Here's to You, Alleara Snoodle

 

It was four years ago this month on December 2, 2021 in which the Newser reported on the death of Alleara Snoodle. A longtime member of the Sunweaver community, she was gifted with both brains and a good heart. She was able to build many things, including the seeming impossible. But she would also take time for many friends, including myself. So who was she? Like much about our beloved gypsy, the answer is both simple and complicated. 

 

Read more in People.  

 

Alleara Snoodle Is Gone

 
It has been confirned by a reliable source that Alleara Snoodle has passed on. To those not familiar with her, she was a highly skilled builder and scriptor whom was with the Sunweaver and Chilbo communities. She was also part of the Relay for Life in Second Life.

Alleara. or "Allie" to her friends, was from Germany, though talking to her she told me she was born in Romania and later she and her parents would emigrate from there. She first logged on in July 2008. She soon became part of the Metanomics group, as well as becoming established in the Chilbo and Sunweaver communities. She's known for having taken part in the building of some Passionate Redhead camps, and the Chilbo community held at least one Relay fundraiser, in July 2010, that the Redheads were a part of. But she also worked behind the scenes on a number of things from clothing to avatars. She was a longtime helper of one brand named Allissandrea. More recently, a few years ago she helped get the Yinglet avatar up and ready on time for it's release event. Just how many projects she helped may never be known.

Besides her skills as a builder, Alleara was also an artist. The picture of the editor at the Newser office was done by her. She is known to have done some singing. She's also taken part in a number of Nydia Tungsten's music videos.

Sadly, Alleara was physically disabled, having suffered injuries from a fall some years before coming to Second Life. She would also end up in an automobile accident in later 2010. She would have to stop singing and drawing, and stepped down from her position in Chilbo though continued to keep in touch with the artistic community. Down but not out, she eventually went back to scripting and building in Second Life, though usually behind the scenes on the projects of others. She would find some work as a consultant to a major real-life business a few years ago. While she spent less time online, she never did stop coming to Second Life.

It should be noted Alleara and I were friends, having met around 2009, and meeting up regularly for a time. I found her to be brilliantly smart, but she also very compassionate. She had a way of sensing something was wrong with a friend, and would listen for a while as to what the problem was. She had many friends and admirers. She had several avatars, but was best known as a winged white vixen with red hair.

When we last met inworld in early June 2021, she was thinking of a couple things. Long knowing I was writing a sci-fi tale, she told me of an interesting story written by another beginning writer. She also wanted to show me the grounds of the Chilbo community, which after so many years had less territory but was still active.

A friend of Alleara's would say in her final days, she was increasingly ill. She was showing signs of Coronavirus, and planned to have herself checked at a clinic. But would pass away the night before a friend was to take her there.

Not just the Sunweavers and Chilbo, but Second Life has lost a great woman, with both brains and a good heart.

Bixyl Shuftan

Update: Shockwave Yareach of the Sunweavers/Sunbeamer team, would have this to say:

She was my equal in building, though she had lots more time than I did early on. She was one of the first people I met inworld (Lusk if I recall.) We spent ten years trying to outbuild each other and finally just settled on mutual showmanship rather than competetion. She was horribly crippled from a car wreck, and got around the physical deformities by living in SL instead. 

 

May God grant you ALL the answers, dear lady. Your suffering is ended at last, and your wings will free you from your prison.

 

Two Art Galleries at Chilbo

Chilbo is not a new place in Second Life, but has been around for over a decade. It's long been known for being a community with a number of artists and other talented residents. For Newser writer Marcel Mosswood, it was where she got her start in Second Life. Earlier this year, she set up an art gallery there, "Marcel and Sebastian's Art Gallery." Later on when more land was available, she set another, "Art2048."

Read Marcel's article in Design.

Announcement: This Week in The Science Circle - "Virtual Worlds Teaching Manual" and "The Face of Dementia"

"Virtual Worlds Teaching Manual"
by Gregory Perrier 

Sept 19 , 10 AM to 11 AM SL time

Experience has shown that Virtual Worlds (VWs) can provide students a unique interactive educational experience that many students see as a fun way to learn. VWs go beyond just offering text to read or a video to watch. In VWs students interact with objects. For example, a student can study the diagram of an ear online or in a textbook; but in a VW the student can walk through the ear, a whole different experience. Studies have shown that students learn more from doing, than from reading or listening to a lecture, and VWs have the potential to provide this hands-on learning experience in a cost-effective manner.

Furthermore, teaching students to function in virtual environments provides them with skills that will be beneficial, if not critical, for success in the future job market.

The aim of this manual is to help educators incorporate VWs into their courses in ways that enhance student learning. It will guide one through getting started and show them how to use VWs to make classes more fun and interesting. It will help them avoid the common errors educators make in VWs and allow them to build on the successes of others. The advice presented here comes from work in the VW called Second Life (SL), but much of this advice applies to other VWs, such as Open Simulator and Kitely, as well as to virtual reality (VR).

For more information, Click Here

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Chilbo/167/53/97

*  *  *  *  *

"The Face of Dementia"
by Robert A. Hendrix, MD

Sept 21, 10 AM to 11 AM SL time

DEMENTIA affects approximately 50 million of the human population globally. This presentation will review:

General definition of DEMENTIA

distinctions:

Lewy body dementia vs Alzheimer’s disease dementia

Alcohol-Related Dementia (ARD)

Symptoms and diagnosis

Phases of dementia

Etiologies and associated conditions

– head trauma

– including metabolic disorders including:

diabetes

liver dysfunction

– sleep disorders

– depression

– cigarette smoking, oxidative stress and inflammation

– drug abuse

– commonly used medications associated with dementia,

– nutrition factors

Treatment & prognosis

Artistic depiction by patients with dementia

Risk factors and Prevention

 For more information, Click Here.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/67/129/32

SL Poetry: Fall

Shellie Sands is back with another poem. This time she included a couple snapshots, of the Chilbo Museum's fall exhibit. So appropriately the poem is titled "Fall."

Read the poem in Extra.

Chilbo Faire Ends

For about a week, the residents of Chilbo held their Summer Faire, which included a number of amusements, and events such as the Relay for Life fundraiser. On Sunday at 10 AM, the final events started.First came the parade, complete with at least one float. Besides locals such as Fleep Tuque and Alleara Snoodle, there were others from outside the community who took part such as RacerX Gullwing of the snail races. After the parade, they celebrated the close of their faire with a party, with a "Faire-Well Fund-Raising Block Party." Partnering with Operation Squeegee, they raised funds to help cleanup efforts on the Gulf Coast.

It was the "end of a wonderful week in Chilbo."

Bixyl Shuftan

RFL Storytellers Benefit Concert Raises 30K Lindens

As part of their week-long Summer Faire, Chilbo hosted a Relay for Life event, their RFL Storytellers’ Benefit Concert. On a stage set up next to the fairgrounds built for the event at the Chilbo sim, a number of singers, poets, and other talent appeared for the charity show, including Crap Mariner and Lance Rembrandt.

Kristine Kristan opened the event at 2PM at the stage covered with oversized books. She was followed by Hazideon Zarco at 2:15, then around 3 PM came “Escape Unplugged.” At 3:15 PM came Beth Odets, whom sang as she played her violin. 4 PM had singer Matthew Perreault, whom got a bit of applause when he sang a song, “In praise of nerds.”

At 4:45 came Crap Mariner, whom did a comedy routine, whom apologized for the show’s technical difficulties at the time, “I believe that should be the new motto of SL, ‘technical difficulties.’ “ Following him were singers Starflower Orbit, Chibi Lexenstar, then Kacy Jinx. At around 6 PM was Klabbes Northmead, who read a little poetry. When he finished, Chibi Lexenstar reminded, “For all the poets in the house, Chilbo has a Poetry Bench program where you can donate your poems to decorate a bench. There's a sample by the library entrance to the left of the stage.” Strum Diesel was next, singing songs by guitar, such as one of broken romance, “You Could Have Counted on Me,” political, “Cremated Care,” and one based on some of his opinions about the music industry, “The Loudness War.”

Following Strum was poet Mary Wickentower. At 7 PM near the end of the event came singer Lance Rembrandt. He cheerfully greeted the audience, including some fans of his who showed up about then, “It’s been a wonderful evening. For those who didn’t hear earlier, a round of thanks for all the poets, all the musicians ...the reason they put in this event ... RFL is such a great outfit. ... RFL is the foundation looking for a cure. ” Wrapping up the event was Winston Dufaux, whom read a poem about “neon bras,” and another “Ryan Ascends” about jealousy.

Chilbo resident Alleara Snoodle announced at 7:43 that 30,000 Lindens (over $100), had been raised that night, “Kristine did a really great thing in planning, building and organizing this entire event. Woohooo! Like all her projects it is just great an inspiring. Go Kristine! GO REDHEADS! GO RELAY!!!!”

The Summer Faire at Chilbo will continue until Sunday, including sailing lessons, snail races, a parade, and Friday from 7-8PM a RFL concert.

Bixyl Shuftan