Events This Week at the Sunweaver and Montecito Bay Clubs, Furry Fashion, Urban Furry, and Club Scorn

 

Here's what's going on at the Sunweaver, Montecito Bay, Furry Fashion, Urban Furry, and Scorn clubs.

Club Cutlass: MTV Night, Wings, TBA

Happy Vixen: DJ Scratch, TBA, TBA, DJ Khyra

Club Zero Gravity: Snowy - Bunnies, Cats, and Foxes

 

Bouncing Bunny Beach Club:  DJ Snowy - Easter

Xanadu: DJ Jesse 

 

Montecito Bay:  CAYA, After Dark

Club Scorn: Th 8-12, Sat 2-12

 

Furry Fashion: TBA, TBA, Bunnies

 

Urban Furry :  DJ Juana, DJ Charlee, DJ Whiskey, DJ Vantox

 

Read the schedules in SL Clubbin'

 

 

RFL Purple Tears Steam Key Raffles

 

For anyone looking for a game at a discount, Team Purple Tears is doing a Steam key raffle fundraiser. Currently there are six games up to get tickets for, three of which today is their last day. 

 

Just a reminder that the March Purple Tears Steam Key Raffles are ending! Only 1 has any chances sold. Great odds to win!

Tickets are set at 1/10th the value of the game. Buy 4 chances and get a 5th one free!

Come on down to the Purple Tears HQ, raffles are in the back. 

 

 

The three games of which the raffle ends today are, Simulacra and Simulacra2, Hotel Renovator, and Settlement Survival. Three others, Resident Evil: Village, Bus Simulator 21, and Call of Duty: WW2, are available to buy tickets for until the end of April. 

 

Head to http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Choa%20Nu/184/171/37

 

Top Ten Relay Teams In Fundraising

 

 

The various teams for the Relay for Life in Second Life have been busy raising money from events to casual donations. And here's the top ten list for this morning (which is very much subject to change).

 

At number 10, the Free Spirit Hippie Brigade at 625,000 Linden dollars and Jade level.
Number 9 was the Debauche Dance Group with 748,000 Linden dollars, also at Jade level, but 2K shy of leveling.
For number 8, the Sunbeamers at 879,000 Linden dollars and Sapphire level.
At number 7, Team ACTS (Aether Chononauts Tiny Steps) with 898,000 Linden dollars, also at Sapphire level.
Number 6 was Camping For A Cure having raised 936,000 Linden dollars, at Sapphire level.
For number five, Alpha Hope Force at 938,000 Linden dollars, at Sapphire level.
Harmony for Hope was number four with 1,094,000 Linden dollars, and Emerald level.
Number three was Seekers of Hope having raised 1,227,000 Linden dollars or over $4,900 USD at Emerald level.
The number two team was Quest For A Cure at 1,503,000 Linden dollars or over $6,000 USD at Topaz level.
And number one team was The Sugar Skols at 2,776,000 Linden dollars or #11,100 USD at Crimson level.

 

Some well-known teams are further down the list, such as the Cure Chasers at 404,000 L, Roos With A Dream at 278,000 L, Purple Tears at 179,000 L, Ponies For Life at 135,000 L, SLCS at 98,000 L, Giant Snail Racers at 78,000 L, Meli's Maniacs at 68,000 and others. 

And as time goes on, the numbers and levels will continue to go up for the teams. Stay tuned for news about upcoming events such as the Relaystock and Fantasy Faire, and others.
 

To read the complete list: https://sasun.info/rfl_teams?s=total_desc 

 

Go Relay! 

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Weekend in Brief

 

 

There were a number of happenings this week. This included several Relay for Life fundraising ones. Among them was the seven hours of four DJs playing music at Woodland Groves Theme Park on Saturday March 28, including DJ Cynthia for Team Sunbeamers. The first two DJs raised a total of 44,000 Linden dollars, with the amount the second two raised pending. Sadly the sim the event took place on, Woodland Waves Adventure, may be closing soon.

 

 

Among the events on Sunday March 29 was the Bay City Food Truck Festival (which took me by surprise as I never got a press release or saw a mention of it in the Bay City Discord, and only found out when one of the city's gryphon friends told me). For two hours, there was music by DJ GoSpeed Racer while people danced the conga, played with the foam machine, sampled the foods, and voted for the best food truck, the prize going to TJ Hooker's "Adam's Ribs." The trucks stay up to April 15, that is those whose owners aren't worried about "Ever's Night."

 

More on these events later.

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Cartoon of The Day: Sunken Dance

 

 

 Taken at Club Balance. When one steps on things in SL, your avatar's height usually adjusts, but not always, resulting in feet that look like they're sunken in holes or soft ground. But with this guy having a lady friend on his shoulders, it looked less like a glitch and more like his feet really sunk in.

 

By Bixyl Shuftan

 

 

SL Video: "Forever"

 

 (click here if the video does not play)

 

 From Kazzdude1 on Jan 2010, "so i got bored again... decided to make a lil music video and test out the stuff on second life. song is breaking benjamin- forever. If u didnt notice, i cut the song to make it easier to edit.(didnt have enough footage). so yea Enjoy"

 

SL23B Announced: "The Golden Age of Hollywood," Applications For Exhibitors, Performers, Being Accepted

 

 Earlier today, Linden Lab announced it was planning for the Second Life 23rd Birthday, or SL23B. The theme this year is "The Golden Age of Hollywood."

 

Save the date! On June 23rd, Second Life turns 23. The 23rd annual Second Life birthday celebration (SL23B) will take place from June 18th through July 19th, 2026. Get ready for a full month of live music, performances, community exhibits, and celebrations across the grid.

This year’s theme is The Golden Age of Hollywood. Think classic cinema, red carpets, vintage glamour, and the magic of the silver screen. 

 

Linden Lab would also announce they were accepting applications for Exhibitors and Performers.

 

We are inviting Residents from across the community to create non-commercial exhibits that reflect the depth and diversity of Second Life. From art and roleplay to communities, nonprofits, and interactive experiences, exhibits highlight the many ways people connect and create together.

 

 

Performances are a major part of the SL birthday celebrations, bringing energy and entertainment to stages throughout the event. We are looking for a wide range of performers to join the festivities. DJs, live musicians, singers, dance troupes, theater groups, particle performers, lecturers, workshop hosts, and community storytellers are all welcome to apply. Performances help create the lively atmosphere that makes the birthday celebration memorable for visitors from around the world. 

 

Those interested in being an exhibitor for the SL23B need to fill out this form on Google docs.  Exhibitors are not required to follow the theme, though "We encourage you to share what makes your Second Life experience meaningful. Your interests. Your communities. Your creativity." Some exhibition sims will be Adult-rated, and you can apply to be in one. It's pointed out an exhibit cannot be commercial and one cannot sell anything there (you can offer gifts) or be blatantly advertising (simple mentions of sponsors are okay). Political messages are considered not appropriate for the celebration, and what is considered hateful content is prohibited. People are asked if they want a small, medium, or large plot, and will need to explain why if they want medium or large, and if it's water or land. As there are a finite number of plots, applying does not guarantee a spot. 

 

For performers, they need to fill out this form on Google docs.  While DJs and live musicians certainly come to mind, there can be others such as comedians, particle show makers, script class teachers, and more. They are also required to show up at least an hour before their sloted time and if late a replacement will be found to fill in the slot. They are also required to bring in their own audio stream. For events in Gemeral-rated sims, the clean versions of songs must be the ones used. 

 

Both those wishing to be exhibitors or performers have until May 18 to apply. Applications for SL23B volunteer staff and shops for the SL23B Shop and Hop will be offered at a later date. 

 

For the blog post in full: Click Here. 

 

Bixyl Shuftan

 

This Saturday at The Science Circle

 

Saturday March 28

 

    ~*~

 

At 10 AM PST  

 

Life Cycle of Stars: From Birth To Death

 

By George Djorgovski (SL: Curious George)  

 

More info here: https://www.vwbpe.org/event/ie-moon-base-selene-lunar-space-elevator-hub 

 

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/71/128/30

 

    ~*~

 

    NOTE: Non-members required to register once

    IM Jes Cobalt or Nymf Hathaway

╚══════════════════════════════ The Science Circle (72,129,30) ═╝  

 

RFL Sunbeamers: The Bicycle Blimp Challenge

 

 Remember the Sunbeamers' Air Show? For the event, some activities for the residents were set up, which are still up for the moment. Among them is the Bicycle Blimp Challenge, a three-dimensional race course  at the edge of Farshore Field in Sunlight Bay.

 

A bike blimp giver is at the start and finish part of the course. Just touch the giver, and a package will appear in your inventory. Rezz the box and open it, and the blimp will appear in your inventory. Just click and select "add," and after waiting for 20 seconds for scripts to load, you're ready to race. 

 

To start, go to just behind the start position (don't forget to press fly), and press the panel in front of you.  After a few seconds, the panel turns transparent, and there's a starting horn sound. Rush forward immediately and follow the course, going through the rings. If you miss a ring, you'll be penalized a few seconds. Try to complete it as fast as you can, though some may go up again after the race just to admire the scenery. 

The best time is by Journey Texan at 56.34 seconds. How fast can you go?

 

SURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunlight%20Bay/165/193/23 

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

RFL Announcement: Roos With A Dream's "Party at the Theme Park"

 

Roos' 'Party at the Theme Park' event on Saturday, March 28. We are raising money for 4 RFL teams, Cure Chasers, Sunbeamers, Warblood City Cancer Kickers (hoping to get Lia to SILVER) and the Roos.

Here is the schedule:

12-1pm Vic Mornington - representing Cure Chasers

1-3pm Cynthia Farshore - Sunbeamers

3-5pm Lia Suramowadu - Warblood City

5-7pm Autumn Grace Gardner Bliss - Roos


This DJ event is being held at the Woodland Grove sim sized theme park, so families with SL kids, and even SL kid based RFL teams can come over and try the rides while they are tuned into the stream.

We require no particular theme for your music, just keep it 'kid friendly' please.

Here is the slurl:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Woodland%20Waves%20Adventure/40/51/22
There is a teleporter from there to the event.

Please invite all your friends to come have fun with us.

Thank you for helping us raise money to eliminate cancer as a health issue, everywhere in the world. 

 

Facebook/Meta's Horizons Planned to Shut Down VR Option, Then Changed

 

Some Second Life users may remember Horizons, the virtual world created by Meta, the company behind Facebook. Announced in 2021 as the effort of Mark Zuckerberg's company to "build the Metaverse." But there was skepticism from the start as it's avatars had nothing below the waist, which was fodder for a number of jokes, including a few from Linden Lab and others in Second Life. As time went on, it became clear it was not attracting many people, and Meta netted only a fraction of the money it put in. Among the signs things weren't right, unlike Second Life, the people who worked on it did not spend time in the virtual world when off the clock. 

 

Earlier this month on March 17, it was announced that the software to use Horizons on VR headsets would no longer be available at the end of the month, and in June it would be taken offline. “We are separating the two platforms so each can grow with greater focus, and the Horizon Worlds platform will become a mobile-only experience,” the company stated on a community blog. The move came just weeks after Meta laid of a thousand workers from Reality Labs in January, the part of the company that works on it's virtual world. Besides VR, the virtual world can be accessed through a mobile app, which was remaining up. 

But a few days later, Meta backtracked, it's CEO announcing, “We have decided, just today in fact, that we will keep Horizon Worlds working in VR for existing games to support the fans who’ve reached out.” But, VR won't be the main focus, "Most of our energy is going towards mobile and the Meta Horizon Engine there."

Commentary: In Second Life, and Discord channels with SL users, yours truly heard several residents bring up Meta's decision to close Horizon's VR option, and react with smugness. The feeling was a multi-billion dollar company had gone up against the much smaller Linden Lab and the people behind VR Chat, and it couldn't even begin to compete with them, the company Mark Zuckerberg created losing big. Second Life, for all of it's Linden blunders over time, remains the champion virtual world. And a startup like Resonite can do more with a few people, a few dollars, and a little elbow grease and imagination, than a billion dollar megacorp that is all dollars and no brains and bare-bones effort. 

 

Image from Techcrunch 

 

Sources: Wired, Meta, PC Gamer, CNBC 

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

RFL Announcement: Sakura Fest Sign-Ups (Few Spots Left)

 

Sakura Fest: Warblood City 

Join us for a week-long celebration of cherry blossoms and community! 

We are officially recruiting teams to fill our festival grounds in support of Relay For Life of Second Life and the American Cancer Society.

This is a free event and all are welcome!

 Dates: April 6th – April 12th

 Location: Warblood City, Second Life
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Warblood%20Isle/107/180/21

Events This Week at the Sunweaver and Montecito Bay Clubs, Furry Fashion, Urban Furry, and Club Scorn

 

Here's what's going on at the Sunweaver, Montecito Bay, Furry Fashion, Urban Furry, and Scorn clubs.

Club Cutlass: Royalty, Sports, TBA

Happy Vixen: DJ Scratch, TBA, TBA, DJ Khyra

Club Zero Gravity: Snowy - Best in Spring

 

Bouncing Bunny Beach Club:  DJ Snowy - Wildlife

Xanadu: DJ Jesse 

 

Montecito Bay:  CAYA, After Dark

Club Scorn: Th 8-12, Sat 2-12

 

Furry Fashion: TBA

 

Urban Furry :  DJ Juana, DJ Charlee, DJ Whiskey, DJ Vantox

 

Read the schedules in SL Clubbin'

 

SL Video: "Relay For Life Cross Contry Race Abitibi to Noyo"

 

 (click here if the video does not play)

 

 From RacerX Gullwing on March 21, "The Giant Snails are racing across 40 sims Across the SL mainland down the streets of second life It's Relay season again and time for the longest race we do. The theme is cartoons"

 

It was a close race, with Tintillia Soothsayer winning by seconds. 

 

Latest On The Dahlia Linden Rocks

 

With everything else happening in Second Life, we almost forgot to check on one thing. Yours truly recalled the strange rocks Dahlia Linden was investigating, and went over to see what changed. 

 

Read the story in Extra. 

Drama Libre

 

In her latest story, reporter Netera Landar checked out the Drama Libre club. Having been around for almost 20 years and this September will have hosted it's 1000th party, what sets this venue apart is it has a different set for each one. Netera talked to Xerxes Sismondi, a co-founder of the club how it came to be, and some of what's happened over time. 

 

Read Netera's story in Places.  

 

VWPBE Conference Ends (Officially)

 

 After three days of discussions, the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference, the VWBPE officially ended on Saturday evening. The closing ceremony was at 5PM and an evening dance from 6 to 8 PM. But there were a few events on the program afterwards, including March 27 and 31. There's also one on April Fools Day. 

 

While the Newser could not be at all of the Discussions, it was at some, such as "Catching Up With The Lindens." We'll report more when time permits.

 

For those who want to visit the grounds, including some activity areas, https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23 .

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Cartoon of The Day: Dragon Orca

 

 Taken at the VWBPE conference. There was a dragon-sized avatar in the audience who looked a lot like an orca. So how could that have happened? I thought of one possibility.

 

By Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Alien at RFL Roos Saturday

 

In our "better late than never" category, on Saturday March 7, one of the Relay events was "Roos Saturday." It was a BYOK (Bring Your Own Kiosk) event, and if someone from another team showed up, a kiosk for their team would be rezzed. 

 

Roos Saturday BYOK

Come join the Roos and friends at our NEW Saturday BYOK.

We're hanging out at Electric Avenue listening to DJ Vic Mornington and having fun from 12-2pm.

We'll put out a kiosk for every team that brings their wild spirit to help make cancer a thing of the past

King County (177,91,22) 

 

There was the usual funnery and puns, this being a Roos event some funny Aussie songs included. And one resident was running around in an obviously inflatable "alien abjuction" costume. 

 

[13:29] Ealwen Tenwe (Ealwen Resident): I think Melina likes being an alien
[13:29] Ealwen Tenwe (Ealwen Resident): Martian even
[13:29] Liandra Aries: Melina is being abducted by the worst alien abducter ever :D LMAO
[13:29] Bixyl Shuftan: *chuckles*
[13:29] Ealwen Tenwe (Ealwen Resident): `*•✿ ĢϊɠɠԼƐՏ ✿•*`
[13:30] Ninja Chef Lady Ren Flow (Ren Float): Hey - Kayla's not here...
[13:30] Vic Mornington: I think i hjavew that alein abducter attachment buried in this inventory somewhere lol 

 

No word if there was a probing or not.

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

A Clue To A Future Story

 

 There's a lot going on, and just a little time to write about it. And for one subject, there's a possible time limit. So what's going on here? If you can't wait until Monday, head to Hau Koda (98/9/31) . 

 

 Bixyl Shuftan

 

SL Video: "About You"

 

 (click here if the video does not play)

 

 From Zieb Zen in Sept 2021, "This is a gift for my RL/SL significant other. It is our absolute favorite theme song for our RP characters. This video was a real labor of love that I had been planning for a while. It features sass, romance, drama, and dancing. It's corny AF! Hope you all love it as much as I do..."

 

Commercial District Sims Open in Bellisseria's Ridgewood Area

 

 At one of the Meet the Lindens events at the SL22B, Patch Linden stated that there were plans for "a foray into the commercial" for Bellisseria. Today, the Commercial District sims in Bellisseria's Ridgewood community area were open.

The Ridgewood Enclave Commercial Districts are places to shop for clothing, home furnishings, plants, decor items for your patio and yard … you name it.

Are you a merchant? Any Premium Plus member can claim a 1024 sq m parcel and use its permanent building for a shop. Use simple controls to choose a style and color scheme, then add your own lighting, displays, and signage. There’s no purchase price and no monthly fee.

While the announcement was Tuesday, when yours truly dropped by then, the sims were not yet open. Checking the Bellisseria group today, it had been announced they finally were.

 

The commercial sims are:  Scherzo, Highlight, Yellow Brick, Brubeck, Big Toque, Greenbush Hill, Broadstreet, West Martinet, Fortune Hills, Sidewall, and Downbeat. Readers might remember when the Ridgewood sims were first on the map in September 2025, Scherzo was among them, but was closed. 

 

There are seven styles of shops:  Bridgecrest, Cityview, Edgeworks, Gridline, Overlook, Seamstone, and Vault.  They come in either long, 16 x 64, or 32 x 32. They are arranged around a central square, with roads passing through north and south, east and west, with a decorative island with trees in the middle. Around there are signs one can click with information on the sims, as well as a map of Bellisseria and benches to sit on. The tops of the stores are green with grass, and have decorative vents poking through. 

 

Oh, and you need to have a Premium-Plus account to claim one, not just Premium.  

 

No shop that had been claimed was yet complete in the sim I looked at, but were in various states of setup. Some had only a single sign. One had a few vendors. There was one place that wasn't a store to buy something, but an arcade people could play games for free with a tip jar for those feeling generous.  

 

There is a thread in the official Second Life forums about the commercial districts (I admit I haven't read very far). 

 

There may be more on the topic later if details warrant. For now, those who love to shop have several more places to go to.

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Philip Linden Gives VWBPE Keynote Speech, Takes Questions

 

Yesterday, Thursday March 19 at 12 Noon, The Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education held it's Keynote. The man giving it was someone familiar to every longtime Second Life resident: Philip Linden, aka Philip Rosedale, the founder of Linden Lab, the company behind this virtual world.

 

Today, we have the distinct honor of hearing from a man who actually made gatherings like this one possible. Our keynote speaker is a physicist turned coder turned visionary,  someone who looked at the early internet and saw not just a network, but a world waiting to be built.
 

 He founded Linden Lab and created Second Life, the virtual world that has been home to educators, artists, researchers, and dreamers for over two decades. He has since explored spatial audio, open-source VR platforms, digital currency, and even the frontiers of machine consciousness. And in October 2024, he returned to Second Life as CTO, bringing fresh energy and new ideas to a platform many of us call home.

Someone was saying close to a hundred people were in the area the event took place, an intersection of four sims, Philip on a small cliff overlooking the crowd, "I feel like a king standing on a high rooftop *laughs* I see people I recognize, it's the magical things about Second Life." He thanked the educators for their work in this virtual world. He would talk about AI and how it was impacting society, saying at one point a comparison could be made to the Industrial area when machines did the work of the muscle power of many men, "Now we have gone much father with replicating how our mind works. ... the progress was very quick lately ... we are living in strange times- there are tremendous risks, there are more bad than good impacts at the moment."

After the keynote, Philip took questions, and there was talk about not just AI, but other topics such as Second Life, "It's interesting to reflect on the fact that SL hasn't grown as rapidly as we thought or liked." One subject was about how people often rely on facial expressions, hand movements, and other cues in real life but that was absent in Second Life and other virtual worlds. It was also brought up that being hired to correct an AI could be a roundabout way to do the job of a programmer for a fraction of the cost. Someone also joked it AI had an alignment, it would be "Chaotic Neutral." It was also brought up that there hasn't been a real-life Second Life Community Convention since 2011. Philip Linden did wonder if the possibility of doing another deserved some thinking about. 

 

The conference was broadcast live, and may be available to see later on the VWBPE Youtube channel later.  

 

*Addition*: It's available now.  

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

This Saturday at The Science Circle

 

Saturday March 21

 

    ~*~

 

At 9 AM PST  (2 hours)

 

Moon Base Selene

 

Lead Presenter: Vic Michalak / Phil Youngblood, PhD
Co-presenter: Sumo Itano / Natalie Foster, PhD

 

More info here: https://www.vwbpe.org/event/ie-moon-base-selene-lunar-space-elevator-hub 

 

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/71/128/30

 

    ~*~

 

    NOTE: Non-members required to register once

    IM Jes Cobalt or Nymf Hathaway

╚══════════════════════════════ The Science Circle (72,129,30) ═╝  

 

VWBPE Conference Starts Today

 

 Today is the first official day of the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference for 2026. A few events actually started earlier, but the keynote is today at 12 Noon SL time, given by Philpi Rosedale / Philip Linden. 

 

 From today to Saturday March 21 will be a number of discussions. There are also some exhibits and a few activities. 

 

 For more information on the conference, go to https://www.vwbpe.org/  .

 

SURL to entrance:  https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23

Schedule: https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe26-program 

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

RFL Announcement: Bullish To Beat Cancer Race

 

Event Name: BULLISH TO BEAT CANCER RACE
When:
Friday MARCH 20, Noon
thru
Sunday MARCH 29, Noon
+ followed by 1 hour of dancing and award-giving

Brief Description of Event:
Avatars both large and small can race a "wild bull" along a trail that winds through an environment of four seasons to compete for the fastest times. Go as many times as you want during the 9-day contest to improve your times. Top three fastest racers during the event will win trophies and cash donations to their team kiosks. End of race period will be followed by 1 hour of music, dance and award-giving to the winners.
1st place = $L3000; 2nd place = $L2000; 3rd place = $L1000.
Location:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Kangean/128/207/2805
TEAMS: ELMF+SHB GEMS 

Linden Lab Announces New VP of Engineering: Jerome Despret

 

A few days ago on Friday March 13, Linden Lab announced it had a new Vice President of Engineering: Jerome Despret. The Lab stated he had more than 25 years of experience in the gaming industry, " and a deep background in building and scaling large online platforms." He has worked at Electronic Arts and Maxis, where he worked on The Sims Online (a competing virtual world in Second Life's early days), and would continue to work on other "The Sims" games. He would also work af Riot Games, Zynga, and Pantheon Platform,

 

Jerome will focus on strengthening our engineering organization and continuing to evolve the technology behind Second Life, helping ensure the platform can keep growing and improving for residents, creators, and communities around the world. We’re thrilled to have him join the team and look forward to the impact his leadership will bring to the future of Second Life.

 

The announcement in full can be read (here).  

 

The Willows

 

A few weeks ago, reporter Netera Landar wrote about a Valentine's Day party at a club called the Willows. Today, her article is about the club itself, which has been around since 2012 and has events every day. She had a few words with it's owner, Faleen Renard, about what led her to create the club, and what happens here. 

 

Read Netera's article in Design. 

 

RFL in SL Video: "2026 Relay For Life - WILD SPECULATION"

 

 (Click here if the video does not play)

 

 From King of Queens Productions in February 7, " This video was created for Relay For Life 2026 in Second Life, celebrating hope, love, and the strength of community. The story follows two teams — Ertina Loopen Memorial Foundation and Hope Floaters — alongside two dinky cats, whose faith is tested as they face a heartfelt question: should they marry, or follow separate paths? 🐾💍 Created with love in Second Life to support cancer awareness, remembrance, and fundraising through Relay For Life.

 

"To vote, please TP inworld to the following Second Life location: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Kangean/138/124/3211 

 

Events This Week at the Sunweaver and Montecito Bay Clubs, Furry Fashion, Urban Furry, and Club Scorn

 

Here's what's going on at the Sunweaver, Montecito Bay, Furry Fashion, Urban Furry, and Scorn clubs.

Club Cutlass: Pajama Party, Spies, Electronic Dance Music 

Happy Vixen: TBA, DJ Scratch, TBA, TBA, DJ Khyra

Club Zero Gravity: DJ Snowy - Saint's and Sinner's

 

Bouncing Bunny Beach Club:  DJ Snowy - Scalies

Xanadu: DJ Jesse 

 

Montecito Bay:  CAYA, After Dark

Club Scorn: Th 8-12, Sat 2-12

 

Furry Fashion: Celtic/Green, Cats and Rabbits, Scalies

 

Urban Furry :  DJ Juana, DJ Charlee, DJ Whiskey, DJ Vantox

 

Read the schedules in SL Clubbin'

 

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

 

Taken at Cafe Lilardo. The theme was "Best in Green," which led to some St. Patty's looks a little early.

 

By Bixyl Shuftan 

 

"The Last Dance" - Relay for Life Team "Relay Rockers" To Disband At End of Season

 

The list of teams for the Relay for Life has seen much turnover as time has gone on. Some of the top teams from when the Newser started covering have long gone. One that's been around since the start has been the Relay Rockers. This is the team that introduced "Bid Me Bald" to the Relay in Second Life and brought them the Relaystock and "Bid the Lindens Bald." But sadly, the year of the team's twentieth anniversary will also be their last. In an announcement, it was revealed the Relay Rockers plan to end after this year's fundraising season. 

 

The team, which was founded in 2005 and has participated in every Relay For Life in Second Life has decided that 2026 will be the final RelayStock©.  The team itself will retire from active relaying after this season.

The Rockers are dedicating their final season to long-time member Madelyn Majestic, who is currently undergoing treatment for Breast Cancer.  Mady was diagnosed late last year after being reminded to get her exam by the Making Strides campaign.  “Never doubt what you do here is important.”  Mady stated, “Making Strides prompted me to schedule my exam that found the  cancer. With all the knowledge I gained from all of you and the ACS website, I knew what questions to ask and what to expect. As I go through this journey, I’m so immensely grateful to all of you and everything you’ve done to help fight back against cancer.”
 

 The Relaystock will take place from April 10 to April 12. Bid the Lindens Bald will take place Wednesday March 15.

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Newser Nominated For Avi Choice Awards

 

 Remember the Avi Choice Awards? They were held for a number of years until finally having the last one in 2016. But after a decade, they're back. 

 

 We’re so excited to announce that we’re back!  After a long break, the Avi Choice Awards are returning to Second Life.  It’s time to recognize, applaud, appreciate, embrace and celebrate our virtual community with the Avi Choice Awards again.

And among those nominated, The Newser.  

 

Congratulations!  You have been nominated for an Avi Choice Award!  For the past couple months Second Life residents have been submitting nominations, for the Second Life Experience categories, via the Avi Choice website.  After a process of consolidation, you are a finalist and eligible to receive votes. https://avichoiceawards.com/vote-is-open/

 

The Newser was nominated for "Favorite Magazine, Newspaper or Periodical."

 

Votes for this and other categories such as Shopping Event, Club DJ, Region to Explore Through, and others, will be accepted until April 19, "Winners will be announced during the Avi Choice Awards show on Apr 25th at 1pm SLT."

 

Space will be limited at the awards show, so when tickets are available, they'll be sold on a first come, first sold basis. 

The Avi Choice Awards are not about the determination on who is best but rather an opportunity for all of us to applaud our favorites.  It is a platform for us to show how much we appreciate you for adding to what makes our Second Lives full, beautiful and fun.  THANK YOU! 

 

Read more at https://avichoiceawards.com/ .  

 

The Sunbeamer Air Show, And Other Weekend News

 

 Pictures from Nydia Tungsten and Kamida Delec. This weekend saw the Sunweaver Air Show, which took place on both Saturday March 14 and Sunday March 15. While the details on how much was raised on Day Two are not yet available, for Day One a combination of 51,100 for the Sunbeamers and Roos With A Dream combined. 

 

 

There were other Relay events, such as a live music performance by the Second Life Cheerleading Squad. Sadly not all the Relay news was happy as it was announced the upcoming Relaystock and Bid the Lindens Bald will be the last one as the Relay Rockers, the team behind them, will be folding at the end of the Relay season. 

 

In other news, on Friday Linden Lab would announce a new Vice President of Engineering: Jerome Despret. 

 

More on these, and other stories, later.

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Press Release: VWBPE 2026 Conference INSIGHTS 19-21 March 2026 in Second Life®

 

 

The 19th annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference, beginning on Thursday, March 19th, 2026, will be an online distributed conference happening in multiple virtual spaces. This conference focuses on the use of immersive virtual environments for educational purposes, including virtual and augmented reality. 

This year we are returning to our Earth build. Each region represents a different terrestrial biome, including wetlands, desert, badlands, grasslands, and forests. Conference attendees will be able to explore 3D immersive virtual representations of these biomes.

The conference regions will be open to the public on Sunday, March 15th at 9:00 am SLT (Second Life Time / Pacific Daylight Time).

**VWBPE 2026 GATEWAY** 
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23 

To the best ability possible, VWBPE provides educational and networking opportunities that are relevant to educational curriculum development utilizing virtual environments and “best practices”. These include

helping to build community through extension of learning best practices to practical application of those ideas and techniques;
providing networking opportunities for educators and the communities that help support education; and
providing access to current innovations, trends, ideas, case studies, and other best practices for educators and the communities that help support education

One of the key challenges faced by the educational community is how to make the best use of new immersive technologies in a way that is sustainable and accessible based on limited budgets available to both instructors and students. Platforms that are free or open source, or that can be shared across a broad audience, are showcased, including methods and research around best practices in their use and applicability.

Our theme for this year is Insights.

The 2026 theme, “Insights”, invites us to look deeper—beyond the tools and platforms—toward the lessons, challenges, and opportunities that are redefining education in an age of rapid technological transformation. For more about the theme, see the blog post here: https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe-news/welcome-to-vwbpe-2026-insights.

Join us as we all share experiences and successes in how virtual technologies used in the classroom have helped shape education for the better.

This year's keynote speakers are Philip Rosedale, Ryan Schultz, and Mark Childs. Invited speakers include representatives from Linden Lab, and many of the Thinkerer Award winners. 

The VWBPE conference keynote speakers and their respective presentations are featured on the conference website (http://vwbpe.org), along with a program of exciting presentations, social activities, and networking events that will set extraordinary discussions in motion.  

The VWBPE Immersive Experiences showcase unique and interesting work being conducted across the metaverse. We invite you to join us as we explore eleven interactive and engaging locations across five virtual environments. The Immersive Experiences are scheduled from March 14th through April 1st (exclusive of the conference dates). Details and access instructions for the experiences are found at https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe26-program.   

Additionally, this open and free conference would not be possible without the generous contributions of our VWBPE sponsors. https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe-2026-sponsors.   

The Rockcliffe Registration Portal is open for people to register new Second Life® avatars and find out more about the VWBPE conference in-world. Go to https://www.enroll.onl/secondlife.php . The instructions are there to get you and your friends started at this educator-friendly newcomers’ region in Second Life®.

The full conference program is online here: https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe26-program. 

You can also view presentations live on YouTube at http://vwbpe.org/watch. 

All of the conference events will be in Second Life® this year, and the locations are included in the listings. When you click on a conference event and click Add to Calendar, you can add the event to your own calendar (Google and more).

NOTE: Daylight Savings Time
In most of the United States and Canada (and in Second Life), Daylight Savings Time is in effect as of 8 March 2026. In Europe, Great Britain, and many other locations, DST is in effect as of 29 March, 2026, after the conference begins. Check this page to find out when (and if) a time change is in effect for you: https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/2026.html.


**VWBPE 2026 GATEWAY**
SLurl: 
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23 

**VWBPE 2026 SOCIAL VISITOR CENTER** http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Wetlands%20Marsh/175/158/21 


**KEYNOTES**
https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe-2026-keynotes  

KEYNOTE:
Philip Rosedale / SL: Philip Linden
CTO, Linden Lab
Thursday 19 March 2026
12:00 pm noon SLT @ VWBPE Auditorium

KEYNOTE: 
Ryan Schultz
Science & Agriculture Librarian, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg
Friday 20 March 2026
9:00 am SLT @ VWBPE Auditorium

KEYNOTE:
Mark Childs / SL: Gann McGann
Senior Learning Designer, University of Durham (Durham UK)
Saturday 21 March 2026
9:00 am SLT @ VWBPE Auditorium


**INVITED SPEAKERS**

ABOVE THE BOOK: Catching Up with the Lindens
Host: Kevin Feenan / Phelan Corrimal
Linden Lab Guests: TBA
Friday 20 March 2026
1:00pm SLT @ VWBPE Auditorium

ABOVE THE BOOK: Catching up with the Thinkerers
Lynne Berrett / Lissena (Wisdomseeker)
VWBPE 2021 Thinkerer
Saturday 21 March 2026
3:00 pm SLT @ VWBPE Auditorium


**WEB PAGES**

Conference Information: http://vwbpe.org 
Program: https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe26-program   
Registration: http://vwb.pe/register  
Sponsors: https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe-2026-sponsors 
Rockcliffe Gateway to Second Life®: https://www.enroll.onl/secondlife.php 
Watch VWBPE Livestream: https://www.vwbpe.org/watch 

**MAJOR SPONSORS**

Linden Lab
https://www.lindenlab.com/

Rockcliffe University Consortium
https://urockcliffe.com/ 

Knomaze Corporation
https://knomaze.com/ 

Virtual Ability
https://virtualability.org/ 

Agile Dimensions
https://www.agiledimensions.com/blog/ 

Whole Brain Health
https://www.agelessmindproject.org/  


**CONTACT**
Bevan Whitfield
VWBPE Communications Chair
marketing@vwbpe.com 

Cartoon of The Day: Dragons At The Air Show

 

 Taken at the RFL Sunbeamer & Roos Air Show (which raked in 50,000 L on Day One). Among those in the audience were two dragons. Why weren't they flying too? One very good reason came to mind

 

By Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Advertisement: The FREELY Couples' Shared Motion System

 

By Bixyl Shuftan
 

For couples in Second Life, there are a number of things they can do together. They can dance at clubs under a couples danceball . They can sail in a boat seated together.  But they can't usually do much else. A very few parks offer a couples walk poseball, but this isn't an option in almost all of the virtual world. And nowhere can you swim together (an option merfolk pairs should enjoy), or fly together (an option a couple with winged avatars should like). 
 

With this in mind, Wisdom d'Avi Σ (Wisdom Davi) has come up with a solution that can be used most anywhere: FREELY.
 
I interviewed Wisdom, and her partner Oxi (KingOfNorway Oxidor), about the system. She would describe it as, "FREELY is a PG & adult shared motion system for couples that transforms movement into connection. It lets couples move in perfect sync — walking, flying, swimming, running, dancing, and being intimate…. with smoothness and effortless control." Oxi commented, "Basically it allows a couple to get on, spend a couple hours doing whatever couple do and never have to get off it. It's also condifugable, That is, you can add about as many animations as you want." Wisdom added, "peeps will be able to add their own anims and actually change their menu, etc."
 

Oxi described how it could be used, " You want to sit and watch the sunset, fly to the nearby island, stroll through the woods and find a nice glen to sit down and talk, sit on a bench by the path, without having to jump off, swim across the lake and walk out the other side, sit on the couch and watch TV and then walk upstairs to the bedroom, (it's) a relationship builder... you just never have to let go." "FREELY is easy on sim crossings," Wisdom added. Oxi went on, "Oh, and by the way - its has shared control. So either partner can control the motion, and the animation selection." 
 
Oxi did go on to say there was one catch, "It does have the limitation that it has to be rezzed and sat on. So in venues that are no-rez, it cannot be rezzed and used. But if already on it, you can use object entry."
 

A couple could use FREELY to dance. I asked how many dances did it have. Wisdom told me it had 28, though Oxi stated more could be added. He went on to say, "It has an autopilot so that you can chat while walking."

At one point, they decided to demonstrate. There was a demo FREELY on the wall nearby, and they clicked, rezzed it, and got on. They did a few dances at first, showing different styles, Oxi commenting, "ow, I dint even know I could do those moves...." Then they switched over to walking mode, going down the street in sync. They then looked for a bench to sit on, Wisdom commenting, "Actually we can use the bench sit to also sit on the wall, but that takes a little practice. To sit on a bench or furniture you need to walk up to it lock FREELY and choose the correct sit pose, then use the arrows for fine alignment" Oxi remarked, "The thing that is nice is that you are not at the mercy of the bench animator. The sitting animations are all in FREELY. So they work on any bench, or bed, or steps, or wall."

At one point, Oxi had to step away from the keyboard, This left Wisdom in charge. She walked down the street, then to the beach. She then went to demonstrate the swimming animations, but there was one detail, "I can't undress Oxi," so the clothes were left on. Eventually they came back to shore, and soon after Oxi returned, and Wisdom explained what happened, grinning, "We went for swim babe. You're all wet."
 

They did say that it there's a significant difference in height between the two people using FREELY, there'd have to be some one-time manual adjustments made. Also, "The idea that it needs rez able location may sound like a limitation, but I have discovered that there are lots of places that are rez able, and also the mainland has REZ zones, which makes mainland exploration really appealing. Also, many really nice sim allow you to join their group free, so you can rez."

 

Wisdom would explain that FREELY also had intimate pose menus with Adult animations, "It's Intimacy in Motion. ... It works in skyboxes, and dungeons." But since the Newser is a Safe For Work publication, there couldn't be neither pictures or very detailed explanations. 

Wisdom explained that FREELY was still being worked on for some small improvements, "We are working on a couple little improvements to make it totally shared experience and some smoothing of the animations."

Of the price, the non-demo version is 3968L.  
 
As for how Wisdom came up with the idea, that is it's own story. 
 
So for an all-purpose, modifiable, and very versatile couples motion system, consider FREELY by Wisdom d'Avi.
 
Bixyl Shuftan 

_________________________

For more information on FREELY visit the website https://gridwise.company/freely

Step into FREELY’s world at the following demo locations:

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Locus%20Amoenus/54/21/24/
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/London%20City/192/245/24
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Solace%20Dreams/64/22/22
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Guanacaste/235/21/25
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Noir%20Wen/58/90/23
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/FairChang%20Ensenada/219/253/22