Logos representative only and should not be seen as an endorsement / preference / recommendation
Updates from the week ending Sunday, July 11th
This summary is generally published every Monday, and is a list of SL viewer / client releases (official and TPV) made during the previous week. When reading it, please note:
It is based on my Current Viewer Releases Page, a list of all Second Life viewers and clients that are in popular use (and of which I am aware), and which are recognised as adhering to the TPV Policy. This page includes comprehensive links to download pages, blog notes, release notes, etc., as well as links to any / all reviews of specific viewers / clients made within this blog.
By its nature, this summary presented here will always be in arrears, please refer to the Current Viewer Release Page for more up-to-date information.
Note that for purposes of length, TPV test viewers, preview / beta viewers / nightly builds are generally not recorded in these summaries.
Official LL Viewers
Release viewer: Project UI RC viewer, version 6.4.20.560520, dated June 14th, promoted June 23rd – No change.
Kondor Art Square, Jul 2021: Dead Cities (l) and Plastic People (r)
Monique “Moni” Beebe and Traci Ultsch are among a group of artists whose work I find immediately engaging, and which I always appreciate being able to see and appreciate. So any new exhibition by either of them is going to get me hopping with interest – and when they are exhibiting together, then I’m not so much hopping as I am leaping – which has very much been the case with Plastic People / Dead Cities, which opened at the Kondor Art Centre’s Art Square, curated by Hermes Kondor, on July 8th.
Now to be clear – this is not a joint exhibition in the sense of being a collaborative project between the two artists. Rather, and like their joint exhibition at Midgard Gallery in February 2021 (see: Moni and Traci at Midgard Gallery in Second Life), Plastic People and Dead Cities stand as two individual exhibition linked by theme and reflection, allowing them to be appreciated both individually and jointly, with certain truths to be found within them that may well be discomfiting to some.
With Dead Cities, Traci explores the impermanence of Second Life through the dual medium of exploring the cityscapes that can be found throughout the grid and the medium of reflections on the ideas of so-called occultist Psychogeography as it relates to the city of London and as espoused through the work of Iain Sinclair and Peter Ackroyd.
Kondor Art Square, July 2021: Traci Ultsch – Dead Cities
In short, the latter might be said to be explorations of the myths and legends that claim much of “modern” London (e.g. from the 1660s onwards) was built on occultist practices, and the idea the “spirit” of all who have dwelt in the city combine to inform its nature down the centuries, and that “spirit” in turn informs the nature of those dwelling in it today.
Thus we are presented with a series of bold monochrome images that, rather than presenting “traditional” views of buildings, streets, and so on, are multi-faceted in the way they have been layered to present us with glimpses of buildings and structure together with the ghostly outlines of something more – that spiritual element to their nature, so to speak. Similarly, the use of scaffolding to mount the images, some of which also has skulls sitting on it, encapsulates the idea of the present being informed by the past.
In taking this route, Traci also underscores her theme of emptiness / impermanence: by presenting facets of structures in this way, with the dark and light obscuring as much as revealing, Traci points to the fact that, like it or not – and contrary to SL myth) – nothing in this virtual realm is in any way permanent; it survives and is constantly rebuilt – like a city as great as London itself – only so long as there are people to populate it. When empty, it might as well not exist – and when the novelty of the platform does finally wane, Second Life and its cities and places will won’t exist.
Kondor Art Square, July 2021: Traci Ultsch – Dead Cities
By comparison, Moni’s Plastic People appears to be an altogether lighter, brighter presentation, both in terms of being a series of images that do utilise colour, and in their general theme.
In short, this is the idea that Second Life is a plastic – perhaps malleable might be a more appropriate term – world which we can all bend and shape into whatever we wish, and in which we can express ourselves howsoever we wish, in keeping with the old SL tenet, Your World, Your Imagination. Thus Moni presents us with a series of avatar studies that when first viewed, appear to reflect this in their presentation of “classically” posed images, touches of sci-fi, fantasy and the platform’s more adult elements.
Kondor Art Square, July 2021: Monique Beebe – Plastic People
However, I say “appears”, because – to me at least – there would seem to be a further layer to Moni’s images, evidenced through her use of a stanza from Frank Zappa’s 1967 song, Plastic People within her liner notes for the exhibition:
A fine little girl / She waits for me / She’s as plastic / As she can be / She paints her face / With plastic goo / And wrecks her hair / With some shampoo.
That song was written as a manifesto against conformity and materialistic culture. So is its inclusion in Moni’s liner notes for the exhibition simply a reflection of the malleably of our avatars, or is it a comment on the fact that whilst founded on the ideal of individual expression, SL is increasingly becoming a place of homogenised, materialistic conformity for many? Just look at the way a certain avatar body dominate the platform, or the manner in which “creativity” now seems to be more about looking good and buying the latest fashion.
If this interpretation might be seen as accurate, then it begs the further question: just who are the “plastic people”, the avatars within Second Life, or those who operate them? I’ll leave that to you to ponder.
Kondor Art Square, July 2021: Monique Beebe – Plastic People
Through these two exhibits, Moni and Traci offer collections of images that are in and of themselves captivating, whether or not one wishes to look deeper into them. At the same time, they each hold up a mirror, one of which encourages us to reflect on Second Life is a whole as it relates to us, and the other asking that will look directly on ourselves, and how we relate to the platform.
What we might discover in looking into either might not be comfortable to consider – but that does negate either exhibition. Indeed, I’d strongly recommend that anyone who likes to ponder on this virtual world in which we invest so much of ourselves, whatever the reason, pay a visit to Plastic People / Dead Cities, and spend time with the art and the artists’ own words.
A view from the tail boom camera on VSS Unity, during Virgin Galactic’s Unity 22 flight, July 11th, 2021. Credit: virgin Galactic
How would you really like to celebrate your birthday? We all have our own dreams of the perfect celebration – and for Sir Richard Branson, it meant becoming an astronaut just 7 days short of his 71st birthday.
Branson was one of six people who took to the skies over New Mexico in the first “full” passenger carrying flight of Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity, in what amounts to one of the last test flights before the company starts flying fair-paying passengers on sub-orbital trips to the very edge of space.
Sir Richard Branson (2nd from right) and fellow “passengers” (all of whom had roles to play during the flight) Colin Bennett, Beth Moses (making her 2nd flight aboard VSS Unity) and Sirisha Bandla ahead of the Unity 22 flight, July 11th, 2021. Credit: Virgin Galactic
The flight – called Unity 22 to mark the 22 flight of the spacecraft christened by the late Stephen Hawking – took Branson, together with Lead Operations Engineer Colin Bennett and the company’s Vice President of Government Affairs and Research Operations Sirisha Bandla, both of whom were also making their first flights on the vehicle, together with Chief Astronaut Instructor Beth Moses making her return to space on the vehicle, to a peak altitude in excess of 86 kilometres. At the controls were veteran Virgin Galactic pilots Dave Mackay and Michael Masucci.
The entire flight was live streamed by Virgin Galactic in a special show hosted (rather cheesily, it must be said) by Stephen Colbert, although the stream was also carried by a number of You Tube channels such as NASASpaceflight.com, from whom some of the images used here were captured.
MSS Eve carries VSS Unity into the skies over New Mexico, July 11th, 2021. Credit: Virgin Galactic
Weather had initially interfered with things, forcing the take-off of the mated MSS Eve and VSS Unity to be delayed, but at 14:35 UTC, MSS Eve – named after Branson’s late mother, and to whom he credits his outlook on life and his drive to follow his dreams – took off from Spaceport America in New Mexico, Unity mounted on her main wing spar, to climb into a perfect sky above the Virgin Galactic base of operations.
The climb to the planned release altitude of 15 km took some 50 minutes, the two craft closely observed by chase planes. At ten minutes prior to release, both craft entered a final check-out phase of the flight, with Eve maintaining altitude as both her flight crew and Mackay and Masucci worked with ground-side Mission control to confirm all was in readiness for Unity’s flight. At this point, Unity also switched its internal power, allowing her flight control and avionics to be confirmed as ready for release.
The crew in Unity’s main cabin, with Branson forward left, and Moses, forward right, shortly before the release, July 11th, 2021. Credit: Virgin Galactic
With everything checked and ready, and Eve still holding steady, the pyrotechnics that would blow the retaining bolts holding Unity to Eve were armed. Thirty seconds later they fired, separate the two vehicle, and Unity entered a very shallow dive while Eve started a climbing turn to move away from the wake of Unity’s motor.
That motor fired 2 seconds after release, and within 3 seconds had doubled Unity’s forward airspeed to carry it through Mach 1. With the motor firing smoothly, the pilots placed the vehicle into its “Gamma Turn”, essentially pointing the nose straight up as it continued to accelerate.
VSS Unity is released from MSS Eve, observed by a chase plane. Credit: Virgin Galactic
At 31 seconds after release, Unity passed through Mach 2, climbing rapidly to reach Mach 3 at 55 seconds from release. Just over 10 seconds later, the motor shut down, but Unity continued to climb, and the flight crew initiated the “feather”, raising the vehicle’s tail booms relative to the hull by 60º.
“Feathering” allowed the craft to effectively “back flip” whilst still climbing, so the windows along the top of the cabin to face towards the Earth whilst the cabin itself entered a period of micro-gravity as Unity headed towards an apogee of approximately 86.77 km, where the flight crew used the reaction control system (RCS), small gas-powered jets, to re-orient the vehicle ready to start a belly-first drop back into the denser atmosphere.
An artist’s impression of VSS Unity with its tail boom “feathered” and the vehicle oriented for the drop back into the denser atmosphere. Credit: Virgin Galactic
This apogee point – 86-ish kilometres – has become a bone of contention between Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos / Blue Origin in the week or so since the Unity 22 flight was announced, as it is around 20 km below the Kármán line. The latter is recognised by many as being the divide between atmospheric flight from space flight, thus marking those who cross it as astronauts. As it is a line Virgin Galactic does not cross (but Blue Origin’s New Shepherd does), Bezos has denigrated Branson’s flight in comparison to his own, which is due to take place on July 20th.
However, whilst not reaching the 100 km mark, the Virgin Galactic flights do exceed 80 km altitude – which is regarded as the boundary between air and space by the US Air Force, NASA and the US Federal Aviation Authority – and so those flying with Virgin Galactic do qualify as astronauts. More to the point, an extra 20km of altitude doesn’t give passengers a more expanse view of Earth compared to 86 km, and the overall amount of time spent in micro gravity conditions aboard either vehicle is roughly the same.
Sir Richard Branson floats in the inverted cabin of VSS Unity, looking down at Earth. Credit: Virgin Galactic
It’s time to highlight another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s home in Nowhereville, unless otherwise indicated. Note that the schedule below may be subject to change during the week, please refer to the Seanchai Library website for the latest information through the week.
Sunday, July 11th, 13:00: Tea-Time At the Movies: The African Queen
As World War I reaches the heart of the African jungle, Charlie Allnutt, a dishevelled trader and Rose Sayer, an English spinster missionary, find themselves thrown together by circumstance. With the Germans closing in on them, they must fight time, heat, malaria, and bullets to make their escape on the rickety steamboat The African Queen, pausing only to hatch their own outrageous military plan.
Originally published in 1935, The African Queen is a tale replete with vintage Forester drama – unrelenting suspense, reckless heroism, impromptu military manoeuvres, near-death experiences and a good old-fashioned love story.
Most famously, perhaps it became a 1951 film directed by John Huston and produced by Sam Spiegel and John Woolf. It starred Humphrey Bogart as the hard-nosed, crusty Allnut, and Katharine Hepburn as the prim and proper Methodist missionary. Unable to provide an English (or more specifically, a Cockney) accent, Bogart’s Charlie Allnut was re-cast as a Canadian.
The film opened to somewhat polarised reviews by critics who either found it “contrived” and “implausible” or who saw it as two powerful performances by two exceptionally well-matched Hollywood talents which, together with Huston’s panache behind the camera, elevated the film to worthy Oscar status, something reflected in the fact that Bogart’s performance as Allnutt gained him his only Oscar.
A year after the film’s release, the script – written by Houston working with James Agee, Peter Viertel, and John Collier, was turned into a radio presentation by Lux Hollywood and with Academy Award winner Greer Garson taking over the role of Rose Sayer.
So why not join Corwyn Allen, Gloriana Maertens, Kayden Oconnell & Elrik Merlin in the first of a series of special garden presentations, celebrating great movies of the 20th Century?
Monday, July 12th 19:00: The Weigher
A world ruled by sentiment big cats where the rule of law is enforced by the Weighers, a combination of judge, peacemaker and accountant through a brutal code of honour and combat. Without their violent intervention in things, all-out war and anarchy would ensue.
When two human explorers – fragile, weak and potentially easy prey – arrive on that world, Slasher, a Weigher of skill and talent in physical combat, finds herself defending them. In doing so, she finds herself a disgraced outcast.
Join Gyro Muggins as he read the story by Eric Vinicoff and Marcia Martin.
Wednesday, July 14th, 19:00 Hogwarts An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide
a collection of J.K. Rowling’s writing from the Pottermore archives: short reads originally featured on pottermore.com. These eBooks, with writing curated by Pottermore, will take you beyond the Harry Potter stories as J.K. Rowling reveals her inspiration, intricate details of characters’ lives and surprises from the wizarding world.
Hogwarts An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide takes you on a journey to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You’ll venture into the Hogwarts grounds, become better acquainted with its more permanent residents, learn more about lessons and discover secrets of the castle . . . all at the turn of a page.
With Caledonia Skytower.
Thursday, July 15th
19:00: The Dragon of Og
With Shandon Loring.
21:00: Seanchai Late Night
Contemporary sci-fi and fantasy read by Finn Zeddmore.
Friday, July 16th, 14:30: Terry Pratchett’s Unseen Academicals
Football in Ankh-Morpork is not as we might know it. Rather than being comprised of rules and played within a recognisable ground, it is far more akin to the somewhat violent mob football of medieval Europe.
Not that this is a concern for the elderly, mostly indolent and (some might be tempted to think) somewhat inept old wizards making up the faculty staff at the city’s school of wizardry, the Unseen University. Until, that is, their very handsome annual endowment becomes subject to their playing the game themselves.
Thus, Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully sets out a two-pronged strategy: to ensure the city’s version of football is restructured with proper (and favourable?) rules, and to put team preparations at the university in the hands of the talented candle dribbler, Mr. Nutt and his assistant, Trevor Likely, the son of the city’s most famous (if deceased – did I mention the game can be violent?) player, who are in turn supported by Glenda Sugarbean, who runs the university’s night kitchen and her assistant Juliet Stollop.
Except Mr. Nutt soon discovers he has problems of his own to deal with, and Trevor has promised his Mum he’ll never get involved in the game. Meanwhile, Glenda has the daily responsibility of baking the Discworld’s best pies, and Juliet is about to find herself whisked towards the heights of fame as a fashion model, thus potentially leaving the team a little short on practical advice…
Join Caledonia Skytower as she presents the 37th novel in the Discworld series, and possibly one of its greatest satirical undertakings encompassing football, academia, traditions, the fashion industry, politics, love, fandom, and which mixes in more serious themes of identity, crab mentality and self-worth.
Suaka, ValiumSL, July 2021 – click any image for full size
Vally Lavender opened the latest iteration of her ValiumSL region to group members at the weekend. Once again designed by Dandy Warhlol (Terry Fotherington), the region this time takes us on a trip to the far east focused on Indonesia, but with hints of the broader region as well as a twist of Africa.
I came across the phrase ‘sacred spaces’ today and realized it is what is being created at ValiumSL, as we speak.
Unfortunately, we all live in a real world that’s both astonishingly beautiful and horrifically cruel, and having a “sanctuary” can be as vital as breathing. I have found mine at Suaka and I hope you will feel a sense of peace when you visit here.
– Vally Lavender, describing the creation of the new ValiumsL region design
Suaka, ValiumSL, July 2021
The title of the region – Suaka – is the Indonesian word for sanctuary / haven (and also asylum or harbourage). Whichever way you opt to translate it, it amounts to a place of rest and respite. Hence why, in a change from the usual for the region, the setting will not be open the the general public, but remain available only to ValiumSL group members (joining fee L$395).
While I have no wish to see the setting overrun by visitors, given it is intended to be a place of sanctuary and rest, I have to say that it is as near a perfect blend of setting and idea I’ve witnessed.
Suaka, ValiumSL, July 2021
In terms of the design, the general layout is suggestive of a coastal area, a place where an island sits cupped within a shallow bay – shallow enough for an old coaster to have run itself aground and wind up a part of the local scenery. A number of large rock formations rise from the waters add a sense of the broader region – similar outliers and domed islands can be found in the Philippines and along the coasts of Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand – all of which embody elements of Buddhism and Hinduism – elements that can also be found within the setting.
The landing point may be set within a Japanese style structure, but it is a place that fits within the overall theme for the region exceptionally well, with the tribal bells, candles and lanterns very much suggesting a place of retreat and peace. Similarly, whilst the elephants down on the beach to the north might be from the wrong continent, they nevertheless fit the setting perfectly and add to the sense of tranquillity to be found within it.
Suaka, ValiumSL, July 2021
To offer a step-by-step description of Suaka would be to miss the point: this is a place to be discovered through exploration, as the many settings and places it has to offer each present its own sense of retreat and peace. However, should you opt to visit, do please keep in mind that Vally has a private residence located in the south-west of the region, the surrounding curtains of rock designed to gently enforce the fact that it is not open to the public.
Dandy’s landscaping can be heavy on meshes and unique textures which can in turn have an impact on viewer performance when running with multiple bells and whistles enabled. However, they are always highly photogenic and engaging, making them well worth the time needed to explore and appreciate. And I have to say, with Suaka, he has, with Vally’s help, created something very special and more than worth the group joining fee.
Suaka, ValiumSL, July 2021
My thanks to Vally for the invitation to drop in and explore, and to Shawn for the extra landmark.
The Sinful Retreat Sinners and Saints exhibition opens at 12:00 noon SLT on Saturday July 10th, featuring the work of an incredible 50 artists across two regions through until September 2021.
First announced in February 2021 (see: Sinners and saints, a new arts challenge in Second Life), the exhibition is in many respects the spiritual offspring of the great Art Challenges sponsored and hosted by the University of Western Australia and their partners (both in-world and out-world), and organised by FreeWee Ling and Jayjay Zifanwe on behalf of UWA.
In the wake of the UWA Gratitude Art Show back in November which Chuck Clip curated alongside Mariposa Upshaw, we here at Sinful Retreat and Angels Rest decided to carry UWA’s torch onward into the future in the form of occasional themed art shows. Sinners & Saints Art Show is our first show which serves the dual purpose of carrying the aforementioned torch and celebrating the culmination of our first year in Second Life.
– From the Sinful Retreat team
Sinful Retreat: Sinners and Saints – Morlita Quan
The challenge has been for 2D and 3D artists and poets and writers to submit two pieces, one depicting the side of light (or goodness, or saintliness or The Force, or whatever you might like to call it) and the other the side of “darkness” (or The Dark Side, or sinfulness or wickedness – again, whatever you prefer to call it). In this, the organisers were keen to emphasize that despite the exhibition’s title, they were not asking artists to think along purely Christian (or general religious) lines.
Sinful Retreat and Angels Rest are mirrors for each other, highlighting the dichotomy of light and dark in art and humanity as a whole. We thought it appropriate that our first show should reflect that … With submissions from 50 artists and poets from across the grid, and over 20 hours of performances by musicians and DJs, plus poetry and science fiction readings, this show is sure to encapsulate all of us and serve to start some interesting conversations. We cannot wait to gaze deep into the mirror with you.
– From the Sinful Retreat team
The result is an incredibly diverse range of art that is mixed – as noted above – with more than 20 hours of music throughout the event, together with live reading of prose and poetry. The canvas of participating artists could not be broader, featuring name both well-known, and those who many not be so familiar, as well as some those who enjoyed visiting the UWA challenges will likely frin familiar from those exhibitions as well.
Sinful Retreat: Sinners and Saints – Traci Ultsch (l) and Chuck Clip (r)
Just how broad a spectrum of art the theme of the event has provided can be seen in the fact that within the pieces offered, are works that might reflect the nature of human nature – that we can be led by turns by the inner voices of our better angels or our worse demons; on the broader suffering we can inflect on one another through multiple means, all of which lead to so many displaced and lost people; how our selfishness has led to untenable climate and environmental damage – but has also awakened the need for us to do more to reverse that damage; and more, all mixed with more familiar offerings on the themes of saints / angels and sinning / demons. There are even cosmological pieces drawing on idea of yin and yang, universal balance, and creation and entropy awaiting discovery.
Readings and music will be provided throughout the event, as noted, and the activities for July are now available via the Sinful Retreat website – expect August and September’s activities to be posted at the start of each month.
Sinful Retreat: Sinners and Saints – Meilo Minotaur
Richly diverse, Sinners and Saints will open on July 10th, 2021 with a 3-hour event featuring singers SpiritLed (nnon-13:00 SLT), Semina (13:00-14:00 SLT), and Acoustic Energy (14:00-15:00 SLT).
When visiting, I’d suggest using the local EEP settings and strongly recommend you have Advanced Lighting Model (ALM) enabled in your viewer (Preferences → Graphics → make sure Advanced Lighting Model in checked). Also note that following the end of the exhibition, selected pieces from Sinners and Satins will be displayed in rotation on Sinful Retreat and Angels Rest.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 