Designing Worlds explores the dark side of fantasy in Winterfell

Winterfell - Picture by Mr PJ Trenton

Don your best Dark Victorian or Dark Fantasy gear and join us in our Northpoint studio at 2pm SLT today, Monday 28th February for today's show, as we take a trip to mysterious, beautiful Winterfell.

We'll be exploring the region on foot and by water as we take the Winterfell ferry, which was recently voted the Most Romantic Place to be in the Steamlands in the Valentine's issue of The Primgraph magazine.

Winterfell - Picture by Mr PJ Trenton

For the show we'll be joined by the Senschelf herself, Serra Anansi, the owner of Winterfell, and by Captain Wildstar Beaumont, long term resident and supporter of Winterfell, and a seasoned sea-goer (let's hope he can steer us through those rough sim crossings!).

We'll be seeing some beautiful estates and open areas, and learning all about the very special community that is Winterfell.

Winterfell - Picture by Mr PJ Trenton

The Designing Worlds show starts at 2pm SLT, but you should be in our Northpoint studios by 1.30pm at the very latest to make sure of getting a seat.

Or – if you can’t attend in person – tune in at 2pm SLT on Monday for the live show – where you can now chat with other audience members and even some of the participants during the show – or catch it later in the week on our shows page on the Treet.tv web site.

Winterfell - Picture by Mr PJ Trenton

Happy Fifth Birthday, Caledon!

Really, the title to this post says it all.

The above picture was taken at the Ball to celebrate the Birthday, Australian time. There will be Balls for other timezones later today - details below:

Ladies and Gentlemen of Caledon
in honor of the Fifth Anniversary of the Independent State of Caledon
Lady Gabrielle Riel cordially invites you to
The Caledon Carntaigh Grand Balls
At the Coughton Court Ballroom In Caledon Carntaigh of Rothesay
UK/Europe Ball - 1:00 - 2:30pm SLT
Eastern North America Ball - 6:00 - 7:30pm SLT (music by Otenth Paderborn)
Western North America Ball - 9:00 - 10:30pm SLT
Attire: Formal gowns and suits, formal military uniforms, formal Caledon tartan attire, formal clan or family tartan attire

(and there'll be splendid fireworks too!)

Help us launch the Daily Prim offices ... and solve a murder mystery!

The Grand Tour of the Steamlands continues today, Sunday 20th February - with a host of amazing locations and events to visit. And we are very excited about the first stop on the tour today - because it will be at 7am - 9am SLT ... and it is the official launch of our new Primgraph offices in Seraph City - known as The Daily Prim.


The Daily Prim is a fictional newspaper, based in Seraph City. Although these premises are part of The Primgraph (and if you are missing any back numbers, they can be obtained here) the offices are intended to support newspaper-based role-play centring on this region and the dieselpunk period of the 1920s/1930s. We hope to stage mysteries here, with clues for people to find to help them solve the mystery and grab the scoop!

If you would like to be part of this, contact Saffia Widdershins, Ceejay Writer or Bellaluna Galaxy.

And if you come for the All Aboard Grand Tour and the official launch of The Daily Prim, the first mystery will play out before you!

After the Grand Tour, you can still enjoy this mystery by investigating the traces of murder that you will find in the lobby!

Please note - this mystery takes place within Seraph City. You do not have to leave the sim!


And once you have solved the mystery ... you can continue the Grand Tour!

All Aboard Grand Tour Photography Contest

We told you about the Grand Tour of the Steamlands this weekend - with a host of amazing locations and events to visit. And to celebrate the All Aboard Grand Tour, Al Andalus Sims are sponsoring a 48 hour SL snapshot photography contest! Discover the beauty of these sims and the others on the grand tour and capture it in an image.

Prizes are 3000L first place, 1500L second place and 500L third.

Rules:
1. All entries must be original SL snapshots taken between 5 am SLT on February 19, 2011 and 7pm SLT February 20, 2011 - the duration of the All Aboard Grand Tour.

2. Photographs must be taken somewhere in the ___sims participating in the Grand Tour. This includes (list to follow)

3. The theme for the contest is "Postcards home from the Grand Tour" - with a focus on Transportation.
Images must be suitable for display in PG sims, so images containing adult content will not be judged.

4. Take your snapshot and SAVE TO INVENTORY.
DO NOT rename it or change the description -- the snapshot will then show where it was taken, when, and by whom :)
Create a notecard and name it 'Snapshot Contest Grand Tour- (your name)'

5. Put the snapshot in the notecard, and include a title (for use when the snapshot is displayed) and specify the proportions to be used for display - for example 'Taken using Current Window setting - display in landscape format' or 'Taken at 512 by 512 - display in square format' IF NO INFORMATION IS GIVEN, IMAGES WILL BE DISPLAYED IN SQUARE FORMAT.

6. A maximum of 1 entry is permitted per person. Don't send more than one please!

7. Drop the notecard to Al Andalus Citizen Callipygian Christensen before 7.15 SL time on Sunday February 20th
DO NOT save your images to disk and then reupload - ANY ENTRY SUBMITTED AS A TEXTURE - NOT A SNAPSHOT - WILL NOT BE JUDGED. The purpose of the contest is snapshots using the tools available inworld, with no post processing. Feel free to use windlight settings, lighting, whatever tools you like BEFORE taking the snapshot - do not use any post processing of any kind, in world or out after taking the snapshot.

5. A panel of three judges will view the snapshots 'blind' - so will not know who took the images until judging is completed. In the event of a tie for any of the prize positions, Callipygian Christensen will vote to break the tie. All decisions of the judging panel are final. Judging will take place the week of February 21 and images will be put on display as soon as practicable, in the Al Andalus Palaces. An event to announce the winners will be scheduled for the following week.


So come and enjoy the Grand Tour ... and try your luck at winning a photography prize!

And watch for news later today about the launch of The Primgraph's new offices in Seraph City - with a Murder Mystery for you to enjoy!

3rd Annual Sweethearts Ball

At The New Champagne Rooms the spirit of the 1930s and 40s are alive and kicking, burly style! On February 20th at 1pm slt, the ladies of the New Champagne Rooms step out of the dressing room and into ballgowns. A romantic Sweethearts Ball will be held inside the club and will include dancing, music and a special treat. The ladies have never been good at keeping surprises, so I have been informed the special treat will be a delightful date auction. The ladies (and a loose fella) of the New Champagne Rooms will be auctioning themselves for a date with all proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. They welcome you to join them for this very special occasion and join in the excitement.

All Aboard the Grand Tour of the Steamlands!

Have you got your ticket for the Grand Tour?

After nine months, The Grand Tour returns to Second Life! The “All Aboard Grand Tour” will be Saturday and Sunday, February 19 and 20, 2011. The tour includes 15 different locations with a theme of trains and transportation.

The Grand Tour began in 2008 as a positive expression after some unpopular decisions by Linden Lab left many residents discouraged. A few people got together and created the marathon event. The All Aboard Grand Tour is the fifth tour. The creator of the event, Fogwoman Gray, summarizes the purpose, which had become the motto of all grand tours: “To bring all nations and groups together to demonstrate why we stay and what is important.

The tour this year includes exciting new events including music festivals, mysteries and even a hobo ball. The full schedule is listed below. Landmarks are available in world, and at each venue. Everyone is invited to jump on the tour wherever and whenever they wish. All time zones should find some events that are convenient; we are looking forward to greeting both old and new friends. Co chairs, or this year’s “Gandy Dancers” Breezy Carver and Rose Springvale will be available throughout the tour to answer questions, deal with problems and keep the Grand Tour Train on track. All Aboard!

Saturday
5-7am Al Andalus Alhambra;
The beautiful palaces of 13th century Moorish Spain is hosting a music festival featuring Joaquin Gustav’s flamenco guitar and the amazing percussion group DRUM! Also the beginning of the All Aboard Grand Tour Photo contest, sponsored by Al Andalus! Pick up the rules here. Flamenco or Arab dress encouraged!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Al%20Andalus%20Alhambra/214/156/59

7-9 Tuliptree:
Hobo Haven Jungle Grand Opening sponsored by the Virtual Rail Consortium, with Hobo and train music played by DJ Callipygian Christensen. Come and learn the history of rail at this wonderful build, and see what the Consortium is doing in SL. Hobo costumes… or whatever you have!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tuliptree/104/208/30

9-11 Steam SkyCity:
Sparking Gears Ball. Romance among the Robots! Clanks and Automatons are invited to come and greet the day, with dancing and prizes for best avatars.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Steam%20SkyCity/121/84/76

11-1 Winterfell:
Revelry on Reverie. Love and Devotion music, in beautiful Winterfell, with DJ Gabrielle Riel.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Winterfell%20Anodyne/128/24/22

1-3 Antiquity:
Celebrating the "All Aboard" theme, various sims and factions through Antiquity have donated something that makes them special or unique: food, guards, art, etc to celebrate the diversity Antiquity has to offer.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Antiquity%20London/176/221/28

3-6 Seraph City:
A city representing the era “between the world wars, presents music and dance with Edward Pearse, at the Seraph City Club, the classiest club in Seraph City.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Seraph%20City/66/143/106

6-9 New Babbage:
Piermont Landing presents The NeverMore Midnight Blue Ball Saturday including a Creative Steampunk Cage Building Contest. (After all, do you think we are going to cage Ravens or they going to Cage YOU?) Dress is formal, midnight blue of course, and there are prizes!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wheatstone%20Waterways/46/49/113

9-11 Caledon’s Oxbridge Village:
Thistle Hill Marketplace, a cozy collection of shops featuring Victorian era Steampunk gadgetry, original artworks, and much more, hosts a dance at Alley Cat Alley, with a theme of cats and other night animals, with DJ Poppy.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge%20Village/169/59/26

11-1 New Toulouse:
DJ Gabriel Riel takes the party to crescendo with “Don’t Throw Mama From The Train: Jazz and Blues in late night. Theme is trains and travel and 1920’s dress appropriate!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/New%20Toulouse%20Bourbon/165/132/27


Sunday
7-9 Seraph City:
Hold the Front Page! The Primgraph Offfice Grand Opening in Seraph City includes dancing and a murder mystery! Journalistic attire will get you in the proper frame of mind! http://slurl.com/secondlife/Seraph%20City/96/154/106

9-11 New Babbage:
Brunel Hall Academy Pop over to the Steamlands' largest and most luxurious hotel for dancing and general frivolity as Victor1st Mornington takes you through a tour of the chart topping hits from 1950's all the way to the 1980's. Steampunk attire is a New Babbage standard. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Academy%20of%20Industry/74/91/108

11-1 Clos Normand:
The Consulate of Europa welcomes the Tour as Duke Otenth Paderborn regales us with tales from the rails, high above the beautiful sims of Côte d'Fleurie.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Clos%20Normand/75/106/37

1-3 Armada Breakaway:
Celebrating the second anniversary during the Grand Tour with a dance! There will be rum and pirates and ladies in their finest gowns. Join us as we ring in another year of mayhem!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Armada%20Breakaway/155/170/23

3-5 Steelhead Nevermoor:
Tea will be served at 3:00, along with a dance, featuring a combination of gothic, Wonderland, and that eclectic mix that makes Steelhead what it is, provided by Fuzzball Ortega, Marshal of Steelhead City!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Steelhead%20Nevermoor/128/128/27

5 -7 Steeltopia:
Rounding out the tour in the Pneumatic Revolution Lounge, DJ SteelCobra Calamarihosts the Super Spy vs Super Villain Dance. Come as a Super Spy, Villain or henchman, let's make Mr Bond and Goldfinger proud! A wide variety of spy tunage to be played.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Steeltopia/25/239/51

Caledon's 5th Anniversary Celebration

Dear Residents of Caledon,

Caledon's 5th Anniversary, Saturday, February 26, is approaching! Several people are planning events and activities for it, and I am making an effort to document the events on an Anniversary Schedule that residents can use to stay informed about the the celebrations. I will also be publicizing this schedule in various venues to ensure that other Steamlanders and Second Life residents know about the Caledon events.

If you have something planned for the Anniversary, please let me know and I will add it to the schedule. Here is the very rough draft of the schedule as it exists today, February 16.

All four days - The Caledon Rothesay Fair in Honor of Caledon's 5th Anniversary. The Fairgrounds Promenades are specific times for residents to gather, talk with Fair Merchants, peruse the merchandise and participate in other activities. The Silent Auction proceeds will all go to Caledon Oxbridge.

Friday, February 25
Rothesay Fair Silent Auction(s) Begin
12:00pm-1:00pm SLT - Fairgrounds Promenade
7:30pm-8:30pm SLT - Fairgrounds Promenade

Saturday, February 26
12:00pm-1:00pm SLT - Fairgrounds Promenade
6:30pm-7:30pm SLT - Fairgrounds Promenade
7:30pm - 9:30pm SLT - Poppy's Place Dance in Honor of Caledon's 5th Anniversary
9:30pm-12:00am SLT - Caledon Catgirl Brigade 2nd Anniversary Party

Sunday, February 27
All Day - Caledon 5th Anniversary Rose Hunt (provided by the Evil Denver Hax)

12:00pm-1:00pm SLT - Fairgrounds Promenade
3:00pm-5:00pm SLT - Tea Dance at The Bashful Peacock in Honor of Caledon's 5th Anniversary
7:30pm-8:30pm SLT - Fairgrounds Promenade

Monday, February 28
2:00am-3:30am SLT - Caledon Carntaigh Grand Ball in Honor of Caledon's 5th Anniversary - Australian Time
1:00pm-2:30pm SLT - Caledon Carntaigh Grand Ball in Honor of Caledon's 5th Anniversary - UK/Europe Time
6:00pm-7:30pm SLT - Caledon Carntaigh Grand Ball in Honor of Caledon's 5th Anniversary - Eastern North America Time
9:00pm-10:30pm SLT - Caledon Carntaigh Grand Ball in Honor of Caledon's 5th Anniversary - Western North America Time
11:00pm SLT - End of the Rothesay Fair Silent Auction(s)

There is a lot of open time over the four days for contests, races and anything else! Please let me know if you would like me to add your event to this schedule.

Content Creators - if you have something special that you would like to donate for the Fair Silent Auction, please contact me via IM, notecard or email (gabrielle.riel@gmail.com). We are donating all auction proceeds to Caledon Oxbridge.

Happy 5th Caledon!

Gabrielle Riel

Note: I am not "in charge" of the Anniversary. I am just documenting events for everyone's convenience.

Enjoy a Romantic Valentine with the new issue of The Primgraph!

Welcome to our special Valentine issue of The Primgraph!

We have been getting into the romantic mood. And - rather like I do in my editorial photograph here - you'll find you have plenty to choose from!

First of all, we have the results of our contest to find what YOU the readers think is the most romantic place in the Steamlands. Eight places were initially nominated by readers of The Primgraph aetheric weblog, and the voting took place over the following week via the same medium. Competition for first place was fierce - although always circumspect. And we are now delighted to announce that the Winner of The Most Romantic Place in the Steamlands is ... but you will have to read the magazine to find out!

Miss Rowan Derryth has written a wonderful account of her visit to that location. But we haven't neglected those other places that were nominated - Eva Bellambi, Duchess of Loch Avie, as well as Miss Serafina Puchkina and Miss Beq Janus have visited all of those places and have brought back glowing reports.

The Duchess of Loch Avie also offers a romantic story in celebration of Valentine's Day - we hope you enjoy the tale of Charlotte and her brave Robert. Miss Jedburgh30 Dagger has written on the subject of romance and the customs of courtship in the Victorian Age, while Miss Rowan Derryth introduces us to the greatest Victorian romantic of all... and her identity might surprise you!

As ever, Frau Annechen Lowey is on hand to advise us of the pitfalls and pleasures of the romantic season in relation to the giving and receiving of gifts.

And this issue it is the turn of the Editrix and our fashionable photographer Miss Twisted Lemon who invite you to peek into their closets to share some of their fashion secrets for the most romantic time of the year...

This month we have something different from The Quest for the Golden Prim.

Instead of an episode of the comic, as we have reached the end of Volume 1 and are preparing Volume 2, we thought (courtesy of the actors who portray the Questers and their enemies) that we would bring you extracts from their secret diaries, beautifully illustrated with frames from the comic - and that is courtesy of Mr PJ Trenton!

And we have a Lost Chapter from the novels of Anthony Trollope, reclaimed for our delectation by Mr Linus Lacombe. It is a great pity that Anthony Trollope has fallen out of public favour in recent years, as he is a very fine writer. Once he was far better known - Harold Macmillan, the English Prime Minister of the late 1950s and early 1960s said famously that he was never without a Trollope on his bedside table.

In Mr Lacombe's chapter, the residents of Barchester discover the dangers of Too Much Information, thanks to the over-enthusiasm of a Babbage calculator!

And to illustrate all this, our magnificent team of photographers: PJ Trenton, Twisted Lemon, Wildstar Beaumont and Raven Haalan have captured some stunning images to supply some beautiful romantic eyecandy.

So, with no shortage of fascinating articles and beautiful illustrations supplied by our brilliantly talented team of photographers, we welcome you to this fifteenth - and very romantic - issue of The Primgraph .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How do I get my copy of The Primgraph?

Well, there are various ways to get The Primgraph!

Best of all, you can join our Subscribe-o-Matic group, which will deliver the magazine to you automatically when it is published.

The Subscribe-o-Matic kiosks are located in historical and steampunk sims across Second Life (for example, you’ll find ones at all the Caledon infohubs). And if you can’t find one in your favourite sim, why not ask the owner to install one?

It is also available through SLMarkpetplace (just search on the site for The Primgraph). This will deliver you a copy in the form of a Thinc book that you can rez and read inworld.

But if you prefer to read the magazine online but not inworld, there are choices too.

Firstly, there’s the wonderful Calaméo system, which allows you to moves smoothly through the pages, giving you the feeling of reading a real magazine. You’ll find Issue 15 here – and please do leave a comment!

But, if you like to download your magazines to read as you commute to work, or in the bath, or wherever, you can also obtain a standard pdf for downloading and printing.

So, really, you have no excuse for not reading The Primgraph. In fact, why aren’t you reading it now?

We're delighted to share the following Press Release from Second Life Relay for Life:

It’s February! And Relay For Life® of Second Life® is back for some more fun and fundraising!

Teams’ registration for the seventh annual Relay For Life of Second Life opens on February 14 in preparation for fundraising from March to July, culminating in a 24-hour walk around a virtual track.

MamaP Beerbaum, the RFL of SL 2011 Event Chair, said: ‘We’re ready to go! The 2011 committee has been busy working behind the scenes and we have an amazing group of passionate volunteers who are going to make this the most fun and successful Relay For Life that Second Life has seen.’

In a few weeks you will see the new logo rezzing across the grid alongside the familiar fundraising kiosks. This year’s theme is Seasons of Hope. Because every season – Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall – is a season of hope.

One of the Great Builds at RFL 2010: St. Illuminatius Cathedral by Abel Dreamscape - photograph by PJ Trenton

After 16 weeks of fun and fundraising, the teams will build campsites for the main event which will take place on July 16-17. Team members, volunteers and members of the SL community will walk a track for 24 hours to Celebrate survivorship, Remember those we have lost, and Fight Back to save lives by making a personal pledge to fight cancer.

To set up a team, please go to the website www.relayforlife.org/secondlife after teams’ registration opens on February 14. For more information about setting up or joining a team, IM or email one of the Teams Chairs Panza Eilde (panzaeilde@gmail.com) or PrettyKitty Gumbo (prettykittygumbo@gmail.com).

The 2011 RFL of SL Committee consists of:

Event Chair - MamaP Beerbaum (mamapbeerbaum@gmail.com)
Event Co-Chair - Dwen Dooley (dwendooley@gmail.com)
Teams and Mentors Area Chairs – Panza Eilde and PrettyKitty Gumbo

Sponsorship Area Chair – Samara Barzane
Public Relations and Marketing Area Chairs – Poppy Zabelin and Breezy Carver
Special Projects Area Chair – Katina Magic

Event Day Area Chair – Nikki Mathieson
Sim and Track Design Area Chair – Charlene Trudeau

Technology and Security Area Chair – Belle Loll
American Cancer Society representative in Second Life - Stingray9798 Raymaker

Please note these key dates:

Feb 14, 2011 – Teams’ registration opens!
March 12, 2011 -- Kick-off Party and start of fundraising
March 12-22, 2010 -- Fashion For Life
April 2-10 -- Fantasy Fair
May 7-13, 2011 -- Paint SL Purple!
May 13-22, 2011 - Home Expo
May 14-15, 2011 -- Half-Way There Fair
July 16-17, 2011 -- RELAY WEEKEND!

To keep up to date, please join our SL’s RFL Volunteers Group in Second Life, follow us on http://twitter.com/RelayForLife_SL and http://rflofsl.blogspot.com/ or ‘like’ our Facebook page ‘Relay For Life of Second Life’.

_____________________________________________


About Relay For Life of Second Life
Relay For Life® is the signature fundraiser of the American Cancer Society. Relay For Life of Second Life (RFL of SL) is an annual activity that takes place in Second Life® in July each year. Volunteers form or join teams to have fun while fundraising and raising awareness from mid-March through mid-July. In July teams build campsites and walk a track, just like in a real world Relay. The main RFL of SL track event this year will take place on July 16-17. We will walk a virtual track for 24 hours, just like in a real world Relay For Life. Team members build and gather at their team campsites, enjoy live music, participate in fun events, and explore the many Relay sims and the incredible builds by some of Second Life’s top designers, as the event runs overnight and into the next morning.

One of the Great Builds at RFL 2010: Quiet Thunder by Nico Bascom - photograph by Raven Haalan

In 2010 Relay For Life of Second Life attracted more than 120 teams with participants from over 30 countries, held over 300 team fundraising events between March and July, and raised over US$222,000 (that’s REAL US dollars) for cancer research and education. The funds raised go to research, advocacy, patient services and programs, with 12-15% going to international projects. Just as in the real world, RFL of SL is an international event.

For further background information see https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Relay_For_Life_of_Second_Life

Winterfell's Spring Thaw Celebration

Please join the Winterfell community as they celebrate the return of spring. There will be a short ceremony lead by Miss Serra, The Lady Twilight and Seneschelf over Winterfell and then celebratory dancing to complete the event.

Click here for a TP to the location.