Second Life In-World Travel Guide

You’ve likely seen the Second Life In-World Travel Guide reviewed elsewhere by now. It’s an adorable little book containing 100 destinations to visit in Second Life.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free copy from the author. I showed him a couple of places when he was researching it, and one of them (xXx Fantasy Escorts, which is one of the two places I call home) is included in the “Adults Only” section. So I’m not entirely unbiased.

But Sean’s a sweetheart, and there are worse ways to spend fifteen bucks.

As a travel guide, it’s not bad. Is it the single best 100 places in Second Life? I don’t think even the author would claim that. But it’s a good representative sampling of what’s out there in this great land of ours, and there are sure to be locations in there you’ll find of interest. Maybe you’ll even get around to visiting them. And I can see it being potentially useful for newbies who have no idea where to start.

Still, I think the book’s real value is not as a travel guide, but as a tangible photo album of Second Life at the time it was compiled. It’s pretty, and compact, and has many snapshots on glossy paper. Second Life is in a constant state of flux; you can keep this on your bookshelves and look at it ten years from now and marvel fondly at the goofy hairstyles, the primitive graphics, and how things used to be. I hope to include future volumes on my shelves and trace SL’s evolution over the years to come.

(I have only one minor quibble: “SIM,” “REZ,” and “PRIM” are in all-caps throughout the book, in defiance of normative usage and common sense. I can only posit a clueless editor who thought they were acronyms.)

Phil is love!

Just in time for Valentine’s Day comes a unisex T-shirt from  the First Church of  Rosedale and Samantha’s Shirts. Remember the true source of love in Second Life… our Lord and Savior Philip Linden (Blessed be He).

L$25 for a pack with the black version and two shades of pink!

Available in Second Life, at SL Exchange, and at Shop Onrez.

First post!

Hi! I’m Samantha Poindexter, and this is my new blog.

Starting a blog is hard. I’ve been putting this off for ages, and this entry has been in draft form for months now. This is supposed to set the tone for everything that follows, or something, and it’s hard to know where to start. But, whatever. Here’s the quick introduction.

I’ve been in Second Life since February 2006. Since then, I’ve indulged in an eclectic array of pursuits. Among them:

I’m the founder of the First Church of Rosedale (Immersionist).

Located in Caledon Penzance, the FCR welcomes all in the spirit of fellowship as we sing hymns to Our Lord Philip Linden.

I run Samantha’s Shirts in Second Life and in First Life.

Samantha’s Shirts offers fine comedic T-shirts for Second Life denizens, all entirely original.

I’m the DJ at Triana’s Music Trivia.

Sunday nights, 7-8 PM, Second Life Time. Perhaps best described as “musical sadism,” past playlists have included an evening of mambos and another consisting entirely of covers of “A Hard Day’s Night.”

I’m a Mentor.

Each of us started as a newbie, and I’m not sure any of us would have gotten very far without meeting somebody helpful. I like being somebody helpful.

I’m a manager at xXx Fantasy Escorts.

I used to work there on a more regular basis, and I still live in a cozy skypod on the managerial level. These days, I mostly help edit the occasional notecard.

Other hats I’ve worn in the past include Tringo host, trivia host, and candidate for governor of Second Life.

And now I’m going to stop fiddling with this entry and hit “publish.” Let the revels begin!