Bay City's SL19B Exhibit In Flames

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Bay City's Marianne McCann recently contacted the Newser, pointing out a few photos she took in her "My Second Life" feed. It appears for Bay City, it's time at "The Birthday" had a firey end.

It seems before it was scheduled to be taken down, Bay City's Second Life Nineteenth Birthday exhibit was the scene of a "disaster," going up in flames, "Was this an accident, or sabotage?"

There was something stuck in the flames, "Could this giant gear be a clue?"

Marianne would only add an investigation was ongoing, not sure when the results would be announced.

Bixyl Shuftan
 

Fire Disaster in Madori Falls Wilderness

Gemma Cleanslate's latest story was about an unexpected adventure. She was hiking around in Madori Falls Wilderness when she smelled smoke. It was a forest fire! The result was getting away from the flames with fellow hikers, avoiding dangerous animals, and more. So how did she escape?

Read the story in Extra.

Interview with Tealcie Annibles (Tealcie Resident) of SL Regional Search and Rescue.

Recently, yours truly interviewed Tealcie Annibles (Tealcie Resident). Tealcie is the founder and leader of the SL Regional Search and Rescue group, which roleplays first responders at the scene of various disasters. I talked to her about how she got started in Second Life, and just what goes into planning and setting up these exercises.

Read the interview in People.

Second Life Regional Search And Rescue

Suppose there was a great emergency, would you know what to do? Not a little emergency like your engine not starting, but a big emergency like a train wreck or a major fire on a ship? The Second Life Regional Search and Rescue does frequent first responder roleplay exercises. Gemma Cleanslate was recently able to witness one such exercise.

Read Gemma's story in Extra.

Gathering at Notre Dame In Memory of the Original Struck By Fire

It survived for over eight centuries, outlasting revolutions and two world wars, only to go up in flames in a matter of hours. On April 15, the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris France was hit by a devastating fire. Ironically enough, the building was starting to undergo renovations to repair parts that were deteriorating from age. Some artifacts and art were saved, including several statues which had been taken down from the roof for cleaning. But the building itself was gutted.

In Second Life, people were gathering at the Notre Dame building in Paris 1900. Conversation was a mix of English and French, "I pray for our church. Even though I am not from France, Notre Dame is the heart of Europe." "Truly horrible." "Breaks my heart and for the people in Paris."

The sim would be close to capacity for a while, some looking in from the next sim.

At one point, fires broke out in the building. People thought it was griefers and a couple Lindens came over to invistigate. It turned out the one of the staff had set the fire.

Someone started passing around French flags to those at the club.

An article from a French paper would eventually be posted next to the cathedral.

I would stay for over an hour, but as the place remained full, and presumably remained so for much of the day, I eventually left to let others come by.

The disaster was bad. But thankfully no one was hurt. French leaders have vowed to rebuild the cathedral. Notre Dame will never be quite the same again, and reconstruction will take years. But it will be remade. It's just a question of time, money, and effort.

Third picture from  Lia (Female Winslet)

Bixy Shuftan

Resident from Puerto Rico Back Online Two Months After Hurricane

Everyone on the Internet has had to content with power outages. For most in the United States, they seldom last more than a few hours. After a hurricane or other major storm system, power can be out for up to a week or two if there's a lot of damage. But one American territory, the island of Puerto Rico, suffered a devastating hit by Hurricane Maria in September and almost the entire power grid went down, with predictions some places would be without electricity and Internet for many months. A few days ago, one Second Life resident from the island finally came back online after two months. She had quite a story to tell.

Read more in People.

Announcement: Chris's Hurricane Disaster Fund

We need your help!

C H R I S' H U R R I C A N E D I S A S T E R F U N D

Dear Designer,

In times of need, every penny counts. A good friend of ours, McChris Flanagan, lives in Florida and experienced major flood damage to his house as a result of Hurricane Irma which struck land in Florida on Sunday, September 10. As a result of the flooding, Chris's house currently needs new floors and walls and needs to be cleared of mold that has already started to grow. A lot of his furniture had to be thrown away and kitchen cabinets were destroyed. In addition, the fence around his yard was destroyed. Chris has a physical disability that prohibits him from being able to walk or use his hands and arms properly and is bound to a wheelchair. His mother works very hard and very long hours to make ends meet. The family is struggling to pay for the repairs to the interior of the house and we would like to help!

ORGANIZERS: Kira Paderborn  and Jolene Carami

We have started a GoFundMe account where you can see photos of some of the damage to his house.
https://www.gofundme.com/ChrisHurricaneFund
Please feel free to share this site on all social media.

We are organizing a sales event which will take place from October 6th - 22nd, with 100% of donations collected going to Chris and his mother.

Here is how you can help:

Designers:
1) Create a new item to be sold at a charity event to be held from October 6-22 (with 50% or more going to Chris)
* Designers will have 35 prims available. If you need more please ask!
* Gachas are allowed as long as they have at least a 50% split to the charity
2) Place older items at the event at a discount (with at least 50% or more going to Chris)
3) Place a kiosk at your store to collect donations
4) Create a one of a kind item to be auctioned off at an auction event
5) Advertise for the event in your groups

Bloggers:
1) Advertise this event!
2) Link to our GoFundMe page on your blog
3) Auction your services at the event and donate the money earned to the event!
- auction a profile photo
- auction a 1 hour lesson about how to take a great photo, etc.

General Public:
1) Donate to the event!
2) Spread the word about the event
3) Spread the word about the GoFundMe page
4) Offer services and donate proceeds to the event

**other ideas are welcome!

TIMELINE

September 24 - Kits Released
October 1 - October 5 - Setup for event
October 6 - Event opens (noon SLT)
October 22 - Event Ends (9pm SLT)

******** I F Y O U W O U L D L I K E T O H E L P P L E A S E F O L L O W T H I S L I N K *********

APPLICATION: goo.gl/F8uNfq

*** All items donated must follow Linden Lab's TOS and must not break any copyright rules. Anything questionable will be returned.

Please contact either Jolene Carami or Kira Paderborn or Enticestore Resident with any questions

Discussing September 11 at Virtual Ability

September 11 had many stories. But what about those of those whom were disabled whom were caught up in it. On the fifteenth anniversary of the attack, there was a discussion at Virtual Ability. Shyla (KriJon Resident) might have shown up in a comical-looking gecko avatar, but her message was a serious one. Many times someone whom was disabled was referred to as "the man in the wheelchair" or some other phrase that left out the identity. But there was something else she found more troubling. The evacuation plans of many places fail to take into account the disabled. Deaflegacy was there, and reported about the discussion.

Read Deaflegacy's article in Events. 

"The Courage Event: A Fundraiser for Alberta Canada"

Among the stories in real life news is the massive fire in the province of Alberta Canada, which has gotten so bad, the entire population of the city of Fort McMurray, about 60,000 people, was ordered evacuated, the largest ever in the province. A group in Second Life, "Models Giving Back," has decided to help. "The Courage Event" fundraiser is taking place high above the Akh sim. According to the information, the money will be going to the Canadian Red Cross. People can either buy dresses and other items, the proceeds going to charity, or donate directly to the charity. The event goes on until the end of the month.

So many people have been affected by the devastating wildfires in Alberta, Canada that continue to rage. There are those that need even just the basic necessities after loosing it all, many with no jobs to even return to after the fire is out. The Canadian Red Cross is doing all they can to help and have a plea out for donations. From May 15th – 31st – The Courage Event here in SL brings together 38 designers, and over 50 exclusive items that will not be sold again with proceeds going to the Canadian Red Cross. Come and Shop and support a VERY worthy cause.

There's a wide variety of outfits there, including this one by Bare Rose, which is non-copy transferable, and can be given as a gift. Bare Rose also has a TP to the event.

More information can be found at the event website at: https://revampedevent.wordpress.com/ , or in this article written by Inara Pey.

The Courage Event - Aid for Alberta, is in, Akh (72, 184, 1201)

Bixyl Shuftan

Book Island Holds Charity Event for Hurricane Sandy Victim

Book Island recently held a "Charity Trivia Contest" for a Second Life resident whom was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. The event was mentioned in a group announcement as hosted by Dedee Longfall, "Help Rain Weather the Storm."

We'll be hosting this event at our studio and we'd like to invite all of you and your friends to come over for an hour.  The event is for a lovely SL kitty and talented RL woman, Rain Ninetails, who lost everything in Hurricane Sandy.    There'll be plenty of off the wall trivia for an hour AND you can win prizes too!  Rain has  been a long time SL builder and much beloved member of the Trivia community in-world. Please stop by and join us for a bit of laughter, friendly competition, and a chance to help out an SL neighbor.  All donations go STRAIGHT to Rain :-)

Dropping by the event, there were about a dozen avatars over. The donation jar had over 110,000 Lindens at the time, or over 400 US dollars. All the while, Dede read out the trivia questions, in which the winners got prizes, "Back when stagecoaches existed as the pinnacle of transport, the seat immediately next to the driver was reserved for individuals acting as a guard. Such a strategic spot allowed the protectors to better ward off any bandits attempting to loot passengers." "Shotgun." "Shotgun!" "Shotgun!" "Riding shotgun  As engineering marched on into motor vehicles, the vernacular designation for the coveted spot stayed the same."

The tip jar will remain at Book Island, "it will stay here for the week. I'll put it on the dock." The event was held at Book Island (133, 2, 24)

A few other locations have held Hurricane Sandy benefits. Even World of Warcraft is getting into the act with plans to offer a "fire kitten" for sale with a promise the cash goes to relief efforts.

Bixyl Shuftan

Hurricane Irene Stories from Second Life

Last weekend, Second Life residents on much of the East Coast faced hurricane Irene, which threatened to knock out power, and worse. Bixyl Shuftan gives his own experiences, plus those of five other Second Life residents from North Carolina to New England.

Read the story in People.

Japan's Nuclear Fashion Disaster

With the recent devastation in Japan, people in both the music and fashion industries have been offering their support. Any1 Gynoid reports on the Pacific Crisis Fundraiser, which raised a total of over a million Lindens on it's first day alone!

Read Any1's story in Events.

Never Give Up Japan

A project to show support for our friends in Japan has been created by SL residents Clubkenjin Loon and Nekonuko Nakamori. “Never Give Up Japan” is at JAPAN DREAM KENJIN MALANDI , MALANDI (101, 119, 146).

Loon and Nakamori are making a Wall of images to show support and give hope to the people of Japan after the devasting earthquake of March 11. The images are being created by other Second Life residents and posted on the open squares. When the card is filled, Clubkenjin Loon (director of "Girls in the Sky") will make it into a movie and present it to the Japanese people to show our concern.

Images can be contributed by using the LM above. Fly close to an open space, click on the center and drag an image to it. There is also a kiosk on the LM site where Linden Bears for Japan can be purchased.

Grey Lupindo

Linden Bears for Japan Tsumani/Earthquake Reflief

With Japan devastated by the worst earthquake ever recorded there, and the ensuing tsunami that sent a wall of water that swept miles inland, people are looking for ways to help. Linden Labs is among those collecting funds for charity, by selling teddy bears with proceeds going to the Red Cross.

Our thoughts are with all of those who are suffering in the devastation caused by the earthquakes in Japan and the tsunami in the Pacific. We encourage all Second Life Residents to support the relief efforts however they can, and we would like to help.

We have created a couple of special Linden Bears (one sitting, one wearable) and set them for sale. We will donate all proceeds from sales of our bears to the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief efforts of the American Red Cross.

Prices for the bears range from 300 Linden dollars to 3000L.

"And That's it for Extend a Helping Hand!"

Yay! I was able to go to the bank today and make the final donation. Here's a full post about it, complete with pictures of the receipts:

http://katjohnston.com/2011/02/25/eahh-and-the-donation-is-made/

The total amount donated was AU$8350, rounded up from the AU$8,337.03, which is what the money raised converted to once it was changed from US currency.

To have a look at the currency conversion process (and get transaction history/money coming out of SL/etc), you can check out this post:

http://katjohnston.com/2011/02/20/eahh-heres-the-final-figures/

Phew! And that's it for EaHH!

Thank you everyone, for making Extend a Helping Hand a memorable and incredibly helpful event in raising money for the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal. From the people who took part as vendors, through to artists, musicians, independent event organizers, donors, participants and attendees, this amount could not have been raised if it were not for all of you.

With warmest regards and incredible thanks,

Sanura Sakai / Kat Johnston.

Australia Day 48 Hour Benefit Raises Over 300,000L for Flood Relief

In recent weeks, Australia has been hit by record flooding. Thousands were forced to evacuate from towns and cities, three quarters of the state of Queensland declared a disaster area. A wikipedia entry stated the death toll was 35 dead with nine missing. Damage by the floods is at least one billion Australian dollars, estimates as to how high going as far as thirty billion.

Wednesday January 26 was Australia Day, when Australians celebrate the founding of their country. In Second Life, B&B’s in the Utopia and EnGedi sim decided to hold a two day live music event starting that day to raise funds to help those affected by the flooding. Four dozen musicians were participating, such as OhMy Kidd, Gina Gracemount, and the folk band SOAR.

Get set for the Australia Day Concert: 48 hours of fantastic LIVE entertainment from 12:01am on the 26th right through to 11:59pm on the 27th. There is an awesome line-up featuring some incredibly talented performers! You won't want to miss this.

When I dropped in on Thursday the 27th, I was greeted by over a dozen people dancing and listening to the music, led by B&B’s co-owner Bundy Xue.

♯♬♥♪♥♩♥♬♥ Welcome to ♬♥♪♥♩♥♬♥♯
♯♬♥♪♥♩♥♬♥ B&B's ♬♥♪♥♩♥♬♥♯
♯♬♥♪♥♩♥♬♥ FLOOD RELIEF ♬♥♪♥♩♥♬♥♯
♯♬♥♪♥♩♥♬♥ BENEFIT 2011 ♬♥♪♥♩♥♬♥♯

Bundy continuously greeted visitors with a cheerful hello, and kept encouraging people to give to the fund. The goal was to raise 315,000 Lindens, which equals 1250 US Dollars.
Among the people there was noted SL blogger Nazz Lane. Cellandra Zon was also there.

“Bundy is such a sweetheart,” one person instant-messaged me, “She has worked soo hard for this benefit. She lined up all the musicians. She made sure everything was organized. And she has been here to work it too, and greet the people. AND she was here for almost all of the 24 hours! I think she took two 3 hour breaks, and that's IT.”

The event total was 293,000 Lindens when I arrived. Finally at 7:30 PM SL time. Cellandra Zon announced the total had passed 300,000, “THANK you, Grateful! THANK you Rayzer!” As the night went on, the total continued to rise. at 8:50 PM, it was announced that the goal of 315,000 Linden dollars raised had been met, “WONDERFUL WE HAVE CRACKED 1250 US$ Thank you all! (smile)” Dropping by the next day, the total on the board read 363,500 L.

The fundraising in Second Life has not gone entirely unnoticed by media outside the Grid. An Australian news site made a mention of the event: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/floods/8201695/.

The event was part of a larger fundraiser, which someone mentioned had so far raised a total of over 7000 US dollars. People wishing to contribute more can visit The Extend a Helping Hand Market, which according to a notecard passed at the event will be around until February 8th, "Money raised will be donated to the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal to assist those affected by the Queensland floods. ... You can join the Extend a Helping Hand Subscription Group to keep updated for the duration of the event, and to receive notifications when vendors release new donation items."

"Extend a Helping Hand is an event put together by Sanura Sakai to raise funds for the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal. The aim is to provide support and assistance to those Queenslanders affected by the recent massive flooding. She started organizing the event when it hit her home-town, and on the very first day of the market itself, it swept through her own city. 75% of Queensland, at the time of writing this, has been declared a disaster zone. Many have lost their homes, and some have even lost their lives.

"To read more about the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal, to which all funds raised by this event will go, please visit http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/. You can also donate directly, if you so desire, through the information provided on that site. To provide complete transparency to this process, transaction history for all donations will be provided at the close of the event at http://katjohnston.com. Kat Johnston is the real life name of Sanura Sakai, who will be running the event."

Another example of Second Life used to help people in real life.

(edit) The location to the Helping Hand Mall is Aiden (27, 64, 1025)


Bixyl Shuftan

Disaster at Shelz' Haven

It's happened to the best of us. You log into Second Life, expecting all to be well in the Metaverse, and CRACK! You find your world turned upside down. Our roving reporter Shellie Sands describes her own experience as she logged into her home one day, and cannot believe what she found.

Read about Shellie's story in our brand new section: People