Cartoon of the Day: Hungry Leopard

From the SL17B. This exhibit showed a couple leopards sneaking into someone's car for a free snack. But perhaps the human wasn't so unaware, or as inept as they might have assumed.

By Bixyl Shuftan

Feed A Smile

With the Holidays and their themed shopping hunts behind her, Shava Denver has been looking for other things to write about. She quickly did when finding out about a charity: Feed A Smile. For those who don't know, Feed A Smile is a charity that provides food for children in Kenya, in addition to building a school. Events supporting the charity are held at Lavender Field, but there's also an art exhibit that supports the charity.

Read Shava's article in People.

Africa Live Revisited

One of the more interesting things about Second Life is that you can come across people from around the world. Residents from America may expect to see people from Europe or Japan. But what about Africa? With numerous tales of woe in the nightly news, it might take some by surprise that not only are there Africans in this virtual world, there's a whole community of them. In 2013, I wrote about Africa Live. Recently, I dropped by again to see how the place has changed in the past four years.

Read the story in Places.

Madpea International Food Fair Taking Place Until March 4

Madpea Productions, the company in Second Life noted for it's detailed games over the years, is running a charity event in cooperation with Feed a Smile, the Madpea International Food Fair. The event started on Saturday with musicians such as Shannon O'herlihy performing. Due to the lag, some attending watched from just past the sim border not far from the stage, or stayed near the TP point and donated to kiosks near there.

The "Queen Pea" Kiana Writer was among those at the Saturday events  On the event's webpage, the group stated, "Our goal is building a kitchen for impoverished school children in the Rhonda Slums of Nakuru, Kenya. The MadPea International Food Fair will raise funds for the kitchen with the help of some of the grid’s top designers, who will sell exclusive food-themed items and gachas throughout the event with 50% of all earnings going toward Feed a Smile. Additionally, donations will be accepted throughout the fair. The fair will be a full cultural feast; alongside the awesome shopping, live musicians and DJs will provide music at the festival’s Center Stage virtually round-the-clock."

By Sunday, the total amount raised had passed the one million Linden mark. 

Madpea has done charity events before. In October 2015, they raised over a million and a half Lindens to help build a school in Africa. 

The Food Fair will have at least two performances every day, today having Beth Odets at 2PM and Zak Claxton at 6PM, with four performances tomorrow Tuesday February 21. The closing party will be on Saturday March 4 from 1-3PM SL time.

For more information on the Food Fair, and the latest fundraising total, check the page at http://www.madpeagames.com/events/madpea-international-food-fair/ . To see the event stage yourself, head to Harms Way (171/151/1234) .

*Update* According to Modem World, the "Live and Learn" charity, which gets a third of it's money through Second Life "Feed a Smile" fundraisers, the people Madpea is partnering with in this event, recently had their outdoor kitchen wrecked due to bad weather.  The new kitchen will be a sturdier and more hygenic indoor one.

Madpea Charity Event Raises Over A Million And A Half Lindens

Last weekend from Friday September 25 to Sunday September 27, the Madpea Charity Auctions took place. Over the course of three days, people dropping in on the event in Stargazer Bay made bids on over sixty various Second Life personalities from Saffia Widdershins of "Designing Worlds" to Draxtor Despress of the "Drax Files," to Xiola Linden, to Madpea leader Kiana Writer herself, and many others. All the while, they listened to 22 various DJs and live musicians. The event, in cooperation with Feed a Smile, was to raise funds to build a school in Kenya.

The event was a success from the start, raising almost 460,000 Lindens at the end of the first day. "The first day, far exceeded expectations," spoke Kess Crystal when interviewed Friday evening, "and we had two new auctionees over night, another Linden and Bryn Oh. There are now 64 auction boards for people, and eight for real life items, like the jewelry here." She pointed to some kiosks with pictures of jewelry. She explained there were four Lindens whom made themselves up for bid, "Alexa, Simon, Rider and Xiola." Of the number of people who were there that day, "Oh I have no idea ... but there were constantly 45-70 people here for most of the events." Kess explained she had something of a dual role at the event, "I have two hats on for this because the event is (at) my club, hee-hee. So I organized it for MadPea here."

As the Lindens came in, a build of the school the money was going to went up piece by piece, symbolizing what the amount raised would pay for. "The school behind us is being built as we raise more money. Yesterday that was just foundations. We're trying to give a virtual representation of the difference the money is actually making. So it's all based on the actual costs involved. The target is 1.4 million L$ that is the actual cost once turned into euros of a whole classroom. So at half a million after one day you can see we are def on track."

"We would expect Sunday to be the highest day as that's the day the auctions close so people will get last minute bids in. Currently I believe Xiola Linden is the person with the highest bid on their board. Bryn will go for a lot but I've literally just activated her board."

Besides the entertainers, Saturday also had the debut screening of the "Paradise Lost" machinima by Canary Beck. Sunday itself would be so crowded when I logged in, I couldn't get in until after the auctions were closed and the boards taken down. The total amount raised was 1,667,762 Lindens, well over the goal. The extra money will go to additional Feed-A-Smile operations.

The top three bids made, according to the Madpea blog,  were for Alexa Linden at 50,001 Linden dollars, Callie Cline (the co-owner of the Kittycats breedable pets) at 87,000 Lindens, and Kiana Writer at a whopping 150,000, or $600 US dollars. Inara Pey of Modem World had a list of the volunteers, she herself getting a bid of 30,000. Among the others were Bryn Oh for 45,000, Draxtor Despress for 31,500, Jessica Lyon for 30,000, and Saffia Widdershins for 26,666.

Madpea says they'll most likely plan further benefits in future years, "A few brave souls have asked Kess when the next one will be. We'll let her recover first."

Bixyl Shuftan/

The Madpea Charity Auction

This weekend, the "Madpea Celeberty Auction" is taking place. The event boasts three days of DJs and live music performers, in addition to various SL personalities taking part in auctions, from artist Bryn Oh, to SL video journalist Draxtor Despress to the "Queen Pea" Kiana Writer herself, "Last year I ended up singing at Furry Fair so I’m curious to see what you’d like to buy me for!" Some jewelry, real jewelry and not virtual, is also up for bid.

Dropping by yesterday at the location of the event, Stargazer Bay, the place was packed, with dozens of residents listening to Angela McKeenan and her band perform.  By the end of the day, almost half a million Linden dollars had been raised to help build a school in Kenya.

Today boasts events such as Max Kleene's live performance and a screening of Canary Beck's "Paradise Lost" machinima. Sunday has Anek Fuchs' performance and the "live" auctions.

Stargazer Bay (63/65/3008)

Feed a Smile at The Lavender Field

This time of year in Second Life is known for it's events for the Relay for Life. But it is not the only charity going on in Second Life. BloodyKitty dropped by an event for "Feed A Smile" this Sunday. Taking place in the sim of the same name in "The Lavender Field," the event raises funds to feed children in Kenya.

Read BloodyKitty's article in Events.

Press Release: Madpea Hosting Feed-A-Smile Charity Auction

MadPea Productions is hosting a celebrity auction in support of Live and Learn in Kenya's Feed-a-Smile program. Held at Mad City Park on Sunday, February 23, from 8AM to 6PM SLT, we will have a professional emcee and live entertainment.

The goal of the Feed-a-Smile program is to raise funds to feed children in Kenya. There are 400 children in the program who are fed daily.  All 100% of donations are transferred directly to Kenya to care for the children, provide education, medicine, food, shelter, and foster care. Visit www.llk-selb.de for more information.

What we need from you is YOU! We would like to put you up on the auction block (or simply post your photo and bio card on an auction board) and let the crowd bid for the chance to win an hour with you (within a two week time of the auction). This hour can be spent giving a demo of your particular skill - for example, building or designing something, or a behind the scenes tour of your business - or a simple dance date where you share your time in conversation.

Our goal with this event is 1,200,000L, which will feed all 400 kids in the Feed-a-Smile program for a month. We know we can reach this goal with your help.

Please contact Honey Cesuvino or Picoole Bade and then return the attached notecard and a photo of yourself by Sunday, February 16.

Thank you very much for being a part of this wonderful and deserving project.


FB Link:https://www.facebook.com/events/206214266242662/206499826214106/?notif_t=event_mall_reply

The Drax Files: "Episode 16 - Feed a Smile"

(Click Here if the video fails to load)

"A child in Kenya can eat today because your avatar gave 100 Linden Dollars at this concert!"

For Brique Topaz, who runs the Germany based non-profit "Live and Learn in Kenya", a statement like the above is nothing at all out of the ordinary: little bits of virtual currency from an online world, donated by avatars who listen to musicians represented by pixels helps pay for children in impoverished slums outside of Nairobi - makes total sense!

After all: user-to-user transactions in Second Life are over 500 million US$ per year. Why not funnel some of that cash to good causes?

Should you however feel confused whenever the topic of virtual reality and its impact on the physical realm is being discussed, fear not: invest the next 5 minutes and thou shalt be enlightened, with stories of passion, persistence and really good music.

More information on the web at http://www.leben-lernen-kenia.org/typo3/index.php?id=6&L=1

or live in-world at the Lavender Field: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Feed%20A%20Smile/124/120/24"

Africa Live

In Second Life, you can meet people from all across the world. Africa is no exception. Bixyl Shuftan met up with someone from the Africa Live group, and was given a tour of the community's place in the Estings sim. So what did Africa Live have to offer? Quite a bit.

Read more in Places.

Christmas Around the World

Want to know more about how Christmas is celebrated in other countries? DrFran Babcock came across a place with lots of scenery and facts about the holiday in other cultures, appropriately named "Christmas Around the World." There's plenty to see, recipes to try out in one's real-life kitchen, and freebies to take home.

Read Dr Fran's story in Places.

Kony 2012 Campaign in Second Life

In recent days, there's been an activist campaign that's been taking the Internet by storm: Kony 2012 by "Invisible Children." For those who don't know, "Kony" is Joseph Kony, the leader of a guerrilla army in Africa known for it's kidnapping of children and it's ruthless brutality. The idea of the movement is to make Kony better known by spreading word of him, and hopefully encourage people to go after him to either kill him or bring him to trial. Look up "Kony 2012" on Youtube, and you'll get lots of videos. Plus people on Facebook & Twitter have been forwarding Kony 2012 stories as well.

Any1 Gynoid informed me this movement reached Second Life by sending me an object labeled "Kony 2012." Rezzing it, I found a cube with a poster on all six sides of the man's profile next to Bin Laden and Hitler. Inside the box were a number of posters from huge to medium size of three different kinds, all with anti-Kony messages.

Not all the stories on Facebook I spotted followed the Kony 2012 bandwagon. One from "foreignpolicy.com" expressed skepticism of the hype.

Bixyl Shuftan

Quark Allen DJs at United for Change

From 12 to 2 PM on Sunday August the 28th, DJ Quark Allen performed his trance tunes at the Eternalis sim for the "United for Change" fundraiser for Kenyan children. At 12:25, Lalabel Demina announced a total of more than 109,000 L had been raised. 100 Lindens was enough to buy a meal, so this was enough for 1090 meals.

The event would go on until 5 PM. SL Newser hadn't heard what the final total raised was.

United for Change

This weekend, there's a charity event aimed at helping children in Africa. A number of musicians and others are donating their time and talent. Among them Quark Allen, whom plays from 12-2PM. There are also games, poetry & story readings, and African fashion shows.

"Join the festivities and help out a good cause at United for Change, a charity event for the nonprofit Live and Learn in Kenya held Aug. 27-28 in Second Life. Have fun and experience live deejays, concerts, art and photo exhibits and more! Schedule and more info at: http://unitedforchange.no-ip.fr."

The event, which will last until Sunday, August 28th, is at the Eternalis sim (139, 221, 22)

The South Sudan Independence Party

On Sunday, there was a party in Second Life to celebrate the independence of the world's newest nation, the African country of South Sudan. The event was in the Saffa Islands sim, organized by Tonny Storm. Music was played, in addition to a telling story shown on-screen.

Read more in People.

Cap Estel Goes Safari

Grey Lupindo is back after an exciting African safari here in Second Life. At Cap Estel, Maurice Messmer has created a nature park very much worthy of a visit. Ride a giraffe, watch dangerous predators, cross rickety bridges, it's quite an experience.

Read about Grey's adventure in Places.