A Taste of Halloween in darkly beautiful Venexia – with Designing Worlds

10/29/12  at 7:17 AM
Venexia
Venexia
 Join us at 2pm SLT today, Monday 29th October, for the new episode of Designing Worlds at our studio in Garden of Dreams as we visit the darkly beautiful region of Venexia for a really gorgeous Halloween show special.

Venexia is an adult roleplay sim with a vampire theme. It's set in a time when La Serenissima, the beautiful Venice that inspired this region, was at the height of its power and, some would suggest, its decadence. This stunningly lovely region, created by Baal Zobel and Kora Zenovka, certainly promises both power and decadence, and the enthusiastic patrons have evolved a rich and complex roleplay, befitting the surroundings.

The canals of Venexia
The canals of Venexia
Visitors can join in or, if they wish to remain out of character, can simply visit (although we'd recommend you adapt a suitable costume to allow you to discreetly blend with your surroundings).

In the company of the Contessa Seabreeze (who is, under another name, an old friend of the show!), Nena Easterwood and Amberlyssa Marie Bauerhoff, we explore some of the beautiful locations and discuss some of the roles and traditions that are practised in Venexia.


Vampire Ball in Venexia
Vampire Ball in Venexia
All this - and a Vampire Ball to attend; very appropriate for Halloween! It makes for a very dark and very beautiful show. So do come and join us at 2pm!

Venexia skyline
 Venexia skyline

 Or – if you can’t attend in person – tune in at 2pm SLT on Monday for the live show on http://treet.tv/live – 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 at http://treet.tv/shows/designingworlds – our very own version of the iPlayer!


Venexia in the mist
Venexia in the mist

All photographs by Wildstar Beaumont

A Skull-Rattling Armada Halloween Party

10/25/12  at 10:41 AM
AHOY!  By direct order of Commander Vernden Jervil, Armadans and their friends will gather on The Sovereign in Armada Breakaway this Saturday, October 27th from 9pm to 11pm slt.
Sredni Eel of Avatar Bizarre will join us to play a mix of Pirate, Steampunk, Halloween and New Wave music.

Furthermore, it is requested that you arrive in costume. The sillier, the better.  (Our commander is quite fond of Silly Stuff.)  If ever there was a time to dig that mutant star goat costume out of your closet, this would be the night!

PS:  FREE RUM!

Before getting silly, you are highly encouraged to attend the 5th Annual Masquerade Ball at Piermont Landing  in New Babbage (prizes for the best dressed!) from 6pm to 9m slt.

Vintage Halloween Costume Party at the Java Jive

10/24/12  at 11:04 AM
DJ Misha brings her own brand of wonderful and sometimes wacky Jazz to Seraph City every Tuesday evening – tonight, since we are so close to Halloween, we’re making it a Vintage Costume Party!

You could be a movie star, a detective, a gangster, a superhero, or anything you can dream of as long as it fits the eras from the 1920′s through 1940′s.

And I’ll throw in a $L500 prize to the costume I think best suits the theme!

Save the date!  Tuesday, October 30th, 2012, 5pm to 7pm slt.

More Fun Noir! Hear the special bonus radio play from The Blackened Mirror on the web!

10/21/12  at 6:40 AM
Episode 1.4 of The Blackened Mirror won’t be out until next Friday – but we have more Fun Noir for the weekend.

Now there’s a chance to hear Death in Velvet on the web!  

Death in Velvet is a radio play, broadcast in four parts, taken from a short story by David Abbot, the writer of The Blackened Mirror.

Harland Quinn - Private Investigator
It’s a Harland Quinn story, set in the noir environment of Seraph City, and it’s a taste of the classic detective fiction of the nineteen thirties. It comes with two special guest stars, Peter Jurasik, the well known American actor (Londo Mollari in Babylon 5, Sid the Snitch in Hill Street Blues) and Juliet Cesario (Belldandy in Oh! My Goddess).

 And, of course, it also stares Scott Simpson as Harland Quinn. You can read more about Scott’s other work as an actor here.

Once again a dame walks into Quinn’s office … and this can mean only one thing – trouble!

Death in Velvet - Part 1

You can hear Part 1 here ... but if you want to hear Peter Jurasik in Part 2 – well, that’s where the Fun Noir starts with a little quiz, all about The Blackened Mirror.

Episodes 3 and 4 of Death in Velvet will be available shortly. Watch this space!

Peter Jurasik joins The Blackened Mirror for a one-off special radio play and party!

10/13/12  at 8:13 AM
Death in Velvet event at the Java Jive

Peter Jurasik, the well known American actor (Londo Mollari in Babylon 5, Sid the Snitch in Hill Street Blues) will be making a special appearance in a special spin off of The Blackened Mirror virtual TV series, to be broadcast on Sunday 14th October 2012.  

Death in Velvet is a radio play, based on a short story by David Abbot, writer of The Blackened Mirror. It relates one of the adventures of Harland Quinn, Private Investigator (and the central character of The Blackened Mirror) , and is set in the dieselpunk location of Seraph City. Once again a dame walks into Quinn’s office ... and this can mean only one thing - trouble!

“I’m delighted that Peter has agreed to appear,” says Scott Simpson, who plays Harland Quinn. "Peter is an old friend. It's quite amazing that technology has progressed to the point where we can work together again without actually living in the same city!"“

"I worked on a film years ago called Tron that was all about people exploring a virtual world,” says Peter Jurasik. “And now here is a series that is actually being created in a virtual world. Remarkable, when you think about it."

The Java Jive in Seraph City
The Java Jive in Seraph City

The radio play will be broadcast as part of a special celebration for Second Life fans of The Blackened Mirror. The event will be a party at the Java Jive – a popular club in Seraph City in Second Life. As well as music from popular DJ Victor Mornington, three instalments of the radio play will be broadcast during the course of the party, between 4pm – 6pm Pacific Standard Time.

 So – is that the whole story? Not quite, says Saffia Widdershins, the show’s producer.

“The Blackened Mirror is more than a TV series or a web series,” she explains. “It can be accessed via a range of social media – and games are an important part of it. We call this ‘fun noir’. There’s a game for Death in Velvet too – you’ll hear Parts 1 to 3 ... but the solution is in Part 4 – and we’re asking our listeners to guess what that solution is going to be!”

The Blackened Mirror
The Blackened Mirror

Although Death in Velvet will first be broadcast inworld, there will be a chance for people to hear the show on the web too. But, once again, to hear the episodes, you will have to be prepared to join in the challenges.

“There will be fun noir here too,” said Saffia. “Each episode will be on a hidden web page, and you will need to solve the clues to unlock the episodes!”

The Federal Bureau of Amusement

10/3/12  at 1:20 PM

A forgotten aspect of the FDR's New Deal program, the FBA was created in 1934 to administer the equal and fair allotment of fun and good times to those who had been down in the dumps for awhile, culminating in the Great Cookout of 1936, the Wireless Bingo Program, and the Raging Kegger of '39.  It still exists, providing bowling, skeeball, arcade games, rollerskating and mini-golf in its snazzy headquarters.
The Rather Impressive Front Doors
By direct presidential order from Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Federal Bureau of Amusement was ordered to relocate to the metropolis of Seraph City.  Postal Autogyros were employed to lift up the building and its stores of amusitanium-sulfide to transfer to its new location in Seraph City , not far from the overhead rail and a golf ball's throw from the upscale Sonatta Morales retail store.  Come explore, try out a few games, and win one for the gipper, or your honey, or yourself.
Bowling Beauty!

Two full levels of Mini-Golf.
For a better score, wear knickers and a jaunty cap.
After working up an appetite, do try the lunch counter! Ceejay recommends the BLT sandwich (heavy on the B, just enough T and only a trace of L) with a chocolate cone for dessert.  Yummy!
The newest social gathering point in Seraph City!
Mind that Laughing Sailor in the background, he's hysterical.

Live at the Java Jive: Gigi Jasper and Steveeolio!

10/2/12  at 8:00 AM

Tuesday, October 2nd, from 6-8pm slt, we are happy to present Gigi Jasper and Steveeolio, live!
Throw on your prohibition-era glad rags and dancing shoes, and brace yourself to be knocked on your ear by some of the best*live* Jazz on the grid. The Java Jive is in Seraph City, Second Life’s premier Dieselpunk sim. (Though, if you wish, come as you are – vintage clothing is encouraged but not mandatory!)
Gigi Jasper has always been a bit of a ‘closet’ singer, and while the shoe collection is always great to be with, shoes just don’t appreciate her repertoire like her friends and fans do. Ms. Jasper has an eclectic range reflecting the diversity of her influences. Gigi’s forte is vintage Jazz. Her sound is Peggy Lee-esque but with a seductive tone you are unlikely to find elsewhere. Join Gigi to experience her sultry, yet vulnerable sound that makes her performances truly unique.
Steveeolio (AKA Steve Hayden) is a Real-Life musician and Second Life entertainer who is a unique treat for the Jazz connoisseur. His vocals are simple, yet haunting and his guitar playing is simply sublime. Steve’s quirky sense of humour, combined with his sweet guitar stylings and hypnotizing vocals make his sets a must have experience in Second Life entertainment.

The Java Jive in Seraph City

Girl Genius Discussion Series

10/1/12  at 7:33 AM



The Alexandrian Free Library is proud to present a monthly discussion of...

Girl Genius, the Adventures of Agatha Heterodyne!
This year-long series begins at the very beginning of "Miss Agatha's" saga, as depicted in Phil and Kaja Foglio's Gaslamp Fantasy Comic, and discusses a new volume of the story each month.

Adventure! Romance! MAD SCIENCE!

Discussions will take place at the Winterfell Library, in Rosehaven, Winterfell's community center, the second Sunday of the month at 1:30pm SLT.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Winterfell%20Anodyne/129/23/22


Schedule:


October 14 2012
Volume 1

Nov 11 2012
Volume 2

Dec 9 2012
Volume 3

Jan13 2013
Volume 4

Feb 10 2013
Volume 5

Mar 10 2013
Volume 6

April 14 2013
Volume 7

May 12 2013
Volume 8

June 9 2013
Volume 9

July 14 2013
Volume 10

Aug 11 2013
Volume 11

Sept 8 2013
Volume 12

Oct 12 2013
Vol 13

Nov 10 2013
Vol 14