Looking Back: Shellie Sands and Grey Lupindo

 
By Bixyl Shuftan

When Second Life Newspaper closed down in early June 2010, four writers would go on to found and write for it's successor, the Second Life Newser: Gemma Cleanslate, Grey Lupindo, Shellie Sands, and myself, Bixyl Shuftan. Gemma and I have continued writing to this day. Sadly, Shellie and Grey have stopped writing. So who were they and what did they write about?

Shellie Sands joined up with the Second Life Newspaper sometime in 2009. Besides her articles, she also did poetry inspired by what she saw in this virtual world. In 2010 came a new subject: Ozimal bunnies, which she loved and would write about. She would also write about musicians and art. She would later get some Amaratto horses and write about those as well, one picture which Hamlet Au would cartoon in January 2010 following the results of the lawsuit between the two breedable pets makers.

Shellie would take a couple breaks in 2011, but came back, her last article in August and last poem in September. She would attend at least one more meeting, but sadly the Newser's poet would send no more.

Grey Lupindo was different from other reporters at the Second Life Newspaper in that I first met her before she joined. I ran into her at the Second Life Sixth Birthday grounds sometime in June 2009. When I mentioned I was covering the event for the paper, she told me she had yet to hear about any newsletter covering Second Life and had a few questions. A few months later, I would see her at the office getting a job interview by Dana, hired, and given an office. Like me, Grey was quickly distinguishable from the others with her furry appearance: the starter furry avatar with the stiff tail replaced by a flexible one, which she called her foxette.

Grey would write the first of the Newser's articles after it's introduction, and would go on to report about a variety of subjects. She would write about the Fantasy Faire. She would interview fellow reporter Grease Coakes about his just published book. She would write about the Meeroos, the fashionable breedable pet of 2011. But what I most remember her for are her articles about various locations across the virtual world. She would also write about her home community of Syzygy. One community event she reported took place outside their estate when several of the folk went down the mainland highways in tanks.

Grey would take a break in 2014 in order to deal with matters in real life. She would return in April 2016 when things on her side of the computer became less hectic. She would do a few more articles, such as an interview with SLB Cake builder Mikati Slade. But then the articles would stop. It would seem real life had taken over once more.

Over time, the Newser has had a number of reporters. A few sent in one or two articles after they were officially in, then having to leave. Others would write for years. But twelve years later, I still remember fondly these two whom helped found Second Life's best newsletter.

Bixyl Shuftan

Declining Markets - Ozanimal Bunnies Dropping in Value

The Ozimals bunnies hit SL in January 2010. Quickly becoming the latest craze in the market scene, buyers flocked to shops which sprouted up literally everywhere and shopkeepers enjoyed great profit. The business boomed for several months and more and more people jumped on the bandwagon--everyone wanted a piece of the bunny pie!

Still clinging to the turtle market, I soon rented and set up stalls for my turtle eggs and my newly acquired bunny nests. Sales were good on the nests but the turtle egg/turtle sales dwindled. Later I upgraded to a small shop exclusively for bunny nests. I gave up one stall (turtle eggs) but continued with the stall for the bunnies. I now had two locations in which to sell my goods. I continued to thrive with bunny nest sales and life was good. Paying rent was no longer a problem and eventually I decided I didn't need a paying job in SL any longer. Nests were selling for anywhere between L$250 and L$1500.

I continued to have shop sales and started going to auctions for several months. Selling live bunnies was the way to go and people at auction were willing to pay good money. Now my work centered around getting the better furs, more gem eyes, the better traits that people wanted. I spent many lindens on this endeavor. I gradually established some really good warrens; it was a slow process indeed. I began selling again, some hits and some misses.

I went to auctions where "special" bunnies were selling for thousands! Blanc de Hotot, Creme d'Argent, Mini Rex Castors...some going for as much as L$30,000! It was outrageous!

I was a regular at one particular auction and went to several others once or twice. What I saw starting to happen was that people were either not buying at all or not spending nearly the amounts on the same types of bunnies as I had seen in the past. I went to another very odd auction, where quite ordinary bunnies and nests were for sale and very low prices and people were buying them up! It was unbelievable. I told my SL sis we could go back there and auction some of our lesser bunnies to reduce our stock and she agreed.

The market had become so saturated that no one could sell, but everyone needed to because so many people had so many bunnies and had to keep feeding them. This becomes quite a financial burden for most everyone. Prices came down in a frustrated attempt to unburden themselves of the abundance of bunnies they could no longer afford to feed. This was a boon for me in one sense as I was able to get some of the better bunnies that used to sell for a lot....perhaps a foolish move considering the condition of the market. Everyone is upset over it's decline. It was great fun and very profitable at its height.

It is becoming quite evident that this market, like so many in SL, is going the route of the turtles and scion chickens before them.

But never fear...there is something new for all you avid breeders of all things animal! THE HORSES ARE COMING! That's right, breedable horses have been developed and beta testing has just begun. I saw two foals and they are irresistible. A new market will take over it seems...and so it goes.

Shellie Sands

Disaster at Shelz' Haven

On Wednesday morning, the 9th of June, I rezzed onto my home land like I always do, coffee in hand. What I saw scared me--all I could see was green grass and water, not a single object could I see. I relogged, I cleared cache and relogged two more times....still the same thing.

I walked around in a state of stunned panic. Called a friend who was on line, she came to see. She was equally stunned, but she flew around (such a level head that one) and discovered that my parcel, 1/4 sim, had been raised way up above sea level. She took a pic and I was even more stunned than before, there was my land, up in the sky. She discovered that my stuff was far below where we had been standing.

She lowered the entire parcel for me to be in line with the neighbors. What I saw shocked me even more. There was the house, there was the flower bed, sans flowers. The only thing in the flower bed were the sundial, bench, a chair I had placed. All flowers were gone. The barn was gone, all the palm trees were gone. All edits to terrain for ponds and water inlets were undone.

Then, the most horrifying sight of all---ALL THE BUNNIES WERE GONE! The 100 plus bunnies and their food had VANISHED!

I walked around in a state of shock, not knowing what to do, I couldn't react exactly, couldn't cry. All I wanted to do was scream and kick and punch someone and just.....but I was too stunned to do any of those things, this was beyond my comprehension and experience in SL.

From the outside of the house, I could see the curtains were gone, but I did see a picture hanging on the wall. The wicker furniture on the front porch was gone, the lounger on the deck on the other side gone also, as well as my lounger by the water's edge. I chose not to venture in to the house at that time.

There was nothing to be done at the moment. I sent a message to the sim owner. I had to leave and face the RL job. I hoped all would resolve by the time I got home.

When I got home, I wrote a poem, as I am wont to do in times of severe stress. I went into the house. I saw the painting, one of three that were in the living room. A table and two chairs were still in tact, but the living room furniture and rug were gone. I went around all three floors, all empty, including the nude pictures I had bought at a benefit auction...POL, Lyndon, Djai and another guy whose name escapes me. All musicians.

On Saturday, the 12th of June, I logged in as usual; no rollback yet. I decided to log in as my alt. When I arrived, all the bunnies were there, the flowers, the barn, everything! My alt did not have rights (she does now!), so I decided to log back in as Shellie and give her rights to take all my stuff and give to Shellie. I relogged as Shellie and VOILA! All my stuff was restored! It was the oddest thing ... welcome to SL.

Shellie Sands