And The Winner Is ...

 

 At 9AM SL time today, the twenty-three winners of Linden Lab's Golden Ticket Giveaway were on stage at the Orpheum Theater. In the middle were twenty three boxes, with twenty-two containing 10,000 Linden dollar prizes, and one that had a million Linden dollar prize. About 180 residents crowded themselves in with many more watching via the Youtube feed. 

 

One by one, starting with the winners of the earliest tickets, the contestants, most of whom who got up and walked to the show host, Ninja, on stage, a few having to remain seated due to lag, chose one of the boxes. They all gave a small shower of sparks, and the host would say they were 10k prizes. Finally with nine boxes left, Carmelle James (Missnicety1 Resident), chose box 19. And this would be the one that would win one million Linden dollars. 

 

Carmelle had remained in her seat and messaged her choice to Brett Linden who messaged the show host, so it's likely she had to deal with lag worse than most others. I didn't notice any further response from her, and only got up from her chair some time after the event ended. 

 

One of the 22 secondary winners did respond. Se7en Zen had chosen to donate her 10,000 Linden dollar prize to the Relay for Life's Second Life Cheerleading Squad. "RFL is an important cause, and it's a privilege to be able to support it," she would tell me."

 

At the end, Ninja had a special announcement.  Linden Lab was matching the grand prize with giving another one million Linden dollars to four charities: Virtual Ability, Team Fox (diabetes research), Spoonful of Sugar (Doctors Without Borders), and the Relay for Life in Second Life. 

 

"That 250k donation pledge from the Lindens was an exciting announcement," Se7en added, "I want to add that the cheer community in SL supports RFL with our whole hearts. This is  cause that touches us all, and RFL is a way to share hope."

While this would be the last official event of the SL23B, the Birthday goes on Sunday July 19, to Midnight SL time. 

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Who Will Be The Winner?

 

 Today at 9AM SL time, we find out who the big winner is of the Golden Ticker Giveaway. The event will be at the Orpheum Theater. 

 

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Celebrate/25/24/22

If you can't be at the theater, watch the event live on Youtube, or hopefully later on with a recording. 

 

EOTB: "SL23B Golden Ticket Giveaway Finale - Watch It Live!"

 

After a few weeks of anticipation, we get to see who wins the big prize of the Golden Ticket Giveaway. On Friday July 17, at the Orpheum Theater, there will be a special event at 9AM SL time in which the 23 Golden Ticket winners will appear, with one getting the million Linden dollar prize.

 

 The entry period for the SL23B Golden Ticket Giveaway has now closed, and the grand finale is just days away!

The twenty-three finalists are confirmed and will take the stage to choose from 23 Golden Prize Boxes, each containing a Linden Dollar reward. Only one box holds the grand prize of L$1,000,000.

The live finale event takes place on Friday, July 17th at 9am PT, where winners will make their selections in front of a live audience.

 

The three suggested SURLs are:

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Celebrate/25/24/22
https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/26/251/29
https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Amaze/251/27/28

 

 

You can also see the event on Youtube.

 

To read more, check the Linden blog entry here. 

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Last Day For The Golden Ticket Giveaway

 

 After 23 days, Linden Lab's million Linden dollar Golden Ticket Giveaway for the SL23B is almost over. Today is the last chance to get a shot, or another shot, at one of the prizes. Once the clock strikes Midnight, that's it. 

 

The winners will attend an event on Friday July 17 at 9AM SL time (Noon EST), which will be broadcasted on Youtube, with 22 10,000 L prizes, and one 1,000,000 L prize.

 

Conversations with others entering have people wishing each other luck, with a girl or two offering to be the "arm candy" of the winner. So who will it be? Baring the unexpected, we'll know Friday.

 

The Second Life Birthday goes on to Sunday July 19.  

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

EOTB: Lab Reminds The "Golden Ticket Giveaway" Ends Soon, Winner Chosen Next Friday

 

Yesterday, Linden Lab reminded residents that the number of days left to enter the Golden Ticket Giveaway is getting short. Tuesday July 14 will be the last day.

 

 The SL23B Golden Ticket Giveaway is heading toward its grand finale, and there’s still time to enter.

Residents have until July 14th to visit participating SL23B regions and click on the Golden Ticket kiosks for a chance to be selected. Each day brings a new opportunity to secure your spot, so don’t miss your chance to take part.

 

The 23 winners will be invited to take part at the last stage of the Giveaway, a televised event on Friday July 17 at 9AM SL time, where most will get 10,000 Linden dollar prizes with one lucky winner getting a million Lindens.

 

The last day of the SLB is Sunday  July 19.

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

A Special Moon Dance, And My Emerald Level Avatar Challenge

 

 

Last night on the evening of Thursday April 16, Team Sunbeamers had their weekly Moon Dance from 6 to 8PM SL time. But the usual happy atmosphere had a somber tone. 

 

 Ren Flow had died suddenly soon after logging off last Thursday. Last week's Moon Dance had been the final event in Second Life she would ever attend. Cynthia felt saddened as she and Ren had been good friends. So this dance was dedicated to her and had a number of songs of remembrance. 

 

 When the fireworks were about to go off, Cynthia told everyone they might be smaller as Ren had been helping her out with them.

 

 And then, there was this. I have this yearly tradition of taking on a female look when the Sunnies reach a huge amount of money that started several years ago. For the past few years, it's been the one million Linden mark. It's usually been a Rita clone. But this year, wanted to do something a little different. So I went as a duplicate of our team's top builder and event organizer, Cynthia Farshore. Cynthia herself has felt flattered by it, making a joke or two to Liska, who did much the same a few times. 

 

So until next Thursday, unless there's an interview or a special news event, out in the open I'll be a bit on the horny side. 

 

And I'm sure Ren would have loved it.

 

Go Relay!

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

 

*Addition* Will be briefly back into my Fox look at the Monday Town Hall. 

 

Sunbeamers Reach One Million Lindens, Hit Emerald

 

 

Yesterday, Saturday April 11 just before 8PM SL time, Cynthia Farshore announced Team Sunbeamers had crossed the one million Linden mark in total donations for the 2026 Relay season, and reached Emerald Level fundraising.

 

Congrats yall we got Emerald
Sat, Apr 11 2026 7:57:57 PM SLT

that last push on the stage got us just across the line at L$ 1,000,523 to make Emerald!

 

As the picture shows, about 910,000 Lindens were raised inworld, but a total of $363.75 or 90,000 Linden dollars, had been raised outside of Second Life, for a combined total of a little more than a million. This makes the team seventh out of 168 teams in terms of fundraising.

 

And "the little team that could" does it again.

 

More on the Relaystock later,

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

SL Mobile App Total Dowloads Reach A Million

 

 Linden Lab is currently talking about "A Big Year of Progress" for the mobile viewer in the official Second Life blog, from clearer pictures to in-app purchases to using the avatar starter pack via one's smartphone, and more. But in New World Notes, Hamlet Au mentioned another milestone. Linden Lab confirmed that the total amount of SL mobile app downloads has reached one million.

 

Hamlet had first guessed this by noticing the number of downloads on Google Play was 500,000. So he reasoned the number of those downloaded from the Apple App Store, which isn't pictured, was at least the same. In March, the total number was reportedly close to 300,000, and the total listed on Google Play was 100,000.

 

But this would be a guess until Linden Lab head Brad Oberwager confirmed the total number did pass one million.

 

As a reminder, Second Life has been downloaded on computers millions of times. 

 

Sources, Linden Blog, New World Notes  

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Sunbeamers Reach One Million Linden Mark After Raising 100,000L At Relaystock

 

 This weekend, the Relaystock took place, with various teams getting campsites and a musician, sometimes with dancers, on stage. At 3PM Saturday April 5th, it was the turn of Team Sunbeamers. With DJ Cynthia spinning a set of classic rock tunes, a number of other 'beamers got on stage with her and the team danced away on stage, often cracking jokes and puns, "I get by with a little hemp from my friends..."

 

 

The results were a smashing success for the "wackiest team in Second Life," raising a hundred thousand Lindens for the time they were on stage, a new record. Two Sunnies then lived up pledges they made if this was done, Shockwave, the team's wolf, donning a grandmother's nightgown, "HOW do I get talked into doing this?" And Brian became a brightly pink fennec in a tutu, "Okay Brian!!! Strip to the tutu!"

For the team, another milestone was reached. They'd achieved Emerald status fundraising, the one million Linden dollar mark. This marks the fourth year in a row they've done so, and the earliest they've done so ever. Currently, the Sunbeamers are sixth out of 177 teams.

While the Relaystock is over, the camps are still up for people to see, and don't forget the "Bid the Lindens Bald" event later this week.

 

More pictures later.

 

Go Sunbeamers! Go Relay!

 

Bixyl Shuftan

First Million Linden Winner in "March Mobile Millions"

 

 

 (click here if the video does not play)

 

From Linden Lab on Thursday March 20, their broadcast of Week 2 of "March Mobile Millions" took place. And while all contestants walked away happy, one truly had something to cheer about. 

The show started off well right away with the first contestant getting a hundred thousand Linden dollars, or $400 USD. Soon after came a Dan Grey (his account name was unmentioned. Like the others, he spun the wheel, and at about 4:30 in the video, it came to rest on the One Million mark.

 

 Dan was the first March Mobile Millions contestant to score one million Linden dollars, or $4,000 USD. He was so thrilled, he launched a waffles gesture. 

At the end, the announcer would say a Linden had told him all prizes aside from the big one would be doubled.

 

Stay tuned for week three.

 

Bixyl Shuftan

"March Mobile Millions" Offers Residents a Chance At One Million Linden Dollars

 

Even though it takes roughly 250 Lindens to equal one US dollar, a lot of them adds up to some good money. A million Linden dollars is about $4,000, which is a lot of money to most every resident. And this is the top prize for Linden Lab's latest contest, "March Mobile Millions," which offers residents a chance to win some big money. 

 

Get ready for an exciting month-long celebration with March Mobile Millions! Throughout the month of March, we’re giving you the chance to win Linden Dollar prizes and an exclusive VIP inworld experience! 

To take part requires logging in to Second Life through the mobile viewer.every day and complete a challenge for the particular week. For instance, the challenge for week one is to teleport to three different places in the Destination Guide (ends March 10). Each day, one resident who's done the challenges will be selected to get a ticket to enter a secret location for a "VIP Spin and Win" event. This event takes place once a week, streamed live on the Second Life Youtube channel, and ticketholders get a chance to spin the "Megawheel" "for massive Linden dollar prizes." As stated players can win up to a million Linden dollars. 

The wheel has 48 slots and offers the following:

• L$10,000 (15 slots) – approx. $40 USD
• L$20,000 (12 slots) – approx. $80 USD
• L$50,000 (10 slots) – approx. $200 USD
• L$100,000 (5 slots) – approx. $400 USD
• L$200,000 (3 slots) – approx. $800 USD
• L$300,000 (2 slots) – approx. $1,200 USD
• L$1,000,000 (1 slot) – approx. $4,000 USD

 Winners are of course responsible for any taxes and fees.

To read the blog post in full, Click Here. 

Bixyl Shuftan

RFL Team Sunbeamers Hit One Million Linden Mark. Reach Emerald Level

 

 

 Yesterday, the Relay for Life's Team Sunbeamers held their tenth annual air show, with the help of two squadrons, DJ Kala and the Roos, and other Relayers who dropped by. This would also be the day this Relay season the team would reach the one million Lindens raised mark, or about $4000 USD in real money. 

 

As of the writing of this article, the Sunbeamers have raised a total of 1,020,842 Linden dollars, or $4,083.37 US dollars.

The Sunbeamers are currently ninth among the 181 Relay Teams. In first place is TAP - The Adult Partnership, which has raised 4,657,000 Linden dollars/ $18,628 USD, at Purple rank. In second place is Team The River of Live at 3,078,000 Linden dollars / 12,314 USD, at Crimson rank. In third place is Caming For A Cure with 2,724,000 Linden dollars / $10,897 USD, also at Crimson level.

Go Sunbeamers! Go Relay!

Second Life Living Expo Reaches One Million Linden Mark

 

 On Monday February 5, it was announced in the Relay for Life in Second Life Volunteers group that the fundraising in the Living Expo event had passed the one million Linden Dollar Mark.

We hit the $1 Million mark just now! You guys, that's amazing!!!! Thank you all for your hard work and dedication to this event and to Relay For Life of Second Life. It's beccause of people like you, that we keep fighting this fight! ♥

The Expo goes on to Friday February 16

Relay's Team Sunbeamers Reach Ruby Fundraising Level

 

 

 It was a question that was asked more than once by the more optimistic Sunbeamers for a few months, "Can we reach not only Emerald, but Ruby this year?" And when the team reached the million Linden mark earlier than any other year, on May 26, it looked within grasp. And on Friday June 2, Rita announced to the group that it was, but would need a push.

Both Brian and I are willing to chip in some heavy money to push us towards RUBY, but it will now be enough from just the two of us. We will need help.

 

"Ask and you shall receive" so goes the saying. And a donor who helped out at the Relaystock event, Charlee Shuftan (Charlee Amethyst), stepped in again. And Rita soon made another announcement.

 

 

SUNBEAMERS ARE NOW RUBY!

Hi Beamers:  Thanks to the efforts and donations for Charlee Shuftan and myself., plus some nice remotes. WE ARE NOW OFFICIALLY RUBY, at $5042US.  Love to you all.

But, there was one small commitment our fearless leader had to own up to.

A Bet is a Bet

Beamers, I promised to go PINK for a month if we made RUBY! *gag me with a spoon* I AM PINK!  "MY EYES!"  Both Charlee and Bixyl bet to go HUMAN, those are naturally PINK. WE have three suffering for you now. Love you all anyways.

And so Rita owned up to her word, down to getting a pink Luskwood skunk avatar as well. But as she stated, she wasn't the only one with a different look for a while. Charlee and I had a talk, and decided to go human, or rather, neko and kitsune, for a month. There was a joke somewhere that the reason some guys don female avatars was so they wouldn't have to stare at a male butt all day, and that with a tail in the way I wouldn't have that problem. 

The team has continued to collect donations. As of the writing of this article, the 'beamer's total raised for this year is 1,260,000 L, and in the top ten fundraising teams, eleven of which have raised a million Linden dollars or more. 

It should be noted that the Sunbeamers were founded ten years ago in 2013. Compared to the amounts our predecessor team, the Passionate Redheads, brought in, our initial year brought in a small total. "We are a small team," it was explained. But over the years, the totals have gotten larger and larger. Over the years, some teams that once made the top ten have gone back a bit to smaller but still impressive levels. And some like the Redheads and the Relay Wizards have closed down altogether. But the "Sunnies," like some others such as the Relay Rockers and Team ACTS, continue to be top performers year after year.

The small team became "the little team that could," and now, "the little team that does, again and again."

Go Sunbeamers! Go Relay!

Bixyl Shuftan

Team Sunbeamers Reach One Million Lindens, Beach Party With Roos With A Dream

 

 

 On the late afternoon/early evening of Friday May 26, the Relay for Life's Sunbeamer team reached a big milestone in it's 2023 fundraising season. It had crossed the one million Linden mark in the total amount of cash raised, and thus was Emerald level fundraising.

 

 And with the team reaching a million, a couple team members were called on to own up to commitments. For a certain reporter, it meant the return of the "Rita clone," which first appeared in 2017, and for the past few years was my offer to appear in for a week if the team reached Emerald.

 

This year, someone else had offered to be something else as well. Foxy offered to be a landwalker shark for a month if the team raised a million. And with the news came his finny look. As someone commented, "Just when you thought it was safe to come out of the water." It was also mused this would mean more tuna fish caught for the team.

Far from resting on their laurels, the following day the 'beamers hosted a "Beach Party" event jointly with the "Roos With A Dream." There would be two DJ sessions, the first with DJ Cynthia. The second one was with "DJ Kayla and the Roos." Following the event there was a volleyball competition and a boat race. Rezzdarnnit was the winner of the ball game. The fastest run in the boat race was from Liska, with a time of 166 seconds, who won a motorboat as a prize.

 

The event would be followed by a Memorial Day event at Club Cutlass with Cynthia Farshore once again DJing. At the close, Cynthia, who had done most of the building and organizing for the Relay event, logged off to get some much deserved rest.

 

The Sunbeamer and Roos Beach Party raised a combined 36,410 Linden dollars for both the 'beamers and Roos, getting the Sunbeamers to past 1,020,000 Lindens and Roos With A Dream to almost 800,000. Someone among the Sunbeamers commented it was no longer enough to reach the top ten, but to help out a few other teams along the way.

Go Sunbeamers! Go Roos! Go Relay!

Bixyl Shuftan

RFL Team Sunbeamer Tribute Horse

 

 Penny Shuftan of the Sunweaver community just loves horses. Getting an emerald-green one, she overheard someone comment that one of the Relay for Life's fundraising levels, the one for one million Linden dollars, is Emerald. Since this is the level that's the goal of the Sunny team, the Sunbeamers, she named one horse "One Million Dollars Sunbeamer" in tribute. 

Meanwhile, off-season fundraising has been going well for the Sunbeamers. Team captain Rita Mariner told those at a party at Club Cutlass the other day the team had collected almost enough to qualify for Platinum level fundraising for the upcoming season (provided the ranks remain the same). So it should be an interesting Relay season in 2023.

Go Sunbeamers! Go Relay!

Bixyl Shuftan

RFL Team Sunbeamers Reach One Million Lindens, Emerald Level

 *

On the late morning of Sunday June 12, the Relay for Life's Team Sunbeamers passed a goal that was looking doubtful. They finally passed the one million Linden dollar mark.

We made Emerald! Or as Dr. Evil might say, "One, million, Lindens!"

Great, but one small complication for yours truly, whom has to own up to a commitment. 

Yep, yours truly to help provide incentive for people to donate stated that if the team made Emerald, I'd go female for a week, as a clone of the team captain, Rita Mariner. And as Rita was pink thanks to a Bid Me, it was the pink Rita Clone. 

The team camp marker was quickly updated with a new badge to show the new rank. 

As of now, the Sunbeamers are 13th among the 138 teams in terms of cash raised.

Go Sunbeamers! Go Relay!
 

Sansar's Owner, Wookey, In Lawsuit By Former CEO

 

Lately, things haven't been looking very good for Sansar. The "next generation virtual world" created by Linden Lab and going online in 2017, had struggled to find an audience and in 2020 the Lab would sell it to Wookey Technologies. In recent weeks, the place has been described as "on life support" with the workers furloughed and it's Umbra license expired. Then on Dec 22, it was knocked offline for a day. The cause of that has yet to be determined.

As it turns out, this isn't the only problem going on with Wookey. It seems they're in a legal dispute with a former CEO of theirs, John Fried. The "Wrongful Discharge" suit started in April 2020, not long after Wookey bought Sansar. He is demanding one million dollars. As of November, it was headed to a jury trial set for June 27, 2022.

Inara Pey states that the company has a net worth of about 3.78 million, "a judgement made in favour of Mr. Fried, it could put a significant dent in the company’s finances." Needless to say, the future of Sansar is looking more troubled.

Source: Modem World, Superior Court of California

Bixyl Shuftan
 

Hurricaine Ida Smashes Inland, Knocks Out Power to One Million

 

On Sunday August 29, Hurricane Ida reached Louisiana after quickly strengthening to a Category 4 storm. The result was flooding and damage that brought back memories of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Over a million people lost electric power, including practically everyone in New Orleans. One or two people have been confirmed dead, though more may be found. But for many, it may be some time before they places they evacuated from are safe to return to, and it may be weeks until some places get full electric power, and Internet, again. 

What's left of Ida is continuing to move northeast, and may create flooding and tornadoes along the way.
 
Sources: Weather Channel, CBS News, AP News 

Bixyl Shuftan
 

Sunbeamers Make Emerald: Part Two

It was a triumphant Relay Weekend for the Sunbeamers. After eight years, the team had finally raised a total of a million Linden dollars for this season, and getting Emerald rank for the second time (the first time it took not as much). Getting together for the group picture, one member rezzed a chunk of virtual emerald crystal. This included our star builders Cynthia Farshore and Shockwave Yareach, star DJs Snowy (Skylark Lefavre) and Mattie Carlton (Cynthia's also a great DJ), our newest member Omni-One Kenobi, team captain Rita Mariner, and one wiseguy reporter whom was sporting an unusual look.

Yours truly has a team tradition of doing "Platinum Avatar Challenges." So what would I do for one million? Earlier I was saying if we made that amount, I'd do "something crazy," bring back the "Rita clone" that I wore for a week in an earlier such challenge. Well, someone must have been listening as in the few days leading up to the Relay Weekend and on Saturday, we got over 200,000 Lindens. And so the "Killer Rabbit" is back, for another week.

Personally, it was a roller-coaster of a weekend, partially because of some sad news I'd gotten of a friend in real life. But the fight against cancer is an important one that brings me together with my friends online. And taking the victory lap, I would hear congratulations from a number of people for the Sunbeamers' achievement, as well as a few comments about "the million Linden dollar avatar."
 
Already, we're coming up with some ideas for next year. One was "Bid Me ..." well, we'll tell you in 2022.

Go Sunbeamers! Go Relay!

Bixyl Shuftan