The city that glows

If you are a fan of Flash Gordon, then you know that all the action takes place on Planet Mongo, a kingdom ruled by the evil Ming the Merciless. And if you follow the story in the newest Flash Gordon series produced by the SciFi Channel, then you are also aware that Mongo was once an exquisite blue and green planet until a tragic accident caused a poisonous gas to be released into the atmosphere that very nearly destroyed it.

There is a person among us who knows all these things about Flash Gordon and more. So ingrained is his affection for the science fiction hero and his planet, in fact, that he has envisioned and fashioned his own Mongo in Second Life®: a glowy, art deco-ish extravaganza of a place.

It is hard to believe that we visited it just five months ago (teleport directly from here)... it is quite, quite different.



Some people are devoted learners and lucky for us, some are devoted teachers, but Lumiere Noir, creator of the Ivory Tower of Prims, happens to be both. Lumiere also has a predilection for things kitsch and camp, and he absolutely, unqualifiably delights in all things Flash Gordon, especially the 80s movie.

Combine all his passion with incandescent opalescent glow, toss in the architecture of a genie's bottle, erect a modernized Chrysler Building, recreate the sweeping stairways of a 30's movie and voila! Planet Mongo!




And it's a shopping mall! Lumiere's Planet Mongo was destined to become a retail venue for his vehicles, furniture by Red Randt (including the best bookshelves I've ever seen on the grid), and some upcoming surprises by Avi Arrow.




Larry Pixel, CEO of the New Media Consortium has this to say about Lumiere Noir: (He) represents the best of Second Life -- he communicates an excitement around the possible, is engaged in continuous exploration of it, and shares everything he learns selflessly. I wish more of the residents of Second Life understood its ethos as well as Lumiere. He is one of those rare people who make Second Life a better place simply because they are part of it.

Second Life's art M.O.M gets new digs; parties on...

It's not M.O.M.A.... it's M.O.M. Yep, the Crescent Moon Museum, the longest-continously running art house in Second Life (ne February 2005), is the true mommy of art in the metaverse. In fact, many Not Possible in Real Life members' works had their first showing at this venue.

And this weekend's festivities are all about giving the Crescent Moon a house warming worthy of this beloved art institution, which has moved to its new, much larger location at the Fairchang Village Island.

So pay your respects to M.O.M. - and Tayzia Abattoir who founded her - and get your handsome tushies over to the Crescent Moon today at 5pm SLT, when saxophone player Anakin Gallacher will perform, followed by a 6pm SLT performance by pianist Enniv Zarf (yesh, he's that art champion from Krystal Epic y'all know and love). And... Random Calliope will make available and free to all his "Dedicatory Gatsby" pearls!

Then tomorrow, Sunday at 10am and again at 5pm SLT, Random's gonna release hundreds of those butterflies that often contain pieces from his stunning Ode Collection.

But partying aside, come and see the new and one-of-a-kind pieces that Tayzia's rezzed, including the El Catrin, a bass-relief painting located just behind the grand piano by Red Randt, the Multiple Bag of Secrets by Elros Tuominen, the amazingly built/textured Marat by AM Radio, as well as the Tree by Kalt.

Me? I'll be the one shamelessly waving her butterfly net up and down the sim. Advance apologies for the all the bumping that is sure to take place.
Slurl: Crescent Moon Museum - that's M.O.M. to you!