Cartoon of The Day: Any Good In A Fight?

 

 Taken at Montecito Bay. This ottergirl was in a witch's outfit, but carrying a crystal ball. With magic users ending up in fights, it occurred to me that something designed for getting glimpses of the future wouldn't seem to be any good in a quick fight. But glass made into a solid heavy ball has one obvious use in a brawl.

 

 By Bixyl Shuftan

 

Furchanted Shopping Event

 

 

For those who like to shop, there's a  place that was recently recommended by a longtime reader: "Furchanted," high above the Imagination sim. Organized by Max Arkala (Maximillian Loon), it was described as being aimed at users of both human and furry avatars. 

 

Going about, there were a number of shops with a number of mods and accessories.  And as advertised, not all of them were for furries despite the name.

 

For those looking for activities other than shopping, there's also a crystal hunt, a dance area, and a water slide. There was also a booth for the "Beyond Star" comic that was recently featured in Draxtor Despres' "in Second Life" videos. There had been music events, but they may be over.

 

The event is open until Saturday July 29

https://www.ariuscity.com/furchanted_event/
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Imagination/81/131/2002

Looking Back: The Newser's SL15B Exhibit

 

 

 With the Second Life Twentieth Birthday celebrations, the SL20B, just a few days away, the Newser is taking a look back at the one five years ago, it's fifteenth. Our exhibit then reflected the theme, Crystal Anniversary, with a fifteen story crystal tower. 

Like the majority of our exhibits over the years, it was built by Silvia Ametza. Here we are relaxing at a small park next to the build with a builder friend of hers. 

The next five years would see many changes, though that's another story.

Bixyl Shuftan

Reader Submitted: The "Crystal Steampunk" SL19B Exhibit

 

While the Sunweaver community has no official exhibit, one of it's residents, DeniseUnicorn Toonie made an exhibit of her own: "Crystal Steampunk."

"Crystal Steampunk" is an exhibit created by DeniseUnicorn Toonie. She is a veteran with over 16 years of being on SecondLife. 

She is also famous with her little box of Freebies. She also creates lots of other things. So check out the table with the box.

The exhibit is at SLB Enchant (152/187/24).

More pictures here: https://twitter.com/deniseunicorn/status/1540102704047034369
 

Crystal Ski Resort and Zimminyville

Christmas is over. But there are still plenty of winter-themed areas across Second Life. Gemma Cleanslate recently took a look at two. At the Crystal Ski Resort, the big attraction is of course, skiing. But there's also sledding, snowmobiles, and a place to warm up after a length of time in the snow. Zimminyville offers ballooning, ice skating, horseback riding and hiking, and scenic views for photography or just enjoy them for the memories.

Read Gemma's article in Places.

The SL15B Gift Grab: The Last Gift

After fifteen weeks, The Second Life Fifteenth Birthday Gift Grab, (described in their blog post of the event and briefly at the end of our June 22 article of The Birthday), is coming to an end. The first fourteen weeks have offered gifts from silly string to hoverboards, to crystal balls, to teddy bears, to magic wands, and more. The fifteenth gift we were told would be reserved only for those who had collected every one of the previous fourteen gifts, and was promised to be extra special.

Finally on Monday September 24, the fifteenth and final gift was made available. The clue on the Linden blog was, "The FINAL SL15B Weekly Gift Grab Hint is: Home of the Moles is where this could be. Hidden among things for everyone to see." The clue led to Meauxle Bureaux (152/127/29). The sim was quite picturesque at certain angles.

For those whom had the first fourteen notches on their "Swaganator HUD," the gift was available to claim. So I got it, and headed to a sandbox to see what the grand prize we'd all been waiting for was.

And it was ... a crystal carriage. You could sit on it. But to operate it, you needed the HUD that come with it. Once attached, you could move the carriage around, even fly it in the air. Something that would be fun for Fantasy-themed areas.

And that's it. That's the last of the SL15B Gift grab gifts. Hope you had fun collecting them. Do you have a story about a hunt area that was extra good or bad? Anything to say about a gift that was really great or a disappointment? Send your reader submissions to bixylshuftan@gmail.com

Bixyl Shuftan

Gift Grab: Week Fourteen

It's near the end of Week 14 of the SL15B Gift Grab, and just a couple days left for what for many is the last item up for the taking. This week's clue is "Once you’ve battled the Dinos and saved the grid, can you search high and low to discover the gift?" Which means head to Paleoquest.

Where the Gift Grab prize isn't too far from the entry area in Paleoquest. In fact, it's clearly marked as the "Free Gift" area, which to those who haven't been there means a different free gift. As usual, while having the Swaganator HUD on, click on your prize to claim it.

This week's prize is the biggest one yet, so you'll want to rezz it somewhere with plenty of room (such as the Ivory Tower sandbox). This is the Crystal Tower. It's empty on the inside, but it could easily be made into a small home or used for some other purpose.

Unless you've collected all thirteen of the previous weeks' Gift Grab's gifts, this will be the last of the SL15B hunt items you can get. For those who have gotten all fourteen, then Week 15 of the Gift Grab, starting Monday September 24 will offer one more item that promises to be particularly special. What is it? Stay tuned.

Bixyl Shuftan

Gift Grab Week Twelve

Week Twelve of the SL15B Gift Grab has a couple days left. This week's clue is, "Things go bump in the night in this field of tall corn. Can you find the gift? Watch your step! You have been warned!" The link provided takes you to a rather spooky place: The Cornfield.

Entering the area, the Cornfield basket, weapon, and hud will appear automatically on you. Fortunately, the Swaginator HUD is clearly in view if you have it on. Make sure you do, and click the chest at the chicken coop area to get the package.

Unpacking the crystal package, your gift this week is revealed to be a crystal wand. You can do a few things with it, such as make snow appear, make a green cloud appear around you, make a shower of Glytches appear, make a portal to Portal Park appear, and a few other things.

Week Thirteen of the Gift Grab is in a few days. Week Fourteen is on the 17th. And for those who caught all of the first fourteen gifts, Week Fifteen starts on the 24th.

Bixyl Shuftan

Gift Grab Week Eleven

Just a couple days left for Week Eleven of the Gift Grab. This week's clue is, "The Gateway of Games is where this gift will be. Dare to experience all you can see?" It takes you to Portal Park. But unfortunately the entrance may be a little crowded. On the plus side, I found where those who didn't get the HUD at the SL15B can pick it up to get most of the last few gifts.

The chest is next to the Gaming Island entrance. Like the others, click it, then accept your prize.

Unpacking your crystal, you get two items. One is a crystal tree. The other is a set of crystal wind chimes. You can chose the color of the crystal and have it move and make chiming sounds, or not. Monday starts Week Twelve. And Monday September 24 is when the last prize is available, for those who found the previous fourteen.

Bixyl Shuftan

Gift Grab Week Ten

Week Ten of the SL15B "Gift Grab" is almost done. For those with the "Swaginator HUD" from the SL15B, there's one day left to get the prize if you haven't gotten it yet. This week's hint is, "Come have a drink at this futuristic bar. This is where the gift will not be too far." The location is the Horizon's Community H-Bar in Horizons Themis (121/194/24).

Unpacking the item, you get a crystal hoverboard. This is a small vehicle that you can control with the arrow keys or viewer movement controls, and can skim over water. Pressing "jump" will boost the board in the air. Doing so a number of times will make it take flight. And yes, it glows in the dark.

Tomorrow is Week Eleven, and after that just four more until the fifteenth and last item.

Bixyl Shuftan

SL15B's Bear Island Open For Gift Grab This Week

For those of you doing the "Gift Grab" from the Second Life Fifteenth Birthday from last month (described in their blog post of the event and briefly at the end of our June 22 article of The Birthday), this week's gift is found at a sim from the SL15B grounds that's either been brought back (or perhaps not closed yet): Bear Island. “Go to this location and you can see, all the bears that already be.”

Heading over to Bear Island (170/201/21), the place looked like what I remembered it from the Second Life Birthday. For those who don't know, many Lindens carry a teddy bear with them, each having their own personal touches depending on the Linden, that residents they run into can politely ask for (if the Linden's having a busy day, your bear may have to wait). Bear Island has most of these bears, plus some special commemorative ones, such as the one given out to celebrate the one millionth resident getting an account, and the one made to promote the release of Viewer 2.

There were other residents going about the area. This week, people could grab more than just the weekly gift. One lady was saying, "I'm always pestering lindens anytime I see them for their bears, this way I can get them a bunch all at once."

In previous weeks, some chests could take a little effort to find, one week it being on the second floor of the building. The chest for this week's gift was plain to see. I had on my "Swaganator HUD" (not visible in this picture), and got the gift.

Previous weeks gifts have included t-shirts, a crystal staff, a can of "party string", and more. This week, the gift is a crystal teddy bear. Not the most cuddly-looking kind of teddy, but one can change it's color by clicking on it.

This week is Week Seven of the Gift Grab, with a new one every week. The one for the fifteenth week is available only for those who get the first fourteen. What is it? We know only that the Lab says it's a special gift.

Bixyl Shuftan

One More Time: The "Cake Explosion" And Other Last SL15B.Unofficial Events.

Although the end of events at the Second Life Birthday was officially last Sunday June 24, people weren't ready to quite call it quits on the SL15B just yet. In the past few years, the "Cake Explosion" has become a popular unofficial event as people gathered to witness the final moments of the popular build. But this year, the final day the sims were open to all had a few more happenings as various DJs turned the power on the clubs around the Birthday sims, and played for whomever would show up. And many did on the SL15B's true last hurrah.

Read more in Events.

Updated 11PM

Reader Submitted: DJing At Stage North

Taken at Stage North at the SL15B on Thursday June 21 at around 8:30 AM by Grease Coakes as DJ Grease as he was playing for the audience there.

The Last Day of Second Life Birthday Events

Sunday June 24 was the last day, at least officially, for events at the Second Life Birthday grounds. And people had one last chance to enjoy the parties there. And there were a number.

At 8PM the night before, it was the "Live Music with Dance and Special Light Show" by "Tuna Oddfellow. It wasn't at one of the stages, but at a special platform over 650 meters in the air. For those who hadn't seen his "Odd Ball" performances before, it was quite an experience. For those interested, Tuna has recently resumed his Odd Ball. Instant-message him to find out when his performances take place.

 At 12 Noon at the Cake Stage, DJ Tantari.played some tunes for the crowd. She played her "Space First Stage" set of music.

For about two hours, the high-energy blue vixen wowed the crowd with her sci-fi tunes.

Not everyone listening was on two legs. At one point a black unicorn showed up.

The exhibits were up and running as always, though the action was mostly at the clubs

By late in the night, the events at Stage North (above), the Central Stage, and even Stage Left wound down. The action was at The Cake.

At 11PM, people gathered at The Cake for the last official party, and in a sense the last hurrah.

DJ A.F.I. (Ladigirl Resident), a real-life DJ from Hollywood California, spun the tunes.

Besides the regular-sized avatars, there was a giant, and a large anthro dragon.

But regardless of how we looked, we were there for the same reason, to end the celebrations with a bang.

Among those there was cake builder Mikati Slade.

But all good things must come to an end. And at Midnight, DJ A.F.I. closed her set with a display of fireworks.

But while this is the end of the official events, this is not the end of "The Birthday." The sims will remain up and open to the public until July 1, and so most of the exhibits will remain as well (It always seems at least one guy jumps the gun and leaves right away). And there is the tradition of the "Cake Explosion," which will be sometime later this week.

"Happy 15th Birthday Second Life."

Bixyl Shuftan

Scenes From the SL15B: Stage Left - "The Serpent"

While the Cake Stage at the Second Life Birthday has been a longtime favorite, for the past three years, the Stage Left builds constructed by Faust Steamer have gotten some attention, and for good reason.

 Faust has made his Stage Left builds with skill, with both detail and that they're able to move. This year's build, "The Serpent," has a huge snake winding around a dark, foreboding structure.

Not exactly the most comforting thing, seeing a huge enormous predator, especially when it's looking right at you.

But while the place may be scary, the music by the DJs are plenty of fun. Stage Left is at SL15B Mesmerize (128/227/25).

This is the last day of SL15B events. The sims will remain open to the public until July 1, but if you want to catch any more of the parties, stop by today.

Bixyl Shuftan

SL15B: Another Whole Week To Go

There's so many exhibits to see at the Second Life Birthday, The Newser can't show you all of them. But we can show you a sample of what's there. Following her trip on Press Day, Gemma Cleanslate went to the SL15B grounds again to check more of them out.

Read Gemma's article in Places.