Breezes Thoughts

Boooooooooooo and and ghostiesare meeting with Bree tonight.
Yep I looked in a casket and I found this fabulous outfit. It was calling to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
"Please wear me."
Poor Bree could not resist such a plea. Those that know me will simply say 'oh not another peice of clothing do I need. '
I scoff.
One can never have enough clothes to ever satisfy Bree.
No siree.
If you gals want to find some terific clothes come to Lemanias'. I promise you will find all sorts of pleasures here I am on my way to open another grave muuuuaaaaahahahah
Breezes Babii
'I am always searching for something'

Speaking with Sigma-Aldrich's SL Representative Georgianna Blackburn

By Nazz Lane

I’d arrived early at the Aldrich Chemistry SIM for a scheduled appointment with Georgianna Blackburn and took the opportunity to look around while waiting for the start of our meeting. Having rezzed in at the entry point I scanned across the wide plaza admiring the design and layout of the build. Aldrich Chemistry is one of five SIM’s that Sigma-Aldrich, the life science and high technology company, owns as part of its SL complex and was the first complete in its build. I noted the presence of two buildings along the perimeter of spacious plazas, immediately to the left is the “new products pavilion” and across the way is the “art of science exhibit”. The latter facility is across form a second square which holds a pleasant fountain, a circular one which sits centered in the wide space. Both plazas are landscaped artfully with spaced areas for flowers and trees. The entire area is framed by rolling green hills to the south from which a pair of waterfalls on each side of the slopes cascade down into the lush green park like setting below.

Just shortly after I finished my tour of the two facilities, Ms Blackburn arrived. We exchanged greetings in text chat before moving into voice for the interview.

NL: What was it that bought you into SL and has kept you here?

GB: Curiosity, like most. I’d heard about it at a marketing conference. When I first came in … there was so much to learn that I gave up. It was about a week later, with a friend, that I came back in. The social networking is what kept me here. I like networking and hearing the thoughts and ideas of others. When I saw through doing a search, the “American Chemical Society”, I knew this was where I needed to be. I’ve been amazed at the creativity of people in here.

NL: I’m reading from your profile text, "And one man in his time plays many parts" What part do you play for Sigma-Aldrich and what part does Georgianna play?

GB: Well for Sigma-Aldrich I’m a pioneer, showing them the technology. Trying to show what can be done with the technology. I work mostly with PhD’s, in Chemistry, but my back ground is in marketing and advertising. I do eMarketing for the chemical division Aldrich brand. About 90% of what I do in SL is on my personal time. I do get some support from IT. We’re testing immersive workspace as a supplement to WebEx, I’m working with an associate in the UK. As for Georgianna, if I had known then what I know now, I might have actually used my real name. Georgianna has become well known.

NL: What does Sigma-Aldrich do in SL?

GB: We’re trying to take an educational approach, however we can attribute some potential sales that occurred because of our presence here in SL. But primarily we’re working with the universities, we have some ideas to try out and we would like to get them moving. As an example, right now we are collaborating with a university on a student project.

NL: How many people at Sigma-Aldrich have avatars and how often do they use them?

GB: There are five. One of the Product Manager’s comes in primarily and helps me out with the product information.

NL: How does Sigma-Aldrich plan to use SL?

GB: We would like to have seminars here and I’d love to do a mixed reality event. We’re also looking to do more collaboration with universities in SL. We’re planning on an open grid SIM, the Science SIM. I’ve been out there and the first person I met there was a customer of Sigma-Aldrich, she's also in SL. We’ve been getting more visitors now here, about 35 a day. But we need to do more events. Also, I’m getting my budget together for SL, it was at the chemistry division last year, this year it’s a corporate budget item. I keep the CIO in the loop on what we do here and on virtual worlds. Also, and this was just recently I sat on the Nokia panel for women in virtual worlds

NL: What are Georgeianna's plans for SL?

GB: I’ve gone to some building classes and I am looking at designing my own cloths. Also, I’m looking for a good French class. I took French in school and would like to expand the knowledge. Sometimes, I hang out in the French SIM’s just to listen in.

NL: Do you have any closing thoughts to share?

GB: I can’t wait to see what 2009 brings me. It’s been very exciting, I feel lucky to have been a part of this.

Breezes Thoughts

See I told you it would not be

long till I did some other dang fool thing. This is what happens to me when I get flustered, but I have never had part of my hair gone.
Does this mean no blood is flowing in this part of my skull?
You can't see my AO and what it is doing, but I can tell you I have a Kimono AO and I think this is trying to get me to Asia - I want to go overseas but not quite to Asia!

Breezes Babii
I am always searching for something

Virtual Ability Island Expansion

By Nazz Lane

In August of 2008 I wrote an article for this newspaper on the opening of a new SIM, Virtual Ability Island. I’d met and interviewed Gentle Heron, founder and president of Virtual Ability Inc. (VAI), a RL 501(c) 3 Corporation. Since then the VAI presence in SL has expanded. The first change occurred in November, when VAI partnered with Cap Able, a leading community that supports the hearing impaired. In the partnership, VAI became the owner of the Cape Able SIM and has plans to develop it to further enhance their capability in meeting its mission of providing an “orientation and training center for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses”. A second expansion came about when it was announced that VAI would become one of the Community Gateway choices available to all new residents who sign up for SL with Linden Lab.

I caught up with Ms Heron recently. We met in her skybox office, several hundred meters above the orientation center on the VAI SIM. We exchanged pleasantries while I waited for things to rezz. When they did, I took a seat across from Gentle and we began the interview.

Nazz Lane: It seems that SL is rather slow today.

Gentle Heron: We had a whole bunch of new arrivals come in for the Stepping into Science Conference, which slows things down.

Nazz Lane: I had just read a press announcement about Virtual Ability becoming one of the Community Gateway choices. I thought you had one of the best orientation programs around ... congratulations Gentle. How’s it going?

Gentle Heron: Yes, since January 26^th, still a few kinks to work out. We used a research-based approach, with community development input in developing our orientation. It makes it a bit slower, but we like our results.

Nazz Lane: I also saw information about the partnership with Cape Able, was it a partnership or an acquisition?

Gentle Heron: It was an acquisition, as we announced it in November. They were an existing community for D/deaf and hard of hearing people. They were very socially isolated and by acquiring them, we can integrate them into SL society, which after all is a major goal of the Virtual Ability group.

Nazz Lane: How did the acquisition come about?

Gentle Heron: Interestingly Treasure Ballinger approached us. The former owner had a RL health crisis and couldn't continue. Treasure knew of our group and came over for a chat.

Nazz Lane: How long did it take to work out the details?

Gentle Heron: Less than a month. We had to move fast or they would have lost the SIM.

Nazz Lane: Is the integration complete?

Gentle Heron: Yes, it is. It was a residential SIM and we kept the estate manager, Treasure Ballinger. She now is a member of the Virtual Ability, Inc. RL Board. She is in charge of the rental property on Cape Able. But there are two other facilities there of interest, one is a Service Center with tons of resources both for the D/deaf community and the community of the disabled in general. The other is an art gallery run by an RL art curator, Nicolo Anthony. The gallery features works by deaf and other disabled artists. It will reopen the SIM in February with a Grand Opening celebration, featuring two SL artists. The opening will take place on Feb 22nd from 2-6 pm SLT,

Nazz Lane: So the transition has gone well?

Gentle Heron: Folks from the Cape Able community have begun to come to Virtual Ability social events, and mingle, and our folks have gone to their events, and a few have moved over to Cape Able. So it's working well. Treasure is going to make a presentation to our folks about speaking with someone whose native language is ASL not English, the words are similar, but the grammar isn't and sometimes people who speak ASL are taken for stupid by those who don't understand but they truly speak a different language. Treasure's presentation on ASL will also be given at the Dreams Community Fair in February. We always participate in that, it’s a great way to support the community at large.

Nazz Lane: ASL is the American Sign Language?

Gentle Heron: Yes, but typed out instead of signing. There is a display about the grammar differences in the Service Center.

Nazz Lane: So now with two SIMs ... and with this being one of the communities of choice for new avatars ... what else is in the plans for VAI?

Gentle Heron: Oh my, well we've been working with the SecondAbility Mentors group. They serve as helpers for our newcomers. There are bells along the newcomer orientation trail that anyone can ring for assistance and that sends a message to any SAM wearing their HUD the first SAM to respond then is given the SLURL and can TP directly to the person needing assistance. Those bells are now used at the Autism Society of America here in SL, and at the London SIMs. We had a volunteer scripter who created the bell/HUD system. What else we are doing is providing a wiki of resources in SL that the SAMs can use to refer people to for additional specialized assistance.

Breezes Thoughts

Okay!!! I have done alot of dumb

things, but I have never done this trick before. Now gang, I know how to look under the beach for the rest of me.
Do you think I can find me?
Well you got another think coming.
Of course you would love to see all of Bree cause all she has on is a lovely Boa and tiny bikini bottom. I was going to a contest for barely there depending on if I find myself. Wish me luck.
No doubt there willl be another experience coming for MOI soon. Please note the newspaper vendor in case I need something to read :)

Breezes Babii in a mess again

Some Real Life Reactions to Second Life

Being in Second Life for almost two years, there comes the question. What do my family, friends, and coworkers think of it?

One of my relatives uses the computer to work online, making a fair amount of income. The idea of a “chat room on steroids” she found appealing. But her computer wasn’t powerful enough for the Second Life client, and the chat rooms she used to conduct business worked well enough. So she never did touch Second Life herself, just found it good that I did.

Among friends and co-workers, I mention it sometimes when the subject of computers comes up. Some have heard of it, but more often than not they haven’t until I mentioned what it is. Some express interest, others couldn’t seem to care less.

One man I thought would be interested was a UFO buff, and wondered what he would think of a place where one could virtually take on a non-human appearance. So one day in some casual conversation when he asked me what I was up to this weekend, wondering if I’d be listening to “Coast to Coast.” I told him most likely I’d be meeting up with some friends online. He asked if it was on a game, and I mentioned, “Maybe a little ‘World of Warcraft,’ but also on ‘Second Life.’ “ He thought for a moment, “I think I heard about that on TV. ... The program told it was some weird porn site.” I gave him an odd look, “What? It surely must’ve told you more than that?” “Nope, porn site.”

“It’s a vast three-dimensional virtual landscape,” I told him, “Unlike games such as ‘World of Warcraft,’ almost all the content is created by other players. Sure you’re going to have a few people create some adult-themed areas, but most places on Second Life aren’t like that. People have created wilderness areas, castles and villages, even science-fiction areas with aliens. You can find just about everything there.” “Porn site.” “Oh come on. Just because a few areas there are a little wild does not make the whole place dirty.” “Porn site.”

I thought for a moment, recalling he was in the US Navy, “Someone created a replica of the Vietnam Memorial there.” “A what?” He seemed more interested. “Someone recreated ‘The Wall’ in Second Life. Right down to every one of the fifty thousand names.” “No way.” “Yes way.”

I then explained how I came across it, describing how from the point of view of one’s computer, one appeared to be at a replica of the Vietnam Wall. One that was highly detailed, right down to the squirrels in the park, and with a system to find individual names. My friend seemed impressed, and hearing about the article I wrote asked to see it. I showed it to him after work before we left for home. He thought it was very interesting. Still, he continued to call Second Life a porn site as a joke once in a while.

I mentioned SL to a few other coworkers on some occasions. Most hadn’t heard of it, more familiar with “World of Warcraft,” but some were interested. I thought someone might be curious enough to give it a try. Still, it was a surprise when my supervisor told me he was going on it. I talked a little about what I did there, my doing articles for an online newspaper. He didn’t think anything about my avatar’s foxlike appearance there, as he was familiar with my sense of humor and saw the “Fox News” joke. I expected that I would soon be helping him out some, but as it turned out he gave it up as the “lag” took the fun out of it for him. So my worry that I’d soon have to explain one of the weirder aspects of SL to the man who hands me my real-life paycheck never materialized.

Then there was one story about Second Life that made the news in the local paper, though not in the best light. It seems a man in SL broke off a relationship there with a lady, and her response was to come after him in real life with the intention of detaining him for a while whether he liked it or not. One coworker who was more into computers and games than most others found out about it and went to me, “Hey *****, hear about that woman who met a guy on Second Life and tried to kidnap him? Maybe if you keep running into girls there, maybe someday soon one will be knocking on your door with a pair of handcuffs. (chuckle).” Perhaps I should have reminded him of when he told me he stumbled into a Star Trek club, and got tackled by a Klingon girl.

Not everyone reacted positively. Once I was talking with a couple friends of my Father, a man and a woman. The subject of the future came up, and they had a rather pessimistic view of it. The man mentioned an old science-fiction story in which people were afraid to come out of their tiny apartments, interacting with each other only through a computer world. I then mentioned, “Well, something like that exists now, Second Life.” Before I could say more, the woman promptly told me, “Stay away from there!” “Too late,” I answered. She wasn’t too happy, explaining how she heard of people having relationships online, and how she thought they were completely out of their mind. I then asked her, “So which is worse, people having relationships online, or guys going to hookers?” “Well, at least a hooker would be *real.*” It was obvious there was not going to be any changing of their minds.

And so, a few reactions of real life friends, family, and acquaintances to Second Life. It would seem more positive publicity is needed.

Bixyl Shuftan

No Limits 3

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One Stop Baby Making Clinic

I never thought Second Life could get as close to reality as I have been discovering. Who could have thought that there would be a baby making clinic? Just like you heard it, a baby making clinic! The genius behind this idea is Jeff Demar, creator of the Bouncy Bundles Maternity.

Getting pregnant in SL is now a wish come true to those who have wanted to experience real life experiences in SL. Bouncy Bundles Maternity is a one stop clinic and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Jeff Demar and his staff offer everything a real life maternity clinic can offer. They offer pregnancy tests, pregnancy bellies, baby toys, and even delivery rooms, where you can deliver your baby even if there are no staff members online.

If it’s your wish not to look pregnant or go through a pregnancy you can always go to their Creation Stations and create your own baby. The Bouncy Bundles Maternity offers 4 main variations of babies to choose from: Economy, Deluxe, Low Prims and Crawlers. The difference between the variations are the prices, the Economy baby is the most affordable one. The prices range between $2500L and $6000L, they are very well-equipped and can interact with the parents and people around them just like a real life child would do.

“All of my babies come with several poses for interacting. They sit, stand crawl, walk and can grow up to 3 years,” said Demar.

The Bouncy Bundles Maternity babies go through a regular growth and as Demar stated, their maximum growth is at the age of three. The babies change as they grow, their faces change and grow teeth at 6 months old. The babies go through six stages: newborn, 3 months old, 6 months old, 1 year old, 2 years old and 3 years old. Parents decide how long it will take the babies to reach their maximum age.

“I did not place a timer into them because each parents’ role-play is different,” said Demar.

You can choose the amount of babies you want, twins, triplets, quadruplets or as many as you wish. Parents can create a “normal” baby, gorean, goth, neko, or vamps, which are born with baby fangs that grow as the baby grows.

“You can rez a baby and select from a multi-menu system. You pick the options for the baby and when you’re finished, you make your purchase,” stated Demar.

If you choose to go through a regular pregnancy, you can decide the time you want to be pregnant and the delivery date. All you have to do is go to the Pregnancy Section where they offer the “tummies” and information needed. There you can also purchase an ultrasound appointment and can get your free “pregnant shape”. The delivery facilities are found in the third floor where you can go to when it’s time for your baby to come into the beautiful SL world.

Jeff Demar has been in business for over 2 years and has delivered many babies. His staff is very well prepared and will guide and answer any questions you might have. Visit the Bouncy Bundles Maternity and enjoy your new baby.

By Lizzy Arriaga

There is a continuing supply of new free accounts in Second Life each expecting exciting new adventures. Which they will surely get, but how do they emulate the older residents with their cool clothes, beautiful hair, bodies and skins? Of course there are the ubiquitous freebies, hundreds of outlets and thousands of products, so many of them repeated in each yard sale or freebie mall and they soon find that everybody else has got the same hair, skirt or jeans. “You can spot a Newbie a mile off” with the plastic hair and unrealistic face.

Apparently there a three questions that new accounts ask: 1. How do I get money?

2. How do I get a job? 3. Where do I go for sex? There may be others but these are the favourites.

Well it would appear logical that if question 2 were answered, question 1 would be answered and there would be no need for begging. Problem solved! Ah, but how do you get a job? There’s the rub. So, I went looking for jobs.

Well camping seemed to be thought of as a job, so I had a go. There are different levels of activity in camping. Your avatar can do nothing, scrub the floor or clean the windows for, say, L$2 for 50 minutes. One camper I saw had achieved a level of over 1000 minutes. They must have left their computer on continuously for over 17 hours(I wonder how much that cost?). You can work in nightclubs as escorts, dancers or bouncers. These jobs apparently pay quite well. There are higher levels of pay but some I would rather not discuss how they are earned.

So, you can earn money by doing a “proper” job. So why beg, at all? I can only think it’s because it’s the first “real life” thing you learn in Second Life. Even before you register, you’re told about begging. It’s also naughty, therefore fun! Also it’s not REAL work.

But there are enough residents in Second Life who get upset about begging and believe that something ought to be done about it, for it to be taken seriously by “The Authorities”.

“Ban them “, I am told. “Kick them about a bit and THEN ban them” Phew; strong feelings! “How do they know that begging is wrong?” I ask “Common sense”, “It’s obvious”, “Of course, they should know, “everybody knows it’s wrong” come the replies.

There are two sides to this argument, The “Newbies” and their helpers. On the one side and those of us who are settled in and living and working in a real world, on the other. So, what can be done about it? I asked some residents... Without exception, they were strongly opposed to it and suggested strong action against it, from the residents and from Linden Lab, themselves. It is believed that beggars will go to dozens of groups with the same message and some residents respond by paying the L$1 required. Apparently this can mount up to enough money to buy a shape or a skin. A big prize; indeed.

There does seem to be a problem, but it is on one side, apparently. There is a great divide between “Newbies” and long-term settled residents, with homes and work or jobs and a history in Second Life. So where does the solution come from?

People will soon learn the etiquette of Second life and find work or dip into their RL pockets to fund their lives here, or leave. Very many have done that. There are job agencies in SL, there are valuable skills to be learned which will earn a good income, once mastered. For the individual who started off begging, then learned trade or started a business, found his or her funding, the problem is over. But a new wave join up and it starts all over again.

So, it is an SL-wide problem and will never go away unless tackled on that scale. Banning it, punishing the perpetrators as criminals, as some have suggested, is too totalitarian and leaving it to the offended resident to complain and ban or mute the offending party is too lax. Perhaps more emphasis should be put on teaching Second Life etiquette on the Help Island, making sure that the newcomers REALLY know not to beg and what to do so that they don’t need to beg. Also a more concerted effort in creating and finding jobs and opportunities for new residents and bringing it to their attention.

There ARE agencies out there but they are competing with each other and most offer very little. Several I have seen have huge walls covered with empty posters with a scattered few announcing camping or FREE MONEY. It is hardly enough to meet the reportedly huge demand from the daily influx of “Newbies”.

Perhaps there should be a Grid-wide network of Job Centres, financed and monitored by Linden Lab, sharing work and training information, to ensure that everyone, wherever they arrive or live in Second life has access to them. Or is that too much like Big Brother, too much like Real Life? Maybe begging is just something we can decide to accept or do something about, on an individual basis Second life is like that, isn’t ?

Kim Trefusis