One Billion Rising Event Today

 

Friday I was lucky enough to visit the One Billion Rising regions since I was there to train as a greeter for the event. I have been doing this since 2013 on Valentine Day. It is a one day event so very  busy . The builds there are in recognition of the reason for this day all over the world.

"ONE BILLION RISING began as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS.

Every February, we rise – in hundreds of countries across the world – to show our local communities and the world what one billion looks like and shine a light on the rampant impunity and injustice that survivors most often face.  We rise through dance to express joy and community and and celebrate the fact that we have not been defeated by this violence. We rise to show we are determined to create a new kind of consciousness – one where violence will be resisted until it is unthinkable. And we here in Second Life can be part of this global movement."

Builders were working furiously to get their installations in place. I stopped at one that was nearly finished to talk to one of the builders , my friend , Mrs. Mia Wallace (Mia Quinote). She and Herbie Haven were representing the " Burners Without Borders Second Life (BWBSL) a grassroots, volunteer-driven, virtual community group. We participate with non-profit initiatives in the virtual world to help make a difference! eg: RelayForLife, and OBR." with a thoughtful installation of a family in crisis  called Moments in Time. The other side of the installation though, show the possible future. after Covid.  She gave me permission to use the photos to show an example of the theme of the day. 

There will be parties on the main stage and poetry readings and live performers and four beautiful regions to explore so don' t miss it. There are four  entries where all Kiosks will give you so much more information . It begins at Midnight Sunday and closes at midnight that day. Builds will remain in case you run out of time. 

Here are two entry points in case one region is filled .

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/OBR%20Unite/77/77/24

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/OBR%20Rise/181/181/24

Gemma Cleanslate

NPC Party Today

 

Please join us for the RED Themed Sunday, February 14 CommonGround Networking Party at 11:00 AM SLT at Rockcliffe University’s George C Dove Theatre!

Join us inworld at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Rockcliffe%20I/198/25/26

Enjoy networking and dancing among other nonprofits and supporters! Learn more about what nonprofits, educators, humanitarians, scientists, and artists accomplish in Second Life at this fun and informative event.

CommonGround is the second Sunday of each month from 11:00 AM to Noon SLT.

Locations rotate among our NPC member spaces so if you'd like to host a CommonGround at your location, region, or even your space here at NPC, let Zinnia Zauber or Namaara MacMoragh know.

SL Video: "Dunk and Hug a Linden Event 2021 in Second Life"

 

 Taken at Isle of View by Strawberry Linden on Friday Feb 12.

 

SL Video: "Chris De Burgh - The Ballroom of Romance"

From Jeffery Huang on Feb 11
 

Interview With Susan Braveheart (aka Miss Longtail)

 

In Haven Shire, one can find the art store for a certain talented tiny artist. Susan Braveheart, also known as Miss Longtail, is a real-life artist whom has been showing her work here in Second Life, both at galleries and her own location. She's also a singer. So how did she get started and where can you find her paintings? Kayly Iali recently had the chance to interview her to find out the answers to these and other questions.

Read Kayly's interview in People.

Raglan Map Mayhem

Taking a look at the map over Raglan Shire,  I noticed something over the Raglan Galaxy sim. Instead of the usual greenery, there was a sim-sized sign with an image of a stage with curtains and spotlights with the caption "We haz talent." It's no secret the community of tiny avatars has no shortage of talented builders and scripters. Though this looks like something for an event either here or elsewhere. 

This kind of funnery with the map has been done before. The reasons have ranged from general funnery to get some laughs,  advertising a yearly event, or just wishing people happy holidays.

So what does this mean? To be continued.

CDS Valentine Event Saturday

 

Sat, February 13, 12pm – 2pm
"Dancing Under the Stars"

DJ Nais will be spinning romantic love songs for us to celebrate Valentine's Day 2021!

Naïs (rhymes with plays) spins fun, feel-good jazz in sets like 'Through the Looking Glass' featuring jazz covers of pop music.

This "Sweetheart of Second Life" grew up in a jazzy family with a grand-mother who was a pianist and Torch singer, and a great uncle who played coronet with jazz greats Sammy Kaye and Les Brown. She has a Scots-Irish background and plays the violin which has given her a broad range of musical interests.

Put on your dancing shoes, wear your Valentine's Day best and let's celebrate Heart Day together!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Locus%20Amoenus/165/58/1002

Announcement: This Friday and Saturday at The Science Circle - "Richard Dawkins" And "Rare Preservation"

 

"Heroes of Evolution: Richard Dawkins"

Friday February 12 

9 to 10 AM SL time

For the first time in this lecture series, I will discuss a still living icon of evolution. Richard Dawkins has had an immense impact in his lifetime on the advancement of evolutionary theory as well as science advocacy. His energy and commitment to science are still ongoing today. The talk will discuss his scientific work as well as highlight some of his activities advocating for rational thinking. The talk will consist of three sections: 

Scientific Work

Presentation by Dr. Stephen Gasior (Xootfly)

For more information, Click Here.

*  *  *  *  *

"Rare Preservation of a Mother Crocodilian With Eggs"

Saturday February 13

10 to 11 AM SL time

Modern crocodilians exhibit parental care for their eggs during development, as do modern birds. However, given that pterosaurs (flying reptiles), which are more closely related to birds than crocodilians seem to have not exhibited parental care, this calls into question whether or not more ancient crocodilians and dinosaurs had parental care or not. A remarkably well-preserved fossil adult crocodilian with eggs helps resolve some of these issues by showing this behavior of egg-guarding likely extending back about 45 million years.

Presentation by Dr. Alex Hastings

For more information, Click Here.

 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/67/129/32

New Last Names Announced

 
For those whom have been waiting for the Lab to come up with some new last names, good news. Yesterday on Wednesday February 10, Linden Lab announced a list of newly available last names.

We have been very pleased to see the response to the return of last names back in April of 2020. Much as we did with the original legacy surnames, we plan to continually update and change the last names that are available for selection. Now that Uplift is complete, we anticipate that the rotation of available options will happen more often.  

The Lab went on to say several older names had been removed, and fifteen new ones were added: Orlando, Incognito, Nebula, Knickers, Aviator, Bunny, Blackwood, Darkheart, Amore, Suki, Venus, Evergarden, Caboose, Dakota, and Absinthe.

So of the original list of last names, about half remain as options.

As a reminder, new residents do not get these names as an option when creating their accounts. Instead the ability to change one's account is a perk for Premium accounts, and in addition there's a fee. So someone with a basic account will need to pay a total of $51.98 USD to get a last name other than "Resident."

Since the return of last names in April 2020,  there has only been one previous change in the list of surname options, in June 2020. With the move to The Cloud complete, the Lab states there will be changes more often. So far in the forums, there hasn't been much reaction on the two threads created (here) and (here). What reaction there is so far seems to be reactions of amusement.

Will we soon see names like Going Incognito, Honey Bunny, Marsand Venus, Thats Amore and others? Time will tell.

What do you think of the new names. Please leave comments below.

Bixyl Shuftan

Press Release: HFOT January 2021

 Hi everyone.  I hope your New Year is off to a good start.  Our efforts for Homes For Our Troops is!  In January we sent $1045 to Homes for Our Troops.  That is a 40% increase over January 2020’s $650 donations!   We keep this up and we will surely beat 2020’s total of $15750.  

And after seeing the growth of donations year to year, Jamie Crossman, Philanthropy advisor for Homes For Our Troops stated:

"I can’t believe we are already in to February!  Thank you so much for kicking off the new year in January with some great fundraising efforts!  HFOT continues to be so grateful for all you are doing to help further our critical mission of “Building Homes and Rebuilding Lives”.  The awareness you bring to your events is outstanding.  Each month this year, I will be sharing an impact statistic which clearly demonstrates YOU are truly changing lives.  These numbers come from a survey we administer to all of our Veterans once they move into their home.  I’m sure you will find them powerful.  Please let me know if you have any follow up questions:

Household Stress: Since moving into their HFOT homes, more than 95% of Veterans say they are feeling a reduction in household stress.  I’m sure this also applies to the spouse/caregiver as well, allowing them to focus on just being a family.  This wouldn’t be possible without YOU!"

With that said, let’s once again give that round of applause to those that made this happen in January.  

We had a great lineup of performers  in January.  Thank youto them and their managers:

DJ Waya Snowpaw
Zacch Cale with Fly Kugin duel streaming
BadOne and all the folks at Bad management
Suzen Jule
Rapid Randy
Johannes Huntsman, Tempest Rosca and Kultivate Management
and Johnny Bellows.


And then there are those who made the special effort with sponsored events in January.

Thank you:

EastbayRay, Lily Bender, Octavia Romano and the Legion of Vets MC
JulesA Flow, Salonios Koolhoven and DOOWOPS FOREVER at Gigli Isles
P0PsGraham Fluffpaw and all the folks Rockin Country Roads
Donovan Dallas and The B Side Blues & Rock Club
Becca Littlepaws and all the folks at Blissful Island
All the folks at Clubmojo
Cayleen Linette and everyone at Cay's at Woodland Lake
Ƈαяα Ɲιcσℓєттє ƘAƳƝƐ and the folks at Paradise Beach

And then thank you to all those who continue their monthly support with kiosks placed around the grid.  Kudos to:

All the folks at Sanctuary of Rock
Joi Shepherd, JJ and everyone at Runaround Sues
All the folks at Southern Fried Country Club
Kyle W Forrester and his DJ efforts
Tammaryon Galicia and all the folks at Dandy’s place
Đąń Ŕõşşí Haven вøṉεʐ  and Death Riders MC

And as always, thank you Bri Mcmahon, Sabryne Hotaling  and Gjackie Winkler for your help and support at our monthly Veteran’s Isle event.

Please continue praying for our good friend Dahlea Milena who is now fighting cancer.  She is having a rough time.  We pray she beats this and is back with us soon.

As always it is an honor and pleasure to be a part of this effort.

Frets Nirvana

Cartoon of the Day

 

Taken at the Happy Vixen's "Food Fight" event.

By Bixyl Shuftan

Mardi Gras at Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez

Besides Valentine's Day, another holiday is just around the corner: Mardi Gras. For those who can't wait until Fat Tuesday, Gemma Cleanslate found out about one place one can have a little Carnival fun, at Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez in Colussus, by FrannyDJ. Here one can watch the parade of floats go by, or hop on one and join in. You can also pick up a few freebies at the store, and take a ride in an amusement park.

Read Gemma's article in Places.

Mardi Gras Parade and Party in the CDS

On Saturday February 6, the Confederation of Democratic Simulators held a Mardi Gras event. The event started at Colonia Nova. There was a small parade led by Sudane Erato, whom drove a truck covered with flowers. Brooke Brandenburg was behind her, driving the only real float in the parade. Behind them were several well-dressed women, notably one in an "Alice" outfit with a scene of Wonderland instead of a skirt. Chancellor Kyoko Furse-Barzane (Samara Barzane) showed up, as a feline "dinkie" avatar, or a "dinkie winkie" as a friend of hers teasingly called her.

Eventually, it was time to get things started, and they headed off down the street. They headed off to the sim to the west, Locus Amoenus, and eventually stopped at it's seaside area. There, the people went to a DJ booth setup by the piers, where DJ Cali began playing some music. As the people danced, beads were falling from the sky. When tipped, DJ Calli gave out presents to the tippers. Someone also passed around sparklers, one woman commenting, "My feathers will prob burn up, but hey who cares?"

There was much complimenting of the floats and outfits, as well as various amusing comments, "Today I see is Fat Saturday, after which will come Fat Sunday....and all the way to Fat Tuesday. Which in my book means I have all those days to eat cake and drink before Lent!" There was also talk about how cold the weather was getting, "I woke up this morning to -34C (-29F) with a windchil making it feel like -48 (-54F) ... I am on the Canadian prairies." Near the end, DJ Calli mused, "Have to slow it down as the set draws to a close or you have half naked amped up drunken revellry on the streets."

There was a contest for the best float. It was declared a tie between the two entries. For best costume, the winner was Laure Levenque, with Delia Lak getting second place, and Onja Strom and Rosie Gray tying for third.

Bixyl Shuftan

Events This Week at the Sunweaver and Montecito Bay Clubs, The Fallout Shelter, and Furry Fashion Lounge

 

Here's what's going on at the Sunweaver and Montecito Bay clubs, The Fallout Shelter, and the Furry Fashion Lounge.

Club Cutlass: Sock Hop, Stripes/Spots, Valentine's Day

Happy Vixen: Hearts and Flowers, Felines, Leather and Latex, Crazy Avatars, Valentine's Dance, Formal Dance, Lover's Night, Scary and Sexy

Club Zero Gravity: TBA

Xanadu: DJ Rory, DJ TBA, DJ Kit Drago, DJ Jessie

Bouncing Bunny Club: Red White and Pink, Sheer and Sexy
 
Montecito Bay: CAYA, After Dark

Furry Fashion Lounge: Barely There, Bunnies, Cyberpunk, Elements, Metal, Late Night, Formal

Deathlands Fallout Shelter: DJ Shapes, DJ Wolfy

Read the schedules in SL Clubbin'.

Announcement: Samedi Gras In New Toulhouse

 

Samedi Gras in New Toulouse

Saturday February 13, 2021

12:00 Noon to 2:00 PM SL time

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/New%20Toulouse/129/194/23

Announcement: This Week at the Seanchai Libraries

 

THIS WEEK: Our Winter Series continue, with more adventures this week, and Late Night! Join us for stories presented LIVE in Second Life, on Seanchai Library's properties in Kitely.

All events at Nowhereville (203/43/26) , unless otherwise noted.

All stories told in open voice unless otherwise noted. All times SL/PT

 *  *  *  *  *

 **TUESDAY, February 9th:

    ~ at Noon: RUSSELL EPONYM, Live! with music, and poetry in Ceiluradh Glen, live on stream.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Nowhereville/194/131/21

    ~ at 7pm: Ursula K. Le Guin's GIFTS continues with Willow Moonfire, live on stream.

**WEDNESDAY, February 10th, at 7pm : IN WALT WE TRUST, "An Obvious Fact" concludes from Craig Johnson's Sheriff Longmire Series with Kayden Oconnell and Caledonia Skytower.

   
**THURSDAY, February 11th:

   ~ at 7pm : SQUASHED ROMANCES, with Shandon. (Also in Kitely!  Find teleport from the main Seanchai World grid.kitely.com:8002:SEANCHAI)

   ~ at 9pm : SEANCHAI LATE NIGHT, with Finn Zeddmore: Contemporary Sci-Fi-Fantasy from such online sources as Escape Pod. Light Speed, and Clarkesworld Magazines.

***

Scenes From The 2021 Winter Burn

 

It's been a little more than a week since the Winter Burn in Second Life. For three days, four if one counts the music event "Burn2 Unplugged," people went about the Burning Man Deep Hole sim. They both danced to the music and checked out the exhibits. The Newser was there, and took a few pictures.

See the pictures in Design.

The Night With Seven Winners At Cutlass

 

Club contests sometimes have ties. And when there are separate boards for men and women, ties on both for an event are rare, but they do happen. But what about an event in which seven people instead of two end up winning because of ties? That happened recently at Club Cutlass.

Read more in SL Clubbin'.

Valentine's Day Shop and Hop Now Open

 

Good news for residents looking for some Valentine's Day-themed shopping. Last Friday on February 5, Linden Lab announced that their "Shop and Hop" event, with the romance-themed holiday in mind, was open and going.

Our 2021 Valentine’s Shop & Hop is now open with 160 participating Merchants throughout eight shopping regions! All are offering their best to inspire your Valentine fantasies from a romantic evening with your sweetie, to a party with your friends, and everything in between. You will definitely find something to suit you! The event runs from February 5th to the 17th. Every Merchant has provided one gift (no group needed) to share with you and has put deep discounts on many of their top products.

As the notice states, the event goes on until Wednesday February 17. The locations for the eight sims are in the Destination Guide. The Lab would also remind readers of other Valentine's Day themed places in the Destination Guide, as well as request pictures for their Shop and Hop Flickr page.

For more information, check the blog entry here.

Cartoon of the Day

 

 Taken at Club Zero Gravity. Someone appeared in an avatar of Michiru Kagemori, the main character of the popular anime "Brand New Animal," often called BNA for short. While they may be "beastmen," they still talk, wear clothes and shoes, etc.

By Bixyl Shuftan

 

Cynthia Farshore's Birthday Party

 Tuesday January 26 was the real-life birthday party of Cynthia Farshore. For those not familiar with her, she's a prominent resident of both the Sunweaver and Caledon communities, running both Caledon Downs and Sunlight Bay. The event in her honor was held at Jones Estate in Caledon Oxbridge Village. Mimi Carpenter and then Sasha Prismara Featherlight (SashaVeiloftears Resident) were the DJ for the event. There was a large birthday cake and a few refreshments to the side.

The party was attended by people of both Caledon and the Sunweaver communities. There was much joking around and comments about how things have changed over time. "It's January, so no Death March!" "Here in Caledon, we party like it's 1899." "This is Caledon; after all. Mad Science is our everyday!" "I have time travelling Pun Police in my novel." "Good thing we don't have Pun Police, Bixyl would be writing the SL Newser from solitary confinement." 

And of course they wished the birthday lady well, "Happy Birthday, Cynthia! Many happy years to you." "Raise your glass!!!! To one more year!" "Happy Birthday, Cynthia!"

Bixyl Shuftan

 

Announcement: Elvera's Extraordinary Extravaganza at Telsa Theater

 

Elvera's Extraordinary Extravaganza!
Performing more than 20 songs from different movies and musicals, Elvera's voice soars as she sings, and dances. She is amusing, talented, the technical sets and lighting are captivating.

PLEASE COME! You'll enjoy it

February the 6th at 1 PM SL time

Mr Macbeth " A special stage had been constructed for the Chess part of the musical".
. " in the original version, in London, the whole set was a black and white chess board that was lighted and turned, and tipped, and pieces raised. I am very proud to say, we have succeeded in bringing that stage to SL" 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Victoria%20City/210/183/25

SL Video: "Watch The World"

 

 (Click here if the video does not play)

 By Robbie Dingo, posted by "Sharefestival" on April 2008, "(Duration 4'17") 'Frameless heads on nameless walls, with eyes that watch the world and can't forget - like the strangers that you've met'. [Don McLean]. Ever looked at your favorite painting and wished you could wander inside, to look at it from different perspectives? Spend a single day in one of mine, from early sunrise on a new day, to dusk when lights come on in cosy homes; through a peaceful night, till morning. Shot on location in Second Life then post-produced, this was an idea I had a while ago. The Sim in this work was on temporary loan so it's all been swept away now, leaving only the film behind. It was always intended however that the video would be the end product, not the build. This work is dedicated to the many weird and very wonderful strangers from around the globe I have met, but have never really met."

Hat Tip: New World Notes

EOTB: The NFL Alumni Association Virtual Experience (NFLAVX)

 

 This Sunday will be the Superbowl, the championship game each year for the American football season. On the official Second Life blog yesterday, it was more or less stated that there'd be an official event here in Second Life for it. On Thursday February 4, they announced an "NFL Alumni Association Virtual Experience" or NFLAVX. The location this takes place at is the "NFL Alumni Association stadium."

Just in time for the big game! The NFL Alumni Association has established an all-new presence in Second Life that includes a massive multi-region virtual stadium that will be used for several live events including concerts, player appearances and charitable initiatives.

“Sports fans from around the world can hang out, chat and attend events together in Second Life across thousands of immersive virtual world experiences including this all-new virtual stadium built exclusively for this event,” says Linden Lab CEO Ebbe Altberg.  

According the Lab, "several members of the Second Life music community are performing at virtual halftime shows" at the “Madden 'The Yard' Celebrity Challenge." The event is described as "a multi-day charity event" for "Gamers vs Cancer," a fundraiser for the American Cancer society. "The event airs daily at noon through Saturday on ESTV, a 24-7 live linear video channel dedicated to esports that is available across multiple streaming outlets including Roku Channel, Amazon Fire TV and social channels." For those in the stadium, the stream can also be seen on screens over the center of the field.

I decided to take a short peek at the stadium myself (via an alt). It's located in the middle of four sims, NFLA 1, NFLA 2, NFLA 3, and NFLA 4. The map showed an unnamed and not accessible fifth sim. Going inside, the outer ring showed small restaurant areas and what looked like t-shirt display areas. But none of the latter were available for sale. The interior was a huge seating area, with the field set up for a halftime show.

The Lab says future expansions are planned for the stadium grounds, including a museum area later this year. The NFLAVX also has a website (here).

For more information, check out the blog entry Here.

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/NFLA%202/178/9/23/

Bixyl Shuftan

The Last Hurrah at Urban Furry

 

All good things must come to an end. For club Urban Furry, the end was last Saturday January 30. Both regulars and people wanting to see the club before it was taken down came by. The Newser was there, and documented the event.

See the pictures in Events.

"One Billion Rising" Taking Place Sunday February 14

 
For the past several years, the "One Billion Rising, an event to promote the rights of women worldwide, has taken place in Second Life. On Sunday February 14, it will take place once again on a four-sim area.

For the eighth year, on February 14, 2021, men and women in Second Life will join activists, writers, thinkers, celebrities, and people across the world to Rise, Resist and Unite as a show of unity, individual strength, and the need for change.

1 in 3 women across the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. That’s ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS. Every February, we rise – in countries across the world – to show our local communities and the world what one billion looks like and shine a light on the rampant impunity and injustice that survivors most often face. We rise through dance to express joy and community and celebrate the fact that we have not been defeated by this violence. We rise to show we are determined to create a new kind of consciousness – one where violence will be resisted until it is unthinkable.

To see the announcement in full, check out the OBR blog Here.

Announcement: This Saturday at The Science Circle - "The Rest is Silence"

 

"The Rest Is Silence"

Saturday February 6,

10 AM to 11 AM SL time

Silent mutations are changes in the DNA of a protein-coding gene that do not result in a change in the encoded protein.  How can silent mutations occur?  How can you detect a silent mutation?  How frequent are silent mutations relative to mutations that produce an amino acid change? Are silent mutations really silent?  This presentation will address these and other questions about silent mutations.

A presentation by Dr. Mary Anne Clark

Max Chatnoir

M. A. Clark, Professor of Biology, Texas Wesleyan University

For more information, Click Here. 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/67/129/32

Valentine's Day Game At Club Cutlass

 

It's February and Valentine's Day season. And so for this time of year Shockwave Yareach has a game out for those looking for a little themed fun, the "Big Box O' Candy." So where do you get the game and how do you play it?

Read about the game in Design.

RFL Team Sunbeamers Planning For The Season

 

On Sunday January 31, the Relay for Life's Team Sunbeamers had their pre-season meeting in Sunweaver Bay to discuss strategy, led by team captain Rita Mariner. With "A Cure For A Happy Ending" being the theme, that gave builders Shockwave Yareach and Cynthia Farshore a good idea on what to have the Relay Weekend campsite. The team has also raised plenty of money in the past few months, well into what last year was Gold Level fundraising. 

There were also plans for an air show, with the date expected to be sometime in May, though with a desire to avoid either conflicting with the Fantasy Fair or Relaystock. Besides having a camp at the Relaystock, there will likely be one of the team's DJs there. And of course there are the Bid Me events and the special Relay parties at the clubs. And for a certain Sunnie, "The Platinum Avatar Challenge."

It's going to be a fun and interesting season.

Bixyl Shuftan

CDS Announcement: Mardi Grads Parade This Saturday

Mardi Gras isn't until Tuesday February 16. But the residents of the Confederation of Democratic Simulators, or CDS, they're going to celebrate a little early. On Saturday February 6, they'll be having a Mardi Gras parade. The floats will start in Colonia Nova at the column, at Colonia Nova (56/203/43). The parade starts at Noon SL time, and the event is scheduled to go on until 2PM.

For information on how to get a float in the parade, and any other questions, contact Kyoko Furse-Barzane (Samara Barzane).

Cartoon of the Day: Bandaged Nose

 

 Taken at the Bouncing Bunny Beach Club. So why would this girl need a bandage on her nose? I could think of a few reasons.

 By Bixyl Shuftan

SLEA Alternative Worlds

 

Last month, the Second Life Endowment of the Arts sims, or SLEA, opened. Across the place are a number of art exhibitions. Among them is Alternative Worlds by Melodie Melodie Heart - Riegler (MarieMadeleine3) and Barry Richez (Dreams). The exhibit's theme is an environmental one, encouraging people to think about the planet. Gemma Cleanslate was on a recent session of Virtual Ability's Mystery Tours when they dropped by, so she got a look.

Read Gemma's article in Design.

Veterans Isle Concert Raises 115,000 Lindens

Sunday January 31 was when Veterans Isle held it's monthly benefit concert. From 5PM to 9PM SL time, four live perfromers played music for the crowd. The event, organized in part by guitarist Frets Nirvana, was to raise money for the Homes For Our Troops charity.

We are kicking off our efforts for Homes For Our Troops in 2021 tonight.  And we have a great lineup ….let’s beat 2020’s total of $15750!

Zach Cale started things up at 5PM. At 6, Suzen Juel began performing for the audience. Rapid Randy quickly got onto stage at 7PM. Last but not least was Johnny Bellows. As the musicians sang away, people donated money to two house-shaped kiosks on either side of the stage. Occasionally, someone would challenge the audience to drop in a certain amount, promising to match it.

By the end of the event, a total of 115,202 Linden dollars had been raised for HFOT.

To learn more about Homes for Our Troops, chech out their website at https://www.hfotusa.org.

Bixyl Shuftan
*

EOTB: "Valentine’s Day in Second Life"

 
In the official Second Life blog this week, Linden Lab had a Valentine's Day themed entry, highlighting several topics. Among them, the Isle of View. 

The Isle of View is our annual tribute to all-things-romantic via four regions filled with forested walks, cozy nooks for cuddling, and romantic swan boat rides.

Visit one of the Love Pavilion gift kiosks to browse through a variety of gift selections that you can send to your friends and loved ones on Valentine’s Day. This year’s selection includes heart lollipops and balloons, an adorable teddy bear, a chocolate box with rings, cutesy cupcakes, love lanterns, and, of course, romantic roses. To select and send your free gifts, follow the directions on the sign adjacent to the kiosk. 

What are you waiting for? The Isle of View is now open! 

And they mentioned Linden Lab's event at the Isle, the "Hug-A-Linden/Dunk-A-Linden" event.

Are you feeling “some kind of way” about the Lindens? Show your love (or friendly aggression) for the makers of Second Life at our annual Dunk-A-Linden & Hug-A-Linden Event, held this year on February 12th from 1pm to 3pm PT. Come early or watch the live stream on our YouTube channel for some fun conversations and plenty of soaked Lindens!  

Also mentioned was the Valentine's Day-themed "Shop and Hop" that starts in a few days.

Ready to shop? Share the love and bring your friends to get big discounts and free gifts from over 160 of your favorite Second Life Merchants at the Valentine’s edition of our Shop & Hop event, held Feb. 5-17. This year’s event spans 8 regions filled with exclusive items you won’t want to miss!

Look out for a detailed blog post coming up on Friday at 9am PT (when the doors for Shop & Hop officially open) with a full list of participating Merchants accompanied by direct links to each store.

In the meantime, browse in advance the vendor and blogger pics being submitted to the Second Life Shop & Hop Flickr photo pool for this upcoming event.

The Lab also announced the addition of new items to their Second Life merchandise store:  mugs, masks, tote bags, and more with a teddy bear holding a heart with the Linden symbol. 

This stuffed bear is emblematic of the warm connections so many Residents find in SL. Give yourself a positive reminder that love comes in many forms with a coffee mug to start your day, or a pin on your backpack. Our furry friend will be available on a variety of custom accessories for a limited time, so hop over to our official merchandise store today.

By all means, Linden Lab isn't the only one planning something special for Valentine's Day in Second Life. And in the Destination Guide, they're featuring a list of several locations, one that will grow as people add to it (after some delays, it's been fixed so people can add to it again).

Finally, we have dusted off our Valentine’s Day Destination Guide category, too! You’ll find a few romantic Valentine’s-themed destinations in there already - so grab a loved one and go on a romantic date or just some friendly exploration.

The Destination Guide Suggestion Form is now working, so make sure to submit your Valentine’s-themed destination soon!

 To view the post in full, Click Here.

Events This Week at the Sunweaver and Montecito Bay Clubs, The Fallout Shelter, and Furry Fashion Lounge

 

Here's what's going on at the Sunweaver and Montecito Bay clubs, The Fallout Shelter, and the Furry Fashion Lounge.

Club Cutlass: Favorites, Yellow and Orange, Funny Stuff

Happy Vixen: Ferals and Hybrids, Asian Flaire, Winter Retreat, Anime, Avians, Fire and Ice, Denim Night, Blue and Pink

Club Zero Gravity: TBA

Xanadu: DJ Rory, DJ TBA, DJ Kit Drago, DJ Jessie

Bouncing Bunny Club: Ponies and Horses, Fashion Diva
 
Montecito Bay: CAYA, After Dark

Furry Fashion Lounge: Videogames, Wings, Cartoons, Canines, Angels vs Demons, Late Night, Pirates

Deathlands Fallout Shelter: DJ Wolfy, DJ Dita Vee

Read the schedules in SL Clubbin'.

Press Release: Mole Day 2021 Sunday Feb 8 At Bay City

BAY CITY OBSERVES "MOLE DAY," ALL WELCOME

Annual Event Honors Members of Linden Department of Public Works

BAY CITY, SL (31st January, 2020 - Bay City will once again come together to salute the hardy Moles of the Linden Department of Public Works in with celebration held in the Bay City Fairgrounds.

Initially honored in 2010 by Residents of Bay City, Mole Day is set aside to show appreciation for The Moles and their many contributions to Bay City and the rest of the Second Life® Grid.

Normally held on the same day as Groundhog Day, this year’s annual Mole Day will take place a few days later, on the 7th of February, commencing at 11:00 a.m. SLT. The event will feature DJ GoSpeed Racer of KONA stream followed by Quartz performing live at 12:00 p.m. SLT.

The event will be held in the Bay City Fairgrounds in North Channel. As in past years, the invitation is open to all Second Life® members to join in the fun.

"Moles" are members of The Linden Department of Public Works (LDPW). The LDPW is a program focused on improvements related to the experience of living on, or visiting the Linden Mainland. The LDPW organizes teams of Resident builders, artists, and scripters (the Moles!) to create new content on Linden Lab's behalf and to the benefit of all. These Residents have the last name “Mole.”

Moles essentially build all of the grid’s infrastructure: the public roads and railways, items in our coastal waterways and protected lands, and even larger scale projects like the Bellisseria regions, premium content and experiences, and much more. Bay City was their first such project.

Bay City is a mainland community, developed by Linden Lab® and home to the Bay City Alliance. The Bay City Alliance was founded in 2008 to promote the Bay City regions of Second Life and provide a venue for Bay City Residents and other interested parties to socialize and network. It is now the largest group for Residents of Bay City.

For more information, or to participate in the event, please contact Marianne McCann.

Announcement: This Week at the Seanchai Libraries

 

THIS WEEK: A new Sci-Fi Series, Squashed Romances, and more! Join us for stories presented LIVE in Second Life, on Seanchai Library's properties in Kitely.

All events at Nowhereville (203/43/26) , unless otherwise noted.

All stories told in open voice unless otherwise noted. All times SL/PT

 *  *  *  *  *

**TUESDAY, February 2nd:

    ~ at Noon: RUSSELL EPONYM, Live! with music, and poetry in Ceiluradh Glen, live on stream.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Nowhereville/194/131/21

    ~ at 7pm: Ursula K. Le Guin's GIFTS begins with Willow Moonfire, live on stream.

**WEDNESDAY, February 3rd, at 7pm : IN WALT WE TRUST, "An Obvious Fact" continues from Craig Johnson's Sheriff Longmire Series with Kayden Oconnell and Caledonia Skytower.

   
**THURSDAY, February 4th, at 7pm : SQUASHED ROMANCES, with Shandon. (Also in Kitely!  Find teleport from the main Seanchai World grid.kitely.com:8002:SEANCHAI)

***

 

Interview with JolieElle Parfort

 

JolieElle Parfort is a real-life artist whom shows her works here in Second Life. She describes herself as being one all her life. Her most recent way of doing art is to take photos and using digital tools to make them into painting-like images. Recently, Newser reporter Kayly Iali interviewed her about how she became an artist and how she came to the virtual world.

Read Kayly's interview in People.

Announcement: Help Wanted At Caledon Oxbridge University

 

Caledon Oxbridge University is looking for a few good professors and other interested people,in particular people able to develop and teach classes in Second Life skills.  Caledon Oxbridge University is a long-time new-user help area that is part of the steampunk nation-state of Caledon. 

Read more in Extra.

SL Video: "Goodbye Wolf Mountain"

 

 From Wolfmountain Wolfie, "This was probably the hardest video I have ever had to make, it shows memories from 2008 to 2021. Special thanks to everyone who helped keep wolf mountain alive for so long.. Wolf Mountain Community 2008 - 2021"

 

A Busy Weekend

 

It was a busy time this weekend in Second Life. From Friday to Sunday was Burn2's spinnoff event, the Winter Burn, themed "Bubblegun and Duct Tape." Veterans Isle had it's monthly fundraising concert for Homes For Our Troops on Sunday. Among other happenings, the Urban Furry club closed down following it's final event Saturday.

More on these events later.