The recent "knicker twist" (a *very* ugly and overly dismissive way to blow off what I read as being well-thought out and reasonable points raised by Marianna) does bring up a couple of questions:

Are there amateur builders left in Opensim?
It would be useful to define "amateur" -what do we mean by that term? Myself, I mean "self-taught", someone who has not been to art school or taken formal (not counting Builder's Brewery etc) courses on building. Other people may have different definitions -let's hear them.

It would also be useful to define "builder". When I say 'builder' I mean someone who makes creations with prims or mesh (Blender). (I'm excluding scripting, that's programming.) I'm aware that others define it in such a way as to refer to making modifications on pre-fab/pre-made mesh. Basically a "modder". In my mind it's a valid thing but it's different than building.

But language shifts and definitions change, "hacker" used to mean "someone who comes up with clever approaches to computer problems or design" -but for roughly 30 years it's been used to refer to people who break into computer systems and/or write viruses. As I say -definitions change.

So how do we define "builder" now? What constitutes "building"?

I can only think of a small handful of builders in the sense of making something from nothing, there's a larger pool of people who modify pre-made content -and unless I'm mistaken Marianna and Luna Luneria do a mix of both. Again, one isn't better than the other and both are forms of creative expression. But they are different.

The point of all this is to assess *need.* Do we need an organization? By "we" I am referring to "amateurs", I'm not referring to AuroraAsteria's group.

Moreover with the extremely low user numbers of Opensim would there be a point to creating an organization (beyond a collection of friends -I mean, if you already know each other knock yourselves out)?

I suspect -and have for years, that any such group would wither on the vine from lack of interest. Otherwise I'd be trying to start something myself.

I reserve the right to delete obnoxious comments and lock the comments entirely if it looks like they're going to simply be a shit-show. Show me that you *can* adult, OSW. Don't post insults (I'll delete them), paranoid rants (I'll delete them), off-topic diatribes about how somebody done somebody wrong songs (again -will delete). If there's a question about what the topic is intended to be -ask.

Make this a pain in my ass and I'll delete everything and lock the comments.

The Funsize Dinkies World Resort enjoyed a wonderful 2024, full of fun and memorable experiences. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and looking forward to another exciting year of adventures and joy at the resort!

DINKIESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!
The Dinkies Advent Calendar is now Active, Every day leading up to Christmas, a new surprise awaits for you Dinkies in the Advent Calendar. The first day had arrived, ENJOY!!!
Located at: hg.twiztidtimezgrid.com:8602:Funsize Dinkies
(Once landing at the Resort, click on the big Christmas Market board (you can not miss seeing) and it will take you there :-))

On June 25, 2022, we had the great honor of presenting an extraordinary artist as part of the Pangea Art and Culture Festival: Paul Stephen Dixon, known by his stage name Tryad Destiny. Under the theme "Creator of Dreams and Nightmares," he captivated us with his stunning artistry and visionary creativity, taking us on a journey through a world of emotions and imagination.
Today, on November 30, 2024, we are thrilled to reunite and host a special Revival Event in celebration of his remarkable work. Together with you, we will once again immerse ourselves in the magic and brilliance of his creations – set against the backdrop of an unforgettable evening filled with music and inspiration.
Providing the soundtrack for the night is the amazing DJ Loru Destiny, who will guide us through the evening with an electrifying mix of Blues, Rock, and Oldies. Let us come together to celebrate the artistry of Paul Stephen Dixon, dance, revel, and be inspired!
Join us for this extraordinary occasion – an evening that perfectly blends art and music into a harmonious experience.
We can’t wait to see you there! _ Revival Event – Eine Hommage an Paul Stephen Dixon alias Tryad Destiny
_____________
Am 25. Juni 2022 hatten wir die große Ehre, im Rahmen des Pangea Art and Culture Festival einen außergewöhnlichen Künstler zu präsentieren: Paul Stephen Dixon, bekannt unter seinem Künstlernamen Tryad Destiny. Unter dem Motto „Schöpfer von Träumen und Albträumen“ hat er uns mit seiner beeindruckenden Kunst und seinem kreativen Geist in eine Welt voller Emotionen und Visionen entführt.
Heute, am 30. November 2024, blicken wir voller Freude zurück und feiern ein besonderes Revival Event, das seiner Kunst gewidmet ist. Gemeinsam mit euch möchten wir die Magie und den Zauber seiner Werke erneut erleben – eingebettet in einen unvergesslichen Abend voller Musik und Inspiration.
Für die musikalische Begleitung sorgt niemand Geringeres als die wunderbare DJ Loru Destiny, die uns mit einer mitreißenden Mischung aus Blues, Rock und Oldies durch die Nacht führen wird. Lasst uns gemeinsam die Kunst von Paul Stephen Dixon feiern, tanzen, genießen und uns inspirieren lassen!
Seid dabei und werdet Teil dieses besonderen Moments – ein Abend, der Kunst und Musik in perfekter Harmonie vereint.
Wir freuen uns auf euch!

After building the glass house, it gave me an idea, a log home. This log home is partial mesh and partial prim the mesh is modifiable only in that you can re texture it. It has large glass windows to provide a beautiful view, a built in fireplace, cedar and tile floors, spiral steps, carved wood doors and stain glass windows and beautifully carved wood baluster for the kitchen area and a acacia wood and stained glass baluster for the loft. It's a home I could live in for sure. It's full perm and free here at the mall and you will find it next to the "Ancient Builds" which is listed on the Kiosk Teleporter. Blessings and much love, Lavia.

When you need the perfect lantern for your street and find one you did not realise you had in your inventory and it works so well. This one is from Zweet ZurroundingZ and is so lovely. Thanks Bingyi for this Zweet little piece!

New season of Safari begins on January 1 so if you're interested in having us come visit, please leave a DM and read this handy how-to page on the Safari blog. https://hgsafari.blogspot.com/p/tips-on-hosting-safari.htm...
Speaking of the blog, here's the latest
All about celebrating veterans on Neverworld, with Tig Eberdene and Troy Seaknight
https://hgsafari.blogspot.com/2024/11/vets-in-neverworld.h...
Nyx Breen's amazing work with EEP .. and an invitation to you to get involved with collaborative art projects
https://hgsafari.blogspot.com/2024/11/safari-finale-2025.h...
Tina Bey's upcoming Opening party on SolarPunk
https://hgsafari.blogspot.com/2024/11/tina-on-pangea.html
and a look at Plastichansa Bade's freebie pose store and more
https://hgsafari.blogspot.com/2024/11/libdescent.html

One-destination hypergate available at the store. Set it to any destination on your region, your grid, or on the hypergrid. Click the Egyptian sign in the lobby to get to the display. This photo is unretouched, taken using the new midday setting. To see it this way in world, use the latest Firestorm viewer 7.1.11 then activate the left-side mirror options in the graphics settings. Original gold textures will be seen if using the older FS 6.6.17 viewer and I recommend using shared environment in that case, since the old default midday will yield the poorest results.

Chapter 10 - Amaranthine from my book Eos Renascent is now on Wattpad. You can read it here for free: https://www.wattpad.com/story/176823549-eos-renascent

“I…I..” he stammered, unable to find words for what he was experiencing.

These are not your past,” she said gently, “these are all you, now, in this moment.” She let go of his hands. “You will not remember it all, but you will remember the feelings and the longings, the love and companionship. They will carry you to fulfill your purpose.”

“I don’t want to leave,” he tried to say, as the beautiful scene slowly faded then disappeared.

Lukas found himself back at the gathering in the temple with the Amaranthine, unaware of the angry crowd around him. He felt the fog descend over his mind once more and it saddened him. Falling to his knees, he looked up into her eyes as she reached down to touch his cheek.

“Always remember, Lukas, you only see what you're looking for. When you want only love, you will see nothing else.”

Liebe Opensim-Freunde,

wir vom Pangea Grid feiern unseren 4. Geburtstag – und das möchten wir mit euch so richtig groß feiern! Unser Jubiläumswochenende findet vom 11. bis 13. Oktober statt, und wir können es kaum erwarten, mit euch anzustoßen!
_______________________

Dear Opensim Friends,

We at Pangea Grid are celebrating our 4th birthday – and we want to celebrate it with you in a big way! Our anniversary weekend will take place from October 11th to 13th, and we can't wait to kick off the festivities with you!

11.10.2024
Opening Party
Start: 11 AM SLT / 20 Uhr
DJ Marlon Wayne
Live Zoree Jupiter – 12 PM SLT / 21 Uhr
pangeagrid.de:8002:Koeln


12.10.2024
Happy Rainbow Parade +
Show mit Lampithaler Start: 10 AM SLT / 19 Uhr
􀀆
Men’s Ballet mit Bink Draconia Start: 11.30 AM SLT / 20.30 Uhr

DJane Loru Destiny
pangeagrid.de:8002:Koeln


13.10.2024
Pangea Go-Kart-Race 2024
10 AM SLT / 19 Uhr
Live Putri Solo
Aftershowparty mit DJ Marlon Wayne
pangeagrid.de:8002:GoKartBahn

PANGEAGRID feiert diese Woche den 4. Geburtstag
🥳🎂🎁
FREITAG, 11.10., ab 20.00 Uhr Party mit DJ Marlon und Zoree Jupiter live ab 21.00 Uhr (pangeagrid.de:8002:Koeln)
***
SAMSTAG, 12.10., Start 20.00 Uhr mit der Regenbogenparade
ca. 20.30 Uhr Männerballett "Die Wahrheit über Bienen und Blumen"
Im Anschluss Party mit DJane Loru Destiny
(pangeagrid.de:8002:Koeln)
***
SONNTAG, 13.10., 18.30 Uhr - 19.00 Uhr WarmUp und Ankunft Zuschauer
19.00 Uhr GoKart Rennbeginn
ca. 19.50 Uhr Siegerehrung
danach Party mit DJ Marlon
21.00 Uhr Putri Solo live
(pangeagrid.de:8002:GoKartBahn)
!!! Das Fahrerlager mit den Renntrucks hat sich heute gefüllt. Alle Teams die am Rennen teilnehmen stehen Startklar und Fiebern dem Wochenende entgegen.....Das große Pangea Kart Rennen im Rahmen der Geburtstagsfeier.......SAVE THE DATE !!!

Halfway through the Safari season, two great venues this week, and more on the HG Safari Blog. Here's the rundown:
What to do if you don't like the bright lights? Exploring your options, other than complaining about it.
https://hgsafari.blogspot.com/2024/09/sights-and-sore-eyes...
Cherry and Nico's massive hit at Star's Gallery
https://hgsafari.blogspot.com/2024/09/picturing-paradox.ht...
Nadir Rae's legendary masterpiece by torchlight
https://hgsafari.blogspot.com/2024/10/love-and-lake-on-ign...
The hugely fun and freebie filled world of Safine and Zuzu over on Friends Grid
https://hgsafari.blogspot.com/2024/10/so-fine-safine.html
and finally, a first look at this year's OSFest.
https://hgsafari.blogspot.com/2024/10/osfest24-begins.html

Almost halfway through this season of Safari, here 's the latest on our trips, plus special posts about Jimmy Olsen and Bloom Peters
The Olsen hideaway:
https://hgsafari.blogspot.com/2024/09/a-haven-for-jimmy.ht...
What happens when a group visits The Prince of Amor's solar system
https://hgsafari.blogspot.com/2024/09/boldly-going-with-pr...
An international load test
https://hgsafari.blogspot.com/2024/09/hie-times-high-tunes...
Bloom Peters' interactive animesh
https://hgsafari.blogspot.com/2024/09/weekend-at-winx-1.ht...
Bloom Peters' mesh-hack for Firestorm
https://hgsafari.blogspot.com/2024/09/weekend-at-winx-2.ht...

As I stepped into the forest, the air thick with twilight, a soft glow began to emerge between the trees. Wisps of ethereal light danced gracefully, slowly moving like wispy tendrils of smoke, each one illuminated in vibrant hues of azure, emerald, and soft lavender. They floated just above the ground, weaving through the underbrush with an otherworldly elegance.

The colors shifted and flowed, casting a gentle luminescence that made the leaves shimmer as if dusted with starlight. I felt an overwhelming beauty wash over me, a breathtaking spectacle that tugged at the edges of my soul. Yet, with every captivating flicker, an unsettling chill crept up my spine.

* Gardens of Ghosts is part of the Haunted Halloween Isles and is best viewed at Midnight Setting

Phantom Rose friends... The grid is going to be down until Feb. I am traveling on a "once in a life time" trip with my husband. I am beyond excited. Since I host my own server, I have to shut down. Being out of the country for that long, there is no way for me to keep Phantom Rose safe and healthy. When I travel in the US, I am able to use my remote link to do many things, but for safety, I have decided to shut down the grid for the duration of my travels. I assure you, Phantom Rose WILL be back! Hopefully, better than ever. I have been running 24/7 since 2019 and I am looking forward to another 5 years in the Opensim Metaverse! Thank you all for your support and I will see you in February 2025!