Bates Motel Apocalypse

"Shriek! Shriek! Shriek!" go the violins. Who doesn't love a good murder mystery now and then? If you do, then stop by the old Bates Motel, where Norman will be waiting for you right behind the counter—you can catch a glimpse of him in the bottom photograph, eager to book you into Room 1, the convenient one right next to the office. It's dark outside, with a big old foreboding house looming overhead. So just step in and, well, take a shower.

And it's all here, the hotel, house and '57 Ford, faithfully recreated. I'm not going to say whether there's blood in the bathroom, or whether you'll run into Marion or Mother, but at least Norman is here, reading some interesting magazines tucked under the counter. The entire scene is Bates Motel Apocalypse, created by Soulkeeper Dreadlow, and the house itself is available for purchase via his marketplace store. Oh, by the way, you might get attacked by a few zombies when you arrive, but they're relatively harmless. Maybe.

It all starts with a smile

This morning, Kaelyn Alecto mentioned on Plurk that her sim, It all starts with a smile, will likely close on May 15, the unfortunate victim of the recent changes in the ToS. It's not that the new terms prohibit her from operating the sim, but that (if I understand correctly) the cost of the sim was being underwritten in part by an employee of a third party Linden dollar exchange business that has had to suddenly close. I visit quite a few sims every day but had never visited It all starts with a smile, so I finally did today.

It's a pretty place, with lots of natural scenery—ranging from sandy beaches to fields of flowers and more—and a tidy row of shops and storefronts tucked in the southwestern corner. (There's nothing for sale—it's not a commercial sim.) As you can see from this flickr group, it's a popular spot for photography and socializing. If you'd like to see more of Kaelyn's work, she and her partner, maxxster (who is also co-owner of the sim and a photographer), blog at SweetSexyCrazy. I'm sure contributions to help keep the sim afloat would be very welcome.

Ocho Tango

I pulled up Honour McMillan's blog the other day (which I do every day)—Honour's Post Menopausal View (of Second Life)—and there were some lovely images of Ocho Tango, which had been on my list of places to visit for a long time. I gather that it had temporarily disappeared and has been rebuilt, and that's a good thing because it's a serene and delightful place. Its centerpiece, not shown in these images (as usual, click to zoom in, and I'll post more on my flickr stream), is the Ocho Club, a dance hall with a distinctive exterior, and I hope to get back when a crowd is there (dancing tangos no doubt).

Surrounding the club on all sides are the pampas, where the fertile fields produce tall grasses through which you'll discover a number of paths and this and that. If you'd prefer, there's a bicycle rezzer. And if you're in the mood to dance outside, there's a little area for that as well, shadowed by the towering power lines that cut across the plains. (Somehow, here in Second Life these power lines look evocatively romantic and appealing.) Way overhead all of this is the shop DaD Design, where you can find things for home and garden, including some lovely tropical trees.

Hobo Amusement Park

It's just what an amusement park should be: tacky, cheap, silly, blazes of flashing neon, sounds, rides, and so dense that you can't decide which direction to turn next. I arrived at Hobo Amusement Park this evening entirely by accident—I was looking for its creator, Judy Muircastle, without knowing that this was where I'd find her or even that it existed. And that, for me, is one of the joys of wandering around the Second Life grid, always finding myself surprised by things.

This sort of took me way back to earlier in Second Life (pre-Ziki even!)—just the overall design and craziness. But here everything is kept up to date, and Judy's here maintaining things with a sharp eye. There are rides and activities galore—get chased by zombies, ride things that will have you spinning so much you'll really get dizzy, race cars or bikes on the track, head into the Tunnel of Romance, tramp through the Haunted House, bang into your friends in the huge bumper car pavilion and just generally have fun being silly. (And do bring a friend, because it's that kind of place.)

Don't miss the platform overhead, with its demolition derby (my favorite thing as a kid!) and the Wild Thing roller coaster. Tacky freebies are all over the place. Judy says, "This Park is dedicated to the Memory of my late rl Husband Bill who loved amusement parks. He was taken at 28 years old in an auto accident and I know he is looking down at this park and laughing his head off!!" Bill, I have no doubt that wherever you are you're laughing.

Winter Moon

It isn't winter at Winter Moon, and I don't see a moon either, but the sim is a lovely one. Designed and owned by Dream Shadowcry, this homestead makes extensive use of materials by Alex Bader and others whose work appears at similar beachy regions, but the feeling is distinctive and unique.

From the landing point, one sets off either clockwise or counterclockwise on a winding path that wraps around the perimeter of the sim, moving through sections of woods and beaches. Rocks tower up from the center of the entire build, and, although the path never reaches them, they provide a dramatic backdrop to the entire scene. You might experience a touch of rain here or there.

Sprinkled throughout are places and moments that afford an opportunity to pause—a piano, a lighthouse, a windmill, and spots for poses. It's a sim that invites you to take it slowly. Landscape photographers will have fun.

Water at Dryland

Opening today, Sunday, May 5 at 7 am slt is a notable group exhibition at Dryland curated by Anita Witt entitled Water, featuring photography by Alles Klaar (pictured above against some of her work), Kynne Llewellyn, Tess Falworth and WuWai Chun (lower image). This group show is located in the towering structure beyond the front gallery which features Anita's work, and each of the artists enjoys one floor of the space. As water is a rare commodity in Dryland, the images depict scenes from throughout Second Life.

"A few months ago I sent out a request to Alles Klaar, Kynne Llewellyn, Tess Falworth and WuWai Chun to bring water to Dryland. Now they have all delivered their precious drops, and I am very proud to present Water in my guest gallery. The idea for this exhibition was born during the planing stages of the Dryland sim design. For me, this exhibition is the perfect juxtaposition to the surrounding landscape, and it is my hope that they will both bring out the best in the other," the curator's statement says.

Anita Witt at Serena

Opening tomorrow, Sunday, May 5 at 2 pm slt at the Serena Cultural Center for Artists and the Arts and curated by Vita Theas is a substantial exhibition of photography by Anita Witt, pictures from home, which will remain on display until May 31. Anita herself has become a curator of note and maintains galleries for her own work and that of others at Dryland, a striking sim where the images in this current exhibition were taken. Previously her space was home to a major project dedicated to the work of William Weaver and his builds designed for photography. "I have chosen to present pictures taken at Dryland over the last 6-8 months. Many will already be known from my flickr stream, but there will also be old and new unpublished shots, as well as reworkings and reshoots," she says.

An expansive landscape inspired in part by the barren lakebed of the Aral Sea, Dryland has become a favorite of photographers, and not surprisingly Anita's own renderings of the space she created poetically capture the evocative beauty of the parched ground, the rusted ships and other structures and objects. Against this stark landscape, her portraits of people or avatars are beautifully composed. All of the more than thirty images are available for purchase. The Serena gallery itself is well designed, affording the opportunity for Anita's long horizontal images to breathe, and next door is a peaceful memorial garden you might want to explore.

Sheherazade: If you want to survive, tell a story

Just opened today and curated by Heidi Dahlsveen/Mimesis Monday is Sheherazade, with visual artworks by Giovanna Cerise, Cherry Manga, Capcat Ragu, Meilo Minotaur and sounds by Takio Ra. With the exception of the work Giovanna Cerise, the installation is on the ground; for Giovanna's section you'll need to teleport up—and to do that you'll need to locate a not-very-obvious pink stick located on the shoreline.

The artists were invited to develop content inspired by the situation of Sheherazade in One Thousand and One Nights, having to weave a story each evening to save her own life. I found Takio Ra's soundscape difficult to hear, and in fact I didn't realize there was anything there at first, so turn your volume up (maybe I just tend to keep my volume way down!). Sounds are triggered by encounters with objects—there is no media stream—and are also available as stand-alone files. You'll discover three free and quite delightful avatars available in the tented area near the landing point: Sheherazade, Shahryar (the king's avatar), and Birds (my favorite).

Sabbian Paine at Vampire Empire

On display until May 8 at the Vampyre Cultural Centre in Transylvania is an exhibition of works by photographer Sabbian Paine, whose accomplished and polished images are worth a viewing. Grouped into two sections—Sea and Atomic Skies—the show features well composed portraits and scenes, ranging from poetic to disturbing.

To reach the gallery area from the landing point, simply follow the yellow arrows to the cultural center—the exhibition is situated right in the lobby, with images ascending partway up the interior staircase. All images are for sale (L$400), and there's an opportunity to contribute to the ongoing gallery program as well.

China

China, a sim by aston Leisen, enjoys enduring and deserved popularity in Second Life. There's very little in China, and that's part of what gives it its beauty: we focus on only a few things, and the entire scene looks as though it's been ink wash painted on xuan, or unsized rice paper. In the sky, mountains and clouds converge, and on the land trees and houses were perhaps created with quick strokes of a calligraphy brush. The images seen here show the default windlight setting, but one can create remarkable monotone images here that highlight lines and shading. Push your draw distance up.

If you look around a little, you'll find a teleporter that takes you down to the ground level, an entirely different area and home to the Open Media Lab. Here are several little vignettes such as the one below (Another Rainy) into which you can directly teleport. To return to the original location, select Bamboo.