SP Election Certified, But Announcement Slightly Delayed

According to a message on the Second Pride website, the results of the voting for the Marketing and Building Director have been certified by the Election Committee and passed on to the Chair for an announcement. 

The Chairperson is out of the country at the moment, and you’ll see this announcement in-world and [...] on the website as soon as he releases it. 

[Second Pride is] still looking to fill the Community Relations Director seat…more on that coming soon as well!

Second Pride Election Update

According to a notice in the Second Pride Festival group, the ongoing election for Build & Marketing Directors has been temporarily suspended due to a technical glitch in the equipment.

Voting will, according to the notice, recommence with a different method as soon as possible.

The Chair and the board extends its apologies to the candidates and the membership.
---

I applaud Rez and the board for acting promptly when the problems were noticed. After all, we all want a result we can rely on that reflects the will of the membership.

SP Board Election: Voting September 1 - 8

Get your asses in gear, members of Second Pride. Voting in the board election started today and continues through midnight September 8.

You have two positions to choose your preferred candidate for, Marketing and Build.

If you haven't read up on the candidates running for the position before - you slackers - you can do so before voting by going to the Second Pride website (url). Click the 2018 Election tab and a roll down menu will pop-down.

In the menu, you can find the candidate statements and their responses to the questions that have been posed to them.

To vote, go to the Second Pride sim (url), there will be voting booths set up for your voting-convenience.

Click the candidate you wish to vote for and you get a blue menu. "Address" is just a note card, when you click "Vote" it will register your vote.

Thank You, Board & Volunteers of Second Pride 2017

The fountain and the globe

I have just finished reading LLedge Eames closing statement for the 2017 Second Pride Festival. It begins like this (For the complete statement please go to The Second Pride website (url)):

"Thank you for an amazing 2017 Second Pride Festival!

As the sun sets on yet another wildly successful and my last Second Pride Festival season. I’d like to take a moment to say some thank yous. I am so grateful for this years outpouring of participation not to mention I had the pleasure of working with some of the most amazing talents from across the grid.

Our 2016 – 2017 Second Pride Board. Jak Calcutt with his outstanding builds and designs, creating a feast for our eyes, Marge Beaumont for her behind the scenes accounting, Tootsie Nootan and her security team (Levi & Kit) keeping us all safe, and Viktor Sandman for all his patience scheduling and wrangling our performers. To our volunteers. Kahvy & Garrett Smith for undertaking and creating some fantastic social media buzz along with all those bloggers. Lee McKay and his webmaster skills that put us back online."

The shopping mall

After thanking the sponsors, vendors, performers and others that contributed to making this one of the best festivals ever, he goes on to thank the attendants and then finishes

"On more than one occasion I was greeted by complete strangers and then thanked for providing them with such a true and wonderful pride experience. It was comments like that and many more that told me we had hit our mark. I can’t begin to thank this team enough. You ALL really outdid yourself and should be proud of all you accomplished.

As I mentioned earlier this is my last year as Chairman. It has been such an honor to be involved in this organization. As much as I am ready to step down, I will miss it and all the nuances. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to bring my hope and joy to you all through this wonderful outlet."

The Japanese Garden, a permanent exhibition

Well, I would in turn like to thank the board of Second Pride for - yet another - amazing and enjoyable festival. This Second Pride festival is up there among my top three all-time favorites since I first started going to Pride in SecondLife in 2008.

I can hardly imagine all the hard work and dedication our board and the volunteers put in to this venture - and all the work they did the rest of the year - for the LGBT+ community in Second Life. 

It is even harder for me to understand why the boards dedicated work throughout the year has sometimes been met by criticism by fringes of the community, especially those who do not lift a finger or support the efforts in any way whatsoever. 

The memorial chapel

Second Pride must exist first and foremost for the LGBT+ residents in SecondLife, to be an inworld presence, to offer support to other smaller LGBT+ organizations, and to represent our community to the surrounding community and to Linden Lab. All else must, in my not so humble opinion, be secondary to that.

I am saddened that the present board say they doesn't wish to continue, although I do understand their position. Hopefully some of them can be persuaded to continue, or at to return after some rest and relaxation from these responsibilities. 

My deepest gratitude, again, goes to the board of 2016-2017 for a job well done!

The main stage

All the pictures in this post show the wonderful work that Build Director Jak Calcutt did for this years festival-venue. I have them in a folder named "The sim that Jak built".

The U L T R A™ Event, July 15 - August 15

"Roman Godde of The SL Registry™ in collaboration with Bad Unicorn are proud to present a brand new event called, U L T R A™ Event, that will commence on May 15 to June 15, 2016 and every other month thereafter.

A fascinating cluster of shops flanking a modern, one of a kind atrium promenade, rich with Palm Springs charm. A total of 35 elite Second Life designers will offer a truly unusual array of exclusive fashion, furnishings and all things from antique to contemporary.

From July 15 - August 15 (the) U L T R A™ Event will showcase the products and services available from the most prestigious luxury brands across the grid, which include men's and women's fashion, luxury automobiles, real estate, fine jewelry, mesh avatars, animations, skins, hair, accessories, furnishings, home and garden and much more.

For connoisseurs seeking the very best and the latest that Second life has to offer, The U L T R A™ Event is the essential one stop luxury resource."

Your luxury transportation awaits to take you to The U L T R A™ Event (SLurl).

The Lairds Challenge for Vehicle Builders

Today the Much Honored Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm, prince of Cascade Falls, Sovereign Ruler of the Commonwealth of Southern Enchantment Region and Outer Territories and finally UN appointed Protector of the Mount Whitney sim in SecondLife, was sitting and talking with the Prince Consort and the Royal Gardener of Southern Charm.

During the conversation the Prince Consort Tomais suddenly screamed out loud with excitement and shouted: "Ooooooooooo I want this!", whereupon he sent us the link to a picture on the Internet, see below.

As some of you may know, the Prince Consort Tomais is a geek, a nerd and a collector of every conceivable vehicle that has ever been created in SecondLife.

I now challenge all vehicle builders in SecondLife to build this contraption, as I want to give it to my lovely hubby.

The builder that sends me the best looking and fully functional vehicle will win a prize of L$25,000.

The jury to decide the contest will consist of the laird himself, his consort Tomais Ashdene and the Royal Gardener Butch Diavolo.

Good luck everyone and may the best person win.

It's Time for A Change

Those of you who have been following my blog may already have understood that major changes aren't really my forte. Or as my stepson Guyke bluntly tells me, "You don't like changes!" 

I don't completely disagree with him, but I would hasten to add that my qualms with change are mainly on an emotional level. When I feel safe and loved I don't mind changes in other areas of my life one bit.

It's a new year and time for a new project at Southern Charm! Faithful readers may remember the last major change on the sim happened during the summer of 2013 when the old ugly house I had been living in since 2008 was torn down and a new modern house was erected in it's place.

This year I got a new house as a Christmas gift from Guyke, after he had carefully showed it to me twice beforehand. The first time I saw the villa I was adamant and told him I didn't like it at all and that I wasn't ready to go through the hassle of moving again so soon after the last rebuild. The second time I saw it I absolutely fell in love with it!

It is a classic french villa with large open spaces called Luton Manor and is made by Redgrave Houses & Homes.

My building team this time around consists of the royal consort and the royal groundskeeper, Tomais and Butch. The two have also benevolently agreed to advise me concerning decorating and other interior design niceties.

The old house has been emptied and taken into Inventory, the beautiful villa has been placed in a preliminary spot, I am awaiting advice on the definite placement from a landscaper who has been contacted, but not yet contracted. He will hopefully also be hired to help with the necessary work on the immediate surroundings of the villa.

Parvin to the Rescue

Yesterday the Much Honored Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm, prince of Cascade Falls, Sovereign Ruler of the Commonwealth of Southern Enchantment Region and Outer Territories and finally UN appointed Protector of the Solace Island and Mount Whitney sims in SecondLife, was close to a nervous breakdown.

The laird was puttering about at his ongoing supersecret project - which is to be revealed to the world in the not to distant future - but there was a building thingamabob that he just couldn't get quite right despite having been at it for hours. As he saw that Parvin, a.k.a. Xcept Atlas (left, archive photo) the laird's friend and the Market Lead of the Gay Archipelago, was close by the laird in his desperation called out to him for help.

Parvin swiftly responded to the cry for help, took a look at the problem at hand and said in a calm voice: "Well, I am not a builder but I am good at maths and I believe this issue can be solved with three prims, a square, a triangle and a semicircle." Whereupon he immediately started working on proving his point.

The laird looked on in wonderment as the brilliant man worked on the solution to his difficult situation. Parvin was done in less than  five minutes. The result was amazing and the botheration was completely solved to his satisfaction.

The laird was so relieved and overjoyed that he was prepared to knight the beautiful and highly respectful young man on the spot. Uncertain whether that would fit into the rest of Parvin's chosen existence in SecondLife the laird instead settled on giving him a gold medal for his excellent service.

I of course at once contacted Rico, the Lead of GA, to inform him what a brilliant and accomplished Market Lead he had.

When Tomais arrived at the scene he was put to work on texturing the prims according to the lairds wishes and his own better judgement. 

Let me tell you, the final result is stupendous and fabulous, as you will get the opportunity to witness with your own eyes in the near future. 

I am a man with no real talent for SecondLife, which so highly relies on the creativity and skills of it's resident's. However, to paraphrase Blanche DuBois in Tennessee Williams play "A Streetcar Named Desire", "I have always depended on the kindness of my family and friends."

I do have a knack of inadvertently surrounding myself with an abundance of amazingly skilled and talented family and friends who can help me out and guide me whenever I need it. I love them all dearly!

Additional Feedback

I already filed my response to the survey a while back, but today I sent in an addition to my previous responses, as I had come to the conclusion that I had not been specific enough in my earlier response. So today I filed the following addition.

What did you like best about the festival?

1. The lesbians were back - and I love it!
2. The parade is back - and I love it!
3. The wonderful serene Chapel
4. The beautiful builds
5. The event was extremely well organized with little or no confusion, the board members and their assisting teams did a splendid job.
6. Three sims worked great! The smaller area kept the space close and increased the chances of running into old friends and acquaintances.
7. The sims were restarted every day which mostly kept lag at a reasonable level.

What suggestions do you have for the 2015 Second Pride Festival?

1. I would like to see a new beginning for the Names Project, i.e. the so called AIDS Quilts. It is not acceptable that whether or not donated quilts are displayed or not is dependent on an individuals whims or requirements. This is something that Second Pride can and should do for the LGBT community.
2. Try to get a few more live acts, I know there are singers and musician who would love to take part.
3. I always loved the plays that Marcus Steeplechase and his buddies enacted during Pride, it would be wonderful if we could get something like it back.
4. Poetry readings perhaps?

Please don't get me wrong, I love the DJ's and the parties but options should be provided to a greater extent, the community is diverse in it's needs.

Darn! I forgot to mention that I missed the combats between Gay Gor and Romanum from last years Pride. The people participating in that were a fun crowd and I had a great time watching and chatting there last year.

Overall, the Festival of 2014 was the best ever!

If you haven'r taken the survey yet, please do so here 2014 Second Pride Festival Feedback

How To Make A Quilt

I found the instructions that Jace Byrne, the holder of the previous quilts, sent out concerning how to make a quilt in SecondLife. The following are essentially the instructions he gave.

Be creative and don't worry about people judging your work! Focus on your feelings and relations to the person the panel is for.

Set everything to full perms. This is VERY important. quilts have been lost over the years due to being restricted perms.

You should put the name of the person in the object's name (i.e "Ars Northmead Quilt") and write a little something in the description too. A notecard giver script is also acceptable.

There are two main ways to make a panel. 

• Make an image in Photoshop or GIMP or whatever you use for textures. Upload the image and put it on the top face of a flattened cube. That's it, you're done. 
• The other way is to use the build tools to construct a panel in 3D. 

 Specifications

1. PG only, please don't make panels that can only be displayed on a Moderate or Adult sim.
2. Panels can be up to 12 prims. They must be linked together. The root prim should be the base or frame of the panel.
3. Maximum size is X: 2 m, Y: 2m, Z: 1m. (If you go over a little in height that's OK, we just don't want things to tower over other panels.)
4. No scripts (Notecard giver or one rotation are acceptable), particles, animations, spinners  etc. Absolutely NO glow or sound.
5. Set permissions to full perms (copy/mod/trans), to do so make sure you have checked all three boxes under Next Owner Can in the edit window.
6. You can use the notecard to say something about your friend. If you do, say "click for notecard" in the description.

---

Now you know how to create your quilt, so you can get  it done in preparation for a hoped for permission from the Second Pride Board of Directors to go ahead with the suggestion I made in the post titled A New "Names Project" for Second Pride. 

Do not, I repeat not, send anything to the Second Pride Avatar until we have been given permission to do so by the SP board.

Yet Another Pet Peeve - Adding Shadows to Builds

"Bapa Closed His Heart, It Was Over" Photography by Zarina Bhimji

I was reminded of this rather newly acquired pet peeve when I was talking with Nikolai Warden yesterday. He said, and I quote: "WHY DO BUILDERS ADD SHADOWS? Whether baked or prim, if someone wants to see shadows, shadows can be enabled in his or her graphics setting."

It is so 1980's for builders these days to add shadows in the textures of their beautiful builds. True, at one point they enhanced the beauty of their builds, but now - when more than 90% of us have viewers with shadows turned on, who really wants/needs/cares for "built in" shadows in the textures?

Get with the program builders and realize that SecondLife has moved on, it is high time for you to do so too.

Just A Bar@Burnal Equinox 2014

I am extremely happy to announce to the world that Clan McMillan is represented at this years Burn2 in SecondLife. The Burn2 opened yesterday and ends on Sunday with the burning of the all the builds.

My beloved and trusted Sergeant at Arms sirhc DeSantis McMillan was chosen by the organizers of the event a while back, but I was sworn to secrecy by the sweet man and have not been able to share the information with you earlier.

As a part of my lairdly duties I was happy to visit the build yesterday accompanied by my royal consort Tomais. At our arrival we were heartily greeted by Sarge and his adorable spouse, my dear friend, Mrs. Vampi Twine DeSantis McMillan McMillan (honorary).

Contrary to his spouse my Sarge is an exceptionally accomplished hugger

sirhc's build is a bar in the skies that offers the other builders and all the visitor a space for rest, relaxation, friendly chat and meditation. The architecture is definitely "steampunkish" in style and highly imaginative and creative.

I must however warn all visitors to mind where they walk, as the build completely lacks railings and there is a long fall to the ground.

The sweet hosts are already aflame in anticipation of the burning that will take place on Sunday March 30, 2014, at 10 PM SLT (if I am correctly informed).

Here is the landmark to Just a Bar (SLurl), it will take you to the ground level under the bar. You will land in an acidic green slush that may be green diesel or rocket fuel.

To get up to the bar you will need to cam straight above - it may be helpful to use the surrounding walls - and when your camera reaches the build above you right click and choose "sit".

Once you have seen sirhc's build you may wish to look around at the other attractions, the organizers offer a comfortable balloon tour for doing that.

Video Commercial

(Tipped by longtime Bock in SecondLife reader - who also happens to be my SecondLife son - Guyke Lundquist)

This is a video commercial for an exceptional store in SecondLife. Miamai. The store is loaded with lots of interesting and unusual stuff. It proves beyond any doubt that SecondLife is still alive and kicking and that we have wonderful, imaginative and skillful creators, designer and builders.

Yesterday I got the wonderful black hat from there, just because it is beautiful work. I will alas only be able to wear it on those rare occasions (once a year) that I do drag.

At "Villa Kakelbont"

My stepson Guyke Lundquist is very unlike me in many ways. One of them is that he c-o-n-s-t-a-n-t-l-y remodels his home, while I do so very rarely. Guyke must have about 200 buildings in his Inventory of all conceivable styles imagined or encountered through all the history of mankind and the furnishing and accessories to match them all.

While I was away Guyke has completely remodelled his home, aided and abetted in his work by the brilliant and talented - yet surprisingly humble - builder/interior designer/window decorator Butch Diavolo.

This time Guyke has gone for a Scandinavian countryside/peasant villa, which is a vast contrast to the ultramodern design of the home he had before. He has named the new home "Villa Kakelbont", which is the Dutch version of the name of Pippi Longstocking's home "Villa Villekulla".

The guys have done some amazing work and created an extremely cozy home using a lot of the nooks and crannies of the wonderful building for reading, work, play etc.

At the back of the house there is a wonderful balcony and - as is the case everywhere in Second Norway - one is never far from the wonderful water.

Spontaneous Clubbing

After a long and busy day of overseeing my master builder-interior designer-landscaper-gardener all rolled into one hot packet of dynamite, the brilliant and sublime Butch Diavolo, and shopping for more plants and more furniture I was knackered. When Guyke and Butch dropped out for bed I was going to leave too, I just had to buy some new eyes because the ones I had were doing weird stuff and then I  also had some stuff I wanted to put out over by the barn - or so I thought.

I  ended up fiddling about with stuff at the barn until I got the notice that DJ Wes and Khar were starting their party at The Tribute, so I thought I might as well go there to relax and look at men a little before hitting the sack. I ended up staying for over an hour, the place was wall-to-wall carpeted by the most wonderful men.

The Hasting- Vanbeeck's , Tasty and Petr, with a stranger 

DJ Wesley Spengler & Kharissa Indigo

Sexy Baz Ceawlin & Kolin Wylie

The always stunning couple Shepherd & Larz Kas

Some dude, it could be me

 A study of an Australian patron who had a great body and beautiful moves. I have seen Muhu around the scene earlier, but he has never caught my attention as he did last night. Horniness could have played a role in this., mine not his.

Muhu

Muhu

Muhu

 And lets finish off this post with a cute couple.

Angel & Divi

Early Notice: Housewarming Party

The palatial mansion at Southern Charm

"Hear ye, hear ye! The Much Honored Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm, prince of Cascade Falls and sovereign ruler of The Commonwealth of Southern Enchantment with Outer Territories, hereby announces that there is to be a housewarming party of the newly erected palatial mansion on Saturday July 27 in the year of the Lord 2013. The time has not yet been set, but it will not start earlier than 12 PM."

In the earlier stages of the party you should be able to meet the cranky but brilliant and sublime builder and interior designer Butch Diavolo, who will take you on a tour around the mansion and share his thoughts and ideas with you regarding building and design. (Butch may be open to answering any question, however this cannot be guaranteed with regards to his volatile personality.)

Invitations will be sent out during the next weeks!

Short Summary of details
What: Housewarming Party at the lairds new palatial mansion
Where: The Southern Charm sim (landmark to be supplied in a later announcement)
When: Saturday July 27, 2013 (exact time to be announced in a later announcement)
Who: Family and friends of the laird are expected to attend, friends of family and friends are also welcome.
Additional Information: 

1. Summer leisure clothing (bring along swimwear). The laird expects to see lots of skin.
2. Gifts are highly discouraged! Any bearer of gifts should expect to be kicked of the sim and possibly banned from it no less than six months.
3. B.Y.O.W. 

Picnic At Marcellias'

My newly acquired friend Marcellias invited me to a Sunday picnic at his beautiful retreat in the skies yesterday. The food was ample and the bar was open, so all was good!

As Marcellias had told me I could bring along some friends my son Guyke, Jared Palianta and Butch Diavolo came along. We had a splendid time meeting and chatting with Marcellias other friends, who all seemed to be a really friendly, sociable and gregarious group of people.

 As I am a bit of a "time-fascist" (as the Swedish expression goes), i.e. I believe that one should arrive when one is asked to by the host. I arrived on the premises about three minutes after the time stated on the invitation, which of course meant I had to wait for the others, who have a more lax attitude, to arrive at their convenience.

This time I did not mind it at all because there were friendly people to talk with and lots to look at.

The beautiful Harlow Collins arrives

When all the 15 or so guests had assembled the entertainment started. First with some beautiful fireworks and later on with pleasant chat and - on my insistence - even some dancing.

When some of the friends I had brought along started bragging about how accomplished builders they were I simply had to prove myself so I pulled out one of my very few builds in SecondLife, the famous and absolutely fabulous "The Jester's Hat" (this time the Rainbow-version).

Jared, Tex, Guyke, David, Harlow, myself and Finn dancing
in the fabulous Rainbow Jester's Hat by BMc; Creations

It was of course an immediate success as it always is when presented to people with impeccable taste and a great sense for fashion, i.e. the most daring and fashion forward, the true fashionistas.

I had originally only planned to stay for an hour, because I had to log off for bed early as I was starting work today, but ended up being at the picnic for more than two hours and very late for bed. When I had to rush away all the rest stayed on and I would not be surprised if they stayed all night!

Thank you so much for inviting me ,Marcellias!