December 2009 Issue by ioleJanana Chajit

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Entertainment! The Value of Live Music in SL from the

Travel-LOG A Winter Holiday Travel Guide

Holistic Point of View Healthy Detox after Overindulging

Horoscope for the Month of December Re-envisioning the Holy-days: Bringing Soul and Meaning to the Holidays

Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Den Hot Winter Fashion of House of RFyre Thaw the Winter Frost with Glitz and Glamour

From the Desk... Eddi Haskell Photographs New Venice in the New Virtual World of Blue Mars

Human Interest

Emerald Viewer A Review Finding the Perfect Gift SS - Gallery of Imagination & Beauty

contents

Perspective of a Live Performer Seba and the Jazz Lifestyle 84 The Gay Clubber Goes to the White Party 178 at Tadd 30

172 116 66

122 150

24 72 138

Editor’s Notes: Dear Friends, Tis’ the season to be jolly! The holidays are here and what a fine way to end our 2009 year but with a bang! Yes, right you are, we have so much in store for you this issue from wonderland sims that you can visit that depicts Christmas and the winter, finding the perfect gift for him and her...we know how hard it is to think of a fitting present to our special friends and love ones...at least in SL somehow i think we can splurge! We have fashion trends from RFyre, Rebel Hope and Orchid Zenovka...an exciting new virtual world at Blue Mars and much more. Let me just leave with you some tidings from VR Style and our families. We have been together for the nearly a year now, and we’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you who have been supporting us and have shared with us the journey of 2009. The new year is just around the corner and we promise you many more great surprises that will entertain your virtual world. We will be re-formatting the magazine for the coming year to make your reading more pleasurable and worthwhile. As we celebrate the holidays, our thoughts are with you and your family wishing you happy times together and peace...From VR Style... Happy Holidays!!! Cheers!

Ariel Lingiuan-Cleanslate Ariel Lingiuan-Cleanslate Publisher + Editor in Chief VR Style

www.vr-style.com

VR Style Editorial Staff Segment Editors:

capture the SL Lifestyle interviewing icons of SL Fashion, widely known builders, and artists and Aristippus Larsson Nearly three years old in SL, performers of all genres. Arist tries to overextend himself with his sim, and with trying to Eddi Haskell, Creative Director for VR Style. write ten novels in RL at one time. Eddi is a well known Second He likes music (DJs in his club), Life photographer whose work reading, The Sixties, and wants was featured behind the main to transfer his hundreds of vinyl conference stage on Orange records to MP3. He lives by a simple motto: I Island for SL’s fifth anniversary never met a sacred cow I didn’t like—medium celebration in 2008. His rare. photography has appeared in many Second Life publications and galleries. He also volunteers as Nadia Felwitch, Fashion Editor for VR Style a fund raiser for several charities and is a main Magazine and Owner of contact point for www.breadandjams.org. Eddi SilverStar Modeling Agency. lives in Florida and blogs at www.eddihaskell. Nadia enjoys meeting people com. from all walks of life. If you are a designer who would like to be featured in our magazine Contributors: or need a fashion show feel free to contact her KathleenK Spitteler, KK as she is known to most of anytime. her friends is from California, she loves poetry and a true romantic. Iolejanana Chajit, Managing Editor for VR A true artist by profession, she Style, Iole is co-owner of NAIL has been writing children’s book Productions, as well as owner in RL and makes stained glass of Three Muses Promotion, and windows. Check her website at Azucar Gaming Club and Mall. http://glassbykathleen.com/. KK also writes for Iole has been modeling for print Sinatra Style. and for fashion shows, and has been the brains of most endeavors of VR Style. Luscious Giano, a Delaware Redneck, as she calls herself, Lusch is a co-owner Sherrie Shepherd, Features Editor of VR Style, staff of NAIL Productions and a wellwriter for the Metaverse Messenger Newspaper known DJ. Lush is one of the VR and contributing editor to Style writers that is concentrating Maniera Magazine. Sherrie on DJs and Entertainment places joined SL in February 2007, like Clubs. You can hear her at and has written for publications Flatline and Autumn Sky Country Club during her since that time. She is very gigs. passionate about her work and takes extreme pride in all of her reporting to

VR Style Editorial Staff Willow Wonder-Morane, has been travelling a journey of self-discovery for many years and finds some of her deepest satisfaction in accompanying others on theirs. In RL she received her Bachelors degree in psychology and went on to earn her Masters degree in transpersonal psychology with an emphasis in expressive arts therapy and a certificate in creative expression. Willow has worked with women and men in recovery, adolescent girls in an emotional growth boarding school, and individuals seeking healing and self discovery using the expressive arts in a variety of settings. Rajeesh Navarathna, in-house astrologer and Zen Master, Raj is co-owner of Azucar Gaming Club and Mall. Tell him your date and time of birth and he’ll read you your stars and, yes....its is pretty accurate. But do not mess with him, he’s a retired lawyer and USAF Officer in RL.

create in the form of their avatars and the lives they create for themselves in SL.

Photographers: Pam Astonia, has been in SL for 3 years, and is still enjoying meeting new people from all over the world. She has met some incredible lifelong friends. She has 10 years of Photoshop experience - being creative is her passion. Pam recently married Hunter Nieuport - Architect Extroardinaire and Love of Her Life. Nellie Choche, enjoys photography for so many reasons, it’s a release of a creative side of her. Nellie loves to help people and photo’s seem to really make people happy. There is something about seeing yourself in a magazine, on an advertisement, or even in your profile. The saying goes, “A picture tells a thousand words’. And that’s her goal.

Brendan Tsarchon, has been surfing the grid now since December 2007. He Kimmie Rayna, has been in Second Life since recently started cataloguing January of 2008. She loves all of the great, wonderful and just about every aspect of it, weird things about SL in his new especially as of late, being on blog The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the both sides of the camera. Be sure SLverse. He lives in the Cabria to look for Kimmie in VR Style sim group, where he writes away the digital day Magazine as a photographer and occassionally plays Greedy Greedy with his and a model, loving all that SL has to offer! friends and neighbors. Carey DeCuir, is both a scientist and an artist in that RL world we all hail from. In SL, she prefers to play the role of an artist. Her passion is capturing the stories and beautify others

That’s Entertainment!

The Value of LIVE Music in SL from the Perspective of a Live Performer By: Melodee McDonnell Photography by: Pam Astonia

Being a “live” performer in SL for the past two years, I’ve long wanted to pen an article from this unique perspective. Spending most of my time in SL arranging, promoting and finally performing takes the bulk of a passionate performer’s life in SL, not to mention the technical side of the music...making sure my sound is at optimum quality. This is not easy for me and many others, not having a background in sound engineering. For the layman, that means getting the right mix between the track and the voice and decent effects that are not over bearing, in essence, producing myself. The costs can be a significant factor when taking into account external mixers, top of the line microphone and computers, music, tracks, assistants in SL, high speed internet, clothes and animations. It all adds up. This just provides a perspective of the amount of time and money involved preparing for a live show, learning material and staying 17

on top of the curve.

Once this is accomplished, there’s the issue of g casting call, a young starlet wondering if I had to get the part! (A little humor here) Fortunately person to take the time to hear me. Sound drea to use my gifts to make other people smile and f expressing my artistic side far outweigh the cos I’ll stop performing and concentrate on studio wo

Now comes the controversial subject of whethe work for tips. This seems like a moot point. Desig here in SL. SL is a mirror image of real life. The and also the pursuit of money are all reflected drawn between a karaoke performance, we all an artist who brings something totally unique an

Beauty is in the eye or ear of the beholder and in any particular artist has on even one audience m that, like a dress or chair, it’s not tangible. Iro perhaps the “Live” music is as tangible as we ca on payment of performers and why I ask? Mos to the equivalent value of a Starbucks’ latte with dollars here. Still the entertainers can’t seem to industry standard here in SL. The latest talk is ha is assured some compensation. There are pros everyone can afford a cover charge and that w concert experience. Something live music does f am generally against a cover charge system.

I’ve heard “artists” claim they sing only for the l venue to belt out their covers or original music. A myself who charge for a performance with the b arena in SL and financially require their “hobby

We, the performers, define the value of what namely, promotion and respect. It’s my opinio devalued the entertainment system by singing f treated poorly.

Market saturation and competition have contrib example have chosen a balance. If a club can’t p and courtesy that they enjoy my work and valu that particular venue.

getting hired! At times I’ve felt like I was at a to sell my first born or sleep with the “director” y, most of the time, I simply have to get the right ary? Far from it!!! I love what I do in SL. It’s a joy feel good. The benefits I receive personally from sts. If I ever feel people don’t want to hear me, work. Having said that.....

er a performer should be paid anything or just gners and artists of all types are paid everyday e beauty, art, the pursuit of love and happiness d in SL with surprising clarity. Where is the line hear and enjoy but certainly don’t pay for, and nd memorable to an old favorite tune.

n this case the listener. Who is to say what impact member? A value and measure can’t be put on onically, the virtual world isn’t tangible and yet an get here. Still this controversy rages on in SL st performers, who are paid, gain what amounts h whipped cream. We aren’t talking hundreds of band together to create a union, consistency or aving clubs have a cover charge so entertainment s and cons to this, the most important being not would deprive some SL residents of enjoying the for SL is bring people together, for this reason I

love of it in SL and require nothing more than a At the same time, I’ve seen many artists including belief they bring something of value to the music y” to pay for itself.

we do not only through a fee but other ways, on that Cover singers and original artists have for tips only and by allowing themselves to be

buted to the devaluation of entertainers. I for pay me but they show through promotion, respect ue it, then I am more than thrilled to perform at

I made one rule when I began performing in SL, and that was to work with good people. Pay or no pay, entertainers have the power to make sure all of our work is valued. The value of “Live” entertainment is “tangible” to each and every individual. We see this nightly with the positive feedback we get from the crowds of fans who support us by attending our performances. Talk is cheap as they say and I’m taking the plunge. In this month, November 2009, in cooperation with a well organized group, I am opening my own venue and will pay live performers and hopefully show them the well deserved respect due them for the artistic contribution that they give to SL. I have high hopes for this venture and will keep it open as long as possible. I want to give back to the SL community. The Grand Opening for Cape Symphony will be November 21st at Cape Symphony, Longwood (132, 137, 41). One thing is certain and that is that “Live” entertainment is a controversial subject in SL and one that the outside entertainment world is certainly watching and waiting to share in the spoils.

Human Interest

Emerald Viewer a Review By: Carey DeCuir

You downloaded a standard SL browser when you first joined Second Life. This browser gave you the ability to chat, move, and teleport, buy hundreds of shoes and store thousands of things in your inventory you won’t ever use. In time, you probably discovered a number of other interesting functions like building things, increasing your draw distance to see further, controlling the attributes of the sky and giving yourself the perfect dance. Sooooo, are you ready for alternative SL browsers that enhance the capabilities of that standard browser. Today’s review covers the Emerald viewer (Ev - as it exists in version 1.23.5.950), previously known as “Greenlife Emerald Viewer” - changed to just “Emerald” in October 2009. There are versions of Emerald for both Mac and PC users. Let’s start with simple things, like customizing the “skin” of your browser, or how function keys look on your screen. The standard SL browser has a couple different looks to the window, but the Emerald browser has 15 different colors you can choose from (Edit/ Pref/skins). I found that some of them were a bit too intense for me, but hey, there are all kinds of people in SL which of course is the point of having so many different skins available. 24

Now some of us like to nose around in SL. The Ev makes it easier by providing a double click transport function. You can either teleport directly to the double-clicked on object or put your avi on auto-pilot and send her on her way to that spot (Emerald/ double-click teleport or auto). This option does require that the sim has point to point TP available. Camera settings are also

adjustable with respect to double-click teleporting. You can set your camera to stay stationary when teleporting, have it move around behind your avatar, or have your avatar rotate to align with the camera (Edit/ prefs./emerald/page1). Oh, and you can turn off that annoying swishing sound and get rid of that progress bar on that same menu screen.

runs entirely in the viewer, so it does not add lag to the sim. Double clicking on an avatar name will send your camera scurrying off to spy, I mean view, this person. If he/she is really cute, with a click on the “TP to” button, you can just walk yourself right on over and say Hi. And speaking of teleporting..... There is a teleport history window that drops down from the Emerald panel at the top of your screen. This feature lets you retrace your TP’ing adventures during your current on-line session. There is an animation list in this same drop-down menu that lets you interact with the animations you are currently wearing, something that can be very useful.

How often have you lost your traveling companion while exploring, or was curious about who else is in the region? The Ev has a really nice radar system that lists all the avatars in the region, how far away they are and a lot of stuff you probably don’t even want to know about them. The radar Now when you do find that special SL someone, you might have some very private things to say, “smiles”. The Ev has an easy to use encryption feature that protects your conversations from those naughty hacker types, though you might want to remember to turn off the auto-logging system that records chat to your hard drive as an added protection. Here are a few other features that I found useful. You can fly anywhere, overriding the no-fly set by a sim administrator, sit anywhere on the ground or turn your avatar into a visual phantom. There is also a feature that notifies you if somebody is about to send you an IM, but I actually found this more annoying than useful. One fun feature is to customize your beam. You know, that thing that shoots out from your hand when you build, move or, heavens knows buy something. You can easily customize your own beam shape and color attributes. The artist among you will ask about the graphics capabilities of the Emerald viewer 25

I did a series of tests, comparing snapshots from the standard SL browser and the EV browser. I found no significant difference between the two in terms of quality of images. However, there is an avatar modifier that allows models to make fine adjustments to their positionâ&#x20AC;Ś something artists will find very useful. For those who do a lot of building this viewer is a step up. The values in the object panel of the build dialog are 5 decimals instead of 3, giving you more precise control. The Ev has 22 prim shapes to build with, many more than the standard viewer. The new prims offer useful shapes that provide interesting results when you apply taper, skew and other editing criteria. You can set transparency values to 100% instead of just 90%. You can also set repeats above 100, giving you more freedom to make bigger messes. This is also a backup feature to save versions of projects, something I could have used a few dozen times in the past. The Ev also provides clothing protection so that nobody can rip off the textures of your clothes (edit/prefs/emerald/page1/ shields). It will provide spam protection, though I am not sure how useful that is in SL today, and you can design your own autorespond to various groups of people (Edit/ prefs/emerald/page1/IM). Now for those of you who enjoy watching those character attributes that are specifically female, I have some exciting news for you! The Ev allows you to set physics enhancements for an avatarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s breasts, causing them to bounce and jiggle as the avatar of your attention is moving 26

about the room, or whatever. Overall, I enjoyed my experience using the Emerald Viewer. I had fun with the additional capabilities and found many of them very useful. I still have the standard viewer on my desktop, but find that I am primarily using the Emerald viewer now. I have not experienced any more of those nasty crashes using Emerald than I did with the standard viewer, though that is a hard one to call given the daily fluctuations in stability of SL. You can download a free copy of the Emerald viewer from Modular Systems and give it a try yourself. http:// modularsystems.sl/index.php?option=com_ phocadownload&view=sections&Itemid=5

Tis the season, SLers. That time of year where we all smile a little brighter, think a little more positively, and are on the lookout for the best shopping deals. It is the time when the Scrooge in us is redeemed and when the spirit of the Winter Holidays fills us. So if you are feeling the spirit fill you, and are looking for the perfect winter wonderland, check out the following Sims that we at VR Style have found for you. From the fantastic to the rustic, the elaborate to the meaningful, the following Sims are guaranteed to warm your cockles, hearth and home of your soul. Happy Holidays!!! WINTERTRAUM (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Winter Dreamâ&#x20AC;?) http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Wintertraum/92/64/24 If it is a stylish trip abroad you are looking for this holiday season, you can do no better than to visit Wintertraum. German for Winter Dream, this sim lives up to its name. Upon entry, you are greeted with a detailed welcome map, designed to show you all points of interest and offer easily teleport to any where you want to go. 30

Travel-LOG

The Winter Holid

By : Brenda Photos by : E

day Travel Guide

an Tsarchon Eddi Haskell

And the places you will want to go. Beautifully built sights to explore and relax in like its Wintergarten Wasserful with its romantic dancing in a pavilion surrounded by sculptures. Or its Iglu-Dorf Wolfsfelsen, “Igloo Village at Wolf Rock”. You can feed your inner art connoisseur by taking in the art at Wintertraum’s Galerie de la Glace, “Ice Gallery”. Or, if you are more in the sporting mood, there is skiing to be had at SkiAbfahrt Seilbahn. And when you are done, take its train for a tour around the sim, enjoy some shopping, enjoy some ballroom dancing with your special someone, and wrap up and wind down in the warm escape of Tropentraum Aztekenbad. If it is escape you are looking for this holiday season, all you have to do is close your eyes and have a Wintertraum.

CHRISTMAS http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Christmas/212/220/2 If you are going to travel anywhere this holiday season, then you surely have to go check out the place named after the grand winter holiday itself. Christmas is a wintry white sim with shops and housing and tight avenues punctuated with decorative lights and archways. So, take in the shopping and find that special gift for your special someone. Enjoy its bazaar area, or skate on its frozen lake. But before you head off to your warm home, be sure to take a stroll up the avenue and take in its signature sight. The giant and festive tree at the top of the hill will leave you standing in awe and muttering, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh, tennenbaum,â&#x20AC;? to yourself with a smile.

L&S WINTERWORLD http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Addu/217/171/23 Wear warm clothes, grab the mittened hand of your loved one, and head off to L&S Winterworld on Addu. You will find yourself in a fir lined forest with delightful surprise at each turn. Sit in a Reindeer driven sleigh, explore ice caverns with crystalline figures, and skate with penguins and snowmen. Have a snowball fight! But keep exploring, because you have landed just shy of that most mythical of holiday placesâ&#x20AC;Ś the North Pole! With its many places to relax, cuddle or play games, L&S Winterworld is that perfect little place to escape with friends and family on a cold winterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s night.

WINTERSTOCK in the MERRY CHRISTMAS SIM http://slurl.com/secondlife/Merry%20Christmas/128/128/2 The Merry Christmas Sim has a rural look and feel with small town style shopp thinking of holiday life away from the hustle and bustle of the city, with many

But perhaps the best reason to travel off to the Merry Christmas Sim this seaso of shopping, rides, and entertainment. So, take a trip this holiday out to the c 54

ping, and a fairground reminiscent of County Fairs. Its landscape will have you y areas to explore and enjoy.

on is its Winterstock. Running from November 5th to January 3rd, it is a festival country to the winter fair of the season. 55

IMAGINE PEACE TOWER http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Imagine%20Peace%20 Tower/113/215/25 Finally, this is the season of Peace and Goodwill towards men. And in that vein, we wrap up our tour of Holiday Hot Spots with an attraction that is both awesome in its sight, but also in its meaning. The Imagine Peace Tower lights up 6:20am/pm, 10:20am/pm, and 2:20am/pm everyday. The sun will set and the Tower beams until the next SL sunrise. When you arrive at the visitor center, you are provided with a user friendly menu guide to the sim, as well as multiple teleports to different vantage points of the Tower. Lit up, the Imagine Peace Tower is an awesome sight that serves a purpose to remind us of the good in ourselves. Take the time to visit. You will not be disappointed. *****

Brendan Tsarchon is a Contributing Writer to VR Style Magazine Brendan’s main blog is at http://h2gsl.blogspot.com/, and he can be reached Eddi Haskell is the Creative Director of VR Style Magazine. Eddi’s main blog is at http://www.eddihaskell.com/ Eddi’s YouTube channel is at http://www.youtube.com/eddihaskell 62

d directly at brendantsarchon@gmail.com

Holistic Point of View

Re-Envisioning the Holy-Days: Bringing Soul and Meaning to the Holidays By : Willow Wonder-Morane

We live in a culture that each year seems to move further and further away from a soulful expression of the holidays. There are definite markers throughout the year; or turning points if you will, but our society has generalized them in such a way as to cover the true meaning and value for our lives. Mostly, the holidays have become so commercialized that we are unable to feel the deep symbolism any longer. In days of old the passing seasons with their accompanying holidays were given much attention. It was crucial in agrarian societies to fully understand and honor the seasons. If the seeds were not sown at the proper time they might starve the next winter! Light and dark governed these peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives. The lengthening days meant a more productive, active time outdoors; whereas the shorter daylight hours signaled time within. Crossculturally we see many holidays that have their roots in the symbolism of light and dark.

Throughout the centuries, as we moved away from a close connection to the land and into the technological age, we have lost a connection to the turning of the seasons. In our world of artificial lights and controlled environments we can be highly “productive” 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our culture seems to value productivity above all else. It is apparent in the burnout we suffer, the families that are broken, and the physical/ emotional/mental/spiritual dis-ease that many of us suffer from.

levels. Ritual can take a philosophical idea and bring it fully into our body allowing the meaning to work on us in deeper ways. It encourages us to step out of our head for a bit. It anchors an experience for us so that we may re-visit the symbolism again and again. Ritual with groups also has a uniting and magnifying effect. I often wonder if the compulsivity in which so many people engage in this day and age is really a symptom of the absence of meaningful ritual in our culture. The compulsively repeated activities such as work, drug use, eating, sex, shopping, gambling, cleaning, etc. have become the rituals of our modern times.

This is not the case in other cultures or even within our own culture where people have learned to value “soul” above “production.” One example of this is how many cultures work far fewer hours every week than we When we return to a connection with the do and take longer “holidays.” divine the mundane rituals can be replaced I believe it is time now to re-envision a life with more rhythmic sacred activities. Quite of meaning and one way to do this is to often in my work with my clients I suggest discover new, more personal ways to mark ideas for ritual. Usually the individual the important points in the year. Through will come to our next appointment full of these celebrations we have the opportunity stories about how the ritual led him /her to to bring soul back into our lives both in a deeper experience and understanding smaller ways everyday and in grander around the issue they were exploring. I am ways throughout the year. No matter what always amazed and delighted to hear how your spiritual beliefs, you can re-envision, such a simple physical act can bring such re-establish and re-enliven a life of deeper depth of realization! connection and meaning. As we bring ritual into our lives we create Ritual and Traditions “Ritual maintains the world’s holiness. Knowing that everything we do, no matter how simple, has a halo of imagination around it and can serve the soul enriches life and makes the things around us more precious, more worthy of our protection and care.” Thomas Moore Ritual is very important and it works on many

traditions that evolve and change as we do. One of the traditions that I started many years ago was to have my mother-in-law over for cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning and orange rolls on Easter morning. I have discovered over the years how much this means to her and it becomes even more poignant as she comes into the winter of her life. Recently, she had heart surgery and the day before she entered the hospital we 67

reminisced about hot, steaming sweet rolls fresh from the oven. My heart was full as I knew that our tradition meant something in her life. Suggestion for creative re-envisioning Collage is one of those techniques that most of us are familiar with. Some of us are comfortable with simple collage techniques and some of us delve into the more complex aspects. Collage, even in its simplest form, is a profound medium for self-discovery and creative expression. Collage is one of the “safest” art forms for individuals who may feel intimidated by other methods of expression. Collage gives voice to the deepest aspects of the soul. This is the facet that I find most inspiring. My suggestion here is to create an authentic piece around re-envisioning the holidays. I’m not asking you to create a “beautiful” piece of art. It may not be neat and tidy. It may not be pretty. It may not make you feel all pink and happy inside. The point here is to be real. The theme is just a suggestion. Let the process take you where it may. Find some old magazines and start flipping through them quickly. Tear out images that speak to your heart. Don’t let your head get in the way – in fact don’t think at all. Rip out pictures that “feel” necessary for your piece. The images may have a positive effect or a negative effect. Don’t look for a preconceived idea in the magazines – just rip and tear. Once you have gathered your images (you will know when it’s enough) lay them all out in front of you. Do they start to tell a story? File that thought away and find a large 68

sheet of paper to move them around on. After spending some time on this process get up and move around for a while. Leave your work and do something active. When you’re ready (it may not be the same day) come back to your work. Move the story around some more. Move it again. Move it until it “feels” right. Glue your pieces down and then leave your work again. When you’re ready to return have your journal handy and as you let the larger picture wash over you start to let a story emerge. It may be a poem, or a fairy-tale, or simply a journal entry. Remember this is just for you. There is no one looking over your shoulder. Spelling and grammar don’t matter! What is your collage story about? Does it give you new insight into your life concerning re-envisioning the holidays? Does it change what you thought about the holidays before you created the collage? Enjoy this journey of re-envisioning. It is a path of many twists and turns that we travel throughout our life. Just when we believe we have clear sight of what’s up ahead we realize that it’s really the journey and not the destination that matters. This article was excerpted from a six part e-course. If you’re interested in discovering many more ways to re-enliven and reenvision your life please contact Willow Wonder.

Human Interest

Finding the Perfect Gift By : Shartan Silverstar

The joy of the arrival of Christmas is sadly not unadulterated by the stress of shopping. When shopping for gifts for our nearest and dearest, we do want to give them something that would not end up in the Trash folder but the colossal variety SL presents makes selecting just the right gift a daunting task. To help make it easy, we have compiled a top 10 list of gifts for you that just might take the pain out of Christmas shopping.

Top 10 Gifts for Men 1. Yacht â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Not just a vehicle but a sign of luxury, an expensive gift more suitable to be given to a husband by his wife than a casual friend. Item: LUNA DRIVABLE YACHT - LUXURY LIVE-ABOARD YACHT Price: L$6999 Source:https://uncensored.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&It emID=1522276 A highly detailed craft fit to live on, equipped with its own helipad. 494 prims when fully furnished.

Item: Luxury Yacht - Serendipity - By Titilayo Yachts Price: L$1000 Source:https://uncensored.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&It emID=1036175 A more affordable option but comparable in features. A beautifully detailed yacht, fully furnished including a sexgen bed, but 1294 prims loaded. 2. Car Item: M.H Lambo Murcielago Price: L$525 Source:https://uncensored.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&It emID=208399 A combination of speed and style, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a true convertible that looks good and runs well.

3. Watch Item: JCNY - MARINER XL, Men’s Luxury World time Watch Price: L$1499 Source:https://uncensored.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&It emID=597269 This is a fully customizable, usable watch that tells you the time and makes you look good with a “check time” animation and a highly customizable bling.

4. Formal Suit A man in formals always catches the eye of the discerning ladies. At the time of this writing MusashiDo fashion has just released the suit that may be the last word in SL male fashion. Item: Musashi-Do “Evening in Roma” Price: L$499 A beautifully crafted suit with an HUD! The HUD is to customize the suit by changing tie, shirt or lapel colours and wear it differently at different times. It comes with MusashiDo’s latest InfiniTie technology that lets you add new ties to the existing suit, making it affordable and easy to keep looking good. 74

5. HUD Multi-purpose Tool Item: MystiTool HUD Price: L$423 Source:https://uncensored.xstreetsl.com/ modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=ite m&ItemID=120285 What does boyfriend like to play with other than you? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right â&#x20AC;&#x201C; gadgets. This feature-packed, low-lag, non-intrusive tool may tempt you into buying one for yourself too. From avatar scanning and TP history to LM organization, it does them all 6. Builders tool Item: SkyLab Price: L$100 Source:https://uncensored.xstreetsl.com/ modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=ite m&ItemID=166793 Your builder friend will love you for this. It can transport up to 5 people into the sky up to 700M and rezz a platform that can be used for building, partying, skydiving or pretty much anything. 7. BDSM Furniture Item: Official Xcite! Low-Prim Spreader Table Price: $840 Source:https://uncensored.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?n ame=Marketplace&file=item&ItemID=1850755 Have you been a naughty girl? Or do you want to hint that you would enjoy a little romantic spanking? This versatile, feature-packed spreader table comes with the latest TokOn technology as yet not seen in SL furniture. 75

8. TV Item: NHC Media Center Price: L$500 Source:https://xstreetsl.com/modules.ph p?name=Marketplace&file=item&Item ID=764893 Warning: this might turn him into a couch potato! This feature-rich media center is easy to install and use. It can play media from various sources including YouTube. 9. Skybox Skyboxes can be used as a live-in area or an additional play area. But finding the right one is hard. Here are 2 extremely well-crafted, fully furnished, ready-to-move-in options. Item: Skybox Romantic Scene (FULLY FURNISHED) Price: L$749 Source:https://xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&Item ID=1256190

Item: Ebon Royal Skybox Final Cut Price: L$250 (Promotional price) Source:https://xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&Item ID=1910256

10. Business tool In a multi-language world a fast translator with 51 languages and auto-detect capabilities can be a very powerful tool for a business owner, club host, educator or anyone who deals with people from all over the world. Item: X-Lang 7.0 Translator Price: L$ 500 Source: https://xstreetsl.com/modules. php?name=Marketplace&file=item&Item ID=715183

Top 10 gifts for Women 1. An Exclusive dress What do women hate more than finding their man cheating? To enter a room and find another women wearing the same dress! If you really care about her, buy her an exclusive dress that not many women in SL can even afford to buy. We suggest 3 options here, but look at other dresses by the same designer for more options/favourite colours. Item: Son!a New Year white black fat pack all skirts Price: 2000 (no, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a typo!) Source: https://uncensored. xstreetsl.com/modules.php?nam e=Marketplace&file=item&Item ID=1097365

Item: Son!a Heartless Formal dress-gown black all skirts pack Price: 2000 Source: https://uncensored. xstreetsl.com/modules.php?nam e=Marketplace&file=item&Item ID=1125687

Item: Son!a Dolce vita White Red Dress Fat-pack Price: L$2000 Source: https://uncensored. xstreetsl.com/modules.php?nam e=Marketplace&file=item&Item ID=1101356

2. Jewellery set Everything that glitters…bring stars to her eyes. We present you three fabulous options to make her smile. Item: JCNY - NorthStar Romantica, Diamond Formal Set Price: L$999 Source: https://xstreetsl.com/modules.ph p?name=Marketplace&file=item&Item ID=620970

Item: JCNY - Vintage Butterfly, Fashion Necklace Set Price: L$890 Source: https://xstreetsl.com/modules.ph p?name=Marketplace&file=item&Item ID=769436

Item: JCNY - ‘Twilight in Love’, Hyper-Gems Jewelry Set Price: L$1201 Source: https://uncensored.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&Item ID=1655980

3. Watch This divine watch set will make her feel lucky to be your girlfriend. Or use it to indicate that you would like her to be your girlfriend. Item: LL-Designs Watch & Bracelet Butterfly Gold/Diamonds Price: L$345 Source: https://uncensored.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&Item ID=683766 4 . Car A fast, sporty number that can be driven on SL race tracks or just parked outside the house for show. Yes, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pink! Item: Best Cars - Speed - /// FAST PINK Price: L$ 1750 Source: https://uncensored.xstreetsl.com/ modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=ite m&ItemID=1273387

5. Bike Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no longer an exclusive territory of men to be seen riding a fast, powerful motorbike. Here are two options that could set her heart racing. Item: HD Springer Chop v2.5 Flaming Price: L$2000 Source: https://xstreetsl.com/modules.ph p?name=Marketplace&file=item&Item ID=1681335 80

Item: TT: Rancor Motorcycle - Demon Bike Price: L$1995 Source: https://xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Mark etplace&file=item&ItemID=1908776

6. Heels Women like to wear high heels and we like to see them in them! So why not give her a pair thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d make both of you happy! Item: THE ORIGINAL HEELS - MIMI PURPLE Price: L$795 Source: https://uncensored.xstreetsl.com/ modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=ite m&ItemID=1834689 7. Dance Floor Girls love to dance, but not all have a dance floor in their home. Gift her with this beautiful heart-shaped dance floor to win some serious points. It looks beautiful and has really nice features. Item: 10M ENCHANTED NIGHTS HEART DANCE FLOOR Price: L$750 Source: https://xstreetsl. com/modules.php?name= Marketplace&file=item&It emID=1016249

8. A pose stand for couples Creating memories is a well-known pastime of women, especially women in relationships. This duo pose will come in very handy for that. Item: THE FOTOSCOPE DUOPOSE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; pose stand for couples Price: L$599 Source: https://xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marke tplace&file=item&ItemID=854510 9. Puppy She may like a pet other than you as well. This one she can hold, pet or walk with. Item: Pettable Puppy (Rottweiler) Price: L$375 Source: https://xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketpl ace&file=item&ItemID=1188766 10. Lingerie This is a beautiful gift but must be considered carefully as it sends a very naughty message if you are not in a relationship with the girl. But, boy is it beautiful! Item: ICEWERK Diamond Angel - Luxury Sheer Lingerie with Diamonds Price: L$295 Source: https://xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&Item ID=1853249 We have divided the world into male and female here but really the gift you choose should be based on your relationship with the person and their lifestyle. Check the item for transfer permissions and have it gift wrapped if you can. And DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T tell them where you got the idea. ;-) Now go out there and rediscover the joy of giving... Merry Christmas! 82

Seba Sideways is a man on a mission, having played tenor sax for over 14 years in RL, Seba, whose RL name is Sebastián Mestre, residing in Buenos Aires , Argentina, decided to bring his jazz playing to SL. “Well, I think that SL is an amazing and very fluid communication channel for performing” Sideway says. “In real time, in many ways, the visual arts, the live shows with many and many styles of music, the chance to share and know new cultures, that’s great for all.” When asked about playing in SL and building a fan base, Sideways says “Well, some magic person, called Maripili Smalls built the Fan’s Club some months ago, and as you can see, I have one too. I’m very glad to share my music here, but really, it’s the effort of many friends too what make this possible, so this is a pleasure.” Seba got started with jazz when listening to it and enjoying the swing and sound. He offers what benefits there are in performing in SL, “You get to meet new people all the time, musicians, painters, sculptors, photographers, and sharing the arts all the time, it’s amazing.” The life, diversity, freedom and music are where Sideways draws the most inspiration when performing. Joshua Sicling: Where do you see your career going in the future? SL? RL? Seba Sideways: In both. Hope can make both and enjoy it as always. JS: Do you write any of your own music? SS: Well, I am not a composer, I have 86

Entertainment

Seba and The Jazz Lifestyle By : Joshua Sicling

some own melody’s what I play time in time in SL acapella, I mean without backing tracks, as some Tango songs too, in other way, a good Solo can be considerate a Composition, and if this is in Real Time, with people sharing this in many places of the World, with different times zones, it’s amazing, and this is really the Composition. VRS: Would you like to say anything to the SL community? SS: Yes: Peace, Love and Reggae Roots Seba is a tremendously talented Jazz Musician, and offers some insight into what really drives him, he says “ I Love Jazz Music, I think what the Jazz Way take all the Life, till the last day. I come from the Argentinean Rock, a very rich style of Music that I recommend to all, and also Blues Bands, Reggae Bands, Funk Bands, Latin Bands too, and my foray into the Jazz is very recent, maybe for 3 or 4 years, so I try to make a good mix of all and if this is Jazz, Cheers.” Seba Sideways has his own jazz fan club group where you can get the latest information and of upcoming performances, if you look up his name you will see the “Seba Sideways jazz fan club” it is free to join. If you are interested in hiring Seba to perform his bookings are handled by Maripili Smalls and Maxine Segall He has a MySpace web site which can be found at http://www.myspace.com/ sebasaxo 87

From the Desk of VR Styleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Creative Director: Eddi Haskell photographs New Venice in the new virtual world of Blue Mars Photography by: Eddi Haskell

Welcome to another issue of VR Style Magazine. This is my place as Creative Director to share what I see is important in Virtual Reality art, design, and graphics with you. For the first time since starting this column, I will not be writing about Second Life. Instead, I will be writing about a new virtual world which is getting quite a bit of press attention lately in the mainstream media, Blue Mars, which opened its world to residents in a Beta phase on a limited basis in September, 2009. In the next several weeks, it will be expanding and opening a highly publicized exhibit from the Smithsonian. Other projects with other well known corporations and organizations are in the works. The graphics of Blue Mars are outstanding, and a generation ahead of Second Life at the present time. The rendering is simply gorgeous and needs to be seen to be appreciated. The Blue Mars platform is being built by Avatar-Reality. This next generation virtual world runs on the CryEngine 2 game engine created by Crytek from Frankfurt, Germany. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also the same game engine that runs Far Cry on the XBox. Second Life, of course, will also be enhancing and advancing its graphics visualization in the years to come. But for now, Blue Mars is clearly ahead in this area. The downside to the sophistication of Blue Mars is the size of the client (over 1.3 gigabytes) which takes a very long time to download, and the need for a sophisticated laptop or desktop computer with a minimum of a 512k graphics card to run it effectively. Second Life does not require as sophisticated and expensive a set-up on the part of the end user. A typical gaming computer handles Blue Mars effectively. Blue Mars is very different from Second Life. Second Life has been created by its residents, who can build and design objects such as clothes, furniture, or entire virtual cities such as Insilico by using basic prim-based construction. However, many parts of the Second Life mainland are not that attractive to look at. Haphazard construction and lack of zoning and planning have yielded a virtual world in Second Life that can be brutally ugly outside of well planned estates. Blue Mars on the other hand is closed to building and content development to only those residents approved as such. Each of the areas opened will be well planned and finished. New Venice is the most attractive region in the new virtual world of Blue Mars today. 92

Creative Director Eddi Haskell at his Blue Mars Exhibit at his main Gallery on Uxert Sim. In fact, it is breathtaking. It shows what a modern city built on a transformed Martian landscape would look like in 150 years time incorporating the best features of one of the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most attractive cities. There are canals, boats, small islands, gorgeous vegetation, and bridges â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all linked together in a well planned design incorporating both steampunk and Decopunk elements. The photographs I am showing in this article are of New Venice. These photographs 93

Eddi Haskellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s avatar in Blue Mars is Roger. All Blue Mars avatars at this early Beta stage look fairly young, and very generic. Blue Mars plans to phase in more avatar customization as it moves to an early commercial phase.

This transport system linking New Venice with the central transport hub has a warm glow lighting effect that casts shadows across the Martian cityscape.

Telescopes and other visual aid devices have a hint of Steampunk and Decopunk (1930â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s streamlined design) detailing with them. Close ups are given once an avatar interacts with the device. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;time period feelâ&#x20AC;? of Blue Mars takes the viewer back to settings used for science-fiction fantasies of the past 150 years. The introduction of these references is not overwhelming or anachronistic.

The most attractive and â&#x20AC;&#x153;finishedâ&#x20AC;? area of Blue Mars at the time these photographs were taken in November, 2009 was New Venice. Lagoons, islands, canals, and footbridges conjured up what a futuristic Venice would look like on a colonized and transformed planet Mars.

These Marian water lilies jump out at you with a three dimensional effect. The entire rendering of Blue Mars is highly three dimensional, showing what a next-generation virtual world can offer in terms of sophisticated graphics and atmospheric effects. However, this does come at a price- the average 2009 home PC or laptop cannot effectively handle the graphics demands of the 1.3 gigabyte client.

This courtyard entrance is beautifully rendered and designed. Pool reflections and botanic rendering, in addition to shadow effects yielded one of the most convincing vista views in New Venice. However, a sense of fantasy was maintained by the bluish/purple extraterrestrial light of a Mars skyscape.

were very hard to do since there is no native photograph interface yet available in the Blue Mars client. I used a screensaver to take these photos, the resolution was not as high as what I am used to in Second Life. In addition, only a small part of my screen was usable (about 50%) without getting various HUD or other interactive displays on it. However, at the end, I think I presented a good view of what this new virtual world has to offer. I plan to show more photography from other parts of Blue Mars in upcoming issues of VR Style magazine. The web site for Blue Mars is located at http://www.bluemars.com/ Eddi Haskell is the Creative Director of VR Style Magazine. Eddi blogs at http://www.eddihaskell.com/ Eddi is showing photography from Blue Mars at his gallery through the end of December. SURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Uxert/210/232/62 102

The rendering of bota combining realism with t by Monet or Cezanne.

Eddi was recently interviewed on BBC Radio 5 about Blue Mars and Second Life. You can download the podcast here: http://www.bbc. co.uk/blogs/podsandblogs/2009/11/brave_new_worlds_cookery_ and_h.shtml Eddi also produced a YouTube of his portion of the broadcast which can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMpU1kGLMYk Eddi has produced other videos of Blue Mars, you can see these on his You Tube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/eddihaskell

anical life on Blue Mars is simply stunning, the shades of a french impressionist painting

The three dimensional brickwork in this central New Venice courtyard, combined with realistic potted flowers and shrubs in an overall blue/purple tint at first seems a bit contrived, almost like a stage set. But, you then realize that the daylight on a transformed mars is likely to be darker and less intense due to the Martian distance from the Sun. It is realistic for its extraterrestrial environment.

A wonderful example of how potted flowers assume an incredible beauty with Blue Mars advanced rendering based on Crytekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CryENGINE Technology. The threedimensional effect is not only due to shadows but subtle color effects in texture rendering.

The water on Blue Mars is highly realistic. When you actually enter the water you can also hear very realistic sound effects. Waves and ripples are far more realistic and enticing than similar water on Second Life.

The sign on the Anchor Bar in New Venice wa designed. It incorporated art deco elements Decopunk is the best term to describe it since it like projected into the early 20th century. How current time. The large majority of the outlying Blue Mars states that it aims to finish more true world grows grows to a point to justify this inve

as the one crafted feature which seemed best rendered in rough brass and nickle finishes. t shows what the Steampunk genre would look wever, there is no anchor bar to look at at the g buildings in New Venice are mere facades. three-dimensional content once the new virtual estment.

This sign, which appears to be blue neon, takes on a striking colorization when lit against the dark Blue Mars sky. The blue-lavender plant life added a nice contrast to the area.

Horoscop De

By: R

SAGITTARIUS : Your close family will try to hem you in, and it is going to annoy the heck out of you. Be careful if a friend asks for advice. You’re in store for some information that will help all aspects of your life. Children in your life will be especially demanding of attention. Don’t overspend on them: you can’t afford it. CAPRICORN : Don’t be a stranger to your work colleagues, and be careful how you phrase things: they may have a tendency to take what you say out of context, or to misunderstand you. Stay the heck away from office squabbles: you may find yourself in the middle of a battle. Watch your health, especially your diet. Be sociable; visit people, be friendly, and get around every day. AQUARIUS : If you own your own business, don’t be in a hurry to expand. Sit tight on what you have. There’s a hint of legal problems in the wind, so watch your step and stay out of court. Someone is going to present you with an ultimatum. Don’t reject it out of hand or it may send things out of control. If you have a co-worker about whom you have doubts, do a little checking around. You may learn something. PISCES : Carpe diem is all well and good, but now is not the time for living just for today. Don’t spend too much time on mindless entertainment, especially with children: it could come back and bite you. A project you are working on may take you to an exotic place. Pay attention to your diet and don’t overdo with the holiday feasts. Be honest at work and don’t get angry if someone tries to back you into a corner. You can avoid this with a little diplomacy. 116

pe for the Month of ecember 2009

Rajeesh Navarathna

ARIES : If you are going to turn things around, don’t ignore them. Don’t give your opinion too freely; listen to others first. You may be taking a trip which will earn money, either directly or indirectly. Oh, and the thing about opinions does not apply to family matters. Don’t let your family hem you in: make your opinion known clearly. TAURUS : It’s time to look after your health. Not that you are in danger; just take care of yourself. Now is not the time for professional secrecy. Share your business thoughts, or you may see things collapse around you. Make sure you discuss the holidays with your partner and the benefits of restraint this season. GEMINI : There’s a lot going on around you. One result of this is an emotional, rather than logical, reaction to questions of money. Two younger people and one older person will approach you with a work suggestion. Take them up on it. You will gain great recognition for it. CANCER : This is a time for you to be alone. Avoid colleagues as much as you can tactfully do. Music will come to your aid this month, so keep your ears open. You will find yourself more emotional than normal. Your partner may try to get you to do things you just don’t feel like doing. Be delicate in handling this: you don’t want to be alone by force, just by choice. LEO : You’re going to be busier than you like. Channel all the energy you can muster to your work. Cut down spending or you will find yourself in embarrassing financial circumstances. Your emotions will play a big part in a social or fraternal organization to which you belong. Follow them, without 117

letting them take you over the edge. VIRGO : Emotionally, this is going to be a rough month. What to do? Take yourself out of your usual circles and look for – brace yourself – eccentric people. If nothing else, they can make you laugh. Make sure you have all the facts before you act. Fortunately, this month is good for learning new things. LIBRA : This is cliché, but take time for friends and family, especially those you don’t see often. You have a nagging feeling that something is going to go wrong: be very careful around vehicles or machinery. Be forthcoming with your opinions at work. That won’t get you into trouble because this month you are more than usually tactful and likeable. SCORPIO : Plan a trip, or at least a special outing. Don’t worry about the expense: your partner will be able to cover the costs. (Make sure you show your appreciation!) A friend will seek to gain some benefit from you, but you won’t be able to help them. Pay attention to your own finances: somebody has to pay the bills after the trip your partner takes you on. Try something new in your appearance. Don’t be shy about it!

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In The Cover

Hot Winter Fashions from House of RFyre By: Nadia Felwitch Photos by: Nellie Choche

122

The mercury may be dropping outside but RP: I draw inspiration from a myriad of inside the House of RFyre the temperature influences, from the people I meet to the music is rising with their hot winter fashions. I listen to, from the images I see and also from To put the warmth in December I bring you the landscapes both real and imagined that some of the hottest and newest designs of I pass through. I love to blend these many Raven Pennyfeather along with an up close different styles, histories and stories into each piece I create. and personal interview. NF: Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from? What’s your educational background? What are your general professional and non-professional interests? RP: I am originally from the Midwest and was fortunate enough to grow up in a family environment that encouraged a love of the arts. Rich in culture, my folks exposed me to a lot of different things and I received training in both in art and music. My professional life was a path quite different from my early beginnings, opting for what I felt was a “safer” path in terms of earning a living. I worked in the lending field and eventually rose to a level of compliance officer/business analyst. All the while the call to come back to my authentic self was there... and then in 2004, I began to redefine who I was and what I longed to do which was create.

NF: How would you define your fashion? RP: I am often labeled as “Goth,” but I never set out to be a Goth designer. My focus was on the archaic, but over time the romanticism of some of the more shadowy figures in literature and history caught my attention. I am always drawn to darkly elegant things. That’s why we use the “Goth couture” label for the store. I make so much more than Goth. NF: What sets your style apart from other designers? RP: I believe my textures and layers are a unique vision of mine. I spend a great deal of time and care hand crafting them and developing the brushes and colors that go into them. NF: What matters to you most as a fashion designer?

NF: How long have you been designing RP: Integrity, perfection of my craft, pushing and what was the first article of clothing my knowledge of my tools and pushing my imagination are all very important to me. I you made? have taken some risks in making pieces that RP: I have been designing since I came in the have reached past what my customers expect game in 2004. My first design was a series and sometimes they didn’t meet my hopes but of four Celtic gowns that took almost four sometimes I struck gold and exceeded my weeks to make. I can vividly remember how own dreams. excited I was upon their completion and it’s the same thrill I experience with each new NF: What’s your favorite part about conceptualizing a design? design I create. RP: I love plugging into the energy and NF: What inspires you? excitement of colors, patterns and textures. 123

Model: Cody Bolero Outfit : RFyre Viscount Mens Black Seas Skin: Belleza Mathieu sk 0 Hair: TheAbyss Hair Illusion Smo model: Nadia Felwitch Design: Rfrye Viscountess Black Seas Skin: Redgrave Hair: Sky Everett Temptress

Model: Amber Quinzet Outfit : Katerina Womens Skin: AtomicBambi Hair: Detour Accesories: shoes- L & B Gothic Ditta High Heels Model: Diane Handschuh Outfit: Okasana Russian X-mas Holiday Dress Skin: Corinne (Autumn Red) by YourSkin YourShape Hair: Erena by Tukinowaguma Accesories: Isabella Shoes by Yumi

Model: ToniT Oh Outfit : Sweater Skin: Rockberry - Ferrah Hair: Truth - Holly Accesories: Earrings - Chantkare Model: Seth Diabolito Outfit: Winter Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Burgundy Sweater Skin: Belleza Hair: MADesigns Accesories: Musashi-Do - Roma Slacks (Black), Kalnins - Crossyard Shoes (Black)

Model: Rajeesh Navarathna Outfit : RFyre Alona Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tux Skin: Scorpio Eclipse Hair: Madesigns Slide Accesories: Shoes by Sebastian (Coal LF) Model: Ches Seriman Outfit: !RFyre Hollis Mens Black Skin: [PXL] Jude Spring Hair: <TheAbyss> Hair - Dystopia - Smoke Ear Ring: Rising Body Accents - Ears - Double Hoop Boots: Shane Couture Sculptie Biker Boot Ring: Onyx Platinum Band Ring Final

Model : Glitter Bolissima Outfit: Darra II Black/Pewter Womens Skin: League Hair: ETD Accesories: Uzuri earrings and necklace

Model : Snake Kytori Outfit: Persuaded Skin: Abyss Hair: Curl up and Dye Salon Accesories: jewelry by Dahlinks/shoes Awori Cassini

What drives me is having something--be it a word, image or event--set off that spark. The next biggest rush is coming out with the final product after all the struggling. That’s when I know I have made something special. NF: What do you believe makes a quality article of clothing? RP: Quality clothing comes from taking one’s time with the design process, being meticulous and driven to push yourself just that wee bit further outside of your comfort zone. NF: What kinds of projects do you have going on for the future? RP: We are very excited to be releasing a new line of clothing in 2010. Stay tuned:: grins:: NF: What advice can you offer to our readers who are new to the design scene? RP: Persistence and never giving up your dream is the key. I remember being told by one of my instructors back in college that you have to have that “burning desire” to do nothing but create. At the time, sadly, I was not ready to receive the message and opted for what I thought was a “safe” career in the corporate world. After years of being asked “what are you doing here.....” and almost having that creative spark completely extinguished, I know now with complete certainty that my heart and soul are committed to my art. Time to get out of the cold! Get inside the House of RFyre; they will definitely make you hot in more ways than one! Happy Shopping!

Model : Iolejanana Chajit Outfit : Snow Queen - Ice Blue Skin: Redgrave Moon- Ice Hair: Maitreya - Loelle 134

S&S Gallery of Fine Arts, http://slurl. com/secondlife/carpe%20diem%20 quinque/247/235/23, has been a labor of love for its owner, Stefanik Dagostino, a self-proclaimed dreamer who is full of imagination. He has found art to be, in his own words, “the perfect impetus for his imagination to wander at full speed.” The Gallery features over 40 International artists, exhibiting works created with a wide range of media (watercolor, oil, acrylic, collages, photography, and digital), and covering dozens of artistic genres. Dagostino’s destiny was not clear when he joined SL. He had seen a feature on CNN about Anshe Chung, the first SL resident to make a million dollars in a virtual world. As he explains it, “I was intrigued and decided to check it out. I was not looking to make the millions, only curious of what SL could be.” However, he soon realized the potential to realize and fulfill those dreams of his imagination. Dagostino has enriched SL with his unique approach to designing an art gallery. His keen talents for terraforming, landscaping and building have resulted in a gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing setting for his gallery which is spread across an entire sim. When speaking of the experience of creating the gallery, Dagostino said, “I believe that terraforming and building is the most enjoyable part of Second Life. Simple creation brings much pleasure and satisfaction.” Upon arrival, you are immediately taken with the beauty surrounding you. A lovely plaza and majestic waterfall are in plain 138

Arrival at S&S Gallery

Human Interest

SS - Gallery of Imag

By: Sherrie Photography by

gination and Beauty

e Shepherd y: Eddi Haskell

view with individual galleries placed in clusters around the area. A hot air balloon awaits so you can tour the entire sim, taking it all in, noting exhibit areas of special interest to you, or enjoying the ride for the sheer pleasure of it. Of the art on display at S&S, Dagostino said, “Diversity is the hallmark of the gallery. I display what I like from artists I like. It is as simple as that. My tastes range wide and far and usually include something that will please almost anyone. This is a gallery which is not only committed to the needs of the artist but to the needs of everyone. This is a gallery for, by and of the people.” When reflecting on art in general, Dagostino remarked, “Art is fantasy, reality, imagination, history, possibilities, truth and anything we wish it to be. Art is life itself and it begs us to interact and to indulge in its mysteries, pleasures and excitement.” Around every corner of the sim are original SL art treasures to be enjoyed with a special treat at Susa Plaza in the gallery exhibiting the story-telling art, the Story of Susa Bubble, by talented artist Rose Borchovski and with musical accompany by Pong Blumenthal. Here visitors are entertained with Borchovski’s unique art form, whimsical and humorous, with an added bonus of walking through closed doors and finding yourself magically transported to immersive art exhibits in the sky, Time passing and Fear of Falling. One can walk into the art, so to speak, become a part of it and feel the art as well as view the art. The Asian art exhibit takes you through traditional Asian gates to a beautiful garden befitting of the art on exhibit 139

Sherrie Shepherd steps into the immersize art of artist Rose Borchovski

Eddi Haskell and Sherrie Shepherd exper

rience Rose Borchovki’s “Time Passing”

Frog art Panorama at the S&S Gallery

1. The Art of Musical Instruments 2. Admiring the art of Trill Zapatero in the Underwater Gallery 3. The lovely environment created by Stefanik Dagostino at S&S Gallery 4. Autumn exhibit at S&S Gallery 5. Multicultural art exhibits at S&S Gallery

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there. Dagostino makes it a point to have seasonal exhibits as well and when we visited had his autumn and Halloween themed exhibit on display. The underwater gallery provides the perfect place to relax from your walk around the gallery on comfy couches while reflecting on the art of Trill Zapatero who commits herself to the first priority of creating things for others to enjoy. You are captivated by the art and by the serene seascape environment as you linger way longer than you anticipated in this lovely place. Dagostino acknowledges great supporters of the gallery which include the artists that are currently exhibiting there. He goes on to lament, “Unfortunately we lost one of the great patrons of art, Kythy Hax in late August due to the flu. A memorial dedicated to this wonderful person is located adjacent to the Susa Plaza within the gallery.” It’s very easy to spend a whole day at S&S exploring all of the galleries and Dagostino invites SL residents to do just that saying, “Come visit because you will see how we earn our name: S&S is See and Smile.“ Of the future of the gallery, he says, “The future of the gallery continues to rest upon the discovery and exhibition of new and unique artists.”

S&S Owner, Stefanik Dagostino with S 146

Sherrie Shepherd and Sasun Steinbeck 145

The Asian Garden at S&S Gallery

The S&S Galleries

Designer’s Den

Thaw the Winter Frost with Glitz and Glamour: Rebel Hope Designs and Deco Jewelry By: Nadia Felwitch Photos by: Pam Astonia

It’s that time of the year again as snowflakes are falling outside to grab a hot cup of coco and cozy up by a warm fireplace crackling with sizzling embers of coal or better yet its that time of year again to sizzle in style with elegant designs that will thaw the winter frost!. I’m bringing you 2 more designers this month to keep the temperature rising! First let’s get glamorous with Rebel Hope Designs by Rebel Hope. Nadia Felwitch: Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from? What’s your educational background? What are your general professional and nonprofessional interests? Rebel Hope: In my RL I am a very proud mom of three amazing musically talented boys, twins 19 and a 12 year old. I’m a Southern California girl transplanted somewhere in the Midwest *what was I thinking* Things I enjoy are spending time with my family, collecting fine china, gardening, music of all kinds really, photography, drawing, decorating and really so much more. I went to collage to be a design draftsperson, and created printed circuit boards as well as mechanical and electromechanical CAD/CAM. I realized a few years into the business that it was too precise of an art and changed gears a bit. I then ended up working in a network control environment, which became boring and stale to me. Time led 150

me to graphic art and design which I’ve discovered is my true calling. I’ve had no “formal” training in Photoshop but rather over the last five or so years, taught myself. I’d truly love to get more into sculpting and scripting when time permits me to do that. I am currently the owner of Rebel Hope Designs, Inc. and became a corporation about three years ago. The best part of my job is that I am the boss and it doesn’t get any better than that. NF: How long have you been designing and what was the first article of clothing you made? RH: I’ve been designing in Second Life for almost five years. My very first piece of clothing was a dress called Fusion, which was all created in Second Life, as my Photoshop skills were not, perfected whatsoever. The dress is horrible really but I found it the most interesting thing I could off the Second Life community. NF: What inspires you? RH: Inspiration I would have to say first comes from my children because they are so talented themselves. RH Engel, who is my partner in Second Life as well as my very best friend in real life, inspires me. Designing inspiration usually comes from something I’ve seen in a magazine or television show. I also have come to enjoy sketching out designs from my head which is also a lot of fun to do. I’m also truly inspired by my designer friends in Second Life and the wealth of talent here. NF: How would you define your fashion? RH: Eclectic I think because I’m really all over the board with what I do. I don’t release all that often but I put a lot of myself into what I create so it’s what I’m feeling at that moment usually. NF: What sets your style apart from other designers? RH: I really couldn’t say what sets me apart from anyone but I do take great effort in the small fine details that most may not even see. I cannot put something out that I feel is not my best work. I tend to be a minimalist when it comes to formals because I think that a women’s true beauty, here in Second Life and real life, should not be overshadowed by pomp and frill. NF: What matters to you most as a fashion designer? RH: Making a quality product and giving good customer service. To many they may not think this is something one would take seriously, but I feel that people that purchase here in Second Life are the same as a shopper in real life. They deserve the same courtesy. NF : What’s your favorite part about conceptualizing a design?

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Model : ToniT Oh Outfit: Madeline Bridal Gown Skin: LAQ - Lacie Hair: Truth Accesories: JCNY - Lady Divine, Formal Jewlery Set

Model : Cody Bolero Outfit: Branson Tux Black Skin: Belleza Mathieu sk 0 Hair: MAD Hair Brad

Model : Ches Seriman Rebel Hope Designs - Carlton Tuxedo Classic Black Skin: [PXL] Jude Spring Hair: Uw.St Hibiki-Hair Accesories: Bracelet: (Adorned)Twisted Fused Link Men’s bracelet, shoes: Styles of edo “Hermes” Shoe in Black Leather Watch: Classic Gentleman’s Pocket Watch, Platinum Case,Styles of edo

Model : Glitter Bolissima Outfit: Ginger Ruby Gown Skin: LAQ Hair: Truth

Model : Billy Blaylock Outfit: RH Signature Tails Tuxedo Gray Skin: Belleza - Mathieu SK 11 Hair: Uw.St Hibiki black Accesories: HOC Apparel - Mens Formal Dress Shoes/ M.R.M. Silver Ring

Model : Snake Kytori Outfit: RH Signature Tux Emerald Skin: Abyss Hair: EMO-tions Accesories: Shoes/King for Men

Model : Iolejanana Chajit Outfit: RH Signature Ladies Mini Tuxedo Black Skin: Redgrave Moon Tan Hair: fri.- Tatum.2- Scornful Red Accesories: Platinum Chandelier Earrings

Model : Kimmie Rayna Outfit: Linda Salsa Dress Plumeria Skin: Redgrave Hair: ::DBS:: Accesories: Earrings - Purple Rose Wedding Ring - JCNY Necklace - PIXELFASHION Bracelet - Ashiraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Claddagh Wpvem Bracelet

RH: For me it’s sketching it out and getting it down on paper the elements of the item I’m going to create. I have found over time now that sketching things out gives me more visual to work from and to keep notes on where I’m going with it. Although, I do often get lost along the way and sometimes it will end up being totally different then my first intention of the design looking. Researching I enjoy also if it’s a vintage piece in checking out the era the design is from. Doing the research on the design, as in some of my costumes is a lot of fun for me as well. NF: What do you believe makes a quality article of clothing? RH : Details and simply that without details it’s just another piece of clothing in my opinion. It may be something as small as a small broach connecting two pieces of fabric or putting a signature touch to something like always including a special something with your design. I think people enjoy those special little touches that they wouldn’t typically see. NF: What kinds of projects do you have going on for the future? RH: I really don’t plan too far ahead because I get overwhelmed then. When a feeling comes on with a design I just start at that point and get to work on it. So many things that I would love to do and have them on my mind but they will come to fruition when it’s time. NF: What advice can you offer to our readers who are new to the design scene? RH: Be persistent and don’t give up a dream that you might have. Create for the love of it and not because you have to force it. Don’t get overwhelmed by the fashion industry here in Second Life because it can swallow you if you let it. Feel confident in what you make and strive for each piece you make to be better and different than the last. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it because you can if you want it bad enough. Do lots of tutorials and read the forums because you can learn so much just poking around here and there. Play a lot in Photoshop or the graphics program you might be using. Play with different forms of texturing and make your own textures. Just do what you love to do and the rest will follow. Now time to Glitz it up with some jewelry from Deco by Orchid Zenovka. NF: Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from? What’s your educational background? What are your general professional and non-professional interests? OZ: I am from Pennsylvania and have an Art Education Degree; I am currently a promotional marketing executive. I do a lot of in world projects and I get a lot of inspiration from playing video games. So if I’m not on SL, I’m probably playing games on steam. NF: .How long have you been designing and what was the first article of clothing you made? 164

Model : Iolejanana Chajit Outfit: Gold/Ruby Jewelry Set Skin: Redgrave Moon Hair: Curio Sleek Bob

Model : Kimmie Rayna DECO - Platinum & Sapphire Earrings, Necklace, Bangle and Ring Skin: Redgrave Hair: Novocaine

OZ: I have been designing jewelry on Second Life for about a year now; the first piece I made was a clumsy necklace. It was more of an experiment. A lot of my original pieces are still sold in my store actually. NF: What inspires you? OZ: I usually find an object that interests me, such as a key or an insect, and then build around that. My design typically changes quite a lot until I reach a final piece when I feel things flow correctly. NF: How would you define your fashion? OZ: Where Art Deco and the macabre intertwine. I love the Art Deco style but I do stray from it. I try not to stray too far though. But I will be introducing a lot of new styles. NF: What sets your style apart from other designers? OZ: The odd components I use. Items you wouldn’t typically see in a jewelry piece. NF: What matters to you most as a fashion designer? OZ: Making the consumer happy. NF: What’s your favorite part about conceptualizing a design? OZ: I enjoy the entire creative process. But as I said earlier, I start with an idea but it usually changes by the end of the project. NF: What do you believe makes a quality article of clothing? OZ: Quality is in the details I believe and taking the time to make things as realistic as possible. NF: What kinds of projects do you have going on for the future? OZ: Well, I have been collaborating with a few modelers. I just released an eyewear line. Next will be a shoe line and a broader selection of men’s accessories. NF: What advice can you offer to our readers who are new to the design scene? OZ: Take time to learn the programs properly. Learn to build, sculpt, and use Photoshop or gimp. That would be the first step. Many newbies want to jump right in and start making product, and you really need to know how to use the tools properly so you can trouble shoot and make quality merchandise. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to heat up your wardrobe with these hot fashions and jewelry for the cool winter season. Happy Shopping! ***************************** Rebel Hope Designs: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Monarch%20Bay/204/58/22 Deco Jewelry: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Festivale/152/140/29 167

Model : Nellie Choche DECO - Platinum & Emerald Earrings, Necklace, Bangle and Ring Skin: Laqroki Glow Hair: Laqroki - Tess

Model : Nadia Felwitch DECO:Gold & Amythist Jewelry Set: earrings, necklace, ring, bangle Skin: Redgrave Hair: Maitreya

Stuffed with stuffing, filled with turkey, crammed with cookies, and saturated with alcohol. Now what? Holidays call for celebration, and many of us know the consequences that come from overindulging in alcohol and food. Sometimes, despite our best intentions, we overdo it. This holiday season, detoxify and recover naturally with the tips that follow. FOOD OVERLOAD Chinese medicine views proper digestion as the most essential component in living a long and healthy life. Your digestive function is made up of numerous organs all working together to break down, absorb, and process all of the nutrients in the food you eat. Without healthy digestion, you can become malnourished and toxins will build up in your body, leading to degenerative diseases and rapid aging down the road. Indigestion is caused and made worse by overeatingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;especially rich, fatty, spicy foods, alcohol, coffee, and acidic foods. These remedies will get your digestion on the right track.

Holistic Point of View

Healthy Detox Aft

By: Dr. Ma Reprinted from Yahoo! He

exercise for promoting digestion and encouraging cleansing of the lymphatic system. Walking helps food move along the digestive tract, improving digestion and absorption. For added benefits, walk while massaging your abdomen with your palms, in a circle around your belly button.

Herbal tea brings relief Relieve that feeling of fullness with herbal teas that target your digestion: Steep 1 teaspoon each of mint, ro s e m a r y, oregano, cilantro, sage, and basil and in a cup of hot water. Drink after each meal to soothe and prevent bloating. Peppermint, ONE HOUR AFTERWARD: chamomile, and ginger tea are other Walk it off good choices for settling the stomach. After a large meal, take a 10-to 20-minute Also, look for Chinese herbal formulas stroll. Aside from the proven benefits to like Indigestion for digestive support and your heart, walking is the perfect gentle cleansing. 172

ter Overindulging

THE MORNING AFTER Start with apple cider Apple cider vinegar is traditionally used to remedy digestive distress, support liver detoxification, normalize digestive juices, and reduce intestinal bloating. Mix 1 tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar with 12 ounces of warm water, and drink in the morning on empty stomach. Feel free to add a little honey or maple syrup. Lemon water will also help. Eat right to lighten up These meals will help your body recover from overindulgence. • Breakfast: Eat oat bran cereal, brown rice, or any other whole grain cereal (as long as it is unbleached and does not contain any added sugar or chemicals.) Pair with unflavored soy milk.

• Lunch/Dinner: Eat any combination of beans, brown rice, oat bran, vegetables, and organic chicken, turkey, or soyproducts. • For a powerful Super Cleanse Broth, simmer any combination of the following ingredients for an hour: collards, Swiss chard, kale, mustard greens, cabbage, dandelion, Brussels sprouts, daikon radish, watercress, seaweed, shitake mushrooms, cilantro, garlic, leeks, fennel, anise, fresh ginger, and turmeric. Drink 8 ounces twice a day. • A popular herbal formula among my patients is Internal Cleanse, a special combination of natural herbs to detoxify, clear the mind, promote emotional balance, and ease digestion. Try detoxifying exercise This movement is from Liver Cleansing Qi Gong, a body-mind exercise that was designed by ancient Chinese physicians to help stimulate the liver and drain the excess toxins from the body: 1. Stand with feet shoulderwidth apart in front of a tree. Inhale while raising your right leg and exhale while placing your right foot on the 173

1. ground in front of you between your body and the tree. 2. Inhale while raising both arms from the sides until they come together over your head. Exhale while lowering your hands in front of your face. Visualize green light running down your face as your hands move down your chest. 3. Inhale as you move your hands to the right rib cage over your liver. Exhale as you move your arms down your right abdomen and right leg, as if pushing down and out with your hands. Visualize the green light moving the toxins out of the liver, down the liver meridian on the inside right leg, and out the big toe.

Ginger has been found to soothe the digestive lining and balance gastric juices, making it a great remedy for overeating too. This remedy is even more effective if you drink it in between alcoholic beverages. Cut a 2-inch piece from fresh ginger root, and thinly slice. Bring three cups of water to boil in pot. Add the sliced ginger and reduce heat to a simmer. Brew for about five minutes. Then strain out the ALCOHOL OVER INDULGENCE ginger and sip the tea slowly. You may The liver is one of the hardest working also add honey to taste. organs in your body and performs a wide variety of functions. Its most important Drink up! ones include the processing of nutrients, Start with lemon water the production of bile to help in digestion First thing in the morning, drink one lemon of food and eliminating wastes, and squeezed in 12 ounces of warm filtered cleansing the blood of toxins such as drugs, water. Lemon activates your liver to alcohol, and other dangerous substances. release toxins and help to cleanse and The liver has the ability to regenerate move the roughage that stays behind in itself, but the effects of alcohol eventually your intestines. Throughout the day, drink wear down the liver. I strongly suggest at least 8-ounce glasses of water to flush that you keep your drinking to a minimum your system. for the longevity of your liver and your Detoxify with herbal tea health, but on that rare occasion when you overindulge, consider these remedies. Chinese traditional medicine uses natural substances to help support the healthy ONE HOUR AFTERWARD functions of your liver, lymphatic system, Ginger tea to the rescue bowels, urinary tract, and skin. Try these Ginger is an ancient Chinese remedy to herbs in teas and to cleanse and prevent minimize the symptoms of hangovers. a buildup of toxins and wastes in your 174

body: • Chrysanthemum flower is traditionally used to cleanse the liver and neutralize toxins. • Hawthorn berry is used to cleanse the blood of plaque and other toxins. • Turmeric supports the detoxification process in the whole body by increasing bile production and releasing and eliminating toxins. Simply put a tablespoon of the spice in a pot and stir over medium heat for five minutes. • Milk thistle protects and restores the liver, due to its content of silymarin. • Dandelion root has been found by studies to enhance the flow of bile, relieving liver congestion, which in turn aids the body in detoxifying. • Popular among my patients is Hangover, from the effects of overindulgence! I invite a Chinese herbal remedy that is helpful you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with for relieving symptoms of hangover. me. Heal your aching head May you live long, live strong, and live If you wake up with a “morning-after” happy! headache, try this herbal tea to reduce --Dr. Mao head pressure: Boil 2 tbsp each of To learn more about Dr. Mao and other chrysanthemum related health tips, go to askdrmao.com. flowers and mint leaves in 4 cup of water for 15 minutes. Drink throughout the day until your headache subsides. I hope this article helps you recover 175

That’s Entertainment!

The Gay Clubber Goes to the White Party at Tadd

By: Eddi Haskell Photography by: Jago Constantine & Suede Sixpence A major event of the gay clubbing social season, the White Party, was held at Tadd’s Cabaret on November 6. The event was a huge success. The club was packed for over four hours to the sounds of DJ’s Jonathon Beattie and Johny Alderton. The crowd looked fantastic in white; club owners Tadd Rives and Johny did an amazing job decorating the club in a white and emerald green theme. The most important development of the night was the raising of over L$89,000 Linden for real-life homeless at the Bread and Jams homeless shelter in Boston, Massachusetts. Additional donations came in from the crowd after the event. In addition, the awareness for the increasing problem of the homeless in the United States due to the long recession was raised for future fundraising events in Second Life. VR Style was a sponsor of the event and would like to thank the other sponsor for their support and donations. They are as 178

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Taddâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club Owners Tadd Rives and Johny Alderton 180

follows, with SLURLS to their store locations. Chaz Longstaff, proprietor of Blueballs adult animations. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vancouver%20Island/216/34/28 Kip Ashbourne, proprietor Closet Queen storage solutions. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vancouver%20Island/85/143/28 Duke Magneto, proprietor of Theater Row-by-Row adult animated theater seating. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vancouver%20Island/95/174/28 Rawly Rousselot from Isleworth Ltd custom construction and prefab houses: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Isleworth/128/130/27 If you wish to do a fundraiser for Bread and Jams or any registered charity, make sure that they have the proper credentials in term of tax status, and call them beforehand. They will be appreciative. Also check reviews of your charity, and ask how much of the donating money actually goes to overhead. Eddi Haskell is the Gay Clubber. He blogs at http://www.eddihaskell.com/ Taddâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cabaret and Dance Club is open for events throughout the week. Their web site sit is at http://www.beam.to/tadds

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The crowd at Taddâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s celebrated for four hours non-stop.