Lab Gab Today, 10 AM

The Lab Gab show takes a trip to the kitchen as Strawberry Linden interviews Meela Vanderbuilt.

Join our host, Strawberry Linden, as she bakes a peach pie with Resident, MeelaVanderbuilt. Meela is a prolific Second Life blogger and vlogger as well as an entrepreneur, with several Second Life venues under her belt! 

Check it out here : https://youtu.be/mwakB93Hm8M

Announcement: Dame Edna at the Oval Theater

Dame Edna invites you to a spectacular diva show: Sept. 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, at 1PM

"Never be afraid to laugh at yourself. After all, you could be missing out on the joke of the century."

An Oval Theatre Company Production

Devils Cave (144, 79, 21)

Cartoon of the Day

Taken at the Relay Weekend. Spooked Dreamscape was holding his flag in his teeth, which one might wonder was some odd dietary craving.

By Bixyl Shuftan

Eye on the Blog: Linden Lab's Gift SL12B Avatar And Snapshot Contest

It was a bit more than a week ago in which Linden Lab offered this year's gift avatar for the Second Life Birthday a little early to Premium Residents. Now, the avatar is available to all, at least until July 31st. And what is it? Well, it seems the Lindens were inspired by the "Jurassic World" dinosaur movie, as the avatar is a mesh velociraptor, or rather a "party velociraptor."

Imagine yourself in a jungle on a remote island brimming with possible adventures and spectacular flora and fauna to explore. Now, imagine that remote island jungle is what we’ve come to call the Second Life grid, and imagine that you are … a Velociraptor! Sounds a little bit like a pretty weird but cool dream, right?
Well you no longer have to imagine the dream - you can live it with the Second Life 12th Anniversary commemorative avatar! Pick up your free avatar at Hairy Hippo Fun Land or off the Marketplace before this raptor becomes extinct at the end of July!

Hopping over to Hairy Hippo Fun Land, one could pick up copies of the avatar through a vending machine. In a box, it had to be taken elsewhere, rezzed, and unpacked. Being mesh, the avatar was just a few pieces, with detachable sunglasses and part hat.

"But wait, there's more." Linden Lab is also having a 10,000 Linden contest for the best photo of the avatar.

Now that you’ve got your raptor - it’s time to take ‘em for a test drive. Share snapshots of your raptor avatar celebrating SL12B to the Second Life 12th Anniversary Snapshot Contest from now until July 20th, and you could win 1 of 4 incredible prizes - L$10,000 , L$5,000, L$3,000, or L$1,000!
Be creative! This limited-edition raptor has the entirety of the grid to seek out a picture-perfect spot to take a winning snapshot
To see what pictures others have taken, there's an Entries Page, including one from Crap Mariner, "The Very Ugly Duckling."

So there's Linden Lab's present for the residents. Now if they could only give the third party exchangers a break.

Bixyl Shuftan

The SS Galaxy Fades Away

Taking one more look at the Galaxy sims, overhead on the map, they were red and offline. 

So it was no surprise that on the closest sim, Temasek, the ship was nowhere to be seen, even though I was using the same draw distance that allowed me to see the whole thing one day earlier.

And so, the SS Galaxy is truly gone, with nothing left but written accounts, pictures, videos, and memories.

Bixyl Shuftan

Goodbye SS Galaxy

Well, yesterday Sunday May 3, was the day the SS Galaxy was closed to the public. I was still able to see the ship from the nearby sim of Temasek. But trying to walk to the Galaxy Quest sim next door, I was blocked. Trying to teleport to the ship wouldn't work either.

While the ship might still be visible from outside, it can no longer be accessed. How long it will still be up for the purposes of taking pictures is unknown.

While panning around, I noticed this location floating above and to the front of the ship. I hadn't heard of it before, so have no idea who owns it. Taking a look, it resembles some kind of planetarium-themed club.

Quite a few comments have been made about the ship's closing. The Newser will try to have some commentary about it later.

Bixyl Shuftan

SS Galaxy Closing Attributed to Griefing

Last Sunday, it was announced that the SS Galaxy, a huge ship spanning three sims, would be closing soon. That one of the largest builds in Second Life, if not the biggest, was coming to an end got no shortage of attention. But some stories began going around about the reasons for why the decision was made to abandon ship. So yours truly went to the Galaxy to talk to some people of the team behind the ship.

Read more in Extra.

SL Video: " SL11B - Here We Go ... Almost!"

(Click here if the video fails to load)

From Canale di Pallina60Loon, "Some SL11B shooting video before opening to the public."

Cartoon of the Day

By Bixyl Shuftan

Cartoon of the Day

By Bixyl Shuftan

Protest and Banning at Burn2

Burn2 calls itself an event of "radical free expression." But on Sunday October 21st, this principle was put to the test when the festival grounds were the scene of a protest. The result was those taking part in the protests, and supposedly even those just watching, were banished from the Burn.

What was the protest about, and why did the Burn staff ban them? Read more in Extra.

Cartoon of the Day

At the Luskwood Birthday, Jasmine has a little fun with a "cake hat."

By Bixyl Shuftan, w help from Jasmine Dawn Shuftan

Burn2 Starts Today

Today at 12 Noon, Second Life time, the Burn2 art and music festival finaly begins after months of preparation.

BURN2 is an extension of the Burning Man festival and community into the world of Second Life. It is an officially sanctioned Burning Man regional event, and the only virtual world event out of more than 100 real world Regional groups, and the only Regional to burn the Man!

The BURN2 Team spreads Burning Culture and Burning Man Ten Principles year round in Second Life, culminating in an annual major festival of community, art and fire in the fall - a virtual echo of Burning Man itself.

"BURN2 will again be on the virtual playa! We'll be opening the gates on the 20th of October to six regions full of art, music, and fire!"

For the Burn2 website: http://burn2.org/about

 

Burning Man - Deep Hole, (84, 9, 24)