Cartoon of the Day

Taken at Club Cutlass

Bu Bixyl Shuftan

Happy Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July from the Second Life Newser

World Peace Flag Garden

This Fourth of July, there are a number of places one can get an American flag. But there's one that not only allows you to get one for free, but also flags of most of the nations of the world, each of the fifty United States, Canada's provinces, and some international and movement flags. It's the World Peace Flag Garden, and it offers them for free.

Free  flags of all nations.  Hand-held, modifiable for your build.  Free patriotic swim trunks, gym shorts, speedos, shirts.  Camping for world peace.  In Second Life, good people of all nations meet in friendship.

Most every nation is represented here. There's also flags for a number of territories and islands. Some places in the news in recent years, such as Kosovo and Hong Kong, are represented. Some are not recognized by all, such as Taiwan and Northern Cypress. And there's Nepal's double-triangle. There's also a box with a modifiable flag and various textures of American Indian flags. Another box has various "Pride" flags.

The place is owned by Edd Thor, whom also owns the Thor's Oak Christian Men's Center (aka Men's Recreation Center and Chapel) next to it. There, one can pick up some free clothes, skins, and jewelry.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Odaesan/85/151/42

Bixyl Shuftan

SL Video: "Michael Jackson Black or White"

(Click here if the video does not play)

From Chrristtine Miller on August 2017

SL17B Swaginator Hunt

Like other Second Life Birthday celebrations in the past few years, this one has a gift hunt by Linden Lab. Called the "Swaginator," the objective here is to go from one destination after another, collecting the gifts, or "swag," along the way.

To get the gifts, you'll need the HUD. The SL17B Swaginator HUD is at the entrance area of the Birthday grounds at SL17B Beguile (16/117/53) , a short walk from where you TP in. Finding the sign, touch it to get your LDPW - SL17B Swaginator HUD.

Wearing the HUD, you get a clue to where the first gift is, as well as a location to port to. Getting to the first spot, the Swaginator both won't be immediately in sight, but some distance away on another side of the structure next to you. The second one, the gift will be inside a place some distance away, but still on the island you're at. The third gift was the hardest for me to find, but eventually I did (it's not in a different sim). The ones afterward were easier to find.

There are a total of six gifts to grab in the SL17B Swaginator hunt. The gifts consist of three "floaties," including one that's really a raft, and three mole garden gnomes. There's no bonus for finding all six. Just the challenge of a little game, and a few items you're likely to find some use out of this simmer in Second Life.

Don't forget to check the SL17B grounds, notably the gift shop area, for some more gifts.

Bixyl Shuftan

News and Commentary: Reflections On The SL17B

Different Second Life Birthday events are remembered for different things. The previous one, the SL16B, was "Sweet Sixteen," when Linden Lab got back into full control and had a 1950's theme, and the ending of some traditions such as the "Cake Stage," at least for now. The SL15B was our "Crystal Anniversary," and the first of the "Swaginator" gift hunts by Linden Lab, and would turn out to be the last resident-run anniversary event, and the last of the Cake Stage and Stage Left builds. The SL14B, "Carnivalesque" will be known for it's "Dragon Island" and "Stage Left" two-sim "Guardian." "Unlucky Thirteen" was lucky in some ways with Loki Eliot's tribute to a kids' game show and Madpea's "Mad Monster Island," and it's "Stage Left" then, sometimes called The Librarian. The SL12B had it's "party velociraptor" gift avatar from Linden Lab, and Linden Lab was starting to step back in the events with "Music Fest" and "Meet the Lindens."

For people, age seventeen is thought of as the last year someone's a "kid" and the year before they get some of the privileges and responsibilities of being an adult, at least in Western developed countries. "One more year and Second Life gets to vote" I would hear more than once. Maybe it's with this in mind Linden Lab chose as it's theme "Vacations and Road Trips," or "Road Trip" as I heard it called for short a few times. And this is what helped distinguish this year, allowing the resident exhibitors more freedom to build what they wanted. And people made a variety of things from the playground of Rocket City's community to Fiona Fei's "Conversation with a Stranger" art exhibit. to Suika Manamoko's Bleriot XI exhibit that was a tribute to an early aviation pioneer, and of course Silva Ametza's tropical vacation island build for the Newser's exhibit, there were many examples.

In this birthday party, the residents had more than a few gifts. The gift shop area had a number of things from clothes to a toy airplane. And there were gifts in the exhibit areas as well. The GTFO game people had a place one could get a gift car. One wasn't so much a lasting gift as a free ride rental. Teegle set up a place one could get a temporary horse or horse and carriage and ride it for as long as they wanted until they detatched it (or crashed).

One difference between this anniversary event and others in recent years was this one was taking place at a time Second Life's numbers have been rising instead of slowly falling. So there were likely more people at the SLB this time than in the past few years. This may have been the reason for some residents complaining about more lag.

At the "Meet the Lindens" events, there were no revelations that were particularly earth-shaking. There was some talk about the move of Second Life data from existing servers to Cloud servers. It was also mentioned the number of Moles in the Linden Department of Public Works was increased from about twenty to thirty due to work on Bellissaria. Work on a mobile device continues. Sansar is no longer really an issue, save for those Lindens that returned from working on it (some such as Torley apparently stayed). There are no new games in development, though it was mentioned the Paleoquest game *might* get an upgrade in the future. And new user experiences are still being examined for what works and what doesn't. The effect the Pandemic has had on day to day Linden Lab operations has been described as "minimal." The revelation that got the most attention seems to be the latest kind of Linden Home, the stilt houses. But they won't be available for some time to come.

There was much greenery and other natural scenery around, such as the forest area around the main stage. The auditorium was also different as it was a stage with an open seating area. Some liked it. Others didn't, and while I didn't personally hear it, there were likely some whom wondered if there was a connection between this and perceived greater lag. Was it really greater? I seemed to have more trouble going about the Meet the Linden events and concerts more than walking the Relay Weekend this year, crashing a lot. So my personal answer is "maybe."

And of course, there were the residents whom missed "The Cake." Nancy Clowes personally came up with a partial solution with her own SL17B birthday cake. With no Cake Stage for two years in a row, perhaps next year we'll see some cakes of some kind among the exhibits.

In any event, it was quite a "road trip." And the Newser was happy to be part of it. Special thanks once again to Silvia Ametza for her well-done exhibit. And of course thanks to the Lindens and Moles for making sure things went smoothly. And now that our "busy season" is coming to a close (we still have some things to write about), we can get back to topics that were left on the back burner.

See you at the SL18B.

Bixyl Shuftan

Announcement: This Saturday at The Science Circle - "Science Cafe"

"Science Cafe"

Saturday July 4,

10 AM to 11 AM SL time

In the months of July and August, our weekly presentation hour is replaced by the Science Cafe.

Text chat conversations

Subject selected by means of a Poll on the calendar page of our website.

How do we improve science communication in the social media era? (6 votes)

 

Big Data and AI: the two heads Janus of our time (9 votes)

 

Plastic debris is found everywhere on the planet. How do we clean up and ecologically dispose of that debris? How do we keep plastics under control? (11 votes)

 For more information, Click Here.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/164/184/22

Homes For Our Troops Raises Over 126,000 Lindens

On Saturday June 27, the monthly benefit concert to raise money for the Homes For Our Troops charity took place. The concert took place at Veterans Isle, and was organized in part by musician Frets Nirvana.

Next week we celebrate the birth of our country.  And tonight we will be honoring those who have suffered so much for our freedom.  We are conducting our monthly benefit for Homes For Our Troops tonight with a great lineup of performers who are donating their time to help this great cause.

A number of performers, one DJ and several live musicians, took part. The event started at 4PM with DJ Waya Snowpaw. At 5PM, the popular Max Kleen took to the stage with his guitar. It was Harmonia Trefoil's turn to sing to the audience at 6PM. 7PM was when Turner Harbrough had his turn. Last but not least at 8 PM was J Lively. As the musicians played for the crowd, people donated to two house-shaped kiosks on either side of the stage. Occasionally someone would challenge the others to donate a certain amount, throwing in an equal amount of his or her own when the challenge was met.

At the end of the event, a total of 126,100 had been raised in both kiosks combined.

To learn more about Homes for Our Troops, check the website at https://www.hfotusa.org

Bixyl Shuftan

EOTB: Second Life Destinations - Vive La Paris

While the Coronavirus crisis has mostly shut down world travel, one can do some virtual vacationing here in Second Life. This week in the Linden Blog, the latest Second Life Destinations is a tribute to a favorite global tourist spot: Vive La Paris.

Designed by longtime SL resident Trouble Dethly Crystal, Vive La Paris was built as a special gift by the creator for his girlfriend in Argentina.  

“Whether it is her favorite song posters adorning the walls of the music store, the outdoor gallery of some my favorite images by her, to the cheese and flower shop and everything in between, the region is my love letter to her,” says Dethly. 

Highlights of the region featured in the video include the Eiffel Tower, shops, cafes, and an outdoor exhibit of Second Life photography. 

“Initially, the region was only meant to be rented for two weeks like the other date experiences I have taken her on, where I would hire a couple of live singers for a private show...This time I even had a friend roleplay as a waitress so we could experience a full-service dinner. It was after this date that Ara and I decided to keep the region to share with others to explore, to use as a backdrop for their photographs, or even take their partner or friends for a full-service roleplay dinner.”




There was also a video made by Draxtor Despress.


https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Simpson%20Bay/122/80/26/

Accouncement: "We Will Be Heard" Discussion Panel

"Join us for a lively panel discussion. July 6, 2020, 6PM SL time."

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Moonsong/250/195/4002 (Sempiternal Cult Land)

Cartoon of the Day: Sheepish Trouble

Taken at the Happy Vixen

By Bixyl Shuftan

Playstation 5 vs XBox Series X : Which is Better?

Many Second Life users, probably most, don't spend all of our screen-time here, but will occasionally play games. Some of us will play them on the computer as well. Others prefer game consoles. Two of the most popular brands have been Playstation and XBox. Playstation recently revealed their latest in their line, the Playstation 5. XBox's latest, the Series X, won't be around until later this month, but some information about it has been revealed. So which is better? Cyfir (Cyfiremmerich) takes a look at the two and compares.

Read Cyfir's story in Other Grids, MMOs, and Games.

Happy Canada Day

Happy Canada Day, from the crew of the Second Life Newser

From Sky View (135/231/22)

SL Video: "Railroads Made in Second Life - Part 5"

(Click here if the video does not play)

Part Five of the "Railroads Made in Second Life" series from Draxtor Despress and Hrdtop75 Deluxe, "The series concludes in episode five featuring an interview with VP of Product Operations Patch Linden, who discusses the important role of railways within the expansive infrastructure of the massive Bellisseria continents (where thousands of Residents reside within Linden Homes)"

Events This Week at the Sunweaver and Montecito Bay Clubs and Furry Fashion Lounge

Here's what's going on at the Sunweaver, the Montecito Bay clubs, and the Furry Fashion Lounge.
 
Club Cutlass: Best in "M", Stripes and Spots, 4rth of July

Happy Vixen: Sparkly and Flashy, TBA,  Horned, Scales and Skins, Long and Fluffy Tails, TBA, Leather and Latex, Bikinis and Boots

Club Zero Gravity: TBA

Montecito Bay: TBA

Furry Fashion Lounge: Celtic/Best in Green, Fantasy, Cyberpunk, Red, White and Blue, Metal, Late Night, Retro

Read the schedules in SL Clubbin'.

Reader Submitted: SL17B Fireworks

 From Nisha Flamefeather. She took pictures of the fireworks over the SL17B grounds in the last few hours, and sent them to the Newser.

More of her pictures can be seen on her Flickr page.

SL Video: "Railroads Made in Second Life - Part 4"

(Click here if the video does not play)

From Draxtor Despress on June 23, the fourth in a series of videos on Second Life railways. The episode, "highlights the communities surrounding the ZZR (Zany Zen Railway), which was built by Zen Swords-Galway. As you travel the ZZR, you’ll discover a variety of quirky communities and unique attractions including the small Welsh seaside town Little Coverston."

Exhibits at the SL17B, "Conversations With A Stranger" And One Billion Rising

The events of the Second Life Birthday, at least the official ones, are over. But the exhibits will be up for a while longer. As busy Gemma Cleanslate was with her volunteer duties, she had the chance to check out two. One was "Conversations With A Stranger" by noted artist Fiona Fei. The other was the one by the women's rights group One Billion Rising.

Read Gemma's story in Places.

The Last SL17B Events, Officially

The Second Life Birthday had a lot of events. But this past weekend were the last ones that were planned. Friday at 2PM was the last of the Meet the Lindens events, "Meet the Moles." For those who missed it, you can check out the video of it here.

You can also check out the other "Meet the Lindens" videos: Ebbe Linden, Patch Linden, Oz Linden, and the Marketing Team. We may do an in-depth look at one or more of the discussions later.

Besides the discussions at the Auditorium, there were music performances at the DJ booth. On Saturday June 27, DJ Tantari played her music for a crowd.

DJ Tantari's been in the Newser a few times, such as her 2015 interview, and her guide on how to DJ.

 And there would be live singers at the Main Stage.

Nance Clowes would also have a larger version of her SL17B Cake by the stage.

In the last few hours of official events, there were fireworks at the DJ booth.

Some left, but others hung around to the end.

Some of the fireworks formed words. They were too blurry for me to make out with the lag. But  Cayenne Republic posted a link to a picture in the birthday group chat.

While the official events are done, the exhibits are still there, and will be there until July 12. And with most of the people gone, this is when the lag is less, and those with older computers or otherwise have difficulty with Second Life can have less trouble sightseeing. It should be noted that this isn't necessarily the last of the events. There will likely be an unofficial final farewell party shortly before the sims are truly closed down.

Stay tuned for a few more articles about the Second Life Seventeenth Birthday.

Bixyl Shuftan

SL Video: "Railroads Made in Second Life - Part 3"

(Click here if the video does not play)

Part three of the "Railroads Made in Second Life" series from Draxtor Despress and Hrdtop75 Deluxe. Here, "both Drax and Hrdtop75 explore the ONSR (Okemo Nakiska and Southern Railway), located in the snowland regions of the Sansara continent. The ONSR spans across 13 regions and serves 10 stations for a roundtrip averaging about 22 minutes."

Announcement: This Week at the Seanchai Libraries

THIS WEEK: A Great Month of Great Weeknight Series Concludes!
Join us this week for stories, presented LIVE in Second Life, and on Seanchai Library's properties in Kitely.

All events at Holly Kai Estates (215/44/27) , unless otherwise noted.

All stories told in open voice unless otherwise noted. All times SL/PT

 * * * * *

 *MONDAY, June 29th, at 7pm:  Diana Duane's SPOCK'S WORLD concludes with Gyro Muggins.

*TUESDAY, June 30th:
Both events today will be in The Glen
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Holly%20Kai%20Estates/220/60/2966

   ~ at Noon: RUSSELL EPONYM, Live in the Glen with music and poetry in Ceiluradh Glen.

 ~  a 7pm:  Thornton Wilder's THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY, concludes with Willow Moonfire, live on stream.

*WEDNESDAY, July 1st, at 7pm: Kerry Greenwood's THE PHRYNE FISHER MYSTERIES, concludes with Corwyn Allen, live on stream.

*THURSDAY,  July 2nd

~  at 7pm: THE NIGHT STALKER: "Barrens" Shandon Loring presents an adventure from Kolchak: the Night Stalker Chronicles  by Chuck Dixon (Also in Kitely!  Find teleport from the main Seanchai World grid.kitely.com:8002:SEANCHAI)

~  at 9pm: SEANCHAI LATE NIGHT- Contemporary Sci-Fi-Fantasy with Finn Zeddmore, featuring stories from Escape Pod, Light Speed, and Clarkesworld Magazines as well as other source.