A Couple Humorous Stories (2007)

So what was the first article yours truly wrote about Second Life? It was when I answered a call from Second Life Newspaper for reader submissions, so I sent them a couple tales of amusing incidents. One was about an unexpected reaction to my brand now furry red fox avatar. The other was about giving a creep trying to freak out women his just deserts.

Read Bixyl's first story, originally published in November 2007, in People.

A Day in New York City Block (2008)

Our looking back at Second Life Newspaper continues with a look at the New York City block sim. Built by real life Brooklyn resident Cheri Bing, unlike some other better known New York themed sims, this was built a little less to shop in and more for people to rent a virtual home in at one of the apartments. Dropping in one day in April 2008, Bixyl Shuftan caught a bit of the chaos that went on with the locals that could only be considered a conbination of Second Life wackiness and New York attitude.

See the 2008 article in Places.

Goodbye NYC

It was September 11, 2007 when I ran into Cheri Bing, and her New York City Block. Part of another sim at the time, she later got a sim of her own for it: NYC. A resident of Brooklyn, Cheri wanted to recreate the place where she grew up, as well as building a monument to the World Center Trade Center towers.

In 2009 and 2010, the NYC sim hosted memorial events on September 11 that drew great crowds. The one on 2009 drew the attention of CNN. the 2010 event drew the attention of firefighter groups reported to have real-life firefighters from New York City. Shortly after that, I didn’t notice Cheri coming online. And it wasn’t until weeks later that I saw her. She told me she might not be able to keep up the tier on the sim.

Thinking about the place the other day, I decided to take a peek. But my LMs would not work, “no information available.” And checking the map, there was no NYC sim.

Hopefully Cheri’s problems are temporary. But more often than not, this means the permanent end of a sim.

The NYC was a good sim, with its memorial, a small photography museum, a small number of residents who called its apartment complexes home, and a few shops. In 2010, police and firefighter groups moved in to call the sim home.

I did manage to get in contact with JayFizzle McGinnis of the Second Life Fire Department. He explained that the group had left the NYC sim later in September after the 9-11 ceremony, saying the sim wasn’t set up for roleplay very well, “she wasn't able to accommodate, so we had to make a move ... and it pans out it was a good one ... “

Although there are other New York sims, this was one that had a kind of native charm. It will be missed.

Bixyl Shuftan

More New York City Block 9-11 Pictures

Many more pictures were taken of the 9-11 ceremonies at the NYC sim than were needed for the article. So, a number of the extras get an article of their own, to show a little more of the scenes.

To see the pictures, go to People.

9-11 Commemorations in Mystery, NYC sims

Throughout the Second Life Grid, there were a number of events reflecting on the day nine years ago when the United States suffered it's worst attack from terrorism, a total of 3000 killed. Some events were small with just a few attending. Others were larger, involving dozens. Two of these commemorations were the small vigil at Mystery, and the large remembrance at the NYC sim.

Read the story in Events.

9/11 Ceremonies to be Held in NYC Sim

On Saturday September 11th, there will be comemerative events at the NYC, New York City Block, sim in Second LIfe. Following a ceremony at the World Trade Center Memorial, there will be a parade in honor of the firefighters and police who perished trying to rescue people in the towers. The parade will be done by the Second Life Fire Department.

The NYC sim is run by Cheri Bing, whom is also a resident of New York City in real-life. The place has been running for overr three years. For the entire time, she has had the NYC memorial, and last year, the commemoration was reported on by CNN. Earlier this year, the Second Life Fire Department established a station in the sim.

To get to the NYC sim, Click Here. The Twin Towers Memorial is in the southeast corner of the sim.

Bixyl Shuftan

SL Fire & Rescue Dept. Holds Fireman’s Ball in NYC Sim

Looking for a chance to fight fires in the grid? If so, you were the kind of person the Second Life Fire and Rescue Department was looking for when it held it’s Fireman’s Ball in the NYC sim. After the party, Chief JayFizzle McGinnis had a few words with Second Life Newser.

Read the story in People.