The Little Dove RFL Steamclub Opens

The Southern Colorado sim is noted for being a location for Relay for Life events, notably Hope Gardens. It now has a new place to hold events. On Monday March 5th at 4PM SL time, Club Little Dove held it’s Grand Opening.

Club Little Dove’s creation is due to one lady: Nydia Tungsten. She constructed the club in four levels, with the top level originally a pilothouse, but later changed to a landing field. The place was designed with a Steampunk look (for those unfamiliar with the term, think H.G. Wells and Jules Verne). There were features such as the main dance floor showing turning gears underneath, 19th century dials and huge lightbulbs making up much of the equipment, carved wood and stained glass making up much of the walls and furnishings, the occasional steam-age gadget or vehicle, a few hookahs around the place (the Victorian-Era had a libertarian view on drugs, and in some ways encouraged their use), and others.


The official name of the club is Her Majesty’s Airship Little Dove, or HMAS Little Dove. Club Little Dove is named after a former resident in Second Life, who sadly passed away last year. She was the real-life partner of a close friend of Nydia's, “she was devastated.” Nydia saw the naming of the club in her honor as, “just the right thing to do.” Nydia is part of the "Passionate Redheads" Relay group, but says the club is open to all RFL groups.

On Monday, the club was up and ready for it’s opening event,Relay for Life’s Daaneth Kivioq sending out an invite, “Commodore Tungsten invites you aboard the HMAS Little Dove, now flying high above Hope Gardens in the beautiful Colorado Sim! We will be celebrating the Grand Opening of this new venue with a Steampunk Ball. Music will be provided by two of SL's finest DJ's - Dusk Griswold from 4PM to 6PM, and the Commodore herself, Nydia Tungsten from 6PM to 8PM. All Proceeds from this event will go to benefit the American Cancer Society. Please join the Passionate Redheads as we launch the HMAS on her maiden flight!”

And so after 4PM SL time, the dance floor was soon full of men and women, both normal human and furred avatars, dancing away. There were no tip jars out. There was only the Relay for Life kiosk, which people chipped into. Although the theme of the party was Steampunk, which called for Victorian fashion, the music as thoroughly modern with a variety of music from the 70’s to today. “Rocky Mountain High” got a few chuckles, “Appropriate that we play this song, as we’re in the Southern Colorado sim.”

And of course, “I Run For Life” played as well. It played twice, the second time near the end, with Nydia calling out, “I run for life ! I run for Little Dove! I run for Fimi! I run for my Stepfather! Run for them all, and remember them all!”

Club LIttle Dove is in the Southern Colorado sim at (187, 37, 1002). During it’s construction, it’s location changed from where it began.

Bixyl Shuftan

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Cartoon of the Day

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Dragon Sighting and Dress the Lady Competition at Mystery

The Mystery sim continues to be the place for surprises when at a huge red dragon makes an appearance. Also, the staff feels it's time for a new look for the club greeter, and wants YOU to help out in the "Dress the Lady" contest.

For more, go to Community

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Ringing in the New Year

Some in Second Life were at the official New Years Eve party in the Voss sim, watching the ball drop. But many other places in the Metaverse rang in 2010. From Skybeam to Mystery to Luskwood, each did so in their own special way.


To read more, go to Community.

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Happy Thanksgiving

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Great Music - Naommon

I have been meaning to get to Naommon for some time, but as is often the case, another shiny object came along and I was easily distracted. I need to start making lists, because there is still much more I want to cover, but often draw a blank when it comes to posting. Enough about my absentmindedness, lets talk about the exotic and handsome Naommon.




I have to admit Naommon is an internet fascination of mine, for that is where I found his music. I have DL'ed a couple of songs, but not complete albums. He is French and lives in NYC now. His music is stylistically more club music/electronica with soul mixed in, and quite fun. The first video clip is the first one I found on YouTube, Allnighter.



This past spring he released a new CD, Love Is Struggling. I have yet to purchase it, but just might now that I am writing this. LOL Anyway, here is the video for the title cut.



You can find out more about Naommon by clicking here, or here.

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Great Music - Storm Lee

Storm Lee is an accomplished singer/songwriter, painter, actor and author. He has a strong voice that doesn't quit, and can carry the song to the end without seeming to break a sweat. His CD, Soulfillapopkilla, is an 11-song effort that is mix of electro/pop/dance songs. Bold and brash, he stepped into the recording booth and delivered.

The Scottish-born Storm has been on his own since he was 16, living in Paris and moved to NYC at 17. He put out the video for I Came Here to Dance this year. He also has a video for the song 1985, which can be seen here.

You can find more information about Storm Lee at his website. His CD is available on iTunes and CD Baby.

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Great Music - Tarkan - Come Closer

OK, I have to say this right away, Tarkan could be the sexiest man alive. I accidentally ran across a video - singing in his native Turkish -and I was mesmerized. His beauty, his dance, and his easy sexuality, it all just made me melt. But I also liked the music - the Middle Eastern flavor appealed to me. I did my research, and discovered he had an English language CD out there, couldn't find it at first, but then bought it at Amazon.

The CD, Come Closer, was mainly a pop/dance selection, but with some great stuff on it. It permanently lives on my hard drive and my iPod. All 15 tracks are worth listening to, with extra-special points going to Just Like That, Start The Fire, Bounce, Shikidim and If Only You Knew.

I don't know if this was ever released in the US, since the copy I purchased had an Import sticker on it, but have to believe if it ever crossed my path, I would remember. I have read that he is the number one singer in Turkey [although it might not still be the case - what do I know?] and that he has been plagued by rumors about his sexuality for most of his career - although it ultimately didn't hurt as much as one might suspect in an Islamic culture. But he says he is str8, as did his girlfriend, so I am willing to take him at his word. But it won't stop me from looking at him, that is for sure.

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Houston Bernard - I Feel Gorgeous

This summer, it seems perfectly obvious this song by Houston Bernard should be a breakout summer hit. The video is tailored to the gay-club crowd, filmed on Fire Island with lots of pretty boys. It is a catchy tune, a frothy pop/dance number that screams out for another round of shots. I mean, shirtless boys in bathing suits playing beach volleyball or dancing on the beach? What's not to love?

Houston Bernard has more music, although it might not be as inherently hooky as I Feel Gorgeous. The video for Say Goodbye starts out with the handsome singer laying in bed in his undies, and the boy is hot. This song is much sexier, with special effects trying to 'dirty' it up a bit. The video goes a bit off the rails when Bernard's iPhone starts flashing lights and transports people to clubs so they can get laid, once the African American spirit dances them to Mr. Bernard. Yeah. No, really. I couldn't make that crap up. I think the song is better than the video.

For more information for Houston Bernard, you can go to his official website or his MySpace.

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Worth Another Listen - Dead Or Alive

Well, there was no bigger drag queen on the scene in the 80s than Pete Burns, lead singer for Dead or Alive. At that time, the music industry called it gender-bending, but we all knew what they meant.

Anyway, Dead or Alive had a couple of hits, with this song and Lover Come Back To Me and Sex Drive. I remember hearing them in the clubs and dancing up a storm! Controversy seem to surround the band, and their time in the spotlight was brief, although Pete continues to try to extend it, going so far as to appear in the British version of the TV show Big Brother.

To find out more about the band and Pete Burns, click here for Wikipedia.

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Changing Shape for RFL

People have done all sorts of things for Relay for Life fundraising. But how about wearing an avatar you’re not quite accustomed to for a while?

To see two examples of funnery about talking a walk in the feet of the "other side" and raising cash from it, Click Here.

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New Music - SIRPAUL - Objectified

I first came across SIRPAUL on LOGO, and immediately liked the song and video for Do U. First thing I noticed was 'Wow, what a hot guy.' Yes, I can be that shallow. But it was the song that really got me - the driving beat with a certain humor I enjoyed. It drove me to find out more about him, going to MySpace, YouTube, iLike, and the other usual suspects. His particular form of electronica brings a certain rock feel and swagger I really like.



His latest song is Objectified, a driving club dance number about sexual desire. The video is a Matrix-style of quick cuts, computer graphics mixed with the chained and collared SIRPAUL singing about wanting to be objectified. The speed and urgency of the song are captured perfectly in the video. It is off SIRPAUL's recently released collection, Objectified (Deluxe Edition).



Along with Do U, Addicted is another favorite of mine. It is a hot and steamy song, captured well on tape. And there is the defiantly brazen Thrust, with a video that steams up my monitor on each viewing.

You can find more about SIRPAUL at his website, his MySpace, or his YouTube page.

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A Busy Fortnight

From Blogger Pictures

My last 14 days have been rather like a whirlwind. Two weeks ago, my dear sweet cat, Timon, had to be put down. He has been with me since he was a few months old, for the last 14 years. For the last few years, he has been living with Feline Diabetes, following a special diet. At first I was told he had about 6 months to live, but that was 3 ½ years ago. Oddly, when I took him to the vet, it was not the FD that got him. He had tumors and was failing. So in the end, he had beaten the diabetes.

From Blogger Pictures

Needless to say, I was a bit of a mess. Timon was my cranky teenaged son, and had been with me in moves to Rhode Island, Vermont and back to Delaware. Every night, he jumped up in bed with me, to get some scratching before going to sleep. He would have conversations with me, although I would often think he was rolling his eyes at me. When I called, he came to me. When he called to me, I would always give him a pet. I played ‘Back To Love’ by Tom Goss, and it helped a bit. It reminded me to remember the good times, and there certainly were many.

That weekend, I was already scheduled to go on a trip to NYC to see friends, both old and new. I had a good time, but have to admit I was still a bit numb. But I got in on Friday, saw David, and met lots of new friends. We talked and drank, but I know I wasn’t really at my best form, more like riding at 80%. The weekend was a good one, and certainly the distraction I was looking for, only with the benefit of being a distraction with great people.

I came home, only to find myself still expecting to see Timon waiting. He wasn’t. But I had much on the schedule – my niece had a dance recital, and she had asked me to take pictures during the dress rehearsals, so Wednesday and Thursday nights were booked.



And there was the wedding reception of another niece on Saturday, and the baptism/birthday party for my nephew’s son. I enjoyed myself, but still was feeling a bit outside myself.

Since Timon left me, I have not been sleeping so well. I lay awake in bed, not getting to sleep. I know I am waiting for him to jump up on the bed and get his scratches, but it isn’t going to happen. I keep hoping it will get better. Perhaps it has – I haven’t really noticed yet.

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The U'Bar

Second Life has a lot of dance clubs. But the U’Bar has something that separates it from the pack: a radio show.

The place is built like a pub. One ports in on a small platform in the corner. To the left is the bar counter and stools, often with a couple dancers on it during events. In front of that is the main feature of the place: the dance floor. To dance, one can press a button on the wall next to the large champagne bottle and drinking glass big enough for a girl to jump in. There are also a few dance poles, and in the other corner of the bar counter wall are a few comfy chairs one can relax in, or play a game of “Connect Four” with someone.

The owner of the bar is Cher Burt. “He is the man who created this place,” bar manager Islawhite Martinek told me, “and we love his music to bits. He works in the music industry in real life.”

The U’Bar has at least one event every day, which can be looked up in their event calendar. Sometimes it’s a special event, with the theme being music such as the “ABBA” parties, trivia events in which questions are asked and those with correct answers get a few Lindens for each one, showing of music videos, or themed avatars such as “Dragon Night.”

But what makes the U’Bar unique is the Cher and Carm Radio show. The show is done by Cher and his friend Carmine Caudron host the show in both a British radio station and at the U’bar, every Monday and Thursday from 12 Noon to 5 PM SL time (8 PM to 1 AM BST). Islawhite explained, “The run it from their real life music studio so it is very professional as well as being very funny and great entertainment!... but they also have another added feature of that they also do a simultaneous webcast so people can not only tune in from the Bar but can also watch the boys live on webcam from the studio.” The show’s website stated, “We play the very best in music from all decades, run competitions, chat about the strangely going on things in the world. Not to mention we have the best live artists perform from our professional studio ...”

Sometimes the show has a special guest. Recently they had “Mr. Methane,” whom appeared on “Britian’s Got Talent.” I didn’t see him, but was told his act was a real gas.

Dropping into the U’Bar during a running of the show one Thursday, I happened to arrive between songs, and the two radio show hosts noticed my entry, “And here we have Bixyl Shut-, er, Shoof- , um, a fox.” Cher had on a Superman t-shirt. Carmine had his virtual face painted up to look like Heath Ledger’s “The Joker,” clearly looking like he was serious about making the event a wild time. The place was packed, so it took a few moments to rez, but once it did and I joined those on the dance floor, I was welcomed by staff and visitors alike. And between songs Cher and Carm would liven things up by cracking a few witty jokes, and at one point offered a 1000 L for answering a trivia question. Sometimes the patrons would come up with their own madness. During the playing of “Me and My Car,” people started wearing their cars and spinning them around.

A lively little pub with daily events that offer big entertainment.

The U’bar is in the Lusiana sim at (118, 207, 3002). There is also a U’Bar blog: http://ubarblog.blogspot.com/ .


Bixyl Shuftan

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