Sept 11 Memorials

 

 It's been twenty-five years since the 9/11 terrorism attacks on New York City's World Trade Center and the Pentagon when 19 hijackers from the Islamofascist group Al Queda seized four airliners full of passengers and ran into the buildings in suicide attacks (the fourth airline crashed near Shanksville Pennsylvania as the passengers were overpowering the terrorists). Almost three thousand were murdered, with estimates of those injured ranging from 6000 to 25,000 and citizens from a hundred countries besides the USA among those killed. In the years since, thousands have also died from health issues related to the attacks, notably the dust inhaled from the collapse from the buildings and during the search for survivors and bodies. 

 

The event was a shock to America. Major networks had 24 hour news coverage for some days. Pop culture seemed to be suspended for a few weeks. Partisan bickering, which had people screaming "Not my President" just months before, instantly became practically nonexistent as the left and right united as they faced a common and deadly enemy. Over the next several weeks, the public would face new restrictions and surveillance, such as TSA agents patting down people at airports and email being scanned for key words that would trigger attention. And overseas a war of retaliation was launched against Al Queda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. 

 

Over the years, Second Life has seen numerous memorials to the fallen. One is at Echo Group Band of Brothers at (92,250,30). This is just one of numerous memorials at this veterans area. 

 

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EchoGroup%20BandofBrothers/92/250/30

 

Another is the Gold Haven 9-11 Memorial by Bryston Vanvlec

 

Now open year round. A Tribute I Made to Honor Those Who Lost Their Lives on September 11th, 2001.

Please come visit, say a prayer and reflect upon the tragic events that changed the world forever. Always Remember, Never Forget 9/11 and those who lost and sacrificed their lives on that day.

Thank you to those who donated and contributed to make this memorial available.

 

It should be noted that this memorial has been remodeled from how it looked in the past few years.  A second floor has been added, as some AI-assisted artwork honoring the fallen.

 

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Gold%20Haven/239/48/1343

 

 High above Copperhead Road is the Flight 93 Memorial, to the passengers of the fourth plane that prevented it's hijackers from destroying another target (possibly the US Capitol Building). The Newser would have an article about it a few years ago (here). 

 

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Copperhead%20Road/83/9/1995

 

In the Mosh sim on the Mainland is a Twin Towers by Cedrick Brown.

"Also in memory of Rickk Shippe who passed in 2025. A good man who built a 9/11 Memorial on his land in Miramare."

 https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Mosh/32/193/37

 

While not exclusive to 9/11, finally there is the Memorial to The Victims of Terrorism Throughout The World.

 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Iris/197/199/21 

 

Twenty-five years later, much has changed.  Another generation has been born and grown, and another has departed. The mastermind who organized 9/11 has long been shot dead. More terrorist attacks have happened, as well as more wars. But we still remember what happened that dreadful day.

 

"We Shall Remember."

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

More Tributes to Rita Mariner

 

 

One recalls the expression, "Always the last to know." Well, a few people never got the news Rita Mariner had passed away until they saw the article about her memorial service, "Oh my God! Rita's dead?!" Others would wait to say something until after the goodbye.

 

Rhayne Tungsten would say, after reading the article, "It was a fitting tribute. I'm more upset I missed it. We touched on and off early on when I'd DJ for Nydia (Tungsten) and when I dj'ed at other clubs, including hers. She was also a regular when I had my own club. even after my absence from Second Life for a while, we picked right back up like nothing ever happened. She was a *terrible* flirt, and I can't say it wasn't welcome. Later on, I acquired her cell number, and we texted semi regularly up until the end. Gawds ... I miss her so much.

 

"It's just.... Rita meant a lot ta me. an now she's gone. An there's a hole she used ta fill."

Tantari Kim would comment, "I'm sorry that we lost her. I'm sure it was a big impact to the whole Sunweavers community. I used to be active there but I've had so much on my plate that it has kind of fallen off. But still it is good to know, at least so I can be more supportive of Sunweavers like you."

 

Jessie Vix (DJ Jessie) remarked in the comments at the end of the memorial article, "Bad Wi-Fi kept Me away. I'm just a noob in the Sunweavers as I'm only 5 years old in SL. Rita was one that was too patient with my attempted customizations messing up her land, I broke my parcel many times and Rita would drop by immediately to help. Once it was repaired, we would chill awhile and talk. As I look up towards Cutlass circling my parcel, I swear its Rita and Zorro driving her up there. The music has gone silent there but she still sails the digital skies over Sunweaver Bay, A comfort to one so young who has lost so many already both in real-life and Second Life."

 

Further comments are welcome,

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Club Tributes To Dolly Parton

 

 On Tuesday August 25, noted singer and actress Dolly Parton died following a short battle with cancer. Earlier, we reported on a memorial to her. But also, numerous DJs were touched by this sad news. I would come across a few musical tributes for her. One was at Montecito Bay on Wednesday August 26.

 

Yesterday was a sad day for everyone around the world, we lost an icon. Today, DJ Cookie is choosing to honor her legacy by playing a full set of Dolly (with other guest artists too). Please join us for a tribute to one of the biggest and kindest stars in the world. 

 

DJ Cookie would play two hours of her songs, such as "What's Up," "Home Sweet Home," and "Love Is Like A Butterfly."

 

On the same day, Club Zero Gravity would have it's "Roman Holidays" party, which was planned in advance. But with the recent news, DJ Rose was playing just music sung by Dolly Parton, or at least connected to her.  Rose would play songs such as "Starting over Again," "All I Can Do," "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind," "Touch Your Woman," "Heartbreak Express," and the popular "Jolene" and "Nine To Five."

 

 At the Happy Vixen on Thursday August 27, the party had no set theme. But DJ Charlee would play mostly Dolly Parton music for her set as well.

 

Rest in peace, Dolly Parton.

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

A Busy Weekend

Quite a bit happened in Second Life this weekend. Among the events were some 9/11 tributes, including at the Bob Hope Theater and the Flight 93 Memorial (above), the "Smash Party" organized by Titmouse Studio (below), a tribute to Artistic Fimicloud at Club Cutlass, and more.

More on one or more of these events later, time permitting.

Eve Online Gamer "Vile Rat" Among US Embassy Dead in Libya

On Wednesday Sept 12th came some news from Eve Online that was linked to the attack on the US Embassy in Libya that killed four Americans. The GoonSwarm alliance issued a statement that among the dead was Sean Smith, an Air Force Veteran whom in the game was known as "Vile Rat." Ironically, the man who worked at a diplomatic compound was noted in the alliance for his diplomatic skills.

directorbot: My people, I have greivous news. Vile Rat has been confirmed to be KIA in Benghazi; his family has been informed and the news is likely to break out on the wire services soon. Needless to say, we are in shock, have no words, and have nothing but sympathy for his family and children. I have known Vile Rat since 2006, he was one of the oldest of old-guard goons and one of the best and most effective diplomats this game has ever seen.

Numerous players of the game posted their condolences on a thread in the Eve forums, which as of the writing of this article reached 63 pages in length. "If you play this stupid game, you may not realize it, but you play in a galaxy created in large part by Vile Rat's talent as a diplomat. No one focused as relentlessly on using diplomacy as a strategic tool as VR," Smith/Vile Rat's friend Alex Gianturco, known in Eve as "The Mittani" wrote on his website, describing a few of his more noted in-game accomplishments, concluding, "It seems kind of trivial to praise a husband, father, and overall badass for his skills in an internet spaceship game. But that's how most of us know him. So there you go."

A number of stations and systems are being renamed in honor of the late gamer. There was also an in-game memorial set up for him mentioned in Reddit when a "Blix65" posted a picture and described the scene, "It's the star at the center of the largest trade hub system in the game. A bunch of players have stopped by and jettisoned cargo containers named 'R.I.P. Vile Rat' as a memento. I didn't know him at all, but hearing of a regular dude who enjoys video games being killed so senselessly... just brings it home. "

Hamlet Au called the memorial, "a tragically ironic coda, because the riot itself was reportedly provoked by a video uploaded to YouTube. So an event with global repercussions that was sparked by one act of user-generated content, ended with another."

Sources: CNN, Massively, Wired, New World Notes, Reddit,

Bixyl Shuftan

Steve Jobs Passing Reflected Online and in Second Life

It was Wednesday night when I heard the news Steve Jobs had passed away. Ironically enough, at the time I was using one of his creations to get on Second Life: an iMac. It didn't take too long for word to get around in various SL groups. Among them, the Relay for Life group. Although Jobs' cause of death wasn't listed, it was known he suffered from pancreatic cancer. The group expressed their condolences, and called it another reminder to look for a cure.

By the next day, there were some tributes posted on Facebook. More than once, I saw a modified version of the Apple logo, but with the "bite" now a shilouette of Steve Job's profile. There were others as well. I saw one picture in the news of an iPhone in a Japanese temple showing an image of a flickering lit candle.

So what tribute was there in Second Life? I heard about a place called the "Church of Mac" on the grid. Porting over, it looked much like the other buildings in the suburban block from a distance. But up close, one could see the burning torches, the stained glass, the "Church of the Mac" plaques, and most notably a recent picture of Steve Jobs next to a statement, "Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the trouble-makers ... glorify them or vilify them, the only thing you can't do is ignore them, because they change things. ... We see genius, because the people crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones that do."

Going inside, there was a symbol that looked like an apple with barbed wire wraped around it. There was also a shrine with an old style Macintosh computer on it. There were also a number of images, such of a younger Steve Jobs holding an apple, and a number of noted artworks redone with a Mac computer worked into the scene.

The place was owned by a Molly Montale. IMing her, she told me she had been contacted earlier by Hamlet Au, "Our real-life neighborhood is near a large stone quarry. In the mid-twentieth century our neighborhood was full of Italian stone cutters. Many families had religious shrines in their yards. About 20 years ago I saw that someone had replaced the statue of Mary in a shrine in their yard with a Mac Classic. I always regretted not get a photo of it. Second Life allowed me to recreate it."

Molly told me the Church of Mac had been around for over five years, created to poke fun at the devotion Apple computer fans sometimes express for their brand," I made the church as a light-hearted play on how Mac users, me include, love the Apple products." Following the announcement of Jobs' death, "I was crying like a baby last night reading some of the blogs, so very sad. He was ill for so long. The church has been there for over 5 years. I figured I should put a sign out." So up went the picture of Steve Jobs and the salute in words, "I never anticipated people coming."

While we talked, she announced, "Wow! Someone just sent me this: 'On the v2 viewer front page is the destination guide, and a few featured locations. The #1 featured location is Church of Mac.' Wow, I am speechless. I wish I had put better stuff out. I had no idea people would actually go there."

Molly plans to do a few changes in the inside. Although the place is now a shrine, it will continue to be called "The Church of Mac."

The Church of Mac is on the Blumfield sim at (154, 146, 26).

One can see a few more tributes to Steve Jobs, in the article: Here.

As a Mac owner and a user of Apple computers since the old Apple2, I too am saddened by the passing of Steve Jobs. Although he didn't invent the exact things he sold, much like Henry Ford decades ago he marketed them in a way that opened them to a mass marketplace. Although he clearly will be missed, there are reports he had his input in various projects that will be released in the next several years.

Rest in peace, Steve Jobs.

"Think Different"

Bixyl Shuftan