SL Singer Winston’s RL Career and Demonstrations

I had a press release sent to me the other day from publicist Jura Shephard, she very kindly introduced me to musician Winston Ackland and his wife Sesi.  I am delighted to say that one of Winston’s cover tracks ‘Lithium’ has been selected for a 20th Century Fox film ‘Marley and Me’ Starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson.  You can read all about Winston as he kindly answered some questions about his sl career for me at http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-128692

Meanwhile, just what is going on in SL at the moment?  If you read the official SL Blog it all seems very nice and civilised as they try to defend their price rises for openspaceland.  However, this has affected so many people who innocently bought the land when it all seemed so reasonable and used their skills to make wonderful places, with the help of Linden Labs upping their prim allowances, only to be told that openspaceland is now being over used.  Lots of people, including friends of mine, had put a lot of money into buying this land and using it with thought, only to be told a few weeks down the line that the charges will be so high that they can no longer afford to keep it.  This includes charities who use the sims for collecting whatever money they can for the good causes, as well as having useful informative meetings to help people in rl.  Feelings are running really high and organised demonstrations have been going on all over sl.  I went to one at the Linden’s Estates Office with friends Wheemzel and Kwame (who was using his high tec camera!).  An odd occurrence was going on after a while, it was OK at first as people stood there with their banners, but then someone was using one of those Batman griefer box things to omit the racket that goes with it right in the middle of the crowd.  I told him to stop after I tracked down who it belonged to, but then I crashed shortly afterwards only to be given the account not available message when I tried to log back in.  Anyway, I can only guess at why someone would want to distrupt a peaceful demo with a griefing pack.

When I logged back on later that evening Wheemzel told me that another demo was going on in Dore.  I had an interview later to do, but decided to pop over there to look.  I also had a message from another friend who runs a charity group saying that someone had infiltrated the group erasing all the members to split the group up.  Not only this but he said that demonstrators are now being banned from SL, it’s all getting really ugly if this is true about people getting banned.  I would really like to hear the Linden’s side of all this, as it sounds as if the situation is getting out of hand.  I just wonder what is behind it all and I would like to know if people are being banned simply for complaining, as this would surely be against any policy that the Lindens have.

Anyway I counted around 200 people at the Dore demonstration, so there are a lot of upset residents in SL at the moment, it’s such a shame and I hope they can settle this pretty quickly.

Car Chaos and Empty Club!!

A few nights ago mate Ruskin Thor had given me a lift in his beautiful SL sports car, well you know what I’m like!! I instantly think perhaps a car would be nice for me, never had one before and they are making such good sl copies now.  So out I went, found a dealer and bought something looking like a Caterham 7 kit car.  You can read about my disaster driving in my Virtually London (Lite) blog.  Still being totally out of control with it, I ventured into SL London to see who I could knock over and what damage I could do to the buildings.  Flipping roadworks there as well, I thought I could drive straight through the bollards as they would be phantom, but no such luck, I hit them and got stuck, having to reverse in and out till I got the car shifted.

I spotted Hibiscus along the way, she had risked life and limb earlier when I turned the car over with her in it!  Anyway taking no chances, she decided to drink her huge cocktail before getting on board so that the danger she would be in would be a blur.  Think thats my mistake, I should have drunk the huge cocktail before attempting to drive, have to watch out for the virtual traffic cops though.

I did get a bit better as the day went on, but I still have a job travelling in a straight line for some reason, dead dodgy really, I had the feeling I might end up in the middle of the Underground Club, how embarrassing!  Hib went off for her dinner and I met Drax who had come for a spin earlier as well.  I wanted to show him the car salesroom so we went over for a look.  He rather fancied a yellow sporty looking car, but said he would like a good look round before he decided which care he really liked.

I wanted to show Drax the club I had found with the great country and western singer, so we decided to leave the cars for another time and headed on over there.  It was a bad night though, when we got there the club was virtually empty, although there was some nice streamed music playing.

We agreed that we might as well stay and have a dance anyway, a few people did arrive and say hello but we enjoyed ourselves dancing and chatting it was a nice evening.  Can’t wait to see which car Drax will pick.

Happy Rez Day Treasure and Gunter!!

Hibiscus and I had been sitting with Cher as I interviewed him for the London Blog next week, about time we featured Cher as he is doing such a good job in the London sims helping with the roads and buildings there, as well as running his own Fashion House Bonjour.  Suddenly I got an IM from Ruskin saying could we come over as it was Treasure’s Rez day and they were having a party in Murray.  Vix also IM me, so we decided to finish the interview off later and go on over.  It turned out it was Gunter’s Rez day as well, but he was nowhere to be found, (if you are reading this Happy Rez Day Gunter!!!)   Treasure looked beautiful in a long full skirted gown and unusual headdress that showed off her pretty face.

Murray was buzzing, they had created a great dance floor, fabulously decorded, and everyone was dancing and having a good time.  Someone had got Treasure a cake as well!

Hib, Cher and me joined in the dancing and Cher managed to get us some great music which is very hard to do in Murray.  When you think it is just an open landscape with a few trees, they did well to throw the party there.  They are planning one for Halloween so that should be good, providing the griefers stay away.

As the evening went on people began to let themselves go and enjoyed themselves even more.  Treasure did some pole dancing, looking very sexy and Cher took his shirt off looking dead handsome!  Not sure if it was all a bit much for the lady on the left of the above picture as she had to cover her eyes!

Hope Treasure (and Gunter wherever he went!) had a very good time, just fancy, they have been in SL a year now, seems like we have all been good friends for a long time!!  Happy Rez Day to them both.

Anger in Second Life, Who Gets Angry?

Do people get really angry in SL?, well CNN wanted to know, they contacted the SL reporters group asking people what made them angry in the virtual world.  Hope it was nothing to do with me!! I get the feeling that they think I am an angry person because I say what I think at the meetings sometimes, but I only do it when the ‘verbalists’ and not the ‘doers’ take over the meetings, changing the subjects, rudely interrupting people already talking.  By ‘doers’ I mean the handful of us that actually contribute.  Fine for the others to come along and be constructive, if only they would wait their turn to speak though!!  Anyway I warmed to the subject and decided to put a report on CNN, which is surprisingly getting a lot of hits, which is amazing as it isn’t on the CNN main page link (the CNN counter is wrong by the way).  Have a read about my feelings about anger at: http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-122969

Purple Hair, Great Singer And All The Rest

Sometimes I cram a lot into one evening and flit about from place to place, just as well we have teleport in sl.  I’d been sitting in the office earlier talking to Hibiscus, we were both lamenting on the fact that we haven’t got our apartments back in SL Chelsea yet and I suppose it all made me a bit sad.  Well I decided to cheer myself up, the only way I know how – shopping!! 

I took myself off to BareRose where I bought two great outfits and then I went over to a store that Cher had told me about that sold really nice hair.  It’s a little bit expensive for their latest stuff, but the way it moves and the styles are brilliant.  Hib Joined me and we tried lots of styles on, and we both bought new hair.  I fell in love with a dark purple colour, it’s long with a fringe, and it moves just like real hair.  Hib went off for her dinner and I decided to track a singer down.  I had been sent a press release a couple of days ago about singer Winston Ackland, who has been given a real life deal for one of his songs to be used in a Fox film.  I thought I would catch him in concert first before I asked his manager for an interview, but when I got to the Wiseguys club he was playing at last night, I had been too late and had missed him.

I thought, being that I was there in the club, I might as well stay for the next act and I’m glad I did.  Country singer Timothy Raestner took the stage and all I can say is ‘wow’  what a brilliant performance, I really can’t believe he was singing live, but I know he was because he spoke in between, but anyone who loves Country and Western singing would absolutely love him.  I’m not a big fan of that sort of music, but I really enjoyed listening to him, what a voice!!  It’s amazing how many wonderful people are performing live in SL now.

I decided to pop back to Murray to see who was there and met up with the usual war zone with sl weapons going off right, left and centre.  I met up with Ruskin and Treasure there though, which was nice, and we stood chatting till Treasure had to leave for her dinner (flipping time zones!!!). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ruskin asked me if I wanted to have a ride around the London sims in his car while we waited for Treasure to come back, so off we went.  SL being what it is, London proved to be a bit laggy as the sim was crowded, which is nice as its a popular place, but poor Ruskin couldn’t see where the roads were as not all the streets rezzed properly.  It was fun though, we finished up in Mayfair where Treasure and Cher joined us for a chat.  Lastly I went on to meet Drax, but he got bitten by a vampire while I was standing talking to him, oh well thats another story ….

(and if you are wondering why there is a big wide gap in between the pictures, perhaps you can tell me why, on the edit page there is no gap, hmmm WordPress is getting like SL, very strange!!)

Yet Another Conversation Going Bad!

I was looking for an override pose in a shop the other day and going through all the poses like you do.  I eventually bought a new sit pose, though I’m not sure I like it now I’ve got it, hehe.  Suddenly while I was trying the poses out I saw this very pretty av being approached by a newbie.  Well he didn’t say hello, no introduction, but straight out with what he thought was a good starting point ’sex’  I stopped what I was doing and stood next to them to listen and had a right laugh.  The girl certainly was funny, she looked distainfully at him and he went away with his tail tucked between his legs.  See pic below and conversation:

  dado: sex?

[6:25]  lele: not likely pal

[6:25]  dado: what?

[6:26]  lele : nvm

[6:26]  dado: what

[6:26]  dado: dou you like sex

[6:26]  lele : love it yes thnx

[6:27]  lele: lol plank

[6:27]  Janey Bracken: lol

Yes dado I’m afraid you are a ‘plank’ lets hope you get some better chat up lines soon.

Live Greyhound Meeting With Link to SL Pub

There is a real conference in London today about virtual worlds and business, and my boss Nikk is going there.  He wanted to have a real get together in the real Greyhound Pub last night to coincide with the conference today, as people would have travelled to London to attend.  Some of us went to the virtual pub last night and a link was set up from the real pub to us so we could see and chat to our friends from SL.  Hib and I went over and there were a few people already there as people started turning up in the real pub as well.  It was quite a lot of fun, we got the link from a website and were able to talk via that and they could see us in the virtual pub as well.  You can read all about it at http://sllondon.blogspot.com/

As you can see from the sizes of my wine glass compared to Hib’s, she was determined to have a good time!! and I got a bit worried that she would not be able to get home after drinking all that!!

Meeting Albros and Lots going on

So far it’s been a right hectic weekend, and doesn’t look like its going to get any slower because a number of people are meeting in the real Greyhound Pub in Kensington, W8 tonight and it will link up with the Greyhound in SL, which I hope to cover for the Virtually London (Lite) blog.  On Friday there was the opening of the new Underground Club in Mayfair, which filled the sim with people, Maximillion Kleene was a guest singer, and the night went really well.  However, there had been an ‘incident’ at the end, which I won’t go into here, but I have to laugh to myself when some of the people who work in the sim treat me and Hibiscus like ‘press’ and clamb up when we walk in, suppose it should be a compliment really!!  They do make the mistake though of not using us to their advantage, better to work with us than against us!  We want to promote good stories not write negative stuff.  Still it’s up to them at the end of the day and I respect that, if thats what they want.

Hibiscus and I went over to a shop ‘grand opening’ in Mayfair yesterday.  Earlier in the day good mate Cher had introduced me to the lady who was opening her first jewellery shop, Albros Breda.  Albros was really nice and so very clever, her jewellery is so detailed and looks so real.  I saw a lovely ruby set of earrings, necklace and bracelet, so I bought it on the spot.  I hope Albros has great success with the store, she works hard and I think it is about the best jewellery I have seen in SL.  I would certainly go back there if I wanted something else.  She showed us the first bracelet she had ever made, and all I could think was ‘wow’, this lady has talent and great design skills.

Cher has also altered his Boutique to the ‘Bonjour Fashion House’ and it looks fantastic, he is so good at building and design and is doing a lot to help the London sim as well, which is really making a difference.  He has re textured a lot of the pavements and roads and it’s looking really smart there now.

London Chat and Murray Crowd

I went over to look at how the new apartments are coming along, and it looks like I can move back to Chelsea pretty quickly now, as they are nearly finished.  I met up with Debs, mar and grey and talked about the apartments and the nice new road surfacing that Cher has been putting down, plus with the new pavements, its all looking really smart.

Seany and Cleo joined us, Seany being a raven then changing to a magpie, looking really cute, grey was already a little dragon av, so they got around to talking about different animal shapes.  Wasn’t long before we had few animals including a great big spider from Cleo’s inventory.

I love living in Chelsea and Seany and the others are putting some nice little shops there now.  Also, I heard today, that there will be a freebie shop in London soon, so I will let everyone know where it is when it’s done.  I went over to Murray tonight to see how people are there.  There was quite a crowd for a little while including Mikiyo and Nazna who wowed us with a dance routine.

Miki and Naz finally settled into a rocking chair and they looked so sweet.  Seemed quiet in Murray tonight, peaceful, although still people coming and going.  It’s nice to pop back and see everyone.

Cute Gromit, little cat and CNN

The London sim is a great place for meeting people, wandering about the streets, I often have a chat with people who have come to SL London for the first time, as well as those who have been here for a while.  As it was, I met a great guy today called Zarniwoop Masala, he told me that he had been to SL London once before, but that was on his old computer and it slowed everying down.  So now he has a different computer he had noticed the change.  We stood chatting about sl for a while, then he told me he had a shop in another sim.  He asked me if I would like Gromit (from Wallace and Gromit) and I said yes please.  Well he gave me the cute dog and it was just like the original Gromit from the films.  He then gave me a little cat that sits on my shoulder and waves his paws.  Finally he gave me a lovely necklace, the finest silver chain with a silver cross, it is so beautifully done.  I told him that London would be a good place to have his shop as I am sure people would love his stuff.  I hope he thinks about it soon.

Zarniwoop also rezzed a giant cat in the middle of Knightsbridge, it was quite an amazing sight.  Trouble is the cat was in front of him, so I never did get his picture, will have to catch him later.

Hibiscus and I went over to the CNN meeting later on this evening and there were only a handful of people there.  It may have been because the notice hadn’t gone round, but it was a good meeting, chaired by Henry the CNN reporter, he always does well.   Everyone got a turn tonight which was nice and Krazy did a great video for CNN with a voice-over which was really good.  He said he faltered a bit, but that sort of added to the naturalness of it, he sounded laid back and I think he will get better and better, lets hope he does some more like that. You can see it at http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-114147