Seraph City Soapbox Derby

A showcase will be set up to display entries during the week. A Seraph City Soapbox Derby car script will be handed out shortly to ensure fair runs.

This is the first event where bribes will not be accepted!

So get those wheels turning and wrenches polished up for some small scale action!

The Academy of Linguistic Studies Wants You!

Introducing The Academy of Linguistic Studies!

Roster of classes:
Spanish
Scottish Slang
French
Italian
German (Instructors Wanted)
Dutch
Japanese (Instructors Wanted)
Latin (Instructor Wanted)
Chinese (Instructor Wanted)

Criteria: Instructors must be comfortable using SL voice as it will be the best way to convey proper grammar in the language. Each instructor will need to have a handout to collaborate. You will have to set your own schedule but language lessons are on Saturdays and Thursdays ONLY. 3-4 teachers each day and you will need to fill up your slots for one hour. Classes are ONLY an hour long. Teachers have the right to private tutor languages, but must be hired via the school.

Follow this SLurl to the New Babbage location of The Academy of Linguistic Studies.

The Academy of Linguistic Studies was founded on July 12, 188x. Here people can attend a specific language based themed class in a relaxing environment. 90% of classes are taught by fluent speakers, and via voice.

Requirements: Must have a clear microphone for class and one hour of free time and patience... lots of it.

The Academy opens August 1, 7pm slt with a special event! Hurry and RSVP at the New Babbage forum, or drop a notecard on an instructor inworld!

Tales of New Babbage

New Babbage's Maceholder, Mister Aeolus Cleanslate, speaks about this exciting new project:

The City of New Babbage is a consensual hallucination of a steampunk city in a time that never was. It’s built out of bits and prims in SecondLife (instead of bricks and plaster), but it’s as “real” a place as Paris or Mumbai. People from all over the world “go” there daily to build fantastic machines, fight krakens, and roleplay vast, open-ended storylines replete with mad scientists, street urchins and evil geniuses.

We also write stories. With a few exceptions, none of us are professional writers, and few write enough to generate complete works. But for all that, the stories are immensely entertaining and sometimes excellent. We’ve assembled pages and pages of them – and want to share them with the world.

Pre-Order Tales of New Babbage, Vol. 1

New Babbagers wishing to become involved should read this informative post!

Two teams, Two tales, Two builds, for just One Day.....

You've danced at the balls, fought a great purple menace, bid at auctions and listened to Victor drone on all in the name of one cause. Tomorrow, all the efforts come together in the single largest charity event on the grid.

The Relay for Life of Second Life starts tomorrow and will see vast numbers of Second Life residents running, walking, flying around the course and raising Lindens for the Amercian Cancer Society. New Babbage residents have been involved in a number of sims this year, but two of them bear the city's Hallmark of Steampunk grunge.

First we have the offficial New Bababge Team Campsite. 

After extensive research effort by a respected panel of city luminaries in the steampunk City-State of New Babbage, it has come to the attention of Clockwinder Tenk (the City's nominal head of state) that the most important ingredient for those successfully battling cancer is Hope. The conclusion, of course, is that our City has an obligation need to manufacture it. LOTS of it.

So, under special order 1370, issued by the Clockwinder's office, a special charter was granted to the New Babbage Manufacturing Consortium(TM) to establish a Workshop for the construction of Hope. Our research shows that another organization (known  as the "American Cancer Society") has already developed similar capabilities. We are determined to emulate - in our own way - their efforts.



Secondly, we have the designer sim that bears the name of New Babbage.



Here we are transported to a typical 19th Century Steampunk city.

Framed by dominating aqueducts and viaducts.
The scourge of cancer is as much a part of life here as in any comparable city but here one lone scientist is taking on the menace.

A short story is told in fragments of his journal scattered through the build.


and finally, The Merryman Of Babbage. A finer pub there may never have been.



Those who know me, know too that I have been involved in one of the
builds and as is ever the case the tinkering and improving has continued
to the last minute, including my own frantic rush to finish the accompanying story and missing out a page in the process! So, I will not write many words here. Come visit them both and the rest of the amazing work spread across 40 sims. It will be closed and gone by the end of the weekend.

I am truly proud of what all the New Babbage teams (and I am not talking just builders here) have achieved from the fundraising eforts, to the builds and all the support and tireless work of organisation that goes on behind the scenes. Its been an honour to be a part of this.

Now, get your low-arc suit out and get on over to Relay for Life of Second Life.

A challenge for home makers

My plot in Caledon Penzance

I have just taken over a rather attractive spot in Caledon Penzance (a Victorian themed sim). Penzance is commercial but, being on the outskirts of town, I think I can have a more residential build. The land is 1024 sqm (and it is pretty square - ) and 468 prims. I would not want to invest more than 200 of them in the house itself, and preferably less.

I would like a fairly solidly constructed building - no flimsy walls and attention paid to alpha texture - I HATE having trees seemingly bursting through the walls or even windows of my home!

Umgebindehaus in the Hauptstrasse in Oybin

And I have long had a yen to possess an Umgebindehaus- a very special style of rural architecture that I came across on the German/Czech/Polish border, in thearea around Zittau. I think, surrounded by a garden, a small Umgebindehaus would look very nice in that corner.

An Umgebindehaus converted from a former mill in Schirgiswalde

I sometimes feel that builds in Second Life follow homogenised styles. This is not to degenerate the people who produce them - there are some fabulous builders of all styles. But a great many Victorian homes are wooden Pacific Nothwest style, for example. I'd like to see some of the more unusual but beautiful architectural styles brought in to Second Life - and we can make a start with the very attractive Umgebindehaus - if designers accept my challenge!

So, here is the challenge. Can you build me an Umgebindehaus (or very similar, but appropriate) that would fit into the plot, and is less than 200 prims?

My plot in Caledon Penzance

I will set a deadline of 1st August for designs (and models; even finished builds that can be sold). And I will feature entries on this blog before choosing a winner!

And if people like this idea, pehaps we could have challenges to create further homes utilising more unusual styles.

the Aether Chrononauts present: the Time Traveller's Ball

This is the last weekend of the RFL of SL Season before the Relay proper, and the Aether Chronanauts will hold tonight their final formal event of the season : The Time Travellers Ball.


The Aether Chrononauts Relay For Life Team request the pleasure of your company for the Time Traveller's Ball on Saturday, the ninth of July, from one pm until three pm Second Life time. Mr Otenth Paderborn will be taking us on a musical journey through the ages. Smart or formal attire from any age is encouraged.


http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Rothesay/214/208/1157

Tea and Crumpets - Blood and Flags

And now a message from Captain Static...

“Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea.” ~Henry Fielding, Love in Several Masques

The Scoundrels are hosting a High Tea as only a bunch of drunken pirates can. For those unfamiliar, tea is a habit of those city fancy pants folks which includes sweet cakes and other tasties. We’ve made some fine connections.. er um ..friends across the Steamlands. I thought it time we put their fears concerning us being uncivilized rogues to rest. If they happen to divulge information about the shipments of goods, or where certain stores of valuables are kept while having a relaxing cup, I am all the happier. Now, I like my tea “sweet”… and with a bit of rum. Scandal, love and rum are nothing new to pirates. Neither are weapons. To keep the festivities civil.. we will be hosting 'capture the flag' ironclad battles at the event, with proper tea ships no fancy pants could ever think as barbaric. So, scoundrels, dust off your finest. Let's show the Steamlands the “sweetness” of being a pirate, and rob them blind at a later date. But that’s between us.

Join the Scoundrels in Armada for High Tea - July 23rd, 8pm slt!

The First Time Ever New Babbage RFL Presents The Babbage Deejays Play Off !

The First Time Ever New Babbage RFL Presents The Babbage Deejays Play Off !

Friday Night July 1st

7pm to 9pm SlT

An Epic Event ..... ((well it could be .. Grins))

Don't Miss These Two Fabulous Voices ..

This is New Babbage Folks ..

What Could Possibly Go Wrong ???

Victor has said he will brush up on his Rolf Harris impersonation if

Edward brings on the Sean Connery one.

Will it work? Will it be painful?

Will they care?

Victor vs Edward in a battle to the finish! Each DJ will play short sets swapping from one to the other for two hours. Come along and vote for your favourite.

Musical mayhem, all in the name of a good cause.

7-9pm SLT

Friday 1st July

Start Date:

July 1, 2011 - 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Port Babbage

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Port%20Babbage/217/150/114