by Saffia Widdershins - Prim Perfect
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<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
From the Editor...<br />
HELLO EVERYONE – AND WELCOME TO THE SUMMER<br />
issue of <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong>!<br />
Yes, summer is here, and we’re exploring<br />
the romantic sims of the Isles of Fatima. Twenty-six<br />
sims of extraordinary<br />
beauty, and made for<br />
romance ... We take a trip<br />
around, and show you the<br />
amazing house that has<br />
been created for <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong><br />
there, in a very stunning<br />
setting. We have an<br />
interview with the owners,<br />
Fatima Ur and Incanus<br />
Merlin. And we also talk<br />
to the team at Metaversal<br />
Arts, one of whose designers, the very talented<br />
Yolanda Hirvi, worked with Fatima to create the<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> house.<br />
By way of contrast, our landscape of the<br />
month is the futuristic world of Extropia, an experiment<br />
in living in the future, a utopia rather<br />
than a dystopia. And, frankly, it’s gorgeous. Come<br />
and explore it with Alesia Markstein!<br />
This month, our Resident Home of the Month<br />
is set in the fascinating sim of Pretty N Punk – the<br />
work of a collaboration of young designers who<br />
combine beautiful vistas with a hard-edged grunge<br />
look. It makes for an intriguing combination,<br />
as M0lly Dench found out.<br />
We have an article on Relay for Life – with<br />
several people sharing their experiences of the<br />
day – and their appreciation of some of the fantastic<br />
builds.<br />
We also have news of a beautiful new rose<br />
– and a fascinating competition – from Soleil<br />
Snook of Snook’s Garden Centre. As well, there’s<br />
news of a wonderful Photo Contest on Orange<br />
Island that <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> is sponsoring, together<br />
with Orange. And don’t miss our regular treasure<br />
hunt too!<br />
We have further news of series of live concerts<br />
sponsored <strong>by</strong> <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong>, Associated Northcliffe<br />
Digital and Radio Riel. All through the summer<br />
and autumn, we have arranged for the top<br />
live performers to pay tribute to their favourite<br />
artists on Tribute Island. The first two concerts,<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
given <strong>by</strong> Louis Volare and Cylindrian Rutabaga,<br />
were a huge success. Make sure that you don’t<br />
miss the rest of the season – find out who’s playing,<br />
who they’ve chosen to pay tribute to – and<br />
when you can see them!<br />
Our gardening correspondent Kaye Robbiani<br />
writes about her creation of a spectacular<br />
garden, while Bailey Longcloth brings us the<br />
latest news from Homestyle Consolidated, the<br />
group that draws together all the best home<br />
style designers and keenest shoppers in the<br />
Second Life world!<br />
And this month they are joined <strong>by</strong> a new columnist,<br />
Gwen Carillon, the designer and artist,<br />
and moving force within the Content Creators<br />
Association. Gwen will be providing regular information<br />
on serious issues affecting content creation,<br />
for a not-to-be-missed regular feature.<br />
We have two different items giving advice to<br />
newbies – and helping out the rest of us too! Qwis<br />
Greenwood talks about low prim furniture, while<br />
Rascal Blanco explains about the new device to<br />
make our lips move when we talk.<br />
Our Charity News tells you about a fascinating<br />
non-profit that links South Texas and the West<br />
of Ireland, while we also bring your our regular<br />
news from Meta Makeover and information about<br />
our exciting new magazine, The <strong>Prim</strong>graph.<br />
All this – plus a really mammoth News from<br />
the Grid, Readers’ Letters, a fun quiz on the subjects<br />
of holidays and vacations <strong>by</strong> M0lly Dench ...<br />
and more!
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
28<br />
38<br />
84<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
conte<br />
prim perfect<br />
ARTICLES<br />
Sim of the Month<br />
16 When the Sun Sets, You can<br />
Smell the Jasmine ...<br />
28 Places to Visit in the Isles of Fatima<br />
Interviews<br />
22 Strength in Numbers: Metaversal Arts<br />
26 Creators of Victorian Beauty:<br />
Fatima Ur and Incanus Merlin<br />
Special Features<br />
38 Relay for Life:<br />
the View from the SLCN Studio<br />
44 Join the Hunt for Twelve Magical<br />
Roses in the Realms of the Roses!<br />
54 Calameo - A New Format<br />
for Our Magazines<br />
57 Marvellous Musical Memories:<br />
The Tribute Island Concerts Continue<br />
66 The Content Creators Association<br />
75 Have You Read the <strong>Prim</strong>graph Yet?<br />
COMPETITIONS<br />
36 Win One Month Free in our Star Home<br />
48 <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> and Orange Island<br />
Sponsor a Fashion Photocontest<br />
90 <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> Treasure Hunt<br />
The Table of Contents and advertisements<br />
in <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> magazine are<br />
hyperlinked in the PDF version.
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
nts<br />
Sunday, August 10, 2008 • Issue 11<br />
REGULAR FEATURES<br />
009 News from the Grid<br />
013 South Texas and the West of Ireland<br />
Charity News<br />
032 A House to Smile About<br />
Build of the Month<br />
046 Do You Need a Vacation?<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> Quiz<br />
050 Pretty N Punk<br />
Readers’ Home of the Month<br />
060 HomeStyle Consolidated News<br />
62 Meta Makeover News<br />
071 Decorating on a Low-<strong>Prim</strong> Budget<br />
Advice for Newcomers<br />
078 Living in the Future<br />
Landscape of the Month<br />
084 A Midsummer Night’s Garden<br />
Gardening in Second Life<br />
088 Making Your Lips Move<br />
Advice for Newcomers<br />
103 How Do I?<br />
How Do I get Future Copies of <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong>?<br />
How do I Advertise in <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong>?<br />
103 Calling all Designers<br />
and Builders<br />
105 Advertiser’s Directory<br />
106 Credits<br />
Visit <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> online at:<br />
http://www.primperfect.net and<br />
http://primperfectblog.wordpress.com.<br />
78<br />
50<br />
[ON THE COVER]<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> celebrates summer in<br />
the Isles of Fatima. Cover photo<br />
<strong>by</strong> Perry Applemoor. [page 16]
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
REGULAR FEATURE<br />
News from the Grid<br />
New Studio for SLCN Relay for<br />
Life Telethon and New Offices for<br />
Meta Makeover<br />
You will remember how last month we told<br />
you about the work that Jeremey Ryan of Barefoot<br />
Designs [http://slurl.com/secondlife/<br />
Snafu/65/149/63] and Dellybean North of True<br />
North Designs [http://slurl.com/secondlife/<br />
Goun/176/64/30] did for our fantastic build at<br />
the Second Life Fifth Birthday celebrations – and<br />
in just a week too!<br />
So ... when SLCN contacted us and asked us<br />
to create a studio for them for the Relay for Life<br />
Telethon, who do you think we asked? Jeremey<br />
and Dellybean, of course. Except ... there was a<br />
catch.<br />
This time, they only had a day.<br />
But they are not people to refuse a challenge<br />
and, without loss of time, Jeremey was creating<br />
the building, while Delly, as well as advising,<br />
was creating a great café outside where people<br />
could sit and watch the Relay for Lifers hurrying<br />
past. Maxwell Graf of Rustica [http://slurl.<br />
com/secondlife/Rustica/130/116/58] came in<br />
and furnished the build, while Anhayla Lycia of<br />
Treesong Designs [http://slurl.com/secondlife/<br />
Chatrez/185/89/24], who created the fantastic<br />
El Cid sim, produced a beautiful garden for us.<br />
Then, as if that wasn’t enough, Jeremey created<br />
a lovely little kiosk for us on Orange Island, as<br />
part of our participation in Orange’s Media Week.<br />
But then, SLCN (who adored their RFL studio)<br />
suggested that the main SLCN island could host<br />
the <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong>/Meta Makeover birthday build,<br />
and generously gave us the land. That was a huge<br />
treat ... but Jeremey and Delly are going further.<br />
The site is still under construction (hard hats are<br />
advisable), but it is already taking shape. In addition<br />
to the large design hall we had at SL5B,<br />
there is also a dedicated Meta Makeover studio, a<br />
green room, and offices – all as part of the main<br />
build.<br />
Then Delly is creating a wonderful stepped<br />
café to one side of the building, where people<br />
will be able to enjoy coffee or something stronger,<br />
and dance to their hearts’ content (courtesy<br />
of Maar Auer’s wonderful dances from<br />
Metaversal Arts [http://slurl.com/secondlife/<br />
Cherish/143/200/60]. Strolling along from the<br />
café, you will find yourself at the very stylish<br />
beach, and along from that is a beautiful pier for<br />
fishing ... in short, this will be a studio, an exhibition<br />
area, and have social amenities too!<br />
We’re planning a spectacular opening party<br />
too, so watch the blog for full details!<br />
Decadent Decay: Sue Stonebender’s<br />
Intemptesta Nox Gets an Extreme<br />
Makeover N’Awlins Style<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Intemptesta%20No<br />
x%20/177/88/77/]<br />
Sue Stonebender’s Intemptesta Nox sim is<br />
getting an extreme makeover with a gothic old<br />
N’awlins twist. A grand old mansion is the new
0 <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
home of the Serendipity pianos line, along with<br />
a host of decadent new heirloom furnishings,<br />
stained glass torchiers and the revival of the<br />
decadent Opera Nox chandeliers and lighting.<br />
A stately magnolia and grizzled old apple trees<br />
shelter the grounds, complete with the gentle<br />
hum of buzzing cicadas, blowing petals, an animated<br />
tire swing and chill poses to hide in the<br />
branches or sit beneath the mantle to stargaze or<br />
read. Peek in this month as a line of deep Southinspired<br />
rockers and wicker furniture arrives on<br />
the wraparound porch, and the belfry and halls<br />
get a good old-fashioned haunting.<br />
News from the Isles of Fatima<br />
In the Isles of Fatima there has been a lot of<br />
news this month – starting with the news that the<br />
Isles have expanded to twenty-six!<br />
Miss Dixie Dabney has opened a fabulous coffee<br />
shop, Bottom of the Cup, which will feature<br />
music, artists, and poetry readings. Located on<br />
Fatima’s Desire in the village, it’s is a great place<br />
to relax [http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fatimas%2<br />
0Desire/101/249/24].<br />
Lord and Lady Smadga have opened their two<br />
lovely islands in Fatima’s Serenity to horseback<br />
riding. Here you can find beautiful horses to rent<br />
for an outing in the countryside with all profits<br />
benefitting Great Strides, an organization dedicated<br />
to helping those with disabilities through<br />
horseback riding and caring for the animals<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fatimas%20Serenit<br />
y/1/184/28].<br />
The Isles of Fatima has expanded to the mainland<br />
with a plot in the infamous Bay City. They<br />
have set up a chapel and gardens and benches for<br />
all to use free, in the hope of enchanting mainland<br />
visitors with the delights of the Victorian era. It is<br />
an excellent place to visit, and Bay City is truly a<br />
beautiful build, something not seen in mainland<br />
before – relax on a park bench and read the most<br />
recent copy of <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> or The <strong>Prim</strong>graph!<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bay%20City%20-<br />
%20Tanelorn/153/150/25]<br />
It’s All Greek to Me ... Greek<br />
Style Temple from Kitstar Designs<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vorlheim/54/210/270]<br />
Kittie Munroe of Kitstar Designs has long had<br />
one of her very earliest builds on display for visitors<br />
to enjoy – the original temple building dedicated<br />
to the Goddess Nike. Many people who visit<br />
the store enjoy the views, and a fair number have<br />
asked if she would consider selling it ... and now<br />
it’s up for sale!<br />
Fully researched and structurally accurate,<br />
News continued on page 94
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
CHARITY NEWS<br />
South Texas and the<br />
West of Ireland<br />
<strong>by</strong> Coughran Mayo<br />
QUICK ... WHERE DOES IRISH CULTURE, WITH A TEXAS<br />
twang, meet up with compassion for children in a<br />
way that makes countless citizens of the Second Life<br />
world happy, and helps make possible life-changing<br />
events for children whose days are often filled with<br />
fear and violence? If<br />
you suggested Second<br />
Life’s West of Ireland,<br />
you would be exactly<br />
right! The West of Ireland<br />
sims represent an<br />
incredible synergy between<br />
two non-profit<br />
groups that leads to<br />
fun, entertainment and<br />
functional living and<br />
business arrangements<br />
here in Second Life.<br />
I say ‘sims’ because<br />
West of Ireland<br />
(or as it is often<br />
known in short, WOI)<br />
comprises fifteen<br />
sims, roughly in the<br />
middle of the Second<br />
Life map. Three sims<br />
– Neart, Bundoran<br />
Reef, and West of<br />
Ireland itself – are<br />
fully public spaces.<br />
West of Ireland island,<br />
the original sim<br />
in the estate, is the hub of cultural and music<br />
activities for the estate. Nancy Blake’s Pub is a<br />
popular venue for live music events, DJ’ed dances,<br />
and casual gatherings, and is one of the most<br />
authentic pubs in Second Life. The Marketplace<br />
and Boardwalk feature high-quality retail prod-<br />
ucts ranging from fine art to clothes to homes<br />
and furniture. The WOI Art Gallery hosts a series<br />
of changing exhibits of art, both real world works<br />
and those created for the virtual world.<br />
A replica of an actual Irish surf spot on the<br />
west coast of Ireland,<br />
Bundoran Reef<br />
is Second Life’s first<br />
cold-water surfing<br />
spot, with free loaner<br />
surfboards available<br />
to all, and a surfing<br />
shop for you to buy<br />
the clothes and gear<br />
you need once the<br />
surfing bug has bitten.<br />
There are even<br />
surfing lessons on<br />
Wednesdays at 5 p.m.<br />
or <strong>by</strong> appointment.<br />
Neart Island is also a<br />
great surfing area and<br />
a venue for cultural<br />
events. A re-creation<br />
of Newgrange hosts<br />
rotating displays on<br />
Irish history, culture,<br />
and music.<br />
All of the activities<br />
on these three<br />
sims, as well rents<br />
paid for properties<br />
on the remaining twelve sims, which are primarily<br />
residential, cover the costs of maintaining the<br />
entire fifteen-sim region, which is a development<br />
of our first featured non-profit, the South Texas<br />
Celtic Music Association (STCMA). The rest of the<br />
proceeds each month, as well as all money do-
nated to the numerous gifting bins in the public<br />
areas, go to support Project Children, the second<br />
non-profit we want to tell you about this month.<br />
The Goals of the STCMA, in both real life and<br />
Second Life, are these:<br />
• Providing airfare assistance to Project Children<br />
kids;<br />
• Increasing awareness of Celtic culture and<br />
music; and<br />
• Establishing relationships with a new core<br />
group of volunteers world-wide.<br />
WOI and the affiliated sims of the region have<br />
helped the STCMA realize these goals in Second Life.<br />
The Project Children charity [http://www.<br />
projectchildren.org] was born from the boiling<br />
pot of political and religious violence that was<br />
Northern Ireland in 1975. Soldiers, armoured vehicles<br />
and surveillance cameras were everywhere,<br />
people were dying in random violent actions, and<br />
children were growing up against a background<br />
of fear.<br />
Project Children was formed to combat that<br />
fear, and the growing separatism between Protestant<br />
and Catholic families that was the fertile<br />
ground in which that fear was planted. That summer,<br />
Project Children brought six kids from Northern<br />
Ireland (three Protestants and three Catholics)<br />
to Greenwood Lake, NY, where they lived with a<br />
host family. There were two goals. Most importantly,<br />
they wanted to get the kids away from<br />
the violence and the paramilitaries who worked<br />
double-time recruiting kids during school breaks.<br />
They also wanted to show the Protestant and<br />
Catholic kids that they could live together and<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
actually like each<br />
other. It worked.<br />
In the thirty<br />
years since, the<br />
political situation<br />
in Northern Ireland<br />
has changed<br />
substantially. Although<br />
political<br />
violence still exists,<br />
it is diminishing<br />
and Project<br />
Children adapts<br />
with the changing<br />
times <strong>by</strong> continuing<br />
its mission and<br />
including children<br />
living in poverty<br />
or whose families<br />
have been affected<br />
<strong>by</strong> the ‘Irish<br />
Troubles’. Some children have had a father or<br />
mother imprisoned most of their young lives. Too,<br />
changes within local communities can move a bit<br />
slower. Long-held feelings still separate families of<br />
different faiths. Project Children is still at work,<br />
healing those rifts and stilling the fears of kids.<br />
For more than thirty years now, Project Children<br />
has turned despair into hope for more than<br />
20,000 children from Northern Ireland. Project<br />
Children has given these children – Protestant<br />
and Catholic – a much-needed break from the<br />
grim politics of their own country. By coming to<br />
the USA during the summer months, these kids<br />
get an extraordinary chance to play together, live<br />
together, and understand each other. Prejudice<br />
is replaced <strong>by</strong> understanding, thus hatred is replaced<br />
with love. Poverty is replaced <strong>by</strong> hope for<br />
a better tomorrow.<br />
From the initial program, involving six kids<br />
in 1975 and attendant costs of US$1600, Project<br />
Children has grown one hundredfold in the number<br />
of children helped each year, and the budget<br />
is nearly a million dollars. None of it goes<br />
to salaries. Unpaid volunteers, host families, and<br />
area coordinators provide countless benefits as<br />
‘in-kind’ donations. One expense that remains,<br />
though, is airfare. This is why groups like the<br />
South Texas Celtic Music Association do fund raising<br />
for Project Children airfare expenses. There<br />
are groups in over twenty states helping with fund<br />
raising for these travel expenses. And, there are<br />
the West of Ireland projects in Second Life, doing<br />
their part to support this worthy effort. Come<br />
visit soon! E
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
SIM OF THE MONTH<br />
When the Sun<br />
Sets, You can<br />
Smell the Jasmine ...<br />
AT LEAST, YOU CAN IMAGINE YOU DO, SO POWERFUL<br />
is the ambiance of these romantic, enchanted<br />
islands.<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
<strong>by</strong> <strong>Saffia</strong> <strong>Widdershins</strong><br />
The Isles of Fatima are a group of twentysix<br />
sims, loosely Victorian in theme, but with an<br />
even stronger emphasis on beauty and romance.
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Each is named after Fatima Ur who, together with<br />
her husband, Incanus Merlin, is the owner of the<br />
Isles. So there is Fatima’s Love, Fatima’s Smile,<br />
Fatima’s Artistry and Fatima’s Wish, among others<br />
(although on the Grid Map you need to remove<br />
the apostrophe and have Fatimas Love etc.).<br />
‘I love the atmosphere, the people I meet,<br />
the events, the immersive nature of it ...’ says<br />
one resident, who prefers to remain<br />
anonymous – perhaps because she<br />
goes on to add, with a slight blush,<br />
‘My favourite spot is this small pond<br />
hidden away. I ... go skinny dipping<br />
there.’<br />
‘I love the atmosphere’, agrees<br />
Spikey Timeless, who runs a Figleaves<br />
store on the islands. ‘I was looking<br />
for a new shop since I make mostly<br />
steampunk/Victorian clothes and<br />
thought it would be a good place.<br />
And I love the way that there’s always<br />
someone about.’<br />
‘One thing I love is what a strong<br />
focus there is on beauty’, says Allia<br />
Benelli. ‘Each sim is formed somewhat<br />
differently, and Fatima and Incanus<br />
take pleasure in their ability<br />
to create inviting and varied textures. I love the<br />
hills, valleys, and waterways. I also enjoy the various<br />
rides, such as the motorboat and balloons. All<br />
the waterways are open and connected, so a person<br />
can sail or ride without hindrance. I have a<br />
couple of little boats and a seahorse I ride. Sometimes<br />
I just walk or fly around underwater. Laine<br />
Brandenburg has developed a Jules Verne type<br />
underwater world on his Isle of Fatima’s Wonder.<br />
There are other islands worthy of mention, too,<br />
but if I get started, I’ll be writing a whole book on<br />
Fatima’s Isles. I always find something interesting<br />
here. I have met some of my neighbours and they<br />
are good and interesting people.’<br />
For Allia, Fatima’s structures and creations<br />
add their magic, with detailed homes, garden<br />
plants and trees, lighthouses, bridges,<br />
and even a Stonehenge (the famous<br />
Neolithic monument) set on a<br />
mountain that anyone can visit and<br />
enjoy.<br />
‘I go over to Victoriana every<br />
few days to see what is new’, she<br />
says. ‘There is a sense of humour<br />
here and of joy, though of course<br />
people have their tensions from<br />
time to time, as anywhere. Whatever<br />
the need, Fatima and Incanus<br />
are always interested and ready to<br />
help.’<br />
Francesco Smadga, owner, with<br />
his wife, of Lord and Lady Smadga’s<br />
Estate on Fatima’s Serenity, agrees.<br />
‘Here on the Isles of Fatima we have<br />
found it all: Great friends, a restful, peaceful<br />
home and a great landlady and landlord.’<br />
And Lord and Lady Smagda play an important<br />
role in the community too, as he explains:<br />
‘I have only my home here, but my wife has several<br />
shops, and one of the isles we have [is] full<br />
of horses, stables and a riding course for a nonprofit<br />
organisation called Great Strides.’
Yolanda Hirvi who, as part of Metaversal Arts,<br />
is our designer of the month, feels a similar attraction<br />
to the Isles.<br />
‘Fatima’s Isles are really nicely landscaped’,<br />
she explains, ‘and I like the Victorian look. It<br />
is very green and lush and has fun stuff like<br />
hot air balloons. I haven’t had time to explore<br />
the southern islands yet, but I have<br />
heard that Laine has built really<br />
cool stuff there! Fatima and Incanus<br />
have reasonable prices and their<br />
customer service is very friendly<br />
and fast.’<br />
She started with one of her shops<br />
on the isles but, for Yolanda, things<br />
developed from there. ‘I just happened<br />
to end up in Fatima’s Shopping<br />
Village (in Fatima’s Desire) on<br />
my shopping trip. I liked what I saw<br />
and I rented a small store there. And<br />
when Linden Lab announced that the<br />
prims of open sims would be doubled,<br />
I wanted to have an island as a home<br />
because I wanted to build a BIG house<br />
and have horses and my sailing boats<br />
out. And I didn’t have any doubts where I wanted<br />
my island to be.’<br />
For Yolanda, a key attraction was the generous<br />
amount of water areas that are a feature of<br />
the Isles, whether glorious waterfalls, romantic<br />
pools, or stretches of open sea between the Isle,<br />
often linked <strong>by</strong> graceful bridges. For Yolanda,<br />
that, she says happily, means more water to sail<br />
as the Isles expand.<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
‘And DARN I love my island, Fatima’s Cherished’,<br />
she says emphatically. ‘It really feels like<br />
home. I have had free hands with landscaping<br />
and building, so it looks just the way I wanted. I<br />
just wish I would have more time to spend in my<br />
home island. It has special feel that is hard to<br />
explain. I don’t use privacy orbs there so strange<br />
people will pop in, but it doesn’t<br />
bother me. So my island is open for<br />
anyone to visit. You may even get a<br />
nice cup of tea.’<br />
And that certainly seems in keeping<br />
with the spirit of the Isles!<br />
Tuppy Love has a similar love for<br />
her Isle home. ‘I searched high and<br />
low for months to find somewhere to<br />
lay my head and heart and then after<br />
flying around sims I found this beautiful<br />
sim that was calm and peaceful<br />
– it was somewhere I could actually<br />
escape to from real life when I needed<br />
to relax. I rented a small property<br />
with just enough room for one. The<br />
view was beautiful – I sat and watched<br />
the sunrise, listening to the calm waters<br />
of the shore.’<br />
Now Tuppy is a long-term resident and says<br />
that her friends love to come and visit her.<br />
‘I have been to many places’, she says, ‘and I<br />
have never felt so comfortable than I do here ...<br />
there is just something about this place I love.<br />
The people are friendly and the owners are one<br />
in a million always there when you need a hand.<br />
It’s just a lovely atmosphere!’<br />
An interesting element is that the residents
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
and the store-keepers welcome the expansion of<br />
the Isles (something that often causes problems).<br />
But here there is real enthusiasm for growth.<br />
Yolanda Hirvi, for example, says, ‘I am looking<br />
forward to expand towards north as well as the<br />
south! My island is in the north and I am looking<br />
forward to get more islands around me. AND<br />
more sailing water!’<br />
Phrost Whiteberry owns a store in the Isles,<br />
and is similarly enthusiastic. ‘It seems the more<br />
Fatima adds, the more I like it. Her main store is<br />
wonderful and I stop in quite often to see what<br />
is new. She has done her best to make this land<br />
a “must see” place. And I am sure that she will<br />
always find something wonderful to add.’<br />
‘I love the way that Fatima’s Isles are always<br />
changing and growing – always something new to<br />
see’, agrees Allia Benelli, who has a gallery on<br />
Fatima’s Desire. ‘Though some residents need<br />
their privacy, others have open gardens and creative<br />
landscapes to which they invite and welcome<br />
visitors. I am continually exploring.’<br />
And it seems that, as the Isles of Fatima continue<br />
to grow and evolve, there will be more and<br />
more to explore too! E
0 <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
DESIGNER OF THE MONTH<br />
Strength in Numbers:<br />
Metaversal Arts<br />
THIS MONTH’S DESIGNER, YOLANDA HIRVI, IS THE<br />
owner of Oblonski Designs – and we featured an<br />
interview with her in our May edition [http://<br />
en.calameo.com/read/000004234111f2415d802]<br />
when she made over a cottage in the Orkneys for<br />
out SLCN TV show, Meta Makeover. But Yolanda<br />
has another influential role in the world of Second<br />
Life design – and that is as co-owner of the design<br />
collective, Metaversal Arts.<br />
<strong>by</strong> <strong>Saffia</strong> <strong>Widdershins</strong><br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Metaversal Arts is, as Darleez DeCuir (the other<br />
co-owner) says, a metabrand (i.e. a brand that<br />
is active in-world), a network and community of<br />
talented SL developers and artists, content creators<br />
and other Metaversal Arts staff.<br />
Or, as one of its members, Fnordian Link puts it,<br />
‘Metaversal Arts is a unique and wonderfully eclectic<br />
store featuring interesting and high quality furniture,<br />
magic items, dance animations and much more!’
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Metaversal Arts members sell their work at<br />
the Metaversal Arts Shop – as well as individual<br />
stores across the grid. They also rent space for<br />
merchants with quality products complementing<br />
our existing product lines.<br />
‘Our requirement is that the products are<br />
suitable for the “vintage/antiques/steampunk”<br />
theme, or otherwise cool’, explains Daleez with<br />
a smile.<br />
At present, Metaversal Arts consists of the<br />
following people:<br />
Yolanda Hirvi - Co- Founder, CEO, Owner of<br />
Oblonski Designs (furniture), responsible for building<br />
and design of Metaversal Arts stores, event organizing,<br />
public relations, manager of the Metaversal<br />
Arts Store, graphic design, machinima<br />
Darleez DeCuir - CO-founder, CEO,<br />
Public relations, networking, event<br />
organizing<br />
Maar Auer - Owner of MaarBaZaar,<br />
graphic design, event organizing, machinima,<br />
public relations, animator and<br />
designer<br />
Crystaleen Laval - Owner of Crys’<br />
Creations (mostly outside/garden items),<br />
event organizing, builder and designer<br />
Moundsa Mayo - Scripter, designer<br />
Lord Lisle - Event organizing, modeling,<br />
machinima<br />
Fnordian Link - Scripter, designer,<br />
owner of Fnordian Magical Scripting (and<br />
maker of items including Multiporter, magic mirrors,<br />
tarot card system, and a variety of other<br />
magical items)<br />
Jukka Wilkinson - animator, owner of Live<br />
Your Fairytale animations<br />
Kheph777 Enoch - Scripter, builder, designer,<br />
owner of Kheph’s Creations (steampunk and<br />
other)<br />
Khiira Weston – a vital role as Store Assistant<br />
Other merchants who have<br />
a presence at Metaversal Arts,<br />
but who have no other active<br />
role in the community include:<br />
Arundel Dumart - designer,<br />
owner of Arundel Designs<br />
Canolli Capalini - designer<br />
and builder, owner of Capalini<br />
Music Boxes<br />
Pumpkin Tripsa - artist, designer,<br />
builder, owner of Shakra<br />
Nova Sculptures<br />
Metaversal Arts also has 2 affiliate<br />
vendors <strong>by</strong>:<br />
Flora<strong>Prim</strong>s (designer: Vlad<br />
Bjornson)<br />
Aries Celestial Designs (designer:<br />
Aries Bicklin)<br />
Yolanda’s role within the<br />
community is a demanding one.<br />
‘I run the shop, and look for new merchants<br />
and members’, she explains. ‘I plan advertising,<br />
build, graphic design the adverts, and plan<br />
events. I am involved in everything that happens<br />
in Metaversal Arts’.<br />
But she believes passionately in what Metaversal<br />
Arts represents. ‘Because of the very talented<br />
members of our team, our store is special.
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
The collection of our products is very large, which<br />
means that our store attracts traffic that I could<br />
never have if there was just my stuff for sale.<br />
Also, I like the fact that I don’t have to do the<br />
decision-making alone. We support each other instead<br />
of competing’.<br />
That level of support has been seen, for example,<br />
in the launch of Maar Auer’s dances – such<br />
as the fabulous Charleston, which has seemingly<br />
swept across the grid. (It was a huge success at<br />
the café for the SL5B build, and was featured on<br />
Paisley Beebe’s Tonight Live! show.) Many of the<br />
team at Metaversal Arts came together to work<br />
on the delightful machinima that accompanied<br />
the launch, and to work on other promotions.<br />
This, of course, then benefits everyone in the<br />
community, as Maar explains. ‘I know the dances<br />
bring a lot of new people to Metaversal Arts, who<br />
then end up circulating and checking what else<br />
the place has got to offer, often with positive results<br />
for all parties concerned. And I hope things<br />
will remain that way.’<br />
This is clearly a strength of having designers<br />
working together – and one that Yolanda believes<br />
will be important in the future.<br />
‘My goal is export Metaversal Arts to other vir-
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
tual worlds’, she says with determination. ‘And I<br />
also wish to expand our range of products to consulting<br />
services.’<br />
Darleez and Yolanda founded Metaversal Arts<br />
in the summer of 2007.<br />
‘We needed a group for setting building permissions<br />
to a land which I owned’, Darleez explains.<br />
‘Yolanda built my first office there for<br />
me. After that Yolanda built her first shop, and<br />
soon after that we acquired some land together,<br />
my office moved there and we started to expand<br />
the group - we offered some space in the shop<br />
for Crystaleen Laval, Maar Auer and Fnordian<br />
Link. That time the area was called the Metaversal<br />
Arts Factory. Moundsa Mayo built his Chaos<br />
Machine in the yard,<br />
and in the gallery artist<br />
Moondrift Tomorrow had<br />
his first exhibition in Second<br />
Life.’<br />
Darleez also feels the<br />
support that the community<br />
can bring to each other<br />
is important. For her, it<br />
is a wonderful experience<br />
to work with a group of<br />
talented and creative individuals<br />
from all over the<br />
world.<br />
‘When we do things<br />
together’, she says, ‘for<br />
example organise events,<br />
or when someone is marketing<br />
or advertising, everyone<br />
gets the benefits.<br />
It’s a win-win situation for<br />
all if someone’s ad brings<br />
customers to the shop. We<br />
also pay attention to good<br />
customer service We always<br />
help if they have questions or try to fix any<br />
problems they might have with their purchases.<br />
We listen to our customers, and if they have feasible<br />
suggestions, it is possible to do custom work<br />
for them as well. Good service adds value for the<br />
products we sell, and gives us a good reputation<br />
in the market.’<br />
Crystaleen Laval agrees. ‘Metaversal Arts to<br />
me is a community of great friends and great artists<br />
who work together to bring you everything<br />
you could possibly need to furnish your second<br />
life, inside and out. It has benefited me and the<br />
rest of us here greatly, I feel. None of us depends<br />
on just one person nor one little corner of a store<br />
for our success or customer appreciation. We are<br />
a community, working and learning from each<br />
other’s strengths and weaknesses to make Metaversal<br />
Arts all it can be.’<br />
‘My Metaversal Arts location has given me<br />
tons of extra exposure’, says Kheph777 Enoch,<br />
who was one of the designers of the amazing<br />
steampunk recreation of ‘A Garden of Earthly<br />
Delights’ for ‘Not Possible in Real Life’, and featured<br />
in our June 2008 issue [http://en.calameo.<br />
com/read/000004234ab7c99a7dff8]. ‘The sim<br />
has grown considerably since I was first invited,<br />
and it always has folks exploring all the goodies<br />
to be found there. Plus, Metaversal Arts has its<br />
own blog [http://metaversalarts.blogspot.com/]<br />
where my newest items are often featured.’<br />
Jukka Wilkinson, who creates fairytale animations,<br />
points out another advantage of the<br />
community. ‘It gives new artists the opportunity<br />
to sell their products and get their name more<br />
widely known.’<br />
At the moment, Metaversal Arts are very excited<br />
about the forthcoming launch of a new Maar<br />
Auer dance. Maar is working hard on Working on<br />
a slow, jazzy foxtrot. ‘It’s advancing slowly, as<br />
my dances always do’, she says ruefully. ‘Up till<br />
now it still looks like two clothes hangars having<br />
a wrestle - but I’m working on it. It should be<br />
presentable within a few days’ time, a week or<br />
so perhaps.’<br />
We can’t wait to try it! E
INTERVIEW<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Creators of Victorian Beauty:<br />
Fatima Ur and Incanus Merlin<br />
<strong>by</strong> <strong>Saffia</strong> <strong>Widdershins</strong><br />
FATIMA UR AND INCANUS MERLIN, THE CO-OWNERS<br />
of the Isles of Fatima, both started in the Second<br />
Life world at around the same time. Fatima followed<br />
an item on Yahoo News, while Incanus saw<br />
a item on the BBC News, and both decided to<br />
come in and check it out.<br />
‘And we’re still here, checking it out!’ says<br />
Fatima with a laugh.<br />
They both share an affinity for history, with<br />
perhaps is a reason for the historical nature of<br />
the Isles.<br />
‘I have an amateur’s interest in history’, says<br />
Incanus, ‘and Fatima has a RL affinity for <strong>by</strong>gone<br />
days – she would be quite happy to wake up tomorrow<br />
with the world reset to 1890.’<br />
‘With the addition of microwave ovens!’ Fatima<br />
adds firmly.<br />
Their very first sim, Fatima’s Love, was a gift<br />
of love from Incanus to Fatima in May 2007, after<br />
they had spent some time together on the mainland.<br />
They grew tired of the lag and ugly builds<br />
that popped up seemingly at random and overnight.<br />
Once they moved to Fatima’s Love, they<br />
soon found that they were becoming landlords.<br />
‘Although we always intended to take a large<br />
part of the island to live in for ourselves’, says<br />
Incabus, ‘we decided<br />
to see if there was any<br />
scope to rent out the remainder<br />
in keeping with<br />
the Victorian theme.’<br />
And there was interest.<br />
In fact, there was a<br />
great deal of interest!<br />
Since May 2007, they<br />
find that they have attracted<br />
a large number<br />
of those interested in<br />
Victorian life, or those<br />
who just like the ambiance<br />
of the sims; currently<br />
they have twentysix<br />
sims!<br />
‘When we started,’<br />
says Fatima, ‘neither<br />
of us had any appreciable<br />
skills – apart from<br />
shopping!’<br />
Now Fatima builds<br />
extremely popular houses for which Incanus provides<br />
most of the textures (or adaptations of other<br />
artists’ textures that they have purchased).<br />
In addition, Fatima has her own store – Antiques<br />
Artistry – which supplied many of the pieces that<br />
furnished this month’s <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> house, while<br />
her Garden Centre did the same for the lovely<br />
gardens at the house!
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
The ability to purchase Openspace sims as<br />
stand-alones instead of groups of four has been<br />
particularly key for the Isles of Fatima.<br />
‘It has meant that we could be much more<br />
flexible in offering suitable islands to existing and<br />
new residents’, says Incanus. ‘We are constantly<br />
delighted <strong>by</strong> the landscaping and buildings our<br />
residents put up – there are some truly beautiful<br />
places for people to explore.’<br />
Among the Isles, they have a love for their<br />
building platform – the site of so much creation.<br />
‘It’s a bit of a mess, but we like it!’ says Fatima.<br />
‘As far as what we would like others to see’,<br />
says Incanus, ‘our favourite spot is Stonehenge<br />
– you can see everything from there and it is a<br />
peaceful spot, often used <strong>by</strong> residents and others<br />
for a spot of mediation.’<br />
At the moment, their focus is on the sims that<br />
they already hold.<br />
‘We think we are simply content with what we<br />
have; we are not looking to aggressively expand,<br />
but we can do so if the demand is there’, says<br />
Fatima. ‘Running 26 sims, plus a thriving furniture/textures/garden<br />
centre doesn’t really leave<br />
us much time for anything else beyond what we<br />
have now!’<br />
Their ambition is to be known as the best<br />
landlords in Second Life – but they admit that<br />
could be quite a quite a challenge given the number<br />
of good landlords out there! However, having<br />
seen the gorgeously landscaped sims and the extras<br />
that they are providing for their tenants, one<br />
must think – Fatima Ur and Incanus Merlin must<br />
be very high on the list! E
SIM OF THE MONTH<br />
Places to Visit in<br />
the Isles of Fatima<br />
<strong>by</strong> Jvstin Tomorrow<br />
WHILE SAFFIA AND THE REST OF THE PRIM PERFECT<br />
team has concentrated on speaking with Fatima<br />
Ur and seeing the <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> home, I decided<br />
to explore the length and breadth of the Isles of<br />
Fatima and found them found to be an oasis of<br />
bucolic Victorian romance. Here are some of the<br />
interesting spots that you might want to visit.<br />
Mount Desire Observatory<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fatimas%20Desire/<br />
109/59/71]<br />
Readers of the blog will recall I have a strong<br />
interest in astronomy. So, it is no surprise that I<br />
spotted an observatory on one of the peaks and<br />
went to take a look at it. Mount Desire is not a<br />
true working telescope in the classic sense - although<br />
it does give you the opportunity of seeing<br />
some extra stars if you set your view to midnight<br />
and touch various parts of the telescope! And if<br />
your view is set to a brighter time of day, the<br />
Mount Desire Observatory holds a wonderful view<br />
of the village and the area around it.<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
The Victorian Village of Desire<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fatimas%20Desire/<br />
183/37/23]<br />
The Victorian village of Desire in Fatima’s Desire<br />
is a lovely little place with dozens of shops,<br />
many of which have a strong artistic bent to their<br />
wares. Look carefully - you could find a wide variety<br />
of specialized or unique items for sale. At<br />
Heron Curiosities, for example, I found an orrery<br />
(a mechanical representation of the Solar System),<br />
which I picked up for myself. At Southern<br />
Charmed, there is a charming store specializing in<br />
candles. There is even a store specializing in the<br />
sale of nothing but tree houses! And of course,<br />
there are numerous shops purveying a variety of<br />
Victorian fashions.<br />
As in many other sims of this nature, reavelling<br />
<strong>by</strong> water is a wonderful way to see the village<br />
and adjoining areas.<br />
Stonehenge and the Waterfall<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fatimas%20Blush/<br />
43/66/78]<br />
On one of the peaks in Fatima’s Blush, there is<br />
a complete and beautiful replica of Stonehenge.
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Not far away, is what must be tallest waterfalls n<br />
the Second Life world, fitting in with the powerfully<br />
naturalistic themes of the Isles outside the<br />
village.<br />
Blushing Romance Dance Pavilion<br />
Do you fancy a dance <strong>by</strong> moonlight with someone<br />
special? Try the Blushing Romance Dance Pavilion,<br />
within sight of the Waterfall and the Victorian<br />
village.<br />
Castle Victoria<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fatimas%20Love/<br />
88/15/60]<br />
The home of Fatima Ur and Incanus Merlin,<br />
Castle Victoria is a four-storey testament to Victorian<br />
design and aesthetics. The bluff it sits on<br />
has views of a wide area of the Isles.<br />
The Castle Victoria Caves<br />
in the Grotto<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fatimas%20Love/<br />
47/8/22]<br />
In addition to the charm of Victorian design<br />
seen in the village, the pavilion, and other designs,<br />
there is a great deal of naturalistic beauty<br />
in the Isles of Fatima. Under the bluff of Castle<br />
Victoria careful searching will find a series of fascinating<br />
caves, with bridges and even a secret<br />
boudoir.<br />
Tranquility Bridge<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fatimas%20Love/<br />
7/74/50]<br />
As befits a sim based on islands, there are a<br />
number of bridges throughout the Isles of Fatima.<br />
My favorite bridge out of all of these is Tranquility<br />
Bridge.<br />
This bridge spans the channel between the<br />
two islands of Fatima’s Love and Fatima’s Desire.<br />
What caught my eye and my attention is that<br />
the bridge is based on a famous bridge in real<br />
life. Tranquility Bridge is modeled closely on the<br />
Thomas-Telford designed Menai Suspension Bridge<br />
(Pont Grog y Borth), a suspension bridge between<br />
the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales<br />
that dates back to the nineteenth century.<br />
Our <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong><br />
Home of the Month<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fatimas%20Smile/<br />
230/109/22]<br />
Our <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> Home of the Month is designed,<br />
of course, <strong>by</strong> Fatima Ur, and furnished <strong>by</strong><br />
Yolanda Hirvi. The home and gardens are designed<br />
in the pastel Impressionist style of American artist<br />
Thomas Kinkade and sit in the shadow of the<br />
Stonehenge mountain.<br />
Fatima’s Blush Grotto<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fatimas%20Blush/<br />
53/96/29]<br />
Not far away from our <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> home of<br />
the month, there’s a secret romantic getaway<br />
nestled in the shadow of the mountain, with a<br />
view of the sea. Look for the red biplane on the<br />
shore in order to find it!<br />
Fatima’s Victoriana<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fatimas%20Victoriana/194/141/22]<br />
What would a tour of a sim be without looking<br />
at the homes? After all the stores and the<br />
naturalistic beauty, I wandered through Fatima’s<br />
Victoriana, and found a beautiful neighborhood
0 <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
of Victorian homes not far away from her Antique<br />
Artistry store. One delightful way to get a<br />
bird’s-eye view of the homes, and indeed a large<br />
area of the Isles beyond them, is via the balloon<br />
tour that starts in a park in the middle of the<br />
neighbourhood.<br />
Antique Artistry<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fatimas%20Art/<br />
93/135/27]<br />
While on the balloon tour, I spotted Fatima’s<br />
home and garden store. Never unable to resist<br />
such a store, I had to check it out. In her fourstorey<br />
store, there are items ranging from garden<br />
supplies to home furnishings to antiques. A portion<br />
of the store is devoted to her partner Incanus<br />
Merlin’s textures. There is also a fascinating map<br />
showing the development of the Isles of Fatima’s<br />
sims.<br />
Lord and Lady Smadga’s Estate<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fatimas%20<br />
Serenity/0/184/28]<br />
Now open to the public, the expansive estate<br />
owned <strong>by</strong> Lord and Lady Smadga offers a wide<br />
range of diversions. One large area is devoted<br />
to those with equestrian tastes. Visitors can try<br />
their hand at horseback riding, and even jumping!<br />
Their equestrian centre is affiliated with the<br />
real life organization Great Strides [http://www.<br />
greatstrides.org], which promotes equine-facilitated<br />
psychotherapy.<br />
In addition to horseplay, there is also a winery,<br />
a garden, and a docked tall sailing ship to<br />
explore while on the estate, in addition to the<br />
other buildings on the grounds. And the views are<br />
wonderful! E
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
BUILD OF THE MONTH<br />
A House to<br />
Smile About<br />
<strong>by</strong> <strong>Saffia</strong> <strong>Widdershins</strong><br />
NESTLING AT THE FOOT OF THE HILLS IN FATIMA’S<br />
smile, in the shadow of Stonehenge and with a<br />
spectacular waterfall close <strong>by</strong> ... overlooking the<br />
bay where dolphins play, that leads and looking<br />
beyond to the village of Desire and the great suspension<br />
bridge that leads to Castle Victoria ...<br />
just across a little footbridge from a landing strip<br />
and the beautiful Fatima’s Blush Grotto ...<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Could there possibly be a more romantic<br />
or more beautiful setting for the House of the<br />
Month? It seems very unlikely.<br />
And Fatima Ur agrees. ‘I chose this location<br />
for the home because I felt it best embodied the<br />
lifestyle you can enjoy in The Isles’, she explains,<br />
smiling. ‘Beautiful views, natural scenery, a space<br />
most people would NEVER want to leave.’
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Her intention was to create a dream space,<br />
a place of pure relaxation, and the chosen locale<br />
totally dictated the selections for this home<br />
– most specifically in regard to the gardens. They<br />
decided to give it a look seen in the work of a<br />
popular American painter, Thomas Kinkade (see<br />
[http://www.thomaskinkade.com]), with the<br />
natural rambling gardens filled with wildflowers<br />
and perennials showing vividly against the stunning<br />
100 meter waterfall behind the home.<br />
‘With a setting that includes massive mountains,<br />
streams and Stonehenge looming high<br />
above, a manicured garden was not the way to<br />
go’, says Fatima. ‘Instead we opted for rich dark<br />
grasses and flowers, climbing wild roses, birds<br />
aplenty and fields of blossoms as far as the eye<br />
can see.’<br />
Indeed, the gardens are Fatima’s favourite<br />
part of her design here. ‘I love wild overgrown<br />
English gardens so much’, she explains.<br />
‘But the entire look of the build for me is just<br />
wonderful.’<br />
(Editor’s note: Hmmm ... Fatima would love<br />
my garden, then!)<br />
Inside the house, Fatima had a definite goal<br />
in mind: She wanted anyone visiting or living in<br />
the home to feel warm, cosy and and above all<br />
– welcome.<br />
Fatima worked on the house itself with<br />
Yolanda Hirvi, of Metaversal Arts ([http://slurl.<br />
com/secondlife/Cherish/146/202/60]).<br />
‘Yolanda is a dear friend and an incredible<br />
designer’, says Fatima. ‘It is an honour working<br />
with her – talent just oozes from her!’<br />
Yolanda makes her home on The Isles of Fati-<br />
ma, and has a satellite shop of her main sim store,<br />
located in the village on Fatima’s Desire.<br />
‘I was honoured to get a chance to work with<br />
“older” designer Fatima Ur’, says Yolanda.<br />
‘I think the two of us giggled ourselves silly<br />
while making and setting up items for this home!’<br />
Fatima adds.<br />
Yolanda agrees. ‘Working with<br />
Fatima was easy and fun. She is reliable,<br />
very professional and creative,<br />
so the whole process went smoothly.’<br />
Yolanda found that the style of<br />
the estate and the house was in the<br />
Victorian/Edwardian era, but, as a<br />
Finnish designer, she found herself<br />
also inspired <strong>by</strong> the style of her native<br />
country. ‘The golden years of Finnish<br />
design and architecture were in 1930s<br />
and that explains my “subconscious”<br />
love of Art Deco (the style is also<br />
known as Jugend). My design is eclectic<br />
and I usually mix lots of styles.’<br />
Fatima actually built ‘The Peacock’<br />
(the home used for <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong>)<br />
specifically for this plot.<br />
‘The blues and greens Yolanda and I chose for<br />
furnishings and decor were pulled from the textures<br />
used in the home’, she explains. ‘Wallpapers<br />
are reproduction 1890s styles. The stained<br />
glass is derived directly from a real life Victorian<br />
home.’<br />
In fact, it was a single pane of stained glass<br />
which inspired the choice of colours in the house:<br />
Blue, green, aqua and a touch of red.<br />
‘Rich and elegant ... the house grew up around<br />
that one texture’, says Fatima.<br />
The house is deliberately set up to give an<br />
extremely realistic feel, while still respecting the<br />
difficulties of the Second Life environment, particularly<br />
camera angles and movement. Fatima<br />
chose to incorporate simple tiny teleporters be-
tween the three floors instead of stairs in this<br />
house for that reason. ‘Stairs can be difficult<br />
to walk’, she points out, ‘and I decided to use<br />
the prims to bulk up on the many tiny details<br />
throughout the residence. High ceilings are usually<br />
a “must” so cameras will work properly, but<br />
need to be low enough to still give a warm homey<br />
feeling.’<br />
Fatima’s organisation of the house was based<br />
around the idea of a real house – and also the<br />
areas that she feels most people like decorating<br />
in Second Life.<br />
‘With decorating such a huge pastime<br />
for many, I felt it simply must have<br />
a fabulous kitchen and dining area’, says<br />
Fatima, ‘as well as a living room/lounge/<br />
office area ... and a bathroom and bedroom<br />
section. We don’t necessarily use a<br />
bathroom in Second Life, but who doesn’t<br />
love to decorate one? So, on the top<br />
floor, we have a luscious claw foot tub<br />
with running water you can relax in.’<br />
Indeed, each room and niche offers<br />
something special. The ground floor<br />
boasts a grand piano and formal dining<br />
area, with its own custom-designed china<br />
for the lady of the house to enjoy, while<br />
the kitchen is overflowing with every<br />
item needed to make a fabulous meal.<br />
On this level too comes a new element<br />
for Fatima.<br />
‘I decided to make a piano’, she explains,<br />
‘something I had not made before. I wanted it to<br />
be decorative but lower prim – there are stunning<br />
pianos to be had in Second Life, but most are so<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
primmy. So I referenced a lot of pictures to make<br />
a nice piano design that gives sharp details but<br />
still manages to be only 13 prims including the<br />
stool.’ She smiles as she admits, ‘It doesn’t have<br />
all the bells and whistles of fancier ones but I<br />
hope it looks pleasing.’<br />
Well, it certainly pleases us!<br />
One floor up is an amazing sitting area and<br />
office, designed <strong>by</strong> Yolanda.<br />
Yolanda’s original plan was to build<br />
a traditional Victorian/Edwardian style<br />
living area with a den. But somehow<br />
the living area turned into ‘Asian Art<br />
Deco’. The eye-catcher of this area is<br />
the book case, based on the traditional<br />
Japanese torii gate (usually found at<br />
shinto temple entrances).<br />
‘Well’, says Yolanda, ‘after the torii<br />
gate I just had to make my own version<br />
of tansu – the Japanese chest or<br />
cabinet. I did some online research<br />
for Japanese furniture and about torii<br />
gates for this.’<br />
Yolanda is a big fan of dark (nearly<br />
black) mahogany, but this time she<br />
chose a lighter wood with a shine effect,<br />
while the settee, armchairs and<br />
lamps in the round nook are pure Art<br />
Deco style. The inspiration for the Japanese-style<br />
furniture came from Starship Jefferson’s Japanese-style<br />
textures (available at [http://slurl.<br />
com/secondlife/Sanguine/223/236/641]).<br />
‘I used couple of those textures here, so<br />
the colour scheme comes from those textures’,<br />
explains Yolanda. ‘The shiny satin-like<br />
fabric gives the hint of luxury to the set that I<br />
named as Gats<strong>by</strong>.’
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Even the balcony has a place to sit and enjoy<br />
the scenery.<br />
‘The view from the balcony is fabulous’, explains<br />
Yolanda, ‘so it is a very nice place to have<br />
breakfast or tea. Black wrought iron is decorative<br />
and never goes out of style. The sculpted<br />
tea set is one of my favourite creations. Most of<br />
the things here were created for this house, but<br />
the tea set and tea trolley are among my earlier<br />
designs that I am still very happy with.’<br />
Moving up to the top floor, one finds the lovely<br />
bathroom – and tub! – but also the bedroom area.<br />
‘I wanted to make very romantic bedroom’,<br />
says Yolanda, ‘so I took a couple of steps away<br />
from Art Deco and towards Edwardian/Victorian.<br />
I like floral fabrics, but I like to prevent the messy<br />
look when mixing many floral textures in one room.<br />
The floral carpet was placed <strong>by</strong> Fatima so I ended<br />
up using only one floral fabric in the bedroom furniture.<br />
The dominating materials here are bronze,<br />
rosewood and emerald satin. I really like how the<br />
bedroom turned out – in fact, I think I am going to<br />
transfer that look to my own bedroom too!’<br />
And Yolanda is also happy with one final touch,<br />
outside in the garden.<br />
‘The Charleston dance animations <strong>by</strong> Maar<br />
Auer (a fellow member of Metaversal Arts) are<br />
the icing on the cake’, says Yolanda.<br />
So, one cannot help but wonder how many<br />
prims all this took!<br />
Fatima smiles. ‘Our prim limit was a very manageable<br />
1300’, she says. ‘Incanus and I had set aside<br />
prims to truly showcase this home. So, although the<br />
plot is not huge it offers every amenity. The house<br />
itself is under a hundred prims which allows for details<br />
on top of details to be added to the gardens and<br />
so that furnishing can be done completely. But even<br />
with prims to use, we still kept prim counts in mind<br />
for many things. The china I created is all sculpted<br />
and one prim each. Most of the “decorator” items<br />
like the art, rugs, frames etc. are one prim, and the<br />
piano is very low prim – and created with this home<br />
in mind. If prims were no issue at all, I suppose I<br />
would have made every single item without sculpted<br />
prims, sparing no detail. But sadly, that kind of prim<br />
allowance doesn’t often exist in Second Life.’<br />
Yolanda agrees. ‘We had plenty of prims for<br />
use so I didn’t have to limit my design according<br />
to those. But I always keep eye on prim counts. I<br />
couldn’t stop if even I wanted to.’<br />
But we think our readers will agree – this house<br />
makes wonderful use of every prim it took! E
STAR COMPETITION<br />
Win One Month Free<br />
in our Star Home<br />
WIN A MONTH IN THE GORGEOUS ISLES OF FATIMA<br />
sims, staying rent-free in the lovely house created<br />
<strong>by</strong> our star designer!<br />
Now that you’ve read all about the Islands<br />
and the beautiful <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> home designed <strong>by</strong><br />
Yolanda Hirvi and Fatima Ur, <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> is delighted<br />
to be able to offer our star prize, courtesy<br />
of the owners of the Isles of Fatima – Fatima Ur<br />
and Incanus Merlin:<br />
How do I enter?<br />
You need to answer the three questions below.<br />
All the answers are somewhere in the magazine<br />
- so read it carefully and you will find the answers<br />
you need!<br />
1. What famous Neolithic monument is located<br />
close to our Prize home this month?<br />
2. What are the two colours in the Romantic<br />
Roses designed for the special Rose Hunt <strong>by</strong> Soleil<br />
Snook?<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
3. What independent group dedicated to the<br />
controversial idea that in the near future, human<br />
beings will be able (and willing) to transcend the<br />
limitations of biology, is headquartered in Extropia<br />
Core, our Landscape of the Month?<br />
Then send your answers to primperfect@<br />
gmail.com - together with a completion of this<br />
sentence (in not more than 15 words) …<br />
“I want to live on the Isles of Fatima because…”<br />
Mark your email subject as: Star Competition<br />
– Summer 2008. Include in the email the name of<br />
your avatar. Do NOT IM or notecard anyone connected<br />
with the magazine.<br />
The winner will be the person who answers all<br />
the questions correctly and also supplies the best<br />
tie-breaker, in the opinion of the editorial team.<br />
There is NO cash alternative.<br />
Closing date: 1st September 2008
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
SPECIAL FEATURE<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Relay for Life: the View<br />
from the SLCN Studio<br />
<strong>by</strong> <strong>Saffia</strong> <strong>Widdershins</strong><br />
THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY RELAY FOR LIFE (RFL)<br />
began in May 1985, when a colorectal surgeon ran<br />
around a track in Tacoma, Washington for twenty-four<br />
hours, raising $27,000 for the American<br />
Cancer Society.<br />
Today it has become an annual event that has<br />
spread to more than 4,600 communities in the<br />
United States and twenty-three countries across<br />
the globe – and, to the surprise of some, to the<br />
virtual globe.
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
To date, Relay For Life has raised more than<br />
$1.5 billion to help the Society accelerate progress<br />
against cancer <strong>by</strong> funding research and equipping<br />
patients, caregivers, family and friends to fight<br />
back against this disease.<br />
In most locations, teams of people gather<br />
at schools, fairgrounds, or parks and take turns<br />
walking or running laps. Each team tries to keep<br />
at least one team member on the track at all<br />
times. Pledges of monetary support for the runners<br />
are then donated to the Cancer Society.<br />
In 2005, the Second Life community saw fit to<br />
re-create a Relay For Life event within the virtual<br />
world setting, combining traditional activities<br />
with the new twists that the virtual community<br />
can offer. Besides having expanded to far more<br />
activities and fund-raising initiatives than the<br />
event’s originators ever dreamed, Second Life’s<br />
version of Relay for Life enables participation<br />
<strong>by</strong> those who, for reasons of physical incapacity,<br />
geographical distance or schedule conflicts,<br />
would otherwise be unable to be part of this worthy<br />
effort.<br />
Although this year’s Relay had the goal of raising<br />
$125,000 (U.S.), the final total rocketed past<br />
that goal with a scorching $200,000 contributed,<br />
well over the total of all four previous Second Life<br />
Relays combined. The imaginative builds for RFL<br />
weekend spread over a record thirty-five sims,<br />
offering visitors and runners alike a visual feast<br />
during the all-too-short time the displays were<br />
available. Residents could choose from among a<br />
massive scavenger hunt, a silent auction of both<br />
real life and Second Life merchandise, bull riding,<br />
archery, or a visit to outer space, to name<br />
only a few of the activities available.<br />
The scope of the 2008 RFL in Second Life was<br />
far greater than any one reporter could explore.<br />
So we asked several observers to offer their Relay<br />
experiences and reflections.<br />
Paisley Beebe<br />
I was contacted <strong>by</strong> Starr Sonic of SLCN.TV<br />
about helping her plan a TV Telethon for this<br />
year’s RFL. This seemed an incredibly ambitious<br />
goal, even for SLCN.TV who have successfully<br />
produced a number of significant specials, including<br />
the Miss Universe Competition and the Best of<br />
Second Life Awards. This would be the very first<br />
Virtual TV Telethon ... and ... I had no idea how<br />
to do it ...<br />
Starr, thankfully, already had some ideas and<br />
she gave me the task of rounding up hosts to work<br />
the ‘phones’ so to speak and interview RFL organizers<br />
as well as cancer survivors and care-givers.<br />
Three Vignettes<br />
<strong>by</strong> Jvstin Tomorrow<br />
Troy<br />
No story in Western culture, with the possible<br />
exceptions of the Old Testament and the story<br />
of Jesus Christ, has inspired writers and painters<br />
over the centuries more than the Trojan War.<br />
Located in Heroes 19, the ‘Fall of Troy’ build<br />
provided the participants in Relay for Life an opportunity<br />
to travel through a re-creation of the<br />
city of Troy just before its fall. Relay-runners and<br />
other visitors were able to spot the infamous Trojan<br />
Horse, the stables (N.B.: Troy, especially during<br />
the time of Hector, was famous for its horses),<br />
a market, the forum, and the palace. The spectacular<br />
build concentrated primarily on exterior<br />
detail rather than interior; many of the smaller<br />
buildings were set up only as façades. The builder,<br />
Tya Fallingbridge, clearly concentrated her<br />
efforts on things that relayers and other travelers<br />
on the route could easily see, creating the highest<br />
impact for the passers-<strong>by</strong> during the limited<br />
time that the structures would be on display.<br />
Tya suggested that visitors use the environment<br />
setting of ‘gelatto’ to view the sim, which<br />
gave Troy an early-dawn-just-before-its-doom<br />
sort of appearance. Using more standard settings,<br />
however, revealed the care and craft of the<br />
build in more crystal clarity. This was a remarkable<br />
creation.<br />
The Trojan War – a story of love, betrayal and<br />
above all, valour and courage. And it is those latter<br />
two qualities which made it, and the sim itself,<br />
a perfect part of the Relay for Life builds.<br />
Vignettes continued on page 41
0 <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
The organizing process was quite complex, since<br />
it involved coordinating schedules of participants,<br />
Relay events and the production resources<br />
of the network.<br />
The weeks flew <strong>by</strong> with neither Starr or myself<br />
knowing how it was really going to go on the<br />
Day. I did know one thing though – the day was<br />
going to be huge! We were concerned that lag<br />
was going to be a big problem for the cameras,<br />
so I spent the week before flying around the sims<br />
before the traffic got high, taking pictures of<br />
the various builds as they were completed so we<br />
would have them available for the broadcast.<br />
That was a great opportunity to see the RFL<br />
sims before I got too busy to enjoy them. I was incredibly<br />
impressed with the amount of work that<br />
some groups had put in for what was, in fact, only<br />
a few days of appreciation. Among my favourites<br />
was the Hogwarts build, which had lots of great<br />
hidden rooms and passageways and some faithfully<br />
recreated scenes, including moving staircases<br />
and moving faces of the ‘portrait’ build, which<br />
I really enjoyed!<br />
The preparation process was not without its<br />
hiccups, however. One night as I was shooting<br />
some photos near the Athletes Arena, I spotted<br />
a strange object flying around a futuristic build<br />
on the sea. On closer inspection, it turned out to<br />
be a Dementor that had somehow escaped from<br />
Hogwarts and was sadly going round and round<br />
in circles, obviously lost with no one to scare. I<br />
notified the authorities immediately <strong>by</strong> sending<br />
out pictures of my find, to a response of much<br />
hilarity on the RFL Captains Group. I also heard<br />
reports that, apparently, there was also a giraffe<br />
on the loose from the zoo at one stage. However,<br />
no injuries were reported.<br />
As the telethon approached, we finalized our<br />
hosts and scheduled the guests for interviews.<br />
Hosts included <strong>Saffia</strong> <strong>Widdershins</strong> and Davon<br />
Westland from <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong><br />
magazine and Meta Makeover,<br />
Yxes Delacroix from<br />
The Shopping Channel (and<br />
Director of Tonight Live), famous<br />
clothing designer caL-<br />
Lie cLine, Crap Mariner from<br />
100 Word Stories and Podcast<br />
Island, and duckyfresh<br />
Watanabe from That S’Life<br />
on SLCN.TV, Pooky Amsterdam,<br />
host of The 2nd Question<br />
on SLCN.TV, and Angie<br />
Mornington of In a <strong>Perfect</strong><br />
World Productions, while I<br />
took the late shift. Coverage included the Survivors<br />
lap, sailing, snail races, music, a ‘furry, fairy<br />
and mystical’ segment, and much more.<br />
In a feat of amazing speed, a remote studio<br />
was beautifully erected on location <strong>by</strong> the <strong>Prim</strong><br />
<strong>Perfect</strong>/Meta Makeover team, who turned to<br />
Jeremey Ryan of Barefoot Designs and Dellybean<br />
North of True North Designs for design and construction<br />
of the building, which was furnished <strong>by</strong><br />
Maxwell Graf of Rustica and landscaped <strong>by</strong> Anhayla<br />
Lycia, who had just completed the magnificent<br />
El Cid build.<br />
Since I am on Australian time, I went to bed
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
the night before the event hoping that everything<br />
was going to go according to plan. When I<br />
arrived, <strong>Saffia</strong> had done her interviews and started<br />
the ball rolling on the telethon, and enormous<br />
amounts had been raised already! But as we had<br />
expected, the lag was horrendous for the cameras,<br />
so an adjustment was made<br />
to hold the actual interviews in<br />
the main studio location. Some of<br />
the scheduled guests were stuck or<br />
caught up and couldn’t make it, so<br />
we shuffled others around at the<br />
last minute. Flexibility was the order<br />
of the day.<br />
By all accounts, the programme<br />
(though exhausting for the heroic<br />
production staff) went well and<br />
was incredibly moving for everyone<br />
who participated. (Ed. note: Video<br />
of the telethon can be viewed on<br />
SLCN.TV.) It was an honour to be involved<br />
in such an important event<br />
which offered such significant support<br />
to cancer patients, survivors<br />
and caregivers.<br />
I’m grateful to all the organizers<br />
of Relay For Life, the people<br />
who interrupted their very special day to talk<br />
to us about their involvement in RFL, the hosts<br />
who gave up time to be involved, and the entire<br />
SLCN.TV team – Starr Sonic, Texas Timtam and<br />
Wiz Nordberg. It was an experience none of us<br />
will ever forget.<br />
Paisley is a well-known singer in Second Life and<br />
hosts the weekly programme Tonight Live on<br />
SLCN.TV.<br />
Vignettes continued from page 39<br />
King Arthur—Camelot<br />
The magic of Camelot speaks though the wind<br />
as you approach.<br />
‘Seek out the Grail, for it may be the key to<br />
the cure’<br />
You look around to see whose voice you hear,<br />
but see no one.<br />
Located in Heroes 13, Camelot brought the spirit<br />
of the Knights of the Round Table to Relay for Life.<br />
The varied origins of those knights from different<br />
lands, locations, and walks of life, coming together to<br />
champion single purpose and kingdom, was taken as<br />
inspiration for this sim to reflect the nature of Relay<br />
for Life, which provides another occasion of a great<br />
purpose bringing together many people from many<br />
different backgrounds, countries and walks of life.<br />
Centred on a spectacular Castle out of the stories<br />
of King Arthur, Camelot included not only a wonderfully<br />
developed and displayed environment, but<br />
also a bit of roleplay in the form of ‘Quest for the<br />
Cure’, an intriguing way to guide visitors through<br />
the Castle and grounds. Visitors saw stained glass<br />
windows, beautiful statuary, banners, and lovely<br />
views from the towers and windows, nor would it<br />
have been complete, of course, without the Round<br />
Table and Merlin’s Tower. Outside the castle, there<br />
was the kitchen where Sir Gareth worked as a boy,<br />
a forge, and even lists for jousting.<br />
Viewing the build in low light conditions (Ghost<br />
and Midnight), rather than obscuring the beautiful<br />
details, actually improved the overall experience<br />
of walking through the Castle and surrounding area,<br />
evoking the mystery of the King Arthur legend.<br />
Malakh Giles and Serenity Sieyes, the joint<br />
builders of the sim, along with the other members<br />
of the Avalon Order, made the visit to Camelot an<br />
immersive and complete experience for the relayers<br />
and visitors alike.<br />
Vignettes continued on page 43
Davon Westland<br />
While Second Life has often<br />
been characterized as an online<br />
game, for me it has always felt<br />
more like an extension of real<br />
life. That sense of reality has<br />
probably never seemed more<br />
literal than when I recently<br />
participated in the SL Relay for<br />
Life event for the benefit of<br />
the American Cancer Society.<br />
Serving as one of the hosts of<br />
the SLCN.TV telethon, I was<br />
able to experience first-hand<br />
the excitement, enthusiasm,<br />
and encouragement the event<br />
generated.<br />
<strong>Saffia</strong> <strong>Widdershins</strong>, host of<br />
SLCN.TV’s Meta Makeover program,<br />
and I were assigned the<br />
opening two hours of the day-long televised event.<br />
Arriving at the newly-constructed on-site studio,<br />
we began our last minute preparations, including<br />
not only looking over script materials but, more<br />
importantly, meeting participants in the event.<br />
Any trappings of ‘just-a-game’ melted instantly<br />
as we began to chat in voice with real-life cancer<br />
survivor LadyKay Gable. Hearing not only of her<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
personal bout with cancer but also the struggles<br />
of her loved ones set the tone for the event. We<br />
realized that we were here to celebrate life and<br />
victory as well as to step up the fight against the<br />
disease that has touched countless lives.<br />
While the seriousness of the moment was unmistakable,<br />
it did not cast a pall on the festivities.<br />
Instead, the joy was contagious as I looked
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
around and realized the countless hours of volunteer<br />
work and the level of dedication that had<br />
gone in to preparing the numerous sims for the<br />
events that were to come.<br />
As <strong>Saffia</strong> and I took our seats in the SLCN.TV<br />
studio and the program began, the enthusiasm<br />
was contagious. Having been given the daunting<br />
task of filling two hours of live TV air time, it<br />
quickly became apparent to both <strong>Saffia</strong> and myself<br />
that the minutes were racing <strong>by</strong> as the cancer<br />
survivors streamed past our studio windows,<br />
circling the relay-for-life track.<br />
One thing that has always set Second Life<br />
apart from the ever-popular video games of the<br />
day is that behind every avatar here, there is a<br />
real human being with hopes, desires, wishes and<br />
dreams. The Relay for Life event, and the unique<br />
part that I was allowed to play in it, served to further<br />
strip away veneers of the other participants<br />
and my own as well. It showcased the caring side<br />
of Second Life that has often been overlooked <strong>by</strong><br />
the real life media. It allowed us to remove our<br />
avatar masks and connect with people in a lasting<br />
and meaningful way, while showing heart-felt<br />
concern, compassion, and caring. Hearts were<br />
touched, lives changed, and courageous people<br />
encouraged to continue the fight. And (did I forget<br />
to mention?), the funds raised were not vir-<br />
Vignettes continued from page 41<br />
El Cid<br />
The El Cid sim in Relay for Life was inspired<br />
<strong>by</strong> the stories of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar (‘El Cid’),<br />
a significant military figure in Iberian history who<br />
helped fuel the rise of the kingdom of Spain in the<br />
11th century. While a valiant soldier, El Cid was at<br />
the same time a model of culture, tolerance and<br />
understanding to his friends and enemies alike.<br />
Rather than using real life models for the sim,<br />
Anhayla Lycia of Treesong Designs created the meticulous<br />
structures and textures of the El Cid build<br />
using designs and motifs inspired <strong>by</strong> and based on<br />
the architecture of 11th century Iberia – both medieval<br />
Spanish culture and the Islamic influences<br />
of the period. Remarkable craft and care were<br />
demonstrated in placement and design, both in<br />
the large scale design of the buildings and the ornate<br />
detail work. Surprises could be found around<br />
every corner of the gardens and arcades.<br />
The quality of the design was excellent and<br />
created an appealing portion of the Relay setting.<br />
I found the Barcelona lighting, also attractive at<br />
the similarly Moorish-influenced Al-Andalus sim,<br />
the best way to see this beautiful site. E<br />
tual but real – thousands and thousands of real life<br />
dollars to make a real life difference.<br />
In my brief time as a resident of Second Life,<br />
there have been some memorable moments, but<br />
the 2008 Second Life Relay for Life has become one<br />
of those magical moments that has redefined the<br />
way I approach this ‘game’ called Second Life. E<br />
Davon Westland is producer of Meta Makeover, a<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> production seen regularly on the SLCN<br />
television network.
SNOOK’S GARDEN CENTRE HAS LONG BEEN FAMED<br />
for its beautiful Victorian plants and settings, including<br />
wonderful old-fashioned roses, but now<br />
they are introducing something really rather special:<br />
a new line of Single Stem, Bouquets and Baskets<br />
of exquisite prim roses created <strong>by</strong> Omicron<br />
Llewellyn.<br />
These roses come in perfect shades of pink,<br />
yellow, white, cream, blue, and salmon as well as<br />
dual tones of mauve/white, red/white and pink/<br />
white – and the detail is quite breathtaking.<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Join the Hunt for<br />
Twelve Magical Roses in the<br />
Realms of the Roses!<br />
Snook’s Garden Centre Introduces Llewellyn Roses<br />
Unique to the Garden and Flower markets of<br />
the Second Life world, each petal of each rose is<br />
individually made, textured <strong>by</strong> hand and placed<br />
in what must surely be the most perfect rose<br />
available in Second Life at this time.<br />
Well, we certainly think so – and so <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong>,<br />
the premier lifestyle magazine of Second<br />
Life is pleased to have purchased the <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong><br />
Blue Rose – a rose in the blue colour of our<br />
magazine logo. This has been created especially<br />
for us, and will be exclusive to <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong>.
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
But more than that, we are delighted to add<br />
our backing to the Realm of the Roses’ Grand<br />
Rose Hunt, sponsored <strong>by</strong> Snook’s Garden Centre<br />
and Llewellyn Roses.<br />
This is a hunt for twelve exclusive blue roses.<br />
Three roses will be hidden in each the four Realms<br />
of Caledon, Winterfell, Brythony, and Lovelace.<br />
The clues to their hiding places will be published<br />
in the <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> Blog. These are collector’s<br />
roses, featuring the <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> Blue colour with<br />
special gold-tipped petals. This design will never<br />
be repeated.<br />
The rose has always been attributed deep<br />
meanings – whether it was a symbol of transience,<br />
or courtly love, or used to deliver messages between<br />
lovers and friends. Now friends, lovers, and<br />
would-be suitors can send a rose to object of their<br />
admiration and affection that is so outstanding that<br />
it surely will catch the attention of its recipient.<br />
Mr Llewellyn and Miss Snook took on the challenge<br />
of creating the perfect rose when the Duchess<br />
of Carntaigh announced her engagement.<br />
‘Mr Llewellyn and myself wanted to introduce<br />
the finest flower that could be had in Second<br />
Life’, says Soliel Snook, ‘and the rose, which represents<br />
so much emotion, was the perfect place<br />
to start. The textures are hand done, in delicate<br />
shades to represent the nuance of nature and not<br />
a illustrated facsimile.’<br />
The addition of the new line of hand-held<br />
bouquets, bridal flowers and single stems will be<br />
the first of its kind for the Caledon / Victorian<br />
Steam Punk themed sims.<br />
So ... to win one of the exclusive Rose Hunt<br />
roses, make sure you read the <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> Blog<br />
every day! E
PRIM PERFECT QUIZ<br />
Do You Need a Vacation?<br />
DO YOU NEED A VACATION? FROM EITHER LIFE?<br />
If more than five of the items below apply to you,<br />
then you should immediately shut down your<br />
computer and go and find a travel agent. Yes, a<br />
travel agent. These are the people who actually<br />
TALK to you ... and book your holiday for you!<br />
And remember – a laptop is not an essential item<br />
of equipment on vacation.<br />
You know you need a real life vacation when ...<br />
a. You walk past a real life shop for lease and<br />
wonder what the tier is.<br />
b. You wonder if the ‘lag’ at the airport terminal<br />
queue is because the ‘sim’ is full.<br />
c. You sit on the arm of a couch because you<br />
couldn’t find the poseball.<br />
d. You go streaking in public and try to blame<br />
the asset server.<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
<strong>by</strong> M0lly Dench, with the<br />
assistance of assorted Caledonians<br />
e. You see an ad for a house-for-sale and wonder<br />
why they didn’t include a prim count in the<br />
property description.<br />
Further indications that you may need a real<br />
life vacation include ...<br />
a. You shout at the television when alt-mouse<br />
does not work.<br />
b. When you can’t understand why your real<br />
life furniture does not rearrange itself with a<br />
wave of your hand.<br />
c. When the last drink you had is one that rezzed<br />
in front of you.<br />
d. Your last hairdo cost you L$100.<br />
e. When you can’t understand why you can’t<br />
wear your car.
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
When thinking about taking a real life<br />
vacation you ...<br />
a. Get frustrated when you can’t find the<br />
‘Teleport’ button on the travel agent’s website<br />
b. Panic when you think about the possibility<br />
of the airline losing your ‘inventory’.<br />
c. Wonder if you can afford to upgrade the<br />
video card and RAM in your laptop.<br />
d. Stress out completely over spending eight<br />
hours on a plane.<br />
e. Become irrationally violent when the weather<br />
reports indicate rain for the next 14 days.<br />
The last real life vacation you took, you ...<br />
a. Realised you couldn’t, after all, actually<br />
dance.<br />
b. You were too scared to leave your hotel because<br />
there was real weather outside.<br />
c. Kept looking for the teleporter instead of<br />
the elevator.<br />
d. Had hysterics because there was no wireless<br />
internet connection at the hotel.<br />
e. Were amazed when your drink spilt on the<br />
dance floor whilst boogeying.<br />
Finally on vacation in real life, you<br />
suddenly realise ...<br />
a. Your optional appendage may not always<br />
perform at the click of a mouse.<br />
b. Sex pose balls are not standard hotel-bed<br />
fixtures.<br />
c. Your skin, strangely, actually goes red in the<br />
sun.<br />
d. You don’t, after all, look like Elle McPherson<br />
or Brad Pitt.<br />
e. The Babel Fish translator is not immediately<br />
available to you when you speak to someone.<br />
You are on vacation in Second Life – not<br />
real life – when ...<br />
a. You CAN find the TP button on the travel<br />
agent’s website.<br />
b. The only children at the resort are your<br />
best friend’s alts.<br />
c. You wonder why on earth there is a bed<br />
in your hotel room when it doesn’t have sex<br />
pose-balls.<br />
d. You go swimming in the pool in a ball gown<br />
without giving it a thought.<br />
e. Your Piña Colada never runs out – until you<br />
stop wearing it, of course.E
PHOTOCONTEST COMPETITION<br />
DURING THE LAST WEEK OF AUGUST, PHOTOGRAPHERS<br />
in the Second Life world, working with designers<br />
and models, will have a new kind of contest, running<br />
through the entire week. On<br />
each of the five days, there will<br />
be a theme - but the identity of<br />
the sims we will be visiting for the<br />
photographs will only be revealed<br />
on the day of the competition!<br />
The five themes are these:<br />
Monday: Swinging Sixties<br />
Tuesday: Living <strong>by</strong> the sea<br />
Wednesday: Discover<br />
Singapore<br />
Thursday: Artistic fantasy<br />
Friday: Jazz Age<br />
Every day from 25th August -<br />
29th August, we’ll gather at Orange<br />
Amphitheatre [http://slurl.com/<br />
secondlife/Orange%20Island/195<br />
/134/31] at noon SLT and reveal<br />
the destination of the sim where<br />
the shooting will take place. The<br />
Orange Island blog [http://www.<br />
orange-island.com/] and the <strong>Prim</strong><br />
<strong>Perfect</strong> blog [http://primperfectblog.wordpress.com/]<br />
will give a<br />
little hint before every event. If<br />
participants cannot be at the Amphitheatre<br />
at 12 noon, there will<br />
be a kiosk placed there with the<br />
information they will need when<br />
they come later.<br />
After a visit to the sim with the sim Owner<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> and<br />
Orange Island Sponsor<br />
a Fashion Photocontest<br />
<strong>by</strong> <strong>Saffia</strong> <strong>Widdershins</strong><br />
(or his/her deputies), the specific conditions that<br />
photographers will have to bear in mind for that<br />
particular sim will be announced, and then par-<br />
ticipants will have until 6AM SLT the day after<br />
to take, edit and upload upload their pic to to
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
koinup portal (full instructions on how to do this<br />
will be given). The finalists from each day will<br />
then be displayed on Orange Island and also on<br />
that day’s sim.<br />
Each photographer will have the opportunity<br />
to team with designers and models of their<br />
choice - and even different models and designers<br />
over the course of the week - on the condition<br />
that s/he credits them for their help.<br />
Jury members will include partners involved<br />
the overall week:<br />
• <strong>Saffia</strong> Windershiff from <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong><br />
• Koinup Burt from Koinup, whose Portal will<br />
provide the upload for the entries [http://www.<br />
koinup.com]<br />
• M0lly Dench from Runway Magazine will promote<br />
the event (RUNWAY Magazine is a monthly<br />
in-world publication dedicated to the promotion<br />
of fashion, modelling, and design in Second Life<br />
[http://en.calameo.com/accounts/4379])<br />
• the sim owners<br />
• and representatives of photo and art related<br />
groups.<br />
So, from Monday to Friday, we’ll have in total<br />
5 sims to visit and 5 prizes to award. During the<br />
week, the finalists will be exhibited for each day.<br />
At the conclusion of the week, those competitors<br />
awarded third, second or first places will form an<br />
exhibition that will be displayed until late September.<br />
Every day will follow the same pattern<br />
except Friday. On Friday, we will reveal the last<br />
sim to visit and also announce the special Orange<br />
Prize for the weekend.<br />
Starting from Friday to Saturday<br />
12 noon SLT, participants<br />
can, in addition to the daily prize,<br />
try to win the Special Prize from<br />
Orange.<br />
• Five daily prizes, for the best work<br />
of art of the day<br />
• An special Orange prize, to<br />
be announced during the week<br />
• An overall prize, for the best<br />
single work of the week<br />
• An overall prize for the most<br />
consistent work of the week (submitting<br />
every day)<br />
On Sunday, noon SLT on Orange<br />
Island, the final ceremony<br />
will award the winners of the<br />
competition.<br />
The prizes, for photographers,<br />
designers and models, will be a<br />
plaque and the right to advertise<br />
their work as a winner of Orange Island Photocontest<br />
2008. Those placed second and third will be<br />
awarded plaques and the right to advertise their<br />
work as runners-up in the Orange Island Photocontest<br />
2008. <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> will feature an article on<br />
the contest in their September issue, showing the<br />
work of the winners and featuring an interview<br />
with the winners of the overall prize. The overall<br />
winners will also be featured in the Orange Island<br />
& Koinup Photo Sessions for September.<br />
More details will appear on the <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong><br />
blog [http://primperfectblog.wordpress.com]<br />
and the Orange Island blog [http://www.orangeisland.com/].<br />
E
0 <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
READERS’ HOME OF THE MONTH<br />
‘THE YOUTH OF TODAY DRESS AND BEHAVE<br />
immodestly, have no respect for their elders, nor<br />
concern for their own futures.’ So spoke Socrates<br />
– or at least it is alleged that he did so – and he<br />
was a philosopher who lived from 469 BCE to 399<br />
BCE. It’s nice to know that two and a half thousand<br />
years ago, people were complaining about<br />
the Youth of Today. Not much has changed – people<br />
are still complaining about the Youth of Today<br />
– but it is worth reflecting that Socrates also often<br />
said his wisdom was limited to an awareness<br />
of his own ignorance.<br />
Those who have not yet come across the<br />
Pretty N Punk sim, owned <strong>by</strong> Todd Staheli, can<br />
claim Socratic Ignorance as a defense. This sim<br />
is certainly what Socrates would have had in<br />
mind if he’d been in the Second Life world today<br />
– it is one of the places where the Youth of<br />
Today definitely – and defiantly – like to hang<br />
out, and where there is a thriving and bustling<br />
lifestyle for the younger avatars amongst us.<br />
So a visit to Pretty N Punk, on the Biopunk<br />
Pretty N Punk<br />
<strong>by</strong> M0lly Dench<br />
sim, is one fraught with more ‘what to wears?’<br />
than an audience with the Queen. After all, one<br />
doesn’t wish to be seen in the light of someone’s<br />
grandmother, after all, amongst all the trendy<br />
young things zipping about shopping, playing,<br />
and chatting.<br />
The Biopunk sim is the result of a vision that<br />
Todd Staheli had for a sim where living, shopping,<br />
dancing, playing, and hanging out would all converge<br />
into one big happy extended family. There<br />
are many communities where this style of living<br />
is becoming more and more popular – where<br />
the house you rent is just that – a<br />
house you rent – and the areas<br />
surrounding it are shared community<br />
areas involving recreational<br />
activities, bars, food, dancing,<br />
boating, swimming, fun.<br />
Todd’s vision was for a shopping<br />
mall, and housing, in a giant<br />
grunge village theme. The play<br />
on words, of course, is after the<br />
band Pretty In Punk, which itself<br />
is a play on words for ‘pretty in
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
pink’, the antithesis of everything grunge culture<br />
actually stands for. And grunge culture is a big<br />
part of Second Life, as it is in real life. Grunge<br />
emerged out of Seattle – the subculture there that<br />
rejected the outdoorsy, pretty, environmentally<br />
beauteous, clean and upstanding<br />
world that many of the youth found<br />
so boring. The band Nirvana’s hit<br />
‘Nevermind’ was one of the prime<br />
drivers that moved grunge from a<br />
subculture into popular culture.<br />
The Pretty N Punk sim manages<br />
to combine elements of hard-core<br />
grunge – dirty windows, graffiti,<br />
weathered boards, iron walkways,<br />
and the odd trashcan – with the<br />
beachside feel of a resort town. Todd<br />
originally placed the mall above the<br />
village, and the village next to the<br />
sea, so the progression from shopping<br />
to housing to recreation was<br />
conducted in a progressive manner<br />
from the top to the water’s edge.<br />
Remembering back to his own<br />
early days in Second Life, Todd<br />
wanted most of the housing to be waterfront – it<br />
was what he’d searched for originally and finally<br />
what he built for his residents. The rents are ex-<br />
tremely reasonable, in keeping with the community<br />
values and shared living experiences of the<br />
grunge culture, and the houses and apartments<br />
are a clever, well designed mix of old boards,<br />
distressed wood, warehouse brick, grimy windows,<br />
pretty outlooks, and liveable designs. The<br />
textures are unusual and detailed and feel edgy<br />
without being too derelict.<br />
Shopping at Pretty N Punk is an eclectic experience.<br />
Todd is also a successful fashion designer,<br />
with his Pretty N Punk label, and again goes back<br />
to the name Pretty N Punk to describe his offerrings.<br />
He wanted to make people ‘pretty’ with<br />
a ‘punk’ edge and like the sim, it’s reflected in<br />
his clothing designs. There are over twenty-five<br />
shops in the mall these days and they sell a wide<br />
range of items.<br />
The lagoon is the social centre of the<br />
sim, where events are held and people get<br />
together. It has some fun and quirky elements<br />
to it – the pirate ship moored there,<br />
complete with Jolly Roger and tattered black<br />
sails, the fishing game, and the rubber-tyre<br />
swings, towels, fire pit, coloured lights and<br />
danceballs, all designed to encourage play<br />
and relaxation. Quirky humour is obviously a<br />
hallmark of the designer, as a number of items<br />
really make one smile as you wander around<br />
the island. The graffiti-covered bright yellow<br />
school bus, the big fat inflatable tyres in the<br />
lagoon for lolling about on, the wrought iron<br />
manholes with intricate detail (what IS down<br />
under there, I wonder) and the little sit-on<br />
seesaws and kiddie rides, all make for a fun<br />
and interesting outdoor space.<br />
A large component of the Pretty N Punk sim would<br />
have to be the Neko subculture, which has a distinct<br />
presence here. Again, some of the communal living<br />
items are designed with elements of climbing and<br />
play, sure to appeal, and there are little touches to<br />
make one smile – the ‘ears’ on the rubber tyre swing<br />
hanging from a tree, the cub<strong>by</strong> house for climbing up<br />
and out of, the welcome areas.
The sim has permissions for residents which<br />
make owning yet more toys even more fun. Several<br />
of the locals like to tear about the place<br />
on brightly coloured scooters, and roller-blades<br />
abound. Getting around fast seems to be a bit of<br />
theme – and I must say I wished I’d had a Vespa in<br />
my inventory at the time.<br />
Overlooking all is a gorgeous, traditional,<br />
red and white striped, fully operational lighthouse.<br />
Up on top, you can see the entire sim,<br />
and it’s prettiest if you set the environment to<br />
sunset and just enjoy the view, before heading<br />
back into the shared village square for a coffee,<br />
a drink, a catchup, or a sunset fishing trip<br />
around the sim.<br />
I was looking forward to seeing what sort of<br />
home Todd himself had built, having put together<br />
this place, but I was amazed to learn he doesn’t<br />
actually have a ‘house’ per se. He lives ‘above<br />
the shop’ as he calls it, and doesn’t seem to miss<br />
having a particular place to call home. Given<br />
that the whole sim is his playground, I guess that<br />
makes perfect sense.<br />
The houses are simple, but, as I mentioned<br />
above, well-made, with detailed and authentic<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
textures. Predominantly beachfront, they consist<br />
of one or two downstairs rooms, weathered<br />
decking, and an upstairs room. The windows<br />
have that slightly grimy look which for some<br />
reason adds to the rustic charm. Desperate, <strong>by</strong><br />
this stage, to actually investigate something,<br />
anything that could be construed as a home, I<br />
was invited into the the home of Link Schism,<br />
a resident of Pretty N Punk for around a year<br />
now. The place is decorated with a mix of the<br />
serene – candles – plus a tiki bar out the back<br />
for entertaining, an enormous television (currently<br />
playing the Rocky Horror Picture Show),<br />
both floor cushions and a most elegant couch,<br />
and a resident cat.<br />
Much like the sim, the residents decorate in<br />
the way that pleases them, without regard for<br />
conventional decorating wisdom or indeed even<br />
matching items. It fits the sim, it fits the personalities<br />
and it fits the overall cultural aspect<br />
of the Youth of Today. Whether or not they have<br />
‘concern for their futures’, they’re having fun in<br />
the ‘right here and now’. E<br />
Pretty N Punk, Biopunk/143/129/25
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
SPECIAL FEATURE<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Calameo - A New Format<br />
for Our Magazines<br />
LAST MONTH, FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE EXPLORED<br />
a new format for publishing <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong>.<br />
As many of you know, <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> has always<br />
been available online in .pdf format. But,<br />
let’s face it, that can be a little clunky. It is also<br />
dependent on the reader organising pages; otherwise<br />
they can end up reading it one page at<br />
a time, and the impact of a two-page spread is<br />
lost. So we spent a little time looking at technologies<br />
that take .pdfs and remodel them into a<br />
more user-friendly format.<br />
<strong>by</strong> <strong>Saffia</strong> <strong>Widdershins</strong><br />
One that we looked at – and one that several<br />
other magazines are starting to use – is<br />
Issuu [http://issuu.com/]. It has a nice reader-friendly<br />
format but, as of yet, doesn’t<br />
preserve the links that we painstakingly add<br />
to every edition of <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong>, so that not<br />
only can web readers jump from the contents<br />
to their favourite must-read article, but also<br />
they can click on an ad or an article and get<br />
an slurl link to the store or place of interest<br />
straightaway.
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
So it seemed that we would have to stay with<br />
the .pdf format.<br />
We were discussing this on Live Journal when<br />
someone spotted our discussion and made a helpful<br />
suggestion: Why didn’t we try Calaméo?<br />
He also gave us helpful links so we could<br />
check out earlier publications using the format<br />
for ourselves – and we did.<br />
Calaméo [http://en.calameo.com/] has much<br />
the same friendly interface as Issuu, but it has<br />
much more – more than we want at the moment,<br />
in fact, for you can bring across not only internal<br />
links (to another part of the magazine) and external<br />
links (to another place on the web, or an<br />
slurl to help you teleport inworld), but you can<br />
also embed audio and video files, making it an<br />
extraordinarily useful and highly interactive form<br />
of media!<br />
We tested it on Issue 10, and had a lot of positive<br />
feedback. Here are some of the comments<br />
we’ve had:<br />
“The Calaméo hosting for <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> looks<br />
and works great – it’s a keeper!”<br />
“<strong>Saffia</strong>, this looks fantastic! Very nicely done,<br />
indeed!”<br />
“I like the Calaméo layout, very readable and<br />
the clickable links and index are great.”<br />
“New style PP online looks great – mirrors<br />
better what you get inworld with a few extras<br />
and is much easier to read.”<br />
So Calaméo is going to be our medium of<br />
choice for the present – for both <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong><br />
and our new magazine, The <strong>Prim</strong>graph. We believe<br />
it will make life easier for our readers – and<br />
preserve all the advantages of click-through for<br />
our advertisers – as well as allowing them to really<br />
indulge themselves creatively in two-page<br />
spreads!<br />
We will, however, continue to make the magazine<br />
available in .pdf format, as we know that<br />
some of our readers like to print out the magazine<br />
to read on commuting journeys (people who travel<br />
<strong>by</strong> bus or train, that is – we certainly wouldn’t<br />
endorse trying to read <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> while driving<br />
a car!). We’ve also brought previous issues online<br />
to create an archive – so be sure to check out any<br />
issues that you missed!<br />
Our central start page will be: [http://<br />
en.calameo.com/accounts/4234] – make sure<br />
you add it to your bookmarks!E
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
SPECIAL FEATURE<br />
Marvellous<br />
Musical<br />
Memories:<br />
The Tribute<br />
Island Concerts<br />
Continue<br />
<strong>by</strong> <strong>Saffia</strong> <strong>Widdershins</strong><br />
PRIM PERFECT IS DELIGHTED TO BE PART OF THIS<br />
exciting musical venture. Together with Radio<br />
Riel and Associated Northcliffe Digital (the online<br />
version of the Daily Mail and<br />
General Trust (DMGT)), <strong>Prim</strong><br />
<strong>Perfect</strong> is sponsoring a series<br />
of live music concerts, featuring<br />
the very best musical artists<br />
of the Second Life world,<br />
paying tribute to the artists<br />
who have inspired them.<br />
Each concert (held on<br />
alternate Fridays during the<br />
summer and autumn months)<br />
features a live performance<br />
of an hour to an hour and a<br />
half, together with music from Radio Riel.<br />
The majority of these run from 1 to 4 p.m.<br />
SLT; the one featuring Paisley Beebe will<br />
run from 2 to 5<br />
p.m. SLT.<br />
These are<br />
very popular<br />
events – so<br />
make sure you<br />
get there early!<br />
The Concerts<br />
Our first two concerts<br />
featured Louis<br />
Volare’s Tribute to<br />
John Lennon (see<br />
http://www.louislandon.com) on June 27 and<br />
Cylindrian Rutabaga’s Tribute to Eva Cassidy (see<br />
http://cylindrian.wordpress.com) on July 11.<br />
Both of these well-known Second Life artists delighted<br />
the audiences who had come to see them.<br />
But if you missed them, don’t worry – both have<br />
agreed to perform again later in the season (see<br />
details below).<br />
Forthcoming Concerts<br />
August 8 – Mankind Tracer’s Tribute to Syd<br />
Barrett (see http://www.mankindtracer.com)<br />
August 16 – BubbaC John’s Tribute to Elvis<br />
August 22 – Joaquin Gustav’s Tribute to Astor<br />
Piazzola (see http://www.purevolume.<br />
com/joaquingustav)<br />
August 29 - Cylindrian Rutabaga’s Further<br />
Tribute to Eva Cassidy (see http://cylindrian.<br />
wordpress.com)<br />
September 5 – Atomic Blondie’s Tribute to<br />
Marilyn Monroe<br />
September 19 – Paisley Beebe’s Tribute to<br />
Ella Fitzgerald (see http://www.paisleybeebejazzbird.blogspot.com)<br />
October 3 – Louis Volare’s Tribute to Frank<br />
Sinatra (see http://www.louislandon.com).<br />
More about the concerts, the artists<br />
and those they are paying tribute<br />
to will appear on the <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> blog<br />
[http://primperfectblog.wordpress.<br />
com] over the coming weeks.<br />
Why Tribute Island?<br />
It’s been created as what it says – a<br />
Tribute. And that means it combines a<br />
place to both remember<br />
and reflect, and to salute<br />
those who have gone before<br />
and given us knowledge,<br />
and beauty and even<br />
sheer unadulterated fun.<br />
So, you can enjoy your<br />
Fay Wray fantasies, or visit<br />
the cinema complex to<br />
remember your favourite<br />
films (and those who created<br />
them) – or even visit the<br />
film studios and play a part<br />
in their making. You can pay tribute to your favourite<br />
poets or dance under the benevolent gaze of<br />
favourite musical luminaries such as John Lennon,<br />
Elvis, and Dudley Moore (a noted jazz pianist).<br />
But you can also visit memorials to ordinary<br />
people caught up in the horror of war, or terrorism,<br />
or sheer ghastly accidents. To me one of the
most moving displays is a detailed recreation of<br />
an London Underground station, with plaques<br />
of the names of those who died in some of the<br />
most recent (last thirty-five years) and horrific<br />
incidents on the London Underground: the bombings<br />
of July 7, 2005, the King’s Cross Fire back in<br />
1987, and the Moorgate crash of 1975.<br />
And there’s emphasis on commemorating ordinary<br />
people, throughout the island. Every exhibit<br />
contains a link – sometimes leading you to discover<br />
more about the individual or the event that is commemorated,<br />
but also supplying links to the website<br />
Lasting Tribute [http://www.lastingtribute.co.uk],<br />
an amazing UK site where you can leave a tribute<br />
to well-known people you have admired, or create<br />
or join a tribute to people who may be less wellknown<br />
in the wider world, but have nevertheless<br />
touched your life in important ways.<br />
One of the most moving places on the island<br />
is the war cemetery. In earlier wars, soldiers were<br />
buried in cemeteries where they fell, and we have<br />
the vast graveyards that commemorate the fallen<br />
in France – and others from more recent conflicts<br />
around the world – small cemeteries in the Falklands,<br />
in Aden, in Malaysia ... even in Iraq, marking<br />
a previous British occupation (up till 1952). Now,<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
of course, the bodies of the soldiers are returned<br />
home to grieving families, and one doesn’t really<br />
guess at the scale of what is happening. But on<br />
Tribute Island, the war cemetery commemorates<br />
the British soldiers who have lost their lives in the
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan – over 200<br />
in Iraq and 100 in Afghanistan. It’s a deeply moving<br />
place – made more so <strong>by</strong> the poppies placed<br />
around the Cenotaph <strong>by</strong> friends and families who<br />
have visited and left their own tributes.<br />
Tribute Island was built during October 2007<br />
<strong>by</strong> Associated Northcliffe Digital (part of the<br />
DMGT Group), with the senior design consultants<br />
and master builders of Wind Meta Works.<br />
It’s UK-centric, reflecting the nationality of<br />
its main creator, Nikk Huet, although many of the<br />
tributes reference international figures – such<br />
as the stepping stones which salute a variety of<br />
American musicians, including Nina Simone, Tupac<br />
Shakur, and Barry White. And, despite its corporate<br />
input, it’s also a very personal choice <strong>by</strong><br />
Nikk as to what to feature – which is no bad thing.<br />
At the very least, you will find yourself learning<br />
a variety of new and fascinating facts about people<br />
and events you may know well – and some<br />
that you’ve never heard of. And – especially if<br />
you visit with friends – you may well find yourself<br />
in the sort of ‘lists’ discussion, in which you can<br />
decide who and what YOU would put on your own<br />
personal Tribute Island.<br />
Actually, you could find them commemorated<br />
on Tribute Island itself – Nikk has asked that if<br />
anyone has an idea for a tribute they should contact<br />
Nikk Huet inworld.<br />
And you can also see a video on the Island here:<br />
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qugPEjEfdsU]. E
0 <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
HOMESTYLE CONSOLIDATED NEWS<br />
HomeStyle<br />
Consolidated<br />
News <strong>by</strong> Baily<br />
Longcloth<br />
LAST MONTH WE MET BAILEY LONGCLOTH WHO<br />
has created the group HomeStyle Consolidated<br />
to bring home industry sellers and buyers together.<br />
Not all of us are builders; we need to<br />
seek out that special piece or that one-of-a-kind<br />
house that will become home. Yes, each store<br />
has a group for store notices but if you’ve never<br />
been to that store or don’t have an open slot for<br />
another group, you won’t know what awesome<br />
items they may have. Homestyle Consolidated<br />
is the group set up to solve the ‘Groups Issue’<br />
for those who want all the last furniture design<br />
news – and freebies – but can’t join all the groups<br />
that they would like to!<br />
Here’s the latest news from the group ...<br />
It’s Bailey from HomeStyle Consolidated<br />
again. Wow, what a busy month it’s been! Lots<br />
of new releases and store openings! We’ve got<br />
a new logo and a new office and a new vendor!<br />
A big thank you to DavidThomas Scorbal for the<br />
logo. I’ve been busy building the office. The ven-
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
dor will make it easier for your customers to join<br />
the group and keep on top of all the lovely newness.<br />
Just drop me a note and I’ll send one off<br />
that can be rezzed in your store.<br />
The office is on Angel Square [http://slurl.<br />
com/secondlife/Angel%20Square/55/68/22] and<br />
will be done soon. A big thank you to Prad Prathivi<br />
and Rrishanna Regina for the furniture and fantastic<br />
landscaping!<br />
Here’s what’s been happening in HomeStyle:<br />
The Loft [http://slurl.com/secondlife/<br />
The%20Loft/170/128/28] has a new release, The<br />
Molinari – a wonderful outdoor set. They have<br />
also re-released their plantation bed with sculpties<br />
and I must say, it’s wonderful!<br />
PRrim Designs is now Amodica [http://slurl.<br />
com/secondlife/Southsea/84/118/432]. Prad<br />
Prathivi and Adam Soler (of LookR) have teamed<br />
up under one name and are taking the Second<br />
Life world <strong>by</strong> storm. Good luck boys!<br />
Christos Creations [http://slurl.com/secondlife/Christos/128/128/22]<br />
has a new store<br />
opening soon. Stayed tuned for details!<br />
C&D Designs [http://slurl.com/secondlife/<br />
Mapinguari/251/45/300] has been very busy with<br />
lots of new releases. Lots of new lighting, furniture<br />
and accessories. You have to see their shadow<br />
boxes. If you are looking for something unique,<br />
this is the place.<br />
GREENE Concept [http://slurl.com/secondlife/Beachwood/133/141/38]<br />
has released fatpacks<br />
of their San Jose and Berlin designs! The<br />
fatpacks come in copy/no-transfer and no copy/<br />
transfer versions. I can’t wait to see what Peter<br />
and Ivanova come up with next!<br />
Trompe L’oeil [el] has released The Tourelle<br />
tower, a Renaissance-inspired prefab topped with a<br />
2-storey loft-style living area. Totally scripted and<br />
ready to move right in with 360 degree views!<br />
Aimesi [http://slurl.com/secondlife/<br />
Blue%20Sky/48/85/24], offering modern interactive<br />
design furniture, is new to the HomeStyle<br />
family. Created <strong>by</strong> Mea Carnell and Yao Shaowen.<br />
Scarlet Creative [http://slurl.com/secondlife/<br />
ScarletCreative/146/98/22] has upgraded all their<br />
prefabs throughout the 2008 Collection with new<br />
texture packs, custom blinds and accessories. Large<br />
or small, you’ll find one to fall in love with.<br />
Want to hear more? Join HomeStyle<br />
Consolidated!<br />
Cheers,<br />
Bailey Longcloth<br />
Owner, HomeStyle Consolidated
META MAKEOVER<br />
Meta Makeover News<br />
THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE YOU CAN CATCH UP<br />
on the latest news of our TV programme, produced<br />
in association with SLCN TV.<br />
So What Is Meta Makeover?<br />
Meta Makeover is one of the range of shows<br />
from SLCN [http://www.slcn.tv/], the Second Life<br />
world’s very own cable network – brought to you<br />
<strong>by</strong> <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> Productions, the people behind<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> magazine and the <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> blog.<br />
It is shown every two weeks, when we make over<br />
a Second Life home! The programme is presented<br />
<strong>by</strong> <strong>Saffia</strong> <strong>Widdershins</strong>, the Editor of <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong><br />
magazine [http://www.primperfect.net/].<br />
Each show, we take a house and make it over,<br />
deploying up to three skilled designers – who<br />
might tackle a room each, or a floor, or a garden.<br />
They’ll be interviewed about why they’ve made<br />
the choices that they have – with the delighted<br />
(or appalled) owner having a chance to say what<br />
they love or loathe about their new home.<br />
Until now, Meta Makeover has been filmed<br />
before a live audience at the SLCN studios in<br />
Northpoint at 12 p.m. (i.e. noon) SLT every other<br />
Sunday. However, exciting changes are afoot. The<br />
time of the show will be changing, and there are<br />
plans to make it weekly, and not fortnightly.<br />
And we are having a very special building constructed<br />
for us in Northpoint – which you’ll see<br />
more about on the <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> blog at [http://<br />
metamakeover.wordpress.com/].<br />
All our earlier shows are available on the SLCN<br />
website [http://slcn.tv/programs/meta-makeover],<br />
and available for download from iTunes as<br />
a podcast (just go to the iTunes store and search<br />
on Meta Makeover – it’s free to download, or to<br />
subscribe to the podcast).<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
<strong>by</strong> <strong>Saffia</strong> <strong>Widdershins</strong><br />
Recent Shows<br />
Episode 9 – An Unusual Makeover –<br />
of a TV studio!<br />
This episode featured a rather an unusual<br />
makeover. For once we weren’t making over<br />
a Second Life home – we made over a TV studio<br />
– and no, it wasn’t ours! We love our PRrim<br />
Designs [http://slurl.com/secondlife/Southsea/88/123/433]<br />
set, made for us <strong>by</strong> Rrishanna<br />
Regina and Prad Prithivi, and wouldn’t swop for<br />
anything!<br />
No, in this episode, we witnessed a super<br />
makeover for Paisley Beebe’s Tonight Live studio,<br />
and peeped behind the scenes there. Paisley,<br />
hostess of one of the most popular shows on<br />
SLCN, had long felt that her studio was starting to<br />
look a little tired – and when she saw the makeover<br />
that The Loft [http://slurl.com/secondlife/<br />
The%20Loft/170/128/28] gave Skate Foss’s home<br />
in our third episode, she know that she had found<br />
the perfect team to give her studio the facelift<br />
it needed.<br />
And on the web [http://slcn.tv/meta-makeover-tonight-live]<br />
you can see what happened<br />
when Bethany Heart and Colleen Desmoulins got<br />
to work!
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Episode 10 – Meta Makeover looks at the<br />
Issue of IP theft<br />
Our Meta Makeover from SL5 B is now available<br />
on the web [http://slcn.tv/meta-makeoverip-theft],<br />
and from the iTunes store. And this was<br />
Meta Makeover with a difference!<br />
Instead of having a house to make over, this<br />
episode we addressed the very serious issue of<br />
content theft. We spoke to top designers in their<br />
stores, and in the studio – and we gave news<br />
of a very important initiative from Linden Lab<br />
[http://lindenlab.com] – the Content Creators<br />
Registry (see [http://contentcreatorsassociation.blogspot.com/2008/07/let-collaborationbegin.html]).<br />
Our guests included Sue Stonebender of Serendipity<br />
Studios [http://slurl.com/secondlife/Te<br />
mplum%20ex%20Obscurum/143/103/127], Gwen<br />
Carillon of Elements in Design [http://slurl.com/<br />
secondlife/Elements%20In%20Design/144/129/29]<br />
(and the Content Creators Association), Colleen<br />
Desmoulins of The Loft [http://slurl.com/secondlife/The%20Loft/170/128/28],<br />
Dirk Talamasca,<br />
Juris Amat and Neil Robinson.<br />
And, what’s more, our show came from our<br />
SL5B build (built <strong>by</strong> Jeremey Ryan of Barefoot<br />
Homes & Designs [http://slurl.com/secondlife/<br />
Snafu/94/107/37]), so you have a chance to see<br />
it in its glory before the SL5B celebration closed<br />
on July 7.<br />
Dellybean North of True North Designs<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Goun/176/64/30],<br />
who designed our courtyard cafe, also built us a<br />
great portable studio for this event.<br />
Episode 11 – A Victorian business<br />
in the making!<br />
Our next Meta Makeover returned to making<br />
over a home – but one with a difference!<br />
Bracken Back and Samaria Arai have run Cheswick<br />
Village for some time, offering spacious and<br />
elegant Tudor rentals located in a lush country<br />
setting.<br />
Their houses have frequently been custom<br />
made, but now they are looking to create<br />
a new area – with Victorian custom-made<br />
homes. These are unusual because, while<br />
many builders choose to build on level sky<br />
platforms, and then lower the homes onto<br />
flat land, Bracken has built in situ, allowing<br />
the contours of the land to shape his houses,<br />
with interesting results.
Meta Makeover asked Soleil Snook of Snook’s<br />
Garden Centre [http://slurl.com/secondlife/<br />
Caledon%20Stormhold/57/131/22] to landscape<br />
the house, and Jeannie Moonflower of Bygone<br />
Days [http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bygone%20Da<br />
ys/127/123/27] to furnish the inside. Join us to<br />
see how they worked with this lovely and unusual<br />
house – and how Jeannie created wonderful stories<br />
around the house, and a thriving business to<br />
be located in the basement!<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
(N.B. This episode was not available on the<br />
web as we went to press; find out further details<br />
from our blog: [http://metamakeover.wordpress.<br />
com].)<br />
Upcoming Schedule<br />
Saturday 16 August – Kittie Munro of Kit-<br />
Star Designs [http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vorlheim/54/211/270]<br />
makes over Catherine Linden’s<br />
beach home.<br />
Saturday 30 August – We make over a Dragon’s<br />
Cave on the Isle of Wyrms.<br />
Saturday 13 September – Show to be<br />
arranged.<br />
~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />
Would you like your home to feature on Meta<br />
Makeover? Send an email to us at metamakeover@gmail.com<br />
with three or four pictures of<br />
your home attached, and stating your reasons why<br />
you would like a makeover. Every two weeks, we<br />
shall select one lucky owner from our postbag and<br />
invite them to be our next Meta Makeover! E
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
SPECIAL FEATURE<br />
The Content<br />
Creators Association<br />
THE CONTENT CREATORS ASSOCIATION WAS<br />
FORMED primarily as a source of information on<br />
intellectual property theft-related issues and<br />
support for creators of original content. It was intended<br />
to help members file DMCA (Digital Millennium<br />
Copyright Act) reports when they believed<br />
that their creations had been stolen.<br />
Creators in the Second Life world cope with<br />
content theft on a regular basis. Going through<br />
<strong>by</strong> Gwen Carillon<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
the DMCA process on your own can be intimidating;<br />
add to that the stress of facing theft of your<br />
original content, and it can be a scary and depressing<br />
scenario. Only through the united support<br />
of others and the sharing of information can<br />
we make a dent in intellectual property crime.<br />
Since its founding on January 1, 2008, the Content<br />
Creators Association has become much more<br />
than just a information resource. CCA has woven<br />
itself into a strong,<br />
tightly knit community<br />
of caring and dedicated<br />
people. As a group, we<br />
have learned together.<br />
We have become more<br />
experienced and savvy<br />
in dealing with piracy issues,<br />
through the sharing<br />
of our experiences<br />
and information. We<br />
have found that community<br />
awareness of IP<br />
issues is key to slowing<br />
down this wave of IP<br />
theft.<br />
I attended a roundtable<br />
discussion panel<br />
on June 4, as a guest<br />
exhibitor at the Tech<br />
Museum of Innovation<br />
in San Jose, California.<br />
Philip (Rosedale) Linden,<br />
creator of the Second<br />
Life virtual world, was<br />
the keynote speaker. I<br />
brought up the need for<br />
Linden Lab to work with<br />
creators as partners. He<br />
seemed a bit surprised
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
that I brought up the topic, but addressed it<br />
openly and with respect. I had the opportunity<br />
to discuss this further with him, after the formal<br />
discussion concluded. He agreed to look into the<br />
IP theft issues more closely and find ways to<br />
work with creators on possible solutions.<br />
On Thursday, July 3, members of the Content<br />
Creators Association gathered together on the<br />
island of Elements in Design, in Second Life, to<br />
discuss intellectual property rights issues with<br />
Blue Linden, of Linden Lab. It was an incredibly<br />
informative and helpful discussion. Blue introduced<br />
members to the creator registry project<br />
he’s been working on. He asked for and received<br />
feedback from attendees.<br />
Essentially, the registry would work as a<br />
helpful guide for consumers to shop with confidence,<br />
and as a way for creators to assert their<br />
ownership of the intellectual property that they<br />
are selling. The registry would work on a point<br />
system. The creator earns more points with the<br />
amount of real life contact information he or she<br />
provides. In order to register, a creator would<br />
have to at least have payment information on<br />
file. Now granted, it can be hard for some to do<br />
that, but this registry would not be mandatory.<br />
It is not meant to augment or replace the legal<br />
DMCA process. It is simply a way for creators to<br />
register their work as theirs and be on record<br />
to the general community as such. CCA members<br />
in attendance voted in unanimous support<br />
of the registry project. CCA members peppered<br />
Blue with a barrage of questions about the registry<br />
and other IP related issues. To his credit,<br />
he fielded all our questions patiently, succinctly<br />
and with good humour. The atmosphere was one<br />
of sincere willingness to collaborate, from all<br />
parties in attendance.<br />
There seems to be a pervading sense of optimism<br />
taking hold. Much of this optimism is<br />
due to the faster response time from Linden Lab<br />
on DMCAs filed <strong>by</strong> creators. Response time on a<br />
filed DMCA had taken as long as a week or two<br />
in the near past. Creators are now reporting 24<br />
to 48 hour response times, from time of filing.<br />
This is a huge improvement. Linden Lab seems<br />
ready to pick up their side of the banner and<br />
contribute to this effort.<br />
But that doesn’t let Residents off the hook.<br />
I encourage all who read this to take advantage<br />
of the Linden presence in Second Life and attend<br />
Office Hours Meetings. We need to stay<br />
proactive, if we are going to keep our community<br />
sustainable.<br />
CCA accepts new members <strong>by</strong> sponsorship<br />
from active existing members. Although much<br />
of our membership is comprised of higher profile<br />
creators that have large businesses in Second<br />
Life, all creators of original work are welcome.<br />
Indeed, selling work or owning a business is not<br />
a stipulation. All we ask is that members create<br />
and are honourable and respectful people.<br />
If you are interested in joining the CCA, talk to<br />
a current member that you know and ask them to<br />
sponsor you. The sponsor can then send a request<br />
via note card to the CCA Membership Officer, Tigerlily<br />
Koi. Tigerlily will process the sponsor’s request.<br />
However, you do not need to be a member<br />
to get our help. If you are a creator in need of<br />
information regarding the DMCA process or theft<br />
issues, please feel free to drop a note to me or to<br />
Arwen Eusebio and we’ll do our best to help. The<br />
most important thing for a creator to remember<br />
is this: Your creation is your intellectual property<br />
from the moment it is made.<br />
If it’s worth creating, it’s worth protecting!<br />
For more information about the Content Creators<br />
Association, see the website at: [http://<br />
contentcreatorsassociation.blogspot.com] E
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
0 <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
ADVICE FOR NEWCOMERS<br />
Decorating on a<br />
Low-<strong>Prim</strong> Budget<br />
TAKING THE STEP TO HAVE A PLACE OF YOUR OWN<br />
is exciting! Congratulations! If you’re anything<br />
like me, you found yourself twirling around with<br />
glee until you realized you had to decorate that<br />
empty space. Then it was time to face the reality<br />
of a budget – and I’m not talking cash budget here<br />
– but the far tighter prim budget. There are so<br />
many beautiful furniture designs available, and<br />
all their prims will cut into your allotment. But<br />
with some planning and wise purchases, it is pos-<br />
Low-prim furniture created <strong>by</strong> Salome Strangelove and sold at<br />
Facade Furnishings, Seven Veils 120/50/23.<br />
<strong>by</strong> Qwis Greenwood<br />
sible to turn your place into your home for fewer<br />
prims than you thought.<br />
Where do I start?<br />
Resist the urge to run to your favourite stores,<br />
just for a bit. Think for a moment – how do you<br />
want to use your space? When you’re home, what<br />
will you be doing? My place is a space to work<br />
on my writing assignments and try on clothing<br />
I’ve acquired. Perhaps yours will be an intimate
etreat or a hangout for friends. The purposes are<br />
as unique as the residents. Whatever it is, that<br />
tells you where to focus your prim budget.<br />
Off to the stores<br />
Whatever style of furniture attracts you,<br />
it can be found somewhere on the grid. Think<br />
about what style you like best and might go best<br />
in your neighbourhood, and start looking for<br />
your focus items in those stores. Remember, this<br />
doesn’t have to be a commando mission! Look<br />
around, take your time, and see what items<br />
catch your eye.<br />
To make the most of your prims, look for designers<br />
who use rich textures. Zoom in close to<br />
the object. The details should still look good under<br />
close inspection. High quality textures are<br />
worth the price for the look they’ll bring to your<br />
place.<br />
Accessorizing!<br />
Make the most of your prims <strong>by</strong> using textures<br />
for accents – don’t buy a shelving unit and then<br />
spend prims on items to fill it. Look for something<br />
that has the items as part of its texture. Again,<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
textures are your friends!<br />
Rugs and wall art usually cost only one prim<br />
each, so they are inexpensive ways to add colour<br />
and interest to your space. At my home, I uploaded<br />
some nature photos my mother took to use as<br />
pictures on the walls.<br />
If you have some prims left in the budget,<br />
then feel free to add some accessories to change<br />
your space from a showplace to a home. Depending<br />
on your tastes, consider placing a coffee mug<br />
on your desk, a magazine on your bed, or some<br />
wine glasses and snacks left on the table. What<br />
little thing would make your friends immediately<br />
recognize this place as your space?<br />
Still need ideas?<br />
If you’re stuck for ideas, you’re in the right<br />
place. Check out back issues of <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> to learn<br />
about different designers and styles. Quick ideas<br />
can be found in the Treasure Hunt items. Finally, a<br />
source of inspiration for this article and something<br />
which may inspire your own home is Meta Makeover<br />
episode 7 (see [http://slcn.tv/meta-makeoverelizabetta-westland]),<br />
where a home was decorated<br />
using less than 120 prims. E
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
SPECIAL FEATURE<br />
Have You Read<br />
the <strong>Prim</strong>graph Yet?<br />
IN AN EXCITING NEW DEVELOPMENT FROM PRIM<br />
<strong>Perfect</strong> Publications there comes a magazine, The<br />
<strong>Prim</strong>graph, which is aimed at Residents interested<br />
in post-Renaissance historical and steampunk<br />
sims. It includes articles on related events, profiles<br />
of relevant sims and venues, historical and<br />
technical articles, fiction, and more!<br />
The <strong>Prim</strong>graph has compiled a list of some<br />
thirty groups of sims having<br />
post-Renaissance his-<br />
torical or steampunk themes!<br />
But to begin with, what<br />
could be better than a<br />
close look at one of Caldedon’s<br />
many component<br />
sims? Yes, in this first issue,<br />
the magazine visits Caledon<br />
Penzance. Considered<br />
<strong>by</strong> some to be the cultural<br />
capital of Caledon, this sim<br />
hosts the Gaiety Theatre,<br />
as well as the Caledon Studios<br />
(a working Victorian<br />
machinima studio), and the<br />
Magic Lantern Show, offering<br />
a continuous showing of<br />
photographic transparencies.<br />
But it also plays a key<br />
role in the steampunk side<br />
of Caledon, being home to<br />
the famed Connolly Aerodrome, where the Royal<br />
Caledon Air Force is based, and which recently<br />
came tops in the popular vote for the Eight Wonders<br />
of Caledon.<br />
Mr Ederyn Clowes toured the SL5B sims in<br />
search of exhibits related to history and culture.<br />
The Fashion article was written <strong>by</strong> Miss Zadira<br />
Barzane, and is a sweeping look at summer offerings<br />
from a number of fine historical clothing<br />
<strong>by</strong> Alesia Markstein<br />
and <strong>Saffia</strong> <strong>Widdershins</strong><br />
designers. For the Society pages, Dr Rafael Fabre<br />
traveled as far as Sybirya and Laputa to bring you<br />
news of steampunk-themed clubs in the Second<br />
Life world. The Technology section contains two<br />
articles – one <strong>by</strong> Mr Roberto Viking on the nature<br />
and function of the megaprim, and one <strong>by</strong> the<br />
Editrix, Mrs Alesia Markstein, on the nature and<br />
development of the Steam Engine; each strives to<br />
acquaint the reader with<br />
these invaluable devices.<br />
The reader will note<br />
that the most bountiful department<br />
within the magazine<br />
is that of Arts and<br />
Culture. It is indebted to<br />
Sir JJ Drinkwater for providing<br />
a description of the<br />
Caledon Library, as well as<br />
a list of its recent acquisitions.<br />
He also brought the<br />
fascinating novel The Mysteries<br />
of London to the<br />
magazine, which is being<br />
presented as an extended<br />
(and blood-curdling) series<br />
in the style of Dickens<br />
and Thackeray. Also,<br />
the Editrix discovered a<br />
delightful cookery book,<br />
I Go A-Marketing, full of<br />
practical advice and now likewise serialized; and<br />
The <strong>Prim</strong>graph also offers a pair of book reviews<br />
for your interest and edification.<br />
Finally, Mr Rascal Blanco has provided copies<br />
of letters from certain of his kin, who are on<br />
an extended tour of Second Life, and an anonymous<br />
individual is proposing to provide readers<br />
with etiquette advice under the name ‘Mistress<br />
of Propriety’.
There are various ways to get The <strong>Prim</strong>graph!<br />
You can collect it inworld from one of its vendors.<br />
You should start to see your favourite historical<br />
and steampunk stores displaying the vendor and<br />
– if they don’t – why not ask them to take our<br />
one-prim vendor?<br />
Or you could buy a copy from OnRez [http://<br />
shop.onrez.com/item/705445] or SLExchange<br />
[http://www.slexchange.com/modules.php?nam<br />
e=Marketplace&file=item&ItemID=811539] to be<br />
delivered to you inworld.<br />
Best of all, you can use the <strong>Prim</strong>graph Subscribe-o-Matic.<br />
Kiosks for this are located at the<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> offices in Oliveto [http://slurl.com/<br />
secondlife/Oliveto/128/128/0], at the info hubs<br />
in Caledon sims, in the libraries of Caledon and<br />
associated libraries, in the embassies of Europa<br />
Wulfenbach (thanks to Baron KlausWulfenbach<br />
Outlander, Consul from Europa) and in The Coeur<br />
sims. We hope to have these distributed more widely<br />
very soon as the subscribe-o-matic means that,<br />
without having to join a Second Life world group,<br />
you can get regular updates of the magazine and<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
other news as well!<br />
But if you prefer to read the magazine online<br />
but not inworld, there are choices too. Firstly,<br />
there’s the wonderful Calaméo system, which allows<br />
you to move smoothly through the pages,<br />
giving you the feeling of reading a real magazine.<br />
You’ll find Issue 1 here [http://en.calameo.com/<br />
books/000004234ef580e1f2026] – and please do<br />
leave a comment!<br />
But, if you like to download your magazines<br />
to read as you commute to work, or in the bath,<br />
or wherever, you can also obtain a standard pdf<br />
[http://www.primperfect.net/primgraph/primgraph_001.pdf]<br />
for downloading and printing.<br />
What people have said about The <strong>Prim</strong>graph:<br />
‘A wonderful read. Well done!’<br />
‘Indeed, great job!!’<br />
‘Impressive!! :-|’<br />
‘Terrific job – I eagerly await the second issue!’<br />
‘The <strong>Prim</strong>graph looks beautiful! I love the<br />
way the pages flip and have that slight gradient<br />
of grays and whites in the background so they<br />
look like pages in an actual book.’ E
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
LANDSCAPE OF THE MONTH<br />
Living<br />
in the<br />
Future<br />
<strong>by</strong> Alesia Markstein<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
EXTROPIA: AN IDEA, A PLACE, AN ECLECTIC BATCH<br />
of Residents. Founded in November 2007, the Independent<br />
Technocratic City-State of Extropia is<br />
dedicated to the notion of a positive future – a<br />
utopia rather than the more-common dystopia.<br />
The look of the architecture, as enforced <strong>by</strong> a<br />
strong covenant, is generally sleek, clean, and<br />
retro-futuristic. The people are civilised, friendly<br />
– and quite often not human. Here, robots and<br />
cyborgs rub elbows with furries, aliens, artificial<br />
intelligences, and perfectly ordinary avatars.<br />
The style of the public places is the work of<br />
Galatea Gynoid and Vidal Tripsa, respectively the<br />
Chairperson and the Community Architect/Director<br />
of Culture. Individual builds are idiosyn-
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
cratic, ranging from artist Truthseeker Young’s<br />
ever-changing confection to Argent Bury’s visual<br />
haiku in concrete and tree, with a lot of territory<br />
in between. As Vidal says, ‘[t]he main idea has<br />
been for Extropia to be a space where people can<br />
imagine their own positive futures.’<br />
Most of the sims have two levels: one just<br />
above the water, and a second at 200 meters, either<br />
on provided sky platforms or as free-floating<br />
objects. Ban lines are forbidden as obstructions<br />
to travel lines – boats and especially aircraft are<br />
a popular hob<strong>by</strong> in Extropia.<br />
In fact, four of the<br />
six existing sims are primarily<br />
Openspace, acquired<br />
in February 2008<br />
and containing only a<br />
few builds on custom<br />
islands. Skies of Tomorrow,<br />
formerly part of<br />
Dogfight Atoll, contains<br />
one large and one small<br />
island, connected <strong>by</strong> a<br />
runway – as the name<br />
suggests, this is Extropia’s<br />
public aerodrome,<br />
and the headquarters of<br />
Gaius Goodiffe’s Second<br />
Skies aircraft business.<br />
Floating Point contains<br />
Extropia’s marina; also<br />
formerly part of Dogfight<br />
Atoll, it is mostly water.<br />
So is Dirac Sea, which is<br />
both a sim name and a<br />
name applied to the larger ocean area around it.<br />
Future Current, also the location of a sandbox for<br />
Extropian residents, is the last of the relatively<br />
new Openspace regions.<br />
The residential and business centres consist<br />
of two sims, Extropia Core and Extropia. Founded<br />
on 5 November 2007, Extropia Core contains<br />
a mix of public spaces, shops, and residences.<br />
The most important public space is the Central<br />
Nexus, the location for administrative offices and<br />
especially meeting space for Extropia’s more intellectual<br />
events.<br />
The founders and current Board of Directors<br />
are Galatea Gynoid, Vidal Tripsa, Argent Bury,<br />
and Sophrosyne Stenvaag, and they put significant<br />
resources into community-building and public<br />
events. Sophrosyne’s Saturday Salon in the<br />
Central Nexus has brought in many interesting<br />
guests, including science fiction authors Charles<br />
Stross, Robert J. Sawyer, and David Brin; expert in<br />
virtual law Benjamin Duranske (of the blog Virtually<br />
Blind [http://virtuallyblind.com]); and Hamlet<br />
Au of the blog New World Notes [http://nwn.<br />
blogs.com/nwn]. On Saturday, August 9, science<br />
fiction writer Catherine Asaro will be appearing<br />
– see the Extropia website for details [http://<br />
core.extropiacore.net/Main_Page]. Botgirl Questi,<br />
who has recently acquired a private island in<br />
Dirac Sea, says, ‘I was looking for a place with an<br />
eclectic community – creative community – and<br />
this seemed to be THE place with the Salons, the<br />
events such as the future of religions conference
0 <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
and the NASA conferences’.<br />
Other events include 7Seas fishing tournaments<br />
on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Core’s<br />
Tycho Beach; the Extropia Book Club’s Sunday<br />
meetings at the Central Nexus; and periodic<br />
conferences, including co-hosting an academic<br />
conference on The Future of Religions/Religions<br />
of the Future in June, and co-hosting the NASA<br />
Future Forum in May. And then there are the<br />
parties, most recently for Extropia’s six-month<br />
anniversary and for Yuri’s Night (celebrating<br />
both Yuri Gagarin’s journey to become the first<br />
human in space and the launch of the first Space<br />
Shuttle). The latter events were held at the<br />
Core’s Technohenge, a spectacular dance floor<br />
built <strong>by</strong> Zada Zenovka.<br />
And there is more! Visit Extropia Core to<br />
find the Diversionarium, The Secret Goldfish,<br />
Tycho Peninsula’s landscape, and the space<br />
elevator.<br />
The Core is also home to the headquarters of<br />
SL Transhumanists, an independent group dedicated<br />
to the controversial idea that in the near<br />
future, human beings will be able (and willing)<br />
to transcend the limitations of biology in terms<br />
of abilities, mortality, and physical appearance.<br />
Their recently-remodeled build is worth<br />
seeing, and their regular discussions about the<br />
future, human nature, and so forth are worth<br />
hearing. The group often hosts its own speakers<br />
on transhumanist topics, separately from<br />
the other events already mentioned.<br />
The sim called simply ‘Extropia’ is the<br />
second-oldest sim in the group, and presently<br />
holds most of the residences outside the Core.<br />
The grouping of habitat plates here is known as<br />
‘NeoVenice’, and of course there is also ‘Aero-<br />
NeoVenice’, the upper-level plates. This is also<br />
where Extropia’s ‘myPods’ are located – small,<br />
inexpensive apartments. At present there are<br />
three single-storey buildings with four units<br />
each, and also one high-rise complex with sixteen<br />
slightly larger apartments.<br />
These are considered ‘starter housing’ <strong>by</strong><br />
the Directors, who naturally hope that Resi-
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
dents who come to Extropia will eventually invest<br />
in one of the larger parcels. This has worked<br />
in at least one case – the cyborg Whatcha Eaton,<br />
whose two-level residence stands near the highrise<br />
apartments, says, ‘Initially I wasn’t looking<br />
for anything in particular. I was looking for an inexpensive<br />
place to live. The Extropia “myPods”<br />
were inexpensive and offered a chance to “belong”<br />
somewhere, but it was the surrounding<br />
landscape that drew me to stay and to eventually<br />
own this small parcel.’<br />
Asked about the appeal of Extropia, Residents<br />
constantly refer to the positive view<br />
of the future that the sims represent. The<br />
website’s official history notes that the Directors<br />
‘had been looking for a futuristic/sci-fi<br />
sim in Second Life, but were disappointed to<br />
discover that nearly all of them were postapocalyptic,<br />
dystopian, or otherwise undesirable<br />
for anyone looking for an up-beat, positive<br />
view of the future.’ Thus was the new sim<br />
of Extropia born, drawing its ocean-oriented<br />
landscape from the late-twentieth-century<br />
Oceania plans of The Atlantis Project, and the<br />
retro-futuristic architecture from a variety of<br />
sources – ranging from 1930s pulp magazines<br />
and films, to the Star Wars films, to Star Trek,<br />
and even The Jetsons.<br />
Whatcha Eaton echoes this position: ‘I’m<br />
old enough to remember TV shows and movies<br />
about the “future.” Those shows talked about<br />
the year 2000 as if we were all going to be<br />
transformed. I look at Extropia as a version of<br />
that innocence and wonder’. Resident Dante<br />
Quan, who recently built a facility for research<br />
into artificial intelligence in Extropia, likewise<br />
says, ‘Extropia is perhaps the only place of its<br />
kind in SL; to a large extent, we are a colony of<br />
philosophers that look forward into the future;<br />
there’s no downbeat tone, no apocalypse. With<br />
us we have Transhumanists, dreamers, thinkers,<br />
artists, designers … Extropia is a place where the<br />
future is born’.<br />
As Extropia’s Covenant says, ‘The future is<br />
here, and it’s beautiful and fun!’E
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
GARDENING IN SECOND LIFE<br />
A Midsummer<br />
Night’s Garden<br />
<strong>by</strong> Kaye Robbiani<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
THINK WILL-O’-THE-WISPS DARTING THROUGH OLD<br />
vine-covered ruins, moonlight reflecting off wild<br />
white roses, the scent of night Jasmine in the air<br />
… The fairies will come out at night to play unobserved.<br />
This is an ancient place, and the garden<br />
appears to have always been here, untouched<br />
and untended <strong>by</strong> human hands, but growing in<br />
perfect harmony with the primal energy that surrounds<br />
it.<br />
Such is the effect I desire to create in my<br />
new garden in Winterfell Aislinn. The region of<br />
Winterfell is a mysterious place of perpetual twilight,<br />
comprised of dark Victorian and Medieval<br />
sims. I recently acquired the open sim of Aislinn<br />
(Gaelic for dream or vision). After spending my<br />
first month here building my castle and chapel,<br />
and terraforming to my heart’s content, I turn my<br />
attention to the garden.
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
In keeping with the ambiance of this region,<br />
the garden is a wild place. Making a garden that<br />
appears to have always existed, untended, is an<br />
art in itself. This is not the place for neat rows of<br />
anything, or manicured hedges and knot gardens.<br />
The plantings must be carefully selected to be<br />
beautiful but wild in appearance.<br />
OK, so where to begin?<br />
The principles of designing a garden are similar<br />
to those of interior design, in that there are many<br />
different ‘layers’, put down one at a time. Think<br />
of a painting, where the background is done first,<br />
then the major elements, and finally the details<br />
are added. In home decorating, wall and floor textures<br />
and colours are the first element, then the<br />
major furnishings, then window treatments and<br />
wall art, and finally the smaller<br />
artistic details. In a garden, the<br />
site preparation is the first layer,<br />
followed <strong>by</strong> the ‘hardscape’ and<br />
larger plantings, such as trees<br />
and shrubs. The garden is then<br />
‘filled in’ with foliage and flowering<br />
plants, and finished with<br />
details such as garden art and<br />
statuary. These basic principles<br />
apply regardless of the site or<br />
character of the garden.<br />
Function is also of central<br />
importance in garden design.<br />
Will this be a place used for entertaining,<br />
or is it principally for<br />
the homeowner’s private enjoyment?<br />
Will meals be taken there?<br />
Is protection from the elements<br />
necessary?<br />
As in real life, the selection<br />
of the garden site is of prime<br />
importance. One must consider<br />
the view both of the garden,<br />
and from the garden. Decisions<br />
regarding the terrain – the<br />
amount of terraforming needed<br />
and whether or not to cover the original terrain<br />
with a flat surface – will depend on the desired<br />
character and use of the finished garden. For this<br />
project, the site of the garden is a gently sloping<br />
area in the shadow of the castle, leading down to<br />
the water’s edge. It is visible from the balcony of<br />
my privy suite, so I can gaze down on it at night,<br />
and hopefully catch sight of the elusive fairies<br />
dancing in the moonlight. In contrast with the<br />
formal gardens I have created in the past, I do<br />
not level the land with a prim lawn. I choose to<br />
maintain the gentle slope and irregularities with<br />
minimal terraforming to place the key elements<br />
where I desire them.<br />
I do not plan to entertain on a large scale<br />
here, as I did in my Caledon Morgaine garden,<br />
so there is no need for a large dance floor or an<br />
expanse of lawn for garden parties. This will be a<br />
quiet place of meditation and reflection. The size<br />
and scope of the garden are smaller and more<br />
intimate than gardens I have done in the past.<br />
The next step of this design, as with any garden,<br />
is the ‘skeleton’. This is the hardscape as<br />
well as large dominant features such as trees. I<br />
choose as the backbone an ancient ruin reminiscent<br />
of Stonehenge (I found it on SL Exchange,<br />
where a search for ‘ruins’ brings up a wonderful<br />
variety!). Shade is provided <strong>by</strong> an old willow<br />
tree growing at the far end of the garden, and a<br />
grove of white birches. A round paved area, complete<br />
with appropriate animations, will provide<br />
a place to sit and meditate in the center of the<br />
garden. The texture I choose is that of old stones,<br />
arranged in a mysterious circular pattern.<br />
Once this backbone is in place, I can turn my<br />
attention to the plantings. Because of the perpetual<br />
twilight, this is the ideal place for a predominantly<br />
white garden. White flowers reflect<br />
moonlight and are more visible in the diminished<br />
light than other colours. (I do not use plants that
are ‘full bright’ in this garden, as I feel they have an<br />
artificial brightness which detracts from the natural,<br />
primal ambiance of Winterfell.) I choose rambling<br />
white roses, intended as climbers, but I allow them<br />
to meander over the ground, and up over some of the<br />
fallen stones of the ruins. The white clematis with<br />
which I cover the ruins<br />
contrasts nicely with the<br />
dark green and variegated<br />
ivy. Ferns and lily-of-thevalley<br />
play at the feet of<br />
the ancient stones.<br />
Because I seldom use<br />
just one of anything in<br />
a garden, I find it most<br />
economical to purchase<br />
copyable versions of<br />
plants, or packages of<br />
six or twelve. Another<br />
advantage of using copyable<br />
plants is that you<br />
can make copies of them<br />
while on the ground, using<br />
edit mode. (Click on<br />
the plant, select edit, then while holding down<br />
the shift key, click and hold one of the directional<br />
arrows, and ‘pull’ the plant in that direction. The<br />
original will move, leaving a copy in its place – voilà!<br />
Another plant!) I find it easier to place plants<br />
accurately where I want them with this method<br />
than <strong>by</strong> rezzing multiple copies.<br />
Lily of the Valley, white Delphinium, Ba<strong>by</strong>’s<br />
Breath and Moonglories were all a part of a purchased<br />
pack (Midnight Garden from Creative Fantasy<br />
Home and Garden at Serenity Falls), which<br />
fit well with the theme of this garden. They provide<br />
a place for tiny fairies to hide and play.<br />
No garden is complete without some source<br />
of water. However, just as topiary plants and<br />
neatly clipped hedges have no place in this ancient,<br />
wild place, so a formal fountain would be<br />
completely out of place. The water should either<br />
be from a natural source, such as a spring bubbling<br />
up from the ground, or be a part of the ancient<br />
ruins, perhaps a basin used centuries ago<br />
for ceremonial cleansing. Although I am sure that<br />
the perfect water feature must exist somewhere<br />
in the *Second Life* world, I am impatient and<br />
when I am unable to quickly locate just what I<br />
want in a search, I decide to build it myself. I<br />
use a modifiable sculpty rock from my inventory,<br />
making several copies in various configurations,<br />
<strong>by</strong> stretching and rotating them. The water which<br />
flows out of these rocks, appearing to be a natural<br />
spring, is a moving water prim from Botanical<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Straylight, also modifiable, which I manipulated<br />
and stretched until it looked just right to me.<br />
Finally, to bring the garden to life, I release<br />
birds and butterflies which have been locked up<br />
in my inventory since my move last month from<br />
Caledon (poor things … they are SO happy to get<br />
out!). But such ‘natural’<br />
creatures are not<br />
enough life for a magical<br />
garden such as this.<br />
Will-o’-the-wisps (Botanical<br />
Straylight) create<br />
a magical ambiance<br />
... little ghostlights<br />
which have no determinable<br />
source, they<br />
have been thought over<br />
time to be spirits of stillborn<br />
children, or fairies,<br />
or malicious spirits<br />
that lead travelers to<br />
become lost in bogs and<br />
marshes. Moonbeams<br />
shining through the ruins<br />
(from Botanical Straylight) illuminate the garden<br />
at night. And what ancient garden would be<br />
complete without a fairy or two? I haven’t actually<br />
SEEN these fairies yet, but I keep looking<br />
from my balcony late at night. I think have supplied<br />
everything they need to feel at home in this<br />
magical place. I can only believe that since I built<br />
it, THEY WILL COME! E<br />
Where to find garden objects:<br />
Botanical at Straylight (196,14,37)<br />
Will-o-wisps<br />
Sun/moonbeam<br />
Sculpted Willow Tree with shadow<br />
Butterflies<br />
Sculpted water<br />
Tesh Gardens at Wisteria Lane (67, 93, 23)<br />
Blue Iris (copyable)<br />
White Delphinium (copyable)<br />
The Heart Garden Centre at Heart 1 (124, 125, 29)<br />
Silver Birch Trees<br />
Climbing White Ros<br />
Climbing English Ivy<br />
The Flower Plant at Four (160, 202, 21)<br />
Climbing Clematis armandii
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
ADVICE FOR NEWCOMERS<br />
USING VOICE CHAT IS SUCH A HANDY THING, IT<br />
really makes communication so much easier<br />
when you are working on projects with other<br />
avatars. It might possibly be the most clever<br />
thing since, since, well ... poseballs! But ... if I<br />
could wave my magic wand and make this handy<br />
thing even handier ... what would it be ... hmmmm.<br />
Oh! I would love it if<br />
my lips would move while<br />
I’m speaking. Ok, I know<br />
I can purchase items like<br />
this, that force lip movement,<br />
but I don’t wanna!<br />
What can a simple guy do<br />
to make his lips move?<br />
Lo and behold, the<br />
Linden Lab brainiacs have<br />
given us Lip Sync ... built<br />
right into the application.<br />
It’s still in Beta, but they<br />
assure me our lips will not<br />
fall off or be damaged in<br />
any way. Here’s how you<br />
enable it.<br />
1. In your menu bar,<br />
click the ‘Advanced’ dropdown<br />
menu. If you do not<br />
see ‘Advanced’ then you<br />
first must press the keys<br />
‘CTRL + ALT + D’ to raise the<br />
‘Advanced’ menu.<br />
2. In the drop-down<br />
menu, click ‘Character’. It’s<br />
about halfway down, come<br />
now, don’t get lost.<br />
3. In the next dropdown<br />
menu, click ‘Enable<br />
Making Your<br />
Lips Move<br />
<strong>by</strong> Rascal Blanco<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Lip Sync (Beta)’ and an ‘X’ should appear next to<br />
it, confirming your success.<br />
You’re set, chat away, Chatty Cathy!<br />
For a video tutorial on this tool visit Torley<br />
Linden’s YouTube recording [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgYnxc2np9M].<br />
E
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
0 <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
TREASURE COMPETITION<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> Treasure Hunt<br />
THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN a wide range of<br />
prizes from the <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> prize cupboard, generously<br />
donated <strong>by</strong> store owners and designers<br />
from around the grid!<br />
What do I have to do to win<br />
these goodies?<br />
You need to visit all the stores on the list below,<br />
and look for the item of furniture next to<br />
their name. When you find it, check out the number<br />
of prims in the item.<br />
How to find out the prim count<br />
You can find out the prim count <strong>by</strong> right clicking<br />
on an item. Then select edit. Make sure that<br />
the edit window is fully open (<strong>by</strong> clicking in the<br />
bottom righthand corner if the simple edit menu<br />
is showing - as in the first diagram). When the<br />
edit menu is fully open and the General tab is<br />
showing, then you can read the prim count.<br />
Finding the prim count.<br />
What next?<br />
Make a note of the prim count - and then go<br />
on to find the next piece of furniture!<br />
When you have found all eighteen (or as many<br />
as you can), send it to primperfect@gmail.com<br />
- together with a completion of this sentence (in<br />
not more than 15 words)…<br />
“<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> is…“<br />
Mark your email subject as: Treasure Hunt<br />
- August 2008. Include in the email the name of<br />
your avatar. Do NOT IM or notecard anyone connected<br />
with the magazine.<br />
The winner will be the person who finds the<br />
most tokens. In the event of a tie, the winner will<br />
be decided on the basis of the tie-breaker.<br />
The winner will choose which of the prizes<br />
he or she would like, then the runner up chooses<br />
next ... etc.<br />
Closing date: 1st September 2008<br />
Which stores do I need to visit?<br />
See the illustration on the next page for the<br />
stores - and the furniture you need to find! E
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
News continued from page 11<br />
this simple style Greek temple has been modeled<br />
on an ancient Greek design, with twenty-six<br />
fluted Ionic columns (four at either end and nine<br />
on each side) all around the central structure,<br />
creating a beautiful colonnade of columns.<br />
And continuing the Greek theme<br />
... Greek villas for sale at Sofia’s<br />
Furniture<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Serina%20Island/<br />
152/221/27]<br />
Sofia Standish has been making Greek villas for<br />
some time, and has some delightful ones set up on<br />
her islands. Now she has sent us some exciting news:<br />
‘I’ve been asked for the last year when I am going<br />
to sell my Greek villas and at last it’s happening. I<br />
have 3 villas for sale, ranging in size from a small two<br />
storey with a foot print of 10m x 30m to the larger 2<br />
storey, 30m x 30m. The 4th one for sale is the small<br />
Greek Orthodox church. This is very popular for weddings<br />
etc. I am planning on adding more to the range<br />
as soon as I get time.’ If you’re looking for the Mediterranean<br />
feel come <strong>by</strong> for a look at the display village<br />
on Serina Island. (Use the slurl or, if you like,<br />
you can walk across from Serafina Island.)<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Keeping Time with GREENE Concept<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Beachwood/133/141/38]<br />
The Quintos worldtime clocks were among the<br />
first items Peter Stindberg and Ivanova Shostakovich<br />
created at GREENE Concept. However, they<br />
never got around to the last finishing touches on<br />
them. Now, finally, the first four of the Quintos
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
range are ready. The chronometers are perfect<br />
to keep track of time with your international<br />
friends. They will suit your in-world office, are<br />
an elegant addition to your shop or store, or will<br />
make for an interesting piece in your Second Life<br />
world home.<br />
With only eleven prims, these clocks must<br />
have the lowest prim count possible for their<br />
task. The hands of the clocks are set <strong>by</strong> a single<br />
lag-free script which drives all ten hands – and<br />
they observe daylight saving! The clock itself is<br />
modifiable, so you can adjust the size.<br />
The Quintos are available in four designs:<br />
Earth (as shown), Steel, Wood, and U.S. time<br />
zones. The intial batch of Quintos clocks come<br />
either as a worldtime clock in three designs, or as<br />
the U.S. time zone clock. Until the vendor photos<br />
are finished, the clocks are available for 350 L$ at<br />
the GREENE Concept in-world store.<br />
News From Sweetbay,<br />
Home of Sweetbay Designs<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sweetbay/147/219/36]<br />
The thing that followmeimthe Piedpiper<br />
(known as Pip to her friends) likes about having<br />
land in a sim on the mainland is that there’s<br />
never a dull moment. Apart from new and not so<br />
new customers dropping in to say hello, there’s<br />
always plenty of activity around the place.<br />
This month her friend Elena Odell and Pip<br />
have acquired some extra land in the sim so that<br />
they can extend the range of buildings, etc. on<br />
offer and possibly have a general swap around.<br />
The train, Nellie, has proven very popular with<br />
visitors and chuffs around the gardens without<br />
any problems. The new land is over the other<br />
side of the sim from the main garden – where the<br />
canal runs through its tunnel. This has given Pip
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
the opportunity to make the coach house she has<br />
been wanting for ages, placing it in pride of place<br />
at Nellie’s secondary halt – ‘which incidentally<br />
needs a new station building’, says Pip. ‘Mmmm,<br />
so nice to have some prims to use up again!’<br />
The coach house is based on a real English<br />
one that Pip has a picture of, and she says that it<br />
looks nice in its weathered brickwork, with a bell<br />
tower and sundial add further interest to it.<br />
Now that this is in place, she has moved the<br />
stable block and coaches across to join it. Altogether<br />
these make for a lovely traditional scene.<br />
In other news, a neighbour of mine commissioned<br />
Pip to make for him a new modern mall for<br />
the adjacent plot. This can be seen behind the<br />
ballroom on her main garden site. ‘He has asked<br />
if I’d run the train past this with a new stop there<br />
for his future customers’, Pip adds. ‘So maybe<br />
Nellie will soon have a circular route rather than<br />
an out and back one. And last week I was also approached<br />
<strong>by</strong> someone who wants to hire Sweetbay<br />
for a day to throw a party for their friends.<br />
I never thought that making my first greenhouse<br />
all those months ago would end up with a theme<br />
park! It’s always a pleasure to see folk around the<br />
place, so never mind if you’re just looking – feel<br />
free to come and visit.’<br />
1 prim plants at Kvinta’s Garden<br />
Centre! Woot!!<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wasp/84/43/84]<br />
Except the lucky few with your own sim available<br />
(and then … even you too!) we all need them, and<br />
mostly we all have too few available: the prims.<br />
Now Kvinta’s Garden Centre proudly offers a<br />
selection of grasses, rhododendrons, flowers, and<br />
bushes for those of us who just love a nice garden!<br />
‘I remember my time as newbie on a rented<br />
plot, low prim count’, says Kvinta. ‘Man, did I<br />
use a lot of time searching for nice plants, low<br />
in prim! Therefore, most of my plants are 1-3<br />
prims. Naturally, some of my creations cost a LOT
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
of prims, but I really try to make nice plants for<br />
us all to enjoy.’<br />
But how can it be done – normally only Linden<br />
plants are 1 prim?<br />
The secret is not a secret at all! Sculpties are<br />
difficult but also very usable. Once you crack the<br />
code it is a gift from Heaven sent!<br />
‘The sculpty itself is a present from my very<br />
best friend in SL, who is a gifted building designer’,<br />
explains Kvinta. ‘She built it according to<br />
my specifications, and I am certain you will read<br />
more about her in future issues of <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong>.’<br />
So far Kvinta is very pleased with the results<br />
– and we can see why!<br />
Visit the classic surroundings of Kvinta’s Garden<br />
Centre, take a stroll around the Hanging Gardens,<br />
enjoy the Rose Garden, the Waterfall area,<br />
as well as the meadow area. Not all items are one<br />
prim, but if you really like a special plant and do<br />
not find it as one prim, let Kvinta know and she<br />
will give it a try, although she warns that not all<br />
plants look nice as one prim plants!<br />
A New Couples Dance Release <strong>by</strong><br />
Maar Auer at Metaversal Arts:<br />
It’s Foxtrot Time!<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cherish/144/199/60]<br />
Maar Auer’s fantastic dance release series<br />
continues. After the breathtaking SLindy Hop, she<br />
will continue with a smoother, jazzier ballroom<br />
groove: It’s Foxtrot time! The grand release will<br />
take place in Metaversal Arts Café on Sat 23rd<br />
August, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. SLT.<br />
Radio Riel will guarantee the party groove <strong>by</strong><br />
playing foxy oldies – and on top of it all we will<br />
enjoy a live concert <strong>by</strong> a talented jazz musician<br />
Aira Jun [http://www.junjazz.com]. You will<br />
surely not want to miss this event!<br />
Satir de Cuir Releases<br />
New Italian Villas!<br />
Satir DeCuir, the talented lead architect on<br />
the Al-Andalus build, has released another stunning<br />
set of homes this week! Her Italian Villas<br />
come in eight different models, various sizes and<br />
a choice of beautiful rustic or modern textures, all<br />
original to these houses. The homes have modifiable<br />
floors and roofs, locking doors, menu system<br />
windows and some of the most efficient prim usage<br />
in Second Life. You can see the houses rezzed<br />
in her sim store, at Satir DeCuir [http://slurl.<br />
com/secondlife/Satir%20DeCuir/107/101/33], or<br />
in her brand new sim development, the Isles of<br />
Ischia [http://slurl.com/secondlife/Isle%20of%2<br />
0Ischia/204/180/24].<br />
The Refuge and The Progression<br />
– an Installation <strong>by</strong> AM Radio<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wales%20Springs/<br />
251/113/24]<br />
In the tradition of his previous creations – The<br />
Far Away, The Quiet, Husk – and progressing from<br />
The Refuge and The Prospect, AM has created<br />
‘The Refuge and The Progression’, covering two<br />
full sims. Evocative in mood and visual style, AM<br />
once again offers an immersive and interactive<br />
experience. The richness of detail and texture<br />
encourages visitors to touch – often discovering<br />
hidden things or gifts. It’s not unusual to visit a
second time, or third, and find new additions or<br />
items changed.<br />
Similar to an exhibit that only ran for one<br />
week previously, AM now has three sims up in and<br />
artistic style similar to The Far Away, but with<br />
a much larger scope. The above SLURL will land<br />
you at a crossroads where you can see the trademark<br />
field of wheat with the rusty train, along<br />
with a long-stretching road, AM’s less well-known<br />
gas station, and a hot rod, both highly detailed. A<br />
third sim has been added to the collection, a collaboration<br />
between AM Radio and Miki Gymnast,<br />
but you’ll need to find it. Follow the road to the<br />
solitary house, go upstairs and grab the fantastically<br />
detailed freebies, then click the radio hidden<br />
up in the attic to get a landmark to the hidden<br />
sim. What you’ll see is a very unique blend of<br />
two artists’ styles. Have fun!<br />
The installation opens at 3 p.m. SLT, Sunday 3<br />
August: The Refuge and The Progression, hosted<br />
in the Alexander Gallery sims, runs from Aug 3<br />
- Nov 2<br />
THE ARTIST<br />
Well-known to many, AM Radio is one of the<br />
most detailed and precise builders in Second<br />
Life. A Google search of ‘AM Radio Second Life’<br />
returns numerous posts about the man and his<br />
installations.<br />
His extensive research and fine arts training<br />
allows him to create breathtaking installations<br />
based on artistic and design principles; for most<br />
visitors, this translates into environments that<br />
trigger emotions and memories. His attention to<br />
detail and richness of texture has made The Far<br />
Away one of the most-photographed locations in<br />
Second Life.<br />
THE CHARITIES<br />
Exemplifying Ghandi’s suggestion to be the<br />
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
change you want to see in the world, AM Radio is<br />
a supporter of numerous charities. In Second Life<br />
he does not sell any of his creations for profit, but<br />
offers them to raise funds for charity. Pieces of<br />
the original wheatfield and its builds, along with a<br />
1943 Jeep Willys, will be available at The Refuge<br />
and The Progression, in support of Heifer International.<br />
AM has also created a D-90 Landrover, that<br />
can be purchased to support Nothing But Nets.<br />
Please consider giving generously.<br />
Information on these charities can be found<br />
at: [http://www.heifer.org] and [http://www.<br />
nothingbutnets.org].<br />
EVENTS<br />
Weekly events are planned for the installation<br />
– Monday night fireworks, Wednesday night<br />
‘Ride Night’, Sunday night live music.<br />
Week 1<br />
Sunday 3 August, 7 p.m.:<br />
Joaquin Gustav – classical guitar music with a<br />
latin and tango flair. Joaquin is donating his time<br />
and tips to support Heifer and Nothing But Nets.<br />
Monday 4 August, 7 p.m.:<br />
Fireworks Over the Wheatfield, provided <strong>by</strong><br />
RacerX Gullwing<br />
Wednesday 6 August, 6 p.m.:<br />
‘Classic Ride Night’ – an exhibit of classic cars<br />
provided <strong>by</strong> Abacus Mimistrobell of AM Pro Rides.<br />
Come see some of the finest vehicles in *Second<br />
Life*, and do some dancing in the streets.<br />
THE FINE PRINT<br />
By now everyone knows the concerns about<br />
theft of intellectual property or content, so this<br />
is just a reminder to enjoy the metaphorical<br />
cookies, but don’t be stealing the recipe.<br />
The Loft Presents the Molinari<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/The%20Loft/171/128/28]
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
The Loft is proud to present the latest addition<br />
to its Outdoor Living line, the Molinari. The<br />
Molinari’s sectional is scripted with The Loft’s<br />
menu-driven multi-animation seating, providing<br />
seven poses for you and the company you keep.<br />
The Molinari is now available in dark wood.<br />
FAYANDRIA from Koshari Mahana<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Duhallow/127/122/29/]<br />
Fayandria, a unique Medieval/Fantasy community<br />
which spans five sims, will open during<br />
the latter part of August, 2008. This area is likely<br />
to be very innovative because it has its own economy<br />
as well as scripted quests, role play, residential<br />
living, arena games and combat utilising<br />
the DCS2 system. There will be a wide variety of<br />
races and classes to choose from, some of which<br />
are completely unique to Fayandria. Each of the<br />
five sims will offer different experiences, activities<br />
and settings, including the Arena, the Wilderness<br />
and several Dwelling sims as well as public<br />
gathering areas. Contact Jedediah McDunnough<br />
or Loki Mahana for more information.<br />
Sweet Romance <strong>by</strong> Night at Sweet<br />
Romance Furniture<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wingo/157/81/51]<br />
LaDonna Upshaw is a relatively new designer<br />
in Second Life, but she’s already producing some<br />
interesting pieces. She sent us this news from her<br />
store, Sweet Romance Furniture:<br />
‘Last month, my friend Epiphany Zerbino<br />
was offered the opportunity to open a nightclub<br />
in Second Life. It is the Club Nautical, in the<br />
SS Georgia Sunshine, a new ship in Watersedge<br />
Shangrila [http://slurl.com/secondlife/Waterse<br />
dge%20Shangrila/206/211/22]. She came to me<br />
to help make her nightclub a place that people
00 <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
would love to gather, to dance, to romance, and<br />
to have fun. After listening to her describe her<br />
dream, this is what I designed for the space.<br />
‘One side of the dance floor is romantic and<br />
intimate seating, perfect for cuddles and quiet<br />
conversation. On the other side, a bar completes<br />
the nightclub atmosphere, with additional tables<br />
and stools to observe the revelers on the dance<br />
floor or to have a drink with friends.’<br />
MadPea Productions<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/The%20Last%20Smile/<br />
132/75/673]<br />
Since their hit game, The Zodiac Killer, Mad-<br />
Pea Productions has taken a serious step forward<br />
in the development of games for Second Life. Leveraging<br />
the development capability and social<br />
interaction of Second Life, MadPea seeks to create<br />
games that are beyond anything currently out<br />
there.<br />
Encompassing a talented staff of designers,<br />
writers, builders and scripters, MadPea is creating<br />
a premier line of games based around original<br />
mysteries such as The Zodiac Killer and Within, as<br />
well as crazy small games custom made for Second<br />
Life companies to run in their locations. All<br />
games are high quality and innovative, yet maintain<br />
a huge fun-factor for players.<br />
MadPea has been previously known as Beyond<br />
Imagination and recently changed their name and<br />
their ‘skin’ in Second Life. They have separate locations<br />
for the games and their business offices.<br />
At the Game Base you get to begin the Within<br />
game that is a huge gridwide puzzle, played in<br />
eleven sims in total. Once solved, you enter a<br />
secret agency, giving you the privilege to play<br />
the whole story and discover the agenda behind<br />
Within.<br />
Sneak peek about Within: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E5kME3LEDM].<br />
Also, the Game Base introduces more pointand-click<br />
problem-solving games such as Escape<br />
the Room, and is a hangout area for all the game<br />
and puzzle lovers out there.<br />
The goal for MadPea Productions is to create<br />
fantasies that challenge people’s imagination<br />
...To make their brain tick, to lure them into<br />
a world where they unravel a mystery, to drive<br />
the players to the edge of frustration and give<br />
rewards when they succeed. All their games are<br />
free to play.<br />
Keep posted as MadPea continues to push the<br />
boundaries of gaming in Second Life. The sequel<br />
to Within is currently in development and ready<br />
to be released to not just hungry Within fans but<br />
new players as well!<br />
Join the MadPeas group to find out more.
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Del Sol Furniture<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Del%20Sol/<br />
130/149/28/]<br />
If you have not been to Del Sol Furniture<br />
(established in 2004) in the past month or so ...<br />
you don’t know Del Sol. Xandi Mars has made over<br />
seventeen new sets, including bedrooms, living<br />
rooms, modern, classy, country – well, you name<br />
it, and it’s there. And what’s more, Xandi tells<br />
us that she is picking up some of the old sets and<br />
boxing them up at half the original price.<br />
What’s Cooking at Bygone Days?<br />
[http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bygone%20Days/<br />
127/123/27]<br />
Jeannie Moonflower of Bygone Days is busy<br />
working on extending all the departments in the<br />
store, and she is starting in the kitchen area!<br />
There will be added displays here along with<br />
bric-a-brac, curios and general antique kitchen<br />
requisites. A recent designer on Meta Makeover<br />
[http://slcn.tv/meta-makeover-bracken-backsamaria-arai],<br />
Jeannie creates wonderful items<br />
that help homes tell a story. E<br />
0
0 <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
How Do I get Future Copies of <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong>?<br />
PRIM PERFECT CAN BE OBTAINED either in the<br />
form of a Thinc book for inworld reading, or as a<br />
downloadable pdf (the address will be printed in<br />
the Thinc Book and on the web-site and blog).<br />
The magazine will be published every month<br />
- but in addition there’s a web-site [www.primperfect.net]<br />
and a blog [http://primperfectblog.<br />
wordpress.com] which is updated almost every<br />
day. Both of these are intended as dynamic tools<br />
to promote design in Second Life, in addition to<br />
the magazine.<br />
One of the things we’ve just started on the<br />
website is a Directory for Designers and Builders<br />
within SL. Our aim is to build up an added-value<br />
database - the directory entry will include a pic-<br />
How Do I Advertise in <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong>?<br />
SUBMIT ADS TO saffia.widdershins@gmail.com as<br />
highest quality JPGs or full color PNGs. Provide a<br />
Click-through URL (can be a SLURL). If one is not<br />
provided we will assume one is not wanted.<br />
Stats<br />
We are aiming to create a regular readership<br />
of 15,000. We’ve already been mentioned as one<br />
of the fastest growing blogs in Wordpress’s top<br />
twenty.<br />
Prices<br />
2 Page Spread: L$12,000<br />
Full Page: L$7500<br />
Half Page: L$5000<br />
ture, a little about the store or designer, a SLURL,<br />
and frequently a comment from <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> too,<br />
saying what we liked.<br />
The magazine will be available to buy from<br />
kiosk vendors throughout SL, and also from <strong>Prim</strong><br />
<strong>Perfect</strong>’s office in Venice Island and their offices<br />
in Oliveto. If you visit a store where you think <strong>Prim</strong><br />
<strong>Perfect</strong> should be available and it isn’t, please<br />
ask the owner to contact <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> about installing<br />
a vendor. We’d be happy to oblige.<br />
You can also sign up to join the <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong><br />
Subscribers Group. This will deliver the pdf address<br />
and a copy of the Thinc book to you as soon<br />
as the magazine is published. If you want to do<br />
this, IM our Circulation Manager, Zadira Barzane.<br />
Quarter Page: L$3000<br />
Eighth Page: L$2000<br />
Calling all Designers and Builders!<br />
PRIM PERFECT IS CREATING an online directory<br />
of builders and designers as part of our ongoing<br />
commitment to serve the cause of design in Second<br />
Life.<br />
You’ll find it online at: www.primperfect.net/<br />
designers.htm.<br />
If you are a builder or a designer, don’t delay<br />
A 10% non-refundable deposit will be required<br />
to save ad space. Special rates available for<br />
stores that have <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> vendors and/or<br />
regular advertisers!<br />
Design Your Own<br />
If you wish to design your own ad, there are<br />
a few guidelines to follow. These are available<br />
on our website: www.primperfect.net/advertising.<br />
htm.<br />
Ad submission deadline for Issue #12 is 1 September<br />
2008.<br />
- send us a paragraph describing what you do, a<br />
small pic (256X256 is ideal) and a slurl or email<br />
address. If we know your work, we will give a<br />
value-added comment!<br />
And if we don’t know your work, why not contact<br />
us as tell us all about yourselves? <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> is<br />
always eager to meet and work with new designers!<br />
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0 <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008
<strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Advertiser’s Directory<br />
Al-Andalus sims 30<br />
Architextura 81<br />
Barefoot Homes & Designs 12<br />
The Best of Second Life 92<br />
Brennan Homes 15<br />
Bygone Days 52<br />
Castles Q 19, 58, 64, 95<br />
Coeur Region sims 73<br />
CORN 20<br />
Creative Fantasy Home & Garden 10<br />
Cristalle Properties 77<br />
Elements in Design 68<br />
Fort Serenity Waterfalls 80<br />
Galaxy Cruises 53<br />
GREENE Concept 90<br />
The Hammerwielder 55<br />
The Isles of Fatima sims 31<br />
Isles of Ischia sim 99<br />
KitStar Designs 63<br />
Kvinta’s Garden Centre 35<br />
Lavanya’s Fantasy Suites 37<br />
Metaversal Arts Shop 24<br />
Paisley Beebe 76<br />
The <strong>Prim</strong>graph magazine 74<br />
PRrim Designs 61<br />
Regent Estates 102, 104<br />
RiverSong Gallery 87<br />
Rustica 82<br />
ShoppingSL on SLCN.TV 94<br />
SkyBeam Estates 45, 96<br />
Snook’s Garden Centre 8, 101<br />
Sofia’s 65<br />
Temasek sim 2<br />
TreeSong Designs 47, 72<br />
Tribute Island 56<br />
True North Design 5<br />
Venture Magazine 89<br />
Vulcania Studio & Gallery 70<br />
Winterfell Village 59<br />
XAN SHOUTcast Radio 67<br />
0
0 <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong> • August 2008<br />
Credits<br />
Publisher and Editor: <strong>Saffia</strong> <strong>Widdershins</strong><br />
Advertising and Client Relations Manager: Diva Regina<br />
Art Director and Designer: Perry Applemoor<br />
Researcher and Reporter: MoodyLoner Korobase<br />
Copy Editor and Reporter: Alesia Markstein<br />
Chief Photographer: Vera Canning<br />
Gardening Correspondent: Kaye Robbiani<br />
Additional Articles <strong>by</strong> Jvstin Tomorrow, M0llie Dench, Kittie Munro,<br />
Coughran Mayo, Bailey Longcloth and Gwen Carillon<br />
Bloggers: <strong>Saffia</strong> <strong>Widdershins</strong>, Qwis Greenwood, Jvstin Tomorrow,<br />
Diva Regina, Alesia Markstein and Kghia Gherardi<br />
Special thanks to Fatima Ur and Incanus Merlin, for their tremendous<br />
help and hard work – including supplying a beautiful house in the most<br />
lovely setting for our star prize – and to the people of the Isles of<br />
Fatima and of Metaversal Arts for their support, their photographs,<br />
their reports and their time in helping us bring their story to this<br />
month’s magazine. Thanks to everyone who responded with such<br />
enthusiasm to our questions.<br />
Our thanks go to all the designers and other people across the Second<br />
Life world who have given advice and support to help us produce this<br />
11th edition of <strong>Prim</strong> <strong>Perfect</strong>.