A Busy Weekend

 

It was quite the weekend in Second Life. Sunday had the 18th Annual Bay City Anniversary Parade and Pary (above). Also that same day was the start of the Raglan Shire Artwalk, which began with a music party. There were also a number of Relay events, including a "Bronzing Party" in which a number of teams that raised just a little money got a boost to Bronze level.

 

More on these events later.

 

Relay For Life Fundraising Levels

 

 For those who wonder what the various team levels mean, there was a chart in the Relay for Life Volunteers group showing them.

 

For those that raise 12,500 Linden dollars, or about $50 USD, they have reached Bronze Level fundraising. This is what the plurality of teams reach. 

 

For teams that raise 50,000 Linden dollars, or about $200 USD, Silver Level fundraising.

 

Teams that raise 125,000 Linden dollars, or about $500 USD,  get Gold Level rank. 

 

Teams that raise 250,000 Linden dollars, or about $1000, about the price of a new computer, get  Platinum Level fundraising. 

 

For the teams that have raised 500,000 Linden dollars, or about $2000 USD, they've reached Jade Level.

 

The teams that get to 750,000 Lindens raised, about $3000 USD, they're at Sapphire rank. 

 

Teams that reach one million Lindens raised, about $4000 USD, are at Emerald Level. Those teams that reach this level have put in some work.

 

The teams that reach 1,250,000 Lindens raised, about $5000 USD, are at Ruby Level fundraising. 

 

Teams that raise a million and a half Lindens, about $6000 USD, are at Topaz Level fundraising.  

 

Those teams that raise 1,750,000 Linden dollars, about $7000 USD, are at Diamond Level.

 

Teams that raise 2,500,000 Linden dollars, about $10,000 USD, are at Crimson rank.

 

Those teams that raise 3,750,000 Linden dollars, about $15,000 USD, are at Purple Level fundraising.  

 

Teams that raise five million Linden dollars, about $20,000 USD, are at All Star Level fundraising.

 

The teams that raise 6,750,000 Linden dollars, about $25,000 USD, are at Super Star rank.

 

Teams that raise 7,500,000 Linden dollars, about $30,000 USD, are at Supernova Level fundraising.

 

The teams that raise ten million Linden dollars, about $40,000 USD, are at Hypernova Level fundriasing.

 

Finally, the teams that raise 12,500,000 Linden dollars, about $50,000 USD, have reached the top rank for this year - Intergalactic Level fundraising.

 

The ranks have changed somewhat over the years. For a time, they would get a little higher each year, until there was a reset. And sometimes the names are different. One year, "All Star" was the first fundraising level, before Bronze.  

 

How high will the various teams get this year?

 

EOTB: Linden Lab Announces Oz Linden's Retirement Gift

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In February, Oz Linden retired from Linden Lab after 11 years of work. There's no record if he got a gold watch. But he did just receive a retirement gift from the Lab: a small bronze statue courtesy of Second Life artist Bryn Oh. The announcement was last Friday, September 24.

To celebrate Oz and his many contributions to the community, Linden Lab commissioned talented artist Bryn Oh to create a special bronze sculpture of his avatar as a retirement gift. Using an image of his avatar as a reference, Bryn created Oz in a very unique way -- the infamous Second Life “away” pose.

So why did Bryn Oh have Oz in that position? He would answer with this:

I felt it was nice to make Oz in "away" because maybe retirement its more of an adieu than a goodbye.  Or maybe I am just too sentimental.

The Newser first reported the news about the bronze statuette last month. It's not the first time Bryn worked with bronze. In 2017, she was making some based on her works in Second Life.

For the Linden blog post, Click Here.

Bixyl Shuftan
 

Artist Bryn Oh Makes Real-Life Statue of Oz Linden For Linden Lab

 

Second Life artis Bryn Oh has been known for various artistic displays in Second Life, such as her Rabbicorn. But she has also been doing some real life art, such as the bronze sculptures she made in 2017.  Recently in Facebook, Bryn announced she had been doing more bronze statue art. But this time, it was Linden Lab itself that requested the sculpture, in honor of Oz Linden, whom had retired in February this year after 11 years.

Several months ago I was approached by Linden Lab, the makers of the virtual world I use for my art,  to create a retirement gift for Oz Linden a long time and very well known Linden Lab employee.  They asked me to create a bronze sculpture of his avatar.

Bryn used a couple of images of Oz from the 2019 interview of him an April Linden (though mistook April as the one doing the interviewing). The resulting sculpture was 12 inches high, and was slumped forward in the style of an AFK avatar.

I created a 12 inch sculpture of Oz and it is being shipped to Linden Lab right now so yay.  When creating the pose for the sculpture I decided to make Oz in an "away" pose.   An away pose is unique to the virtual world in that when a person doesn't touch their keyboard for a while because they have gone to make tea or went to walk the dog.. their avatar will time out and be put in the "away" pose which is slumped over and asleep looking.

So why put Oz in this particular pose? Bryn would explain with the following:

I felt it was nice to make Oz in "away" because maybe retirement its more of an adieu than a goodbye.  Or maybe I am just too sentimental.

So the scuplture was made in a way that expressed a wish that Oz wasn't really gone, just having stepped away for a while to return later.

Images from Bryn Oh's Facebook page

Bixyl Shuftan
 

RFL Team Sunbeamers Reaches 10,000 Lindens

Just a few days into the Relay fundraising season, Team Sunbeamers are making progress. Sometime on Monday February 18, they reached the 10,000 Linden dollar amount. This puts them among the bronze level teams.

Talking with team captain Rita mariner, there are a few plans for the season ahead. There will be at least one "Bid Me" event soon. There will also be a fundraising event at the Happy Vixen soon. And despite that two of the team's best builders are taking a break, there will be a Sunbeamer camp for the Relay Weekend.

When will the team hit Silver? Probably sooner than one things.

Go Sunbeamers! Go Relay!

Second Life Artist Bryn Oh Making Real-Life Cash From Bronze Statuettes Made From Inworld Build

One question some people in real life often ask me about Second Life is how one can make money. It seems Second Life Bryn Oh has found one way. She has sold almost thirty statues for over six thousand dollars.

In April, Bryn Oh announced in her blog that she would be making bronze statuettes based on "The Dancer," the name given to a figure in her work "The Hand." She stated that while she had crossed over her work from Second Life to real life before, "In the past it has been things like Museum exhibits at the Menage museum in Moscow, the Jewish museum in Berlin, with oil paintings of my avatar or characters ... I have, in the past, created studies for my characters in wire, wood and something called Hyrdrocal but after speaking to my friend Toy, I decided to make the jump into Bronze.  It is a big jump because it is quite expensive to do and you kind of just have to hope someone will want to buy them after you have invested in having them made."

The first model of The Dancer were made through 3D printing. From that, a wax model was created, then used to make the cast for the bronze statues, "We used the lost wax process to create a mold to hold the molten bronze.  Essentially you create a cast around the model then melt it so that the wax runs out leaving a cavity to pour the bronze into." A total of thirty statuettes, each about four inches tall were created. They were then priced in the order they were made. The first five were priced from $400 to $300 USD, the second set of five $275, the third set of five $250, and so on with four of the last five priced at $150. Bryn Oh announced in early June that the statues were complete.

Bronze casting requires some expense, so Bryn Oh was taking a chance. But people were making orders starting in the few days after the announcement. When I met up with Bryn Oh at the Second Life Birthday, she told me a told of 21 of the thirty statues had been sold. Since then, the number has gone up to 27, for a total of $6650 USD. It seems the thirtieth statuette will not be sold after all.

Bryn Oh thought she might make more bronze statuettes in the future, "I am thinking of making a new one in six months ... not sure what to make, though. I was looking at characters I have made over the years, "Rabbicorn" to "Anna's Many Murders" to "Mr. Zippers." She also had one in Sansar she might use.

Considering most of her first release of her work on sale sold, further statues should sell well. Another example of someone in Second Life going on to make real-life money for her work.

Source: Bryn Oh's Blog

Bixyl Shuftan

Sunbeamers Reach Bronze Level, "Bid Me" Results

By Bixyl Shuftan

It's been a good week for the Relay for Life in Second Life's Sunbeamer team, the team of the Sunweaver community. Last Friday, March 17, the team reached the 25,000 Linden mark, and "Rising Star" rank. as a result of their "St. Patrick's/Capt'n's Birthday" event.  Since then, the team has continued to get more funds, thanks in part to two "Bid Me" events, a "Bid Me (your choice) by team captain Rita Mariner, and a "Bid Me Human" by Ranchan Weidman. The Wednesday night party at Club Cutlass was the last chance to make donations at the four kiosks for the two events, each woman having a "stay" and a "change."

Finally at 8PM, the totals were made official. Those bidding to have Rita change came out on top, 3222 to 3073, for a total of 5773 Lindens. Ranchan's bidders for human also came out on top, 2551 to 1700, for a total of 4773 Lindens. The combined total of the two events was 10,546 Linden dollars.

So what would Rita be stuck as for a week? There was a comment or two about making her the East Indian human avatar from the 2011 "Bid Me Human" she was in. But instead it was suggested she use an avatar she uses only once in a good while, her custom-made vixen Lotta Lamour, a character from the "Tale Spin" cartoon. Those less than familiar with the cartoon had called it her "harem vixen."

Ranchan, whom has switched around a little from domestic canine to fennec fox, now had a change of her own to make as well. She soon found an anime-influenced human avatar to wear for the following week.

The money from the event put the team over the 50,000 Linden mark. But the cash would continue to roll in.  The following night, Rita would announce the team had passed 75,000, "We are now at Bronze Level!"

Despite that the community already had to raise lots of cash just before the Relay season, the team has been progressing faster than last year. In the 2016 Season, it took until May 19 for the Sunbeamers to reach Bronze rank. But eventually the team would go on to reach Platinum rank. How high can the team go this year? Eventually we'll see.

For those looking to donate to Team Sunbeamers, you can find our kiosks at Club Cutlass in Sunweaver Bay  (114/117/757), the Happy Vixen at Purrfection Estates (236/219/24), and the SL Newser office at HV Community (140/85/25).

The Relay for Life in Second Life is a chapter of  the Relay for Life, the American Cancer Society's most noted fundraiser.

Bixyl Shuftan

Team Sunbeamers Reach Silver

The good news for the Relay for Life's team Sunbeamers continues. Just eight days after the team representing the Sunweaver community reached Bronze rank among the various Relay teams, it's climbed to the next one. The Sunbeamers are new Silver. It was a donation from chieftess Rita Mariner that pushed the total into the next level. As of the writing of this update, the total amount raised this year is 196,240 Linden dollars.

Our team is now SILVER.  Bunny went nutz and dumped 25K lindens into the BID ME kiosks. Now it is up to the rest of you to get us to GOLD!

Some of the money went to the three "Bid Me" events going on with the Sunbeamers. Rose Evans' "Bid Me Human" now stands at 700 Lindens for "stay furry," and 10,500 Lindens for "go human." For Becky Shamen's "Bid Me Bald," the current totals are 150 Lindens to keep her hair, and 17,550 for the "hare cut."  But for Rita's own "Bid Me Pink" event, the balance has shifted from "pink bunny" at 8,550 Lindens to "stay white" at 22,100 Lindens. With almost 60,000 Lindens in total raised by these three events, these "Bid Me"s are proving very beneficial for team morale (though maybe slightly embarrassing for the three volunteers.

Go Relay!

Bixyl Shuftan

Team Sunbeamers Reach 150,000 Lindens Raised, 50K From One Donor

What a difference a week makes. Several days ago, Team Sunbeamers had raised a total of about 54,000 Lindens. Not a bad total, which was greater than some noted teams such as the Giant Snail Racers and the Relay Wizards for Spunky, but for the team that takes pride in being the heir to the highly successful Passionate Redheads, and being the team of an active community with some noted members such as Lomgren Smalls and Alleara Snoodle, it seemed like the team had seen better days. This year, a number of members were suffering from illness, dealing with family tragedy, or were hit with financial troubles. As one member put it, "we don't have the deep pockets of some of the bigger teams, and lately some of those pockets have been sewn shut."

But fortunes can change, and in the past few dayss they have. On Wednesday night, the team total went up to Bronze level thanks to a donation by Becky Shamen. It was a total that would continue to rise as donations kept coming in over the weekend with our presence at the Relaystock. Then came a surprise. One individual had donated 50,000 Lindens to one of the team's kiosks. Donations would continue to come in, Rita Mariner herself chipping in 10,000, and on Sunday night, the total was 150,000, or $600 US dollars.

Last year, 100,000 was enough to get Silver rank. But this year the requirements have gone way up, the amount needed to reach that being 180 or 190,000 Lindens. But with three "Bid Me" events currently going on (more about them later), and an upcoming air show and road rally, confidence is high that silver rank will soon be reached.

Go Relay!

Bixyl Shuftan.

Sunbeamers Reach Bronze, and "Bid Dusk Something" Results

It's been a rough start for Relay for Life in Second Life's Team Subbeamers. Various team members have had problems from economic difficulties to illness to family tragedy. Finding out that the level to reach bronze had been jacked up to 75,000 Lindens also affected team morale. But the members persisted, doing a few events such as the "Fox Avatar Challenge," and slowly collecting Lindens from those inside and outside it's Sunweaver community.

Finally last night, the team reached Bronze rank. As of the writing of this article, the total amount raised by the team this year is $79,494 Lindens.

Next goal: Silver Level, which is at 180,000 Lindens. Only 100.506 Lindens left to go.

Also the results of the team's last "Bid Me" are in. The results of this year's "Bid Dusk Something" was for the gazelle avatar, probably influenced by the "Zootopia" character of the same name. So Dusk Griswold's stuck in the avatar for about a week.

Word has it the Sunbeamers will soon be doing a third "Bid-Me." Stay tuned for more information.

Go Relay!

RFL Team Sunbeamers Reach Bronze Rank

Saturday March 21 was the "Midnight Madness" event for Relay for Life. This was a multiteam event, and the first in which the Sunbeamers, the team of the Newser office's neighbors the Sunweaver Estates, were a part of after the Kickoff weekend. It was hosted by the "Cherubs for a Cure" team.

March Madness RFL Style ""The Tournament you WANT to be eliminated in"" The challenge to have every RFL team ranked to at least Bronze level by the Big Game Day of April 6th!!! First elimination round takes place March 21st from 12 to 10 pm SL time. Come join several RFL teams as they strive to be ""eliminated"" and dance to some great music, have some fun, make some new friends and experience why RFL is ONE TEAM, ONE GOAL and truly is a family!

Besides the Sunbeamers, several other teams, such as Team Fox, took part. Although the teams were supposed to be out once reaching 10,000 Lindens ($40 US Dollars), the Bronze rank level, they (at least several of them) remained up and the donations continued. The Sunbeamers made over 3,000 L that event, and as of Sunday evening, their total is 13,000 ($52 US Dollars).

The Sunbeamers have yet to have an official event of their own, but there's been discussion about "Bid Me" events, themed parties, and an air show.

Although the "beamers," have gone further than some other teams such as Relay Wizards, Lanterns for Life, Too Tough to Die, and Team Caledon, other teams have gone further. The Steelhead Salmons have passed the 60,000 Linden mark. Five teams have already reached the second highest rank, Platinum: Harmony for Hope, Sail 4 Life, Cherubs for a Cure, Unmasking a Cure, and at the top, Goreans for Life. At over 960,000 Lindens ($3,800 US Dollars), they're almost at the highest rank of Sapphire.

Go Relay!

Bixyl Shuftan

Relay for Life Sunbeamers Team Raises 11,000 Lindens

It was last year that following the official folding of the Passionate Redheads team, the Sunbeamer team was created to take it's place. Founded and led by Rita Mariner, and made up of residents of the Sunweaver Estates and friends of, it would go on to be the more successful of the two teams created by former Redheads, raising over 110,000 Lindens over the course of the 2013 Relay for Life season.

In the closing event of this weekend's Relay for Life season Kickoff event, held in the RFL Kickoff 2 sim temporarily set up near the American Cancer Society sim, teams were permitted to put up their fundraiser kiosks near the dance floor. This included the Sunbeamers, which over the course of a couple hours went from nothing to reaching ten thousand Lindens raised. This included two 1000L donations. This amount was the level needed to reach Bronze status.

Over the remainder of the party, the amount raised by the Sunbeamers would grow by another thousand to over 11,000. Rita Mariner announced that several people, notably some former Redheads, had messaged her that evening about joining the team.

Several other teams would also reach Bronze rank that night, including RFL Kidz of SL, Somersley Purple Curesaders, and Too Tough to Die.

The Steelhead Estates' Steelhead Salmons has also done well, having raised over 50,000 Lindens. "And we haven't even held an event yet," team leader Fuzzball Ortega announced over group chat, "Part of that was for a sponsorship on a T1 radio program, Relay Rap, meaning they'll plug Steelhead on the air, it'll also get read during Relay Weekend in July."

Currently the top ranking team is the Goreans For Life, which has already reached Platinum rank.

The Team Totals Page can be read here: http://relayforlifeofsecondlife.org/totals-page/ .

"Operation Bronze," and Other Relay for Life Events

The high point of the Relay for Life fundraising season, the Relay Weekend, is about a month away. But the teams haven't been slowing down. Last Saturday, various DJs played at ACS Island in "Operation Bronze" to raise money not for their own teams, but the ones with small total amounts raised this year. Besides that, there was the Lollygagger Lane Street Fair, a tiny car race, and other events.

Read more in People.