Tuesday 30 December 2008

A Cozy Holiday Ball in New Babbage

Saturday night was a special night for New Babbage. Most of the Christmas rush was over and it was time for a nice relaxing dance before the New Year is upon us.



My dear wife and I enjoy the dances and the excellent music.


Steam Santa and the Boiler Elf on their approach to Piermont Landing.


Nice landing.


Steam Santa and the Boiler Elf bring coal for everyone!

Sadly I was called away but a customer query so didn't get to see the magic Steam Sled for myself, but the large pile of coal left on the front landing at Primbroke Manor will be put to good use over the winter.

Monday 29 December 2008

Battle of the DJs

As an end of year party for the Radio Riel team, Hoy will be hosting a Battle of the DJs.

Today: Sunday 28th of December.

2:00pm SLT.

Each of the DJs gets a 15 minute set and has to try and incorporate 2 randomly assigned genres into their music. Genres won't be given out until 1:30 SLT. I figure Weird Al has done enough parodies that no matter what the genres I'll be able to find something in there.

Come on over and join in the fun!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Murdann/234/165/29

Wednesday 24 December 2008

To you an yours



From the Duke and Duchess of Argylle,

Wishing you a festive and safe season, no matter what side of the world you're on.

Terraforming and a long overdue fix.

Waaaaaaay back in April of 2007, someone logged a fault saying the SLURL maps not showing up to date images unless you were viewing at full zoom. If you pulled your view back vast numbers of sims disappeared. Well it finally seems that Jira WEB-87 has been fixed. Might be able to do the large scale map at last.

While looking to see which sims were furthest in any direction I stumble across these. Sadly direct TP is blocked but I did pull up the sims on the internal map.

Someone's done some nice terraforming loading of their raw files.

Tuesday 23 December 2008

The weird and wonderful art of Travis Louie


His website describes them as "human oddities, mythical beings, and otherworldly characters who appear to have had their formal portraits taken to mark their existence and place in society."

Not quite steampunk as such, but an interesting creation.

The full gallery can be viewed here.

Sunday 21 December 2008

Christmas Cheez


Today's From the Library is the special Christmas stuff that you sceretly love but are too ashamed to admit in public. From the schmaltz of Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé, to the tacky of Weird Al Yankovic and the Royal Guardsmen, to the terror of Macarena Christmas and the Cheeky Girls, there's a little something for everyone!

From the Library is produced by Radio Riel in conjunction with the Caledon Library in Second Life. Today's program was produced by Edward Pearse.

You can listen now at http://music.radioriel.org - the ideal URL for you to use in your home parcel media address in-world - or simply visit any Caledon Library branch in-world and press Play on your embedded music player.

Thursday 18 December 2008

Riel Radio Theatre


This week's programme features Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre on the Air, not the now infamous War of the Worlds story, but Around the World in 80 Days.


Thursday 18th of December starting at 7:00 SLT

Join me at the new location of Radio Riel's HQ Edison Hypatia to listen with the rest of us or tune your music player of choice to http://music2.radioriel.org if you can't make it in person.

Valé Kaiserine Kendra I

I was saddened to learn today of the recent death of Kendra Bancroft.

I had known of her in my early time in SL but got to know her a lot better during the Neualtenburg War RP in early 2007. This was the cause of my mechanical arm.



Later I was invited to DJ Oktoberfest in Neualtenburg, which was great fun. Viking helmets, chicken hats and assorted sillyness were all part and parcel.

I was surprised to discover that her typist, Maddie Blaustein, was also a voice actress for many of the Pokemon characters.

She will be missed.

Monday 15 December 2008

CHRISTMAS AT HIGHLANDS

Aberdon Enigma and Fauve Aeon welcome you to their home in the Highlands for Holiday Event and Celebration Soirée, Sunday December 14th from 2-4 pm SLT at the lovely Aobhach House in the Stained Glass Ballroom, sweetly decorated for the Season to benefit the SL Shakespeare Company in their ongoing goal to raise 6 months of tier for the Globe Theatre Sims to continue their astonishing undertaking of presenting quality, fully staged short productions of Shakespeare's works in a recreation of the original Globe Theatre.
Join us for a special performance of The Victorian-esque Caledon Edition of a Skit by a SL Shakespeare Co. Actor:
"The Strange Transformation of Lucianus to Claudius and Others"

Caledon's own Duke of Argylle, Edward Pearse, of Radio Riel, will be spinning a very special mix with period music and some recordings of local historical reenactors playing as well, something entirely new for your dancing pleasure.

Silent and Live auctions will be presented for the following unique, limited and special items, many details and wonderful PIX in the notecards! Come and win for yourself something precious and special and help a very worthy endeavor as well. Oh yes, and BOOGIE :D


...and a few more surprises

Saturday 13 December 2008

Voices in the Machine podcast the Fourth

A special episode of Voices in the Machine is now up. Recorded at CaleCon, a real-life get together held in St Marys, Ontario, Canada, in August of this year. Gabriel Riel presents interviews with Soliel Snook and Otenth Paderborn.

Go. Listen!

Wednesday 10 December 2008

Childhood development is important


We've been told a child's formative years are their most important. What better way to teach budding young sociopaths their alphabet than with a set of wooden alphabet blocks?

Xylocopa has produced A Young Mad Scientist's First Alphabet Blocks to help aspiring youngsters learn word association.

A complete list of the images represented by the letters is as follows:
A - Appendages
B - Bioengineering
C - Caffeine
D - Dirigible
E - Experiment
F - Freeze ray
G - Goggles
H - Henchmen
I - Invention
J - Jargon
K - Potassium
L - Laser
M - Maniacal
N - Nanotechnology
O - Organs
P - Peasants (with Pitchforks)
Q - Quantum physics
R - Robot
S - Self-experimentation
T - Tentacles
U - Underground Lair
V - Virus
W - Wrench
X - X-Ray
Y - You, the Mad Scientist of Tomorrow
Z - Zombies

Brilliant!

A Study in Emerald


For this week's broadcast of Riel Theatre I am proud to present A Study in Emerald, winner of the 2004 Hugo Award for Best Short Story, written and presented by award winning author Neil Gaiman.

A Study in Emerald is a pastiche of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous Consulting Detective and H.P. Lovecraft's Great Old Ones.



Thursday 11th of December starting at 7:00 SLT

Visit Radio Riel HQ to listen with the rest of us or tune your music player of choice to http://music2.radioriel.org if you can't make it in person.

Monday 8 December 2008

Exploring Caledon

There are times when it pays not to get out of the car.

A new member of the Realm of the Roses

Off the East Coast of Caledon Dundee a new sim has appeared.



Zeppelinheim is the newest member of the Realm of the Roses and contains many members of the former island of Brythony.

Welcome and tea all round!

Ice Skating in Steelhead

Snow came to Steelhead and the Harbour froze over.


There was skating on the ice


Sheriff Ortega plays "Snoopy's Christmas"


Even the snowmen were skating


Winter had indeed come to Steelhead

Sunday 7 December 2008

Moving a dream

The last of the items were being taken down from the walls, the paintings slotted into their packing cases, the stuffed animals into teachests, the furniture covered in dust cloths.

"Your Grace?"

I looked up at the metallic voice of Gears, his servant's livery obscured most of his burnished copper body but his tick was almost as distinctive as my own.

"Yes Gears?"

Gears stepped forward and handed me a small packet. "These are the photographs you took after the move was announced sir."

Looking down at the envelope I sighed heavily. "Thank you Gears." He nodded a left to continue with the packing. I opened the envelope and proceeded to clip through the photos. "We certainly have improved photography with the Prokudin-Gorskii camera," I said to myself. "A vast improvement over Daguerre's work."


The main bridge from Penzance


Looking across the Harbour


Guardian unicorn


The underwater tunnels with the ballroom just behind Neptune.


Chester


Inside the tunnels


Inside the Mooring Tower


The front steps of Primbroke Manor

I smiled sadly and closed the packet again placing it in the box with the contents of my desk. Hearing soft steps coming towards me I turned to see my dear Christine. Her apron showed signs she had been organising things in the attic, as did the tell-tale wisps of escaping red hair. Kissing her gently, I said before she had a chance to say anything "No, there has been no news on the new home." Christine narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips.

"I didn't even ask this time," Christine replied.

Holding her close I simply said "soon."

Friday 5 December 2008

Santa's Elf

A little gift from Pearse'd & Cut for the winter festivities.



4'5" tall AV comes complete with shape, hair, clothes and eyes. All he's really lacking is a good cigar.
The hat is scripted to play bells as you walk.

Available from Caledon, New Babbage, Steelhead and Steeltopia.

Wednesday 3 December 2008

Girl Genius Radio Theatre

Special broadcast performance this Thursday (4th of December) 7-8 SLT: Girl Genius Radio Theatre. Brought to you by the regular weekly broadcast of Riel Theatre from Radio Riel.




Join us at Der hut des Jägers to listen with the rest of us or tune into http://music2.radioriel.org if you can't make it in person.