Spring Fling on the Playa

The excitement has been building for weeks. 
Live shows will be at the sites in place and the do’s arranged for a whole weekend of fun on the playa!
 It is Burning Life’s After Burn Spring Fling!
I took a look at the stages and the surrounding areas. I came across a meeting of the staff getting ready.
There is a wonderful display of all the Porta Potties that builders decorated for the Burning Life, White Lebed  collected quite a few and placed them in one area so you can walk by and admire them all at one time. The committee has worked so hard to give everyone a good time. 
Be sure to visit the venues and take in the sights and sounds. Doctor Gascoigne and his crew have worked hard to fill the party hours with music you will enjoy.
 I would highly recommend that you get yourself there to enjoy it all!! 
Take  this limo to get to the area of the porta potties and you can fly off from here  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Life-%20Deep%20Hole/73/81/24


Gemma Cleanslate

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Gone!!!

The last day of the Burning Life when the artists took their builds, or burned them, many gathered at the Yokohama Burning Marching Band in Washoe for a farewell presentation. 

Then they burned the stage. Several burning parties took place on several sims ,but during the burning the builders were already talking of their ideas for the next display . Not only that place but the whole burning life. There were tears there to see it all go. It was quite a year for builds, shows, music ,parties, art , and fun! The burning of the Man and then the Temple was wonderful. The camaraderie on the playa was enjoyed by all, builders, visitors , presenters , rangers, the lindens. Oh, yes, there was also some grumbling during the week , but for the most part all the hard work  was appreciated. Griefers seemed to be  harmless and most disappeared. A great deal of work had been done long before the event opened. The teams that prepared the event deserve a lot of credit for their management skills. Many builders and other participants said it was the best one ever. 

The planning for 2010 is under way already! Dusty Linden is already hard at work with her team members. I have a feeling the next will be the best ever, again! One item that will not completely disappear is porta potties! The creations of many decorators who placed them around the playa will not be lost. They will be placed in a special spot to be admired. I will let you know when and where. 

Gemma Cleanslate

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Spectacle of Fire

He stood tall and proud with arms uplifted to the sky, drummers and dancers at his feet. Spectators flooded into the sims around him. In a director’s chair sat Debbie Trilling, one of the creators, ready to torch the man. There was a strong feeling of expectation in the air. Hoots and Hollers filled the air along with the constant drum beat. Some flew up, some sat on the ground, under the starlit sky as we all waited.


Finally, some bursts of orange surrounded us and then slowly the man began to burn from the bottom up. The applause began and the dancing increased as the burn made its way to the top. What a sight. Timbers flew off through the air and settled on the ground. Finally there was a heap of smoldering ashes. People began to collect the logs that had settled and added them to the fire to keep it going. Some dancers became inflamed themselves to continue the moment. Finally, the week of art and music and display was coming to an end.


But not yet! The Temple will burn Sunday. The sites will remain until November 1, in case there is anyone who could not get to the Burning Life. You must try to get there to witness all the amazing work that was done to make this past week an adventure in art. Search Burning Life on the map and choose a sim and TP in. Don’t miss it

Gemma Cleanslate

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Wondrous Sights on the Playa!

Every time I tour the playa I see more and more amazing sites. The builds are lovely and the interactive ones are wonderful to play with. Parties are taking place all over the region, on the stages and also in local parcels built for that purpose. I saw the sl children having a party in Loki Eliot’s  “Waiting for Pippin”. I wandered into a Man Versus Woman parcel where you may listen to quotes from men and women by standing on mats in front of their names. I listened to Zsa Zsa Gabor’s words, “: I want a man who is kind and understanding. Is that too much to ask of a millionaire?” and Henry Kissinger, in one of his dry witty periods, “: Nobody will ever win the Battle of the Sexes. There's just too much fraternizing with the enemy.” You can find many at
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Life-Leadville/46/24/24.
Last night there was a magnificent dragon flying by the Man that was almost as big as the Man! I think she had four heads. She said she could only come when the playa was mostly empty because she took up so many resources in the sim. It was a wonderful sight to see! I was on the playa the other night when the Lamp Burners made their procession with drums and dancing all the way to the Temple lighting the lamps along the road as they passed. It is a marvelous experience to walk along with them as they traverse the long way to the most northern sim and watch the dancing before the ethereal Temple.
If you have not been there yet I wonder why? 

The Man burns on Saturday in many time zones for your comfort and the Temple burns on Sunday. 

There is a page on the web where you can check the Events taking place. I hope to see you at one of them. http://burninglife.secondlife.com/eventsbrowse   

Gemma Cleanslate

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The Burn Begins ! Burn!!

The big day has arrived ! At 12:00 noon sl the gates for Burning life opened. The playa blossomed with avatars fighting against the winds of lag to visit the magnificent art exhibits and interact with the playful builds. There was such a mad rush the entrances were mobbed. Dusty Linden was swamped with messages ..Watching the map fill with green dots was fantastic. Certain sims were full, some empty, but the playa became alive for the first time with  those who wanted to party, view and enjoy every aspect of Burning Life. 

The builders were there too to witness it all. The Rangers were out there enjoying it all as the visitors came. They were called into duty quickly in some places. Some avatars love to have fun as griefers and come to throw the balance and love out of sync. They are missing so much by not joining in the fun of the playa and instead trying to disrupt it. 

The parties started right away at the major sites. 

We saw the Center Stage with a wonderful live musical event. Avatars flew by seeking new sights. Porto potties were opened for fun at the sights inside.. There is no way to express the fascinating sights to you. You must come!! You still have lots of time til the burning. Ah, I have seen two tests of the burning so far. 

The team who made the burning MAN are amazing. 

Get yourself into the burn!!! 

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Life-%20Deep%20Hole/2/13/24 

By Gemma Cleanslate

Find more from Gemma about being a ranger in the COMMUNITY section

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Burning Life Opens

On Saturday October 17th at noon SL time, the Burning Life sims were opened to the general public of Second Life. From then until October 25th, there will be over 400 exhibits to view, with over a thousand residents involved in this major metaverse event. This massive nine day art show took almost two months to set up, and takes up three dozen sims. Burning Life 2009 is the seventh annual “virtual burn” in Second Life.

For those new to Burning Life, it is recommended you go to the Welcome Gate in the southeastern corner of the Hualapai sim and the southwestern corner of Deep Hole where a couple greeters will give you a notecard with some recommended places and answer any questions. There is also a Gate 2, and a Gate 3 available should the first be too crowded. Veteran “Burners” can simply drop in somewhere and once everything rezzes (which can take a while in the most detailed areas on older computers) start looking at the sites.

And this year, there is no shortage of things to see, and even interact with. One noteworthy exhibit I came across was the “History of Flight” by Windyy Lane. Stepping inside the “geode,” one is surrounded by a mesmerizing rainbow of colors, with creatures of some kind lazily flying in the air. One could get on them and dance, as well as port up to fly next to the huge silver bird flying over the geode.

Burning Life is inspired by the real life Burning Man art festival in the Black Rock Desert in California. Tens of thousands attend, and once it is over the exhibits are burned and everything cleaned up, “leave no trace.” Some of the Lindens had gone there before the making of Second Life, and have called it a partial inspiration for the making of it. Read more here.

For a list of exhibits, check out the Camp Directory. For special events, check the Events Listings.

“So what should you do and see? Well, ... that's entirely up to you.”

Bixyl Shuftan

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Evolving Builds

You are watching my articles about Burning Life aren’t you? I wish I could share with you the wonders I am seeing on the Playa. They will amaze and delight your senses. I would love to show you some photos but, not yet. I have been talking to some of the builders and they are so thrilled with their progress. Some of the new builders are still sorting out what they are doing and why. Many have put some wonderful gifts in the green tent for you and at other places around the sims.

 Nish Mip has an exciting wonderful build that you will want to see and experience for sure. It knocked me dead. I spent some time there yesterday meditating on what she has shown about evolution and its consequences.  She says she is finished but I wonder. I think she may tinker a little more.
I will be working as a Ranger .. A mediator, a helper,  as soon as I get training. I hope I pass lol. I met some rangers last year, some of whom have been to Burning Man in real life and carry their expertise to sl. I see many calls “May I have a Ranger here please..” So far I have not answered because I cannot help them. I am so thrilled to be able to visit the Playa and fly around to see the spectacular art that is there .. I hope I am enticing you to keep watching for the opening on the 17th of October. It will be here sooner than some builders want and much later than visitors want. And then you will have only one week to see it all! You have no idea how long it will take. Put it on your calendar 

Gemma Cleanslate reporting

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Evolution is Happening!

Being on the playa while Evolution, Burning Life, is being built for you is so special.
So much is being done to make it pleasurable for you. I dropped in on a class that is being conducted by Lonetorus Habilis to help the builders here understand how to build smart with textures that would cause less lag in the sims.
He said “well, it would be much appreciated by all the visitors when it gets really crazy here.”
Since I am a casual builder it is hard for me to understand all the technical issues but I find it wonderful that there is so much work going on to make the Burning Life experience a good one for the builders also. They are learning that you can cut lag with the correct use of textures. Some of the classmates are newer builders and some are old hands at it but they are all listening and learning, not only for themselves but to help you enjoy the Evolution.
At another time Zuleiki Deere also presented a class in scripting designed to do the same thing, to help the builder on the playa put scripts that would cause less lag. Everything is being done to make your Playa experience a joyous and easy one.
You will love the builds I am seeing as I go along!
Plan on spending lots of time the week of October 17 - 24 , the burning of the man, (25 for the burning of the temple) exploring the wonders that are being created just for you! In spite of the classes remember to prepare to go with as few prims on you as you are able. I will repeat this often . By the way I got a job there ! More later.

Gemma Cleanslate

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Evolution in the Playa

The excitement is palpable!
The landrush is on for parcels for the spectacular Burning Life in Second Life.
This event is based on the Burning Man event in real life that takes place every year in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.
You can check this out on the web.
The Burning life Groups IMs are hot and heavy every day with questions and comments about the land rush and for a chance to get to the playa and chose a plot if you are so lucky.
I was able to make it into the sims during Friday’s rush. Dusty Linden refers to the land rushes as an experiment in cooperation. It takes a while to sort out who got what land and is able to build.
I found glee in those who have obtained plots for their artistic endeavors and some downcast faces still looking for the elusive plot. They still have chance to grab one over the weekend so are not completely forlorn.
One was thrilled since this was her third try during the past week and she made it.. There are already some impressive builds in some of the sims.
If you search Burning Life you will find there are many sims to visit when it opens on October 17.
The theme this year is Evolution and all builders are reminded to stay with the desert evolution in their building;
I enjoyed it so much last year that I have applied for a “job” this year but will be writing more about those experiences.

Gemma Cleanslate

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Burning Life 2008 - The Man Burns

There are many movies about this years Burning life but yet again Torley captures the spirit of this annual community event and also explains some of the roots of Burning man in secondlife and Second Life itself;




In 1999, an innovative man made a long trek from San Francisco to the sun-baked playa of an enormous, flat, dry lake bed in the Nevada high desert. He went to attend the renowned Burning Man festival where, for one week each year, 50,000 people build art, camps and communities and celebrate being who they really are.
This man came back with new ideas for the virtual world he was planning; ideas about the nature of reality, creativity, identity and community.
He worked some of these ideas into the very fabric of "Linden World" which eventually became what you and I know as Second Life. That man was Philip Linden.

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Burning Life 2008 :The End

Well, I did get to the burning at 6slt last night and it was a great event.
I stood next to Philip Linden and Torley Linden was in the sim but I did not see him.
There were more avatars then we could count! The place where 4 sims came together so many were able to get there.
Today the temple will burn.
I am not sure how long the builds will remain so if you get at chance try to visit before they go. One thing I enjoyed most about roaming the Burning Life sims was meeting some of the creators and talking with them about their work.
I also met some other people involved in the Burning Life . There were several rangers who come by at various times just keeping an eye on what was going on .
I talked to Tom32 Anatine who was in front of the Ranger Station asking him what was their job here. He explained that the Rangers were representative of all Rangers, not only in Burning Life but also of Burning Man. Later I met Rangermickey who is a ranger in both lives! They are there to address concerns, mediate disputes, and keep an eye out for any issues that may arise during the building time and the open week.
It seemed everyone was trying to have a positive effect on making this week as enjoyable as possible for all, builders, greeters, performers , volunteers, and all visitors. I witnessed a lot of camaraderie during the week before the opening. Requests for help in scripting, for additional ideas, for missing objects were readily answered with ,“IM me ,I can help”, or “tp me over there , I will take a look”, or referrals to others who could answer the questions.
Some of the Lindens were around too watching the progress. Philip Linden visited the plains to see how his idea has grown during these past years. Dusty Linden did a great job of keeping things on track and overseeing the project with the others.
One complaint that should be addressed before the next huge project that I heard from builders was the fact that the servers should be better to accommodate the massive projects with more ease as avatars begin moving among them.
Evidently the planning crew also overestimated the number of allowed prims which they promised would not occur next year. If you look in the wiki you will find the names of most of those who were involved.
I was impressed with the SL5B but I must say this was much more impressive to me. I am glad I was able to cover the story as it unfolded and look forward to next year!
By Gemma Cleanslate

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Lamplighting the Plata !

Thursday night I opened an im from the Burning Life group and saw they were getting ready for the lamp lighting and I got an invite so I said to myself , let me go watch!
I found a large group of avs standing and waiting to go light the lamps along the Burning Life roads.
Dusty Linden invited me to help.
I said I would be happy to help and was given a lamplighter’s outfit and the lamps.
After a little chaos of who needed an outfit and lamps and who was going where we were off to do the lamps. I have no idea which way I was going but I went!
We were accompanied by some dancers wearing flames and other interesting accessories as we marched or danced down the road touching the lamps to bring the lights forth!
It was great fun!
Following the lighting we flew north to the temple.
There we danced!!!
I am a lamplighter in Burning Life!! Wow !
I will try to do it one more time before this all disappears into dust. Many would love to see it last another week.
I , along with many others , will be sad to see it all go .
By Gemma Cleanslate

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More Sights and Sounds from Burning Life

Looking around for the American dream that is in all the sims I came upon a sleeper. There he lies on his bed too tired to watch or listen to the flickering TV while his dreams bubbled off in to the air. He will probably forget what they were anyway.
That is Bob. His remote is on the bed so you can change the channel if you like , just touch it. You will be able to see the possible dreams for the future influenced by the constant media feed.
Jenne Dibou has a creation in Micro sim called “The American Dreamer” built by her and Mandy Marseille. Pick up a ticket at the booth.
The walls of the open air bedroom depict the dreams of many from the past and present.
If you watch the dreams in the TV you can vote on what Bob may or should choose to follow and check back on the last day to see what he will do.
Loki Eliot of the children’s sim has a barn set up from the front it is harmless enough but as you wander around it you will find a fearsome dragon peeking through the window searching for the children who might be there.
Well, I am not sure if he is dangerous or friendly.. I did not wait to ask!!!
As usual the Second Life children’s entry is whimsical and fun!
There is a sign which says SL Children at the build in Optic sim.
Look for it!
Later we went to look at the barn again and there was a dance party taking place so I joined in for a while and the dragon did not bother us at all. He looked quiet happy! Look for it! Loki has lots of events planned.
By Gemma Cleanslate

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Burning life - Sounds and Symbols

Nish Mip created a marvelous structure that will entice you to climb as high as you can to reach the source of the wonderfully hypnotic sound that surrounds you as you listen to the didgeridoo . What a joy visually.
It was one of the first large builds I visited and it really is huge! I walked up and up and up to reach the top, and then another step and I was enveloped in an eye in meditation.
Someone near entered another eye and began to chant.
Later I talked to the creator who told me it just sort of grew as she went along and said,
” I just had ideas coming from all over it was really fun I was getting a huge buzz from it.”
Buzz is the best way to to describe the whole thing!! Look for it in Micro.
Another interactive project you can play with and hear musical sounds is one in Hydro sim by Salwin Yosikawa. Enter and pause to listen to the wind whirling around you visibly, then enter and walk among the rods to create the wonderful soulful tones. That project is in Hydro.
One build that I could see almost always from several sims was that of the Planet of the Apes with the statue of liberty sunken almost all the way below the earth but still holding the flame up high. One of the apes was leading a horse along side and you can sit there if you like or throw yourself into a beam of light in near despair .
One really cute smaller builld I saw in my travels was a tribute to Dr. Zeuss I believe. Green eggs around a rotisserie with a huge ham cooking and in the sky the Cat in the Hat looking on!!
Among the larger builds you will find many smaller interesting projects.
Do not forget to look around for them. More coming….
Gemma Cleanslate

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Weekend Wanderings in Burning Life

Sunday was a good day to spend some time riding and flying around Burning Life.
We looked into nooks and crannies in several sims. We rode the sl green bikes that were available for anyone to use.
We found several very interesting builds.. Eye Ree was sitting in front of his build which was low to the ground with lovely little bubble signs showing symbols of our world , religious , happy face, and others. One can change the symbol by touching them.
We stopped to enjoy a Carnival that offered bump cars in a bath tub and other fun games. Farther down the road we were invited to enter a large luminous build, the Chakra Party, presided over by a large jovial Buddha. We were offered a note card which listed the seven chakras to read and meditate upon.
We crossed the road to look into an ice palace half sphere in which we found ourselves in a winter wonderland with snow falling softly around us. As we left there we looked into the sky we saw and a huge soaring structure and flew up nearly 300 meters to see the top. It was a burning man, smoking slightly. I do not think it is the official man to be burned and will have to find out more.
Next we tp’d to the Central camp site to see if we could find the answer but were distracted by a lively party going on in the tent. All the dancers were in flames and we joined them for a while and were enveloped in flames ourselves! It was a great ending to a wonderful visit.
There is so much to see and experience!!
Take some time to go but remember to go with as few adornments as possible for your own sake!!
By Gemma Cleanslate
At Burning Life 2008

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Burning Life - Opening Day!!!

I was lucky enough to be invited to join the Burning Life Group before it was closed to new members so I have been visiting and watching the builds as they were completed.

It has been fun listening to the trials and tribulations of the builders in the group chat who have had disappearing prims and textures and missing co-builders.

I visited the community Center which was built by my friend Joao Mastroianni.

This is the place to go to find out information about the various sims and to find tp’s to them.

It is itself is a wonderful build, incorporating Burning Man symbols and pictures and is really the place to start your tour of the 22 sims filled with glorious imaginative art.

The theme of this year is "The American Dream" which seems to be a little out of context considering our universality here.

I have visited most of the sims briefly and what I have seen is so impressive it will be hard to describe it in words.

The last minute rush was on Friday to finish the work as some frantic last minute additions for the opening on Saturday.

Some of the exhibits you must experience for yourself to make your own interpretation of their meaning. Grab a snack and a drink of your choosing and get going.

There are plenty of outhouses so don’t worry about that!

I would highly recommend you prepare for your visit by finding the lowest prim hair and clothing you can and take off all your AO’s and scripts possible.

Those who attempted to go to the Hair Fair will know what I am talking about. The less baggage you carry with you the better off you will be!

You really have to make some time to visit this amazing event!

Those who envisioned their art and then prepared it have spent their last two weeks or longer working on their projects for your enjoyment as well as their own.

I will be writing about various builds that I found especially fascinating in the next week so watch for more about Burning Life.

To get to the Community Center and pick up your tour guide on your map go to Quad 85, 119, 24 and then roam!!!!!

By Gemma Cleanslate

On Assignment at Burning Life 2008

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Burning life 2008 - The story unfolds

Hidden away on 22 sims out in the SL ocean is the desert playa for Burning Life 2008.... remember the the drama from last year. Well this year will be different... it's a Zero Drama Tolerance Event (no Shakespeare allowed either). Watch the wiki at this link for new details...
http://wiki.secondlife.com/w/index.php?title=Burning_life
Burning Life was first held in 2003 when the grid was still in it's infancy, and this is it's 6th year running.
Because Burning Life is a mirror in spirit of a real life event, albeit with the unique and creative twists only Second Life can offer, we follow suit. Together, we will build a city, and we voluntarily accept many of the same restrictions that Nature imposes on the real thing. We do this to see how creative we can be with the same palette of materials and to revel in the beauty of simplicity. We use the same blank, desert landscape, and many of the things we build are naked or primitive in structure, easily revealing to the casual viewer how they were constructed. Just pretend that you're bringing everything you need with you in your car or truck and you're going camping. Extreme Camping. Really Extreme Camping.

The other thing you need to know up front is this: Both Burning Life and Burning Man are completely non-commercial. There is no buying or selling in this city...no sponsorships, no logos, no advertising, but acts of unconditional gift-giving that play a large part in Burning culture. It's all about about the radical inclusion of participants, it means welcome and respect — with no prerequisites for participation. It's all about us and what we have made for each other to enjoy.

Zero Drama Tolerance

If you are thinking of volunteering to work on the pre-event set-up, read this: The Burning Life Production Team will be a no-drama zone. It's goal-oriented, get-'er-done work, all accomplished behind the scenes. While it's very fun and satisfying, it is no place for a big ego or someone who needs to be the center of attention or in control. It's collaborative. "Team" is a big word around here; be prepared to work with others and be good at reaching a goal, even if the road to it is not the one you might have chosen if working alone! We're all about "get 'er done, lighten up, and have fun".
Source:http://wiki.secondlife.com/w/index.php?title=Burning_life

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