Valentine's Day is coming ... Do you want to shout your love from the rooftops? Do you want to share a secret? You can do both with the special Valentine's feature in The Primgraph!

This month we will be publishing a special classified section - for YOUR Valentine's Day messages. You can tell your love in twenty words or - at the far end of the scale - book a double page spread. There's a size - and a price - to suit all pockets.

And there will be all the fun of reading ... and guessing ... And wondering who on earth could Snookles of Babbage or Sweetlips of Caledon really be ... Deadline for receiving your order is January 20th!

Roleplay games. Lots of us luv em. Lots of us lived em in livejournal and elsewhere. Allow me a bragging moment about my amazing city in Second Life, New Babbage. Today, January 8th, is the 3rd anniversary of our virtual steampunk city, and we celebrate that in our own wacky way... with a roleplay mystery to solve!

A gift for you! There's a free Holly Hat in a gift box on the stone wall at the CocoaJava Cafe. Happy Solstice!

And in the spirit of the season, Steam Santa recently paid a visit to New Babbage. Ooooh! Let's watch, shall we?

As a Prim Perfect staff writer, I am very pleased to announce the publication of our Christmas 2009 issue. Personally, this is my second favorite issue ever (the Halloween issue last month still rates as my personal fave.) Winter on Wolf Mountain... with a side trip via motorcycle to Route 66. It's all here, in droves. The photography is astounding, the writing is great, and really, the fact that we stuffed one magazine full with good solid information nearly all about ONE region pays testament to the value and scope of that region! Wolf Mountain, in a word... rocks.

If I haven't managed to convince you to read this issue, please go scan the offical announcement at our Prim Perfect Blog.

If I have indeed convinced you - there's no time to lose! Dive directly into the magazine right now, right here! See you on the slopes!

I am sharing this news on behalf of Miss Canolli Capalini.

Get your typing fingers in shape, sharpen that imaginative mind of yours, and prepare to enter the 2nd Annual R.F. Burton Library Flash Fiction Contest. We had such a blast with that last year and I was personally WOW'd by all the entrants, I thought we'd do it again!

Theme: Victorian robotics/automatons/automatic men(or women(or children))/steampowered mechas/etcetera
Length: 600 words or less
Deadline: December 20, 2009
Details: Put your story on a notecard, check for spelling errors, and include your name and the word count. Drop your ORIGINAL story notecard in a box in the library. Entries will be featured in a book that will be available at the library in January. All entrants retain copyright, but grant permission to have their submissions used, without compensation, in the commemorative book.
Prize: Grand prize of 2500 lindens and every participant gets included in the commemorative book.

Now last year, there were some questions and I'll go ahead and address those here. This *IS* a contest, with a prize of 2500 lindens. The winner is chosen BY me, at my discretion. It will be the first story in the book. Now, last year, we let the title of the grand prize winner select the title of the book.. but I'll be honest. I'm rather fond of the title "Dialogues" and find it very fitting. So the title will remain Dialogues, vol. 2.
Original Illustrations and artwork are welcomed and will be included in the volume. *IF* your first language is NOT english, the story may be submitted in your primary language; Just please submit it early enough for us to obtain a translation or submit an english version as well.
If your entry does not include the title of the piece, your name, word count.. it will be dismissed and "the angels will weep for you".

Bear in mind, this is flash fiction (600 words or less). You're not telling an epic, but rather giving us a moment in time.. that can imply something epic, or it can just be that.. a moment in time. This can be one of the easiest and one of the hardest genres to fill.

This time, ladies and gentlemen, the deadline is absolute. Mrs. Capalini's typist has the week prior to Christmas off from her RL job and will be taking that time to compile all the stories into the glorious book to match the first volume. So, get those ideas crackin' and help add to the uniqueness of the New Babbage Public Library's stacks.

This contest is not open JUST for New Babbagers. If you are an aspiring writer or just.. inspired and frequent ANY of the steamlands and/or Caledon, this contest is open to you as well.

To quote our Mayor, the Clockwinder, Mosseveno Tenk...

"Take a bow, New Babbage. You done good."

The Steamlands are quite abuzz over the events in this, the first ever Fleet Week. Watch the shores of New Babbage for the following events. The week will culminate with the Uniform Ball at Piermont Landing. This correspondent is sure the festivites will be nautical but nice!

New Babbage Presents
Fleet Week
The first ever gathering of Second Life's Steamland Navies!
Shipbuilders Contest * WindJammers Race*Submarine Races * Epic Ironclad Battles * Naval Review * Uniform Ball
New Babbage * November 15-21

THURSDAY 11/19
* Epic Iron Melee, 7PM SLT...featuring the navies of the steamlands, slugging it out on the open ocean.

FRIDAY 11/20
* Fleet Review, 1PM SLT ... wherein the state-based navies of the Steamlands, in their finest regalia, present themselves for Review by the Public.

SATURDAY 11/21
* Windjammer Race, 11AM SLT ... wherein the fastest tall masted and wind-powered ships compete in a heartstopping contest.

* Submarine Races, 2PM SLT ... wherein our finest submariners - and their daring mechanical marvels - will compete in an underwater tournament.



* Uniform Ball at Piermont Landing, 6PM SLT ... wherein uniformed officers and the Public dance the night away at a nautical-themed Ball hosted by Breezy Carver at Piermont Landing in New Babbage.

If you've missed sitting around the campfire at October Country... you'll look forward to its return! Martian Wei is busily arranging the logs and striking a match for the bonfire. The first show will begin at 5pm SLT on Saturday, November 14th. Location to be announced.

Get back in the loop for updates and news:

Website: October Country Radio

Twitter: ocradio

Second Life Group: In "Search", go to "Groups", search 'October Country', join.

Spread the word!

The Primgraph needs some steampunk Christmas imagery. You are the steampunk crazed artist who can do it. Who better than our readers to create a lovely bit of Christmas tinged with good old steampunk imagination?

For a prize of 3000L, create an original bit of Steampunk Christmas for our Primgraph holiday issue.

The final image should be provided as either a Tiff, Jpeg, or PNG file, with a resolution of 200 pixels per inch and measuring anywhere between 512 or 1024 pixels large. It can be colour or black & white (or sepia?). Dive into Photoshop or Gimp or whatever is your weapon of choice! Show us your vision of a Steampunk Christmas and we'll use the top 3 images in the Primgraph with a feature page and 3000L for the wining image and artist.

Think fireplace,
Think tree,
Think corset,
Think tophat,
Think skates,
Think santa,
Think sleds,
Think zeppelins,
Think mechanical wonders,
Think steam.

Here's a lovely example found on the web

Have fun!

Entries must be received at the.primgraph@gmail.com by November 20th. All decisions are final. (Contest also open to Primgraph staff)

What happens when two talk show hosts attempt a 'routine' interview in New Babbage? What could possibly go wrong? Got 25 minutes? Not easily frightened? It's Halloween, but surely that is just a coincidence..... or is it?

Designing Worlds - New Babbage Edition

Prim Perfect is looking for a Graphic Designer to join an amazing team!

This is a rare opportunity to work with one of the most highly regarded and fastest growing media groups within Second Life. Prim Perfect Publications consists of three distinct productions: Prim Perfect magazine (Second Life’s premier home and gardens magazine), Designing Worlds (the Treet TV show for design and designers in virtual worlds), and The Primgraph (Second Life vintage and steampunk magazine).

We wish to hire an energetic, enthusiastic, and proactive individual who can be part of the team responsible for designing and laying out Prim Perfect to create new editions of this stunning magazine, which is scheduled to appear every six weeks.

The successful candidate will have attitude, aptitude, and appetite. A proven ability to meet deadlines is essential.

You will be a creative person with a flair for magazine design. You will have the flexibility to work with different writers and photographers, and the organisation skills to work to a set schedule.

You will work both independently and with the various production and editorial teams, so good communication skills are a must.

Job responsibilities include: laying out the magazine using an high-end DTP package*; assigning photographers to stories; taking the odd photograph yourself when needed; assigning different level of advertising space throughout the magazine and integrating it within the layout.

* we would strongly prefer the successful candidate to use Adobe InDesign.

Knowledge of DTP and Photoshop are essentials, as is experience in RL print and/or online rich content design. A passion for virtual world design would be an advantage.

Applicants should have at least six months experience in Second Life. Applicants should have real life experience of the design process and key issues affecting designers.

Payment will be on a profit share basis.

Applicants should apply in writing to primperfect@gmail.com, giving:
Avatar Name:
Rezz Date:
Employment experience in Second Life:
Any real life experience you believe may be relevant:
Why you believe you are a suitable candidate for this position:
The names and contact details of two SL references:

CLOSING DATE: November 10th. Successful applicants will be asked to complete a design task and to attend an interview.

For more information about Prime Perfect Publications see:
http://www.primperfect.net/

Join Us Today - for a spooky Designing Worlds in New Babbage! (follow the link to read about today's show in tantalizing detail.)

What is Designing Worlds, you may ask? It is a live weekly show covering design and designers in the virtual worlds. The show goes out live every Tuesday at 2pm SLT, and is presented by Saffia Widdershins, the Editor of Prim Perfect Magazine, and Elrik Merlin of Radio Riel. Archives of past shows can be found at Treet TV

The Halloween issue of Prim Perfect is out! I've been sooo anticipating the release of this one, as it's possibly the most fun I've had yet writing for the publication. Hanging out with Ceres Eilde and Cutea Benelli was a hoot - and roaming the strange and dark lands of Arkham, Dunwich and Kingsport was the scariest fun I've had in a long time.

You are really going to enjoy this issue. And! Once you've read it, you're going to want to visit those Lovecraftian lands. What timing! There's a Darke Carnival starting in Arkham on Thursday. I'll see you there -- if I'm still alive.

In the wake of the wholesale theft of sims and content, creators, writers and those who simply wish to support creators with their purchases have banded together to form Step Up! The Step Up! blog has lots of information on the campaign, which will culminate in Step Up! Day on November 5th.

In-world, you can pick up an info pack at the Prim Perfect Main Offices in Oliveto.

A machinima by Toxic Menges:

Issue 8 of The Primgraph is now available! This is the spookiest issue of this publication ever! Join us as we explore the Dark Victorian sims of Winterfell. You'll also find heaps of news about the steampunk sims, a fantabulous ghost story set in New Babbage and written by the city's maceholder, the newest installment of The Quest for the Golden Prim, and so very, very much more!

From PJ Trenton's haunting cover art, all the way through to the contributor's credits, the Primgraph will hold you... spellbound!

If you haven't already heard, the new Prim Perfect Issue #20: Fall In New England is out! I can't improve on Saffia Widdershins blog post about the new issue - truly, her announcement is a work of art in itself, complete with dazzling photos drawn from the pages of this spectacular issue.

So please, follow the hotlink above, let the announcement set the mood, and then treat yourself to a hot spiced apple cider (or Fall drink of your choice!) and relax with our latest Prim Perfect magazine. Your eyes will thank you!

When visiting New Babbage, one should be sure to fall into the Vernian Deep! You'll be glad you drowned. Er, did.

[Huzzahs to Miss Viv Trafalgar for nifty camerawork.]

First it was a concept (which grew out of a milk bottle, believe it or not.) Then it was a web comic, and now - it's a podcast! In the very first Quest for the Golden Prim podcast, Gabrielle Riel talks with Saffia Widdershins and PJ Trenton about the creation of the quest.

The time for secrets...is at an end!

The New Champagne Rooms is turning TWO! Come and join us as we celebrate our second anniversary at Jersey Island this Monday, August 24th from 8-10pm SLT. The sensational Miss Vivienne Dufaux will be spinning dance tunes and your lovely Champagne Ladies will be up on the ball room floor ready to dance the night away with YOU! It's time to party!!

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Jersey%20Island/222/99/500