Press Release: Tainted Boys

Second Life has more to give than only parties and that's why we would like to give you more! This Sunday, February 1, at 1pm SL time (22:00 Central European time) we will open an art gallery at "Tainted Boys".

We like to support Second Life artists. That is why the gallery will not cost anything for the artists and whatever they earn, from selling their pictures, goes 100 % to the artist.

For the gallery opening, this Sunday, we have the Real Life actor & musician Paul Kwo (Second Life name = Enniv Zarf). Enniv will play live piano at Cienega Soon's gallery. If you want to read more about Enniv, please visit his website: http://ezm.paulkwo.com/

Cienega Soon is the first who have a gallery here at "Tainted Boys. "Virtual Digital Impressionism Art", that is what you can expect at her gallery. For more informations about her and her work please visit her website: http://cienegasoon.blogspot.com/

We are going to change the galleries regulary so you will always have something new to see. Also, we would like to give you more live concerts with different artists and different genres. The gallery wont affect the regular "Tainted Boys" partys.

If you are an artist and if you want to have a gallery at "Tainted Boys" please let us know. Please also contact us if you are a live artist and if you would like to have a concert here.

For questions, informations about our gallery or live artists contact: Adonis Lubitsch or Trace17 Junkers.

Teleport to the gallery: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nasturtium%20Island/234/48/40

Adonis & Trace17

http://tainted-boys.blogspot.com/

May the Force Be With You: Star Wars Party

It’s Friday and it’s almost time for the weekend, which means its time to let your hair down and party! Tonight, the Aqua Lounge is throwing a special Star Wars themed party and will be giving away 1000 Lindens for the best Star Wars Outfit. DJ Sasch will be spinning the decks and host, Jacki (no not shamrock LOL) looks forward to making you welcome. It all kicks off at 6pm SL time. Try something different this Friday night and may the force be with you at the Aqua Lounge! http://slurl.com/secondlife/Gallywood/63/125/263

Bella Vida Velvet Jazz Lounge

On the 1st of March 2009 Bella Vida Velvet jazz Lounge or "Bella's" to its patrons celebrates its 1 year anniversary.
Yu Messmer the owner of Bella's saw Bella Vida and decided to take it over from the original owners and has transformed it into what it is today.
The Bella Vida experience starts as soon as you TP in. From the very fashionable shopping experience with all the top designers in SL, including SF Designs, Styles of Edo, Alyssa Bijoux and My Precious to name but a few.
The staff at Bella's are always corteous, helpful and always professional. Marienna Cortes Bella's General Manager and Yu's right hand person LOL is always professional in the way she trains the staff to the highest of standards.
Come and listen to some of SL best Live Musicians including RockPianoman Pienaar, TRAV McCULLOUGH to name a few. DJ's are also very popular at Bella's with DJ SISSY GUFLER, DJ ANGELMOON JEWELL, THE DEALER (DJ JEN NOEL) and the very popular DJ RAY TRAFALGAR.
Bella's also offers themed events with the whole dance floor being changed into whatever the theme is on that night. Some of the popular themed events include Arabian Nights, 1940's, Disco Night and the Swing Revival Night. For singles Bella's has the 1st SPEED DATING night in SL.
Hop on one of the majestic Black Swans and take a romantic tour around the Bella's with your loved one.
So come and celebrate with all the staff and regulars on the 1st March ( St Davids day in Wales LOL) the Masquerade Ball. It will be a unforgettable and fantastic experience at their 1 year anniversary night.
Hope to see you there.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bella%20Vida/193/129/26

Stato Meredith

GET SHAGGED - Inteview with Shyayn Lusch

Designers often are more than simply creative people. These often eclectic and unique individualists are the sort of folk for whom creativity is a natural extension of their selves. Shyayn Lusch is one such designer. Her creations under the label SHAG are fast becoming a staple adornment for fashionable living. This outspoken firebrand is the sort of person whose strong personality is both overwhelming and inviting. She is a force to be reckoned with who is still approachable and it is this juxtaposition of strength and comfort that makes SHAG creations unique. I had the pleasure of meeting up with Shyayn on a building platform surrounded by the odds and ends that reflect the dynamic flow of a driven creator. Shyayn was wearing an intricate and sexy kimono-inspired ensemble.

Shyayn Lusch: I think I was feeling a bit Ninja...well, Diva Ninja

To get into character, I tossed on my best kimono and sat down with Shyayn around a fire pit and was immediately comfortable as she told me about how she got her feet wet in Second Life.

Shyayn Lusch: Well, I received an e-mail from a good friend that said, "Did you get my e-mails RE: Second Life?" I had been deleting what I'd assumed was porno spam from one Calista Bing for weeks. A week later, Shyayn Lusch was born.

inV: So when you first logged in what did you think?
Shyayn Lusch: Well, it was quite horrible actually....I had no clue what to do. My friend refused to friend me and passed me some LMs to a few freebie places and told me to fix myself as best I could. So I stumbled around to the freebie places for a few days....and managed to get some freebie gear on. It was baptism by fire. She said I had to learn for myself. Honestly, it was the best thing she could have done. Otherwise, I never would have started learning the interface or anything.

Shyayn Lusch: Well, after a few days at the freebie places she offers me a teleport to a club. I was surrounded by avatars with fancy hair, skins, etc. She took one look at me and told me I was a hot mess....and gave me $L700. She said I was only to spend that money on prim hair and left it at that. I quickly learned how to buy lindens to acquire a fancy beach-front property, replete with dolphin.
inV: It seems you conquered the "hot mess" to say the least.
(Shyayn Lusch blushes.)
Shyayn Lusch: Thank you, kind sir.
inV: Once you got yourself sorted, what inspired you to build?
Shyayn Lusch: One of my hobbies early on was modifying and decorating my virtual homes. I liked a lot of the homes on the market, but nothing seemed quite what I wanted....so I learned to modify and re-texture and so forth. I got more interested in making something that was EXACTLY what I wanted as time passed. One day I rolled over to a sandbox and tried to build this couch that I saw somewhere that I wanted to have in SL. I still have it....

Shyayn didn’t blink twice when I asked to see her first creation. While she referred to it as another “hot mess”, it seemed quite well done to me. The black sofa was well thought out and very modern, better than some I’ve seen for sale.

Shyayn Lusch: I was so upset and discouraged that I didn't pick up a prim for months. But I was determined. I started to try to build the couch again a number of months later. I'll show you what came out.

The revamped build she rezzed was certainly an improvement despite having started off well in my opinion. The textures were phenomenal and blended perfectly together to create a striking piece you just wanted to curl up on.

Shyayn Lusch: I have no training in graphic art or 3-D applications other than what I learned here. The first time I opened Photoshop it scared the crap out of me.
inV: How did you come to decide to open up your own store?
Shyayn Lusch: Well, I was forced to....by a friend. I kept building all of this stuff....and I always that it was terrible. I was and still am my own worst critic. Building allowed me to express a creative side of myself.....so I was VERY hesitant to put anything out there. So I set up my first store on a 4,096 prim parcel that I thought I would NEVER fill. In a month or so it was so full that it looked like a flea market....
inV: Obviously you began to see others enjoyed them too?
Shyayn Lusch: Yes, I found that people liked some of the things I made and I was incredibly flattered. But opening the first store took my building to a whole new level....I was on fire.


inV: What inspired the name "SHAG"?
(Shyayn Lusch laughs and tries to think about the name "SHAG.")
Shyayn Lusch: The same friend that forced me to open my first store apparently decided that it was time to do some restructuring... I had started building entire rooms....that were all over my build platform. I was, as before, refusing to put them out there for some reason. One of our mutual friends came over and gave me a proper scolding for not having it all for sale. So we talked about a new store....and started thinking up potential names, including “SHAG”. I delayed as long as I could....and made every excuse. It was starting to look like some type of freakish doll house up here.
(Shyayn Lusch laughs)
Shyayn Lusch: So one day I log in to a group invitation from my friend to the group ~Shag~. And so, that is now "SHAG" was born. I wish I had some sexy or provocative story to tell you about how my creations came to bear the name "SHAG," but that's it.

Shyayn laughed, but the true value of that story is that no one makes it alone. Even with the most immense talent, we require the support of true friends to find our way. Shyayn is nonetheless very much her own person and SHAG is very much a reflection of the woman behind the creations

inV: I don't think you would be offended when I say that you are certainly one tough bitch. :P SHAG seems to have so much of your personality in it.
Shyayn Lusch: I've always been outspoken and willing to push the envelope, so something as provocative as "SHAG" was fine by me.

inV: is outspoken and pushing the limits what you would say is the overall feel in your designs?
Shyayn Lusch: To be sure, my friend saw that in me and aptly named my brand. I know that in creating things and putting my name on them I push myself. I push myself to build things that are a challenge for me. I push myself to make them well-crafted and utilitarian. To me, my creations scream "SHYAYN." But most people say, "OMG, I want this furniture in RL." (After asking if I really did "all of this" myself.) I take that as a compliment.... I create the things that I want.... I want larger-than-life beds made from rich fabrics and expensive wood.

inV: I mean so many designers just borrow from RL or focus on utility or one aspect but you really try to create a mood
Shyayn Lusch: Precisely.... When I started I would build one piece....a couch or sofa. But then I would think, "I really want to make a room that feels like X." I strive to make things that are useful for the way people interact and live in SL.

inV: That must be a challenge...I mean "living" in SL has is own design needs
Shyayn Lusch: To me, if a particular room or space is not conducive to social interaction and does not generate a "good feel" or a place where people want to stop and talk....then it's useless. The levels of intimacy created by particular rooms are different, of course. Or, the levels of intimacy that I attempt to create, I should say.

inV: What are some things you are looking to do in the near future?
Shyayn Lusch: Well, in the near future I'm hoping to start building fully-furnished skyboxes and pre-fabs. But really, I try my hand at everything from hair and jewelry to palm trees.
inV: I can't wait to see those. I imagine doing pre-fabs would be like going full-circle for you, having started modifying your home
Shyayn Lusch nods. Exactly. It's the most natural evolution for me...to be sure.

inV: what sort of advice would you give a noob who just has landed into SL?
Shyayn Lusch: Learn how to do as much as you can on your own and ask for help only when you NEED it. I guess that could be applied to people just starting out their creations too. I could write a book on what-to-tell-a-noob, but that's it, in short. Like I said, Ms. Calista Bing did me a favor my throwing me to the wolves.
inV: It certainly lets you know if you have the stuff to make it in here
Shyayn Lusch: Exactly. She left me to fend for myself. And I learned A LOT in the process.


Shyayn certainly has learned a lot and it’s easy to see the result of that experience in the amazing creations that are displayed in her flagship store, SHAG. Her inspired designs are sure to help you create just the look and feel in your home to express your own individuality. If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit SHAG, be sure to drop by and check out one of SL’s finest up-and-coming creators. Shyayn is constantly expanding and there is always something new and exciting to see.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Kon%20Tiki%20Island%20West/209/176/22

Interview by Cole Sirnah

Eddi Haskell Wields his Knife at inVd

Some of you will be aware that a blog was setup last week with the sole objective of causing harm, alarm and distress to the various members of staff here at inVd. The blog has a pink background and contains an abundance of postings containing lunatic rants and hurls of abuse at our members of staff. When the blog was originally setup; we at our inVd offices found the rants to be rather amusing and over the top. We laugh most things off because we don’t take ourselves too seriously and appreciate good humor. However, more recently, the blog’s insane rantings have turned more sinister, vicious and evil.

An excerpt taken from Eddi Haskell's obsessed blog

Yesterday, our Editor in Chief gained concrete evidence that the man behind the obsessively insane blog is none other than the man behind the Eddi Haskell avatar. We actually did suspect it was Eddi, but we weren’t in possession of proof until yesterday. In addition to Eddi Haskell’s vicious attacks on most of the inVd members of staff, he’s also been spending most of his free time setting up new alts such as “ammon gossipgirl” and “jasonfeingold ghost.” He introduced these alts in an effort to harass us here at inVd and to grief sims such as Boots Beach to spread his vile hatred and to just generally make a dire nuisance of himself.

In the space of one week: Eddi Haskell under the guise of other alts and various noms de plume he has contributed to the following harassment:

1) Posted sick and disgusting images of people wielding blood dripping knives in an attempt to harm, alarm, cause fear and distress to various members of inVd’s staff;
2) Made attacks on MTD1952 Timeless about his appearance and more repugnantly, Eddi has made attempts to reveal a certain member of inVds staff RL information. He has a known history of doing this to various other people;
3) He has made crazy and delusional accusations and repulsive rants claiming Demerick and I are mentally ill and Eddi has spent considerable time writing up wacked and jumped up diatribe to that effect;
4) He has made countless vicious and abhorrent characterizations of our Editor-in-Chief, Ammon Pera in an attempt to inflict mass harassment and has attempted to spread his hatred by griefing sims and shouting out the url of his revolting blog.
5) He has made unfounded, wild and baseless accusations that we have rigged contests in the past and has published images of animals in distress and conveys images of Nuns in a disparaging fashion.

The Eddi Haskell alt pictured above, picture taken by him

The list continues further, but we won’t exhaust describing all of his maniacal actions here. So why are we reporting this now? Well, at first we laughed it off and thought it was somebody who obviously just had too much free time on his hands and was clearly very bored.

However, Eddi’s harassment has grown increasingly relentless and entirely reprehensible to the stage that we are actually gravely concerned about his well being and mental state of health. His actions are extremely worrying and if you happen to know Eddi Haskell or have or did consider him as a personal friend, like some of us here at inVd once did to, then encourage him to seek some professional medical help. Very evidently, he needs it and he needs to hear it from somebody who he will listen to and it’s not likely to be from us considering his deranged and obsessive state of mind.

[19:03] Ryce Skytower: cut it out now
[19:03] Ryce Skytower: you extend it
[19:03] Ryce Skytower: your in trouble
[19:04] Ryce Skytower: the blog will stop if you stop your harassment
[19:04] Ryce Skytower: bye!

N.B. Comments are closed on this post.

Dum, Dum, Dee, Dum

This post has a meaningless title, like the sturm und drang of the still-clanging bells of blog vs. blog and personality vs. personality "journalism" that's almost become a plague to some of us.

Personal attacks on blog-sites, critical of my wardrobe, my choice of shoes, my association with InVogue, all of which are part of an online "game" that I play, called "Second Life". Well, whoop-de-fookin'-doo! Some folks have waaaaay too much time on their hands, methinks.

What fascinates me is the marginal literacy of the participants in all this garbage, and its scant resemblance to anything remotely identifiable as "journalism", which is the only reason I ever penned a comment or blog post for InVogue. A genuine interest in writing, a joy in participating in the SL gay community, some blatant self-interest in promoting my efforts as a dancer/host/entertainer in the club scene, and yes, my own admitted human weakness as an indefatigable "attention whore" made me reach out a bit, take a risk, and write upon these pages, in the hopes someone, somewhere, would find my meanderings amusing, at least, and thought-provoking, at best.

I have consciously and determinedly refrained from responding to any of the ongoing "wars" between certain blogsters and factions who seem to have some sort of sick, childish agenda and incredibly overinflated self-images which drive them to initiate social warfare rather than social interchange, in these venues.

Here's a little bit of Second Life lore, for ya. Anyone ever visit "Waterside", and listen to the open voice chat there? Youngsters, mostly, incredibly impressed with themselves, unabashedly critical of everyone and everything around them, their speech and mannerisms thoroughly suffused with vapid criticism, cynicism, scorn, hatred, disrespect, foul language, repeated use of the words "nigger" and "fag" as offhand adjectives to describe even their friends and, presumably, "peers".

It's a sure-fire way to bring on a bout of depression, just listening to these complete wastes of good air, maundering away about how cool they are and how useless/ugly/stupid/nigger/fag/dipshit/bonehead/gay everyone around them is. One wonders why they go on breathing? Suicide would seem a much more intelligent act, given their purported view of the world, but for one thing; they're young, dumb, have never experienced hardship, have never fought beside a dear friend and watched him die, have never worked hard for anything in their privileged and "entitled" existence, have never invested one iota of themselves in the interest of another human being, much less sacrificed anything for the welfare of another. And so, they must be forgiven, for allowing their inexperience and complete lack of substance to escape their filthy little mouths, so easily.

I claim no special gift of 'wisdom' nor superiority of intellect, here; but I've lived a long time upon this earth, comparatively, and seen some pretty incredible bits of history go down, right before my eyes, some of which I found myself smack dab in the middle of, much to my dismay, or my joy, or my deep, deep sadness.

So you see, it's easy for me to sit back and smile and nod, when the proverbial excrement hits the oscillator, and "who flung poo" becomes more important than who created beauty, or did a kindness to another, or expended great effort to reach a goal, or even just emulated a shoe design in digital form, presenting a target for a jealous or petty or inferiority-plagued "competitor's" crosshairs.

My beautiful fellow Second Life residents, your avatars are just pixel-dolls, and real life is much, much more important than anything that happens there, but still the attitudes and mannerisms that permeate your Second-Life persona are, in some ways, reflections of what's inside the human being at the keyboard. Think a bit, choose to portray what's of value to you, (if anything), and if acrimony, hate, exploitation, and greed are your pastimes, then by all means, bring them along with you, to render our Second Life experience more "real", for these are parts of any world in which human beings walk.

Some will choose to aspire to better things, and there will be places, activities, and beauty left by their minds and hands, here in Second Life, for us all to enjoy. I swing my cam toward the beauty, kill my sound and shut my eyes to the ugliness and fear and immaturity, and enjoy every spare moment I can be "in-world". Don't you?

New Releases @ 2Xtreme

For real life pet lovers, having a pet in-world adds to the Second Life experience. 2Xtreme's Tunes Menes creates exotic pets that bring our real pets in to the metaverse or provide us with the opportunity to adopt a pet we would never have access to in real life.

The Red and Blue Macaw set offers two parrots to spice up any Second Life environment. Each bird is well textured with realistic animations. Setup is simple and allows the owner to create three points for each parrot to fly between. Additionally, the birds come with special feeding poles and droppable apples to feed them. A parrot tree is also included.

Those who have owned birds will appreciate the value of the feature allowing 2Xtreme's birds to be muted or their volume to be turned down. With little effort, we can be spared in-world what is arguably the worst part of having a bird for a real life pet--the constant squawking early in the morning when sleeping in is a necessity.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Pride%20Isles/170/230/23