In October of 2010, the Cage Dance Club closed.
With a group of 1750 VIPs, we had a successful stable venue in Second Life, that had become self sustaining and 'home' to many of us.
In February 2010, my 21 year old son passed away. Devestated. Unexpected. Heartbreaking. Felt utterly lost as a mother, a wife, as a person.
Second Life remained a constant in my life, with my dearest friends supporting me, loving me and helping me through what was, still is, will always be the most difficult time of my life.
The club remained open due to the efforts of others. Quilla, the hosts, Teri and Pad, maintained the committment that I simply could not. VIPs remained loyal and donations were enough to cover the expenses of the club. The club was doing fine.
What changed is me:)... and THAT is what is important.
The experiences I have had during my time in Second Life, have all led me to where I am now. I appreciate every moment that was shared with me. I acknowledge the mistakes I made and the choices I made ALL contributed to the huge learning curve, that has been one of the most enlightening experiences of my life.
Virtual spaces are often ridiculed ....
Social networking is the fastest growing space on the internet, and unless one has experienced this kind of socialising, then it is impossible to express the effects, the influence, the opportunity to learn, that this space can provide.
Friendships.... like in Real Life, have sustained me. Without them ~ I would not have remained in Second Life. The importance of these relationships, cannot be expressed. All of my efforts in relationships in second life, were genuine and honest. Unfortunately, that was often misinterpreted or perceived inaccurately, but that IS the nature of SL. That is human nature.
The lines of real life and second life overlap continually, and to say it doesn't is foolish. We return to the computer every day to feed an emotional craving of feeling good. We feel good in here, because we can be ourselves, good or bad. WE feel good in here, because the interactions are based on our authentic personalities, exchanges of knowledge and discussions that we value and enjoy. If not, we simply turn it off !
The psychological desire to return is beyond our control, because the human emotions control our heads. We come back to feel good.
My second life had begun to not feel good.
When I first arrived in SL , everyone was giving, positive and happy. These days, there is much less emphasis on the sharing and caring, and much more emphasis on individuals focusing on themselves. This is fine, if there is learning done along the way. If we all continue to walk the same path, never listening to others, never changing our opinions,nothing will change. Nothing will be learnt. Change encourages growth, without growth we lose perspective.
I could see how others were losing perspective, I could see how I had lost perspective in the past, and I could see that the Cage path was not changing, so I moved things around, and shuffled the deck. People I considered friends, turned out to simply be acquaintances. Those who I thought were acquaintances, turned out to be good friends. Those that I thought valued my honesty, ultimately did not. Major learning curves began to display there were some things in this virtual space that I needed to change... so I did.
Eventually, it became obvious to me, that I needed to close the club, and let go of the sim. It was simply time to change.
The beautiful part of the story, is where the changes led me. I still see and chat to my dear friends, Quilla, Della and Pangy...Teri and Onyx, when we can. And then there is Reo. Nobody has given me the time, the energy, the wisdom and support that Reo has, and still does. Regardless of all other things, including the worlds we choose to reside in, our friendship remains the treasure that I will always honour, and respect.
I feel only gratitude, for every opportunity that led me to where I am today...
I touch the screen ...and thank the universe ...for every moment.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
3 YEARS !
It began with a documentary on the ABC television ...a story about an online world called Second LIfe. I watched it, and knew immediately it was a place I had to go. I logged in as soon as the programme ended, and began my journey into this amazing space. Where do I begin ???
How do I explain this amazing addiction, and yes it became an addiction....as it does for many...although I prefer to call it a retreat.
It was here I found peace in beautiful graphic images of sunsets, rainbows, gardens of bliss, and music unlimited. My desire to chat, discuss, debate and ramble on about ideas, stories and fantasies were all welcomed with open arms and I found a very comfortable home for my personality.
The club began as something to do, and always was a focus for providing a space for others to connect, learn and enjoy the various tunes, live performers and my own Australian music on the odd occasion that I dared to stream myself :)
What a captive audience we have held....
what wonderful friends I have made.
Apart from the connections ...who know who they are, and need no identification in here...there is the learning. Learning about ourselves as we experience the ancient art of communication with words. Words and music, avatars that we can dress, express ourselves...and simply ...words.
Those who visit here once, usually stay and explore, with a view to thinling it is a game. It doesnt take long, to work out ...it is much much more than that.
Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this amazing space, and thank you for teaching me about myself.
How do I explain this amazing addiction, and yes it became an addiction....as it does for many...although I prefer to call it a retreat.
It was here I found peace in beautiful graphic images of sunsets, rainbows, gardens of bliss, and music unlimited. My desire to chat, discuss, debate and ramble on about ideas, stories and fantasies were all welcomed with open arms and I found a very comfortable home for my personality.
The club began as something to do, and always was a focus for providing a space for others to connect, learn and enjoy the various tunes, live performers and my own Australian music on the odd occasion that I dared to stream myself :)
What a captive audience we have held....
what wonderful friends I have made.
Apart from the connections ...who know who they are, and need no identification in here...there is the learning. Learning about ourselves as we experience the ancient art of communication with words. Words and music, avatars that we can dress, express ourselves...and simply ...words.
Those who visit here once, usually stay and explore, with a view to thinling it is a game. It doesnt take long, to work out ...it is much much more than that.
Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this amazing space, and thank you for teaching me about myself.
Friday, June 4, 2010
THANK YOU
The Cage has made some big changes lately. One noticeable change
is the venue itself....we ripped out some walls, made some modifications that have definately enhanced the environment. The sim also is now Spring, and moving fast into Summer.
If your not dancing in the club, you can be watching a movie on the grass out back, horseriding...or just hanging out in one of the cuddle spots around the Cage. The newly located Media House Photo Studio, and of course or Randomonyx Store, both locations worth visiting. If your looking for somewhere to live in SL , the sim has private cabins at the most reasonable rates in SL. No dramas with buying land...and each cabin comes with a fully loaded Intan to use. You wont find anything in SL as reasonable, or privately located as these mountain retreats.
* Broken Bodenhall DJing every Tuesday and Friday nights at 6pm slt.
Broken is an upbeat crazy fun lady - who takes requests and livens up any space she occupies.
* Wednesday Nights - TAUNTER GOODNIGHT - What a voice ! One of the most amazing LIVE PERFORMERS IN SL !!
* Thursday nights we have DJ Cecil....( pronounced Seesal )....who does some funky R & B from 8.30 ish. The weekends are always busy and we do our best to play the best tunes we can find for you all !
WE ARE IN SHOWCASE !!
Thanks to Quilla and her efforts, we made it into the Second Life Showcase !!! This pushed our traffic from 3k ..to 21 k in one week ! Quilla is the woman in the know in SL ..and shares it with us at Management Level , helping us all to make our sl businesses better ! THANK YOU Q !! What would we do without you:)
Speaking of thanks... there are further thanks that I need to extend to EVERYONE who has helped me keep the Cage operational while I have dealt with some extenuating RL situations. OBVIOUSLY...Quilla... who has taken the reigns for me running finances and general day to day running when I haven't been able to be around......Teri our Manager...who is doing the hard yards daily at the Club...
ALL our HOSTS......for simply taking the shifts and keeping the energy up !!
Thank you to my nearest and dearest ...who have taken the time to spend with me...hear me, encourage me and simply honour my friendship, by sharing your time with me. There is no greater gift than the time you have shared with me - without judgement, without fear and with trust. I appreciate every moment.
Thank you ALL for supporting the Cage - for the last 3 years ! xoxo
is the venue itself....we ripped out some walls, made some modifications that have definately enhanced the environment. The sim also is now Spring, and moving fast into Summer.
If your not dancing in the club, you can be watching a movie on the grass out back, horseriding...or just hanging out in one of the cuddle spots around the Cage. The newly located Media House Photo Studio, and of course or Randomonyx Store, both locations worth visiting. If your looking for somewhere to live in SL , the sim has private cabins at the most reasonable rates in SL. No dramas with buying land...and each cabin comes with a fully loaded Intan to use. You wont find anything in SL as reasonable, or privately located as these mountain retreats.
* Broken Bodenhall DJing every Tuesday and Friday nights at 6pm slt.
Broken is an upbeat crazy fun lady - who takes requests and livens up any space she occupies.
* Wednesday Nights - TAUNTER GOODNIGHT - What a voice ! One of the most amazing LIVE PERFORMERS IN SL !!
* Thursday nights we have DJ Cecil....( pronounced Seesal )....who does some funky R & B from 8.30 ish. The weekends are always busy and we do our best to play the best tunes we can find for you all !
WE ARE IN SHOWCASE !!
Thanks to Quilla and her efforts, we made it into the Second Life Showcase !!! This pushed our traffic from 3k ..to 21 k in one week ! Quilla is the woman in the know in SL ..and shares it with us at Management Level , helping us all to make our sl businesses better ! THANK YOU Q !! What would we do without you:)
Speaking of thanks... there are further thanks that I need to extend to EVERYONE who has helped me keep the Cage operational while I have dealt with some extenuating RL situations. OBVIOUSLY...Quilla... who has taken the reigns for me running finances and general day to day running when I haven't been able to be around......Teri our Manager...who is doing the hard yards daily at the Club...
ALL our HOSTS......for simply taking the shifts and keeping the energy up !!
Thank you to my nearest and dearest ...who have taken the time to spend with me...hear me, encourage me and simply honour my friendship, by sharing your time with me. There is no greater gift than the time you have shared with me - without judgement, without fear and with trust. I appreciate every moment.
Thank you ALL for supporting the Cage - for the last 3 years ! xoxo
Sunday, February 7, 2010
LONG TIME NO BLOGGING !!
Things have been busy at Paradiso lately !!!
The blog has been neglected . ....just had too much to do.
Many things have happened ..and well....where do I begin ? Xmas came and went....New Year was a blast ! We skinny dipped in the freezing cold waters of the ice lagoon ...and we generally broke the rules. Ha !
Since then...Miss Onyx has opened up her Randomonics store....Christian Glaz has implemented an Open Learning Project - Free Photo Studio Access.
ALL THE LAND HAS SOLD.
Rental Cabins will be an ongoing venture ( available for minimum of one week ) and there are 10 in total.
Come visit the sim, check out the changes if you havnt already ... tell your friends about the rentals....so I can pay the LIndens their tiers !
The blog has been neglected . ....just had too much to do.
Many things have happened ..and well....where do I begin ? Xmas came and went....New Year was a blast ! We skinny dipped in the freezing cold waters of the ice lagoon ...and we generally broke the rules. Ha !
Since then...Miss Onyx has opened up her Randomonics store....Christian Glaz has implemented an Open Learning Project - Free Photo Studio Access.
ALL THE LAND HAS SOLD.
Rental Cabins will be an ongoing venture ( available for minimum of one week ) and there are 10 in total.
Come visit the sim, check out the changes if you havnt already ... tell your friends about the rentals....so I can pay the LIndens their tiers !
Monday, October 19, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
PIRATE weekend....what a blast ..!!
ARggghhhh........we know the pirate theme has been done and done ! But ITS JUST SO MUCH FUN !!! We had a wonderful weekend ......in Ye Olde Cage......and look forward to the next big event !
ROCKY HORROR NIGHT was ALSO much fun and the regulars did us proud and dressed to thrill !!
GOSSIP ??
mmm......let me think ! Grean & Suvana got hitched....( privately ) ....Party to be held this week at the Cage Wednesday 6pm !
Wiggles & Em quit working at Phat Cat's coz they told Wiggles her attire was too provokative !! Can you believe that ?
Teri ..our resident Neko is about to come on board as a host ! If she can tear herself away from Angelus.
SAKURA Won the Sexiest Avi competition.....
and last but not least - Amber got new hair ! :)
ROCKY HORROR NIGHT was ALSO much fun and the regulars did us proud and dressed to thrill !!
GOSSIP ??
mmm......let me think ! Grean & Suvana got hitched....( privately ) ....Party to be held this week at the Cage Wednesday 6pm !
Wiggles & Em quit working at Phat Cat's coz they told Wiggles her attire was too provokative !! Can you believe that ?
Teri ..our resident Neko is about to come on board as a host ! If she can tear herself away from Angelus.
SAKURA Won the Sexiest Avi competition.....
and last but not least - Amber got new hair ! :)
Saturday, September 12, 2009
VIP PROFILES - Sakura Delight
WE have the utmost pleasure of having various regular VIPs at the Cage..and Sak, as we like to call her has been a long standing patron. Along with her ever changing appearance, her flirtatious charm and her genuine desire to help others...there are many other enjoyable aspects to this young girls character. The Cage evenings are always the better for having Miss Sak on the dance floor so we asked her to contribute to the blog this week for your reading pleasure !!
My Sweet Escape by Sakura Delight
Everyone has an escape. A place they go to or something they do to temporarily get away from the stresses of their hectic day or life. To some its a spa, a good book, a night at the movies, some music, a glass of wine, a workout...the list is never ending. Well, let me tell you about mine.
Roughly a year ago a friend invited me to go dance with him at his favorite club. I thought "Sure...why not? A club is just a club" Well, I was so wrong.
The place was not "just a club". Sure, the music rocked & the drinks were great but the people kicked ass!!! They were uber friendly, generous & hilarious. I had never been to place like that before. The more I went there the more I liked it. Their events & contest were always tons of fun but it was, and still is, the people that keep me coming back.
While there, I've met some uber interesting people from all over. With them I've danced & laughed the night away; had some lighthearted conversations; some deep & insightful discussions & even some passionate arguments. Some of these people have left, some of us have become permanent fixtures of the club & a few permanent fixtures in my life. We've shared birthdays, rez-days, anniversaries, shop openings, shop closings, break-ups & divorces. When I want to dress up, dress down, not get dressed at all, drink, dance, sing, chat, laugh & be myself this is where I go. So, as weird & ass backwards as it sounds my escape is inside...The Cage.
My Sweet Escape by Sakura Delight
Everyone has an escape. A place they go to or something they do to temporarily get away from the stresses of their hectic day or life. To some its a spa, a good book, a night at the movies, some music, a glass of wine, a workout...the list is never ending. Well, let me tell you about mine.
Roughly a year ago a friend invited me to go dance with him at his favorite club. I thought "Sure...why not? A club is just a club" Well, I was so wrong.
The place was not "just a club". Sure, the music rocked & the drinks were great but the people kicked ass!!! They were uber friendly, generous & hilarious. I had never been to place like that before. The more I went there the more I liked it. Their events & contest were always tons of fun but it was, and still is, the people that keep me coming back.
While there, I've met some uber interesting people from all over. With them I've danced & laughed the night away; had some lighthearted conversations; some deep & insightful discussions & even some passionate arguments. Some of these people have left, some of us have become permanent fixtures of the club & a few permanent fixtures in my life. We've shared birthdays, rez-days, anniversaries, shop openings, shop closings, break-ups & divorces. When I want to dress up, dress down, not get dressed at all, drink, dance, sing, chat, laugh & be myself this is where I go. So, as weird & ass backwards as it sounds my escape is inside...The Cage.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
WELCOME TO THE CAGE !
WE are a virtual Dance Club that exists within the Online Programme - Second Life !
If your reading this - chances are you are a Second Life Participant.
If you have not visited the Cage before - click on the link in the pic to the right >>>>>>>>
Links to other blogs are attached and you will find Pangs musical blog - OCTAGON
and a more personal Blog by myself and Quilla ...called Q and A !
Enjoy....!! WE love feedback on the club so feel free to comment !
Amber xoxox
If your reading this - chances are you are a Second Life Participant.
If you have not visited the Cage before - click on the link in the pic to the right >>>>>>>>
Links to other blogs are attached and you will find Pangs musical blog - OCTAGON
and a more personal Blog by myself and Quilla ...called Q and A !
Enjoy....!! WE love feedback on the club so feel free to comment !
Amber xoxox
Friday, August 28, 2009
EMERSON HAS A HORN !
Who knewww !!
Emerson and his lovely girl Wiggles, have the most amazing show that they perform in Second Life...called KICKING BRASS ! Emerson has been a host with us for goodness knows how long....and the Cage would not be the same without him and his thongs !!
I went to see them perform their show at Phat CAts Jazz Club in Second LIfe and OMG ! IF ANYONE gets the chance to join their group or just get a chance to go see them ...please do ! The venue is classical couples land and of course I had to dance on my own ! But what a show !
Emerson talks to the crowd after each tune, all originally compiled...and explains how each tune came about. His voice is gorgeous and his giggle is even cuter. Thanks to Wiggles who sends him comments offstage....the giggles can only be stifled for so long.
WE were lucky enough to have them perform for us at The Cage last Friday and for 2 hours Emerson played us his original compilations of Jazz, swing & classical tunes.
With Wiggles playing the keyboard - and looking as glam as always...what an entertaining duo !
CONGRATULATIONS & THANK YOU to Em and Wiggles for bringing your joy to us all in SL. Inspirational!
Emerson and his lovely girl Wiggles, have the most amazing show that they perform in Second Life...called KICKING BRASS ! Emerson has been a host with us for goodness knows how long....and the Cage would not be the same without him and his thongs !!
I went to see them perform their show at Phat CAts Jazz Club in Second LIfe and OMG ! IF ANYONE gets the chance to join their group or just get a chance to go see them ...please do ! The venue is classical couples land and of course I had to dance on my own ! But what a show !
Emerson talks to the crowd after each tune, all originally compiled...and explains how each tune came about. His voice is gorgeous and his giggle is even cuter. Thanks to Wiggles who sends him comments offstage....the giggles can only be stifled for so long.
WE were lucky enough to have them perform for us at The Cage last Friday and for 2 hours Emerson played us his original compilations of Jazz, swing & classical tunes.
With Wiggles playing the keyboard - and looking as glam as always...what an entertaining duo !
CONGRATULATIONS & THANK YOU to Em and Wiggles for bringing your joy to us all in SL. Inspirational!
AUSTRALIAN IDOL WINNER
A couple of years ago a young 16 year old girl called Casey Donovan WON our Australian Idol. Her voice was and still is amazing.
Unfortunately, the record label dropped her after a year - deemed to be " not marketable " etc. Casey plummetted from being a superstar in Australia with #1 hits..and star status - to obscurity. She fell into a deep depression and struggled.
Recently she has begun recording again.
I leave it to you to judge what an amazing talent this girl is...and to once again step back and look at human nature and how we operate. When are these Marketing gurus gonna get it ? When are the people buying the records gonna get it?
I encourage you to You tube her music and have a look at her story on Google!
Interesting footnote...
I recently saw the front page of one of our trashy magazines in the supermarket..that another one of our Idol's ...( think the same year as Casey ) Ricki - Lee who has had a great amount of success....has put on weight and is PROUD of her new curvy body. She is encouraging others to do the same...it will be interesting to see how long the record company puts up with that kind of talk !! BTW...she looks amazing ! Give me a girl with some curves anydayyyy ~!!!!!
CLICK ALL THE PICS OPPOSITE TO HEAR THEIR MUSIC !!
Unfortunately, the record label dropped her after a year - deemed to be " not marketable " etc. Casey plummetted from being a superstar in Australia with #1 hits..and star status - to obscurity. She fell into a deep depression and struggled.
Recently she has begun recording again.
I leave it to you to judge what an amazing talent this girl is...and to once again step back and look at human nature and how we operate. When are these Marketing gurus gonna get it ? When are the people buying the records gonna get it?
I encourage you to You tube her music and have a look at her story on Google!
Interesting footnote...
I recently saw the front page of one of our trashy magazines in the supermarket..that another one of our Idol's ...( think the same year as Casey ) Ricki - Lee who has had a great amount of success....has put on weight and is PROUD of her new curvy body. She is encouraging others to do the same...it will be interesting to see how long the record company puts up with that kind of talk !! BTW...she looks amazing ! Give me a girl with some curves anydayyyy ~!!!!!
CLICK ALL THE PICS OPPOSITE TO HEAR THEIR MUSIC !!
BEEN a while....
Unfortunately ...Real Life has had me busy lately and I haven't had time to attend to this space. Much has been happening at the Cage...BUSY BUSY BUSY !
Lots of new faces....lots of new Members..and we are enjoying it very much. Our fabulous Hosts...are running the Cage to it's Max potential and we appreciate their efforts very much.
Many people come to me in SL ( especially when I am at the Cage wearing my Owner tag )and begin sprouting about their intentions ...to create the newest ...hippest...greatest club in SL. " Its costing lost of Lindens" they say ...and flash their gold tooth ! I always encourage people to 'have a crack' and love the idea of new clubs, different ideas in SL. What drives me to distraction ..is when they begin to tell me how easy it is going to be ! Then after TELLING me they know EVERYTHING already about running a club in SL they say to me - " I could really use someone like you to work for me ! ". LOL....Duh....wouldnt that be great !
The reality of the success of our Club....and it IS a success...is not ME. The success of The Cage comes from genuinely invested personalities. A reliable business partner helps ! Shado and Mad ...have been the ultimate partnership to work with in this project. Shado has provided endless hours of his time and Lindens, originally as a Manager here, and now as an owner /dj. His support for me and the hosts during this time has been absolutely invaluable and continues to be so. Mad who has been the Club Manager for the last year or longer... Has given the same ...Many hours of her time contributing to the running of the club, Djing and generally being a great friend!
Dont think for a moment - this club runs off fresh air though ! We rely heavily on donations to pay the monthly tiers and still provide cash for the sploder, prize money, advertising, payment for our hosts and the purchase of new dances etc.
ADVERTISING
You may notice we are advertising in the ICON magazine in Second LIfe. We also are still featuring an ad on SLTV...which there is a link to opposite. Other than that we currently are hovering just over 1000 members and maintaining. We are on the first page of Dance clubs if you search that way, and our standing in SL is quite stable. Not many clubs make it 2 years. In October we will be celebrating that birthday !! Keep your ears to the ground ..It is going to be a BIG event !
DJ PANG has been gracing us with his dulcet tunes from every era you can possibly imagine ! His Avatars and constant random streamiing is always a high point in our week and we welcome his incarnations with open arms !
THE BEST HOSTS IN SL !
Our hosts are not just 'hosts'. Most of them have been regulars who attended the Cage over time and have an invested joy and love for the people and being there.
The hosts are the backbone of a great club. Without good staff - clubs in sl will always struggle. Our hosts give $$ to our donation bin ...Our hosts help newbies...Our hosts help each other and our vips ! Its all about GIVING time and energy and enhancing the whole Cage experience with their own individual personalities.
RATBAG REGULARS !!
Then there is our regulars ! Regulars who are our best tippers....and financially support the club no matter what. The regulars who provide endless hours of entertainment to us all ! Stalwarts who keep coming back to the club ...and we always love to see. YOU ALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE !
Personalities and characters who have become part of the fabric of The Cage - and contribute to the joyous laughter, the classic entertainment that only we seem to generate at the Cage !
WHAT PEOPLE DONT REALISE is that we really do care about our VIPs....I mean we really feel that we have a friendship with all those who come to visit us. The Cage is our home, and we welcome everyone into it with open arms. We dont judge...we dont make rules...and we encourage freedom of speech - as long as RESPECT is given to each other. Its a simple policy...
I often get people making suggestions....for example..." Put up a no biting sign ...coz we get lots of vampires here " My answer is NO. We are all ADULTS and if we can't look after ourselves in SL...then we have some big problems. If I put a sign up saying No Vampires...then we are immediately discriminating. What other signs should we put up? NO Nekos ? NO furries ? No gays ? My point is ....The club encourages each of us to be accepting of each others opinions and choices - especially in world. We may not agree with them ...but we need to respect that not everyone is the same or of the same mindset. I personally am able to accept everyone who comes to the cage - unless they offend me or the guests.
Another interesting one is ...when people advertise in the group ! I say GOOD ON THEM ! I do not have the negative energy to give to such people... and when you respond this way ...they generally dont get a response anyway...and off they go ! You WILL notice....we dont have that problem in our group :)) There are no RULES in SL ....there are 'perceptions' that people decide are rules..!! If we want to ramble in our group chat for hours - WE SHALL! That's WHAT A GROUP CHAT IS FOR !
Too many of us turn into sheep in world ( as we do in RL )...and because 'one' person says something is 'annoying' or 'inappropriate' we all join in ..and say yeaah ! One person does not have the right to tell others ( especially in here ) what to do. If we pay for a group, and that group is for group chatting....we SHALL CHAT! If one person doesn't like it - they can hit the X !
Sometimes - I worry that our VIPs dont understand the stances I take - when dealing with visitors who can appear to be obstenant and rude. But ultimately my tactic is to give this person the respect I would give anybody else...and offer them at least one chance to re-establish themselves and reposition if they have got off to a bad start - once they see that we are friendly foe... and not interested in drama. Sometimes this works other times it doesnt. You will notice however, not many people respond negatively to positive, loving energy.
CHATTING AT THE CAGE
If you have been around for one of our long winded discussions...you will be familiar with the Cage chat. Sometimes its utterly ridiculous ( eg Onyx wearing cantelope on her head ) and other times its just plain crazy fun !
However, we often have the contraversial discussions that tend to make some people feel a little uncomfortable. Often Politics ....or religion ...or Sex. ( sex comes up a lot ! ) Many people immediately hold up their hands and say ...NO POLITICAL TALK ! No contraversial conversations plz !!!
Personally ...I find it quite educational, stimulating and very enjoyable ....hearing all the different opinions about the world. What I have noticed, is many people see 'a different opinon' as an argument ? This is not the case....and different opinions are what makes the world go around. I encourage you all to be more open about listening to such discussions and to simply 'Agree to disagree!' should it all get too much !! Freedom of speech is also something we value greatly at the Cage...once again - as long as Respect is honoured.
WHEN is RESPECT disrespected ?
The biggest problem in SL ...is that everyone in here has certain RL standards. Standards that simply dont fit neatly next to SL ones. So ....to create rules in the club is near impossible. For example, a certain club in world...a great club - has a myriad of rules! One is you cant swear. Well that depends on who is hosting , and what they consider a swear word. To me, that is erratic and downright judgemental and involves all kinds of levels of personal standards and ethics. But THAT is my opinion. :)))
You will notice we dont have such rules...and yet ...hardly anybody swears at the Cage. I probably swear the most !!! We dont feel the need to inflict our personal ethics and standards onto others just because we own the club.
We are not here to create contraversy or drama. We expect our guests to RESPECT others choices...Respect others opinions...and respect others personal differences. The club is here FOR YOU TO HAVE FUN ...Escape from RL and simply be happy ! HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY !!
If you have standards and ethics you want upheld in your SL ..I suggest you post them in your profile and be adult enough about it to inform others of those standards either in chat or voice.
THE CAGE is an ADULT club....Shado and I will only ever become involved in an incident if people are being disrespected in public chat. If it is happening in IM ...I encourage you to either cut and paste to us ..and we will always try to assist.
EITHER WAY - Our specialty at the club is always going to be FUN - Love and laughter!! We THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT and look forward to our 2nd Birthday in October !
Hope to see you all there ! :)))
Lots of new faces....lots of new Members..and we are enjoying it very much. Our fabulous Hosts...are running the Cage to it's Max potential and we appreciate their efforts very much.
Many people come to me in SL ( especially when I am at the Cage wearing my Owner tag )and begin sprouting about their intentions ...to create the newest ...hippest...greatest club in SL. " Its costing lost of Lindens" they say ...and flash their gold tooth ! I always encourage people to 'have a crack' and love the idea of new clubs, different ideas in SL. What drives me to distraction ..is when they begin to tell me how easy it is going to be ! Then after TELLING me they know EVERYTHING already about running a club in SL they say to me - " I could really use someone like you to work for me ! ". LOL....Duh....wouldnt that be great !
The reality of the success of our Club....and it IS a success...is not ME. The success of The Cage comes from genuinely invested personalities. A reliable business partner helps ! Shado and Mad ...have been the ultimate partnership to work with in this project. Shado has provided endless hours of his time and Lindens, originally as a Manager here, and now as an owner /dj. His support for me and the hosts during this time has been absolutely invaluable and continues to be so. Mad who has been the Club Manager for the last year or longer... Has given the same ...Many hours of her time contributing to the running of the club, Djing and generally being a great friend!
Dont think for a moment - this club runs off fresh air though ! We rely heavily on donations to pay the monthly tiers and still provide cash for the sploder, prize money, advertising, payment for our hosts and the purchase of new dances etc.
ADVERTISING
You may notice we are advertising in the ICON magazine in Second LIfe. We also are still featuring an ad on SLTV...which there is a link to opposite. Other than that we currently are hovering just over 1000 members and maintaining. We are on the first page of Dance clubs if you search that way, and our standing in SL is quite stable. Not many clubs make it 2 years. In October we will be celebrating that birthday !! Keep your ears to the ground ..It is going to be a BIG event !
DJ PANG has been gracing us with his dulcet tunes from every era you can possibly imagine ! His Avatars and constant random streamiing is always a high point in our week and we welcome his incarnations with open arms !
THE BEST HOSTS IN SL !
Our hosts are not just 'hosts'. Most of them have been regulars who attended the Cage over time and have an invested joy and love for the people and being there.
The hosts are the backbone of a great club. Without good staff - clubs in sl will always struggle. Our hosts give $$ to our donation bin ...Our hosts help newbies...Our hosts help each other and our vips ! Its all about GIVING time and energy and enhancing the whole Cage experience with their own individual personalities.
RATBAG REGULARS !!
Then there is our regulars ! Regulars who are our best tippers....and financially support the club no matter what. The regulars who provide endless hours of entertainment to us all ! Stalwarts who keep coming back to the club ...and we always love to see. YOU ALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE !
Personalities and characters who have become part of the fabric of The Cage - and contribute to the joyous laughter, the classic entertainment that only we seem to generate at the Cage !
WHAT PEOPLE DONT REALISE is that we really do care about our VIPs....I mean we really feel that we have a friendship with all those who come to visit us. The Cage is our home, and we welcome everyone into it with open arms. We dont judge...we dont make rules...and we encourage freedom of speech - as long as RESPECT is given to each other. Its a simple policy...
I often get people making suggestions....for example..." Put up a no biting sign ...coz we get lots of vampires here " My answer is NO. We are all ADULTS and if we can't look after ourselves in SL...then we have some big problems. If I put a sign up saying No Vampires...then we are immediately discriminating. What other signs should we put up? NO Nekos ? NO furries ? No gays ? My point is ....The club encourages each of us to be accepting of each others opinions and choices - especially in world. We may not agree with them ...but we need to respect that not everyone is the same or of the same mindset. I personally am able to accept everyone who comes to the cage - unless they offend me or the guests.
Another interesting one is ...when people advertise in the group ! I say GOOD ON THEM ! I do not have the negative energy to give to such people... and when you respond this way ...they generally dont get a response anyway...and off they go ! You WILL notice....we dont have that problem in our group :)) There are no RULES in SL ....there are 'perceptions' that people decide are rules..!! If we want to ramble in our group chat for hours - WE SHALL! That's WHAT A GROUP CHAT IS FOR !
Too many of us turn into sheep in world ( as we do in RL )...and because 'one' person says something is 'annoying' or 'inappropriate' we all join in ..and say yeaah ! One person does not have the right to tell others ( especially in here ) what to do. If we pay for a group, and that group is for group chatting....we SHALL CHAT! If one person doesn't like it - they can hit the X !
Sometimes - I worry that our VIPs dont understand the stances I take - when dealing with visitors who can appear to be obstenant and rude. But ultimately my tactic is to give this person the respect I would give anybody else...and offer them at least one chance to re-establish themselves and reposition if they have got off to a bad start - once they see that we are friendly foe... and not interested in drama. Sometimes this works other times it doesnt. You will notice however, not many people respond negatively to positive, loving energy.
CHATTING AT THE CAGE
If you have been around for one of our long winded discussions...you will be familiar with the Cage chat. Sometimes its utterly ridiculous ( eg Onyx wearing cantelope on her head ) and other times its just plain crazy fun !
However, we often have the contraversial discussions that tend to make some people feel a little uncomfortable. Often Politics ....or religion ...or Sex. ( sex comes up a lot ! ) Many people immediately hold up their hands and say ...NO POLITICAL TALK ! No contraversial conversations plz !!!
Personally ...I find it quite educational, stimulating and very enjoyable ....hearing all the different opinions about the world. What I have noticed, is many people see 'a different opinon' as an argument ? This is not the case....and different opinions are what makes the world go around. I encourage you all to be more open about listening to such discussions and to simply 'Agree to disagree!' should it all get too much !! Freedom of speech is also something we value greatly at the Cage...once again - as long as Respect is honoured.
WHEN is RESPECT disrespected ?
The biggest problem in SL ...is that everyone in here has certain RL standards. Standards that simply dont fit neatly next to SL ones. So ....to create rules in the club is near impossible. For example, a certain club in world...a great club - has a myriad of rules! One is you cant swear. Well that depends on who is hosting , and what they consider a swear word. To me, that is erratic and downright judgemental and involves all kinds of levels of personal standards and ethics. But THAT is my opinion. :)))
You will notice we dont have such rules...and yet ...hardly anybody swears at the Cage. I probably swear the most !!! We dont feel the need to inflict our personal ethics and standards onto others just because we own the club.
We are not here to create contraversy or drama. We expect our guests to RESPECT others choices...Respect others opinions...and respect others personal differences. The club is here FOR YOU TO HAVE FUN ...Escape from RL and simply be happy ! HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY !!
If you have standards and ethics you want upheld in your SL ..I suggest you post them in your profile and be adult enough about it to inform others of those standards either in chat or voice.
THE CAGE is an ADULT club....Shado and I will only ever become involved in an incident if people are being disrespected in public chat. If it is happening in IM ...I encourage you to either cut and paste to us ..and we will always try to assist.
EITHER WAY - Our specialty at the club is always going to be FUN - Love and laughter!! We THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT and look forward to our 2nd Birthday in October !
Hope to see you all there ! :)))
Friday, June 19, 2009
MORE random AUSSIE TUNES !
Hey Everyone....I havn't been getting the time to play my aussie tunes at the Cage lately...but plan to try to on Sunday afternoons in the future ! I'm not JUST interested in Aussie music..I love ALL music....but as I have said before - often the vast, modern United States of America ....doesnt always get to hear the tunes from other countries :) Especially little old Australia. Enjoy Cagers :)
TOUCH THE PICS OPPOSITE TO HEAR THE TUNES !!
TOUCH THE PICS OPPOSITE TO HEAR THE TUNES !!
Friday, May 29, 2009
AMBER'S AUSSIE MUSIC offerings....
LOTS of people give me shit...about my music taste !
What I loveeeee about SL is the music. I love the atmosphere it creates..and I LOVE dancing ! I love that I can hear all kinds of music, djs, and of course the classics if we choose to. The club offers DANCE music.....thats what we specialise in...and when we say that..we dont mean TEchno ..or definitive LABELS of styles of music. We just play music ..u can dance to!!!
I love to hear new stuff so....when I offer you these Australian tunes, its simply for that reason....Australian music would take a long time to reach the American shores. Some get there quicker than others...but check my profile...and watch this space..I just like to share ! You may like it or hate it...but either way ..the chances are you WONT have heard it !!
This artist is one of our girls who started on NEIGHBOURS ...( tv show that produced Kylie Minogue, Holly Valance, Delta Goodrem etc ) ...and Yes the show is still on Australian tv !! She joined a band called Rogue Traders, which became very popular...and is now a solo artist ! Deserves credit...shes hot and a great singer ! Kylie deserves credit ..too...as much as we like to give her heaps..I watched a dvd of her latest concert !! Amazing...and omg ...she has sooo many dance hits ? As for Holly..well she was good at looking good .....Delta speaks for herself...This girl Natalie ... is cool..!! Very eclectic collection of musical performances! Google both Rogue Traders, and Natalie Basingthwaite. Yeah ...Its kinda cool that she hasnt changed her name lol..!!!
What I loveeeee about SL is the music. I love the atmosphere it creates..and I LOVE dancing ! I love that I can hear all kinds of music, djs, and of course the classics if we choose to. The club offers DANCE music.....thats what we specialise in...and when we say that..we dont mean TEchno ..or definitive LABELS of styles of music. We just play music ..u can dance to!!!
I love to hear new stuff so....when I offer you these Australian tunes, its simply for that reason....Australian music would take a long time to reach the American shores. Some get there quicker than others...but check my profile...and watch this space..I just like to share ! You may like it or hate it...but either way ..the chances are you WONT have heard it !!
This artist is one of our girls who started on NEIGHBOURS ...( tv show that produced Kylie Minogue, Holly Valance, Delta Goodrem etc ) ...and Yes the show is still on Australian tv !! She joined a band called Rogue Traders, which became very popular...and is now a solo artist ! Deserves credit...shes hot and a great singer ! Kylie deserves credit ..too...as much as we like to give her heaps..I watched a dvd of her latest concert !! Amazing...and omg ...she has sooo many dance hits ? As for Holly..well she was good at looking good .....Delta speaks for herself...This girl Natalie ... is cool..!! Very eclectic collection of musical performances! Google both Rogue Traders, and Natalie Basingthwaite. Yeah ...Its kinda cool that she hasnt changed her name lol..!!!
WATCH THIS SPACE
For those who havnt noticed...Shado is the other owner at the Club here ..and Trip.
Trip is barely online.....but he's no trouble to the group ..so we keep him !
MaDawna is Shado's RL partner ..and is our MANAGER as you know !
I have asked Shado to enlighten this blog with some of his thoughts and memoirs of his time at the Cage...and I will do the same for Mad......so WATCH THIS SPACE!
I may need to do bad things to both of them to get them to write something...which would probably involve playing some of my fav tunes to them :) hehehe.
Trip is barely online.....but he's no trouble to the group ..so we keep him !
MaDawna is Shado's RL partner ..and is our MANAGER as you know !
I have asked Shado to enlighten this blog with some of his thoughts and memoirs of his time at the Cage...and I will do the same for Mad......so WATCH THIS SPACE!
I may need to do bad things to both of them to get them to write something...which would probably involve playing some of my fav tunes to them :) hehehe.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
THE CAGE GOES ON SL TV
yES....indeed....We did a commercial for SL TV! Now your thinking....does anyone watch sl tv !! Well duhhh over a million sl viewers they have .... (well so they tell us..) .but Yes this sl tv thing is huge !! The infomercial will run for over a month and if you care to watch SLTV...they give u screens for FREE !! Its very cool...and was very fun to do ! Check it out !!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Amber turns 2 !!
Thanks to everyone who made my Second Rezz Day a blast !!
In celebration of my fab SL life...I have once again published my version of the History of the Cage below....yesss its long...but I deleted the first one :(
Get a coffee and read alllll about it :)
In celebration of my fab SL life...I have once again published my version of the History of the Cage below....yesss its long...but I deleted the first one :(
Get a coffee and read alllll about it :)
Friday, April 3, 2009
THE HISTORY OF THE CAGE - again ....lol
Ok ..so when we first set up the blog ....I wrote my version of the HIstory of the Cage. Stupidly ...I deleted our first postings....as I didnt realise the development of the blog :( Duhhhh. I didnt realise that some people actually valued the conten. I have been asked to give my version of the History of the Cage ....again...because I deleted the first one. This is my attempt to do that.
( I welcome anyone who wants to correct my cronological order :) I do not claim to have a flawless memory .....( must be all the pot I smoked with Della at the Cage ? )
OCTOBER 2007.
After bumbling around SL for about 6 months I found myself reaking minor havoc at Blackhearts. Basically, I would go there and tell Jaysun his hair sucked and promptly throw swear words into the chat. I enjoyed Blackhearts immensely and had made some special friends there including Jaysun Falta and Cori Offcourse. I thought Jaysun was a complete self absorbed dag when I first met him, but nothing could be further from the truth. One of the most fun people I have ever met in SL. My time spent as neighbours to Cori and Jaysun were some of the funniest moments in my sl.
Many other friends were made to name a few . Daiseze Dahlstrom, Amythest Morigi, Greanfrog Oh, Rainmaker Innes, Oompaloompa...( he knows who I mean ), Wheelerwood Oppewall, Faine Blackadder ...... and of course Granite Collas. Granite approached me one day and asked me if I would like to work at his new club ...The Cage ! It had yet to be completed and he was planning to grow a decent size group before the doors opened. I very rudely told him ..I may not like his club, and I would prefer to visit there when it had opened rather than say yes straight away. Another club owner at the time, also asked me to come and work for his new club. Needless to say -I arrived at the opening Event and promptly took over the floor - and there began my journey at the Cage. Granite, Vega and Rybread Collas were the owners at the time. They created the building, established the name and founded the VIP Group.
The boys all had busy RLs and being in world was not easy for any of them. I however, was online a lot more and being in Australia I was able to do a lot of things during the hours that the boys were asleep. I threw myself into decorating for the themed events and became a professional host. WE started with one event per week and slowly grew up to every day. Granite and I shared the hosting mainly, Vega and Rye did what their RL would allow. Rybread announced very shortly after opening that he could no longer stay in SL and left his ownership postion open. At the time, the boys needed a fourth owner to contribute to their land holdings. ( This meant that the Tiers on linden land were greatly reduced ). I put up my hand and became an OWNER at the Cage... not to mention months of being blown up, stretched, drowned, exploded, gassed and shot by the boys !!
I worked everyday at the Cage- hosting, tagging, learning about different elements of SL. Granite and I shared the hosting as the group slowly grew. Vega ( who we referred to as brb, because he kept crashing and not returning ) hosted when his rl would allow. Basically, we all worked for nothing at this stage. Before we knew it, we had established Events every day - slowly adding one day after another until we were open 7 evenings a week. Granite included his RL Wife as an owner of the Cage and Millie became another Cage Host.
Granite and myself still hosted the majority of events and realised quickly that we needed more hosts. Eventually the Cage was making enough money through tips ..to pay our tier, without contributing from our own pockets. Granite and Vega managed to purchase property and established an sl home using their Cage Income. I chose not to draw funds from the Cage at this stage. ( personal choice ) The club was growing fast and eventually we decided to split the profit (if any) 3 ways between Vega, Granite and myself.
Vega found his RL time was limited further and SL was decreasing further - so he chose to leave as an owner of the Cage. This once again ...left us with an owner space to fill. This is when Trip Joffe became an owner of the Cage. Trip is one of my dearest friends in sl. We go back a long way together, spending great fun times at another club ( now de rezzed ) 9.13. This club was basically a strip club, but full of the most fun, real and wonderful people I have ever met in SL. These characters included Pangtera Nakamura, Arianna Rehula, Rosie Bartholmess and of course my dear gf Nora DeVinna. Noooo...I never DID strip ...except the one time they played Robbie Williams and it made me rip my top off....what can I say ? Robbie has that effect on me ! What was the over riding theme at this club...was how absolutely comfortable I felt when visiting. There was no rules ...no judgement..and yet great respect for one another. I think this place influenced my SL more than I will ever know. :))
Whilst at the Cage, I found myself often reminiscing the days of 9.13 and how comfortable I felt. I felt this was a key ingredient to people returning to a club.
During the first 6 months of the Cage - we experimented with many themes, many managing methods...extended and changed the internal facilities of the Cage..numerous times. Granite and I worked very closely together to ensure that ALL facets of the Cage were managed and executed to the 'nth' degree. We both hosted heavily, and financially contributed to the prizes and general maintenance and upkeep of dances etc. And NOOO WE werent a couple ...or even close to being a couple. Many peeps presumed we were....but we were both very much on the same wavelength when it came to the expectations of the Cage. Granites RL had limited his SL time even further, and I was also stretching myself too thin with hosting and managing. We decided to employ our first Manager, Amythest Morigi who handled our hosts, the schedules and the Themes. Amy was a hoot ..and we enjoyed her very much. She was most popular with the VIPs and we had an absolute blast while Amy was in da house ~! Unfortunately Amy had to leave for personal reasons and we employed Shado Radek to take over. Shado had been working as a host at the Cage for some time, and both Granite and I recognised his abilities immediately. *I just noticed the women were flockig to the club everytime he hosted LOL. Sound familiar ?
Shado brought a whole new energy to the Management side of the club. Not only was he fantastic with the Hosts, he was passionate and as energetic as we all were at the time...if anything ...he was obsessive about his responsibilities and was incredibly committed , consistent and Loyal. He also was proving to be a popular DJ and began taking regular gigs at the Cage. He also attained the ability to unwind Amber Bracken when needed...by simply nodding a lot, and saying mmmmm...when required..without judgement of critisicm.
The club had grown so much we had moved to a private sim , where more avatars were allowed and we had more scope to grow if we chose. This we did ,and upon arrival, decided to purchase the land next door and established the Cage Shopping Mall. The Cage at this stage, was barely breaking even financially and we felt that the shops would bring more traffic, and encourage growth... which it did. We were still growing in group, and very busy with traffic, but the tips and the contributions were not enough to cover the tiers.
The Owners at this stage were Granite, MIllie, Trip and myself. Millie and Trip were not as active as us. We all made a deal to establish no firm rules about mesuring contributions to the Cage - as everyone was only able to give what their RL would allow. This included financial contributions aswell as hours online. We were once again in need of another owner. I suggeted to Granite that we ask Shado to become an owner It was clear that his committment and loyalty was with the Cage, and if he became an owner - we also didnt have to pay him a wage anymore :)) Shado became an owner not long after.
Once again RL stepped in ....and Granite was unable to be inworld as much. We found ourselves with less hands on deck, than we needed. I managed to overdo my committment to the Cage ...a number of times, and fell in a little sl slump in the corner of the cage. This was happening more regularly, sometimes it was a slump..sometimes it was a full blown psycotic episode blasted in Granites direction, and sometimes it manifested itself in a sad little avatar called Amber Bracken. Granite and I worked as best we could to monitor all aspects of the Club. Even so, our online time together had decreased dramatically , and Shado was performing a lot of the duties that I simply was unable to find time to persue. Shado's knowledge and SL experience was a huge help to The Cage at this point in time. His ability to remain calm in stressful situations was the positive influence that kept everyone grounded and happy....including myself and Granite. ( Okay ..so I was Jeckle and Hyde...pfft.)
After establishing the shopping mall and listing it as part of the Cage,
Granite decided to purchase land personally on the other side of the Cage and created his own fishing area which included Gaming machines. The club was not involved with this project. This building expedition of Granite's drew concern from me and as usual I expressed it in the usual subtle manner that only Amber does :))
Around this time, Vega wanted to return to the Cage as an owner and was duly put back on the board. We now had 6 owners. Granite, Millie, Vega, Shado, Trip and Amber. There was no profit sharing as there was no profit. We eventually had to move the Cage for various reasons - and we ended up at Isle of Gems, after a number of slight hiccups.
NOt long after we settled at Isle of Gems, Granite announced he was leaving the Cage as an owner. There were various reasons that he left, but his general explanation was that it was time for him to move on, and that he wanted to persue other projects. He basically handed the building, and all Cage objects to me, and left with Vega to open up a new Club called Club Eclipse. Our long relationship as business partners ended abruptly ....and for me ....it was a sad day, and the end of an era. We all parted on good terms, although SL gossip likes to tell a tale of different characters. Granite and Vega have remained on my friends list ( until very recently ) and we have always kept in contact. Granite has since become a proud father, and Vega is about to have his second child. Both have ventured away from Second LIfe and into World of Warcraft. I still consider them valued friends.
By this stage, MaDawna Radek ( Shado's rl partner ) had joined the club as a host. Not long after the club was handed over we gave Mad the reins as Manager where she has found her niche as the Master of Scheduling, hosting and djing :))
The Club has moved from strength to strength. WE are now listed on the first page of the search in both the ALL general category and the DANCE CLUB page - we are also on Page 1. The Group is now over 1000 strong and growing daily.
We recently moved to Shado & Zora's privately owned Sim. Why did we move ? The private location we had been on, dumped 3 clubs on the one sim, and the lag ( for which we have always been famous for NOT having ) was beyond our control. NOw we are able to have full control over all aspects of the Cage land....thanks to Zora and Shado providing the space we needed.
People often ask us, what is the secret to remaining open in SL? Apart from throwing LIndens at it.....which is absolutely what is required. The ONLY real answer to that is that we have good staff and great management. We treat each other with respect and try not to judge each others sl lives. Our hosts over the years have simply become part of our Family at the Cage, and we tend to treat our VIPs as visiting relatives rather than guests. The door is always open ...to all ...anytime and all we ask is that you treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.
Without GREAT staff, without reliable Management, and without LIndens of course....the Cage would be long gone. It belongs to the VIPs. It doesnt belong to Shado or me...it doesnt belong to Granite or Vega...it belongs to the guests, the hosts, and the peeps who have fallen in love on our dance floor, who have laughed till their cheeks hurt at one of our events, it belongs to the Hosts who adorn our stage, to the friendships made, and the debating warriors who share our chat.
I was recently asked in an interview for SLTV - " What do I love most about the Cage? " My only answer could be the people...the connections I have made here....and the LOVE I feel when we are all together at the Cage. And yes its LOVE. :))
I am not for a minute suggesting it has been easy, or without stress. Emotionally , physically and mentally, the Cage has taught me a great deal...in sl and rl. To say that I have grown a lot in here is an understatement. I am still learning ..still here and still Loving my time spent at the Cage.
Amber has been described, discussed and dishevelled by gossip and perceptions of who she is in SL ( and RL ) for the past 2 years. I have a reputation for rambling and chatting WAYY too much, discussing contraversial subjects for her own entertainment....and this is in fact true for both rl and sl. There is however the perception of Amber as the 'alpha female' who is driving an SL Mercedes sports car....doing Coke....with her head stuck so far up her own ass she cant see the sl daylight ???? Nothing could be further from the truth.
I am continually humbled by the people I meet at the Cage. I am continually humbled by the Love I receive in SL... and by the friends whose trust I have...and vice versa. I sit in awe still....at the skill and knowledge of those around me who continue to offer themselves to service the Cage's future.
I believe that SL is an individual journey for all of us. I try to avoid sitting in judgement of anybodys journey in here...and try to encourage all to continue to explore. Some days can be diamonds......and some days can be Pearls. Some days can be so fucking bad....the thought to remove the whole damn programme from the computer seems to be the most logical response !! :)
I turned 2 last month...and reflected on the time I have been here. I looked at where I was in SL, who I was with and who I have grown to Trust in here.
For the first time in a long time....I feel like I am finally 'home'. Thank you to the people in my SL ...who have walked this path with me...thank you to each and every one of you...for without you...I wouldnt be here. Here for me right now in SL ...is the best it has ever been. I feel very humbled by it all...still.
I LOVE Second Life. ...and of course I love the Cage :) I aint going anywhere.....hehehe !!!!!
( I welcome anyone who wants to correct my cronological order :) I do not claim to have a flawless memory .....( must be all the pot I smoked with Della at the Cage ? )
OCTOBER 2007.
After bumbling around SL for about 6 months I found myself reaking minor havoc at Blackhearts. Basically, I would go there and tell Jaysun his hair sucked and promptly throw swear words into the chat. I enjoyed Blackhearts immensely and had made some special friends there including Jaysun Falta and Cori Offcourse. I thought Jaysun was a complete self absorbed dag when I first met him, but nothing could be further from the truth. One of the most fun people I have ever met in SL. My time spent as neighbours to Cori and Jaysun were some of the funniest moments in my sl.
Many other friends were made to name a few . Daiseze Dahlstrom, Amythest Morigi, Greanfrog Oh, Rainmaker Innes, Oompaloompa...( he knows who I mean ), Wheelerwood Oppewall, Faine Blackadder ...... and of course Granite Collas. Granite approached me one day and asked me if I would like to work at his new club ...The Cage ! It had yet to be completed and he was planning to grow a decent size group before the doors opened. I very rudely told him ..I may not like his club, and I would prefer to visit there when it had opened rather than say yes straight away. Another club owner at the time, also asked me to come and work for his new club. Needless to say -I arrived at the opening Event and promptly took over the floor - and there began my journey at the Cage. Granite, Vega and Rybread Collas were the owners at the time. They created the building, established the name and founded the VIP Group.
The boys all had busy RLs and being in world was not easy for any of them. I however, was online a lot more and being in Australia I was able to do a lot of things during the hours that the boys were asleep. I threw myself into decorating for the themed events and became a professional host. WE started with one event per week and slowly grew up to every day. Granite and I shared the hosting mainly, Vega and Rye did what their RL would allow. Rybread announced very shortly after opening that he could no longer stay in SL and left his ownership postion open. At the time, the boys needed a fourth owner to contribute to their land holdings. ( This meant that the Tiers on linden land were greatly reduced ). I put up my hand and became an OWNER at the Cage... not to mention months of being blown up, stretched, drowned, exploded, gassed and shot by the boys !!
I worked everyday at the Cage- hosting, tagging, learning about different elements of SL. Granite and I shared the hosting as the group slowly grew. Vega ( who we referred to as brb, because he kept crashing and not returning ) hosted when his rl would allow. Basically, we all worked for nothing at this stage. Before we knew it, we had established Events every day - slowly adding one day after another until we were open 7 evenings a week. Granite included his RL Wife as an owner of the Cage and Millie became another Cage Host.
Granite and myself still hosted the majority of events and realised quickly that we needed more hosts. Eventually the Cage was making enough money through tips ..to pay our tier, without contributing from our own pockets. Granite and Vega managed to purchase property and established an sl home using their Cage Income. I chose not to draw funds from the Cage at this stage. ( personal choice ) The club was growing fast and eventually we decided to split the profit (if any) 3 ways between Vega, Granite and myself.
Vega found his RL time was limited further and SL was decreasing further - so he chose to leave as an owner of the Cage. This once again ...left us with an owner space to fill. This is when Trip Joffe became an owner of the Cage. Trip is one of my dearest friends in sl. We go back a long way together, spending great fun times at another club ( now de rezzed ) 9.13. This club was basically a strip club, but full of the most fun, real and wonderful people I have ever met in SL. These characters included Pangtera Nakamura, Arianna Rehula, Rosie Bartholmess and of course my dear gf Nora DeVinna. Noooo...I never DID strip ...except the one time they played Robbie Williams and it made me rip my top off....what can I say ? Robbie has that effect on me ! What was the over riding theme at this club...was how absolutely comfortable I felt when visiting. There was no rules ...no judgement..and yet great respect for one another. I think this place influenced my SL more than I will ever know. :))
Whilst at the Cage, I found myself often reminiscing the days of 9.13 and how comfortable I felt. I felt this was a key ingredient to people returning to a club.
During the first 6 months of the Cage - we experimented with many themes, many managing methods...extended and changed the internal facilities of the Cage..numerous times. Granite and I worked very closely together to ensure that ALL facets of the Cage were managed and executed to the 'nth' degree. We both hosted heavily, and financially contributed to the prizes and general maintenance and upkeep of dances etc. And NOOO WE werent a couple ...or even close to being a couple. Many peeps presumed we were....but we were both very much on the same wavelength when it came to the expectations of the Cage. Granites RL had limited his SL time even further, and I was also stretching myself too thin with hosting and managing. We decided to employ our first Manager, Amythest Morigi who handled our hosts, the schedules and the Themes. Amy was a hoot ..and we enjoyed her very much. She was most popular with the VIPs and we had an absolute blast while Amy was in da house ~! Unfortunately Amy had to leave for personal reasons and we employed Shado Radek to take over. Shado had been working as a host at the Cage for some time, and both Granite and I recognised his abilities immediately. *I just noticed the women were flockig to the club everytime he hosted LOL. Sound familiar ?
Shado brought a whole new energy to the Management side of the club. Not only was he fantastic with the Hosts, he was passionate and as energetic as we all were at the time...if anything ...he was obsessive about his responsibilities and was incredibly committed , consistent and Loyal. He also was proving to be a popular DJ and began taking regular gigs at the Cage. He also attained the ability to unwind Amber Bracken when needed...by simply nodding a lot, and saying mmmmm...when required..without judgement of critisicm.
The club had grown so much we had moved to a private sim , where more avatars were allowed and we had more scope to grow if we chose. This we did ,and upon arrival, decided to purchase the land next door and established the Cage Shopping Mall. The Cage at this stage, was barely breaking even financially and we felt that the shops would bring more traffic, and encourage growth... which it did. We were still growing in group, and very busy with traffic, but the tips and the contributions were not enough to cover the tiers.
The Owners at this stage were Granite, MIllie, Trip and myself. Millie and Trip were not as active as us. We all made a deal to establish no firm rules about mesuring contributions to the Cage - as everyone was only able to give what their RL would allow. This included financial contributions aswell as hours online. We were once again in need of another owner. I suggeted to Granite that we ask Shado to become an owner It was clear that his committment and loyalty was with the Cage, and if he became an owner - we also didnt have to pay him a wage anymore :)) Shado became an owner not long after.
Once again RL stepped in ....and Granite was unable to be inworld as much. We found ourselves with less hands on deck, than we needed. I managed to overdo my committment to the Cage ...a number of times, and fell in a little sl slump in the corner of the cage. This was happening more regularly, sometimes it was a slump..sometimes it was a full blown psycotic episode blasted in Granites direction, and sometimes it manifested itself in a sad little avatar called Amber Bracken. Granite and I worked as best we could to monitor all aspects of the Club. Even so, our online time together had decreased dramatically , and Shado was performing a lot of the duties that I simply was unable to find time to persue. Shado's knowledge and SL experience was a huge help to The Cage at this point in time. His ability to remain calm in stressful situations was the positive influence that kept everyone grounded and happy....including myself and Granite. ( Okay ..so I was Jeckle and Hyde...pfft.)
After establishing the shopping mall and listing it as part of the Cage,
Granite decided to purchase land personally on the other side of the Cage and created his own fishing area which included Gaming machines. The club was not involved with this project. This building expedition of Granite's drew concern from me and as usual I expressed it in the usual subtle manner that only Amber does :))
Around this time, Vega wanted to return to the Cage as an owner and was duly put back on the board. We now had 6 owners. Granite, Millie, Vega, Shado, Trip and Amber. There was no profit sharing as there was no profit. We eventually had to move the Cage for various reasons - and we ended up at Isle of Gems, after a number of slight hiccups.
NOt long after we settled at Isle of Gems, Granite announced he was leaving the Cage as an owner. There were various reasons that he left, but his general explanation was that it was time for him to move on, and that he wanted to persue other projects. He basically handed the building, and all Cage objects to me, and left with Vega to open up a new Club called Club Eclipse. Our long relationship as business partners ended abruptly ....and for me ....it was a sad day, and the end of an era. We all parted on good terms, although SL gossip likes to tell a tale of different characters. Granite and Vega have remained on my friends list ( until very recently ) and we have always kept in contact. Granite has since become a proud father, and Vega is about to have his second child. Both have ventured away from Second LIfe and into World of Warcraft. I still consider them valued friends.
By this stage, MaDawna Radek ( Shado's rl partner ) had joined the club as a host. Not long after the club was handed over we gave Mad the reins as Manager where she has found her niche as the Master of Scheduling, hosting and djing :))
The Club has moved from strength to strength. WE are now listed on the first page of the search in both the ALL general category and the DANCE CLUB page - we are also on Page 1. The Group is now over 1000 strong and growing daily.
We recently moved to Shado & Zora's privately owned Sim. Why did we move ? The private location we had been on, dumped 3 clubs on the one sim, and the lag ( for which we have always been famous for NOT having ) was beyond our control. NOw we are able to have full control over all aspects of the Cage land....thanks to Zora and Shado providing the space we needed.
People often ask us, what is the secret to remaining open in SL? Apart from throwing LIndens at it.....which is absolutely what is required. The ONLY real answer to that is that we have good staff and great management. We treat each other with respect and try not to judge each others sl lives. Our hosts over the years have simply become part of our Family at the Cage, and we tend to treat our VIPs as visiting relatives rather than guests. The door is always open ...to all ...anytime and all we ask is that you treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.
Without GREAT staff, without reliable Management, and without LIndens of course....the Cage would be long gone. It belongs to the VIPs. It doesnt belong to Shado or me...it doesnt belong to Granite or Vega...it belongs to the guests, the hosts, and the peeps who have fallen in love on our dance floor, who have laughed till their cheeks hurt at one of our events, it belongs to the Hosts who adorn our stage, to the friendships made, and the debating warriors who share our chat.
I was recently asked in an interview for SLTV - " What do I love most about the Cage? " My only answer could be the people...the connections I have made here....and the LOVE I feel when we are all together at the Cage. And yes its LOVE. :))
I am not for a minute suggesting it has been easy, or without stress. Emotionally , physically and mentally, the Cage has taught me a great deal...in sl and rl. To say that I have grown a lot in here is an understatement. I am still learning ..still here and still Loving my time spent at the Cage.
Amber has been described, discussed and dishevelled by gossip and perceptions of who she is in SL ( and RL ) for the past 2 years. I have a reputation for rambling and chatting WAYY too much, discussing contraversial subjects for her own entertainment....and this is in fact true for both rl and sl. There is however the perception of Amber as the 'alpha female' who is driving an SL Mercedes sports car....doing Coke....with her head stuck so far up her own ass she cant see the sl daylight ???? Nothing could be further from the truth.
I am continually humbled by the people I meet at the Cage. I am continually humbled by the Love I receive in SL... and by the friends whose trust I have...and vice versa. I sit in awe still....at the skill and knowledge of those around me who continue to offer themselves to service the Cage's future.
I believe that SL is an individual journey for all of us. I try to avoid sitting in judgement of anybodys journey in here...and try to encourage all to continue to explore. Some days can be diamonds......and some days can be Pearls. Some days can be so fucking bad....the thought to remove the whole damn programme from the computer seems to be the most logical response !! :)
I turned 2 last month...and reflected on the time I have been here. I looked at where I was in SL, who I was with and who I have grown to Trust in here.
For the first time in a long time....I feel like I am finally 'home'. Thank you to the people in my SL ...who have walked this path with me...thank you to each and every one of you...for without you...I wouldnt be here. Here for me right now in SL ...is the best it has ever been. I feel very humbled by it all...still.
I LOVE Second Life. ...and of course I love the Cage :) I aint going anywhere.....hehehe !!!!!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
DJ IVY takes a regular gig !
We are PROUD to announce EVERY WEEK Dj Ivy takes pride of place on the dance floor and blasts the club with her fabulous mix - as only Ivy can ! Combine that with her sexy voice and witty comments in general, and you have a GREAT NIGHT on your hands !! Ivy streams from the Cage Live to the Internet zones of la la land..so even if your not at the Cage you can hear her !! Cool huh !
THE BIG MOVE
For those who are regulars at the Cage...you will realise by now we have moved to a new location !! WHY ? Well as we all know ...Lag can be a major problem in SL. The Cage has always maintained low lag levels by having minimal scripts ( eg no gawdy flashing lights / major scripts ) On the previous Sim there were 2 other clubs. One was fine - but when the 3rd appeared...so did the major lag.
The option to rent land from Shado and Zora has always been an option for us and we are more than happy to be here !
Well....Thanks must be given to Shado, ( who had not slept all night and managed to rebuild walls etc ) Christian for jumping in when needed.....and well...myself for losing half the building ?? We wont go into that :) Quilla of course was there with her knowledge of all things that open and close !! Either way, we did have to work together to get the club operating with as little disruption as possible..and we did it.
THE CLUB is great ! Near no lag ! Makes for smooth dance transitions and easy sl playing ! We will always be the only CLUB on this Sim and thanks to Shado and Zora we hope to be here for a long time to come.
THANK YOU TO OUR VIPS for supporting us ! WE continue to enjoy the times we all spend at the club and we loveeee seeing everyone walk in that door !
The option to rent land from Shado and Zora has always been an option for us and we are more than happy to be here !
Well....Thanks must be given to Shado, ( who had not slept all night and managed to rebuild walls etc ) Christian for jumping in when needed.....and well...myself for losing half the building ?? We wont go into that :) Quilla of course was there with her knowledge of all things that open and close !! Either way, we did have to work together to get the club operating with as little disruption as possible..and we did it.
THE CLUB is great ! Near no lag ! Makes for smooth dance transitions and easy sl playing ! We will always be the only CLUB on this Sim and thanks to Shado and Zora we hope to be here for a long time to come.
THANK YOU TO OUR VIPS for supporting us ! WE continue to enjoy the times we all spend at the club and we loveeee seeing everyone walk in that door !
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)