fact, the hairstyle Brian was based on his hair, not just in the design either. The texture I used in that style was originally from a photo I took of his hair, and I used that as a basis for the drawing that later became the texture. When it comes to making long hair for men as opposed to women, I don’t 83 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
have much difficulty with it. I would have to say long hair is my specialty and its what I enjoy making most. I find it a lot easier to make long hair than short. The difference is that for men you have to keep in mind that your working with a male head, so the size will be different, the lay of the prims might be a bit different. But other than that I don’t have any issues with it.
Ruin: How long does it take to make a design? Calico: The time it takes can vary and this is because of the amount of texture work I put into my hair. Every hair texture I use, its all hand drawn, and I am constantly making new hair textures depending on the style. So if I don’t have the texture already done, it will take longer to create the style. Step by step, this is usually how I do it:
Ruin: I’m of the belief that most men don’t make their avis look as good as they could. How important do you think hair is in the proper makeup of a male avi? Calico: Hair is very important in the design of an avi, and I think it goes beyond just quality in the build. There are tons of different looks and personalities, and hair is one way of expressing that. It helps give a sense of individuality. It’s why I offer so many different looks for men, and I’m constantly expanding on those. Just like the clothing or the skin, the hair makes the avi too.
1) I draw the hair texture using Photoshop. This usually takes from 1- 4 hours, depending on how complex the design of the hair is. 2) Once the hair is drawn, I convert it to all the hair colors. I have about 174 colors, so this can take about an hour, if I work nonstop. 3) This is usually where I build the hair and this will vary a lot as well depending on how difficult the style is. I have created a hair in a little as thirty minutes, sometimes it takes hours. Once I build the hair, get everything linked and placed on the head, I take
| 84
Lifestyle time wearing it for a while, to check for flaws, bald spots, and mismatched textures. I will usually do this for about a day, just to be sure. 4) Once I’m sure everything is as it should be, I upload my textures, which takes about 30 minutes, and then spend another 30 minutes to an hour getting all the textures into a scripted retexturing device. I use what’s called a toaster to recolor all my hair. Once all those are in, it usually takes 30 minutes just to recolor all the hair using the toaster. After that’s, its onto packaging and taking photos for the ads. Starting from scratch, making new textures ( do that quite often), it takes a couple days. If I have my textures finished and ready, sometimes I can get it done in a few hours. Ruin: As flex and sizing become more and more prevalent in hair products in Second Life, what new problems do designers face? Calico: The biggest problem I have 85 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
faced is lag, and hair is the number one cause of it, I think, mostly because of all the prims and the amount of flex it has. Before SL implemented the ARC function, I made my hair without a lot of thought to rendering costs. Once that came out and I realized just how laggy hair was, I experimented with techniques to help with that. This required me to rethink and redo all my textures, which is not an easy task and something I have had to work on over the past year. It took a while, but worth it in the end I think. I did once use the resizer scripts when they
you say are the most popular and the least popular of your line? Calico: The most popular is definitely midnight. I think after that its blood, then auburn. The least popular for men would probably be the pastel set. I just don’t see a lot of men going around wearing Rose for a color.
first came out, but quickly abandoned it. The reason being is that it is really laggy. There needs to be a script in every prim for the resizer to work, and when you have about 100-200 active scripts in the hair, it causes issues. I think they have a deleter script option now for the resizer scripts, which is very helpful to solve that problem. I just never did go back to using them. I might consider it for later if there are some less laggy versions. We’ll see. Ruin: I noticed that you have a vast color range of men’s hair. What would
Ruin: I am hearing more and more from designers about how ripping designs and stealing others work is becoming an epidemic. How is it affecting your business? Calico: Unfortunately I am starting to see a lot more of my hair ripped lately and there seem to be more and more tools coming out to allow it copybot, viewers with copying ability. I’ve heard some horror stories about it and it has become an epidemic. To be honest, it is quite disheartening and frustrating to deal with, especially when you think about how much work and time was put into all these designs. It has taken sales away, which is needed for the upkeep of the SIM, and my ability to create new hairstyles and textures. It also takes time away from | 86
LIFESTYLE creating when you have to file reports or deal with informing customers about the hair they bought. I have found it extremely stressful at times. It takes a toll not just on the shop, but on me as well. Ruin: What do you find more popular, the historical hair styles or the modern ones? Calico: It’s hard to say really. I don’t have a lot of historical hair, but I guess it depends on what you mean by that. A lot of the long hair I sell is used for fantasy or medieval themed avi’s, so I guess in that respect I could consider it historical, and of my hair that’s my most popular. Ruin: What can we look forward to in the near future for Calico for men? Calico: I have a lot in mind for the future, and a lot of new textures I have been working and reworking to give the hair a more natural look. I’ve been working heavily on the sculpts, so you will likely see a lot more sculpted men’s hair, both short and long. I am also working on beards, the first of which I will be releasing very soon. I 87 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
would have to say keep checking back with the shop. I am always releasing new men’s hair, so there will be a lot to look forward to. Okay guys, get out there and find the right look for yourself. Quit being lazy and fine tune your avatars. It’s a fantasy world so make your avi look like your fantasy. It can be tall, short, human, inhuman, animal, cartoonish … whatever floats your boat. But get out there and do it. It’s fun, and once you get that look just right, you’d be amazed at how you feel about your Second Life experience. Oh, and stop by Calico Ingmann Creations. It’s a great place to start finding your “look”.
| 88
Lifestyle
Sir Iason Hassanov:
Grand Marshall of Caledon.
By Vespa Runner Photos by Mrohs Baxton
“Mostly like in RL, if you can make guns, you can make clocks...and vice versa.” Sir Iason Hassanov is Ambassador to the Czech Republic and Poland, and Parade Grand Marshal to the Commonwealth of Caledon, the largest steampunk area in SL, which consists of 49 Sims. He puts the essence of Steampunk, and the building that often goes along with it in SL, quite simply. Steampunk, like the gears, dials and steam that power it, has quite a history. Steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction which came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used. This is usually the 19th Century, and often set in Victorian era England but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy. 89 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
The category incorporates any recent science fiction that takes place in a recognizable historical period (sometimes an alternate-history version of an actual historical period) where the Industrial Revolution has already begun, but electricity is not yet mainstream, with an emphasis on steam, springpropelled and cog-powered gadgets. The most common historical Steampunk
| 90
LIFESTYLE
“I may, or may not have,
invented some flying guns”
settings are the Victorian and Edwardian eras, though some in this “Victorian Steampunk” category can go as early as the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Some examples of this type include the comic book series “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” and the series (and later movie) “Wild Wild West.” Technnology of all types is run on steam, cogs, gears and springs. Weaponry can be used in this similar clockwork style. 91 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
Hassanov does a great deal of building in Caledon, which is owned by Desmond Shang and started February 26, 2006, in addition to his official roles. “I build for certain charity events. I made action dolls for last year’s Relay for Life and New Orleans for Boobie-thon. This year I’ll have a nativity scene and we will do another Christmas theme install. It depends on prim allowance. We are thinking of a Christmas parade.” Quite the official presence in Caledon, his title is Sir Iason (Eye-uh-son) Hassanov. Sir Hassanov is quite humble about his role and, in fact, generally is happy just building or helping friends out with their builds or whatever they need. “I think I was knighted sometime. But I’m often confused for a suit of armor.” Again, weaponry is quite the presence in Steampunk and Hassanov has quite a flair for it. “I was sent here by the Hassanov Underkingdom. They are the great weaponsmiths of Europe. I don’t want to implement myself on anything I should not be admitting to. I may, or may not have, invented some flying guns.”
Not bad for a guy who was sent to Caledon on the Official Hassanov Mammoth. It’s run on steam as well and very tall. “Well...it’s mine. And...issued. So that makes it official,” Hassanov remarks in reference to the infamous Mammoth. In his own definition of Steampunk, as it relates to him personally and his day to day use, both in RL and SL, “Steampunk is the alternative history of the time in history where innovation was the most important thing. There are names like Tesla, Kingdom and Twain. Innovators. Incredible! Where quality was better than quantity. Craftsmanship was paramount! Most importantly it was an age before plastic. Everything had a smell.” For people who love Steampunk, including Sir Iason, it’s not just something in SL. It is part of their RL and they are innovators in their everyday lives, toiling away with gadgets in their workshops, walking in the footsteps of the inventors they aspire to honor.
| 92
Lifestyle
THE GREAT
SAILING ADVENTURE ~ 2009
PART 2 of 4 By Dahlia Jayaram
DAY 2 Onwards: STRUGGLING AROUND SATONI
The Great Sailing Adventure is
a challenge I set up for myself after I realized Second Life had a number of continents linked together by water. I had crossed the Blake Sea one day in about an hour, and when I realized how small it was relative to the larger SL world, I just had to see how long it would take to sail it all. In Part 1 I covered my first day of sailing that took me from the sim Morea in the southeastern Island Communities to Sailor’s Rest at AnyPeople’s Yacht Lounge, Honah Lee North in the Blake Sea. On day two, I left Blake Sea’s western side to tackle the expansive continent of the Satoni mainland.
93 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
Dahlia Jayaram loves to explore Second Life. Her first few months were spent searching for the most beautiful islands in SL and has recently begun exploring SL’s many diverse waterways
If I had been a more experienced—and superstitious—sailor, the earliest events after my morning departure from Honah Lee North to sail the entire Second Life world would have probably been enough to serve as a warning of things to come and make me turn my little boat right back around and stay in port. But I was a novice sailor, and naive. Yes, we can even say a “newbie” sailor. I know...we all cringe at that label. Five minutes into my voyage, while still in the Blake Sea, I came upon Siren’s Isle. There, I discovered a large, doublewinged sea plane that had crashed and washed ashore. The plane’s registry said Govenor Linden was the owner. A life raft floated nearby and a small camp was set up, but it was desolate. So I turned around to get in my boat when I discovered it had disappeared. No problem, I’ll simply rez another... NOT! It wasn’t allowed. Now I was the stranded one! I ended up swimming six sims before I could rez another boat, but once in it, I sailed out of western Blake Sea and to the northeastern tip of the Satoni | 94
Lifestyle continent. It looked pretty remote to be the mainland, I thought. Little did I know what lay ahead. Sailing around Satoni was like encountering a locked door every two steps and having to stop to find a different key to unlock each door from a very large key chain with a gazillion other keys on it. It was a horrific, time consuming exercise. Sailing Blake Sea took only one day; Satoni took six. Six! And it wasn’t because Satoni was a long continent to travel around. Blake Sea is just as long a distance. It’s because Satoni has allowed property owners to build right on top of the water, right up to the edge of the off-grid sea, leaving no room for people to pass by on the water. In contrast, if you look at the interior land of Satoni, it is relatively open and peaceful. But when you go to the coastline, everyone lives next to or overtop the water. I couldn’t help but to think: what’s with that? Look at all that land up there people! Put your houses and business up there and leave the water to the watercraft! 95 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
Trying to navigate through all the properties next to and on top of the water is an exhaustive process of zigzagging between, beside, around and sometimes under or over top of a ridiculous quagmire of land and building obstacles, properties built up against each other, privacy screens, security sensors, property ban lines, full parcels, and owners rejecting the crossing of
Stuck In Satoni; See Satoni...One Ban Line at a Time!; Satoni: Shoulda Been Nautilus; I Survived Satoni. Sailing (and I use the term loosely here) Satoni is dangerous. I can’t begin to tell you the number of times I was thrown from my boat, then couldn’t rez a new one. There were many instances of being bounced off nearly invisible ban lines, ejected by trigger happy security orbs, or got stuck in narrow passageways between or under buildings, just trying to get past.
their property by either you and/or the vehicle you’re using. It made me wonder why we even bothered to have a mainland if everyone wanted to live along and on top of the water. In my head, I couldn’t help but to begin having visions of cynical bumper stickers about Satoni such as: Sail Satoni—Not! Satoni: A Venice Wannabe;
Unbelievable as it may seem, I’m one of the lucky ones. One day in Kokyanwuti, I came across four people who were on the sea floor. I called out their names and threw out life preservers in an attempt to rescue them, but it was too late. They were all unresponsive by the time I reached them. Three souls were already fading away right before my eyes. If only they had lived long enough to sign my petition asking for open waterways! Maybe then some good could have come out of this tragedy for future generations.
| 96
Lifestyle Amidst all the chaos and clutter of Satoni’s coastline, there were some bright spots, however. Dogland in Rhoda is an SL extension of Vitolo Rossini’s RL work with service dogs for people who had traumatic brain injuries. In SL, he creates and repairs service dogs for residents. Also, he has a bulletin board for posting information and images related to dogs, offers a small selection of retail items, and has a memorial wall for people to display photos of their four-legged family members after they have passed. You can read about his experience from his blog at: http:// dogfather-sl.blogspot.com.
Another educational opportunity awaits visitors in Horsa, where the The College of Scripting is a couple of sims inland from Satoni’s western shore. At the southern tip of Satoni is a carousel ride. And on the western shoreline in Zorin is a beautifully lit, classic ferris wheel and a couple of other carnival rides at the Nyaeba Snow Resort 2009. But if you crave more speed, Waldo’s World for Pat and friends of Blo in Blofeld claims to have the largest and fastest race track in all of SL for F1 Dominus motorcycles. You can’t miss it either; Waldo’s sits somewhere high atop a sky-high towering stack of pictures that rises from the ground like a giant house of playing cards. For me, however, the happiest moment was getting into bed at the Talakin Boatyard in Talakin, knowing the next leg of my journey would once again feature truly open waters good enough for real sailing! NEXT TIME IN PART 3: NAUTILUS AND POINTS NORTH
97 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
Gadget Girl: Episode 6
E’rybody in da
Club....
Written by Gadget Girl Photos by Brie Pinazzo
Hey, hey, hey!! It’s me, Gadget Girl, and I’m back with more of my crazy stories! I can’t believe it’s almost the end of the year! All I know is, this has been a crazy one – full of ups and downs, goods and bads, hottness and notness! Ok, so I know you are all DYING to know about Mark the builder!! The answer is yes, we’re still dating! I know, right... two months together with the same guy... check me for a temperature! *giggles* He and I have taken on a new venture; we opened a club together! He’s such a great builder, and I’m, well, I’ve got all kinds of gadgets, so we put our talents together and have made one amazing place to party! It took a lot of work, quite a bit of time, some creative differences, and a LOT of gadgets... but we’ve pulled it
off and our opening night is coming up! I can’t wait to dance close to him and celebrate what we’ve accomplished. I’ve never had a guy be so patient with me before. This one is a keeper. Well, we have a building, now what? So, on the way, we ran into quite a few kinks. (Mind out of the gutter please.) The minute Mark told his friends that we were opening a club we had tons of people say they’d work for us. Well, of course that got us all pumped, but neither one of us were really managerial-type people. Well, you know my motto: When in trouble, there is probably a gadget that will help! (Ok... so you probably didn’t know that was my motto, but it is, so there.) So, I searched the grid and asked around, and what I found was this nifty little staff board from Nexxu. I couldn’t believe how EASY this gadget makes things and how incredibly organized it keeps everyone on your staff. You simply put in the times of your events and the staff members can click | 98
LIFESTYLE and add their name to the time. All of the dancers have a place to click, all of the deejays... it’s awesome! The coolest part about it to me is, when you take a shift, it puts a little version of your profile picture in the slot you chose to take. This makes it a sexy staff board, if you’ve got the right staff, which of course we do. Shout it out! So, most of Mark’s friends are incredibly hot. (I know, not what I’m supposed to be looking at, but I mean... a girl’s got eyes! I can’t help it!) And one of his hot friends, a DJ, has a little crush on gadgets as well. (Hmm... if it doesn’t work out with Mark? Maybe...) He told us about this thing called a Shout Cast board from SHX. This nifty gadget is one of the coolest I’ve seen on the grid to date. This baby does soooo many little things. First of all, it does what you think... it shouts out the name of the song that is playing. Simple enough I know. But, it also does several other things. It’s an integrated tip jar, DJ profile picture displayer, 99 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
shows custom text info about your club events, and it has many many more features. If it would wash my car, carry my shopping bags for me, and pottytrain my puppy... we’d be in business! Go ahead, shake it like a salt shaka! So, we had the club all set up and the schedule all ready to go, but then we realized we didn’t have any way to get the people dancin! So, Mark and I went shopping for dance equipment. We ended up walking away with three gadgets to get the people moving!
The first place we stopped was Sine Wave, one of my favorite dance stores on the grid. We grabbed a couple of their sexy dance poles! OMG... talk about hottttt! I had to do a little test drive on the poles before Mark would buy them, no idea why he’d ask that! The cool thing is, after we found a couple poles for couples and one or two for women, and they actually had a pole section for men to, and I made him test some out for me! Woot Woot! Mmmmmm... so hot... we bought two! The second place we stopped was DMC to get an Intan ball for couple’s dances. This little baby is a staple at most clubs, and for very good reasons! It’s perfect, it’s easy to use, and it gets couples close! You simply load the dances you buy from any dance store into the Intan system and anywhere on the sim couples can get close and shake it! Mark had some sexy dances to stick in there and before I knew it we spent an entire afternoon bumpin and grindin! And lastly, we picked up a little something just for the dancers. It’s called the Mathom House dance pad, and what it
does is it keeps the dancers on their stages in one spot and again, you just pick the dances you want and load the pad with them. The dancers just hop on the dance pad, choose random or one of the dances, and shake it for the crowd. This also keeps them focused on who is coming in the club, and helps them worry less about their dancing. Again... I had to do a little testing for Mark – the funny part was... he tipped me! Well guys, I hate it, but I gotta run! The grand opening is tomorrow, and we’re just about done with the finishing touches! Besides... the Shout Cast board just shouted that my jam is playing! Mark is ushering me out on the dance floor... “Ooooooo there ain’t nothin wrong... with a little bump and grind...” Alrighties! I’ll be back here in ICON next month, and if you have a gadget you want me to test, send me an e-mail at gadget.gurl@ymail.com ! Love, Peace and Chicken Grease, Gadget Girl xoxo
| 100
Entertainment & Art
One Show at a Time:
An Interview with AMFORTE Clarity
By Lucy Eberhart, Photos by Moose Moomintoog This virtual universe we know simply as SL is a vast and marvelous arena for some of the most talented people in the world. Everyday I am truly amazed by what I find. Earlier this month I attended the Metaverse Island sim launch. They had talented performers throughout the day; each one was impressive in their own regard. When AMFORTE Clarity took the stage, my jaw hit the floor and I found myself asking “How could such a rare talented performer escape the realm of my radar?” She blew my mind with her dead-on covers and impressive originals. Her vocal range makes men swoon and women envious. After some digging I discovered she actually sings regularly at a few of my hangouts. I guess I need to slow down and take in a few more shows.I sat down with her to discuss music, life, and passion. 105 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
Lucy: So tell me a little about the person behind the artist. What do you like to do when you aren’t performing? AMFORTE: Jog, hang with friends, help animals, help people if I can, write songs, and fixing things around the house (construction type things) Lucy: Do you write many of your songs? AMFORTE: Oh yes, I have over 300 originals... well, maybe 40 that are done and 300 I’m currently working on. Lucy: What inspires you most? AMFORTE: Well, I’m passion driven so if something bothers me, or I get hurt, I write about it, and then when I sing it, it’s like I’m going through it all over again singing it with passion. I hope that makes sense.
| 106
ENTERTAINMENT & ART
“Passion is th Lucy: What made you decide to bring your talent into SL? AMFORTE: A friend of mine actually. He told me that I could sing on SL in front of crowds of people all over the world. I was like SU s back in December, but I didn’t finally start until February of this year. Lucy: How would you describe your musical style? AMFORTE: Well, I sang a little rap yesterday at H2O. LOL, but I would say I’m not in one genre but multiple. Pop/Rock/Punk flairs/Soft Rock Lucy: At what age did music become your passion, and what was your big break? AMFORTE: I think it started at age 16 but didn’t really focus on it until I’d say 24. I haven’t had my big break, not yet anyway. 107 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
he key to music, Lucy: Do you perform often in RL? AMFORTE: I actually need to get into the studio to record some of my newer material. Once the album is complete I am going on tour. I would like to tour Canada and the US. (I’m hoping, those are my plans.) I’m looking for sponsors of course, that will help a lot. Lucy: Who would you say is your idol, if you could choose one person to sing with or open for, who would it be? AMFORTE: OMG! Hands down, Radiohead, the band! Lucy: How busy do you stay in SL with performances? AMFORTE: WOW! I am busy. I at least have a show a day, if not more. I want to get my music out there, this is my passion. Performing, singing, music is my life, my soul. I will be buried with my guitar.
I believe.”
Lucy: How do you feel about the whole cover charge controversy? AMFORTE: You know, I’m not sure...I have a venue myself on SL, Nirvana Beach, and I don’t charge, as I guarantee new musicians 1k, but I know not a lot of people that come on SL have money. So to charge? Hmm... Not sure. I mean don’t get me wrong, I believe people should pay for music because I have expenses as an artist. Lucy: How much does it cost to book you for a show? AMFORTE: $6k for an hour, I believe in giving back though, which is why I have a venue. Lucy: Where do you see yourself in a year’s time? AMFORTE: Well, on my positive side, I see myself touring, making my way through the music charts, my songs | 108
ENTERTAINMENT & ART on mainstream radio and making a RL living. There are so many things that I want to do. I want to help people and animals. Things that I can’t do now. Lucy: If any of our readers want to book you for a show, or come see you perform, tell us how they may do so. AMFORTE: Well, I have a Google calendar under my profile under the web tab; they will have to click on load in order to see it. Also, to book me, they can contact my manager, Syl Darcy. I am with C.Y.D. Records in SL. Lucy: I always end my interviews with one personal, juicy question, and you don’t have to answer if you wish. But you have a lovely avi and are a sweet genuine person. I’m sure everyone wants to know if you have someone special in your life. I mean do us common folks stand a chance with you? AMFORTE: Well, I can say that I’m working on it.
109 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
There you go folks, she’s not looking for anyone special, she’s got her sights set on someone special already. Make a little time this month to go check out one of her shows, you won’t regret it. You may very well end up like me, coming away with a little crush.
| 110
ENTERTAINMENT & ART
Never Looking Back: D You really can’t have a successful club scene without one special person, and that would be the DJ. It’s the DJ who gets the club and patrons pumping through the music they play and the banter on the mic. One of the sexiest and most fun would have to be Aphius Rotaru. Like many people starting out in Second Life, Aphius was a dancer. So what made him move from the stage to being the one behind the music? “There were a few factors toward my decision to start DJ’ing and two of them were the very gorgeous and talented DJ’s that worked at the club that I danced at. I could hear how much fun they were having. My love for music was another reason. It fascinated me and was something I that, even if I ended up not being very good, I had to at least give it a try.”
111 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
DJ Aphius Rotaru
By Amelia Harsley, Photos by Darkley Aeon So Aphius gave it a try and has never looked back. His preferred genre is Rock and Metal, which fits into the majority of clubs in which he plays. But as with all things, you have to be willing and able to adapt to fit in with the clubs, patrons and their likes and dislikes. When asked what makes a good DJ, Aphius replied “versatility and ability to change with the demands. Both a club and a DJ need to be able to cover a range of demands and expectations of the clientele. One night you might have people in there wanted to mosh out and headbang to metal and the next night they might want to chill and move to some R&B or something smoother and romantic. It’s the changes that you can adapt to and flow with that separates just a DJ or just a club from the ones that are truly great at what they do.” His most requested song? “Seether’s FMLYHM (F*ck Me Like You Hate Me)”. | 112
ENTERTAINMENT & ART Song he would like to see vanish from the music world permanently? “Hmmm, just one? There are a few songs that I would banish to the trash bin of no return if I had my way. If I had to pick only one I think it would have to be Buck Cherry’s “Crazy Bitch”. I think I’ve played and heard that song nearly 500,000 times in my time here in SL, when I was dancing and as a DJ.” (Personal aside...I totally agree!) The variety of clubs he has worked in have given Aphius a more jaded, cynical outlook on the Second Life club scene, leaving not much he hasn’t seen. “I suppose there’s not much that I haven’t seen, though I think my jaded and cynical responses surprise my friends. For example, one day I was talking to a club owner about a client that had been basically throwing herself at me one
morning. Personally it had no interest for me, so I did the simple friendly/flirty responses so as not to upset the patron of the club. I get an IM from the owner about two days ago revealing that the patron was a man in real time and my response was something to the effect of a shrug and that I wasn’t surprised. I think she was more upset about it than I was. I’ve seen it happen so often that it really doesn’t surprise me anymore, nothing really does truthfully. The theme for here in SL should be Expect the Unexpected.” But that hasn’t stopped his love of the club scene or of DJing. Reactions of people to what he plays or says on the mic are still his favourite aspects of the job. Nothing beats seeing women swooning over the sexy voice they hear over the mic when they are out having a good time.
“Even if I ended up not being very good,
I had to at least give it a try.”
113 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
| 114
Entertainment & Art But what most people don’t understand is that DJing IS a job. Streaming can be a very demanding and busy task, as is tracking down requested songs, keeping up with the general chat and giving everyone a quality set, so there isn’t time to carry on IM conversations, let alone the cliched “omg your voice is so hot it makes me all...” ones. But ever the professional, Aphius does his best to do his job and do it well in a time of clubs popping up and disappearing almost daily. “A lot of clubs have come and gone since I first came into Second Life and they have become aggressively competitive as a result. Sadly the state of today’s economy has strongly affected the revenues for clubs. A lot of attractive and well run clubs are going under due to the low amount of USD and other currencies being spent into purchasing Linden Dollars and used to spend on tips, club donations, etc. The club scene has always had its advantages and disadvantages. For example, a nightclub is a nest for the spreading of gravevine rumors and the breeding of 115 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
drama. Those are the worst to aspects of clubs, but even for all of the faults, clubs can be great places to earn a few Linden Dollars to support your SL habits and desires, and whatnot. Depending on your ability to be extroverted, emoting skills, and ability to attract people that want to see you doing your thing.” But one thing is for sure, there will always be clubs in Second Life and talented people like Aphius Rotaru, doing their thing, be it DJing, hosting or entertaining on stage. I asked Aphius to give some advice to aspiring DJs out there. “The biggest advice I can give to DJ’s wanting to break into the scene is don’t be shy! You have to be forward, flirty and outgoing to make the crowd feel comfortable.” Looking for an exciting two hours of dancing, laughing and fun? Look for the clubs where Aphius Rotaru is spinning the tracks and you will have a great time listening to his sexy voice purring through your speakers or headset and some awesome music!
The Ministry of Motion $100,000 Giveaway!!! By Jordan Whitt Photos c/o The Ministry of Motion
What would you do with
$100,000? That’s the question The Ministry of Motion is asking its customers by giving away $100,000 to one lucky person who has purchased at least one item from them in the month of November and has Ministry of Motion in their profile picks.
“We had for a few months contended at the top of the advertising list in the classifieds, in the top 8 ads listed that are placed on the “front page” of search when you open it. Those adverts can range in price from $150,000 to over $450,000 Linden per week. We have decided to stop giving Linden Labs the money and decided to give it to our customers instead,” says Ravi Semple, marketing and public relations representative for Nomasha Syaka and The Ministry of Motion. “People will come and tell their friends to come. Word of mouth is the best advertisement. People can get a free dance hud, see the best entertainers in SL and for every item they buy, get a chance to win 100K.” The Ministry of Motion is the brainchild of one man, Nomasha Syaka, one of the biggest content creators and artists in Second Life. “He views dance and motion as another art form,” says Ravi. “After seeing the level of animation in SL, he knew he could do better. First | 116
Entertainment & Art he did some research and homework on Motion Capture (MoCap) and then he set out just making it happen. He hired professional dancers in London and began to capture the movements. Besides the basic norms, we have branched out into the areas not yet done.” Some of those areas The Ministry of Motion has branched off into include heavy metal, hip hop, ballet, jazz and sexy dance animations. Also around the sim you’ll see guitars displayed. “They are one of Nomasha’s best creations and are widely considered the best in SL,” explains Ravi. “You can ‘carry’ the guitar on your back, its mod so you can move them about to fit your avatar. When you touch it, it comes into the play position. They have 14 mocap animations and 15 prerecorded licks. You can also record your own licks and play them. A stool is available that comes with the animation to play your guitar sitting as well.” Live music also plays an important part on The Ministry of Motion sim thanks 117 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
to their events planner, Vixie Durant. Through their website at www.nomasha. com, you can find the current events calendar and keep up with all the events, live musicians and DJs that play there. You can also see all the dances and products. As for what the future holds for The Ministry of Motion? “The near future will see us releasing some new dance animatons in the area of “Club” style and “Smooth” types. We will also be releasing some very neat martial arts animations done by one of the MMA’s champions and we have captured more ballet from the Royal Ballet of London. We have a second venture which will be out in the not so distant future, but I will not be letting that cat out of the bag just yet.” So for awesome new and unique dance animations, check out The Ministry of Motion, and if you buy one or more, pop them into your profile picks and just maybe you will be finding out exactly what you would do with that $100,000 they are giving away.
Prizes
• First Prize: L$100,000. • Second Prize: a set of all Ministry of Motion Dance Animations (Transfer only) • Third prize will be winner’s choice of 10 Ministry of Motion Dance Animations (Transfer only) and one Nomasha Syaka Guitar.
Rules
• You must make at least one item purchase from Ministry of Motion to enter. You will receive one entry for each purchase between November 1st and 30th 2009. Entry into the draw will be automatic following each purchase. • On the day of the drawing, December 1st 2009, you must have Ministry of Motion listed in your Profile Picks. By registering MoM in your picks, you will receive a free animation. • No employee of Ministry of Motion will be eligible to enter the contest. Good luck and keep dancing!!!!
| 118
119 |  ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
| 120
Entertainment & Art So, you and your guy have been seeing each other for a while now, and things are getting more serious... does that mean it’s time to pop the question? Or, do you need a little more time before he gets down on his virtual knee? With the SL divorce rate so high, maybe you need to take this quiz before you say, “yes.” 1. When you think about you and your guy tying the virtual knot, you are focused what comes after the virtual wedding, not just what color your bridesmaids will wear or which Moody’s to wear. A. Strongly Agree B. Agree C. Not Sure D. Disagree E. Strongly Disagree 2. You have a strong linden account and don’t need a man to support you. A. Strongly Agree B. Agree C. Not Sure D. Disagree E. Strongly Disagree 121 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
Are you ready for him
the
3. You have talked about the important issues: Prim babies, commitment, jobs, RP limits, jobs, and RL limits. A. Strongly Agree B. Agree C. Not Sure D. Disagree E. Strongly Disagree 4. You are aware of all of his quirks and kinks and you can live with them. A. Strongly Agree B. Agree C. Not Sure D. Disagree E. Strongly Disagree 5. You have one hundred percent trust and love for each other – no jealousy. A. Strongly Agree B. Agree C. Not Sure D. Disagree E. Strongly Disagree
to pop
eByvirtual question? Sahara Mehrtens Photo by Brie Pinazzo 6. You and your guy have very similar SL goals and lifestyles. A. Strongly Agree B. Agree C. Not Sure D. Disagree E. Strongly Disagree 7. You have talked on voice enough to know one another. (Remember, not everyone in SL is telling the truth.) A. Strongly Agree B. Agree C. Not Sure D. Disagree E. Strongly Disagree
9. You are completely over your past SL relationships. A. Strongly Agree B. Agree C. Not Sure D. Disagree E. Strongly Disagree
8. You and your guy fight fair, talking things out calmly. A. Strongly Agree B. Agree C. Not Sure D. Disagree E. Strongly Disagree
10. You’ve dated enough in SL that you are ready to settle down. A. Strongly Agree B. Agree C. Not Sure D. Disagree E. Strongly Disagree   | 122
ENTERTAINMENT & ART
If You Got: Mostly A’s and B’s
You’re probably ready to tie the knot! You’ve got a firm foundation, lots of trust for each other and you know each other very well! Just make sure you remember to keep your relationship about the marriage and not having a dream wedding. Also, make sure you stay true to your significant other and stay true to your vows!
123 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
Mostly C’s
You don’t know what you want, and that’s not a bad thing, you just probably need more time. If you are unsure about so many things, you may need to take a step back and decide if this is something you really want to go through with. You are probably have a great amount of love for each other, but you just aren’t ready to tie the knot.
Mostly D’s and E’s
RED FLAGS! You probably need to re-evaluate this relationship. If you are the type of person just wanting to experience marriage in SL, but you don’t want to truly commit to what comes after, you really need to think about what you are doing. This doesn’t mean break up, but it does mean you need to re-evaluate where you are and where you are going and see if your significant other truly fits into the picture!
| 124
Entertainment & Art
Throughout history, visual artists and musicians have inspired each other, forging creative collaborations that have helped to shape our popular culture. In Second Life, two artistic people - both celebrated in their respective fields of modern art and rock music - have fused their separate talents to launch ‘The Colour Factory’, a unique music venue that is also home to a massive collection of abstract art. Scarletti Laval and Bright Oh have been close friends for over two years and have mutually supported and inspired each other’s work throughout this time. Scarletti is the artist in this duo and her huge, exuberant, colour filled canvases adorn the walls of this three storey factory style build, while Bright manages the music schedule, which includes regular performances from his band ‘Somerset, Oh and Rhode’. I sat down with Scarletti in the flower filled roof garden at ‘The Colour Factory’ to learn more about the inspiration behind this bohemian venue. 125 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
The Colour
destined to b
“It was always open to experiments in terms of in
Factory
By Persia Bravin, Photos
by Brie Pinazzo
be incredibly creative,
nterior design and use of spaces.”
Persia: This really is a unique build with a captivating atmosphere. Why did you decide to build this place? Scarletti: ‘The Colour Factory’ was an idea conceived by my great friend Bright Oh. He wanted to create a live music venue that merged seamlessly with other creative fields, primarily art and painting, and a gallery. It was always destined to be incredibly creative, open to experiments in terms of interior design and use of spaces. Bright had seen the way I work in SL over the last two and a half years, so knew that we would make a great team for the build. He gave me tremendous creative freedom which was such a joy to me - I think that feeling comes through in these happy spaces. Persia: Absolutely! The ambience here is relaxing and extremely welcoming. What inspired you during the planning and the build itself? | 126
Entertainment & Art Scarletti: The build was inspired by the idea of an artist’s studio in a disused factory - a large space full of light and air - a converted loft feel, and the intrinsic clutter and messy spaces that artists work in. As a professional RL artist myself, I know how important visual stimulation is, how I surround myself with ephemera and collections, memories and resource materials. On top of this of course are the more mechanicals, the equipment, easels, stools, brushes, canvasses and the sketches, the notes, the scribbles! I am a magpie and my RL studio is full of eclecticism just like ‘The Colour Factory’ in SL. Persia: I especially love the paint spills on the floor. It really is as if you have walked into the studio of some prolific abstract artist and the factory setting is perfect to achieve this vibe. Scarletti: The building is designed to feel like a real factory conversion, making use of the existing skin and integral structure, so the spaces are given more authenticity by feeling as though they are fitting in with it. So building materials are industrial, 127 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
| 128
ENTERTAINMENT & ART mezzanines added, interesting corners and ledges abound. This organic approach has led to several distinct cozy areas - some have been given their own music streams so that the whole place is welcoming and relaxed. Persia: Yes there are many components and secret seating areas here. Tell me more about the separate levels to this venue please. Scarletti: We have balconies facing the sunset and sunrise, a roof garden and obviously a dance floor. The stage has been built unconventionally and is designed to be ‘in the round’. Upstairs in the galleries, the visitor is drawn through several layers, moving through the collections with a purposeful yet relaxed flow. The whole space has been designed to be easy to move through - flow was always an important consideration. The ultimate surprise at the top of the galleries is when you suddenly emerge out onto the roof terrace, a garden filled with art, the joyous colors of the paintings and the planting contrasting against the cool green of the box hedges. 129 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
Persia: I am sitting here smiling. This place really lifts the spirits. But what do you hope other people will feel when they visit here? Scarletti: That is exactly what I wanted to achieve - that visitors feel uplifted when they come here, that they feel so comfortable and relaxed that it is a place they will return to again and again. I hope they feel that it is different and full of character, that it has soul and warmth and that they want to be a part of this place and its community. Undoubtedly, the strength of color and eclectic use of pattern and texture here, even the messiness, will challenge people visually. They most likely won’t be used to such a brave aesthetic, but we hope that they accept this challenge and gain something from it. Persia: You have an extensive collection of your own RL art here on display. Explain more about your work to me please? Scarletti: My art is always based on emotion. When I create these pieces for SL, I take myself to a place in my mind to explore a current emotion,
or question, dilemma or goal and creating each piece can be very cathartic and personal. As an artist, I have a strong need to create constantly and SL gives me that additional freedom to build my ideals and to create endless other worldly gardens, impossible spaces if I desire. Or something real and tangible that I’d love to be able to realize in RL - like ‘The Colour Factory.’ My passion is always color. Color drives me, wakes me, makes me feel alive me. Color is like sunshine to me.” Persia: This is a place where the worlds of art and music collide. What music events will be held here? Scarletti: ‘The Colour Factory’ will host live music events and art exhibitions. As it’s also the headquarters of the band Somerset, Oh and Rhode - they will often play here, as well as rehearse and write together. But we hope to host many musicians in an informal and relaxed atmosphere. The gallery spaces
are ideal for exhibition opening events and soirees. Persia: Finally, what is the concept behind your new art collection please? Scarletti: My latest collection launches this month and oozes color and vitality, but always with deep rooted emotions, thoughts and concepts. I have been considering time and place in relation to first and second lives; SL time notoriously runs fast - one week equals a first life month perhaps? But does it slow after a prolonged time in SL. Does it slow as your life settles into a pattern, or is it when you find where you belong - no longer the wandering avatar, but the confident purposeful being? And, is this really any different to first life? ‘The Colour Factory’ can be visited at http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Norwegian%20Forest/107/170/71
| 130
131 |  ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
| 132
Viewpoint Eight Tips to Creating
a Successful Shop in
Second Life.
By Aradia Eberhardt We take for granted that we can go wandering around sims and spend our hard-earned (maybe not so much) Lindens on clothes, furniture, trinkets and such. Very rarely do we realize that a lot of work and effort is invested by stores and designers in getting their name out there, becoming better than the next big thing and showcasing a unique look to something that, very possibly, a lot of other people are making too. Or maybe you’re starting up a new shop yourself. Here are some things to check and maybe use in your arsenal when you begin a business in Second Life. Logo Design: Make a sign or have one made for you that says the name of your store in a way that makes it stand out. Don’t just craft any old set of words in Paint! Try to be fancy, show off the fact you know what you’re doing. 133 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
Store Location: It’s not be easy at first, but do your homework! What locations and shopping areas do you and your friends go to? See if they have reasonable rates for renting a spot for your store there, but never, ever take the first availability! Definitely look around! Setting Up Shop: Don’t you want to be sure when people come into your place that it looks easy on the eye and people can navigate around? Get some of your friends together and have them pretend to be customers. Ask them to tell you what should be moved, repositioned or adjusted for optimal viewing when people walk in. Trust me, it helps! Marketing Yourself: A lot of people I know who run successful businesses in Second Life swear by the social networking within Flickr, Plurk and blogging because it gives people an outside source for seeing your updated work. At least then they don’t need to go into Second Life or leave their areas to check out your catalog. and it can make people want to stop what they’re doing and get over to your place fast!
Word of Mouth: The interesting factor about most people in Second Life is that if they like something – they like it A LOT. Offer weekly or monthly freebies, give away an item that is specific to your store group so that people feel compelled to join. Giving people an incentive for getting interested and talking about your store will get the name out and the numbers growing. Research, Research, Research!: Maybe your store is different from others and you offer something other’s don’t have. Well in that case, you’re golden. However, if you know that you’re just offering a new alternative to an existing situation… then do your research! Check out prices, offer more for what others are offering and give competitive pricing on these without losing profit. Ad Campaigns: Many times when I’m shopping, what draws my eyes are poorly done up models or a clipped and displeasing look to the ad. How can your product be quality if you can’t even bother to get someone out of badly made system skirts and clipped and choppy hair? Take a look around, find out what
people find pretty and indulge in some pictures that will make your ads look JUST as good as your product. Cost: The one thing that people seem to not take into account is the cost of designing good products in Second Life. From uploading textures, animations and sounds, to buying components that piece together your intricate product, it can start to build quite the cost. Document how much you’re spending as opposed to how much you intend to profit and price your items accordingly. Maybe you’re not about the money in Second Life, and that’s very noble and kind of you, but your hard work and diligence should always pay for itself! It might not seem like a lot, but starting a business or a store in Second Life is still an investment in both time and money. However, it can be just as rewarding to see someone using your item, praising it or even offering to get other people on-board your developing cause. Who knows, maybe after some time and sharing of these tips, we’ll be talking about you here in ICON!
| 134
VIEWPOINT “I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show the all the beauty they posses inside. Give them a sense of pride.” (© Linda Creed and Michael Masser)
The Greatest
Some of you might be bopping your heads in remembrance of that powerful song. I’ve been bopping my head since the day I met Panacea Luminos, Anu Papp, and Grace Seubert, three incredibly dynamic women who have come to SL to make a real difference in the lives of children. Each has a story to tell, a cause to fight and a driving compassion to span the globe investing money, time, energy and love for children. With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, it’s only fitting to acknowledge their efforts. These women want to share that greater love and have become heroines for children. I recall reading that charity is the greatest of all humane efforts. While there are other reputable charities within SL, a glimpse into the lives of anyone who has a heart for others may give you pause to think about the condition of children on our planet in need, not just of our money, 135 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
Three incredibly dyn
who have co
make a real difference
t Love of All
Story by Pet Karu, Photos by Brie Pinazzo
but time, love and support. Yes its time to take our gaze off of ourselves and onto the future which while be in the hands of these wee-ones.
Panacea Luminos NY Healthscape Project housed on 16 sims.
namic women
ome to SL to
in the lives of children.
Panacea: We are a health information exchange project in RL. These 16 sims are part of our overall project about electronic health information and personal health records. We are installing medical simulations for physicians and nurses and have placed our project in areas that add in local attractions found in New York, USA to provide relaxation, fun, entertainment and a side dose of health information. Only by connecting the dots of all the sources of your health information, can we provide quality care and improve outcomes. We also use our space to make space available to non-profits.� The NY Healthscape is one of the most creative locations I’ve visited, tours include taxi and balloon variations. But this is not just a virtual visual | 136
Viewpoint feast; real quality work is done here. Magic Paintbrush is one of the nonprofit organisations using the space provided. Magic Paintbrush is for kids with disabilities and is a hands on expression of a day in the life of a child seen through the eyes of a child. I gain a whole new appreciation of the strength and resolve these parents face on a daily basis. I also walked away with a deeper awareness of these conditions, having glimpsed the world through their eyes. One of the first education projects is the Autism Awareness Center, created by Koshari Mahana (of FourWinds) who has worked with children in the spectrum and wanted to provide resources for parents, teachers and children. She brought it to SL as a means to broaden the effort globally to impact, influence and support families with autistic children on an international level. NY HealthScape not only provides space to support parents and families with autistic and disabled children, but also is a resource facility to connect people with resources great and small. For instance, there is a barber shop 137 |  ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
in the Healthscape Project which has information for cancer patients wanting to purchase wigs. This sim is dedicated to impacting, responding, and supporting the cause of these children and their families. Panacea truly reflects the line in the above lyrics, “show them all the beauty they posses inside.” Thank you Panacea.
Anu Papp ~ Artist4Mercy & Gaias Lap Foundation
Some of you may share my experience of teleporting into a beautiful location only to be blasted by music which didn’t exactly suit your mood. Two words come to mind, assault and battery. Mind you, when the time is right, I really dig a good techno-upbeat-electronic-tranceheart-thumping tune like anyone else. But then there are those times where you finally rez, the haze clears and the streamed music carries you to a place other-worldly; away from the noise and the clatter. You may not understand the lyrics but you desire more and more of this exquisite banquet for the ears and heart. Such was my experience when | 138
VIEWPOINT I first arrived at the Lost Gardens of Apollo. Like the Billy Idol song, this little rebel wanted “more, more, more!” After hiking one mountain to another lost in the trance, a small voice broke in to announce to the listeners, “You are listening to Gaias Lap Radio.” Who? What? A radio station! As the song in the opening of this expose suggest, “The children are our future, lets give them a sense of pride”. How is this done? Through a bundle of kinetic energy named Anu Papp, founder of the Gaias Lap Foundation, an accomplished singer and pianist who is on a quest to unite children and the arts on a global scale. Artist4mercy through Gaias Lap, helps to make dreams come true, once the basic needs are met (food, shelter, clothing, education, health care). Her banner hangs high over both of her sims proclaiming for all who visit her dedication to being a solution advocate for children internationally. radio station can be streamed into any land parcel in SL and its fees support Artist4Mercy. 139 |
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
Grace Seubert ~ Causes
Grace is a new addition to our Second Life family. Her rez date was June 9, 2009, but being a noob does not stop this woman of passion. She is creative, articulate, and a networker. In her a short time, she has acquired two Sims and I predict, will be a mover and shaker here. What gives this woman her drive? It must be the burning in her heart for seeing restoration; to right the wrongs committed to children globally. She is both an advocate and a voice. To me, she most resembles the verse in the song, “Let the children’s laughter remind us of how we used to be”. Her investment equals her commitment to redeem our future hope. One of her Sims, “Sands of Salvation” (S.O.S) is a place dedicated to worthy charities global. She has created a reference center dedicated to helping reconnect humanity with mankind. Two of her biggest displays are War Child and Missing Children. War Child is an organization which recovers and rehabilitates the child soldier. War is brutal and toxic to the
adult mind it’s hard for me to imagine a child who has been trained to kill and put into battle. Nonetheless, whether I can imagine it or not, it happens globally. I can’t fathom the trauma this does to their hearts and minds. When they should be playing with toys, they carry guns engaging an enemy of an adult war. Some of these child soldiers are as young as 10 years old. This organization takes the children and after extensive nurturing restores their minds so they can be reintroduced to their families. Her second large display is a slide show of faces of missing children. You might recall the faces of these kids on milk cartons years ago. Have you noticed that they have stopped using this container to package our milk, and thusly, ceased informing us of these missing or exploited children? Face after face appear on the screen while details such as age, last seen location, names float above.
charges no fees to the weary traveler in SL, however she requires that all who board there is respectful of each other. This community is aptly named; there is a tranquil quality to it. Will you join me in a salute to these woman and the countless others using SL making a real difference in the lives of others? As the holiday approaches, how will you extend your measure of gratitude for all of your conveniences? Perhaps offering a meal to a family who are facing hard economic times, rocking crack babies to sleep, serving in a soup kitchen, or will you turn a blind eye as if this is not our reality and the blight on our world. Investing in the lives of others is equivalent to investing in ourselves. I challenge you to make a difference as we all share this planet.
Grace also offers a refuge for newbie’s on her other sim Peaceful Pastures. She | 140
Viewpoint
But I Don’t Do SL Relationships! By Amelia Harsley, Photos by Brie Pinazzo I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a wideeyed innocent in the ways of men, sex and relationships. I’ve had my share of, well at least the first two, and by now I thought nothing could shock or surprise me. Something always manages to though. Recently on my travels through Second Life, I bumped into two men from my past that I had rather wonderful flings with, one last year and one recently. Both men were great friends and I spent many happy hours naked with them enjoying the various delights of poseballs and furniture. You have to be pretty naive though to think you can spend time with people like that and not develop feelings. This is where I think things differ for men and for women. Men seem to be able to jump on poseballs, have a few hours of fun with someone without investing too much of themselves or their emotions. Women function differently. Sex and 141 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
love are entwined closely for us. You can start off having fun and enjoying yourself, but the more it goes on, the more you invest emotionally with the person and with yourself. Thoughts like how great you would be as a couple, how much fun you have together and even white picket fence images soon play on your mind. Both are so easy to do when you’re hearing things like how great you are, how much fun they have with you and how sexy and desirable you are. The bubble soon bursts when they say those chilling six words - “but I don’t do SL relationships”. When I heard those words, I wasn’t too deeply invested. Sure I had the feelings starting to stir, but they were easy to set aside and parting ways was as easy as a delete on the friend’s list after spending weeks seeing them online but never hearing from them again. After all, there are thousands of hot and sexy
| 142
Viewpoint women around SL who can replace you in a heartbeat. Some of them even really are women! So I said goodbye to my “friends with benefits” and moved on. After all, I was looking for the fairytale, not a piece of tail. What I found was a nightmare, but that’s a story for another day. As I was saying, I ran into two of my former playmates recently. Being the confirmed profile pervaholic I am, I had a nosy to see what was new with them and how they were doing...and wtf? They were both partnered!!! Needless to say I was stunned. The one from last year was so adamant he would never ever ever do the partnering thing in here EVER and the other had told me mere weeks earlier that he would never do it again. I ended up IM’ing the recent one and asking what was wrong with me? After all, that’s what we women do. We start dissecting everything we ever said or did, wondering what we did so wrong that they didn’t want us. I wanted to know how he could say the things he said to me, and then turn around and partner 143 | ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
“Is there something
that I am always the girl bu
so wrong with me
guys will sleep with, ut never partner?” someone he pretty much just met, when we’ve been close friends for 18 months. His reply was that “it just happened”. Is there something so wrong with me that I am always the girl guys will sleep with, but never partner? I asked my best friend those questions and she pointed out the obvious. Things change, situations change, feelings change. I’m prepared to accept that in regards to the guy from last year, but how can things change so drastically for the guy from a few weeks ago? It was time to ask a male friend. For once, a male made sense to me. Aside from the expected “why buy the cow when you’re getting the milk for free” cliché (pfft @ calling me a cow), I think he hit the nail on the head with his other explanation.
“If we start with the presumption that no one likes to be alone no matter where they are at, the same can quite easily apply to SL. No one comes, or at least should come on here to meet “the one”, yet it always happens. Why? Out of the same reason I just said. There’s no meeting “the one” or love at first sight. That’s just load of bullcrap. You simply meet someone who is just as alone as you are and over time you get to know them and you start caring about each other more as time goes by.” Makes sense I guess, but hello... what about me? It isn’t fair. I’ve had enough, now I want my shaaaaare. Yeah, I shouldn’t sing in type either! Hideous!!! So why am I a great poseball partner, but such bad partner material? Is there ever a correct or polite answer, and do I really ever want to know it? Is having a partner the be all and end all we’re all making it out to be? Meh, who cares. I’m their loss! | 144
ICON Magazine CEO and Publisher - Wil Dreadlow
Editor in Chief - Jordan Whitt Creative Director - Rhiann Ahn Style Editor - Daija Arida Lead Photographer - ShannonCharlize GossipGirl Production Assistant - Sienna Bellios
On the cover: Tristain Savon by ShannonCharlize GossipGirl
Senior Writers Aradia Eberhardt Ruin Quan
Anadorah Mayo Brie Pinazzo Marcy Thorne Moose Moomintoog
Staff Writers Amelia Harsley Delphine Ellison Lucy Eberhart pet Karu Romie Serrao Sahara Mehrtens Vespa Runner
PR & Marketing RubyStarlight Writer
Contributors This Issue
Writers & Bloggers EmeraldEyes Honi Tact Arida
Photography
Dahila Jayaram Janina Scarmon Persia Bravin RubyStarlight Writer
Layout & Design for this issue - Elysium Eilde
Wil Dreadlow and Jordan Whitt by Natasja Schumann
ICON lifestyle magazine | November 2009
All Material used by permission and is property of ICON. Reproduction or use of the content in whole or part withoutthe writen permission of the Editor is strictly prohibited