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!

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 

Seems there is controversy everywhere these days.  Whether it’s the Open Space issue which some people are still grumbling about or it’s IP rights and content theft or it’s the media’s portrayal of SL as a place of sex and gambling and all things evil, controversy is everywhere.  It seems we all find some hot topic to blather on about, throwing our opinions into the cyber wind and hoping for a reaction.

For some, they want to stir the pot, make people think and just maybe someone will DO something.  Others stir the pot just to do it.  Get everyone fired up and walk away watching the explosions from a safe distance.  Then there are those who will jump on the bandwagon as it goes by but would never lead the band.  I’ve got a favorite saying, *Lead, follow, or get the hell out of my way*. 

There are natural leaders and natural followers.  If you watch closely you can pick out which is which.  The natural follower is the support system, the cheerleader the one happy to hold the banner of the leader.  The natural leader speaks and people listen.  They go in a direction, people follow.  These are the people stirring the pots, creating the controversy.

Controversy isn’t always a bad thing.  In some cases, it’s necessary.  Think of all the changes in our lifetimes, name one that didn’t start as controversial.  Prad’s post yesterday about magazines is a perfect example.  He certainly stirred the pot but if the magazine community in SL uses it to take a step back and look at their own magazine to improve, then he’s helped to accomplish something.

Lands is also touching on some heavy subjects here .   These will not be popular subjects with a lot of people.  Let’s face it, none of us like having it pointed out that we are doing something wrong.  Especially when we know deep down that we are doing something wrong.  I’ll leave the debate of that topic to her.  I’m just as guilty as everyone else of *downloading* and I’m not going to justify it or excuse it because in actuality, I can’t. 

I think good honest debate is a good thing.  Keeps us thinking and reasonning, questionning and searching for answers.

The one thing I’d like to see more of though, less backstabbing among bloggers.  Perhaps the fashion blogosphere is saturated and now everyone is kicking and scratching to keep their corner of the world.  Maybe it’s because designers are sending their review copies to EVERY blogger.  I just know that I don’t like to see one blogger trashing another on their blog.  It may make you feel better but think about your readers.  What image are you presenting to them, that you are happy to trash someone else so openly, so publicly?  Why should I read your blog if that is how you handle conflict?  I don’t like it and I’ll take a guess that a lot of other people don’t either.

*Wow, it’s so quiet here tonight!*  I’ve heard this dozens of times sitting at the Crown and Pearl just chilling out.  This out of the mouth of someone fairly new to the Crown.  Someone who sees a group of folks sitting and chatting as a *quiet night*. 

A crowded dance floor isn’t what makes the place special.  The sploder going non-stop isn’t what makes the place special(although it does help pay the bills! lol)  DJs everynight isn’t what makes the place special.

What makes the Crown special are the people who are there.  As Lands said one evening, it’s not the quantity but quality of people there that makes it a good night.  You can have 3 people in the place and have a great time or 30 and walk away feeling cold.

Now I won’t speak for other bars/clubs.  We don’t have hosts and we don’t spam everyone to tip this or that.  If you like the bar, put some lindens in the tip jar.  It helps keep the sim open and the music flowing.  If you like a particular DJ, tip them.  It doesn’t matter whether it’s one linden or a thousand.  It’s shows you appreciate what they are doing.

Some of my best memories at the Crown have come from nights we’ve just sat about chatting.  So if your a newcomer to the Crown, don’t run away if the dance floor isn’t full.  Come have a seat on the sofas.  You never know what we’ll be chatting about.  Politics, religion, sex, children, holidays, life, death, SL, linden labs, sports or general nonsense.  You really never know.

Take some time to get to know us and we’ll get to know you.  You’ll find that while the Crown is a great place for a party, it’s also a great place to just hang out and enjoy some good company.

So, the next time you stop by, before you comment on how quiet it seems to you because no one is dancing, check out the crowd sitting on the sofas.

It’s been a year since Prad, Kendra and I opened the Crown and Pearl.  In that time we’ve had ups and downs.  Days when we thought it was for nothing and others when we couldn’t believe the generosity and love from those we call friends and family.

It’s been a long road but one that has been the best ride I’ve been on.  Tonight was the Black and White Ball.  So many friends old and new came by to celebrate, to dance and to try and break the sploder. LOL  I DJ’d tonight, 4 hours worth and had the best time.

I wanted to say a special thank you to everyone who came by tonight.  But I also wanted to say thank you to a few people who without their love and support I wouldn’t be in SL.

Landsy:  Although our friendship is fairly new, silly girls we are , you’ve been a source of strength and laughter on some of my darkest days.  I don’t know what I would do without you to talk to, without your shoulder to cry on.  Thank you, you’ve no idea  how much you mean to me.

Ari:  Two years have seen a lot between us.  You are my dearest friend.  No matter what life throws at us, I’ll always be there for you.  You’ve heard me laugh, cry and yell.  You’ve seen the good and the bad and through it all, we’ve always been friends and always will be.  Love you hon.

Prad:  What is  it that brings two people together that are so very different and yet become the closest of friends.  You’ve taught me much in the past year and a half.  I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again here, some day I’ll see you in the news for some amazing thing you’ve created and be able to say, “I knew him when…”.  There aren’t enough words to be able to say Thank You enough for everything you’ve done for me.  Love ya kiddo.

There are so many people I could single out and say Thank You to for everything they’ve done, said, inspired in me.  For all of you, Thank You.  You all mean so very much to me.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the last year at the Crown and Pearl.  I look forward to seeing what the next year brings us.

See you all at the Crown!

Love,

BL

After reading Lands posts about map rights and friends lists it got me thinking.  No I didn’t hurt myself, hush up!  

I’ve been in SL for 2 years now and I’ve only cleaned out my friends list once.  It’s not even a very long list considering  how long I’ve been in world.  Where I differ with Lands is that I don’t *friend* everyone that asks.  If your on my friends list it’s because we’ve spoken before.  Now I know I could hand out calling cards instead.  What is a calling card you ask?  Go to your inventory, look at the folder up on top called calling cards.  These are all the people you have friended and anyone who has you given you  their card.  Go ahead, open one, look at it.  I’ll wait.  Welcome back.   Now, you can give these out to people instead of friending them.  It will give them a way to get in touch with you without being on the friends list.  Right click the person and select give card from the pie menu.  It’s really easy.   So, if you don’t necessarily want to add someone to your friends list, give them a calling card.

Map rights…  This one can get ugly, and I know this from personal experience.  Lets say you are dating someone.  You give them map rights.  Well one evening you are  hanging out on your sofa with someone who is not your b/f or g/f.  In comes your significant other who has mapped you and didn’t notice the 2 dots, or maybe they did.  Well Lucy, now you’ve got some ’splaining to do.  Or do you?  If I give someone map rights does that automatically mean they can pop in on me any time they like?  No it doesn’t.  It means I’ve given you rights to know where I am.  If you map me and there are 2 dots, IM me before you *drop* in.  Get your mind out of the gutter   I could simply be in the middle of a private conversation.  If I’m at the Crown, go ahead and map me.  My point here is, if I’m at the Crown or out shopping drop in, the more the merrier.   But if you map me and see one or 2 dots, how about IMing me first before you drop in.  That’s just common courtesy. 

I have map rights to a number of people.  All good friends who trust me enough to give me that privilege.  If they are at the Crown, yep I’ll cheat and map them to get there quicker.   Would I ever map them if they were somewhere else?  Nope, not unless they told me to.  Have I checked to see where people are, yep, I have.  I’ll check the map before I IM them.  If I see 2 dots, I’ll leave them alone.   

Now, lets say your are dating someone and you DON’T give them map rights.  What does that say about the relationship?  Well, either you don’t trust them, you are doing something worthy of hiding or you simply don’t trust anyone.  This happened to me.  I didn’t give him map rights, we had a huge row.  I wasn’t doing anything wrong, I just didn’t trust him.  Nor did I want him following me around everywhere I went.  Course, he didn’t trust me either which is another matter entirely.  I gave him map rights in the end.  Regretted it and eventually he and I split up. 

My point is that giving map rights means you trust that person, you have nothing to hide from them.  You are also giving them the benefit of the doubt that they’ll act responsibly.  Remember, just because someone gives you map rights, or even that they friended you doesn’t mean you can be a pest.  Rights easily given can just as easily be taken away.

Well it seems a little bit of controversy is good for the not only the soul but the blog stats too. LOL  Last weeks discussions of freebies was certainly interesting.  Fortunately I didn’t get the hate mail/comments that Ana and Prad did.  I will never understand how viscious people can be simply because they either don’t agree, or don’t understand.  Anyway, enough about serious stuff for now.  The economics of SL won’t crumble in a day or two.

 If you want to read something laugh out loud funny, then go read Prad’s blog.  His latest post is sheer genius.  I warn you though, put beverages down before reading.  I will not be responsible for you spewing (insert beverage of choice here) on your monitor or keyboard.  Nor will I be held responsible for the pain and suffering of your nose when the above occurs.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 

Lands was a busy blogger too.  Her post about the Women of Crown is really lovely.  Gave me a warm feeling inside.  These ladies are family and you mess with one of them, you take  your life in your hands.  Just sayin…  Her reflections on RL and SL are awesome too.  I’ve got a post floating around in my head about that too.

Yesterday was the 1st annual pub/bar crawl.  Sponsored by Molaskey’s and organized by Nasus Dumart.  It was a lot of fun.  I wasn’t able to go out to the other bars, I was DJing the event for the Crown but it seemed to be a success.  It was nice to meet some new people, make some new friends.  I hope everyone stops back at the Crown in the future.

I spent some time working on the gallery.  I think it’s just about ready to open.  Invites will go out in the next few days.  Each artist will have a  panel in which to display their work.  Themes will change frequently.  Each artist will need to change their art every 2 weeks or so.  Details will go out soon.  I realize there are loads of galleries out there. This is meant to be constantly changing.  A commentary on SL itself with things changing in world at such a quick pace.

The Crown moves soon.  She’s all grown up now, moving to her own island.  *sniffs*  Her father and I are so proud.  She’s grown up to be the warm, friendly and welcoming place we’d always hoped she be.  She turns one year old soon.  There will be a party.  Lots of cake. You must come.

That’s it from me for now.

Sometimes you just never know what’s going to happen at the Crown.  I say that in all honesty.  Whether it’s attack of the Penguins, attack of the sculpted Noob or any variation on that theme, you just never know.

Last night was no exception.  A typical Tuesday you’d think.  Bonni dj’d, then I dj’d and then Prad dj’d.  So that’s about 7  hours straight of live(well live as in not radio) music.  We had a good crowd going all night.  Some new faces and old ones.  Everyone is welcome at the Crown.  Whether it’s a new resident or an old timer, all are welcome.  You’ll even find a Linden hanging around every now and then.

So last night with the usual nutty suspects  around you never know what will happen.  And so, the *Haven’t slept with Prad* club was born.  I honestly don’t know how it happened.  All I remember clearly is Lands daring Prad to dare her to do it, and him doing it.  And so, it was born.  She’s got a post all about it on her blog here .  Now we all pick on Prad unmercifully.  He always takes it fairly well usually jumping in himself.  I think my favorite quote of the night was *who is prad?* made by one of the patrons last night.  She or he was not a regular of the bar and wasn’t familiar with who was who. 

There were other bouts of insanity last night as always.  Far too many to comment on and you really had to be there.   So please, stop by the Crown and Pearl some night.  You’ll be glad you did!