I’ve not written here in awhile.   In all honesty I’ve debated keeping the blog going at all.   I’ve changed since I started this and in order for the blog to continue to serve a useful purpose it has to change too.   Well, change it will.  Starting today…

Roleplay in SL can be anything from slaying dragons to chasing down a rogue vampire to having a child or even being a child.   If you think for a moment, to some respect we are all roleplaying in SL.   Our avatar is generally much different than we are in RL.   We do things in SL we’d never do in RL.   And before anyone gets in an uproar saying that their avatar and the person behind the keyboard are the same…. When was the last time you flew to the grocery store?   Exactly.  So like I said, in SL we do what we can’t/wouldn’t do in RL.  Some go a step further and roleplay within SL.

I never thought I’d be roleplaying in SL.   I’ve had friends who have been heavily involved in roleplay, Midian specifically for a long time.   They all tried to get me to join them and I was never interested.   I didn’t see the attraction.  Nor did I want to.  Well flash forward 2 years and one of my closest friends is RPing in Midian and asks me to come check it out.   Having reached one of those points in SL where everything seems to bore me I agree.   At the very least I’ll take some pictures.  We’ll I spent about an hour with her that night.  Next day I joined Midian.  I was hooked.  I joined the Catwalkers, went thru training and became a full Catwalker.   I’m sorting out what role I want to play in the Pride.  

In the process of joining the Catwalkers I sold some land to a few fellow Midianites.   Who could know that one of those folks would become someone very very special to me.

Ioh bought the land right next to me.  He was a Catwalker and had a bit of a reputation as a ladies cat lol .   He was nice enough though and I was happy to have him as a neighbor.  How it happened I don’t know.  We ended up roleplaying a bit in Midian together.   I loved every minute of it!

Over the course of the coming days he and I got to know each other.  We talked, we kissed, we ….(I’ll keep this a PG blog ) 

I fell in love with him.  I adore everything about him.   His kindness, warmth, honesty, trust, humor, intelligence are just a few of the many wonderful things about him.  I’ve had relationships in SL before, but none that can even compare to the way I feel about him and the bond he and I share.   He collared me at the end of January.  Huge step for me, to give someone else that kind of control is a big deal and not something I’d do lightly.   We partnered the next day.  We’re getting married at the end of April, in Midian.   It’s been a whirlwind but a wonderful one.  I’ve never been happier.

If it hadn’t been for roleplaying in Midian I’d never have met him or any of wonderful extended family in the Catwalkers.

The next time someone asks if you’ve ever roleplayed or if you want to, instead of saying no right off the bat, go follow them around a little, see what it’s all about.  Afterall, Rrish did and she’s enjoying herself.

So, as you may have guessed, the blog is going to be more focused on what Bails is doing in SL.  Whether it’s role play in Midian or DJing at the Crown. Which I’m doing tonight by the way.

Valentine’s Day.  That holiday that is either loved or hated depending on your current status.  If your in a relationship(a good one) then you are likely to embrace the day.  If your not in a relationship(or in a bad one) your likely going to hate all the mushy lovey dovey stuff.

For the most part I’ve always felt it is a contrived holiday to benefit the candy makers and  greeting card companies.  This year is a bit different.  This year I’m in a relationship with someone whose company I enjoy, who makes my face light up when I see him and who I want to spend every minute with.  While I still think the holiday is overdone by card and candy companies, I’m jumping on the candy heart bandwagon.

Valentine’s Day celebrates love and affection.  Go as far back as the Romans and lovers and friends have been exchanging tokens of love and friendship in the middle of the month in February.  Whether it is a simple token of affection to a friend you hold dear or something more personal and thoughtful to a lover, it’s a day to celebrate the bonds we have with those we love.

We shouldn’t need one day to remind us to say "I love you" though.  We should say it every day.  Life is far too short and things change to quickly to let a moment go by without telling the people you care about how you feel.

So I’m taking this moment to say "I <3 You" to those who I hold dear.  They know who they are.  You all mean the world to me.   You’ve each touched my heart in a different way and I’ve changed, hopefully for the better, because of it.  Not a day goes by that I don’t think about each of you or try to make sure I at least say hello.

To Ioh…. You have stolen my heart.  I love you more than I could possibly say.  Your my last thought as I drift off to sleep and my first when I awake.  I love you…   always.

To all those who aren’t in a relationship and totally believe this to be an overblown commercial holiday – I hear you.  I’ve been there.  But Valentine’s day isn’t just for lovers.  It really is for everyone.  Tell your friends how much you care about them.   Tell your family what they mean to you.  Tell that designer whose clothes you adore how much you love their what they make.  Take the opportunity to tell someone you care about them. 

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

P.S. -  Back to square one on the complaint meter.  Someone who shall remain nameless (Prad) pointed out a small rant I’d made.  So, back to the beginning – 1 day with no complaints!  Go me!  lol

I want to thank everyone who participated in the Charity Auction yesterday at C2P.  It was a lot of fun and best of all we raised a good deal of money.  I believe we had about 150,000L last night so a HUGE thank you to everyone!!

There will be a donation box out at the Crown and Pearl for anyone who wishes to donate but couldn’t attend yesterday.  Remember, last year we raised over 1 million lindens!!!!!

Every little bit helps and counts so if you can spare some lindens, put them in the box.

Thank you to Prad for DJing and assisting with the auction.

Thank you to Lands for all the notices and promotion of the event.

Again, thank you to everyone who donated or agreed to be auctioned off!

LOL I know, silly title but what else would say it quite so well?  See, nothing so there you go.

As my lovely friends will attest I’ve been suspiciously absent from the Crown and from their IM windows.  I haven’t even bugged them for new Gallery photos although they will get that poke later when I get home.  Hint hint

So, where have I been?   I’ve been roleplaying in Midian  and I’ve been hanging out with a very special neko that I adore and who adores me.  We partnered last weekend and I couldn’t be happier.  We talked that night about having a wedding ceremony, he said he’d do it if I wanted it.  He offered, is this guy great or what….  So, we’ll be having a wedding and a christening at St Michael’s parish in Midian.  Details will be forthcoming when I know what they are – lol.

I know I said I’d never get married again in SL but this is different.  He’s different.  I’ll spare you all the soppy details.  He knows how I feel about him and that’s all that matters.

The Crown and Pearl Charity Auction is this weekend.  We’ve had quite a few people sign up to be auctioned off.  It’s a good cause, Cancer Research so come out on Sunday and bid on someone or just dump some lindens in the donation box.  The Auction itself is Sunday at 1pm SLT at the C2P on Angel Square.  Join the Crown and Pearl group for updates on the auction and all the other great events and DJs.

The Gallery of Light theme should be changing this weekend.  The new theme is Respect.  The artwork I’ve seen so far is amazing.  We have a new addition to the gallery; Elise Capalini.  Welcome Elise, we’re happy to have you join the family.

The Angel Square market/mall is open and starting to fill in.  If you are looking for store space let me know.  Come down and take a walk through the gallery and the stores opening, there’s some truly cute items there.

So that’s what’s new and notable in my world for now.

Quick update:  I’m 3 days without a single complaint!  Woohoo Go me!

Well it’s that time of year again.   Time for the Crown and Pearl’s annual charity date auction.   That’s right, the regulars and staff are putting themselves up on the auction.   What do you get if you out bid everyone else and “win” one of these awesome folks?   You win a one hour date.  What you two do on your date is up to you.   We don’t wanna know.  No, really we don’t. 

So how does it work?  Well if you’d like to be “auctioned” off, then contact me by Thursday and I’ll add you to the list.   The you need to come to the C2P(the underground club on Angel Square) Sunday February 8^th by 1pm.   You’ll go up on the auction block and the winning bidder gets a date with you by paying the donation box.  

The event is always a lot of fun and we raise a lot of money for a good cause.  Last year over the course of a week we raised over $1million lindens for Cancer Research.   The event was dedicated to DeeDee Fadoodle, a regular of the Crown and Pearl and resident of Angel Square.   We lost DeeDee last year and she is sorely missed. 

If you can’t participate in the actual event, the donation box will be left up for a few days and you are welcome to throw some linden love in the box.   All the money raised will go to Cancer Research UK, we aren’t keeping a penny of it.

So you wanna know who is being auctioned off right?  Well, we’ve got 2 of SL’s hottest Male Avs, I’m not saying who.   I hear there is a rather sexy cat or two up for auction as well as a several other lovely regulars and staff.

If you want all the details you need to be in the Crown and Pearl group so sign up if you aren’t yet.   You’ll get all the details and notices about the event.

I’ll thank everyone in advance for their support for this very worth cause.

As the end of 2008 approaches I thought it might be nice to make a list of what has happened this year.

Some were happy events, some not so happy.  Some I’d like to forget and some I never will.

It’s been an interesting year.  Let’s see if 2009 is just as interesting.

2008 Events

Got married

Got divorced

Bought Angel Square

Bought Baileys Reach

Crown and Pearl moves to Angel Square

Crown and Pearl hotes charity Date Auction 

Crown and Pearl raises over 1Million Linden for Cancer Research

Crown and Pearl moves to Crown and Pearl

Crown and Pearl turns 1 yr old

BL hits the airwaves as a Crown and Pearl DJ

Aribeth and Hell give birth to Seren

Prad has his first art show at the Cannery, followed by his second at Twilight

BL, Aribeth, Prad, Rrish, BD all turn 2 

Bailey Dazy becomes Catwalker Wrath

Prad closes Amodica in order to re-launch in 2009

Fireworks at the Crown and Pearl

Nuclear war head blows up the Crown and Pearl(Prad!!!!) 

Gallery of Light Opens on Angel Square

Crown and Pearl hosts Uncover Magazine Launch

Crown and Pearl hosts CRY America Charity Event

Landsend Korobase has 1st showing at Twilight Gallery

It’s been a busy and wonderful year.  Thank you to everyone who has helped make 2008 so fantastic!

Love you all….

Bails <3 

No really, legit question.  Are you one of those people who bounces all over the grid checking out random sims?  Or do you have one or two favored places that you always go to? 

If your bouncing all over the grid how do you choose where to go?  What makes one of these places a favorite and worthy of inventory space by keeping a LM?  What makes a sim instantly unlikable?  When I’m bouncing around the grid I’m looking for an interesting place to take pictures.  Right now I’m seeking out sims reminiscient of the 40’s/old Hollywood glamour days.  If you know of any, let me know!  In fact, found a fantastic sim you want to share?  Put it here in the comments.  I’m going to start a page of favorite landmarks.  Just included a brief description with the slurl. 

We all know I’m usually at the Crown.  Big surprise, I own the place.   Even if I didn’t I’d be there though.  First the island is beautiful thanks to Rrish and the Crown itself is unique and beautiful and special, thanks to Prad .  The people are what really make it special though.  Our regulars are a right bunch of nutters but let someone come in asking a question they’ll get as many replies as there are people in the bar.

So that’s my SL.  A bit of wandering and a lot of time at the Crown and Pearl with interruptions for shopping(no prad, we can’t have too many shoes ) and visiting.

What’s your SL????

The Gallery has been open for a month or so now and I thought it was time I talked about it for a bit.  Why did I allocate space on my island to a Gallery which doesn’t contribute to my tier payment you may ask?  The answer is simple.  There are so many talented folks who are regulars and DJs at the Crown and Pearl that I thought what better way to show that then to open a Gallery for them to show their work.

Each artist displays one piece of artwork based on a theme I determine.  In the future I may ask each of them to choose the theme.  The current theme is *Dreams*.  You know the song from Cinderella.  Dreams are wishes your heart makes…..  Well that was my inspiration.

Every couple of weeks the theme will change.  I’m not telling you what the next theme is.  You’ll have to wait and see. 

Currently the artists on display are:  Ryker Beck , Natalya Homewood , Prad Prathivi , Bailey Dazy, Aribeth Coronet , Landsend Korobase , Hellspawned Xingjian and myself.  New artists are welcome to join the Gallery.  Just drop me an IM or notecard in world.

Stop by and see the artwork by these very talented folks.  If you like what you see, well why not drop them a note and tell them.

Christmas has come to the Crown and Pearl again this year.  The sim is covered in snow and trees are covered in lights.  The advent calendar is up so stop by every day and pick up your gift.

Feel free to join the Secret Santa party too.  It was loads of fun last year and is certain to be again!

While the holidays are a difficult time for many people, we hope you come down and join the festivities.  We’ll be having a Gold and Silver ball closer to Christmas and you are all invited.  Put on your fancy threads and come down and party with us.

Whether you celebrate the holiday or not, it’s always a good time at the Crown.  Good music, good people and usually good conversation.

The sim looks beautiful, thank you to Rrish for an amazing job as always!  So come take pics or just hang out.

You’ll be glad you did!

For those of you that don’t know, I’m a Second Life Mentor.  Now the mentor group has had it’s fair share of trashing from all over.  Those that think we are all just little Linden wanna bes or suckups trash the group as a whole as being useless and just after a tag.  Now for some, yes that may very well be true.  But it’s not true for all.  Mentors who spend hours on end at the Help Islands assisting new residents in the first hours of Second Life are a gifted group of people.  They’ve got patience, understanding and a wealth of knowledge to share.  You try standing in a group of 10 brand new avatars all asking *Where is sex?*, *I can haz sex with you now?*, *Give me money, job*… I could go on and on.  Everytime the media does an article on SecondLife, we are flooded with new residents.  Which leads me really to the point of this post. 

What’s the best way to introduce someone to SecondLife?  The Lindens have been working on the new user experience for quite a while now.  I don’t know what their  plans are, what viewer will be used, what or if a tutorial will be out there but I do know the way it is now, isn’t good.

I’ve been in SecondLife for 2 years now and my experience as a brand new resident was much different.  I had orientation island which had a bunch of posters to read which told me what to do.  I followed along and at the end, I went to Help Island.  Didn’t stay there long.  I ended up at the Hanja Welcome Center which became my home for several months.  I wandered the area and was tp’d around the grid by people I’d met.  At that point I was trying to decide what to do with it and whether or not to stay.  I met Aribeth and the rest is history but my point is, I stayed past that crucial first hour.  I was given direction and tasks to complete.  They weren’t hard.  Learn to walk, talk, fly and how to change my appearance.

So what makes a good new user experience?  If it was up to you, what would do?  If I think about all the games I’ve played, every one has a tutorial that you must complete before you enter the game.  You read the prestory, do the tutorial and your dumped into the game.  That’s what I’d do with SL.  Intro page of what SecondLife is, a good tutorial.  Rezzing, attaching objects, changing appearance, buying something, walking, flying, communicating in open and IM.  Then dump them on a help island where they can practice.  Next stop main grid.  Put them in a welcome area or info hub.  If I was the lab i’d also ask sim owners if they want to have their sim/venue as a stopping point.  The Crown gets loads of new residents constantly.  I’d certainly add it as a new resident entry point.  Provided someone was at the Crown of course.  I know LL can limit it to sims with residents only.

So what’s your idea?  I really wanna hear what you think.