Cartoon of the Day

Taken at the Happy Vixen

By Bixyl Shuftan

The "Platinum Avatar Challenge"

On Monday, Team Sunbeamers of the Relay for Life in Second Life finally reached Platinum Level fundraising, 250,000 Linden dollars or about $1000 USD. And so came what's become a tradition among the Sunbeamers and their friends: The Platinum Avatar Challenge.

For yours truly, for the third time I would be something I haven't been before. This time it was a pink avatar. *But*, I didn't say what kind it would be. So in a slight twist of the challenge two years ago, I appeared as a pink "Rita clone." I revealed the new look at 4PM At the Happy Vixen yesterday. It got a few chuckles, thought not as many the first time I pulled it off. Rita herself, whom doesn't think much of being a pink bunny didn't have much of a comment this time. My own "bubblegum crisis" will be for a week, baring those occasions when I'm obviously doing something for the Newser, such as interviews and covering the Fantasy Faire.

This time, I was joined by others in the challenge. Nydia Tungsten had offered to go purple for a week. And so yesterday the normally white vixen was sporting a shade of amethyst  But it was DJ Geerkil and his Dragon Crew teammates LS Raccoon and JB Raccoon that made the biggest change: going as Yinglet avatars. Geers had read up on the lore of the usually amusing small beings from the "Out of Placers" online comic, and found the creatures interesting. For someone used to huge avatars though, shrinking to being just a few feet high took some getting used to. On the other hand, fitting behind the DJ booth and dancing with others on the dance floor was now no trouble. The three stated they'll be staying in these appearances for three months. Definitely "above and beyond the call of duty." We'll keep them well-stocked with clams and oysters.

But the Relay goes on. The Sunbeamers are planning another "Bid Me" event this week, and there will be other chances this month to raise some funds, such as the Relaystock. With Platinum having been achieved, next the Sunbeamers are after Jade level fundraising, which is 500,000, a half million, Linden dollars. A daunting task, but we've done it before. And yes, I'll wear the "Bix Bilby" avatar again.

Go Sunbeamers! Go Relay!

Bixyl Shuftan

Sunbeamers Hit Platinum!

Once again, "The Little Team That Could" has done it. For the fourth year in a row, the team has gone beyond Gold level fundraising to Platinum. After reaching 200,000 Linden dollars a few days ago, there were some sizable donations, including team captain Rita Mariner. And so on late afternoon April 29, the amount raised for this year reached 250,000 Linden dollars.

There were a few little incentives for people to donate. Nydia Tungsten volunteered to be purple for a short time. DJ Geerkil Ziskey and two others on the "Epic Failure" team will be switching to Yinglet avatars for a while. And then there's the matter of a certain fox who offered to switch to a pink avatar, at least for club and smaller Relay events, for a week (everywhere else such as the Fantasy Faire, I can go back to red fox). Like the first two times this "Platinum Avatar Challenge" was done, it's something I've never done before. The big reveal is today at the Happy Vixen club at 4PM. 

Bixyl Shuftan

The Yinglet Avatar Release Party

For fans of Fantasy online comics, there was a treat at Montecito Bay's Avagora shopping mall, the Yinglet avatar release party. What is a Yinglet? They're the small furry folk with a talent for getting in trouble and a taste for clams in the online comic "Out of Placers." So how would the avatar sell in a population of foxes and wolves? At the party, it did pretty well.

Read more in Design.

Yinglet Avatar Release Party in Montecito Bay's Avagora, Saturday 6PM

Some good news for the fans of the "Out of Placers" online comic by Valsalia. The Yinglets, the nonhumans in the story that the main character ends up becoming very familiar with, are about to have an avatar in Second Life based on them.

Yinglets are bento rigged.
They have male and female chests.
Two colors included, bento rigged mesh with bento rigged jaws, ears, tails, fingers. This avatar is a Yinglet through and through.
900L for the avatar.
Working staff get it free, staff are welcome to preorder.
Devkit: dummy rig files and UV/PSDs. (if he finishes it in time, it will be offered early to skin creators, I need to know who all is interested,)

The release party is at the Avagora mall high over Montecito Bay. The event is from 6 to 8 PM SL time. There will be a raffle with one winner

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Montecito%20Bay/53/130/703