Cartoon of The Day

 

 Taken at a stage play in Antiquity for the Relay, "It's A Jungle Out There." I snapped a picture in the middle of the costume changes, when with one guy the ape mask was one of the last things to go. 

 

By Bisyl Shuftan.  

 

The Raglan Shire Artwalk

 

One of Second Life's most noted yearly art shows, and Raglan Shire's best known annual event, is now taking place: The Raglan Shire Artwalk. Occasionally called "art on a hedge" by the local tinies, there's a huge amount of art available to see.

 

The Artwalk officially opened on Sunday May 17.  To start things off with a bang, there was a concert in which Mia Rose sang at 11 AM SL time, followed by Nivor the singing chicken. The latter had a few jokes about someone in a hen avatar singing the tunes, and even Nivor himself joined in with a couple songs about frying poultry, to prove he wasn't afraid of anything "fowl" happening, let alone fox reporters. 

 

There's plenty of artwork to look at. Some are prints of real-life paintings and drawings. But there's also Second Life screenshots, and prints of real-life photographs, as well as some three-dimensional sculpture. And much of it reflects the whimsy of the Raglan community. Some of the art also has a "buy" option, so you can take home some copies to put on the wall of your own virtual space. 

 

There's also a face-painting booth in which your avatar's face becomes a canvas itself (might work only on tiny avies). There was a "hedgiepillar" to ride as it walked around the art displays. And then there's Catten Carter "Art-o-Matic 3000," in which you yourself end up part of the art, albeit briefly. 

 

The Artwalk goes to June 14. During this time, other events will be going on in Raglan. So don't be surprised if while touring the pictures, you hear the high-pitched cheers and applause of the locals in the distance.

 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Raglan%20Shire/102/188/58 (takes you to event schedule board near a 'hedgiepillar' and 'art pallete' rezzer)

 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Raglan%20Shire/116/29/59 (teleporter to different areas) 

 

Bixyl Shuftan (with a little help from Droppa MaPants)

 

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: All Fashions, Truckin', TBA

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

Club Zero Gravity: DJ Snowy - Magical vs. Mundane

 

Bouncing Bunny Beach Club:  DJ Snowy - Land vs Sea

Xanadu: DJ Jesse 

 

Montecito Bay:  CAYA, After Dark

Club Scorn: Th 8-12, Sat 2-12

 

Furry Fashion: Black & White, TBA, Murder Monsters and Mystery

 

Urban Furry :  DJ Charlee, DJ Emma, DJ Emma

 

Read the schedules in SL Clubbin'

 

A Busy Weekend

 

It was quite the weekend in Second Life. Sunday had the 18th Annual Bay City Anniversary Parade and Pary (above). Also that same day was the start of the Raglan Shire Artwalk, which began with a music party. There were also a number of Relay events, including a "Bronzing Party" in which a number of teams that raised just a little money got a boost to Bronze level.

 

More on these events later.

 

Commentary: Patch Linden - A Long Career With A Sudden Ending That Leaves A Big Hole And Many Questions

 

It isn't often that one of the Lindens, particularly someone outside the Lab's CEOs, makes a big impression. Early on, there was Torley Linden with his "Friendly Greetings" Second Life tutorials. Oz Linden had some fans as well, and his farewell party had a huge attendance. April Linden as the one furry among the Lindens at one time had some admirers among the grid's furs. 

 

And then there was Patch, or Eric Nix as he's known in real life. 

 

It's fair to say Patch had a very huge group of fans. Being in the public eye since 2015, he would take a role in various Meet the Lindens events at the Second Life Birthdays and other occasions, as well as taking part in Linden Bid Me Bald events since 2017 and Linden Jail and Bail events since 2018. He was a part of Bellisseria since its beginning, and would sometimes appear in group chat and make comments, the locals as a group feeling he was one of them. 

 

As then CEO Ebbe Linden began to appear less in public around 2018-19, Patch Linden would stand in for him. When Ebbe Altberg passed away in 2020, Patch would be part of the Lab's leadership team, and took the lead in honoring it's departed leader. Linden Lab would never choose another CEO, it's leaders being those of the Waterman Network that bought them in 2019 with Brad Oberwager (Oberwolf Linden) as Executive Chairman. But Patch would remain the most visible of the Lindens. 

 

It's fair to say to Second Life's residents, Patch would be the face of Linden Lab to many, if not most, taking the lead in being part of many fun events as well as announcements such as Pride Month celebrations and explaining why controversial moves such as the Gacha Ban were done. And he would also appear in public between events, and willingly be the butt of jokes such as people spinning on top of him and taking pictures and getting spanked. 

 

Then came the troubles.

 

In late February 2024, there was an article being passed around accusing several Lindens and Moles of engaging in ageplay, or in laymans' terms virtual child pornography, including Patch. The majority after being confronted with this "what the hell" moment would conclude there was no real proof any of the charges were true, Prokofy Neva, who was certainly no fan of Patch or at least a number of decisions made under his watch, would make a lengthy article explaining none of them held water. Linden Lab eventually felt it had to make a statement a few weeks later acknowledging they were taking the accusations seriously and investigating. While a few Lindens were let go some months later, the reasons were not given, so they could have been dismissed/resigned for other reasons. 

Sadly while most of us believe "all remain innocent until proven guilty," some go with "once accused, always suspect." And a small number would view him with suspicion and hostility. Linden and Mole Chatter in the Bellisseria group would vanish for a while. Patch would keep a low profile for some time, not appearing at the VWBPE Conference that year and it would be months later before anything was heard from him. It wouldn't be until the Second Life Birthday that all seemed more or less normal again. But once in a while one of his anti-fans would speak out. 

 

And now, out of the blue, while things were seemingly going well, comes the announcement Patch is no longer part of Linden Lab. 

 

It's fair to say Patch was fired and not simply deciding to move on and resign. There was no official final statement from Patch. His account was quickly deleted. And there was no time as a Linden to tie up loose ends. While he would continue to take part in the Jail and Bail at the Fantasy Fair, it would be as his "civilian" account, Patch Pawtato, which most of us hadn't heard of until now. 

 

So what happened? Companies do not simply up and toss out someone as productive and well-liked as Patch. None of the Lindens are talking. There was nothing in the short statement given by the Lab. So all we are left with is speculation. Naturally, some look at the accusations made against him and wonder if that was the reason. But it's been two years. If there was anything solid to be found, it would have been almost certainly been very quickly. In one IM conversation with someone, he gave one interesting possibility. A couple months ago, Facebook/Meta came close to shutting down it's virtual world, at least to those using VR gear. He thought instead of seeing it as a victory, the Waterman Group instead saw that the market for virtual worlds was going downhill and talked about the possibility of selling Linden Lab, talking enough about it to take a few steps, which included removing a certain high-profile employee with a cloud over his head, "'What about that guy who was accused of messing with kid avatars?' 'He's gone now.'" In my opinion, possible but unlikely. While perhaps not making as much as during the Pandemic in 2020, Second Life is still making quite a bit of cash. Someone else pointed out that Patch had been around for twenty years, and maybe the decision was made to move him aside to make way for someone new. Possible but highly unlikely. There's nothing to say Patch was out of touch with today's residents.

 

In my opinion, what probably happened was some kind of dispute, or a series of disputes behind the scenes between Patch and the owners. And all it would take would be for one of them to be in a particularly foul mood. CEOs. It certainly would be far from the first time someone was booted for POing the boss. 

 

But the truth is, we may never truly know why Patch was given the pink slip. With Philip Rosedale, Second Life and Linden Lab were established, and he felt it was time to move on. With M Linden, Second Life and Linden Lab had gone downhill during his tenure. With Rod Humble, he'd stopped the slide but hadn't succeeded in getting the place to bounce back and had angered content creators. But with our unofficial leader of the Lab, the reasons just aren't clear. And this uncertainty will likely complicate the Lab's relationship with the residents somewhat for some time. 

 

Will anyone else rise to fill the void Patch leaves? Right now, we don't know that either. Grumpity Linden is one possibility. But it's also probable no one Linden will truly take his place, among the Bellisserians, or the residents in general. The accusations were a reminder if you're high profile, you're a tempting target for trolls. 

 

Wherever you go from here Patch Linden/Eric Nix, we wish you well.

 

Bixyl Shuftan

SL Newser 

Cartoon of The Day: Porcupine Artist

 

 Taken at Raglan Shire. And yes, a porcupine artist would easily do that.

 

By Bixyl Shuftan

 

 

 

Announcement: Raglan Shire Artwalk Starts Today

 

Raglan Shire's Artwalk starts today, and at Noon there's an event to help start the show 

 

Nivor at Art Walk Opening - Noon SLT on Sunday

Yes, it's the one, the only, NIVOR THE SINGING CHICKEN! 

The smooth stylings of this fabulous bird will help celebrate the official opening of  our 21st Artwalk in Raglan Shire at NOON SLT on Sunday, May 17!

Yes, Artwalk is now old enough to drink, so raise a glass of your best wootberry wine and join us!

 Raglan Shire (131,187,62)
 

SL Video: "2026 Fantasy Faire - MerryJest: The Book of Tangles"

 

 (click here if the video does not play)

 

 From Bain Finch on May 10, "MerryJest performs The Book of Tangles at 2026 Fantasy Faire. Inspired and dedicated to the blessed memory to dear friends."

 

 

ETOB: Spotlight On Locations For Mental Health

 

Second Life has many locations in which people can just relax and chill. But some were made with the mental health of visitors in mind. Plus there are also some groups dedicated to healing of mental conditions.  In this week's "Highlights From The Destination Guide," Linden Lab is putting the spotlight on several locations in which are good for mental wellness. 

 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Second Life is home to communities and destinations that offer support, connection, and space to reset. You'll find peaceful meditation gardens, mindfulness centers, peer support groups, veteran communities, wellness retreats, and educational health resources designed to encourage human connection, care, and healing.
 

They would go on to list several locations. Among them,  Circle Mental Health at Nautilus Anath (79/124/3001),  Fearless Nation at Fearless Nation (73/154/30), which the Newser would write about in 2020, Echo Group Band of Brothers, which we wrote about in 2022, Virtual Ability at Virtual Ability (128/128/23), which the Newser has written about numerous times, and more. 

 

To suggest a place for the Destinations Guide, fill out the form (here).  

 

 Third image by Penny Shuftan (Deaflegacy)

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

This Saturday at The Science Circle

 

Saturday May 16

 

    ~*~

 

At 10 AM PST  

 

The Orange Gene in Cats: A Genetics Quest

By Mary Anne Clark, Phd

 

SURL: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/59/128/29

 

    ~*~

 

    NOTE: Non-members required to register once

    IM Jes Cobalt or Nymf Hathaway

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

  

Fantasy Faire Ends

 

 It's been a great twenty days. But all good things come to an end. And aside from staff and those who remained in the sims after Midnight (or perhaps logged in when you were last at one of the sims soon after Midnight), the Fairelands are now closed to the general public. The 2026 Fantasy Faire is now officially over. And once the sims fade away, all that will be left are the items in our inventory, the screenshots we took, and memories. 

 

People in the Fantasy Faire group are continuing to chat, about the good times they had, the sights they saw, the items they got and found a place for, and more. And it will likely keep going for many days. I've talked to a few Relayers who have somewhat mixed feelings about the Faire, as it means smaller crowds for team events while it takes place. There's also that those with slower computers often have to wait until the evening to avoid the crowds, and lag. But practically everyone who's been at the Faire has fun with the sights, events, and/or shopping.

 

This year's Faire will be known for a few things, the "Children of Stories" roleplay in which a character died a heroic death, the Fairelands Quest with a faithful goat companion in which you try to get a sacred forest going with a single seed. Sadly though, this Faire had a shadow over it, the sudden departure of Patch Linden who many here saw as a friend and supporter. 

 

For most Relayers, it's time to move on to another few weeks for team events, then focus turns to the Relay Weekend on June 13 and 14. For other residents, there's also the Bay City parade and Second Life Birthday, followed by the Fourth of July and the remaining summer months. But for the core fans of the Fantasy Faire, while some other events are still fun, there's nothing quite like those magical two weeks in late April and early May. And they'll look back on the last one fondly while looking forward to the next one. 

 

Safe and exciting travels, Fairelanders,

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

*Update* The Faire raised a total of 23,914,480 Linden dollars.  

 

Press Release: Bay City's 18th Anniversary Celebration.

BAY CITY CELEBRATES EIGHTEEN YEARS

This Classic City Area was the First “Mole” Project

BAY CITY, SL (30 April, 2026) - The Second Life® mainland community of Bay City reaches the eighteenth anniversary or its initial release this May, and Bay City Residents are once again hosting their traditional parade down the city’s Route 66, followed by a live music event in their fairgrounds.

The first project of the Linden Department of Public Works, Bay City opened in May of 2008 to initial viewing. In 2011, its land mass doubled, as it absorbed the copy of Bay City that existed on the former Teen Grid. It has developed into the largest community-focused virtual urban area in Second Life.

Parade participants are asked to gather at noon SLT/PDT on Sunday, the 17th of May, to lineup at the band shell in Bay City - Harwich. The parade will wend its way down Route 66 beginning at 12:30 p.m. SLT/PDT, and will conclude at the Bay City Fairgrounds in the North Channel region. 

A music event will kick off at 12:30 p.m. SLT/PDT at the Fairgrounds with DJ DJ GoSpeed of KONA Stream providing music leading into the event until 1:30 p.m.SLT/PDT , followed by AleyKat (Aleylia Resident)from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. SLT/PDT, Jesie Janick from 2:30-3:30 p.m. SLT/PDT, and Raspberry Rearwin from 3:30-4:30 p.m. SLT/PDT.

All Residents of the Second Life grid are encouraged to participate. Celebration goods, including parade float bases and ideas, are available at the Bay City Community Center, in the Daley Bay region for those who wish to be a part of the event. Ample viewing areas are provided for all. The music event is also open to all who desire to attend -- not only Residents of Bay City, but the entire grid is welcome.

Bay City is a mainland community, developed by Linden Lab® and home to the Bay City Alliance. The Bay City Alliance was founded in 2008 to promote the Bay City regions of Second Life® and provide a venue for Bay City Residents and other interested parties to socialize and network. It is now the largest Bay city group, and home to most Residents of Bay City.

For more information, contact: Marianne McCann