Photographic Evidence of a FABULOUS Time at the BardHaven Ball

I give you 2omb Raiders: Stop Screaming and Dance




My most sincere thanks once again to The Royal Society - particularly Kate Nicholas and Adso Krogstad, our DJ- Kiralette Kelley, and (of course) Zealot Benmergui, Baron BardHaven.

You Really Should Read This

From Hypatia's blog.

Re: Openspace Sim Price Hikes

All Hallow's Eve in the Realm of the Real

In which Eva becomes human -
or her typist becomes The Duchess.

October 31st in the year of our Lord 2008. Transformation begins to take place somewhere in the eastern United States.

A woman, who normally animates pixels creating an avatar known as Eva Bellambi, Duchess of Loch Avie, Lady Chief of Clan Bellambi, The Red Rose of Caledon, Head of MI-5, Scientist, Distiller, Singer, Romantic - begins a transformation into the flesh and blood Duchess of Loch Avie.

This transformation takes place in order for the woman to attend a fabulous feast with Count Dracula, his Countess, and his minions, pets, and other guests in the Catacombs of a brew house not too far away from her home.


The following is documentation of that transformation:






Eva Bellambi, The Duchess of Loch Avie














The Flesh and Blood Eva, Duchess of Loch Avie























Eva - ready for an evening out at the theatre.









Flesh and Blood Eva -ready to Dine with Count Dracula

















The Count and his minions better not get out of line. The Duchess Stick is at hand.

"But first, on earth as Vampire sent,
Thy corpse shall from its tomb be rent:
Then ghastly haunt thy native place,
And suck the blood of all thy race;
There from thy daughter, sister, wife,
At midnight drain the stream of life;
Yet loathe the banquet which perforce
Must feed thy livid living corpse.
Thy victims are they yet expire
Shall know the demon for their sire,
As cursing thee, thou cursing them,
Thy flowers withered on the stem."
-Lord Byron (Giaour)

A couple of pirates dining with us begin to regret leaving those turtlenecks back on the ship.
The Count and Countess
Jack Sparrow and Elisabeth

Late into the night.....
Oh no! Has the Flesh and Blood Eva changed?
Or is this official fuzzy photo (tm) simply showing how this Eva is using Pirate Elisabeth as a human shield?
The world may never know.

The Art of Story-Telling

October 30th provided opportunity to hear some very fine story-telling. Events were held in Caer Blanco and in Steelhead.

As previously reported in this journal, Baron BardHaven read 2 stories, which were broadcast to the audience via media stream with discussion before and after each reading. BardHaven's event was well attended and monies raised toward the medical clinic build. Those in attendance seemed to enjoy hearing the stories as the emotions were vocally conveyed well.




Then later in SLT, Steelhead hosted the continuation of their Spooky Story Festival with Hotspur O'Toole and Elgia Underwood mesmerizing us with their tales by Ambrose Bierce, Robert Howard, and Anatole France told both in text and voice. They were all well told and well received.




Grand fun. My typist called me away from the event at around Midnight so she could follow another story type that has really caught her attention. True Blood on HBO.

They Bring Up Valid Points

Words from Tensai and Lunar and Kamilah.

Some other thoughts on the current Openspace Sim issues.

The Voice of the People

The Spirit of 1776:

From the article linked above by Taturo Nino of Massively

Since yesterday's announcement the Second Life blogosphere has lit up with angry posts, the titles of many of which we won't reproduce here due to crude language concerns. Many users are definitely angry.

Second Life users, and various Linden Lab staff are referring to this as 'a revolution', likening it to the original Second Life Tax Revolt in 2003, which was in a large part responsible for the formation of the modern Second Life economy as it stands today.

Wagner James Au in one of his large blog review posts has links to several worthy articles and commentaries. The reader may locate this HERE. You will note that a few of Caledon's citizens are linked, including Ordinal Malaprop, Otenth Paderborn, Hotspur O'Toole, and Eladrienne Laval.

Upcoming Events in Caer Blanco

Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 8am SLT on the Castle Rooftop in Caer Blanco

Join Zealot Benmergui for a reading of

The Man Who Collected Poe by Robert Bloch and They’re Made Out of Meat by Terry Bisson

This will be streamed over the audio channel in the sim with Lord BardHaven present for some conversation before and after the event.

Lord Zealot Benmergui, Baron of BardHaven, Ruffian King of Caledon, Last Defender of the Dark Hope, Keeper of the Shadow that Sings and Magus d’Calamatia Majora was born at the age of 6 in a speeding carriage somewhere on the Italian/Swiss border.

His parents, a morbidly sentimental English debutante with a taste for the intellectual and the excommunicated and an elderly Italian nobleman with a weakness for somber ladies and erotic pastry, died in a tragic Mongoose stampede when he was still at school at Eton, leaving him the only heir to the vast holdings of BardHaven.

Embarking on a successful career as an international businessman, adventurer, evangelist and agent provocateur, the young Baron soon was a familiar face and community leader in some of the more unusual and disgraceful circles in Europe, Asia and Latin America before returning to the family seat in Mayfair at the legendary House of Three Graces.

Since returning to Caledon, he has become well known as a writer, fashion reviewer, gothic savant, betrayer of innocent strumpets and torch singer performing under the name Miss Monique Borgia, the Iron Chanteuse.

***

Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 1pm SLT - Live Musical Performance

Harper Messmer

HARPER MESSMER EXPERIENCE
Warning: You might like it.

It’s HME time again! Be sure to partake in the Harper Messmer Experience. This eclectic, eccentric bard will delight you with his soothing blend of rock/jazz featuring his own songs and those by some of today’s popular artists. These artists include John Mayer, Snow Patrol, Matchbox 20, Coldplay, Jack Johnson, and the Dave Matthews Band.

Harper has been playing guitar and singing since 2002.

***

Friday, October 31, 2008 at 6pm-8pm SLT in the Castle Grounds

Halloween Costume Dance - Edward Pearse will be spinning your favorite Horror and Halloween tunes.

***

Caer Blanco is a special sim, created specially for Halloween by some of Second Life’s top designers. There is a fully furnished haunted castle, a crooked cottage, a ghostly ship, and a ruined monastery to explore. There are also silent auction items avaialable and many special events planned. All this will raise funds for a small medical clinic in Lesotho, Southern Africa, through the charity Partners for Others.