I can’t stand the Second Life nightclub scene. My computer, an aging eMachine, locks up when 40 maxed-out avatars focus their lag-draining abilities in a single spot while doing “V^V^V^ HOOOOOOO! ^V^V^V” gestures ad nauseam.

So when I decided to write on a business owned my someone in my group’s roster, and I picked club owner Zoe Bowie, my spirits sank.

Fortunately, Baker Street Station was one of the best clubs I’ve been to. Zoe and her coterie of entertainers made a trip out a fun hour, and I’ll be back next time I see her on. She was kind enough to provide an interview on a slow night.

Saunders Baxton: hello
Zoe Bowie: alrighty then
Zoe Bowie: Obviously, this is the club
Zoe Bowie: We’re a london-undeground/train themed venue
Zoe Bowie: I built it, I’m a bit of a trainspotter in RL lol

Saunders Baxton: ah.
Saunders Baxton: it’s well built.

Zoe Bowie: like our staff
Zoe Bowie: we also have a small shopping centre down here
Zoe Bowie: come and see

Saunders Baxton: forgive my computer

Zoe Bowie: Is it just me or is SL really #*&^*&^@ laggy lately??
Zoe Bowie: i’ve not been about for a while…
Zoe Bowie: seems slower

Saunders Baxton: that’s the second thing i was hesitant to say.

Zoe Bowie: I used to be able to claim to be virtually lag free lol

Saunders Baxton: i guess with 70000 users it bogs a bit

Zoe Bowie: not like it was in my day lol
Zoe Bowie: I joined in March 04… v 1.2 lol

Saunders Baxton: i can imagine with havok, sculpts, zany interfaces… and now web on a prim…
Saunders Baxton: something must be giving at the seams somewhere.

Zoe Bowie: oh man, sculpts
Zoe Bowie: they still excite me
Zoe Bowie: and not just coz I finally got decent shoes lol

Zoe Bowie: you want to see the skyboxes?

Saunders Baxton: sure
Zoe Bowie: one I’m quite proud of architecturally lol

Zoe Bowie: the best built box and probably of the whole club
Zoe Bowie: is the middle one
Zoe Bowie: this is our Signal Box

Zoe Bowie: a private dance suite, we use it for parties too

Saunders Baxton: looks like a pretty happening place.

Zoe Bowie: bachelor parties etc do well up here
Zoe Bowie: it’s a replica of the one on the wall
Zoe Bowie: my friend Bob worked on this one with me
Zoe Bowie: sadly he left SL
Zoe Bowie: got married or something

Zoe Bowie: we also have two skyboxes for escorting and parties
Zoe Bowie: one designed for couples and one for groups, heheh
Zoe Bowie: want a quick peek?

Saunders Baxton: sure, thanks

Zoe Bowie: I don’t know why I let someone persuade me to fit a sex bathroom
Zoe Bowie: but it makes it feel more like an actual house I think heheheh

Zoe Bowie: but I drew the line at a sex toilet
Zoe Bowie: this place very much reflects my standards
Zoe Bowie: my one big rule is no slavery
Zoe Bowie: it’s all pretty straightforward
Zoe Bowie: menu driven

Saunders Baxton: very well decorated.

Zoe Bowie: heheheh thanks I make all my own textures
Zoe Bowie: we call this one “the Station Master’s House”

Saunders Baxton: are the posters from local documents?

Zoe Bowie: London, yeah

Zoe Bowie: come back down and I’ll show you the waiting room

Saunders Baxton: okay.

Zoe Bowie: this next skybox locks lol
Zoe Bowie: so don’t miss the time window

Saunders Baxton: ok
Zoe Bowie: ugh there’s so much LITTER in the skies these days
Zoe Bowie: this is our waiting room
Zoe Bowie: fun for two, three or more, lol
Zoe Bowie: the bed and the middle rug have tons of animations
Zoe Bowie: and the sofa and chair set is the same as the house’s

Saunders Baxton: here’s something i’ve not seen ever, poseballs that aren’t the default pink and blue balls… lol

Zoe Bowie: We have staff meetings up here sometimes, lol

Zoe Bowie: back down then
Zoe Bowie: well now that’s about it
Zoe Bowie: we don’t have the whole sim here, just about 8 sq km of it

Saunders Baxton: still nice and spacious, it doesn’t seem like anything to box one in.

Zoe Bowie: I’ve tried to make it interesting with texture rather than clutter

Saunders Baxton: would you or scarlette like your pictures on the blog?

Zoe Bowie: sure, I’ll hop on the pole
Zoe Bowie: this is basically a labour of love for me
Zoe Bowie: it used to be back in the day I made enough money from my fashion business to pay my tier
Zoe Bowie: but I’ve not been able to keep that up, people aren’t buying like they used to
Zoe Bowie: but I don’t mind, I love SL lol

Zoe Bowie: and it’s important to have nice clubs that aren’t the huge moneymaking efforts
Saunders Baxton: yes, true.

Zoe Bowie: this is all about having great japes, not profit

Zoe Bowie: mention in your blog, there’s a shortage of decent event hosts lol

Saunders Baxton: will do.

Zoe Bowie: trivia is our specialty here
Zoe Bowie: but I’d love to get more diversity of events
Saunders Baxton: i see… have you heard of primtionary?
Zoe Bowie: Is this the latest game fad?
Zoe Bowie: I remember Tringo, does anyone still play that? that was cool lol
Zoe Bowie: remember in SL years I’m likje a pensioner
Saunders Baxton: like a circular back and forth monopoly
Zoe Bowie: our big game here is Strip Trivia

Zoe Bowie: the Thinkers meet here too

Saunders Baxton: I’ll have to look them up…

Zoe Bowie: my original account founded the Thinkers, lol
Zoe Bowie: we were the first and still are the biggest philosophy group in SL
Zoe Bowie: I’m actually quoted by Hamlet Linden in the official SL book, pr something
Zoe Bowie: we have brains and boobs here lol

Zoe Bowie twirls round her pole with glee

Zoe Bowie: I realised pretty early on that SL sex is unique
Zoe Bowie: it’s got a comedy value to it that chat room cybersex just doesn’t have

Zoe Bowie: and you retain the privacy you lose when you cam
Zoe Bowie: long time no see guys how you been?

Landis Allen: been good thanks so much

Kessa Corvale: mmmm, fandamned tatsic, and you hun?

Zoe Bowie: Saunders is going to write about us on his blog

Landis Allen: thats cool

Zoe Bowie: have you guys heard of avatars united?
Zoe Bowie: it’s like facebook for virtual people
Zoe Bowie: that’s how Saunders heard of us

Kessa Corvale: hello Saunders

Zoe Bowie: where you from, Saunders?

Saunders Baxton: Maine

Saunders Baxton: my ex-boss ran an antique shop
Saunders Baxton: this was supposed to be her avatar

Landis Allen: i see

Saunders Baxton: i swiped it back
Saunders Baxton: her last name was saunders

Zoe Bowie: you look like someone who would have an antique shop

Landis Allen: hehehe yes he does
Landis Allen: or an appraiser off of antique road show

Saunders Baxton: hehe, thanks… for a while i was trying to hire myself out as an SL butler

Zoe Bowie: OMG you know what I forgot when I rebuilt?

Kessa Corvale: hmmmm a butler eh

Zoe Bowie: SIR JIMMY!!!

Landis Allen: omg

Zoe Bowie: how could I?????????
Zoe Bowie: I’m going to hell for that

Saunders Baxton: what did you forget?

Zoe Bowie: our patron saint
Zoe Bowie: Sir Jimmy Saville

Kessa Corvale: get off you big bloke

Landis Allen: mine….

Saunders Baxton: never heard of him….

Zoe Bowie: maybe one for the brits lol
Zoe Bowie: it’s an old advertising slogan for british rail
Zoe Bowie: sir jimmy is a bit of a legend in the uk
Zoe Bowie: he used to present this show called “jim’ll Fix it”
Zoe Bowie: in which he granted kid’s wishes and you didn’t have to be dying or anything
Zoe Bowie tucks the tip into her stocking top and grins at Saunders, “thanks!”

(Author’s note: TIP ZOE!)

Zoe Bowie: it was brilliant

Saunders Baxton: yw.

Zoe Bowie: I grew up with sir jim
Zoe Bowie: he’s like 100 now and he still runs marathons for charity
Zoe Bowie: maybe even 200
Zoe Bowie: was senile to begin with

Zoe Bowie: lol

scarlette Cooperstone: i have too many things

Zoe Bowie: pshaw
Zoe Bowie: you’re only a month old
Zoe Bowie: you don’t know what a cluttered inventory is

Landis Allen: ummm lol scarlette

Kessa Corvale: hmmm how many items you got Scarlette

Zoe Bowie: in MY day, lol….

Landis Allen: exactly zoe, lol

scarlette Cooperstone: still i found a lots of freebies
scarlette Cooperstone: couldnt resist

Zoe Bowie: I got over 6000 items in this inventory and this is one of five accounts, and only the third oldest

scarlette Cooperstone: 10000

Landis Allen laughs

Kessa Corvale: hmmm, back up to 41,500

scarlette Cooperstone: too much..

Zoe Bowie: lol, 10,000????
Zoe Bowie: that’s amazing for a newb
Zoe Bowie: I am in awe

scarlette Cooperstone: yey

Zoe Bowie: you’re so l33t

scarlette Cooperstone: ??

Zoe Bowie: you may have 10,000 items
Zoe Bowie: but do you have a feather duster?

Landis Allen decides to not give scarlette a new freebie LM

Zoe’s Feather Duster: Zoe whips out the tickler!

scarlette Cooperstone: hehe
scarlette Cooperstone: gimmiigimmi!!

Zoe Bowie: oh here I have something feathery you’ll like scarlette

Landis’ Feather Tickler whispers: Landis whips out the tickler!

scarlette Cooperstone: its a shopin disease

Landis Allen: hehe

Kessa Corvale: saunders needs that for the butler job

Landis’ Feather Tickler is now aimed at Zoe Bowie

Zoe Bowie: LOL Landis

Landis Allen: hahaha

Zoe’s Feather Duster is now aimed at Landis Allen

scarlette Cooperstone: whats that zoe?

Landis’ Feather Tickler whispers: Landis runs the feathers up and down Zoe Bowie’s thigh.

Zoe Bowie: it’s a kick ass dancer’s outfit, scarlette
Zoe Bowie: best feathers on the grid

scarlette Cooperstone: ty hun

Zoe’s Feather Duster: Zoe stares at Landis Allen’s body and taps the tickler against her hand.

Landis’ Feather Tickler is now aimed at Saunders Baxton
Zoe Bowie: ah it’s lazy dancing using these things
Landis’ Feather Tickler is rubbed erotically against Saunders Baxton’s ass.
Author’s note: ( o_O )
Zoe’s Feather Duster is now aimed at scarlette Cooperstone

Saunders Baxton sneezes

Landis Allen laughs

Kessa Corvale: lol

Landis Allen laughs too

Zoe’s Feather Duster: Zoe runs the tickler along the bottoms of scarlette Cooperstone’s feet.

scarlette Cooperstone: yey!!

Zoe Bowie: it’s sooo lazy

Landis Allen: no music zoe?

Zoe Bowie: I should be ashamed

Zoe Bowie: nah I wasn’t planning on being on long enough to dj

Landis Allen: kk

Zoe Bowie: lemme get some radio

Kessa Corvale: no you shouldn’t Zoe

Saunders Baxton: nice to meet you all…
Zoe Bowie: cool beans
Landis Allen: cya man
Kessa Corvale: tc Saunders
Saunders Baxton: and thanks for the dusting, i’ve been gathering a layer. lol
Zoe Bowie: man my pc is slow tonight
Teleport completed from http://slurl.com/secondlife/Baker/142/86/38

Zoe invites Second Life users to check out her Baker Street Station group.