RFL Reader Submitted: Flamingo Swim

From Melodie Jigsaw. Looks like one of the pink flamingos in the Fantasy Faire exhibit in RFL Celebrate was having a swim.

Abnor Mole At Work

They're the occasionally celebrated but often overlooked workers of Linden Lab: the moles. Hired from Second Life's population of residents, they build Linden Lab's infrastructure, and sometimes help out with events. Recently, a tip from a friend of the Newser led to a chance encounter with Abnor Mole while he was working on Bellisseria's new Linden Home area. As there was a crowd watching, some questions were asked, and the mole with the small robot avatar took a little time to answer. He also volunteered some information as to the source of the Lab's pickle jokes in the area.

Read the story in Extra.

Garden of Absentia Memorial Pond Reopens

In July 2018, the Newser reported about the Garden of Absentia, which was closing after being online for about ten years. But, we have a happy update. Part of the place, the pond, is back in a new location.

Dear friends. I am happy to say that the Garden has reopened. It is a much smaller parcel, but it is cozy and beautiful. I do not have words to express my gratitude to Dee Andel and Typo Cobalt who made this opening possible. Here is your transportation to the Garden of Absentia Memorial Pond.

So once again, the garden is back, a memorial pond with floating candles lit in honor of many who did not survive their battle with cancer. The place is located in the middle of some relaxing countryside scenery. To find out more, check out it's Facebook page, or head over to it's location at:

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Celtic%20Harbor/19/233/23

Hat Tip: Annie Oh (AnnieBrightstar Resident)

Bixyl Shuftan

SL16B Update: Four More Days

The Newser can't show you any of our pictures from inside yet. But as the clock winds down for the preparations for the Second Life Sixteenth Birthday celebrations, there are some things that can be shown. The map shows a 19 sim area, for some reason SL16B Spellbound in the south was moved to some distance away to the south (presumably just temporary).

Birthday locations, and events, are showing up in the Destination Guide as well: https://secondlife.com/destinations/sl16b . It looks like there will be another "Swaginator Hunt" this year. But there's no mention of the Cake Stage or the Stage Left that's become a more recent favorite.


The celebration starts Thursday June 20. Stay tuned for further details.

Cartoon of the Day:

Taken at the Relaystock. In the middle of all the rock n roll, people gotta take a break to eat. Hopefully the radical vegetarians were at the other end of the campground.

By Bixyl Shuftan

Rainbow Magellan Linden Statue at Costner Bay Island, "Squishy Pickle" at Houseboat Area

Going back to Costner Bay Island, the island in the Costner Bay, Whiskey Bay, and Ondine sims, I noticed some small changes such as a small outdoor workshop in one corner. But the most visible addition was an enormous statue of Magellan Linden, painted in rainbow colors, minus a green pickle it was holding.

The question of was the exploring Linden celebrating Pride Month . or had been zapped by unicorns was answered by taking a closeup, and seeing a "Second Pride" flag in his hand, the Second Life logo done in rainbow and on a white field. The statue was places by Abnor Mole, the flag by Naughty Mole.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ondine/172/183/23

The object in the statue's hand wasn't the only pickle in the vicinity. Going to the houseboat area next to Bellisseria's northeast, I came across a community center with a number of picnic tables around a wooden building. Taking a closer look, the building was named "The Squishy Pickle."

 There was a sign behind the counter "Menu: Pickle : 0L." With the lag, it looked for a moment like "U Pick : 0L." On the counters were a couple jars of pickles on sticks an avatar could click on, get one, and add/wear. There were also signs on the building of women with pickles and one picture of various Lindens and Moles with the pickles in hand.

So why is Linden Lab making a "big dill" over pickles at Bellisseria? Have they become fans of DJ Sheeba Metaluna and her "Flying Pickle Lounge"? Actually, there's a reason for the Lab's pickle joke, one that was explained in a chance encounter with one of the moles, the details which will be explained tomorrow.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Brodovima/104/67/25

Bixyl Shuftan

Announcement: This Week at the Seanchai Libraries

SPRING TO MIDSUMMER, AND THE RETURN OF OLD FRIENDS:
A special event with Aoife's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Project & our friends at Fantasy Faire Radio, continuing series, plus the return of a few old friends: both in book form, and presenting stories! Join us for another week in #secondlife, and on our properties in #kitely, live in voice.

Check out the stories and the storytellers at www.seanchailibrary.com

** SUNDAY, June 16th, 1pm:  A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM Live from LEA 2 ~ Selected scenes presented live from the current "A Midsummer Night’s Dream Project" featuring Da5id Abbot, Fayleen Belois, Aoife Lorefield, Kayden Oconnell, Ian Quintessa, and Caledonia Skytower. 
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA2/170/148/32

** MONDAY, June 17th, at 7pm:  Allan W. Eckert's INCIDENT AT HAWK HILL continues with Gyro Muggins.

**TUESDAY, June 18th at 7pm:  Jeanne Birdsall's THE PENDERWICKS IN SPRING with Caledonia, live on stream.

**WEDNESDAY, June 19th at 7pm:  Robert Heinlein's THE MENACE FROM EARTH with Derry McMahon, Bear Silvershade, and Caledonia Skytower, live on stream.

**THURSDAY, June 20th at 7pm: Bernard Evslin's MONSTERS & MYTHS: Hecate, with Shandon Loring (Also in Kitely! 

Find teleport from the main Seanchai World grid.kitely.com:8002:SEANCHAI)

FROM OUR FRIENDS at Fantasy Faire Radio . . .

Reader Submitted: Pups At The Relay

Taken by Henning "The Cutie" Lionheart. In the sci-fi area at RFL Victory was a prop residents could pose behind and stick their heads out to appear as dancing girls. It's fair to assume the maker didn't take into mind three mischievous wolves.

SL Video: "Blackout"

(Click here if the video does not play)

From Margaret Ghost on June 2013

Reader Submitted: Meli's Maniacs At The Relay

From Jenneh Thursday, a view of the Relay Weekend track's Meli's Maniac's campsite.

The Relay Track Comes Down

"All good things must come to an end." And so must the Relay Weekend track and it's camps. While the Fantasy Faire has risen in it's own right over the years, nothing has replaced the annual gathering of the Relay teams in a building of campsites and walking together, and raising funds

Sadly, we have to say goodbye to 2019 Relay Season. The sims will stay up until Thurs.  After that, all items left will go into the mystic with the sims. So please clean up before then. Thank you all for the most amazing Relay Season! We are here all season if you need anything! Stay tuned for awards notices and wrap up info too!

While a few builds had been taken down in the few days following the Relay Weekend, most stayed up until the Flood Party on Wednesday afternoon. After that, people started The Takedown. But not everything went down right away. In one case, a building was left half-sunken in the water.

A few teams, once taking down their camps, left a final message.

Team Sunbeamers would meet up one last time at the camp for a few team pictures. With over 400,000 Lindens raised and a campsite trophy under it's belt, it's been a good year for the team. But it might not be over yet. Word has it someone sent a large donation by mail to the RFL in SL in the team's name that once it clears will put the team well over 500,000, and Jade level status.

And so, the sun sets on another great Relay Weekend event. But the season's not over yet. A few teams have one more event. The season finally concludes on June 23 at 10AM with the "Relay Wrap-Up," in which the final awards for the year are given out. But the struggle against cancer won't stop until next year. In October is the "Making Strides" event that raises funds for breast cancer. And in December is the RFL spinoff event, the Christmas Expo.

For those wanting more pictures, you can check out

RFL in SL Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/groups/slrelayforlife/

Wildstar Beaumont: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wildstar_b/albums/72157708988008796

Ishtarkiss: https://www.flickr.com/groups/slrelayforlife/pool/ishtarskiss

Go Relay!

Bixyl Shuftan

RFL Announcement: Closing Ceremony Awards

The following awards were given at the Closing Ceremonies of the Relay Weekend. More Awards will be made at the "Relay Wrap-Up" later this month.

*  *  *  *  *

CANCER EDUCATION AWARENESS   
Awarded to campsites earning top scores for incorporating information and education about cancer and/or the American Cancer Society into their build.    
3rd    Circle of Life
2nd    UFS Metamorphosis
1st    Inspired Dreamwalkers

BEST THEME DECORATED   
Awarded to the campsites earning the top 3 scores for the all-around design interpretation of the 2019 Relay For Life of Second Life theme: All Aboard! For A Cure!  The inclusion of www.cancer.org information from the American Cancer Society is important.    
3rd The Goreans
2nd Inspired Dreamwalkers
1st UFS Metamorphosis   

BEST WALK THRU   
Top score for Best Walk Thru Experience

TIE for 3rd Camping for a Cure
TIE for 3rd  Questing for the Cure
2nd  SUNBEAMERS  
1st Team Live Wire 

BEST RIDE THRU   
Top score for Best Riding Experience    
Guardians of the Grid

DESIGNER
Awarded for the design team build that captures the essence, reality and scale of the real or imaginary worlds they represent, and truly gives a world to call our own for a brief and unforgettable moment in time.  

3rd RFL Survivor ~ Designed by:  Darkstone Aeon & BB Woodford with the Hope Haven Survivor/Caregiver Support Group

2nd RFL Support ~ RFL Support- Mac Pierce  

1st  RFL Celebrate~ Rex (Archer Mactavish)

EPIC OUTREACH MEGA   
3rd Christmas Expo 
2nd Sci Fi Convention 
1st Fantasy Faire 

EPIC TEAM EVENT Awarded to groups, individuals or teams, who reach outward into Second Life to promote awareness of Relay For Life, the American Cancer Society, it’s Mission, and encourage participation to new audiences.

3rd Inspired Dreamwalkers  An Eggstra-Ordinary Event       
2nd Relay Rockers  Relay Stock
1st Harmony of Hope Life is a Beach  Muddy's Music Cafe  

BEST NEW EPIC
Inspired Dreamwalkers  An Eggstra-Ordinary Event

MC AWARDS   
1st Head Hunters MC
2nd HAMC Renegades/HAMC Texas
3rd Heaven's Vixens

Announcement: The Science Circle Field Trip - Tour of the Geology Museum

Tour of the Geology Museum
Saturday, June 15 at 10AM PDT
By Dr. William F. Schmachtenberg

A few years ago, James Madison University gave Bill Schmachtenberg (Dae Miami  SL) permission to create a virtual geology museum on their sim. Unfortunately, the JMU campus on SL shut down. The Science Circle stepped in and has generously permitted Bill to recreate the museum on their region. On June 15 we will tour the maps in the global geology museum and then have a talk about Bill’s past and current research projects concerning palaeography, palaeontology, and extinction events.

For more information, click here: https://www.sciencecircle.org/event/geology-museum/
   

SL16B Update: No Early Pictures

Some of you may be wondering what happened to Gemma Cleanslate's "behind the scenes" article we had about the SL16B earlier today. After initial approval from the Moles, someone from Linden Lab stepped forward and urged us to take it down. Apparently, he felt there should be what one mole called a "complete media blackout," not showing even parcels with nothing but temporary placeholders or "You Are Here" map displays.

Because of this, there will be no further "Sneak Peak" pictures of the SL16B, and the article in question will go up on opening day, June 20. While there were some occasional cautionary words with the staff of the resident-run Second Life Birthdays, there was a general understanding a few early pictures that showed just a little were of benefit to all. While we're certainly happy to see the Lindens take a greater interest in Second Life's birthday, this super-secret approach is a bit of an eyebrow-raiser. There's not even an SL16B blog.

Hopefully as the Lindens get the hang of running a Second Life Birthday celebration again, next year we can go back to doing the sneak peek pictures.

Bixyl Shuftan
SL Newser

RFL Flood Party

At 5PM SL time, Wednesday June 12, there came a yearly tradition that began by accident in 2010, and has since become a last call for fun each year at the Relay track: the "Flood Party." While it's sometimes called other names, this year the "Sink the Sims Party," it still holds onto it's unofficial name year after year.

Once last lap, one last chance to see RFL and then we watch it sink @ The Annual SINK THE SIMS Party

Starting at 5pm All Aboard For A Cure will sink into the sea leaving us with Memories and the satisiaction of a a Job Well Done!

Join RelayRadio at RFL Research or on The Track for one last Party !

Taking place onto the bridge that separated the "Five Days of Relay" sims to it's east to other sims to the west, the water slowly crept up, and for the tinies there, it was time to get a floatie, or hold their breath.

People laughed, joked, and swam. There were also a few aquatic avatars that joined in the fun.

But it wasn't long before the water began to recede, and the Flood Party was soon over.

Although the camps didn't need to be cleaned up until the day after, some people began picking up theirs right after the party. Others left them up, giving Relay fans a chance to see one last look at them.

Today is the Takedown at the Relay track sims, and by tonight, the camps will be gone.

Bixyl Shuftan

Cartoon of the Day: High Octane Fuel

Taken at the "Five Days of Relay" motorcycle run on the Relay sims. One case of sim crossing lag looked like a heck of a power jump that would make one wonder just what was in the fuel tank.

By Bixyl Shuftan

Interview With Dara Quinn, Miss SL 2019

Earlier this month, Dara Quinn was crowned Miss Second Life at the end of the contest by the Miss SL Organization. Newser reporter Marcel Mosswood recently had a chance to talk to her. Dara had a number of things to say about the competition and what it took to come out on top.

Read Marcel's interview in People.

New Sims, Linden Home Areas, Offshore Island, Added to Bellisseria

For those whom have been anxiously awaiting the next batch of Linden homes, your wait  may soon be over. Ten new sims have been added to the Bellisseria continent, six of which hadn't appeared on the map yet as of the writing of this article.

Even though the lower six weren't visible on the map yet, they were visible and accessible in-avatar, including some dock areas for houseboats.

In the four sims that were visible on the map, there were some houseboats set up, though not quite ready to be claimed.

Some places for land-based Linden Homes had what looked like Monopoly house tokens. Perhaps these were to mark where real homes were to go.

That's not all that's appeared in the Costner Bay and Whiskey Bay sims, there's an island with an airstrip and a pier. The airstrip is at Costner Bay (118/82/23). The pier is at Whiskey Bay (173/11/23). Like six of the sims, it wasn't yet on the map when this story was being written.

When some houseboat Linden Homes were released last month, the 709 houses were snapped up in just 27 minutes. Since then however, Linden Lab has announced the price of Premium accounts, which are necessary to claim a Linden Home, will go up significantly later this month. It will be interesting to see how much of an effect the price hike has on how fast the homes are claimed.

Addition: As of 10 AM SL time, the remainder of the new sims have appeared on the map, but not the island yet. 

Hat Tip: Daniel Voyager

Bixyl Shuftan

RFL Camp Takedown Tomorrow, Flood Party Date and Time TBA

Today, Wednesday June 12 is the last full day you'll be able to see the Relay track sims. On Thursday June 13, the Relay teams will be asked to take down the campsites. So by Friday, pretty much all that will be left will be the roads. It is advised to drop by sooner rather than later today as already, people whom presumably will be out of town tomorrow have already been cleaning up.

Sometime today or tomorrow is a Relay tradition that's become a farewell to the sims, the "Flood Party" in which one of the sims gets filled with water, and the residents gather, usually in swimsuits and inner tubes. People in the Relay for Life Volunteer group are advised to keep checking notices for the time and place.

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

Here's what's going on at the Sunweaver and Montecito Bay clubs, Lyuba's Game and Dance Center, and Furry Fashion's Furscape

Club Cutlass: Best in 'W,' Gone Crazy, Sock Hop

The Happy Vixen: Red and Blue, School, TBA, T-Shirts, Rainbow, Creepy vs Cute, Desert, Lingerie, TBA

Club Zero Gravity: DJ Snowbuns,  DJ Perri, The Blues Furs

Montecito Bay: TBA

FF Furscape: CAYA, Fairy Tales, Purple n Black, Sexy, Romance, Punk, Angels vs Demons, Late Night, Genderbend, Pokemon, Video Games

Lyuba's Game and Dance Center: Apocalypse to Thunderdome

Read the schedules in SL Clubbin'. 

It Came From Discord: Relay Humor

One of the running gags of the Relay for Life is "The Hair," Fuzzball Ortega's enormous hairpiece that's so massive, it requires propellers to stay upright. Every year, he makes at least a partial lap with it. This time, Eugenia Burton "Genie" Ortega was there, carrying a little comment on her back.

Four Relay Camps

Today and tomorrow, Tuesday June 11 and Wednesday June 12, are the last days the sims of the Relay Track will remain up. So be sure to check the sights. There were four that caught my attention.

RFL Celebrate has a designer build by Archer Mactavish. This "Alice in Wonderland" style adventure will have you going down the rabbit hole, coming across some information about cancer, and more.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/RFL%20Celebrate/224/165/33

In RFL Courage is the Relay for Life Museum. Here, you can find reminders of glories of Relays past.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/RFL%20Courage/132/118/23

In RFL Journey, there's an amusement park with activities designed and made by Nancy Clowes. This includes a "Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots"-inspired game. You can get a copy on sale for 300L with the cash going to the Relay.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/RFL%20Journey/130/125/23

For fans of the recently concluded "Game of Thrones" fantasy drama on TV, there's a camp by "Game of Thrones Cooperative Reborn." This adventure has a quest one can go on.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/RFL%20Knowledge/123/43/23

These are just four of the places in the Relay sims. So by all means don't limit your viewing to them, as there are many more worth taking the time to explore.

Go Relay!

Addition:  The "Flood Party" will be sometime tomorrow or Thursday. After that, there will be a few more team events, such as the Royal Ascot horse race by Team ACTS. The Relay Season ends Sunday June 23 with the Relay Wrap-Up at 10 AM.

Bixyl Shuftan