Saturday, November 18, 2023

Music Video Maker Furrex Banned From Second Life

 
Over the years, the Newser has posted on Saturdays a number of music videos done in Second Life. Some of them were from a resident known on Youtube as Furrex, or Furry Alex in the past. But it looks like there will be no more. A few days ago, he released a video stating he had been banned from the virtual world. It included a picture of the email from Linden Lab stating they had "terminated" his access "due to severe or repeated violations of the Second Life Terms of Service or Community Standards."

Furrex stated in the comments (in Russian) that it was no secret he had been doing photoshoots or videos for payment, "... this has allowed me to improve the content of the channel. ...  As far as I know, the platform rules do not prohibit doing this." He went on to state that he couldn't buy Linden dollars himself "due to restrictions in my country. Therefore, I used what seemed to me a legal method." Two days earlier, he had done a deal for a video for 30,000 Lindens "and within an hour I received an automatic ban."


 
He would state at first he thought he broke something, and went to technical support. It was then he was informed of the ban, and asked what was his relationship with the resident who had given him the Linden dollars, "but it seems to me that the support didn’t even read what I wrote about, they simply ignored my words." He filed another appeal, and was told "that I also used some programs. I have no idea what programs can be used for SecondLife. I apologize for using Fraps and Sony Vegas 19." Fraps is a video program, and Vegas 19 is a video editor.

I will probably never be unblocked again. Also, I still have no idea why I got banned. I am not going to somehow bypass the blocking, register new accounts or use my second empty account, because I have always been an honest user and remain one to this day. ... Unfortunately, I can’t somehow influence this situation, I had a lot of new content prepared for you, ideas, avatars, animations, while I’m writing this, my soul is just crying ... It was something.

I just want to say thank you to all of you, you are the best and most positive thing that has happened in my life. It has been my absolute pleasure to create content for you. Each of my videos is a piece of my soul, this is what I felt at that moment, these were my thoughts, my mood, what I wanted to show. ... Thank you for the gift of emotions and the opportunity to express yourself. Over these 9 years, the content has grown very much in terms of quality and my individual experience, it would seem that now there would be something unreal, but, alas, it happens. Life doesn't always happen the way we want.


As Linden Lab doesn't go into why it bans people with others, we have only Furrex's explanation. Beyond that, we can only speculate. Over the years, the Newser has written about a number of people who were banned. Some such as zFire Xue the creator of Redzone clearly deserved it. There were others in which while a ban was understandable there could have been a warning instead such as when one young businesswoman used her mother's credit card to get Linden dollars. And then there were times such as when one hacked resident instead of having her account returned found it was banned and making another to rejoin her friends found that banned as well. A few years ago, the owner of Rainworx was banned for having a claw machine at her place. But after word got around, Linden Lab did a rare reversal and lifted the ban.

In any case, it looks like this is the end for Furrex's videos. He has some more we haven't shown, notably a few new ones, but he will be making no more, at least not in Second Life. 

*Addition* I've heard some speculation that the reason for Furrex's ban was because of the sanctions on his country due to it's dictator's invasion of it's neighbor. It's also been speculated that the person who he did business with had gotten the money through less than legal means and somehow the music maker got caught up in it. What is known is that he crossed out "last video" in the Youtube's title and is continuing to make music videos. So it seems we'll continuing to hear more from Furrex.
 
Bixyl Shuftan  

Friday, November 17, 2023

Merrymount And Cesa Gallery

 
Gemma Cleanslate was recently at two noteable places on the Grid. For one, she went on a BBB-led tour to the Bellissarian sim of Merrymount, one of its community areas. There people can play games, chat with others, or just relax. She also went to the opening of a new art gallery at Cesa, featuring art by Stevie Basavi.
 
Read Gemma's story in Places. 

Sixteen Years of Writing Second Life News

 
It was sixteen years ago this month in which my Second Life as I knew it started. I had only recently started logging on regularly, was wanting to find out more about this virtual world, and began reading forums, blogs, and newsletters. This included the Second Life Newspaper, which had a number of writers who wrote about the people, places, and events across the Grid. Eventually, they posted an invitation to the readers to submit articles or pictures, and so I did. The owner was happy, and asked for more. And eventually, I was asked over for an interview, and got a job here as a virtual journalist, Second Life's "Fox Reporter."

It's been quite a journey writing the news, the first few years of which are a story unto themselves, after which my role changed from one of Second Life Newspaper's reporters to Second Life Newser's leader, once again the first few years of this getting their own story. But I was, and still am, still writing about the people, places, and events big and small across the virtual world. 
 
Much has changed from the early days. Many sims and a few communities have closed. People have left. But other places have opened and more people have come in. The place has gone from the darling of the tech media with a few major real-life corporations here to a place online that occasionally makes real-life news. Linden Lab's role has also changed somewhat, taking a more active role, taking part in more events and directly running one of the continents. Early on, I'd report on the occasional Linden blunder. But over the years, such blunders have gotten fewer and farther between, though still happen.

And I've changed a little as well after all these years. In real life, I've gotten grayer, gone through a career change, and sadly lost some friends and family. But I've also gotten some friends over the years as well, and dear Charlee. And of course I'm still a writer at heart, and will be continuing to report the news here in Second Life with my team for some time to come. 

"And that's the way it is." Good day from the Second Life Newser

Bixyl Shuftan

It Came From Bellisseria Chat: "A Night Out"

 

 From Traci Quandry-Marabana (Traci Quandry), who posted this Flickr image of her and her raccoon minions at the Chalet region hangout "The Drunken Mouse," "A Night Out" on Bellisseria chat, "Last time I take them anywhere." We'll see if that's the case with her band of raccoons, who can be just as cute and persuasive as they are mischievous.
 

This Saturday at The Science Circle

 
  Saturday November 18

    ~*~
    
    At 10 AM PST   

    Human Migration: What Can It Tell Us About Our Past And Future
    By Linday Kelley and Merrill Johnson
    https://www.sciencecircle.org/event/human-migration/
 
    The Science Circle (72,129,30)
      
    ~*~
 
    At 9 PM PST   

    World Television Day
    Jes Stannard
    https://www.sciencecircle.org/event/world-television-day/
    
    The Science Circle (72,129,30)
 
 
    ~*~
    
    NOTE: Non-members required to register once
    IM Jes Cobalt or Nymf Hathaway

╚══════════════════════════════ The Science Circle (72,129,30) ═╝
 

Thursday, November 16, 2023

Reader Submitted: Club Cutlass Annual Veteran’s Day Honor Dance

 

 On Saturday November, 11th the Sunweaver community held its regular Saturday night dance, however this one was different as it was a special dance to honor Real life Veteran’s. It was requested that vets wear uniforms of their service if they had one and others who had not served to reframe from wearing such. Cynthia Farshore, who herself is a Navy Veteran, was the DJ for the evening. The music played was songs from the different eras of conflict starting with the American Revolution and progressing up to today's.

At the end of the dance the veterans were asked to form up under the service flags to be recognized and photos. This time there were only four.

Left to right, Zorro Wuramunga, Rita Mariner, Shockwave Yareach, Cynthia Farshore.
 
Cynthia Farshore 

Advertisement: Tarot Lessons by Grease Coakes

 
 
 Every Saturday at Noon SL time

Free reading to a lucky winner every class

Voice required  (to hear) for classes.

 

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Cartoon of The Day: Clogged Sink

 
 
 Picture from NightFurson Lightworker, who won second place in Furry Fashion's Halloween picture contest. In the screenshot, a slimegirl is trying to unclog a sink in which she may or may not have done the clogging. While some fantasy fans would be curious and try to make a friend, others more familiar with movie monsters than anime "monster girls" would quickly scram. 

By Bixyl Shuftan

SL Newser Getting Ready For Thanksgiving

 
 
 With Veterans Day behind us, the next holiday on the horizon is Thanksgiving. So Gemma Cleanslate has been busy decorating our office in HV Community a little, with Pilgrims, pumpkins, and a turkey.

Stay tuned for a Thanksgiving-themed article or two.

 

Announcement: Mieville Historical Hunts & Events "A Seaside Christmas"

 

Event Description:
Visit a quaint seaside market in Mieville Dickens and the Christmas retreat in Mieville Shelley for Mieville Historical Hunts & Events "A Seaside Christmas"! Enjoy a sunny seaside holiday while you shop and explore, play the game, and join in the dances and social gatherings. Join us for the fun!

> Merchants can apply now for a free spot:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc50gSkhFNxc9rsNaRUlzManmJbpTndGiP8Kxp9GEA1TaRkzA/viewform     

Event Start Date:
December 1, 2023

Event End Date:
December 31, 2023

Event Location SLURL:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Mieville%20Doyle/203/225/22

Event Website:
https://mievillehistoricalhunts.blogspot.com/

Contact Person: Una (UnaLunaqat Resident)

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

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

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

Club Cutlass: Black, Sci-Fi, Rainbow

Happy Vixen: DJ Maliit, DJ Arooo, DJ Char, DJ Snowy, DJ Mattie, DJ Squeaks, DJ Khyra

Club Zero Gravity: Foxes

Bouncing Bunny Beach Club: DJ Snowy

Xanadu: DJ Jesse 

Club Squeaks: DJ Squeaks
 
Montecito Bay:  CAYA, After Dark

Furry Fashion Lounge:  Monochrome, Rainbow, Cyberpunk, CAYA

Read the schedules in SL Clubbin'
 

Phishing Scam Viewer Worries Get Linden Lab's Attention

 
It's a sad fact that the Internet is full of scammers. And unfortunately some have come to Second Life.  There's been some news going around recently about one particular phishing scam: a viewer that will supposedly give you unlimited Lindens, and allow you to build anywhere.

Hello,

Are you tired of spending your hard-earned Linden Dollars? We've got an exciting solution just for you! Introducing our SecondLive Viewer, where everything is not only free but also open for endless possibilities.

  • Unlock unlimited Linden Dollars (L$) for all your virtual adventures.
  • Fly to unlimited heights.
  • Build on any land of your choice, all for free.

But that's just the beginning.

Link: <Some URL, typically a tinyurl link>

We're sincerely thankful to everyone who joins us in our mission to make SecondLife completely free. Don't miss this incredible opportunity.

Best Regards.

Most residents would recognize right away these claims are bogus. Viewers can't create Linden dollars, only Linden Lab's computers can do that. One would have to hack into them, and keep hacking to get the virtual money, which would not only be extremely difficult, but easily discovered and traced. Nor can your viewer determine which land you can build on - the permissions of who can and can't are stored in the servers.

Firestorm would express worries of copybot viewers last month before I personally started hearing about the forementioned scam. The scam itself I first heard about when a few people passed me a link to a post made by FelixWolf on GitHub, who would be identified by Inara Pey of Modem World as Chaser Zaks of Team Firestorm who "risked taking a look under the covers of the code that is supplied."

What the viewer actually does is run a program called builddata.bat on your computer, which installs a number of remote administrative toolkits (or RATs). Once your machine is infested with these RATs, the scammer can:

Steal your Linden dollars and go through your inventory

Steal your password and hijack your account, and whatever they do, people (and Linden Lab) will think it's you.

Go into your computer and steal/delete your files.
 
Steal your banking and credit card information, and steal your real-world money, and possibly ruin your credit.
 
Discover real-life information on you, such as your city and street address. 
 
Activate your camera and take pictures of you and the contents of your room. If they get your real-life location, they may know where to find valuable items to steal. 

Last Thursday, Linden Lab would feel the need to remind it's residents of the dangers of phishing scams in general, "Ensuring A Secure Second Life Experience." It brought up this particular viewer, "
It is important to remember that downloading software from unknown sources has a very real risk associated with it. You could unintentionally allow someone to monitor your keystrokes or even gain complete control over your computer. It has the potential to expose not just your Second Life password, but all other important information you have on your computer. ... Be wary of suspicious links or attachments sent by other users. These may be attempts to compromise your account or computer. ... Only download and install the official Second Life viewer, or an approved Third-Party viewer directly from the links provided by our site."
 
So once again, a reminder that one needs to be a little wary when going about Second Life (and the Internet in general), and don't let yourself get a RAT infestation. 
 
Bixyl Shuftan 

Monday, November 13, 2023

Game Review: Ark Survival Ascended

 
With everything going on in Second Life (and a busy editor), it's been a while since our last game review. However, Nydia Tungsten had a little time to check out one: Ark Survival Ascended.  The sequel to the long-running Ark Survival Evolved, the game has been mired in controversy with it's producers accused of cheating those who bought the original. So what did Nydia think of this game?
 
Read Nydia's review in Other Grids MMOs and Games. 

Veterans Day At The Veterans Tribute

 
 
On Veterans Day, Saturday November 11, I dropped by the Veterans Tribute, which was having events much of the day at the carrier Enterprise. Dena McMahon was the DJ for the Noon to 2 PM event, and played a number of patriotic tunes. She concluded her set with the "United States Armed Forces Medley," featuring parts of the anthems of all the US Military Branches.
 
From Eesy Spyker on Discord

 The big event was the night before on Friday November 10, when the US Marine Corps Ball took place from 6 to 9 PM SL time. The event, held in honor of the anniversary of the US Marine Corps founding, was packed, with almost eighty avatars on the sim, "The Marine Corps Ball was amazing!!  Up to, last count, around 78 of our most amazing people!"
 
Other locations, such as Club Cutlass, would also have Veterans Day events.

The Veterans Tribute will be up until tomorrow, Tuesday November 14.

Bixyl Shuftan
 

SL Newser Satellite Offices

 
 
 Besides the one at it's main office in HV Community, the Newser has a satellite office. It's at Book Island, a location known for book readings and encouraging the reading of books, fiction and nonfiction. The Newser, while not exactly a book, certainly counts as non-fiction.
 
 
 
But that soon won't be our only satellite office. We have a new one that's just about finished, and will soon be officially open. So where is it? Well, we'll soon announce it.

Stay tuned for more details.

Bixyl Shuftan

Sunday, November 12, 2023

Cartoon of The Day

 
 
 Taken at "Tracks for Trenches." So what do you do if you spent over an hour putting an outfit together, and remember you wanted to be at a veterans event? Some people find a way.

By Bixyl Shuftan
 

Saturday, November 11, 2023

Veterans Day

 
 
Taken at the Veterans Tribute, at the Tomb of the Unknowns:  "Here Rests In Honored Glory An American Soldier Known Only To God."

Have an honored Veterans Day
 

Friday, November 10, 2023

"Tracks To Trenches"

 
 
With this being Veterans Day week, it caught the Newser's attention that the Zany Zen Railway was doing a commemoration in honor of the soldiers of the First World War, "Tracks to Trenches." 


It's that time of year again when we remember those who fought for us, as always the ZZR will be remembering the men and women who served on the WW1 trench railways, delivering vital support to the front line troops. ... During this special tribute, the ZZR will transform into a front-line service, paying homage to all those who served during this critical period in history. You can choose to ride the rails in our Troop Transport, experiencing the journey as soldiers did, or join the munitions train responsible for supplying our troops on the front lines.
 

I dropped in on the last day the exhibit was still being set up. The volunteers were dressed looking more like they were getting ready for a wild party than a military exhibition, but they did their job well. the station had plenty of barbed wire and an observation tower next to it, with a trench and British Mark 1 tanks and Sopwith Camels across the road. At the station itself, small trains were making their rounds. I hopped on one after getting a ticket, and traveled to a couple other stations, the engineer telling any soldiers boarding, "keep your battle bowlers on."

I had a few words with Zen Swords-Galway (ZenriaCo Resident), one of the women setting up the exhibit. She told me this was the eighth year in a row the ZZR had done an exhibit like this. She enjoyed the banter from the bot engineers, "love those announcements, we got supah lucky and found a actor in SL who did a fairly good British accent."

World War One, originally called The Great War, has been overshadowed by the Second World War, particularly in American history books. But it still had a huge impact on world history. All the death and destruction was a profound shock to Western Civilization and would lead to what some called "The Age of Anxiety" which would last for some decades. Almost 20 million were killed and about as many wounded, many in the static trench warfare that characterized the fighting on the Western Front in which thousands would get killed in fighting a battle and the front line would barely change. The war toppled empires, resulted in the creation of the world's first Communist dictatorship, and although called "The war to end all wars" sadly a generation later the world would be caught up in an even greater global conflict.
 
The exhibit will be up until Monday November 13.
 
 
Bixyl Shuftan
 

This Saturday at The Science Circle

 
  Saturday November 11

    ~*~
    
    At 10 AM PST   

    Beragon's Bistro: Intellectual Property
    By Matt Burr
    https://www.sciencecircle.org/event/bb-intellectual-property/
 
    The Science Circle (225,230,28)
      
    ~*~
 
    At 9 PM PST   

    Celebrating Men
    Jes Stannard
    https://www.sciencecircle.org/event/celebrating-men/
    
    The Science Circle (72,129,30)
 
 
    ~*~
    
    NOTE: Non-members required to register once
    IM Jes Cobalt or Nymf Hathaway

╚══════════════════════════════ The Science Circle (72,129,30) ═╝
 
 

Thursday, November 9, 2023

Safe Waters Foundation Weekly Meeting

 
 
 For those interested in Second Life's underwater areas, and the people who have events there, you might want to check out the Safe Waters Foundation's weekly meetup, which is Saturdays at 10 AM SL time.
 
Mers Helping Mers Be Mers - Safe Waters Foundation weekly gathering, 10am SLT Saturday.  This is a discussion about all things mermaid, merman, and aquatic.  Lots of things going on - it's always a fun gathering, and all are welcome.  Please arrive a little early if you can, dress low lag and request the talking stick if you have something to share. 
 

Crew Meeting

 
 
 On Saturday November 4, the Newser crew had it's monthly meeting at its main office in HV Community. From left to right were Dancerina Starlight, Gemma Cleanslate, Penny Shuftan (Deaflegacy) who was on medical leave but expressed interest in possibly coming back, and  Bixyl Shuftan (myself).


We talked about what we did last month, notably the Halloween and Burn2 articles. Then we talked about plans for November. When I mentioned we *might* be getting an auxiliary office in Bellisseria, the response was pretty enthusiastic: "Yaaayyyyyy!"
 
Stay tuned for more stories from the Newser reporters.
 
Bixyl Shuftan

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Cartoon of The Day

 
 
Looks like this kitty's confused by this mouse having two arms and two legs. 

By Bixyl Shuftan 

Eye On The Blog: PBR Materials

 

PBR stands for Physically Based Rendering. PBR is a richer way of specifying the surface of an object that better simulates how objects appear in real life. PBR allows for realistic lighting for metals, plastics, leather, fabric, and more, including realistic reflections and bounce lighting.  The Second Life Viewer will now be able to display these more realistic-appearing objects in world, as well as allow creators to include this more advanced information in the object texturing.

The goal of this particular update is more realism in items, among the additional qualities being able to have reflective surfaces, such as a mirror. The time period the materials will be rolled out onto the Grid is described as several weeks. It should be noted there is a risk to items in which PBR is used as they might break in sims where it is unsupported "Until PBR server support is released across the entire Second Life grid." For now, PBR can only be applied using the latest Linden Viewer, and not Firestorm and other viewers.

More information can be read on the Tools and Technology blog (here).

Bixyl Shuftan

Announcement: US Marine Corps Ball At Veterans Tribute

 

 The 17th Annual Second Life Veteran's Tribute requests your presence in joining us as we celebrate 248 years of the UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS with a formal ball.

Friday, November 10, 2023 from 6 p.m. SLT - 9 p.m. SLT

DJ Flattop Ewing, SGT USMC (1992 - 2000), will be the Emcee/DJ for the evening's festivities  located at the 17th Annual Second Life Veteran's Tribute Venue.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Meadow%20Grove/71/230/31
 
 

Looking Back: The Palestinian Extremist Sim

 
In real-life news, it's been about a month since the Hamas terrorist organization attacked Israel. In the resulting carnage, over 1400 Israelis were killed, notably many civilians in their own neighborhoods or attending a music concert. There have been numerous stories of grenades tossed into safe rooms where terrified families were hiding, and piles of decapitated babies. Many were also taken hostage. American visitors were among both the dead and abducted. 
 
In response, Israel responded by bombing Hamas positions in Gaza, the tiny but densely populated strip of land controlled by the terrorists, and then following up with an invasion. With so many people in the place and the terrorists taking positions so close to where noncombatants lived, the result has been scores of civilian casualties. With the stories of civilian suffering, there have been numerous calls among neighboring Arab states for a ceasefire, and pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the US and Europe. But there has been no alternative plan to get rid of the terrorists. 
 
Eleven years ago in November 2012, there was a less devastating attack on Israel from Hamas involving a number of rockets, resulting in a fight in which Hamas claimed victory despite coming out of it heavily damaged. In Second Life, there was also a Palestinian militant propaganda sim, Jordan River. The place was full of propaganda, referring to the Israelis as "Zionists," comparing them to Nazis, and calling for the end of the nation of Israel. Others spoke out against the place, Hamlet Au of New World Notes calling it a place with the "most extreme forms of expression."One commentator would say, "It seems strange to me that one can have a sim that calls for the annhilation of the state of Israel. And that's okay. But if (I) created one calling for the annhilation of Syria, Iran, Palestine or Egypt, why, then I'd be in violation of the TOS for 'hate speech'. Seems unfair to me."
 
Checking again several months later, Jordon River was gone. While it's possible the owner closed the sim on his own, more likely Linden Lab finally caught wind of the place and shut it down. 

Bixyl Shuftan

Tuesday, November 7, 2023

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

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

Club Cutlass: Pink for Fimi, Red White and Blue, Veterans Day

Happy Vixen: DJ Maliit, DJ Arooo, DJ Char, DJ Snowy, DJ Mattie, DJ Squeaks, TBA

Club Zero Gravity: Red, White, and Blue

Bouncing Bunny Beach Club: DJ Snowy

Xanadu: DJ Jesse 

Club Squeaks: DJ Squeaks
 
Montecito Bay:  CAYA, After Dark

Furry Fashion Lounge:  Monochrome, Rainbow, Cyberpunk, CAYA

Read the schedules in SL Clubbin'
 

Events At The Veterans Tribute

 
 
 The Veterans Tribute is still going. And there's music events every day there. On Sunday, Charlee and I dropped by to DJ Nikki Bourne's set, which was followed by Krysta Constantine.

The events will continue for at least the rest of the week.
 
 
Tuesday 11/07: 2-4 PM Baako, 4-6 PM Lucious Giano
Wednesday 11/08 : 4-6 PM DJ Freed, 6-8 PM DJ Perg
Thursday 11/09: 6-8 PM DJ Nikki Bourne
Friday 11/10:  2-4 PM Baako,4-6PM DJ Dena McMahon, 6-9PM Marine Corps Ball
Saturday 11/11: 12-2 PM DJ Dena, 2-4 PM Baako,4-7 PM DJ Flatt/Spyker , 7-9 PM DJ Iniry Vaher

Monday, November 6, 2023

Places From 2006 That Are Still Around

 
We recently were contacted by a Wol (Wolwaner Jervil), of the SL Guided Tours Team. He send a small article of several places that were around in 2006 that are still up today. Some are fairly well known, some not so much. And a few might surprise people, who thought they closed. So what were these locations?
 
Read Wol's reader submission in Places. 

Liquid Gold Dance Group Gallery And New Exhibit At Peale Museum

 
Gemma Cleanslate was recently at two art exhibits. One was a gallery by the Liquid Gold Dance Group and Lin Carlucci. She was at it's opening last month, and was impressed with the pictures. The other was a new exhibition "Abstracts and Artifacts" at The Peale by Lee Boot. Lee is a painter and media artist as well as an associate professor, whose more recent work is how the arts can affect young adults, and human behavior
 
Read Gemma's story in Design.  

Virtual Ability's Annual International Disability Rights Affirmation Conference

 
You are cordially invited to attend Virtual Ability's annual International Disability Rights Affirmation Conference. This year it will be held on Friday, November 10. It is in Sojourner Auditorium on Virtual Ability island.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Ability/54/170/23

This year's theme is "Do, Create, Live." We're looking at what people with disabilities can do, create, and live when their rights are respected.

Here is the schedule (subject to change, and in SLT, of course).

7-7:30am - Joseph English will talk about how setting up QuadRebuild to help others changed his new life as a quadriplegic

7:30-8:30am - Erin Willis and Daniel Garza will explain their research on patient influencers who do direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical marketing

8:30-9:30am - Emily Wright, who survived multiple concussions, explains how she rebalanced her mind

9:30-10:30am - John Cronin, who has Down syndrome, describes his Crazy Socks store and how he runs it with his father Mark Cronin

10:30am-11am - a panel discusses what "Do, Create, Live" means in education

11:00-11:30am - BREAK!

11:30am-noon - Keri Gray tells about the National Alliance of Melanin Disabled Advocates (the NAMED Advocates).

noon-12:30pm - a panel discusses what "Do, Create, Live" means in the arts

12:30-1:30pm - Judy Mittag explains how advocates got federal legislation passed to require insurance coverage for lymphedema supplies

1:30-2:30pm - Heather Markham, author, shares how we can each choose a title for our own stories

You can learn more about the speakers here: https://virtualability.org/idrac-2023/

We hope you can attend our conference.

Questions? Ask Gentle Heron.

Sunday, November 5, 2023

Cartoon of The Day: "Aw Shucks"

 
 
 Taken at Burn2. One way to get around the festival are the mutant vehicles. With this year's theme being "Animalia," some looked like critters. Or in this case, a mix of two critters, sheep and duck. It didn't take my imagination long to come up with what to call a group of them. 

By Bixyl Shuftan

Saturday, November 4, 2023

Reminder: Daylight Savings Time Means One Hour Back

 
Just a reminder folks. Daylight Savings Time ends in the United States and a number of other places around the world. So make sure your clocks are up to date. Otherwise you may be a little late for an event.

Veterans Fundraiser Nets Over 100,000 Lindens

 
At Veterans Isle on Wednesday November 1, there was a fundraiser concert at Veterans Isle. The event with a few live performers was to raise money for the Homes For Our Troops charity. The event ran for three hours from 6 to 9PM SL time.

 Tonight is the night folks ...after all the scary stuff last night ...we are doing some uplifting stuff for Homes for Our Troops tonight at our monthly benefit.  First up is Chapman Zane at 6 PM.   Look at this lineup ...a great way to start November!  Come on out and support this great cause.

Chapman Zane was up at 6PM SL time.  At 7 was Austin Moores. Last but not least was Charice at 8 PM. As the singers went on, the audience donated Lindens to two house-shaped kiosks on either side of the stage. By the end of the event, a total of 100,500 Linden dollars had been raised for HFOT.

Due to some last minute change in the schedule, there was no announcement ready for the Newser.
 
To learn more about Homes for Our Troops, check https://www.hfotusa.org .
 
Bixyl Shuftan

SL Video: "Furry Dance Turbo"

 
 

From Furrex on October 22
 

Friday, November 3, 2023

Christmas Shop And Hop Applications Now Being Accepted

 
 
 In the Linden blog on Thursday November 2, it was announced that applications are now being accepted for December's "Holiday Shop and Hop" shopping event. But, only for a limited time.

Change is in the air...can you feel it? Halloween is now over and winter is fast approaching! We're ecstatic to announce the return of our highly anticipated Holiday Shop & Hop! Mark your calendars for a spectacular shopping extravaganza that kicks off on December 1st, 2023, and runs through January 1st, 2024.

Calling all Merchants - now's your chance to be a part of this year's festivities! Applications are now open for Creators to participate and add a dash of magic to this seasonal celebration, which will feature multiple shopping regions and tons of festive fun!
 
As mentioned, the event lasts 31 days, starting Friday December 1, and ends on Monday January 1, 2024. Sellers have to offer a discount of at least twenty percent on their goods, and offer at least one free gift, which must be new, to shoppers regardless of if they're in the merchant's group or not. No adult-rated items can be available at the stores, nor anything of a political nature. Shop & Hop stores cannot be used to promote items at other locations.
 
The store set-ups will be from November 24 to 27. People have until Wednesday November 8 to fill out the application. As before, applying does not necessarily guarantee a spot at the event.
 
More details mentioned in the blog.
 

Virtuoso/JAPA Halloween/Fall Strut

 
Dancerina Starlight was recently at a dance performance by two groups, Virtuoso and Journey Academy of Performing Arts. They combined their talents in the Halloween/Fall Strut. About forty people "braved the spook and footloose" event. Dancerina had a few things to say about how it came about, and how it went
 
 Read Dancerina's story in Design.

SLife And Times: "Cleanup Week"

 
While starting up the Firestorm browser in the past few days, some residents might have noticed a "Cleanup Week" message. So just what is "Cleanup Week?" Well, fortunately there was a link to an entry in the Second Life wiki about it. 

Clean up your inventory sometime in Cleanup Week! Sometime during the first week in November, take 10 minutes to an hour cleaning up your inventory. Make sure that you purge that trash and put things in nice lil' folders!
 
According to the entry, the tradition was started in the Teen Grid by an Alpha Zaius. He suggested making the occasion a social event, "get together with friends and everyone call talk about the crap they have in their inventory." 
 
Personally, I take an occasional moment to clean things out a little, usually old notecards and landmarks. It can last from five minutes to five seconds as sometimes just as I think about my inventory and take a moment to clean up, I get messaged and forget about it.
 
Bixyl Shuftan 

This Saturday at The Science Circle

 
 Saturday November 4

    ~*~
    
    At 10 AM PST   

    The New Climate We Live With
    By Dr. Keith Eric Grant
    https://www.sciencecircle.org/event/the-new-climate-we-live-with/
 
    The Science Circle (72,129,30)
      
    ~*~
 
    At 9 PM PST   

    Anti-Bullying Week
    Jes Stannard
    https://www.sciencecircle.org/event/anti-bullying-week/
    
    The Science Circle (72,129,30)
 
 
    ~*~
    
    NOTE: Non-members required to register once
    IM Jes Cobalt or Nymf Hathaway

╚══════════════════════════════ The Science Circle (72,129,30) ═╝
 
 

Thursday, November 2, 2023

Veterans Tribute Opens

 

Yesterday on Wednesday November 1, the Veterans Tribute opened in Second Life. A salute to veterans in the United States and other places around the world, this location appears online very year at the start of November and is up until around the middle of the month. This is the seventeenth year the Tribute has taken place.

Come see the amazing venue Arinarose has built for us this year, on this awesome sim donated by Dram Seekers! I see new exhibits, a coffee shop, great cabin to relax by the fire, and the USS Enterprise joins us this year!

The main part of the Tribute is the memorial wall, also known as the Tribute Wall. It is made up of names submitted by SL residents to honor loved ones, friends, friends of friends, or anyone they feel deserves a stone from any branch of the military, not just from America's Armed Forces, but from any military from around the world, "Honoring those currently serving, those who have served, and those who have paid the ultimate price in defense of their country." Residents can fill out a notecard by touching the red box near the entrance and drop it in to request a new stone for someone. 

Other parts of the Tribute also deserve a mention. There are warplanes in the skies and military vehicles on the ground. There is a place honoring Canadian soldiers who were killed during the War on Terror. What's different this year is a build of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, which will host the Marine Corps Ball later this month.

To celebrate the Tribute being up, there was a small party by the staff at 6PM SL time, with Dena McMahon as the DJ. CANA (Canaris Restless) invited those taking pictures to post them in the group Flickr, " or send them my way so we can put them in the gallery."

A fine tribute to the veterans of America, and it's friends.


Bixyl Shuftan

It Came From Bellisseria Chat: Movie Raccoon

 
 
 Mel (MelpomeneThalia Atheria) posted this picture in the Bellisseria community group chat a few days ago, "Now it's movie time at the MST3K theater with my Trick or Treat trash panda companion."

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Cartoon of The Day: Not Gelatin

 
 
 Taken at the Luna's Empire sim. I saw this translucent green pony at a desert stall with cookies and other sweet snacks. Was she made out of gelatin or slime? One can imagine someone thinking for former trying to take a bite, and end up with a mouthful of slimy goo instead.

By Bixyl Shuftan
 

The White Vixen Enterprise's Halloween Bash



Sunday October 29 was the night of the White Vixen Enterprises Halloween party. Originally planned for 6PM SL time, it was decided to start the party a little early, partly so it could last longer and partily for those who had to be elsewhere then. The party was held at a special Halloween area near Nydia's home, Mouse Hole Manor, in Pacific Waters.


Nydia, the owner and head of WVE, which runs the Happy Vixen and the Purfection sim, was the DJ for the occasion. She had gotten her start as DJ "Naughty Nydia" years ago.


A number showed up in costume. There was a prize of 3000 Lindens for the occasion. It was split between three winners. As it turned out, so many tried to attend after these pictures were taken, the sim was soon full and people couldn't get in. Nydia would later say this would be the last major event planned in her home sim. Further ones will be in a full sim elsewhere. 

Bixyl Shuftan.