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18 Years and counting...Got SL News? Get it Published! Contact Lanai Jarrico at lanaijarrico@gmail.com

Saturday, January 27, 2018

GeekSpeak – which country will be the most powerful 50 years from now? Join the discussion Jan. 27th at 12pm SL


Faced with this question many people will think immediately of one particular country.  Maybe China, or India, or maybe America.  But think again.  A lot can happen in 50 years.

Perhaps it will be Nepal because the radiation fallout after a worldwide nuclear war is much less in Nepal.  Or it may be a country that has large untapped reserves of a mineral that everyone wants, maybe one we never think about nowadays.  Or maybe a country like Fiji that has lots of water.  Or a country where a great scientific discovery is made.  Or the site of a new religion or a new economic system.

So which country would you bet on?  And why?  And will its rule be bad or good?  Think about your travel plans for the future.  Bring a suitcase!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/143/127/51

Art and Science Collaborations, Inc. (ASCI) Join the Discussion Jan 28th at 10 am SLT



The regular monthly Meeting of Art and Science Collaborations, Inc. (ASCI)
will be held online, in the Metaverse, on Sunday, January 28, at 10 am SLT 


Topics for discussion:

Can Without Steering Wheel?
https://www.wired.com/story/gm-cruise-self-driving-car-launch-2019/amp

Our Solar System is Strange?
https://www.space.com/39390-alien-planets-reveal-our-strange-solar-system.html

Big Brother's Supermarket?
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42769096

If we have time:

How did Orwell's wife influence 1984?
https://unbound.com/books/eileen/

Government UFO Program?
https://www.space.com/39325-us-government-ufo-program-legacy.html

Self Healing Fungi Concrete?
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180117152511.htm

We hope you can stop by to join the fun and share your Metaverse
experiences, along with your virtual gaming, computer geek adventures,
cyber art projects, and dorkbot stories. You can teleport to the meeting
via http://slurl.com/secondlife/Quat/137/88/54/

Cordially,

Flash

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Do you need to update your profile picture? Visit Backdrop Cove today!



Ran out of studios to go to that won't let you rez your own props and use your own poses?

Well come to Backdrop Cove, a free backdrop and photo studio with a sim wide photogenic gardens for all your nature pictures as well as a place to hang out and chat at!

Check out our [https://www.flickr.com/groups/4428197@N24 Flickr] group for a small selection of what we have. Always adding new things!!
Contact KhaleesiShinn resident

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

THE ULTIMATE MALE REVIEW FOR LADIES ONLY !





Club Grey is the new sensation in town!
A classy, fun and friendly spot for a perfect Girls Night Out, where you will meet the most sensual, educated, fun and outgoing professional male, eager to pamper and worship you.
We do NOT offer sex services!

This is a place to come with your girlfriends, have fun, get flirty, and make your week shorter!
Open every Thursday from 5pm to 9pm SLT featuring some of the best DJs in the grid!

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Spotlight Feature on GoSpeed Rasere- Second Life Resident and Science Fiction Novelist- Lanai Jarrico Reporting…


 
Book Cover
Second Life holds value to all of its residents in various ways. To many it is not a game; it is an extension of real life.  Take a moment to think about the very first time you rezzed into this extraordinary virtual world. Did you have a plan or did you discover a hidden talent that has lead you on your current path?
The SL Enquirer sat down with GoSPeed Rasere to learn more about what brought him to Second Life and what inspired the science fiction novel that is about to launch on February 3rd.


Interview with Gospeed Rasere

Hi GoSpeed, before we get into the novel I wanted to take a moment to give our readers a behind the scenes look at the person behind the novel. How did you discovery Second Life and what was your initial thought? Did you have a plan once you settled in?
I came across a mention of Second Life on a Google Earth blog in 2006 and decided to investigate it further. As far as a plan, not really. I went with the flow and wound up being a member of several communities.

How would you describe Second Life now compared to your noob days?
Second Life has matured greatly over the past 11 years I have been a citizen. The grid is more stable, The objects you can buy are of much higher quality, and the communities are more cohesive.

Prior to Second Life do you have writing and or publishing experience?
Apart from school assignments, I had no real writing experience, but family and coworkers always came to me to read their resumes and school papers asking me of they were worded right.
.
What was your inspiration for writing Racere’s War?
A few things inspired me to write my first, full length novel. The driving force was the concern over the continued existence of Second Life as a virtual world. I had worried that one day, SL would disappear along with my avatars and the communities they belonged to. I have poured so much time into them that they feel like individuals. I then reasoned that they can live on in images, machinima, and in writing. I was familiar with Role Play in SL and was impressed by the ability of others who could create whole stories on the fly when they interacted with other role players. I gave it a try and I liked how I was able to express my ideas in text. Finally, I am a big fan of the Sci-Fi author Scott Sigler. A few years ago he had a few episodes where he talked about writing novels and I then vowed I'd write my own stories and publish them.

Can you share some teasers about the series?
Rasere's War is the first novel in a planned trilogy called "Rasere's Awakening". The first novel is about GoSpeed Rasere realizing she is more than a simple NPC in a virtual world. She comes alive emotionally and even sexually for the first time in her 40 year existence. The second novel focuses on her continued growth as an individual morphing from a follower to a doer. The third novel is her becoming a leader and learning how to accept the consequences of her past actions.

You have another novel coming out in the Spring called “We Built this City”. Can you tell us a little about that one?
This novel follows three people, GoSpeed, Marty (GoSpeed's love interest from the first novel), and a man who's brain was frozen in the 2020s and then had his mind uploaded to the virtual world of the novels. The three characters eventually meet up in a recreation of Bay City (inspired by the Bay City of Second Life.)

The novels you write feature several SL residents as main characters living in a futuristic virtual reality simulation. How did you choose your characters? Is it all fiction or did you draw inspiration from their personalities and SL experiences?
These were avatars I've known over the years either in world via their social media (primarily Flickr).
The character's personality is based mostly on my observations of them and then modified to fit their new environment. It's similar to how the creator of this futuristic virtual world recreated them some 500 years in the future. He analyzed their social media data and and formulated an approximate personality.

Will you be hosting a Novel launch event in Second Life where our readers can actually meet the characters in your series?
 I will most likely have one on the 27th of January at a place and time to be determined. I'll keep you apprised of where it will be and will also post it to my author website.

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers about Racere’s War and any future projects you may have in the works?
The third novel in the series, The Bounding Main, should be released before the end of the year. I plan to write a series based on the same characters in later time periods and locations. As a digital person their life spans are unlimited!

I also encourage people to sign up for my Newsletter. I will inform subscribers of my publishing plans and produce bonus content such as excerpts and deleted scenes. A link to the newsletter can be found on my homepage.

When will this book be available?  Please share a link.
The ebook will be released on 3 February 2018 on a few sites. You can preorder it now and it will download to your device on the 3rd.
 
GoSpeed Rasere
Thank you for taking the time to share your story and projects with The SL Enquirer, we wish you the very best in Second Life and in real life.

Additional Information
Preferred contact: In world, GoSpeed Rasere.

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Spotlight on K-Mae Babies & Toddlers- Lanai Jarrico Reporting…



Family Roleplay is one of the most popular types of communities in Second Life. Just like in real-life we all want a sense of belonging and feeling the security of a loving family unit. We build friendships that can become long-lasting bonds that feel like relatives and even blossom into love with the right type of nurturing.

Interactive babies have become a special addition to building a family in the virtual world. Couples seeking something more to strengthen their relationships have the opportunity to create a life that is a combination of both parents. Looking deeper into parenting in Second Life, it also gives people who are past child bearing age or those unable to conceive in the real world, a chance to feel that special bond between parent and child. I’m not saying it is the same thing, but it does fill a void for many who long for a family of their own.
The Second Life Enquirer met up with the creator of K-Mae Babies & Toddlers; Singerman Marquette to learn more about these interactive babies and how they compare to the other brands in Second Life.



Interview with  Chris aka Singerman Marquette

Singerman, Tell our readers a little bit about yourself. Where are you from and how did you discover Second Life?

I’m from the Southeast United States and do electrical maintenance on various rental properties in my local area as well as developing content for Second Life. I also have a 13 year old daughter who I’m raising on my own.
 I have a prim baby business in Second Life (K-Mae Babies), as well as a full perm mesh kit business (Prims n Things), a kids items business (K-Kids) and a bento mesh avatar business (Boo Fever). I also do custom projects for various clients in SL which often times includes making custom models, textures and scripting.
 I discovered Second Life via a magazine article in 2006 and decided to give it a try. I started creating things with regular prims, which was all we had at the time. Sculpties came along and I learned to make those, then mesh came along and I’m getting pretty decent at that too. :)



What inspired you to create K-Mae Babies & Toddlers and when was this brand established?

My wife, Lori, and I had a baby brand and clinic called Binky Babies around 2008.. I built the babies and items to go with and she handled the rest, including clinic operations. They were basic prim babies that were really high prim and designed to be held by the parent. She passed and when mesh came to SL I decided to remake the brand, to keep the tradition going in her honor, and named it after our daughter Kayley Mae (K-Mae for short).

Are you the only creator of K-Mae & Toddlers or do you have a team of developers?

We have a team of developers which includes myself, a couple of excellent script gurus and a couple of graphic artists. We are from all over the world and have come together to bring you great, affordable products for your SL family roleplay.



What are the features you can expect from K-Mae Babies & Toddlers?

One of the main features that has made K-Mae so popular is its ability to be customized in many different ways by using accessories such as skins, eyes, nail polishes, hairstyles and clothing/accessory options. Another great feature is the lifelike smooth movements and animations package. We spent many weeks developing these unique animations. Low maintenance cost is another feature our parents love about K-Mae. We offer 4 styles of regular K-Mae children and also 4 styles of our latest additions, the Lil Sprouts, which are more on the cartoony side and have their own clothing/accessory system. We offer all of these in the regular variety, which require food, diapers and other care items to maintain. We also offer them in Self-Regulating, which never need any maintenance items or foods.
You’ll never have to worry about losing your K-Mae child. We have an in-store recovery system, so if SL gets hungry, or if your partner or anyone else takes off with your little one you can come to the store and do a recovery to get your child back.


You can also expect great customer service. I know how it feels to be the victim of bad customer service so I ensure our parents never have that experience with K-Mae.



What types of furniture and accessories are required to maintain these babies & Toddlers?

Furniture for a newborn isn’t required, but we do offer a wide selection of nursery furniture for those parents who want to set up a nursery in their home. We even have Starter Packs, which contain everything you’ll need to set up your new nursery. When the child is a little older (26+ weeks) he will need a high chair and food for it. When the child reaches 78 weeks he will then need a toddler table. Fortunately we offer a feeding item that is both a high chair AND a toddler table. It converts to the different configurations via menu and will hold both baby food and toddler meal components. Also when the child reaches 78 weeks he will need a Toddler Potty. Beds and cribs aren’t required, but they are a nice way to furnish your child’s room. We have several bed options to choose from, and a lot of bedding texture options for each bed. You can even get a Bedding Creation Kit and make your own beddings!



Can you customize your baby’s appearance?

Yes, by using our available eyes, skins, hairs, earrings, base clothing and mesh clothing/shoes. Also if you want to do your own customizations you can purchase our Developers Kit which has models, templates and full instructions on how to make clothing and accessories for your K-Mae child. In addition to that we have a program where I can turn any single-prim item you have (providing it’s full perm to you) into an addable which you can sell of have your baby use. Addables are external items, such as mesh hair, shoes, clothing or other accessories, which link to your K-Mae child via menu.

Do the newborn grow into toddlers or do you have to purchase the toddler version at a certain age?

Our babies start as newborns and will age to 6 years old (312 weeks) on their own, at a rate you choose. The baby has an Aging Ratio option, which can be set to 0 for Off (no aging), 1:1 for aging in real time, 2:1 for aging 2x faster than real time, or 4:1 for aging 4x faster than real time. They don’t need anything special to develop, learn and grow, like with some other brands. They do all this on their own.



We also offer an aging alternative for parents who are switching to K-Mae from another brand and want their K-Mae to be around the same age as the one they’re replacing. This option is a product called Booster Bears, which can age the child to various ages (1-6 years old in yearly increments), or 4 weeks at a time, depending on which bear they get.

Are there various stages that allow them to learn new things or interact with other K-Mae children?

They interact with other K-Mae children on their own, as well as interact with their parents and people on their Buddy List. Also people who are on their Buddy List have limited access to the baby menu to do basic care functions. Being on the Buddy List also allows them to use furniture owned by the child’s parents with that child.

Can they become ill if they are not tended to for a period of time? If so, do you have clinics and medication to help care for the little ones?

Yes. If not fed or diapered for a day or so their Health and Happy stats will start to decline. When these stats reach a certain level the baby’s text will turn Yellow, indicating action is needed or baby will get sick soon. If baby continues to be neglected the stats will continue dropping until the text turns Red. At this point the child will need medicine to get his Health stat back up. The Happy stat can be raised by a number of methods including toys or our baby bath. There are a few K-Mae clinics which can tend to your baby’s health needs. There is an area in our store dedicated to these clinics, near the entry. Just click their sign for info.

For couples planning on starting a family, what is the price range for the necessities required to take care of K-Mae babies & Toddlers?

The child itself will cost around L$2900 and at this point the furniture is purely optional, but you will need at a minimum a Care Bag or a Refillable Diaper Box to hold and dispense diapers and meds, and some bottles. The care bag costs L$299. We have many texture options for these. The Refillable Diaper Box costs L$10 and only works for diapers. The diapers which go into the care bag or diaper box cost L$50 for 100, and our bottles cost L$1 for 100. The bottles go into your baby’s storage upon purchase so they’re always handy when needed. We also offer furniture which has the Lifetime Diapers feature, meaning you’ll never need to purchase diapers for that item. We even have a crib with this awesome feature!
The babies have a breastfeeding option for parents who want to go that route, and we offer a breastpump system for breastfeeding parents on the go.

There are a variety of HUD and Clinic options for expectant couples to use. Are there pregnancy and delivery HUDs specific for K-Mae babies?

We don’t offer a pregnancy or delivery HUD for the babies, at this time, but we’re always open to suggestions for new products and features. However we do offer the Bento Baby Belly, which is an avatar add-on that can visibly represent the 3 trimester stages. It comes with 2 options..With shirt and without shirt. It fits many avatars including Maitreya, Slink and classic avatars and is Omega-friendly, meaning you can apply your favorite skin or omega clothing using the wide array of existing omega skin and clothing appliers. The belly also has Bento animations, so it appears as if baby is actually moving in your belly! There is a control HUD for the belly also, for changing the shirt textures or showing one of the three trimester sizes. This belly is available in our store, near the baby display, or you can get it on Marketplace here >>>


Do you have any recommendations for expectant couples on where to start and what HUDS work best for a realistic experience?

I personally don’t have much experience with the wide variety of pregnancy HUDs out there, but we have a group (K-Mae Babies) with lots of parents who have probably used them. New parents are always encouraged to chat in our group with other parents to help them learn how K-Mae works and to get advice on pregnancy/maternity products, even if they aren’t K-Mae brand.

Compared to other interactive baby brands in Second Life with costs ranging between 2,300L-12,000L on babies and supplies, what is the average budget for couples who are looking to start a family with K-Mae babies?

The baby costs L$2900 for regular and L$6000 for Self-Regulating. For the regular babies the monthly cost for maintaining their stats can go from around 2 USD per month to 10 USD per month, depending on which feeding/diapering options you choose. We offer a wide variety of stat maintenance options including a nanny system, which tends to all of your baby’s stats, and can tend to up to 1000 babies on the same sim. Some of our parents have over 40 K-Mae children, so this is a handy system to own for them. Other feeding options include Rez-n-Go foods, which you’d rez out for your child 26+ weeks and they’d go to it and eat it when they get hungry. We also offer our Convertible Feeding Table, which converts from high chair to toddler table via menu. It holds baby foods plus toddler meal components and even has a nifty texture changer built right into the menu with many texture options.

What sets K-Mae Babies & Toddlers apart from the other major interactive babies in Second Life?

I think one major thing that sets K-Mae Babies apart from other brands is that we want Second Life parents to be happy with their family roleplay, no matter which brand they decide upon. I model and texture most of our items myself, and with some of the more popular items I have full perm kits I sell. Some other brands have purchased  them to sell to their customers. I want to share my creations with all the parents in Second Life, not just K-Mae parents.
Also we won’t ban people from our sim just because they bring another brand child to our store. We realize parents sometimes buy other brands in addition to their K-Mae’s and we’re ok with that. If they want to bring their other babies along while they shop at K-Mae it’s perfectly fine.
Another thing that sets us apart is that we’re not all about the money like some other brands are. We offer FREE lifetime updates for our children. Any time there is a baby update each parent can come to our store and get the latest version replacement, for free. We keep prices low as possible because we think family roleplay in Second Life shouldn’t cost a fortune. We do have to charge something of course, to pay overhead, tier, and development costs, but we’re not here to rip anyone off.

Customer service is a big deal in Second Life, especially for new parents that need guidance in caring for their little ones or getting helpful advice. Do you have a group for support? If so, what type of notices and offers can K-Mae group members expect?

We do have a support group in Second Life called K-Mae Babies. Any parent can ask questions in group chat when they need assistance, or they can contact me directly inworld. My offline IMs go to email, so I’ll get your message even if I’m not logged in and will reply as soon as possible (usually within 1-2 hours). Nobody likes to wait days or even weeks for product support.
 Most of the time when a new parent asks for assistance in group chat, another parent will step forward and offer to help. We’re a tight knit community and always there to help and support each other. Also the baby comes with a 5-note card Care Manual. It is split into sections to make it easier to find the info you’re looking for, and each of our products also has an Info card, so you’ll know how to use the item.
We don’t send a lot of spammy notices, as we find those to be annoying. We do however send notices when we release a new product or feature update. Also our affiliates will send notices in group when they have new releases, and of course we send a notice at the first of each month to announce the Monthly Group Gift, which parents can get from our store. Usually it’s a new Addable toy or something else baby can have fun using.

Why do you think the interactive babies are a top ranking industry in Second Life?
I don’t. In fact I think it is a very limited market, limited to those who want to roleplay having a family in Second Life without adopting a child avatar, but I enjoy what I do and our parents love their K-Mae children.



Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about K-Mae Babies and Toddlers?
Visit our store inworld and see why more parents are switching to K-Mae. :)

Additional Information
K-Mae Babies & Toddlers


Group:secondlife:///app/group/7cd9d854-7464-1eef-ae37-fbfb73d54c00/about

GeekSpeak – evacuating Earth Join the discussion on Saturday January 20th at 12pm SLT



Let’s suppose we need to leave Earth in a hurry in a few (20? 100?) years’ time.  Maybe because of a nuclear winter, maybe because of an asteroid strike or maybe because the sun is about to explode.  How would we go about it?

Who will we select to go?  Could we, should we, turn anyone away?  If we have to travel for several generations who will be kept in stasis and who will be woken up on arrival?  Who will run the ship?

What animals and seeds will we bring with us?  How will we know what will be needed when we arrive?  Will we bring some animals and plants just because we like them?

How will we organise life on the ship so as to keep social structure intact?  And when we arrive at a habitable planet will we dare leave our comfortable ship?  Maybe we will decide that life on an endlessly travelling ship is better.

Come and talk with us about our future because, one day, we may need to pack.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/143/127/51

Friday, January 19, 2018

The MidWinter Full Perm Fair-January 19th - February 12th 2018


The MidWinter Full Perm Fair -Top Creators-MESH-Sculpties-Textures-Templates- Features the top creators of full permissions fashions,furniture,building components-templates ALL CATEGORIES- 40 Creators will be offering their newest releases,fair exclusives and special discounts for the fair. SHOP-COMPARE-$AVE! - JOIN The Full perm group at the entrance and grab the great full perm gifts.
SLurl  to Fair

How to make friends. Start a conversation - Lacy Muircastle reporting...






conversation
kɒnvəˈseɪʃ(ə)n/
noun
  1. a talk, especially an informal one, between two or more people, in which news and ideas are exchanged.

    "she picked up the phone and held a conversation in French."

    synonyms:discussiontalkchatgossiptête-à-têteheart-to-hearthead-to-headexchangedialogueparleyconsultationconferenceMore


Second Life fulfils different roles for different people and that is how it should be, but at its very heart, it is a social platform. Socialising can and is interpreted in a variety of ways.  Unfortunately for many people, it's as tricky in SL as it is in RL to strike up a conversation with some random person.

Many of you will have had to attend cocktails parties or events in RL where you don't know anyone, and so you hug the walls sipping your Gin and eyeing out who's who over the rim of the oversized glass.

All you want to do is to meet new contacts and make connections. However, the problem is figuring out how to approach people, no matter what the situation.

In my opinion, it's even harder in SL to make new contacts.  There are no visual cues or body language to try and read.


I picked up the following threads in an SL forum:

Speaking from a guy's perspective, most guys would be happy to receive a random IM.  I have gone many months without a random IM and when I do get one I usually will ask the person if they are actually speaking to me?  Hehe.  I think the last random IM I received was in early 2017 from a horse avatar asking me where good grazing land might be in SL...  Jameson2001

I profile stalk... if I find one that has something I can start a conversation over, I might go ahead and send a message. But the thing is you never know if someone really wants random people messaging them. I really like when people state in their profile 1. If they are open to private messages from new people and 2. If they are only interested in platonic or sexual relationships. I don't like to waste anyone's time.  Nalytha

I think this is the sad part of SL that when a guy IM's a girl, it is only for sex.  Whatever happened to just chatting with someone about where they are from, complimenting them on their avatar, or asking them what is their favourite part of SL?  Conversations are fun between all different types of avatars:)  It seems to me that was not as much a problem back in the early days.

Usually, you can tell within the first two sentences if the person you are chatting with is a good conversationalist.  What amazes me is the diversity of people I have met this way and the enjoyable conversations that can be had.

If you can get a conversation going it is usually a whole lot of fun and who knows where it may lead.

Let’s take a look at how you can master your people skills to start conversations with anyone, anywhere, anytime in Second Life.


How can you make dazzling conversation with anyone you meet? There is both an art and a science of effective communication.

1. Be Anti-Boring
Everyone starts off conversations the same way. They say, “What do you do?” or “Where are you from?” Instead, ask someone, “What passion projects are you working on?” or “What gets you up in the morning?”

2. Start off Strong
Start off the conversation with a “how” or “why” question. People will give you more thoughtful answers and really think about why you’re asking them. Say, for instance, “How did you find this venue?” That way you’ll learn about the person you’re talking to, as well as possible other places for finding events.

3. Exploration and Adventures
Ask people if they have explored any interesting sims or have had any fun adventures in SL.

4. Foster Excitement
Ask people if anything exciting happened to them that day.

5. Stories
Tell a story. People love funny anecdotes, and it makes your conversation more personal right off the bat.

6. Break it Down
Break down a question for someone. Instead of being general and saying, “How are you doing?,” ask, “How’s Fall treating you so far?” Frame it in the context of time so he or she can thoughtfully answer the question.

7. Be the Highlight
Ask a person, “Have any highlights today?” Not only is this person going to feel good because he or she gets to talk about him or herself, but it also starts off the conversation on a positive note.

8. Like-Dar
Ask a “like radar” question. This is a question that will highlight what you two have in common. For example, you might ask, “Keeping up with [certain sport] lately?” or “What are your favourite venues around here?” These questions and things in common will foster instant connections.

9. Smile
How do you smile in SL (with Bento of course)?  Be positive  People are attracted to positivity, not negativity.

10. Authenticity
Be authentic in your interactions and not sarcastic. People want to start conversations with you because you’re being real, and not facetious.

11. From the Heart
When initiating a conversation, give him or her authentic compliments from the heart.

12. Be Passionate
Add excitement to your conversations. Talk about what your passions are both in SL and RL.

The bottom line is you have to take the risk to put yourself out there when initiating a conversation.  There will be those who rebuke your attempts, it will be their loss.


“Conversation. What is it? A Mystery! It's the art of never seeming bored, of touching everything with interest, of pleasing with trifles, of being fascinating with nothing at all.” 
― Guy de Maupassant










 
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