Announcement: This Saturday in The Science Circle - "This Isn’t Your Grandparents’ Climate"

"This Isn’t Your Grandparents’ Climate"
Saturday October 19
10AM to 11AM

Human life on Earth has always depended on natural levels of greenhouse gases. The Earth absorbs visible light from the sun and, to stay in energy balance in the global and seasonal mean, must emit an equal amount of energy back into space.

The effective temperature at which the earth radiates to space is about -18 °C while the global annual surface temperature has been about 15 °C, a 33 °C difference.

Partly this separation between surface and effective temperature is a direct effect of the non-precipitating greenhouse gases and partly an effect of their control of the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, itself a strong greenhouse gas.

There is no physical reason that increases in carbon dioxide and methane from human activities would not continue to increase the mean surface temperature to maintain the effective radiative temperature.

This change in global, annual mean surface temperature is what we call global warming, but it is only part of the story.

Read the announcement in full here (link).

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

Scenes From Burn2

Burn2 is taking place in Second Life. With six sims of exhibits and nine days of music, there's plenty to see and do. Yours truly dropped by to take a look around.

See the pictures in Events.

Sunweaver Clubs Getting Ready For Halloween

Halloween is coming, and the Sunweaver clubs are getting ready. It's space club, Club Zero Gravity, was recently decked out with a Halloween look, with orange and black and a jack-o-lantern near the front door. Sunweaver Space (129, 249, 3597)

As for the Happy Vixen beach club, it's preparations have required that it's events be moved to another area. So they've been moved temporarily to the Sunweaver Oasis club in Sunwater Three (54, 72, 27). What "The Vix" has in store will be officially announced as soon as today. All that can be stated for now is that it'll be some spooky fun.

Stay tuned.

Announcement: Caledon Oxbridge University Fundraiser

The October Halloween Party Fundraiser will be on October the 19th, starting at 7 PM. We are doing the fundraiser a little early in the month to avoid the end of the month crush of October events.  The fundraiser will run roughly 3 hours, finishing sometime close to 10 PM. SLT.  We want everyone to have a chance to pop in as they can.

DJ Cynthia Farshore will be our DJ for the evening at the spooky Halloween sky-box. There we will be dancing and listening to the tunes of Halloween from now and yesteryear. 

The theme is "A Classic Halloween," going back to the early days of Horror. Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, The Wolfman, The Mummy, etc.

The gifts-giver will be active, and there are props for taking selfies, and an attic to explore.

This year we have a two-sided poster provided by Cynthia Farshore and Carl Metropolitan, Thank you both. Click it to receive this note card on the event.  It is full perms so you can adjust the size as needed to place as a advertisement. Poster is 3 prims only! Feel free to share and if you want the texture separate, IM Andrea Jones (andreajonesms Resident).


Your location.for the event:

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge%20Village/135/219/1889

On Tuesday October the 22nd, starting at 6 PM, we will have a follow-up dance at the Goblin cave in Downs with DJ Piper DJing and Cynthia Farshore hosting. This offers a second chance for those that might not be able to make it on the weekend.

Your  LM:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Downs/104/89/32

The Caledon Oxbridge University is funded by the donations from resident users like yourself. The majority of the funds donated go to paying the Tier for the region we are in. Any donation is appreciated but donations are not required to be at the events. No cover charge as we want you to come and have a good time. I hope to see all of you there! Feel free to help get the word out about our event.

Announcement: Mu Sigma Nu Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

We, the Men of (MΣN) Mu Sigma Nu SL Fraternity,  invite you to join us October 1st through October 31st, for our National Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign.

Throughout the month, our fraternity will be conducting events in Second Life and on Facebook for the purpose of raising funds for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Our event calendar is structured as follows:

October 1st                31 Day Photo Campaign begins
October 20th, 2019        Breast Cancer Awareness “DINNER and AUCTION”
October 27th, 2019         Breast Cancer Awareness “Celebration Party”
October 31, 2019             Final day of photo campaign.

Each event is designed and orchestrated to highlight the importance of Breast Cancer Awareness, Breast Cancer Education, and Breast Cancer Research. We selected the Susan G Komen because it is the largest and best funded breast cancer organization in the world and since 1989, their work has helped reduce deaths from breast cancer by 40% .

          100% of the proceeds go to the Susan G Komen Organization

Can't make an event?  We are also accepting donations.  Please feel free to give to this great cause.



Our Photo booths are every day  and tonight until 10:30 slt

Thanks in Advance,
Men of (MΣN) Mu Sigma Nu SL Fraternity

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ageless/229/37/3002

Cartoon of the Day

Taken at Burn2. The event is known for it's decorated porto-potties, which can range from the artistic to the provocative to the whimsical. Prince may be known for some of his tunes being raunchy, but it's doubtful the builder thought his music should go down the toilet.

By Bixyl Shuftan

Video Game Collecting : Part One - Why I Collect Physical Games

Probably just about everyone in Second Life plays games of some kind, either on the computer or video console games, or both. Available in stores since the 1970s, many of the older residents of the virtual world have fond memories of spending hours as kids on games from Atari, Nintendo, Sega, Playstation, and others years before coming here. While some residents have left these games behind, to others there's just something about holding the actual game in your hand, or they want to collect older games. Among these video game collectors is Cyfir. In the first of two stories on the subject, he talks a little about why.

Read Cyfir's article in Other Grids MMOs and Games.

News in Brief

There's a lot going on, both in Second Life and online gaming. So while we're trying to find some time to write an in-depth article, here's a few topics in brief.

Burn2, the largest annual art and music festival is taking place on Second Life. There are numerous music events and art exhibits over the six sims. To get there, head to Burning Man- Deep Hole (174/32/25). The festival lasts to Sunday October 20, with the high points being the Burning of the Man on Saturday and the Temple Burn on Sunday.

Also going on is the Gacha Guild event. Taking place twice a year, people can purchase avatars and accessories. The hot item for this event is the Spirit Fennec avatar, of which people are selling for as low as ten Lindens on Marketplace. Starting up a few days ago was the event's "Hallows 2019 Silent Hill Hunt," which promises big scares and big prizes. The event ends on November 1, and is located at Dew Drop (189/180/1002).

The controversy over the game company Blizzard banning of a game tournament winner and stripping him of his prize money continues. A few days ago, they announced he would still get the prize money, but was still banned for six months. But this hasn't stopped the criticism from it's customers, human rights organizations, or US politicians. The company's largest annual event, Blizzcon, is just in a couple weeks and fans are planning a protest there.
Image from Vice

Stay tuned for more information.

Bixyl Shuftan

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

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

Cutlass: Best in 'T', Fire and Ice, Roller Skates

The Happy Vixen: Mad/Weird Science, Anime, TBA, Superheroes, Lizards and Wizards, Lingerie, Monsters, Good vs Evil, Burlesque, TBA

Club Zero Gravity: TBA

Montecito Bay: TBA

Furry Fashion Lounge: CAYA, Animation, Creepy vs Cute, Masquerade, Throwback Thursday, Elements, Omnipunk, Seven Daily Sins,  Late night, Pokemon

Read the schedules in SL Clubbin'.  

RFL Announcement: Ebbe Linden Bear To Debut At 2019 SL Christmas Expo

Linden Lab is doing its part to add to the Magic Of Christmas in Second Life, and help the American Cancer Society fight Childhood Cancer.   Already a partner in the fight against cancer, the Lab is joining in the Expo goal to provide at least $20,000 for VR Headsets for kids in treatment.

As already announced, Linden Lab will be revealing their 4th Edition of the coveted Linden Homes and taking part in the Lights Of Hope Holiday Home Decorating Contest.

And Now Even Bigger News!  Since becoming CEO in 2014 Ebbe Linden is the lone Linden without his own bear... until now!  A Very Special EBBE LINDEN BEAR will be available during the EXPO for a L$250 donation to the American Cancer Society.   Linden Bear collectors take note!  The design of the bear will be revealed on Dec 5th at the opening of the Expo so do not miss out on this opportunity!

More Than 150 Merchants! Breedables! Entertainment! Linden Home Reveal! Don't miss The All I Want For Christmas Kids Fashion Runway Show, Lights of Hope Christmas Decoration Show and HUGE Raffles, The 2019 SL Christmas Expo is the place to be!

Mark Your Calendars for Dec 5 - 15 and Believe in The Magic of Christmas!

The SL Christmas Expo is in support of the American Cancer Society and its Childhood Cancer programs.  For More Information visit http://slchristmasexpo.com or the ACS Campus in Second Life http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/American%20Cancer%20Society/128/96/22

Fortnite Game Down Following "Black Hole" Event

For fans of the popular Fortnite game, some were expecting something to happen on Sunday October 13. But what happened was a complete surprise to the players. The map was blown up, and everything sucked into a giant black hole. As of the writing of this article, the game has been unplayable since.

There were some early hints something big was about to happen. Paul Tassi of Forbes reported that all season long, Season 11, the game's owner, Epic Games, was teasing Fortnite's Battle Royale players about a final event, "The End." Tassi concluded whatever the event was, it would would be the end of the gaming map as they knew it. The event itself just lasted a few minutes, with rockets flying around, a "rift" opening, the players flying upward as a meteor comes crashing down, then everything gets sucked into the center, with only blackness and a black hole remaining.

RIP Fortnite: Battle Royale

FULL LIVE REACTION TO THE END! pic.twitter.com/ifX4CJcnEK

— Jack “CouRage” Dunlop (@CouRageJD) October 13, 2019

(Click here if the video does not play)

Since "The End," Fortnite Batttle Royale's game servers have been down. Reactions have varried from jokes that the gamers would have to step outside and see the sun for the first time in months to that Epic Games had pulled off one of the most epic trolls in gaming history. What happens next, no one really knows. It's also being speculated that the servers won't be back up until Thursday October 17, four days. All that is known is that Fortnite Chapter 2, as it's been dubbed by fans, will be quite different.

Sources: BBC, Forbes, Polygon, Twitter,

Bixyl Shuftan

Luskwood Update: Ice Cream and Obedience

As Luskwood moves closer to it's sixteenth anniversary, the place still has the dystopian look that it's had since August, including proclamations from a "Council" and declarations of rebellion. Since then, this Council has continued to issue proclamations calling for it's residents to "eat the ice cream" for "a bright and happy future. One issued in mid-September looked like it was taken from L. Ron Hubbard's Sea Organization.

More recently was another one of a furry in a factory worker's outfit with a red banner in one hand and an ice cream cone in another, "Secure Our Future: Only Through Obedience Will We Prevail." It seems that the Council is taking cues from Soviet propaganda posters.

As Luskwood heads to the second half of October, there are unconfirmed reports that there will be an anniversary event of some kind. Hopefully by then, people will be talking more about cake and less about Halo Top ice cream.

Bixyl Shuftan

Announcement: This Week at the Seanchai Libraries

THERE'S JUST SO MUCH TO SHARE!

Seasonal tales abound this week, and it's hard to know where to start: new series, old series, classic Gothic and Victorian, new spins on old adventures.  Check out this week's schedule and see. Then join us this week for stories LIVE in #secondlife, and on our properties in #kitely, live in voice.

Check out the stories and the storytellers at www.seanchailibrary.com

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

*MONDAY,  October 14th, at 7pm: Spider Robinson and Robert Heinlein's VARIABLE STAR begins with Gyro Muggins.

*TUESDAY, October 15th, at 7pm:  THE SPOOKY CLASSICS: Edgar Allan Poe with Caledonia Skytower, live on stream.
5 Siddal Street - Ravenheart Museum
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Rosehaven%20Laudanum/137/159/22

*WEDNESDAY, October 16th, at 7pm: THE MYSTERIOUS WOODS OF WHISTLE ROOT begins with Fairie Maven-Pralou.

*THURSDAY, October 17th:

   ~ at 7pm: Stories from THE SEALED BOOK based on the 1945 radio plays of the same name, Shandon Loring presents live in stream (Also in Kitely!  Find teleport from the main Seanchai World grid.kitely.com:8002:SEANCHAI)

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

All sessions held at the Seanchai Library in Second Life unless otherwise indicated. Schedule subject to change.   

*SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL FOR AUTUMN* 

Seanchai Library is offering TWO (count'em, two) listening rooms featuring seasonal literature. Created by Shandon Loring, these are available for resident enjoyment 24/7.

Check the post for more info.
https://irelandslstory.blogspot.com/2019/10/autumn-special-listening-rooms.html
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Holly%20Kai%20Estates/215/44/27

Cartoon of the Day

Taken at the Happy Vixen. Yes there is a "Space Unicorn" song.

By Bixyl Shuftan

SL Video: Cetatea Poenari in Second Life

(Click here if the video fails to play)

From Erik Mondrian on October 11, "By request, a music video of Cetatea Poenari, the Second Life home of the Drakul family. Built by Vlad Drakul-Dragonash and Nazaire Dragonash and named after a ruined Romanian castle that was once occupied by the real-life Vlad III Dracula (also known as Vlad the Impaler), Cetatea Poenari defies description and seems to stretch far beyond the limits imposed by its virtual borders. From the Valley of Horses and Arefu Prison to The Slaughtered Lamb pub and Snagov Monastery—and with the magnificent castle itself keeping watch over all from above—this is a region with many different paths and hidden places for the curious traveler to find. Thanks again to Vlad, Nazaire, Rain, and the entire Drakul family for asking me to film here!"

The Blind Users Support Group

When it comes to using computers, it's pretty difficult for most of us to imagine using one's computer without their eyes. But that's what some residents do, either being legally blind or having total blindness. The Newser recently interviewed the head of the Blind Users Support Group, Mermaid Celene (CeleneHighwater Resident). So how would a blind person get about Second Life and how has the group been doing?

Read the interview in People.

Burn2 Starts Today

Just a reminder. The Burn2 event, the largest annual art and music festival in Second Life begins today. The sim should be open to all at 5PM SL time. This year's theme is Metamorphoses. The event goes on to Sunday October 20, and the sims should be up for a day or two afterwards.

SLURL:​ ​http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Deep%20Hole/174/32/25

Announcement: This Saturday in The Science Circle - "Evolutionary Theory Before Darwin"

"Evolutionary Theory Before Darwin"
Saturday October 12
10AM to 11AM
By Dr. Stephen L. Gasior 

The easy narrative of how people thought of evolution in Europe before On the Origin of Species was that God created everything. Then Darwin came along and showed how it really is. While Darwin was revolutionary, he did not create his evolutionary theory from whole cloth.

This talk will explore more the concepts in the scientific field that set the foundation for Darwin. Scientists like Buffon, Cuvier, Lamarck, Chambers, Unger, and Darwin (Erasmus) were instrumental in developing theories on the origins of species and how they interrelate. While some concepts like the scala naturae (ladder of being) were wrong, they nevertheless provided a foundation for criticism which helped Darwin conceptualize his objections to current thought. Thoughts on how Darwin’s contributions can be thought of as part of a continuity as compared to a foundation for evolution will be the goal of the talk.

Read the announcement in full here (link).

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

News and Commentary: Blizzard's Removing Hong Kong Gamer From Tournament Sparks Calls for Boycott, Debate on Free Speech

For years, American companies have been trying to get into the Chinese market. With over a billion people, the potential number of customers for a large business is huge. However, the country is under the control of a dictatorship that does not react well to criticism or remarks in opposition to it's goals. It frequently makes demands to such companies, and penalizes those already in for perceived comments or actions against it. The debate flared up again this week thanks to three stories in the news. One of them was a tournament of players of the Hearthstone game, which is owned by the same company that owns the still noted MMO game World of Warcraft. When one winner was interviewed, he proclaimed his support for the protestors in the city of Hong Kong. Blizzard soon reacted with actions many of its customers have found troubling, including yours truly whom had recently just signed up for Warcraft again after an extended break.

Read the story in Other Grids, MMOs, and Games.

The Last CDS Anniversary Events

For the past month, the Confederation of Democratic Simulators has thrown several events to celebrate their community's fifteenth anniversary. Last weekend were the last of their events. On Saturday October 5 at 12 Noon, Maggi696 sung for an audience of both local residents and friends. Shortly after 1PM, she was followed by DJ Patricio.

The Raglan Shire duo of singer, maggi696 and her partner, DJ Patricio will join us for OKTOBERFEST 2019 (They were kind enough to step up when our scheduled performer fell ill.)

Both the local residents and their friends, notably some tinies from Maggi and Patricio's home area of Raglan, enjoyed the show. There were also a few wisecracks. "Try to avoid stepping on anyone." While there was food and beer available to the side, the tinies asked, "How about wootberry juice? And waffles?" "Waffle, on a stick!" "If I don't get a waffle right now, I swear to God, I gonna start pulling someone's fur!" "Make waffles, not war."

On Sunday at 10 AM, a game of paintball, or "Get the Chancellor" as CDS Chancellor Kyoko Furse-Barzane (Samara Barzane) musingly called it, was scheduled. Rosie Gray was the winner of the match. "She is brutal," Kyoko would say. A few minutes after Noon was the "Party on the Platz." It turned out the original performer's computer wasn't working, so DJ Jonesy stepped to to provide the music.

Alas, but Calli's streaming computer has fallen ill. So she will not be able to DJ today for our OKTOBERFEST Party on the Platz. But never fear! Calli found us a replacement DJ who has confirmed. His name is Jonesy (bo130). He doesn't do "oompah", but we can provide our own with a yodel here and there. Please welcome him warmly!


The people there danced to the music, snacked on the food available, and chatted some, "One time my friend was talking about a sausage fest in real life.  I laughed.  She said no it's really a sausage festival. (laughter)." There were more tinies dropping by, "Oh my goodness, a hedgehog with beer." "It is funny to hear hedgies yodel." There was also a contest for "Best Dressed for Oktoberfest" with 1400 Lindens as the prize. A number went in traditional Bavarian outfits. One man just went as a droid, then changing to a "Mars Attacks" alien.

The Oktoberfest party went on to about 2:30PM, a happy moment for the CDS.

Bixyl Shuftan