Saturday, December 31, 2011

My Blog Enters Its 4th Year


Mariko Nightfire on my fourth Rez Day



I started my blog on the first anniversary of my virtual life way back on December 31, 2008. So today is the third anniversary of Mariko Nightfire a Virtual Life and my fourth rez day in Second Life. What is this blog about? My blog rarely comments on the great controversies and issues convulsing Second Life and Linden Lab. Nor does it offer technical instruction and advise because I'm not at all technically inclined. My blog is merely the diary of the virtual world experiences and impressions of a former late-teen and now twenty-something woman in Second Life. That and just a little more. So, I'm amazed at its readership and so pleased too. Many people come to my blog from Google searches. I'm fascinated by the search key words that brought them here. To the desperately lovelorn person googling 'Kimono clad Asian chicks enjoy a wild orgy', look no further, this is the place, not. But, I hope the person who googled  the 'most beautiful avatar in second life' found her here. And why would anyone be searching for 'sexy Walmart shoppers', and why would Google send them here? Over the past few months, I've been collecting lists of these Google searches, and I thought that it might be fun to have a look at them.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them for better viewing.

I've been compiling  the key words in Google seaches that bring people to this blog.
Quite a few google searches are for Second Life avatars. Among them are many of my dear inworld friends and acquintences. Let me list the key worlds in the searches: biggles magic, britney adder, catalina mistwallow, dagmar heideman, elizabeth hallstrom, hockey fouroux, jamie brayden song goddess, jaysun dagger, jenny silversmith, j1mmy weiland, johnny firehawk, jon harlow, lady thera, leesa donner, loelia zabaleta, lipo Giovanna, leena ying, meimei shiu, mony markova, morpheus barski, naiya kazyanenko, nine warrhol, owly indigo, painter meriman, vox rhiadra, samantha kazakov, scarlethoke susanowa, scylla rhiadra, shyla bookmite, smidget beaumont, sparks bravin, syd straaf, tricia frischien, victoria halostar, wk ganesvoort.

Zombies Zombies Zombies

Ya want brain munching zombies. I got 'em: zombies zombies zombies, zombies in a graveyard, in the event of zombie attack, life as a zombie, what does a zombie hunter look like, sexy zombie hunter, zombie hunter girl, zombie hunting, cool zombie images, flying zombies, zombie bite scene, are you ready for a zombie attack, they are closing in.

Are you searching for pretty girls?
I like to think that Google knew what it was doing when it sent these searches here: most beautiful avatar in second life, irresistable secondlife woman, virtual women, a hot virtual avatar, pretty avatars of second life, second life babes, best avatar 2011, drill platform girls, oil rig babe, colorful fashionable avatars, gorgeous formal model, beautiful girls in miniskirts, fantasy jungle princess images, nubia beauty, magical virtual world of princesses, sexy girls cabaret paris, second life princess, sexy women dressed in black lace, sexy air hostess, fall goddess, most beautiful goddess, best toga girls, attractive second life avatars, formal glamour sexy, golden brown with honey blonde, sexy nubian woman, russian ladies in winter, pretty girls from the 1600s, sexy lady in the meadow, serengeti babes, seductive magic, nightfire sexy, sexy mariko, sexy sexy sexy, sexiest fantasy female, is mariko pretty.

Perhaps naughty girls are your cup of tea.
Some googlers want something much more. And they come to MY BLOG to find it! mariko free nude vids, Kimono clad Asian chicks enjoy a wild orgy, girls gone wild, wild nudist life, bad girls of Christmas, seductive nymphs, sexy korean girl removes underwear, sexy japanese girls underwear gallery, SEXY CHINESE women in leather, Tight leather dress fantasy, sexy fantasy boot girls, image of babysitter in sexy outfit, leather sexy dreams, fantasy sexy angels, post six grrls, prostitution during the renaissance, my sister and i second life prostitutes, twin sister naughty, sexy virtual scene, anna's breasts, sexy look for a passionate night with the hubby, secondlife detention girl, flexi-woman, sexy fantasy chinese women, deadly and sexy women, castration fantasies photo collection.

High Brow Searches
I have wide interests in history, culture, and fashion that are often reflected in my blog posts. Among my most popular posts are my tours of Second Life's Sistine Chapel and Mont Saint Michel and a biographical note on Empress Theodora of Byzantium. My blog gets an occasional high brow search hit: vincent van gogh irises, famous renaissance art, evil vs. good renaissance art, michelangelo sistine chapel, sistine chapel expulsion, the temptation in garden of eden, alter of sistine chapel, resurrection of the dead in the last day, christ second coming, chinese ink brush paintings, mont saint Michel, saint auburt of avranches, city of darkness kowloon walled city, Empress Theodora, byzantine art and costume history, high architecture in byzantine, byzantine throne chamber, civilization: colonization age of discovery, parisian gas lights, moorish spain, alhambra lion court, court of the lions cordoba, the first great empire of Egypt, Egypt Old Kingdom art, the first ancient african empire, nubian empire, the nubian pharaohs, ancient nubian hair styles, byzantine empire art, sylt beaches, ancient phoenician clothing, 15th century russian fashion, 1600 spain's fashion, fire and ice poem, north african couture, traditional fashion of Africa, shweshwe fashion collection, shweshwe traditional wedding pictures, gulliver's travels, gulliver captured by Lilliputian, giant girl in Lilliput, la of opar, frank lloyd wright: robie house.

And some of the rest.
My favorite Google search brought to my blog is 'live a virtual life' as that's what my blog is all about. Others searches include: rock climbing in high heels, giant hamster cages, adorable donkeys, pug dogs in spring, komodo dragons in tuxedos, a real sexy komodo dragon picture, hard working animals, mortician job, russian embalming and funerals, woodstock mud fight, staked to the ground, what does effaced look like??, happy birthday belly dance, people looking at sky, my avatar looks weird without facelights, optimize your avatar look in your windlight viewer, favorite windlight settings, artificial life, Svarga, Lost Gardens of Apollo, Open Latte, Mill Pond, bumble cafe, Blarney Stone Bar, paris nightlife, autumn in second life, second life winter, russian snow princess, best skin in second life, pioneer woman with shotgun, miss virtual world, miss virtual world japan, second life relationships, asian avatars second life, tall amazons, avatars looking like people, sexy walmart shoppers, evil inspired fashion, sexy evil dark haired nymph, most important life forms on the planet, live a virtual life, mariko sexy blog.



As always, I am grateful for your readership, and I want to personally thank you for dropping by. As I begin my fourth year of Second Life blogging, I hope that I can entertain you and hold your interest over the next year. So please drop by again.

Your's Always, Mariko Nightfire


Sunday, December 25, 2011

A Second Life Christmas


Of course, the Christmas Season comes to Second Life. And we bring into this virtual world the best traditions of the holiday.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them for better viewing.

It's always a White Christmas in Second Life.

There's ice for skating

and snow for making snowmen.

We put up Christmas Trees

Christmas Lights
and Mistletoe.
Mmmmm Mistletoe
Santa comes to Second Life even if he looks like PT Beardmore.

And we get to tell him what we want for Christmas.

My present was the return of my sister Victoria to Second Life.
The holiday spirit in Second Life is very musical.

Most of all, Christmas is a time for family
and being with old friends like Leena Ying, my oldest friend in SL.
And may we find hope and joy in the true meaning of Christmas.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace,
good will toward men.


Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Mariko Magic: Alecto - A Touch of Evil

Alecto by House of Rage
We are told that evil is about to evolve. Will it be subtle and seductive? A soft kiss and the flick of a serpent's tongue? That evil is here now. We see it in the new Evolution line of fashions at the House of Rage. Designs of grace and charm with a touch of evil. So it was that I was drawn in by the charming veneer of a most sinister outfit called Alecto. It's a fitting name for a design coming from the House of Rage. In ancient Greek, Alecto means unceasing anger.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them for better viewing


In Greek Mythology, Alecto is one of the Erinyes, called the Furies by the Romans. The Erinyes are three sisters, daughers of Gaea (Earth), who sprang from Gaea as she was fertilized by the blood raining down from Uranus (Heaven) when Cronus, their son and leader of the Titans, castrated the terrible deity at the urging of his mother, as told by the poet Hesiod in his Theogony. The sisters are Alecto (unceasing anger), Tisiphone (avenger of blood), and Magarea (the jealous one). The Erintyes are avenging deities who persecute unpunished criminals with unrelenting fury, especially murderers guilty of patricide, matricide, or fratricide. The sisters unmercifully pursue their guilty targets, howling at them by day and tormenting them in their dreams at night. Their attacks are devastatingly psychological creating unbearable pangs of conscience. So relentless is their pursuit that their victims either go mad or commit suicide. In appearance, the Erinyes are frightening - coils of serpents crown their heads and their eyes dripped blood. They are lead to the guilty by the flaming torch carried by their leader, Alecto.

The Matricide Orestes Pursued by the Furies by Willam-Adolphe Bouguereau (1862)


When I wore Alecto in public for the first time, I was immediately greeted at my favorite pub with 'Mariko, you look ravishing.' This dress has a very affecting allure. It's charm is evident; but, the spiked fur collar hints of the diabolical. Alecto was designed by Lybra Rage, one of the three fashion designers at The House of Rage who created the Evolution line, the others being Topaz Joubert and LovelyMiwako7399 Men. Alecto comes with ripped top, fur jacket, collar fur, miniskirt, miniskirt prim, miniskirt fur, and hose. It sells for L$700.


You can also remove the fur collared jacket and fur skirt to get an attractive look that is quite fetching. I like how it graces my figure.


This really cute shag is from HairARt and is called Sayen. Sayen was designed by Sebass Easterwood and sells for L$220 for one color. Sayen means sweet and lovely in the language of the Mapuche, a native american people indigenous to Chile. This hair style must give me a 1950 retro look. I have been told by various people that I look like Audrey Hepburn, Leslie Caron, and Elizabeth Taylor in this hair. Of course, I'm so flattered and thrilled when people say my avatar reminds them of those classic Hollywood lovelies. What avatar wouldn't be?



House of Rage
http://slurl.com/secondlife/The%20Regis/224/49/24
 
HairARt
http://slurl.com/secondlife/FANTASTIC/112/104/75
 
The outdoor scenes in this picture collection were taken at World's End Garden. The two interior backgrounds are taken in my Heritage Park mansion in Ocelot Valley.
 
World's End Garden
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dernier%20Lamento/104/136/21
 
I came across Alecto and the House of Rage in the fashion blog of my good friend Meimei Shiu. MeiMei modeled Alecto and other outfits for House of Rage. She looks fabulous. See for your self and take a look at her blog.
 
Meimei Shiu
http://meimeishiu.wordpress.com/
 
Related Post:
 
Whom the Angels Name Lanore (April 19, 2011)
http://mariko-nightfire.blogspot.com/2011/04/mariko-magic-whom-angles-name-lenore.html
 
 
Theme from Sleepy Hollow - some music to listen to while viewing this post






Thursday, December 15, 2011

I'm off to join the circus


The circus is coming to town. Excitement ran through small towns in rural America when posters heralding the arrival of a circus appeared on posts, walls and fences about town. On that most anticipated day, just about everyone would turn out and line Main Street for the grand parade of circus wagons, jugglers, clowns, stilt walkers, acrobats, pachyderms, and roaring lions and tigers, caged of course. But it was at the circus grounds where townsfolk entered a world outside their everyday experience. There, young people  would try their hand at games of chance and skill with an eye on impressing their friends and dates.  Curious fascination abetted by a slick talking carny drew many into the sideshow to gawk at the human oddities on display, and where they might just learn that 'there's a sucker born every minute.' But the main attraction was the laughter and thrills that awaited all under the canvas of the Big Top. That moment finally arrives when the tall mustachioed ringmaster strides to the center of the ring and loudly announces, 'Ladies and Gentleman, it's our pleasure to bring to you the Greatest Show On Earth.' And as they applaude the daring-do of the trapeze artists and the steely bravery of the handsome lion tamer, audiences  agree that it is indeed the greatest show. Thereafter, youngsters would dream of running off and joining the circus - and even some grownups would  too.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them for better viewing.



Well, last week, I received an invitation to run off and join the circus coming to Costa Rica. It was a grand rez day party planned for the ever popular WK Ganesvoort.  Mariella created a most marvelous midway that perfectly captured in its detail the nostalgia of those traveling circuses of yesteryear. It made a wonderful backdrop for all the guests arriving as circus performers in colorful costumes. And the people wearing mesh fit right in as sideshow attractions.

WK Ganesvoort, the Guest of Honor
Winky the Rez Boy made his entrance as the circus ringmaster dressed in the ringmaster's traditional red topcoat with tails and  black top hat, and carrying the ringmaster's whip. WK looks like he also has a touch of Snidely Whiplash in him.


I came dressed as a circus rider. I might be perched atop a pachyderm in the circus parade and be part of a troupe of acrobatic horseback riders performing in the circus ring.


In circus clown society, each clown creates a  signature costume and face makeup design that uniquely establishes the clown's character. I personally find clowns scary. But, my friend Lulubelle made a delightful clown. We have our clown. Now, bring on the custard pies and bring out the seltzer bottle. 

I'm still waiting for my date to show up ... still waiting ... still waiting ...
Here he is. Jaysun is most handsome tonight. So I can't stay angry.
He can't wear that white tux when we shoot him out of the cannon.
Human cannonballs are a circus staple. I hope Jay lands in the net in one piece.

I'm walking the high wire without a net.
My experience as a balance beam gymnast really helped.



Happy Rez Day WK


Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Photo Mariko: Odds and Ends

Particle Show in Second Life
It's about time for another Photo Mariko. I was going through my Second Life picture archive looking for items for Jaysun's birthday post and saw a number of pictures from this year of people and places that I would like to share. There is no particular theme to this post, so I call it Odds and Ends. Let's begin with particle shows. Particle shows are the ultimate firework displays in Second Life. They entertain us with bursts of particles that take on mesmerizing shapes, colors, and lighting as they expand through space and eventually fade to be replaced by another fascinating burst. Particle shows are designed by particle artists like Tyrehl  Byk, perhaps the best known particle artist in Second Life. In the above picture, I'm enjoying the particle show at Cloud Chateau. The particle show is located in the building opposite the teleporter. After the show, take the teleporter to the Particle Laboratory and learn all about making particle effects like rain and snow and pyrotechnic explosions.

Cloud Chateau

Click on the pictures to enlarge them for better viewing.

The Giant at Liberty Cove.
Pictures of this humongous robotic giant rising out of the sea and threatening a quaint island village at Liberty Cove appear in countless blogs. So here I belatedly add my own contribution to the online collection. It was just a matter of finding an interesting angle, framing the scene, adding some windlight (the important ingredient), and shooting the picture. Photographic art that is as easy as instant coffee. I guess it's that easy if you have great subject matter. I recently went to Liberty Cove. The giant was gone, and the sim is completely barren. Hopefully this is just an interlude, and we'll see another burst of creativity at Liberty Cove.  

PT Beardmore rocking The Albatross
Who knew that PT Beardmore is such a musical talent? We all know him as a friendly, warm hearted guy who is so fun to be around, a real sweatheart. But, we never knew him to be a gifted singer and musican. That is until he entertained a group of us on the back deck of the Bumble Cafe with his voice and guitar, singing wonderful ballads. It was one of those magical moments. He said that it took a long time to get up the nerve to perform in Second Life. Too long in my opinion. PT's been in Second Life for ages. The picture captures him at The Albatross giving his first full performance. He gets better and better with each outing. Now, he packs the house at all the venues where he performs. Well, I can say that I knew him when. 


This is a nice picture of the lovely Ariel Wingtips watching the show at The Albatross. She is a cheese fairy. Her fairy wand is made of cheese, and she has a collection of cheese stuck to her antlers. I didn't know that fairies have antlers. Well, you learn something new everyday. But, maybe it's only cheese fairies that have antlers. They need a place to stick that cheese, after all, even if it's around their heads. Now, about those fairy boots ... I guess cheese fairies hang around dairy barns.

Hasta la vista, baby!
How's that for sexy? A sultry broad with a gun in a steamy exotic locale out for revenge. Ya just can't beat that for raising temperatures. And I know what people are thinking ...OMG, that's Mariko! Yes, I even surprised myself. Actually, I was at Opar experimenting with poses and photo angles for the closing scene of my story post, Anna's Many Murders - The Babysitter.

Anna's Many Murders - The Babysitter


I love iconic westerns like Stagecoach, Shane, and Cowboys and Aliens. So, I was really looking forward to the party being hosted at Bumble by Marly Peapod and Rocko Olifone, my favorite SL couple, as the party's theme was inspired from the aforementioned Cowboys and Aliens. It was a rousing fun event. I had a real blast mixing with cowhands, gunslingers, and beings from other worlds. It also gave me the opportunity to ride the open range on Nathan Hale, my conservative Republican horse. However, I was concerned with how Nathan would react to all these undocumented aliens at the party. But, Nathan was quite at ease. "Historically, American conservatives have been pro-immigration as we view people, and hence immigrants, as assets and not liabilities dependent on the state as does the other side of the political aisle," he explained. "But, we do insist on national sovereignty and the rule of law. First, secure the border. Then, we can find a solution to undocumented aliens in our country that is just, humane, and welcoming."  I pointed out to Nathan that our border with outer space is impossible to secure, and that these space aliens have come to conquer and enslave us. "Nathan, they want to take away our freedom." To which Nathan retorted, "Humph, that's just want we need isn't it. More damned progressives."  


I took this picture of Vitabella Dubrovna, fashion designer and co-owner of Vita's Boudoir, while she was in the midst of creating a magical garden in front of her shop. I like this picture because it looks much like a contemporary Japanese print.

Vita's Boudoir
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bonaire12/161/130/997


I was estranged for a long while from my Second Life sister Dawson. But, the ice was broken with the help of Dawson's partner, Tomomi, and our sisterly relationship has warmed again. Tomomi is wonderful. Daws is the one in the middle of the picture. 

Speed boating with my sister Dawson

Measuring up against Miss Virtual World.
I was at a dance club with Jaysun when in walked Serene Faith, Miss Virtual World 2011, with a fellow model. I have been planning a blog post on the trend toward gigantism among women in Second Life. There's some really tall giant women walking this virtual world. I largely attribute this trend to the fashion industry where the minimum height for runway models is seven feet tall. Now, I'm over six feet tall in SL; but, I'm feeling more and more petite inworld. As one girl explained to me, 'If you can be fashion model height, why not?' I've been collecting pictures where I stand next to these giantesses. But this was a choice opportunity. It's not everyday when you get to measure your self against Miss Virtual World. I wish that I was wearing a sexier outfit.


A friendly evening at Johnny's Pub
One of my favorite hang-out places is Johnny's Pub. I'm sitting on the bar with my friend Moni. Johnny is standing beside us. The hottest babes on the grid flock to Johnny's Pub to hang out with Johnny. So, if you are hot, come and join us.

Johnny's Pub
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Corona%20Cay/116/202/23

Chisaki Soyinka
Next up are portraits of two of my best amigos inworld. Chisaki Soyinka is my friend from Japan. It's a good day in Second Life when I receive a welcoming  'Konnichi wa' from her. Chi is always ready to join me at a live performance or join me in exploring an interesting build. Although sweet and petite, she comes prepared to face danger. This girl has a formidable arsenal of big guns in her inventory. 

Stevie Underby
What a lovely picture of my friend Stevie Underby. Quite a number of people have remarked that the two of us look much like twin sisters. Perhaps not exactly twins; but, we are the hottest duo of asian avatars in this virtual world.

Dressed in kimonos.  Stevie in red and me in white and blue.
Hanami is the Japanese tradition of viewing cherry blossoms. Each spring, when the cherry blossoms are at their peak, groups of friends stroll  the public parks throughout Japan and picnic under the blooming trees. But at night, illuminated by lanterns and moonlight, the clouds of white blossoms become magical - magical in Second Life as in real life. Their magic draw Stevie and me to a virtual japanese village to enjoy an evening hanami. Of course, we also enjoy the opportunity to dress in our kimonos.


Stevie and I were exploring the New Japan Garden Project. It seemed to me to be a largely western garden set in traditional Japan. But it is very nicely designed and well worth a visit. Here the two explorers are taking a break and sitting in the passenger seats of a colorful pedicab.

New Japan Garden Project
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wanda%20Lake11/155/27


This is the full view of the pedicab. Who would ever expect to find an asian pedicab inworld? One of the delights of exploring Second Life is coming upon objects such as this. And, when we do, we are made even more aware that all we see around us in Second Life is the sum of the creative efforts from thousands of individuals who have given a virtual reality to the visions in their minds' eyes.


 Hmmmm ... I got somewhat carried away at the close of the previous section. Please disregard that stilted prose.

Wearing Mesh in Second Life
I just saw a female acquaintance walking about with her head as bald as billiard ball and staring into a black box floating in front of her face. Another acquaintance looked as if he was drawn and quartered.  And his severed and separated body parts were bloated into grotesque shapes. Both are disturbing images. Was I going mad?  Nope, these acquaintances were wearing mesh; mesh hair and mesh clothing, respectively. I thought that people who walk with windlight are self-absorbed as windlight is view side only and their appearance to the majority not using windlight can look very different from how these people see themselves in their personal windlight settings. They can look creepy and decrepit to us, especially if they are not wearing a facelight. Well, what about people wearing mesh clothing and hair? To the 98% of us who are not using mesh enabled viewers, they look like these two. Surely, they must know how they look to us and so must be self-absorbed. Why not use a mesh enabled viewer? There are issues with the new viewers that are well known. Moreover, the use of mesh in building objects and in the design of clothing has not been adopted as extensively as expected, so far. And, until mesh is made deformable, I have no interest in mesh clothing as one must change the size and shape of one's avatar to fit the clothing. Isn't that ridiculous? Obviously, it should be the other way around. I don't want to take on the shape of my clothes. I want my clothes to accent my own curves.

Walking with windlight - Windlight is not avatar friendly
 http://mariko-nightfire.blogspot.com/2011/01/walking-with-windlight-again-windlight.html


Enough editorializing. Last weekend, Jaysun hosted a little gathering to mark the closing of the fall season. From left to right, thats Jaysun, Lulubelle, me, and Maurice Messme. Such little get-togethers are always so pleasant.

Going Primative on the Serengeti,
 Maurice Messme's exciting recreation of the African plain at Cap Estel
No, I can't end this post with such a picture as this ....


... but, this one will do.