Breaking Banham

Our second stop on this week's trip was on Arkham Grid. We lost a few at the first stop, so it was quite a small group - but very enthusiastic about visiting another art region by Felix Mafia. Felix, his partner Sharon, and Grid were on hand to welcome us. HG Address as always, at the end of the post.

Not too many of us and for once, we didn't break anything - although it remains to be seen if James poisoned the fish. 

Most people think of Arkham as a place to grab freebies, and while there is that side to the grid, there are also dozens of installations by Felix that merit a visit. This one, Banham, is a s Cyberpunk Futuristic Egypt. 

Grid, Felix and Sharon were there to meet us

Felix is Italian, and while his English is good, our visit at 10pm at night, Rome time, is a little late in the day to be fielding questions in your second language. Luckily Grid Admin, a native |English speaker as well as grid guru, was on hand to help us with lots of info that contextualizes the build, and really brings it to life. He told us that the title of this very cinematic build could be Banham Region “Your heart may be much older.” A vision of the future where past and destiny collide - that's at the back of this extraordinary place.

Spooktober

 I can't lie, and anyway what would be the point, if you've read this blog before in Octobers past, you know I don't care at all for Halloween. This one day event has become, in the real world, six weeks of solid commercialized nastiness. People who like to think they're anti crime invite their children to play at extorting the neighbors with threats. Bloodshed, loss, and torture are trivialized. It appeals to nobody's better nature. The whole sense of Samhain is engulfed by ghoulish goofiness.

That said, Halloween is a really big deal in Opensim. From September onward, builds begin to spring up online and freebie shops abound with special items to mark the month-long 'one day event' of Halloween. However, unlike the real world, thank goodness, the spirit here is not one of selling as much candy as you can. It's about generosity, and the ingenuity and creative fantasy of outfit builders, scripters, meshers, sim dressers, performers, and huntsmen and women, and good for them.

Would it be better if Halloween (and Xmas too, the other end-of-the-year juggernaut) didn't engulf such a long time span, if there were a little bit more originality in what people chose to come up with in the winter months, rather than all leaping lemming-like into the same pumpkin-scented abyss? 

Sure. 

But in light of the fact that, as you pick up your 57th different version of a dancing skeleton, you really don't care what I think, here are a few interesting Halloween builds you might enjoy. HG addresses as always at the end of the post.