Looking Back: Memorials to Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett

 

It was fifteen years ago today that two celebrities passed away, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. Fawcett had passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. Jackson's death was originally ruled a heart attack, but turned out to be caused by an overdose of a drug intended as a sleep aide. 

Memorials to the two media icons were set up in Second Life. For the article about the two memorials read the 2009 article, originally published in the Second Life Newspaper, (here). 

Bixyl Shuftan

SL Video: "Second Life Memorial Day 2009"

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From Cartmantal in May 2009, filmed at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Second Life and Patriot Island.

SL Video: "Rezzable's 'Black Swan' 2009"

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By Nitwacket in Dec 2009, "a) a theory of 'high-impact, hard-to-predict, and rare events that are beyond the realm of normal expectations' rezzable.com/blog/rightasrain-rimbaud/why-do-we-call-it-black-swan .  b) A sim - where the creative best of Second Life was showcased. Created by Light Waves, and here featuring "Noobility" by Seifert Surface and Art Laxness, 'Black Swan' was moved to Rezzable's private Open Sim in September of 2009."

SL Video: "2009 Relay for Life in Second Life (Pt. 2)"

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From MarkTwain White on October 2009, "The American Cancer Society's 2009 Relay for Life in Second Life(tm) took place on July 18-19. Join us as we take a walk through the sims and see what the creative enegentic folks of Second Life created for this year's incredibly successful fund raising event. This is the second of two parts."

SL Video: "2009 Relay for Life in Second Life (Pt. 1) "

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From MarkTwain White on Sept 2009, "The American Cancer Society's 2009 Relay for Life in Second Life(tm) took place on July 18-19. Join us as we take a walk through the sims and see what the creative enegentic folks of Second Life created for this year's incredibly successful fund raising event. This is the first of two parts."

A Glance Back at an SL Newspaper Meeting

Gemma Cleanslate had taken these pictures in February 2009, over eight years ago when she and I were part of the Second Life Newspaper. In the above picture, we were at a meeting in our office at Ian Bernard. JamesT Juno and Dana Vanmoer are on the left. Nazz Lane is second from the right.

We would go through a few offices in the two and a half years I was present, this one probably the second largest we had. As the years go by, the memories of these happy times get a bit fuzzier, and pictures like these help us remember.

RFL Walk: The Really Wild West Exhibit (2009)

Every year, there are some great builds at the Relay for Life Weekend track. Not all were documented, but thankfully some have. On July 24 2009, the Second Life Newspaper wrote about the Passionate Redhead's "Wild West" exhibit on it's camp. Featuring picturesque canyons, there was much interactivity in the form of a river raft ride and a mine cart ride. Several years later, the camp is still fondly remembered.

Read the 2009 article in the SL Newspaper Archives.

The “Wingless” Free Avatars (2009)

So you're interested in furry avatars, but you have only a handful of Lindens on you? It used to be that if this happened to you, you were just plain out of luck, or had to make do with one of the older furry avatars made early in Second Life's history, such as the starter ringtail that was one of the options for newcomers on day one in 2006. Then came a much better choice. Wingless Emoto made his lines of avatars free and available to Second Life's public. Bixyl Shuftan wrote about them in 2009 in Second Life Newspaper. Six years later, the avatars are still around.

See the 2009 article in Design.

Demonstration in Second Life Supporting Iranian Protesters (2009)

One might not think of Iran as having anything to do with the Internet or social media, let alone Second Life. But a number of the Iranian public have proved surprisingly savvy when it comes to Facebook and Twitter. Following the results of a rigged election in June 2009, dissidents used these means of communication to broadcast images of demonstrations and hardliner crackdowns. On June 25, a demonstration of support of the opposition was organized in Second Life.

Read the 2009 article in Events.

SLN Archives: BNT Bankrupt 53 Sims Offline ( October 2009)

With the anniversary of the Newser less than a month away, Second Life Newser will be reprinting a few of the stories of it's predecessor, Second Life Newspaper. One event that was important both in terms of it's impact on residents and the paper itself was the bankruptcy of BNT holdings in October 2009. Over fifty residential sims were lost, and their residents had to find new places to live. For James and Dana's SLN, meant the loss of their own home as well as the paper's office and their sponsor.

Read Dana's reprinted article, and additional commentary by Bixyl Shuftan, in Extra.

Angels’ Beach (Dec 2009)

In this reprint of a 2009 article, we look back at Nydia Tungsten's Angels group and it's place in the Sunweaver Estates. At a sim called Cape Suzette, they set up a small club called Angels' Beach. Although gone now, and many of the regulars there would drift away from the group, the location still brings back fond memories.

Read the story in Places.

Classic SLN Cartoons

First posted in March 2009, having a little fun and dance with Breezes Babii.

By Bixyl Shuftan

Interview with Lomgren Smalls (May 2009)

Today marks the birthday of a unique individual in Second Life whom was small in size, but big at heart. Lomgren Smalls was best known for his (almost) always wearing a six-inch high avatar of his own design and creation. In May 2009, Bixyl Shuftan interviewed him for Second Life Newspaper, which is being reprinted in the Newser.

Read the interview in People.