The Lost Gardens of Apollo is an Official Historical Landmark in Second Life(c) - Lanai Jarrico Reporting…

In the beginning of virtual worlds, Second Life quickly became a popular online platform for VR enthusiasts  from all over the world. In Second Life’s infancy, the building tools and options were primitive but the most exciting part about it was free will on a global platform.  By 2005, the community was flourishing. Creators filled the grid with lush foliage, parks, beautiful beaches, role play communities, shops, products, services and venues of every genre. It was a time of exploration and creativity.

Dane Zander was a new resident at this time. While exploring, he realized the adult industry was starting to taint the landscape. He wanted a virtual home away from sex venues that he could call his sanctuary; a place of love.  It inspired him to create a relaxing escape, away from the busy side of SL and based on the story of Apollo and Hyacinth.

Day in and day out he worked tirelessly to bring his vision to life after discovering he could create anything he wanted. It became an obsession. His friends were so impressed they suggested he open it up to the public and that’s when The Lost Gardens of Apollo was born.

For over a decade, explorers and lovers from near and far have visited The Lost Gardens of Apollo, even getting married there.  Today it is a Historical Landmark, reopened by Linden Lab to protect its history.

Interview with LGOA creator Dane Zander

SLE: What was your inspiration for The Gardens of Apollo? I've been here so many times through the years. What a peaceful and beautiful place.

Dane Zander: Apollo and Hyacinth... the story at least inspired the naming some of the places on Apollo. I had a full sim on the mainland. The Tuvan sim, well ... all the land on it. I had that fully built up, but lacked the controls and ban opportunities etc. Anshe Chung was getting big at that time and she had a few of the new, still rare private islands so I asked her. I knew she was hot for my mainland sim and we traded. She got Tuvan, I got "sex palms...whatever island"... a flat, utterly empty sand bank.

SLE: Were you a builder starting out here?

Dane Zander: Just small time. I realized I might be in over my head... it was  completely overwhelming. I then started building, trial and error... once I realized I could make anything exactly how I wanted it to be, it became an obsession. I was online three weeks building and hardly slept at all. It was madness! But very rewarding.

SLE: The Gardens of Apollo is a beautiful place to visit. The details show your hard work and dedication.  I see it as an escape from the busy world of sl and rl.

Dane Zander: Thank you! I believe that love is stronger than any other emotion and I wanted to create a place to enable love and serenity to flourish.

SLE: It is.  If more people allowed that to be their guiding light, the world would be a better place.

Dane Zander: I agree.  At the time, SL was far smaller, less regulated and you often came across porn and whatnot all over. I found that taxing so I thought we needed a place free from that. Somewhere to just explore, meditate, date and dance.

SLE: Did you have a partner to enjoy all this with over the years?  I only ask because every long time lovers in SL have touched these grounds at one point or another.

Dane Zander: I had Sean Hadlee as a Second Life partner - also personal assistant, Senior Estate Manager and my rescue line in all cases. He is German and lives in Berlin. We are still close friends IRL.

SLE: Did you build all this together?

Dane Zander: No, I built this.  He was my very capable assistant and scripter, in all manners of logistics and everything else practical.

SLE: How did you get people to visit LGOP?

Dane Zander: I didn't.  Originally it was simply my own place but friends wanted me to open it to the public so I did and people came - I suppose by word of mouth. I never thought this place could become so popular but somehow people liked it enough to tell their friends and to come back themselves :)

SLE: Rightfully so! Has anyone gotten married here? This is a perfect setting for celebrating love

Dane Zander: I eventually did many marriages, yes. It’s a lot of work setting that up. I still have the whole wedding scenarios in inventory! :)

SLE: What about other events?

Dane Zander: Quite a few - R. R. Martin did readings here and at a number of other sims through Bantam Books before he got all GOT famous. He was kind and generous with his limited time here..

SLE: that’s very cool! With the popularity of The Gardens of Apollo has Linden Labs taken interest in it?

Dane Zander: LL had kept a full backup and reopened the sim as a Historic Sim. Now I am under contract with them and gladly so. The sim simply hadn't reopened without them!

SLE: What does that mean for you?

Dane Zander: It means I supervise the sim,  and it means the sim is open for now. I don't decide for how long, but I will service it for as long as I can, which is for as long as LL decide to keep it open.

SLE:  What a wonderful story of a vision turning into a virtual world historical site. Is there anything you’d like to share with our readers?

Dane Zander: No.  nothing except they are welcome as always - and well... that is it a G-rated region/sim for dating, meeting friends, meditating, dancing and relaxing. Not a place for sex - there is a whole Adult continent for that! ;)

SLE: congratulations to you Dane on such a great accomplishment in SL.  We understand that you are a busy man and we thank you so much for taking the time to give us the backstory and also for your sacrifice in giving us this beautiful place to share with love.

The Lost Gardens of Apollo

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lost%20Gardens%20of%20Apollo/130/32/38

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Quality Photos @ Affordable Prices! We promise!

Amereck Arabello Photography: Why does a great picture of yourself and friends have to cost so much?  Well No More!  You are already beautiful!  You don't need a photographer in Second Life to do that. 

Why is Amereck Arabello Photography different?  You do not pay until you approve your photos.. No deposits upfront! There are no sales agents, appointment setters, commission rates or hassles.  Prices posted are the prices you pay.  That's it!

In addition to fantastic photographs for you and/or your friends, wedding or promotional pictures, we are a SmartBots Franchisee!  So how are we different again?  If you want a demonstration of ANY of the products and services of the SmartBot services, we can show you what they can do instead of just reading about it.   While your here browsing the gallery, grab a stream rental with available AutoDJ options too at AFFORDABLE, AND RELIABLE pricing!

Just stop by, it's that easy!

SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Serena%20Balmoral/159/7/22

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Spotlight on KiX Creations- Pen Dragon Reporting...

Price and prim are everything when decorating, rather it be a small linden home of a full sim. It’s imperative that you use decor that has the least amount of land impact so you can have more room to decorate. We all scour the grid and Marketplace for the best value and we don’t want to skimp on quality. That’s where KiX comes in! With top quality builds, low land impact and great prices you can find what you need all in one place.

Many of the animations you’ll find in a KiX product were hand made by the creator Ki Xaris, meaning they will fit the product perfectly.They carry a wide variety of items ranging from pose sets, one of their first items, to a BDSM collection with top quality textures and designs.

I spoke with Ki and his wife Cindy Evanier-Xaris about all that they offer in their store and more.

                                                                  INTERVIEW

Q: When did you first start KiX?

Cindy: errr Ki? Officially? We started with a tiny store on a sim where I was co-owner of a club but it wasn't as serious as it has become.

Ki: Pen, it was back in 2011. Back in the days of sculpties and tortured prims.

Q: And who does what? Are one of you the builder, the other a scripter..Both co -owners?

Ki: Cindy focuses mainly on marketing but has input at the early design stage.

Cindy: Ki does the mesh and a lot of the animations.

Q: So your animations are custom made for your products?

Ki: they all were up until a year or so ago, then we started buying some to give me more time for mesh making, so it's a mix now.

Cindy: Ki will make them if its something specific now to fit.

Q: What was the concept behind Kix? Was there a need you weren't seeing met, or something you wanted to have, but it wasn't available at the time?

Ki: Cindy, I think it was your idea to set up a store wasn't it?

Cindy: Well, originally, it started just for stuff for us. We have an opensim region and wanted content there, Ki wanted to build..so that's how it first started. I don't think he had any intention to sell it at first.

Ki: I was quite happy building stuff for the sim, learning as I went along.

Cindy: I saw what he was making and believed it had to be brought to Second Life.  Originally it was a case of: let's just see. I like it, others will.

Ki:  I'd just started using blender and in those early days it had a fiendishly difficult interface and I was using poser to make animations.

Q: What was your first product?

Ki: hmmm

Cindy:I think the first was the animations and poses wasn't it?

Ki: These days the things I make are always mesh, using materials. The mesh builds have become more significant part of what we offer.

Q: What do you think makes KiX so successful?

Cindy: I think it's that people can see the quality in what Ki makes and we don't charge huge prices, so they get low prim, high quality at a great price. Ki is always striving to lower the LI of something.  I say oh it's just 1 more LI but he is determined to try for hours sometimes to get that extra LI off it.

Ki: it would be great to make things where LI is not a constraint, but for most people Land Impact is part of their budget.

Q: What is your best selling product?

Cindy: Our BDSM range is very popular and more recently we have branched into a lesbian range which completely surprised us with its popularity. I mean we did our homework, we knew it was something people wanted.  The customers wanted lesbian furniture for them, ie not just a section in an adult bed menu.

Q: So clearly you listen to your customers, how do you do that?

Cindy: We have a suggestion contact on our blog, not used much but we do like to ask!

Ki: We also keep an eye on sales patterns over time.

Q: What would you like our readers to know about Kix?

Cindy:  we would just like people to come see us, judge for themselves.  Test everything! If nothing else that's fun.

Ki: Well said Cind.  At the end of the day that's what we're trying to do.  Offer things that people enjoy by offering things that we like.

Cindy: We also try to do a group gift at least every 6 weeks, I am always giving away stuff.

Q: What about customer Service, I know that can be a big deal.

Cindy: well I am online more often than Ki, so both our profiles refer them to IM me. It's rare but we try to get it sorted within 12 hours if there is any issue. If it's our fault we would refund and then try and sort it out but really it's only been double purchases, but Ki has usually caught that anyway in the sales.

When you want it all: Good price, great looks, custom animations and low land impact you have to look to KiX for the solution. It’s a great shop with good people behind it all. It’s hard to find that combination and you get it all ay KiX!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Miso/184/209/26

Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/40440

Blog: https://kixcreations.blogspot.com/

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SL-based Mystery Novel Offered Free to SLers

A Kindle mystery novel whose unknown villain appears only as a sexy avatar is being offered free to SL participants through Wednesday, October 17th. 

To get your complimentary enovel, “Femme Fatale Online” by Eugene Rodgers, email a request to rodgersmystery@gmail.com (your SL anonymity is safe since you don’t have to disclose your avatar or RL names). Include the letters “SLE” in the email.

You will receive a PDF copy, the same as we send to professional reviewers. (Amazon doesn’t allow authors to give out free copies in the same form as books ordered from them). You can read the book on Kindles, tablets, computers, and phones.

The book captivates readers with its story of an avatar who blackmails the hero, Rick, into industrial espionage and threatens the lives of him and his family. Detailed information on the book and author can be found on the book’s Amazon page (go to Amazon.com, search for “Femme Fatale Online,” and click on the title when it comes up) and on the book’s Facebook page (facebook.com/rodgersmystery).

Enjoy the challenge of following the clues, identifying the red herrings, and trying to figure out the real person behind the terrifying “Joan” avatar. As an anonymous reviewer posted on Amazon, “Who is the Femme Fatale Online? Read the book to find out. You may never use the internet again!” Have fun reading a story that’s part thriller and a subplot that has elements of romances, where a suspect tries to seduce the hero. Anyone who has ever wondered about the real person behind an SL friend, or suspected they weren’t who they pretended to be, will find the novel particularly engaging.

“Femme Fatale Online” was featured on the cable TV program, “America Trends.” Eugene Rodgers was named Virginia Author of the Year for an earlier book. He researched the background for the novel in SL, where his avatar is “Adolphe Menjou.”

Get your free copy if you appreciate mysteries and don’t object to some racy parts and raw language. And please post a review—even a one-sentence review—on Amazon.

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Elite SL Music has been exploring the scheduling of live music performances

Health reasons have forced us to cancel the full calendar of performances for this week, but next week we will return with great live music on Wednesday and Friday, August 29 and 31. So please put us on your calendar and plan to join us both days for some great gigs from some of our favorite performers. Details will be posted early next week on Facebook and through group notices.

We also hope you are enjoying our online magazine reviews of musicians, venues, and DJs … all things music in Second Life. We are particularly happy to spotlight one of Second Life’s premier musicians, Skye Galaxy, and introduce you to a few of his real life accomplishments. Sean Ryan rocks!

Elite SL reporters comb the Metaverse to bring you up-to-the minute reports on musicians and the venues they play in and stories of performers’ Real and Second Life careers. Constantly growing, changing, and reshaping itself like the music and the venues it describes, Elite SL Music Magazine is the go-to WebZine for all music lovers. Join us on these pages and in Second Life to learn about the must hear performers, the hottest and the undiscovered venues, and the behind the scenes stories of music in Second Life.

You can find us on social media here:

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/EliteSLMusic/

Twitter : https://twitter.com/EliteSLMusicMag

Pinterest : https://www.pinterest.fr/byronmcmackin

VK : https://vk.com/id498910114

And you can advertise on our web site at the following rates:

180x180 texture for 1 month @ 1000 L$ / 2 months @ 1500 LS
Banner: texture 460x80, minimum 2 months @ 2000 L$

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GeekSpeak – Biohacking- Join the discussion Sat, August 25th at 12pm SLT

GeekSpeak – biohacking

We are all used to DNA testing; people want to know who their father is, who their ancestors were, which dog has been pooping on their lawn.  But what happens when DNA testing moves on to DNA hacking?

Now people can hack DNA in private labs, in garden sheds.  We will see strawberries that taste like apples, dogs that glow in the dark, mosquitoes that inject poison, wasps that destroy crops.

How far will it go?  Will we see bees that record everything they see, children who glow in the dark or who are green and photosynthesise, miniature polar bears, women with snakes for hair?

Everything could be possible.  Join us in GeekSpeak.  Bring a blood sample.

IM Vulcan Viper if you have ideas for new subjects.

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Grand Opening! Sugar Beach Nude Beach!

Sugar Beach is a public nude white sands beach that provides many areas of entertainment: 

-surfing

-adult areas

-dating boards

-2 hour date raffles (coming soon)

- dj/bar

-gaming

-sex bots

-freelance escorting and dance club

-swingers area

-club house with a lounge, bar, pool, porn theater, rental office, and secret bdsm room

Please Join Us!

slurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Astrid/190/185/27  

Contact: ivydoom or jaxlon

We also have many rentals available!

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The Story of O in Second Life - Pen Dragon Reporting...

The Story of O, maybe you’ve heard of it, maybe not. If not, it is a must read for those who are interested in Domination and submission. The book was penned in 1957 by French author Ann Desclos under the Pen name of Pauline Réage as a series of letters to her lover Jean Paulhan. It is an erotic tale of a young female photographer from Paris who is trained and educated by a secret D/s society to which her lover Rene belonged. It is quite graphic and detailed, causing a great deal of controversy when it was released. In fact, French authorities attempted to bring obscenity charges against the author, however; those charged were later dropped. That did not stop the popularity of the novel and it has survived, even today, as a classic book set in the BDSM lifestyle. It is from those pages, written over 60 years ago, that many have an understanding of the training involved in BDSM and how it exists today in Second Life. But to bring that novel, and it’s ideals, into a virtual world would seem almost counterintuitive and near impossible because of dynamic explicit and detailed training involved in both the book and D/s.

In the book the main character, named O, is sent to a chateau in Paris, near Roissy, where she is trained to sexually serve the members of an elite club. From there she is given to a new Master, Sir Stephen, and taken to another location, Samois. These two pivotal locations have inspired the long running sim called Roissy Val d'Oise. Taking many of the educational and training aspects of the Story of O novel and translating them into an immersive roleplay environment. But the question remains, how do the ideals and ideas of the Story of O remain relevant and still work in Second Life. To find that answer I interviewed Sir Thomas, the Roissy Supervisor. I asked what aspects of the Story of O were taken from the book and applied at the Roissy Val d'Oise sim.

Sir Thomas replied,“Our owner Rene Geir believes that the Story of O is a good example of submissive behavior and also what responsible Dominants are. He wanted to provide a place in SL, that both recreated the visual environment but also a place for submissives and Dominants to learn what it truly  means to be in the lifestyle. We believe in SSC (Safe, Sane, Consensual), D/s and protection of submissives and also the proper behavior of Gentlemen Dominants.”

This is a concept taken directly from the story. During her time at Roissy O underwent very particular training, especially in how to please a man was punished for not following the rules or being disobedient. The training was intense and intended to create a more obedient submissive. In the BDSM lifestyle such training is necessary and it helps to develop the submissive’s skill set and her behavior. This includes everything from sexual service and interpersonal skills to household management. Beyond that general training, each Dominant will train his submissive more specifically on his own personal preferences and to help define her personal goals as a submissive. Training and education isn’t exclusive to the submissive however. Many, but not all, Dominants began as submissives and have had similar training. The education of a Dom is just as vital as that of a sub. Roissy provides both Dominants and submissives with a mentor who can help guide them through their journey. This all culminates in both the Dom and sub being more well rounded and educated both socially and emotionally. This kind of training, both the general and specific, is something that is lacking, more often than not, in Second Life.

Continuing my conversation with Sir Thomas, I asked him how the training described in the book translates to Second Life. “We have training logs that dictate what the Dominant and Submissive must learn before advancing. The tasks are very similar to the Story of O or related to the Story of O. We also have Workshops and Discussions.”

This also corresponds directly to the erotic novel. All submissives were given specific tasks and were tracked on their performance. This, again, is another important part of the training of a submissive. Training can include tasks such as cleaning or be more elaborate like learning proper etiquette when setting a dinner table. Despite popular belief, not everything is sex in the BDSM lifestyle. Again this is lost on many of those who practice the lifestyle in Second Life, but is very intact at the Roissy Val d'Oise sim.

As an ‘Old School’ Dominant, I was very impressed with how well behaves, intelligent and courteous the submissives were at Roissy.

I also asked Sir Thomas about the difficulty in bringing the training practices from the Story of O into Second Life because of the lack of physical contact. He answered by saying, “We have to instruct and help them to understand that feelings are real here and so is pain, from punishment, etc.  So for example, whipping is very harsh in the real world and we need to not over due them, just since it's only sl. In short keep it real.”

Roissy Val d'Oise certainly pays attention to every detail in the training of it’s submissives, just as described in the book. But something the book doesn’t focus as much on is the effect this training has on the submissives. I wanted to know, from one of the Roissy submissives, just how the training has impacted her. I spoke with Jaymelie, a sister of Roissy who has been at the sim for 5 years, who was able to provide some very insightful information. I began by asking her what it was about Roissy that made her feel comfortable enough to stay.  She said “Its, family... It may sound corny, but I have been a Sister for nearly 3 years now, and I love to come back here and be a mentor, come back to a place the gives meaning to people. And so many amazing people find their way here, so I still experience new things, new feelings, by coming here - and for that, I am grateful.”

I continued by asking her how the training she received at Roissy has impacted her life.

“It's been a journey for sure.... I started the path back in 2013, but never finished - then I returned and started over, finally graduating in 2015.... And I have evolved as a submissive, found my weaknesses first, then my strengths - and that has definitely made me a more assertive person. In RL as well, Sir.” she explained. Her response sums up exactly the importance and purpose of the training a submissive should receive.

The Story of O, despite being written over 60 years ago, has remained relevant in the BDSM lifestyle and has even provided many with their first glimpse into that world. It’s a dark, erotic, entertaining and important book that one would think couldn’t be brought to a virtual world like Second Life. Yet, as we’ve seen, Roissy Val d'Oise does just that and in doing so provides an important aspect of the BDSM community that seems to be in short supply here. If you have any interest in D/s, you should read the book and maybe pay a visit to Roissy.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Roissy SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Roissy%20Val%20DuOise/55/145/30

Website: http://www.roissy-vdo.com

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