Cartoon of the Day

An older picture from 2007, taken at a sandbox. Note the "MISSING" pattern on the guy's shirt and pants, which would simply be gray today.

by Bixyl Shuftan

Amanda’s Art

I finally made it over to the Mexico Gallery where I heard that there is a wonderful exhibit of real life art brought into SL. The artist is AmandaT Tamatzui, a professional artist in both real-life and SL.

There is such a mixture of styles on the first and second floors of the museum. I was amazed at the variety: Portraits, vivid Abstracts and so much more. One painting asked “Art...what do you really see?” Think of that as you go from painting to painting. One of my favorites I found tucked away on the back of post, a simple white and brown sea shell. 

On the second floor you will find more amazing pieces and be sure to look for some gift pillows adorned with her art and inside one is a most interesting biography of Amanda! It tells her story from her beginnings in Indonesia to her present home in the United Kingdom.  Be sure to grab it. This gallery looks so interesting. I will look for more exhibits there.  

Amanda’s  exhibit will be there for at least two more weeks. Begin your tour of the gallery here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ometeotl/99/207/33

Gemma Cleanslate

Reader Submitted: Castle Dark Haven

Castle Dark Haven is a club that's been around for several years in Second Life. Taking place in a gothic-looking building, it's an adult-themed club with a mainly furry audience. A review of the place was recently written and submitted by reader Theonlyjohnny Resident.

Read the submission in Extra.

Get a Home at the Steelhead Estates

Each sim has a different theme. Please take note of the theme of the sim you wish to rent from. RP and period clothing is not enforced but building code is. No modern buildings or gothic spire of doom. Read the covenant agreement for more details.

Land is parcelled as either residential/commercial/or mixed use.  Parcels beside each other can be grouped together to create a larger parcel. If you have questions regarding zoning in Steelhead please feel free to IM TotalLunar Eclipse or Tensai Hilra.

Found the location you like? The rental boxes are locked. All land is in Steelhead group and you need to be in the Steelhead group to rezz objects and begin rent. IM either TotalLunar Eclipse or Tensai Hilra to unlock the rental pole and begin rent. Drop them a notecard if they are not online.

512 sq m 234 prims L$450 per week
1024 sq m 468 prims L$900 per week

From all of us in Steelhead city Welcome home,
 - TotalLunar Eclipse.

Events This Week May 14 to May 20

It's a week full of events in Second Life. In Madpea, go on an Indiana Jones style adventure and search for the Lost Treasure of the Inca Warrior. Trek through the an immersive story through the Ghost Forest. Attend a lecture on how social media can help everyone during disasters such as hurricanes. Check out the latest Relay For Life happenings. And many other special events await. And there's the regularly scheduled DJ and live music parties, book and poetry readings, talk shows and discussions, races, and church services.

Read more in Events this Week. 

The Return of Little Dove

Club Little Dove is back. After months in storage following it's departure from it's old location, Nydia Tungsten's airship club is up and flying again in Sunweaver Bay, southwest of HV Community where the SL Newser office is. Regular events are expected to be scheduled soon, with Kitacelia as one of the managers.

Sunweaver Bay (137, 130, 77)

Second Life Enquirer: Pocket Metaverse- The Ultimate Second Life App For Ipad and Iphone

Often times, our busy real lives keep us from our second lives. But what if you could take Second Life anywhere? 

As we all know, mobile technology has really taken off in the last few years. We can do virtually anything from ordering a pizza, to making a bill payment online. Now that the tech world has advanced even further, gaming apps are also readily available. As an avid Second Life user with a busy real life, I needed a way to keep up with business clients, friends and other activities in Second Life. As I recently switched from android to Iphone, I was unsure of what I would find. I was thrilled to stumble upon an app called Pocket Metaverse. 

Read Nehem Resident's Article Here »

Dunk the Emperor

On Saturday, DrFran Babcock attended a Relay For Life event with a twist. Ultralite Soliel, the creator and 'Emperor' of the Tiny Empires game, volunteered to be among those in the dunk  tank. And so, people took turns tossing balls to hit the target and send the imperial figure into the drink, eventually getting him to change his clothes into something else.

Read DrFran's story in People.

Most Third-Party Linden Exchange Services Close, Only Podex and AnsheX Remain

By Bixyl Shuftan

In the aftermath of Linden Labs changing it's Terms of Service concerning Third Party exchangers of Linden dollars, just about all have closed their doors. A number gave statements saying they  were wary of the Lab's wrath, such as the DX Exchange, "the TOS gives us a 30 day period … However, we so realize that with blocking our avatars Linden Lab can disable our business within seconds. We also realize that we put our clients at risk to lose their Lindens in case we annoy Linden Lab." CrossWorlds stated that they would complete orders that had already been placed. But most were no longer making new transactions.

Two Third-Party exchange services remain. One is AnsheX, owned by noted Second Life baron Anshe Chung. Their only response from them on the matter was reportedly their support staff saying "nothing has changed" and they were buying and selling Lindens as before. The other is the Podex Exchange, owned and run by Jacek Shuftan. Jacek lives in Poland in real life, but has registered Podex as a business in Delaware USA. In a press statement over the weekend, Podex stated the following:

Despite the dark clouds over independent third party exchanges, Podex Exchange continues its normal work selling and buying L$. The only change is stricter security policy which can cause delays with some transactions. We are sorry for it. We also want to assure our clients that not only their real money and linden dollars are save with us but also their personal data. Our policy of not requiring any registration to use Podex services have always guaranteed maximum security. We just have nothing to be stolen. To remain in total compliance with Linden Lab regulations and The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) guidance our legal office started preparing application process to become officially registered money services business (MSB).

So why did Linden Lab change their terms of service? In his "Modern Payment Systems" blog, Alex Kadochnikov stated as an issuer of virtual currency, Linden Lab had to register with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The penalties of not registering, were listed as pretty steep.

(a) Whoever knowingly conducts, controls, manages, supervises, directs, or owns all or part of an unlicensed money transmitting business, shall be fined in accordance with this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

But would Linden Lab really have gotten in trouble because of unregistered Third-Party exchangers? It seems they're not taking chances. In the comments following his article, Kadochinikov didn't feel all the panic was necessary, "I really do not know why they (won't) just register and spend a few dollars in compliance with regulations." Hamlet Au expressed puzzlement as to why "the company hasn't specified this is the reason for it's policy change." A reader commented that the Lab doesn't normally explain things to the residents these days, "the company has abandoned any pretense at communicating with actual customers, so it may just be their usual stony silence."

Perhaps as time goes on, more Third-Party exchangers will register in compliance with FinCEN. But for now, two exchangers independent of Linden Lab remain open for business as an alternative to LindeX. So residents unable to get Lindens from the Lab still have two alternatives. And those reluctant to deal with Anshe Chung still have Podex.

The Podex Exchange (http://www.podex.info/) is a sponsor of Second Life Newser.

Sources: Google sites, Money Payment Systems,

Bixyl Shuftan

Announcement From Podex

Despite the dark clouds over independent third party exchanges, Podex Exchange continues its normal work selling and buying L$. The only change is stricter security policy which can cause delays with some transactions. We are sorry for it.

We also want to assure our clients that not only their real money and linden dollars are save with us but also their personal data. Our policy of not requiring any registration to use Podex services have always guaranteed maximum security. We just have nothing to be stolen.

To remain in total compliance with Linden Lab regulations and The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) guidance our legal office started preparing application process to become officially registered money services business (MSB).

Jacek Shuftan, Podex Exchange

Cartoon of the Day

By Bixyl Shuftan

SL Video: "American Cancer Society's Second Life Memorial Garden Park 8"

Filmed by "OldLex."

Gina Gracemount's "Bid Me Bald"

On Wednesday May 10th, the Relay Rockers held a "Bid Me Bald" fundraiser for the Relay For Life. The volunteer this time: singer Gina Gracemount. With well more than enough cash raised, she sat on the barber chair to get shaved. But she soon had a chance to get even with the guy with the scissors.

Read more in Events.

SL Video: "The Drax Files: World Makers "Episode 5: Engrama"

Click Here if you can't see the video.

"'Who says what is real and what is not real?' asks Argentine post-rocker Pupito Helstein about his experience playing in Barcelona one night and in the virtual world of Second Life the next morning.

The music group Engrama, which he founded with his girlfriend (Spanish drummer Lakua Arriaga) has fans from all over the world thanks to the possibilities afforded by a persistent digital universe populated by colorful avatars.

Engrama has been playing original songs (and covers by Sigur Ros, Radiohead among others) in clubs and on self-designed stages all over SL for the past four years.

The band's followers have treasured unique live recordings (yes: approved bootlegs!) infused with memories of sharing an emotional experience and space (albeit one that is made of pixels perhaps, but nonetheless deeply connecting to heart and soul).

Music transcends cultural, geographical and sometimes even generational differences just as much as an open-ended virtual world can!

More info about the band at http://engrama.bandcamp.com/ & here you can check out their creations in-world http://secondlife.com/destination/ionic-store "

Rita Mariner, Head of the Sunweavers

The Sunweaver Estates has a number of colorful personalities. This certainly includes their leader, Rita Mariner. Strong-willed and known for her friskiness in addition for her work in the Relay for Life, Rita keeps the Sunweaver's going, and can often be found either at her place on the Estates or Club Cutlass. Grease Coakes recently came across her, and she agreed to an interview.

Read Grease's article in People.

New Terms of Service Could End Third-Party Linden Exchange Services, Leave Many Non-US Residents Without Means To Buy Lindens

By Bixyl Shuftan

On Tuesday, Linden Lab announced in their blog they were updating their Terms of Service. Normally, it's just some small details. But the latest change could mean the biggest change to Second Life's economy since the gambling ban years ago.

To get Linden dollars, one could always get them from Linden Lab, the process done through it's Linden Exchange or LindeX. But they are far from the only means for residents to get Lindens. Other exchange services, or Third-Party exchange services, have sprung up over time, offering residents easier and quicker means to get virtual cash.

In the old Terms of Service, Section 5.3 read as the following:

There are other Linden dollar exchanges that are operated by third parties. Linden dollars are occasionally Bought and Sold on third party exchanges, which are wholly distinct from the LindeX exchange. Unless specified by Linden Lab, these exchanges have no affiliation with Linden Lab. We do not guarantee the legitimacy of the Linden dollar transfers offered on them, and we are not liable for purchases of such Linden dollars. You purchase Linden dollars from such sites at your own risk. If you Buy Linden dollars that are traced to unauthorized credit card activity or other fraudulent activity, we will recoup these Linden dollars from your Account.

In the new Terms of Service. Section 5.3 deals with new rules concerning third-party exchange services.

Third party exchanges are not authorized by Linden Lab and Buying or Selling Linden dollars on third party exchanges are not authorized transactions. Third party exchanges are wholly distinct from both the LindeX exchange and Linden Lab and they have no affiliation with Linden Lab. We do not endorse or otherwise guarantee the legitimacy of the Linden dollar transfers offered on them, and we are not liable for purchases of such Linden dollars. Buying or Selling Linden dollars anywhere other than the LindeX is done so solely at your own risk. If you Buy Linden dollars that are traced to unauthorized credit card activity or other fraudulent activity, we will recoup these Linden dollars from your Account. The only authorized exchange is the LindeX.

There were numerous comments from the articles on New World Notes and Vaki Zenova's Blog, in addition to the SL Universe Forum and the official forums. The response was virtually 100% negative, with many residents expressing anger. Some were confused at first wondering if the Lab was just not accepting further responsibility for Third-Party Exchanges, then word began going around that they would be clearly not allowed. There were two issues of complaint. One was that LindeX didn't give you your Lindens instantly, but could take a week or more to pay up. But the bigger issue was the ability to get Lindens at all. A number of residents outside the United States complained using the LindeX was difficult or just couldn't be done. The end of Third Party Exchangers would mean the end of their buying Lindens. For those with no job on the Grid, no more shopping beyond freebies, and no more paying tier or rent for land.

The reaction by the Third-Party Exchange Services varied. Many of them have shut down trading in Second Life. VirWoX, popular among Europeans, stated the following:

Linden Lab has recently changed their Terms of Service. Under the new rules, we will no longer be able to offer our service to Second Life residents. Linden Lab insists that our in-world terminals (ATMs) have to be removed. This means that we can currently not accept Linden Dollars from Second Life or pay Linden Dollars to Second Life. Other virtual currencies are not affected. We will post updates here as the situation develops. Please refrain from sending us support messages about this issue, at the moment we will not be able to give you more information.

Other Exchanges are still operating. This includes the Podex Exchange, Jacek Shuftan told Hypergrid Business, he intended to continue trading for the thirty days until the new Terms of Service go in effect, "We find it not fair to stop our activity in one day without prior notice to our customers. … Podex Exchange has built trust and reputation for many years, and we are not going to destroy it in one day."


I met up with Jacek, who had more to say on the matter, "Really strange move of LL. … I really do not understand (their) motives. We are all waiting for (the) official statement as (the) ToS does not forbid Ls exchange, but (the) post on (the) blog does." He stated As first the blog post didn't ban them, but it was soon edited so it stated there was a ban.

Jacek felt Linden Lab would lose a *lot* of income over their move, "my clients, mainly from Europe, tell me if they cannot buy from me or other exchanges, they will not be able to buy at all. They use prepaid cards, or just send money to bank accounts, or by SMS." Jacek felt if profit was the main motive of the Lab, they could still have allowed alternative payment methods that weren't competitive with Lindex. He was wondering if another reason, if not the main one, was pressure by the US Department of the Treasury with their issuing of "guidelines" about virtual currency, "We just do not know, and we are all waiting for an explanation, and a way to find a sensible solution."

The following day, Gemma Cleanslate reported that a Podex ATM at a multi-exchange hub wasn't working.  The ones in the Podex main office at Coda worked normally.

More to come on what is clearly a major change to the Second Life economy.

The Podex Exchange (http://www.podex.info/) is a sponsor of Second Life Newser.

Sources and other articles, Inkline Media, Hypergrid Business, SL Universe, New World Notes, Official Linden Forum (LindeX Has No Instant Cashout), Ciaran Laval (ToS) (3rd Party Fallout), Modem World,

Bixyl Shuftan

News Brief: Linden Lab Updates ToS, Worries Residents

On Tuesday, Linden Lab updated their Terms of Service. Normally, it's just some small details. But the latest change could mean the end for some Second Life businesses, and some residents outside the United States could be unable to purchase Linden dollars.

Stay tuned for more information.

News and Commentary: Behind Inworldz Officially hitting 75,000 Users

By Bixyl Shuftan

In a recent article by Daniel Voyager, he stated the Opensim grid of Inworldz had reached 75,000 users. That certainly sounds impressive. But a look at the screenshot showed one small problem, only a little more than a hundred people were on the whole virtual world. That's about the size of a few packed sims in Second Life. Daniel would state in the comments that he logged in late at night. Still, even if night activity is a small fraction of peak daytime activity, this suggests Inworldz's milestone isn't telling the whole picture.

Opensim worlds have a tiny but sometimes vocal user base, whom on occasion promote their worlds as the real future of virtual reality, eventually replacing Second Life. There's no doubt they have accomplished much. The same screenshot shows a very impressive startship build. But does their performance live up to these claims? While these worlds allow people not to deal with Linden Lab, their populations remain small, the choice in avatars remains limited, and people I've talked to have told me lag, as bad as it is in Second Life, is worse on the Opensim worlds.


Minethere Always pointed out an article on Hypergrid Business last month, written by Maria Korolov, in which "the top 40 Grids reported a total of 17,591 active users, a drop of 470 compared to the last month." Most of the decline was in one grid, but it's still a big hole in the wilder claims of the Opensim advocates.

So how many use Inworldz? Maria stated it's number of active users was 6,325 users. Impressive for an Opensim world, Avination having 1,838, only three others having active users over a thousand, and even half the top ten had just hundred at best. But no comparison to Second Life.

Bigger isn't necessarily better. Another commenter on Daniel's post responded she'd rather deal with "118 users that know why they are inworld" than the Facebook crowd. But a peek behind the milestone of Opensim's top grid suggests Second Life's position as the undisputed top virtual world, with numbers exceeding some top MMO games such as Eve Online, is pretty secure.

Bixyl Shuftan

Cartoon of the Day

By Bixyl Shuftan

The First Sims: Federal

DrFran Babcock continues her series on the first sims in Second Life. For today's story, she looks at Federal. Very early on, it had been a combat sim, then hosted some gardens before they got their own sim. So what's the place like now and what's worth visiting? DrFran explored to find out.

Read DrFran's article in Places.

Yoga Teacher Pramiil Magne Leaves Second Life

Grease Coakes recently got some bad news. Pramiil Magne, the teacher, or guru, of his meditation class would soon be leaving Second Life. So who is Pramiil and what was his class about? Grease explains, in addition to talking to the others in the class about the impact the teacher had on them.

Read more in People.

Commentary: Doing the Lag-tastic

If there's one thing that bugs each resident almost constantly, it's the ever-present lag. Sometimes it seems worse than usual. Those of us with longer memories may wonder, "Is the lag really worse than usual, or is it just me?" So when a few others also complain, well, you figure you may be right.

But if person after person complains, saying they've had to stop using a new viewer for an older one, well, you may be pardoned for wondering if there's something rotten in Ahern.

So what's behind the lag behind these complains? Some I chat with blame the more recent updates to the viewer. And indeed the most recent update to the official Linden Lab viewer frequently causes things to freeze or even crash whenever I Instant-Message someone, or get an IM from someone. Others complain about their Firestorm viewers, going back to the old Phoenix, even if it's no longer supported by the team. One person compared it to going back to a worn and ragged but comfortable pair of old shoes when the new shoes kept pinching your feet.


For myself, Firestorm doesn't work on my computer, and except for the first release or two never has. The bugs I found in the official viewer meant going back to full time use of Cool VL, but the version I use is some months old, and at times such as a crowded sim can show its age. For some peculiar reason, their more recent Mac viewers won't work for me. Then a friend and I were talking about the Singularity Viewer. Mentioning I stopped using it when it stopped updating their Mac client, she told me they had started doing so again and the most recent update was just a few weeks ago. So I gave it a try, and it worked!

Well, not perfectly. Things still take a while to load. But it did put a stop the the occasional "invisible jacket" Cool VL sometimes game me. Then again, maybe the lag seeming so bad is just my imagination.

Bixyl Shuftan

Press Release: SLB Community Wants YOU!!

A reminder that applications will close on May 20 for
Performers
DJ’s
Hosts
Greeters
Stage Hands
Exhibitors
and anyone who wants to volunteer in any way.

It is going to be a big celebration so keep an eye on the SLB Community Blog and join the SLB Community group!

http://slcommunitycelebration.com/

Events This Week May 7 to May 13

It's a week of exciting events on the Grid. The Relay for Life continues with it's various team parties. The London UK area has it's May Fair. The Tinies of Raglan Shire have their yearly art show. Plus many more special happenings. And don't forget the Grid's regularly scheduled events from DJ and live music parties, book and poetry readings, races, talk shows, and church services.

See the list in Events This Week. 

"Walpurgisnacht" and "Halloween in May"

Last weekend, two communities engaged in some spook-tacular events. On Friday May 3rd, the Steelheaders held a "Walpurgisnacht" dance. So what is Walpurgisnacht? It's a Spring festival celebrated in parts of Europe, named after an English missionary. Set on April 30th or May1st, it's exactly six months from Halloween. In Germany, witches and sorcerers were believed to meet up on that night, so it has taken on something of a spooky theme.

Steelhead has a number of German-born residents, such as a number of the mad scientists, the Jagers, and of course Baron Wulfenbach. So came this notice:

The Consulate is going to host the Friday Night Dance for Walpurgisnacht that celebrates the "coming of spring and the return of the tourists which is why we pretend to be demons to protect ourselves.'

Starting at 7:00 PM, two hours of tunes from Da Fuzz, with Zanya taking over at 9:00 PM

Dropping in, there was quite a number dropping about. Unfortunetly, most everyone remained grey to me for quite some time. Fortunately Garnet Psaltery was willing to share her pictures with me (above).

Fuzzball Ortega was there in his werewolf form, Lunar was there, his outfit leaving him a little bare-chested. The Baron was there as well. Many others took on monster looks, including a "demon skunk" who dropped in after I did. Streams of lava flowed on the ground, though everyone stepped around them or there was some magic protecting those around. Firey flames burst forth from burning caldrons. But in the middle of it all there was a tree that somehow remained fresh and green, where some of the dance balls were.

There was the usual amount of Steelhead wisecracks, including a number of "monstrous puns."

More pictures of Steelhead's Walpurgisnacht can be found in Garnet's Flickr (Click Here). She also has sets of other Walpurgisnacht festivals at Europa and Caledon.

The following night in the Sunweaver Estates, at Club Cutlass the spooky fun continued with Jenni Greenfield holding a "Halloween in May" party. There was nothing really about European festivals. It was six months away from Halloween, and a good excuse to bring out the ghosts and goblins. Jenni herself DJed for the event.

The place was covered with a thick fog, leading to jokes that if someone was gray from lag others were unlikely to notice. There were a number of witches there, including a chakat whom was dancing unusually smooth for a taur avatar. A mermaid swung on one of the dance poles. And a vampire bat hovered around for a while until coming down to dance with one dark lioness.

No one was hexed, haunted, bit on the neck, or otherwise inconvenienced that night.

Bixyl Shuftan

Source: Wikipedia, Garnet Psaltery's Flickr

Fishiversary Pictures

This weekend was the twice a year Fishiversary event, sponsored by 7Seas. There were parties to be at, prizes to get, and plenty of scenery. There were numerous exhibits in the sims for the event. Gemma Cleanslate, the Newser's fishing fan, dropped by with her camera and got a number of screenshots of the various places in this angler's paradise.

See the pictures in Events.

Desi Heet by Jackson Arthur

Grease Coakes recently went to Book Island to chat with a writer, Jackson Arthur, about his new book. In the book, Desi Heet, the title heroine is a contradiction. Her appearance is demonic, yet she is steadfastly religious and charitable. So what happens in the book? Jackson tells Grease a few things, including a question the story raises.

Read more in People.

"Cinco De Mayo Madness"

Sunday was the 5th of May, or Cinco de Mayo in Mexico and the United States. The event celebrates a victory by the Mexicans in their war against occupation by the French Empire. Oddly enough, the holiday is more popular among Mexican-Americans in the US than most of Mexico. For "gringos," the event is more of an excuse to party.

Besides bars in real life having parties for the holiday, some places in Second Life had them too. DrFran Babcock, Ariel Loonie, and this tiny porcine had a little Cinco De Mayo fun of their own.

"Hats off" to them.

Check out Lanai Jarrico's article on Cinco De Mayo (here).

Pictures from DrFran Does SL.

PRESS RELEASE: SL10B Community Celebration "Official" PHOTO CONTEST

SL10B Team is thrilled to announce its first of two-photo contest this year in celebration of Second Life 10th Birthday


The Second Life community encompasses many incredibly talented people from around the world who have displayed their skills in various forms across the grid over the past ten years.   This year the SL10B Team thought - “What better way to involve the residents  in the celebration than to hold two photo contests?” These will allow the  Second Life community to be creative in expressing this year’s  “Looking Forward, Looking Back” theme. 

The enjoyment of photography to express yourself and to have fun is all you need to enter, with categories for photographs simply taken inworld, and photographs that have been edited out of world with software such as Photoshop, Gimp or getpaint.

Contest 1: BEFORE the Birthday Celebrations
Contest opens  Friday May 3, 2013
Contest ends Thursday, June 6, 2013 midnight

HOW TO ENTER:
SL10B Second Life Community Celebration Photo Contest 1

Theme: “Looking Forward, Looking Back” Ten Years of Second Life

Photographs submitted by the second life community should illustrate SL10 theme  “Looking Forward, Looking Back”  over the past 10 years. Deadline for the contest: June 6th 2013.


Rules:
- Submit a maximum of two photographs per avatar name
- Photos must NOT show the SL10B Community Celebration regions
- Explore the virtual world of second life community for the perfect picture that represents
   the theme.
- Pictures must be posted in the flickr group “SL10B Community Celebration Photo Contest”:
         http://www.flickr.com/groups/2188135@N20/
- Competitors must indicate whether the photograph is Category A (using only the tools
   available within the browser) or Category B (using tools outside the viewer, such as photo
  editing software).
-  SL10B Celebration Team reserve the rights to use photograph submissions for event advertisement.
-  Photos must be PG, make it family friendly keep it clean and FUN or risk disqualification.
-  No text on photos.
-  Deadline of submission of picture is June 6th, 2013, midnight SLT

HAVE FUN !!!

Cartoon of the Day

Any1 Gynoid taking a seat at the old office, and the script doesn't quite work right.

By Bixyl Shuftan

SL Newser Building in Minecraft

When Nydia Tungsten first invited me to her Angels Village in Minecraft, she reserved a small cabin with my name, christening it the "MC Newser." As others in the server were making various places away from hers, I had the idea of doing my own: an office building. It was made in a patch of desert not too far away from Angels, and within sight of a desert village christened "Torchlight." After some weeks, three floors were complete, and a sign made of of white and black wool on top on the side facing Angels. While I planned to finish it, I was busy with other things, and it sat there, remaining less than complete.

Jasmine Dawn Shuftan however has been on a building spree in Minecraft. And after my help with her tunnels, she took it upon herself to not just finish the office building, but improve on it. She replaced the black wool with glowstone, with redstone torches just behind them, resulting in a sign in which the letters glowed brightly at night. Then she made a second one on the other side.

Finishing the roof, she added one more touch: five small towers, one for each corner and the center. They have lamps triggered by mechanisms added in recent updates. When the sun goes down, they light up.

So now the office is pretty much complete. While I may add some furiture later, the job is pretty much done. But Jasmine continues to work on her place far to the north of Angels, sometimes called "Jazzytown" by others. So there are still things to do here.

Bixyl Shuftan

Dropping By Luskwood

I took a little time this week to stop by my first hangout of Luskwood. With all this greenery, it's quite a change from earlier days. While there, I ran into a few old friends such as Treminari Huet, Ardy Lay. Founder Michi Lumin was also there. If the skunkgirl with a reputation for being a workaholic wasn't busy enough, it turns out she owns one of the pony sims: Trotsdale.

Hopefully the busy girl doesn't end up with too much.

Bixyl Shuftan

SL Video: "Giant Snail Racing Made Easy"

Narrated by RacerX Gullwing, "This is the simple version of how to race on the giant snail race course in Second Life, at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Devon%20Dream/150/97/777  You can see the Giant Snail Races at http://treet.tv/shows/snailraces"

(Click Here) if the video doesn't show.

Ask DrFran: The Green-Eyed Monster

DrFran's column is back. In her latest letter, a reader deals with someone looking herself after some actions concerting her relationship with a friend, and not liking what she sees. So what happened and what should be done? DrFran offers a few answers.

Read more in People.

Felina’s Movie Theater

Remember when Grease wrote about Shockwave's movie theater in the Sunweaver's Estates, the local community where the Second Life Newser's office makes it's home. Recently, a second theater has been built nearby. This one is owned by local resident Felina Fermi whom besides her love of movies is also known for her music, in addition to her home's several vocal pets.

Read more in Design.

Music For Health Raises Over 28,000 Lindens

Last night at the Happy Vixen, the "Music for Health" event, also known as the "Tunes for Tots" took place. From 2PM to Midnight SL time several DJs performed for the residents dropping in, regulars of the club and others.

DJ Grease and DJ Mega did well, and special thanks to DJ Cynthia DJ Khyra, who ended up performing longer than planned due to the next in the lineup having problems. Kitacelia brought in more donations with her impromptu "Bid Me Human" offer. And of course of course thanks to "Naughty Nydia" for her lively and offbeat tunes.

A total of 28,050 was raised. While short of the goal, it is still a big help, "Every bit counts." The largest donation came from EarthAirFire Windlow with his 10,000L donation. Chalie Ashland, whose child the benefit was aimed at, thanked everyone for their efforts. The money will go to asthma treatments.

The Happy Vixen will resume regular events this Saturday.

Bixyl Shuftan

*Addition* At 2PM SL time today, the ammount raised had been boosted to 30,000L.

RFL Fantasy Faire 2013 Breaks Record

This year's Relay For Life Fantasy Faire was the best ever in Second Life. As of May 2, over 9,000,000 Lindens were raised to help the American Cancer Society.

According to the article written by Daniel Voyager, a total of 8,783,157 L had been raised by May 1st. On May 2nd, Trader Whiplash announced in Relay chat the total had gone up to 9,020,355 Lindens, or $36,081 US dollars.


Elizabeth Tinsley wrote a commentary at the close on the Fantasy Faire blog, thanking everyone who took part.

In the past ten days, we as a community have done what we never expected to do. One by one we blew through our goals. We broke records. We proved that even though economies may be struggling, commitment has never been stronger. Everyone came and gave what they could. Gave more than we ever dared dream possible. And now we are at a place that is so beyond what we thought we could do that we never even planned for it. We are pioneers, and we have done something extraordinary. We are within half a million lindens of being the most successful fund raising event to ever take place within a virtual world. We are not only within striking distance of making history, we are setting an example of what is possible that will be the benchmark for all future endeavors.

The Relay continues with more events this weekend, including a "Sink the DJ" by Unmasking a Cure on Friday at 10 AM at Strongmoor, a "May Day Chess Tournament" by the Aether Chronoauts  at 2PM at Winterfell Laudanum, a Spring Carnival at 4PM by RFL Pure Heart, Live singer Iche Kamachi on Saturday at 6PM at Serena Atlantis, 7Seas Fishing at Tribute City on Sunday at 7AM at TRU May Day, a breakables auction by Raven's Claw, a Cinco de Mayo dance by Team Fox Star, and many others. And the following weekend, there's "The Great Race of Caledon."

Sources: Daniel Voyager, Fantasy Faire Blog


Bixyl Shuftan

"Music for Health" Today at the Happy Vixen

Today is the fundraiser "Music for Health" at the Happy Vixen beach club.

"Join the Happy Vixen as we try to raise 100,000 Lindens to help a friend's baby with Childhood Asthma. DJ Dusk, DJ Cynthia, DJ Grease, DJ Mega, DJ Misha, DJ Yulia, and DJ Nydia will spin the tunes over half the day and evening. Please help us help a child."

The schedule for the event runs as follows:




2-3 PM          DJ Cynthia
3-4 PM          DJ Dusk
4-5 PM          DJ Grease
5-6 PM          DJ Mega
6-7 PM          DJ Misha
7-8 PM          DJ Misha
8-9 PM          DJ Yulia
9-10 PM        DJ Yulia
10-11 PM      DJ Nydia
11-12 MD     DJ Nydia

Schedule subject to change

If you prefer to donate outside of SL, we accept Paypal donations. Make your cash transfer to Paypal Account: beauty_betty@hotmail.com. Any amounts are welcomed

The event runs from 2PM in the afternoon to Midnight.

Purrfection Estates (249, 61, 22)

Press Release: Tribute City Fashion Week 2013

Tribute City and L’Amour  Management are pleased to announce Tribute City Fashion Week! The event will show off the best spring and summer fashions from some of your favorite designers in Second Life! The theme for the show is “April Showers Bring May Flowers”.

This show will feature and showcase designers who will present their modern, spring, and summer creations and accessories. In addition to the show, other festivities will include both a kick off and closing event and other entertainment.

Designers currently scheduled to present at the show include Allure, Evolve, Faboo, Flowerdreams, K-Code, Poposity, Shey, Syl’s, and Xen’s Hats.

Designers will be in Tribute City, from May 31, 2013 to June 9, 2013, to present their modern, spring, and summer creations.

L'Amour Management is owned and operated by Ava Jhamin.  Ms. Jahmin has vast knowledge not only as model, but also Model Coordinator, Producer, and Director. Tribute City is a very busy shopping and entertainment sim in Second Life. The sim has an Italian influence and boasts 5 club venues, various shops, and monthly events and contests. Tribute City is owned and operated by Jessii2009 Warrhol.

For more information about this event, please contact either Ava Jhamin or Jessii2009 Warrhol in Second Life.

Cartoon of the Day

By Bixyl Shuftan

A Fairy Faire of Hope

The yearly Fantasy Faire for the Relay For Life took place over last week and the weekend, ending just last night, after having raised over 7,500,000 Lindens ($30,000 US Dollars) for the American Cancer Society. Kitacelia went to the Faire to check things out, notably how well designed the sims were. Even though the sims were up for only a week to the public, they were so well made, they won't be quickly forgotten.

Read Kitacelia's article in Events.

Fishiversary

 

Every spring, the 7Seas Fishing Game has a full weekend of fun fishing in three sims. It is called Fishiversary and there is great anticipation among the fishing community for weeks beforehand.  It will be open from Friday May 3 through Monday May 6. Owners of fishing sites all over SL and some individuals with "fishy business" create little islands where they place custom fishing items for catching. The catches range from special wearable fish, rods, boats, avatars, apparel, to gift certificates. 

 

The little isles are always worth seeing. Meissa Thorne is building a special center on Osmium region where the 7seas owners, Seven and Jen Shikami will place special gifts.  Parties and contests take place on that main island and there are always wonderful prizes such as bait, which is coveted.  Fishers can rezz a boat there and take off to the other sims and fish for all kinds of magical customs they have created for us. 

 

Whether you are a fisher or not it would still be a great place to visit just to see the builds in the regions. If you are a fisher this is a great time to fill your inventory with special items. Hope to see you there. I am placing a slurl here that will work beginning Friday morning! 

 

Osmium (145,130,30)

 

Gemma Cleanslate