Pooky Amsterdam’s Talk on Virtual Worlds and Science Fiction

On September 15th, the Constellation sim hosted a talk by Pooky Amsterdam. She IMed her friends, “Greetings and salutations. I will be giving a small talk on the use of Virtual worlds for science fiction. Hope you can make it.” Getting to the SURL she provided, the location was a small auditorium with some Star Trek banners around.

Pooky addressed the audience, “As it has been said that we didn't create the universe, so we can not fully understand it. Yet we have created the virtual world, in which we can create anything imaginable. This is done with what are free building tools, here n the 3D world of Second Life. While much is recreated to reflect the outworld reality of the residents lives, there are opportunities for fantasy, science fiction and historic role play which are met. Enthusiastically talented, the creators of Second Life's vast and stunning array of virtual goods and content contribute much.”

“The legacy of science fiction has inspired many people to carve out tracks of the grid for space bases, futuristic cities and to sell everything from starships to transporters. All while wearing the latest 2520 fashion. While books give much for our minds eye to describe, it is thought out before us. Being able to immerse in a 3D world with other people provides a level of visual storytelling which is unique to us. And that can be unique every day.”

“A number of traditional media programs have spawned new virtual worlds like the upcoming BattleStar Gallactica, Star Trek, and Star Wars – Clone Wars. What Second Life provides is a way to create a new vision and interpretation, not just re-create and to role-play within it. There is a pool of resources within peoples minds that can and is crafted into being. That they can also be manifest virtually & sold is an incentive and this encourages a new way of investing in the future here.”

“There are designers and builders in Second Life creating assets and adventures which reflect the same design traditions of classic sci-fi, yet made out of prims, sculpties or now mesh. They also provide a great backdrop and wealth for films. Films can not be made without sets, costumes, props and all that makes for great visual story-telling. I feel lucky to be part of this kind of creative world which inspires.” Pooky then gave the audience a link to her own work in science-fiction, “Time Travelers” - http://www.youtube.com/user/pookymedia#p/c/0/gaR4nCQuSno

Pooky continued, “Science Fiction has allowed us to dream the future in ways that go beyond a somnambulist experience. The future set apart from now allows us to see our humanity from a distance, recognizing where we are heading, and how we are getting there. Writers such as Huxley, Orwell, Asimov and Heinlein have sometimes expressed it's darker side to a wide audience which has embraced these warnings, recognizing our weaknesses, along with our strengths in them.”

“I believe we are fairer people for having been exposed to those writers who can target our inherent humanity within any and every futuristic scenarios imaginable. Science Fiction has long served as a place where intelligent creation of mental experiments – the way a writer can create a word image to have the reader “experience” - what the writer is talking about. Has flourished, allowing us to lose ourselves in a world to which we don’t actually belong, but can actualize!”

“As we live our lives within worlds where the infinite is possible, and we are no longer grounded by physics of a gravitational sort, as we create literally out of electricity, our imaginations are unleashed. We are able to see ourselves not in just the minds eye, but in an actuality we feel because we are immersed in it. Is there more value in a story that is outside of ourselves, a book as it were that you can put down? Or is it in an actualization of a story we put ourselves into each day, allowing that story to be molded and shaped by the others we encounter during it. Both are valid, both are immersive as well, and you put down the book, or turn off the computer. We are writing the stories of our lives, and within the spaces we both carve out and inhabit in Second life, we are preparing for this future.”

“Now we can play and act out in public through roleplay games that are intensely personal and private. Where books can reach millions with concepts and ideas, our daily activities on the grid might not have the same reach, but honestly who cares? This is a form of exploration in story line, in allowing the reader to become the creator as well. As we read the text others generate, we incorporate them into the plotline we are actually living. When you roleplay in a Science fiction universe like Second life, the tools for creation go beyond the text -”

“When we recreate our adventures in a science fiction world as an ensemble we are crafting a collective story, a shared one that we replay not again in the solitude of our study, but in the arena of our friends and relationships. I don't see a time when the private reflections and true luxury of enjoying a novel or story alone will fade. We are cerebral creatures us humans, and do like to be mentally engaged. The stories we live daily – the trip to the doctor, the job we must attend to, the calls from our families we don't put on hold- this is the fabric of what will wind up to be the novel of our lives, and the pages we turn are the ones we fill up everyday. Our keepsake memories are on an interior roll of film we can play endlessly, or until another memory takes its place somehow.”

“We engage in science fiction here though in a way that would have been impossible 100 years ago because of what we can see and do here, because of the amount of projection of self into the daily film of our lives, for surely we are starring in our own cartoon movies everyday. Where what we saw was generated by masters of Hollywood special effects in the past has now been replaced by a much much broader contingent of creators, people we know. People who might not be working for Pixar, or Lucsfilms, but who are working and creating the components of a vision they have. And all within an expertise they develop.”

“Where what we saw was generated by masters of Hollywood special effects in the past has now been replaced by a much much broader contingent of creators, people we know. People who might not be working for Pixar, or Lucsfilms, bu who are working and creating the components of a vision they have. And all within an expertise they develop. Often training themselves, at all hours of the day or night to put that extra touch on that which our community sees and uses.”

“We don’t have one person writing the scenario we all act out upon. We aren’t really Keanu Reeves, or Laurence Fishburn, though we can get avatars who look just like them, and we can inhabit them as if they were really speaking. Then again Keanu Reeves is an actor, his part in the Matrix while replayed in Netflix and millions of DVD's is a finite story. Ours do not have to be, ours are evolutionary because they are scripted by us. We make this transformative jump into an other here, and our imagination is forced to deliver more upon the text – than we are when we read and our minds are compelled to imagine what we read. We are not following a narration, We are the protagonist, we are the hero or anti-hero.”

“Here we are seeing & being what we read – and so with these visuals intact, both a part of us and in front of us we must take our imaginations to the next level. This kind of role play experience, and dynamic venue creation and participation undoubtedly leads to story telling in a vast and dynamic framework. Then there is storytelling for those who rent as engaged let’s say.”

“A new computer program has been proposed called the The Infinite Adventure machine which generates fairy-tale plots. Based on structuring Russian folk-tales to 31 basic functions, TIAM aims to question the limitations and implications of attempts at programming language and narrative. Because the program is unable to deliver a finished story, rather only a crude synopsis and illustrations, users have to improvise, filling the gaps with their imagination and making up for the technology's shortcomings.”

“Sounds like another day in the life of lag on a role play sim. The story and narrative are part of the history of humankind. Without the great writers of literature, among them Homer, Shakespeare, Sir Walter Scott, Isaac Asimov, Vonnegut and so many many others we would not be able to examine the kind of human relationships we have through the characters of great story-telling.”

“What we have now is the ability to become those heroes in a fiction of our own making, allowing for the belief in our own romantic heroism to upgrade the fabric of our daily lives. And when we dream at night, we dream of this future we share with one another daily. As we can lose ourselves in the story we are acting out, we can gain value in the epic tales of battle or the smaller private moments we find illuminate the larger picture – Such is the attraction because we can and do project larger image of ourselves and in the world everyday. It is critical that we hold onto authoring these narratives for ourselve, and not allow others to dictate them to us. This is a great freedome and draw for virtual worlds in this arena of science fiction.”

“What if stories could tell themselves? A see an electronic billboard glowing in the darkness, with a massive auto generated section of news that no one is reading. Recently – I found Narrative Science, a tech start-up based in Evanston, Ill. that can take data from a wide variety of sources and turn that data into newspaper and magazine articles. The technology application generates news stories, industry reports, headlines and more — at scale and without human authoring or editing. Narratives can be created from almost any data set, be it numbers or text, structured or unstructured. And of course thought of - SF great Philip K. Dick who foresaw this development in the 1960's. In his short story If There Were No Benny Cemoli, he describes a vast underground computer system called a homeostatic newspaper which is computational journalism.”

“Philip K Dick was a genius writer, who was recreated as an android after his death, with an eerie likeness to the author, the robot featured award-winning artificial intelligence that mimicked the writer's mannerisms and lifelike skin material to affect realistic expressions. The voice software loaded with data from Dick's vast body of writing actulaly allowed the robot to carry on natural-sounding conversations, with biometric-identification software and advanced machine vision allows the robot to recognize people -- even in a crowd -- read their expressions and body language and talk to them.”

“Until the head was left on a plane during the junket for Through A Scanner Darkly – He was missing for years. The missing head of the Philip K. Dick android was discovered in St. Petersburg, last year and confiscated in an Interpol sting against the Russian software piracy syndicate ‘ Little Bear.’ “ (chuckles in the audience) “They were using the head basically as a portable hard drive to transport pirated ebooks, movies, games, and data between Russia and South America," said Detective Andrei Supernov. ‘ I think they thought it was funny.’ The head will be returning to the United States next week, where it will be rejoined with the body.”

“These are folk lore tales in a sense of heroes whose afterlives will generate stories to come because they were authors who reached many. We are also authors and our stories ring true with our authentic journeys. We are authoring them, we are actively in them - we are using new technology to tell us the story.”

“Innovega is working on display technology using contact lenses that enhance human vision to directly see near-to-eye objects like electronic micro-displays. This technology can be used to make see-through augmented reality displays using transparent OLED and LCD displays. With the abilities we have to create an unlimited array of virtual objects, and with the cost effectiveness that allows for legions of people to have access to the tools of creation there is no doubt that we will be using this 3 Dimensional space to advance prototypes outworld. While we have recreated much of the past, those of us on the frontiers of science recognize the value of these tools.”

“While I believe in butter more than guns, and ploughshares, more than arms, I understand that the Military has been responsible for advancing technology on many levels, and we have a debt to that. My greatest hope Is that the underlying deep nature of our humanity finds the positive, creative and beneficial to humankind as we can meet across borders within virtual worlds, eliminating hatred which comes from the fear of the unknown, and increasing our levels of tolerance and patience for eachother. Allowing us to live through our technology in peace and fulfillment.”

“Combining the various creative talents of us all, and that sounds like a good ending to the story we live every day.”

Pooky took a cew questions after her talk. Gandalf Nakamura asked, “How do you think that virtual worlds will envelope? Will they become more of a social network, or a place to gamble and to relax? Pooky answer included, “I think of virtual worlds as providing an antidote to loneliness … I think work is being done in that field.” Urza Flux asked, “How has Second Life developed your interest in Science Fiction Ms. Amersterdam?” Pooky answered, “It has helped me develop an interest in past sci-fi ... I've always liked sci-fi … can live as futuristically as we want.”

Bixyl Shuftan

Hurricane Irene Stories from Second Life

No other country is as heavily represented in Second Life as the United States, and millions make their homes near the East Coast. So when Hurricane Irene smashed onto the coast on August 27th and 28th with it’s wind, rain, and flooding, many of us were affected in one way or another.

Among those in the path of the storm, yours truly. And remembering Hurricane Isabelle several years ago knocking out power for a week, I was worried this would happen again. So I made sure I had enough canned food & bread, batteries for the flashlights, gasoline for the generator, and uploaded a few articles onto the Newser ahead of time. I also had a number of books to read, plus pencil & paper if I wanted to write (or draw).

On the day of the hurricane was dark skies, thick clouds, and the strong breeze made the trees sway when I looked out the window. And the rain, at times it fell normally, others heavily, and water pooled in places in my yard. I basically hunkered down at my house, watching the local news and going about my business on the computer, keeping in touch with friends in Second Life, not sure if I’d be knocked offline at any moment. The storm was its windiest about 3-6PM SL time (6-9 PM local time), but power stayed on until a bit after 6:00, just when I was starting to think it might not fail.

But power wasn’t out for long. Before sunrise, I woke to the sounds and sights of power coming back on. And it stayed on. In the morning, I went outside and saw no damage but fallen tree branches, which I spent about an hour cleaning up. I wouldn’t be spending a week offline after all. But it wasn’t that long ago I had to spend a lot of money to fix up the house, including cracks in the ceiling that came about after a bad storm. It’s possible the storm might have shaken the house up for future problems down the road.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Others in Second Life had their problems. Grease Coakes lived further up the East Coast. “I didn’t go through a lot,” he told me, “it was just windy and rainy. I stayed inside, ... with food supplies I was fine. My neighbors didn’t think much of it. They were more unnerved by the earthquake. ... I’m used to rainy weather, but in all my life, that was my first earthquake.I thought the hurricane was overhyped by the media. It might have been worse in other areas, but here it was no big deal.” Grease lived some distance inland.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SL Newser reporter Gemma Cleanslate was in the hurricane’s path in the northeast, “No wind or rain damage, but power out for about ten hours.” But many tens out thousands nearby were without power, “The town next to me, (power) will not be up for a week, they said. ... Our library was *full* of people to say, charging cell phones, just hanging around (chuckle) people we never saw before.”

“I think Vermont is really suffering, never expected this massive flooding. And the Connecticut River is going going to flood a lot. One farmer, a woman, who is about 45, took over her dad’s farming a few years ago and if the river floods her fields in the meadows, it will be devastation to all the corn down there. She had a bad harvest last year. This may be her last.” The farm was near where Gemma worked,”She almost quit then.” Later, Gemma told me the field was a total loss, “My farmer lady lost all her corn in the meadows. First timt I have had no corn for Labor Day weekend.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Reporter Xymbers Slade was also in the northern part of the hurricane’s path. He wasn't close to shore, well inside New York state far from the ocean, but still he was affected. He didn’t lose power from the wind knocking down power lines, but from an exploding transformer. When he called to see how long it would take, he was first told by the power company they didn’t know, then was given the impression his area was considered “low priority” and might have to wait a while, possibly more than two weeks. Hearing that made him feel, “Not happy. Not happy at all.” He was able to get limited access online from his public library, but couldn’t do much more than tell his friends to wait.

Fortunately, power was restored in a few days,and he was able to log back on the Grid. Xymber's Livejournal entry can be read Here (caution, adult language).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Perri Prinz, DJ at Sunweaver Air and Club Zero Gravity and Internet Fantasy writer featured on Book Island, also ended up losing power from Irene. “As hurricanes go,” she posted in her journal, “it wasn't terribly impressive. Basically it rained a lot, but there wasn't a lot of noisy wind like I'm used to. And we had not a bit of property damage. I had gotten about 3/4ths of the way through my show at Cutlass when the power went out, and it stayed out for three days or so. But they were rather cool days. So we didn't miss the air-conditioning.”

Perri being imaginative, she wasn’t really bored, but listened to the radio and pondered, posting a few of her thoughts in her Livejournal entry later, “Another stray thought that cropped up over the outage was how easy it was to get on without electricity. Three days to do nothing but sit and dream. ... And I wondered at those who think it would be some tragedy if we suddenly had to do without all our electrical toys - like life just couldn't go on without them. How silly.”

Eventually power did come back, and it was back to Second Life, back to Book Island, back to DJing, and back to her friends. Perri's whole post can be read Here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mystery hostess Monique Corbeau lived around the New York area, and told of some of the damage there, “New York got hit bad. We had very large waves, the winds were crazy. Trees went down. No electricity yet for most of us where houses flooded. Even when it passed, we still had the winds. Most of the Island, in some spots, still no electricity. My son’s (workplace) has none. ... My husband’s (workplace) has none too. We have friends who don’t have any. My house doesn’t either, staying with family until it comes back. ... Hoping for electricity tomorrow, they said it might be days.”

“We never get hurricanes, or even tropical storms, so it was bad for us. ... The news was talking about it for days. They evacuated us fast and good.” Asked if her neighbors took it seriously and got supplies, “yeah, when you went to get supplies, there was no more. So I left being by the water and went inland to family. Just their houses were flooded. One friend in Virginia, he said tree, floods, still no power for him. A tree went through his house. ... He said thank God he was at a shelter and not home.”

“We need to be better prepared next time. So many homes destroyed, and insurance companies won’t help.” Asking her for details, “will drop you, they say. Don’t like the sound of that. They say your coverage for floods might not be covered. ... We have (flood insurance), but they said it’s for a certain kind of flood. ... That’s all the news said. I guess we’re not under flood insurance for hurricanes because we don’t get them. ... Most don’t have cell service or phones right now.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Live singer Debi Late, who performs in Second Life, was south of me in one of the barrier islands in North Carolina where the hurricane first hit the coast. She described details on her Facebook. Starting Thursday August 25th, she began posting about it, including weather maps of where the storm was and it’s projected path, “I'll be online as much as possible until power and/or internet service go kaflooey this weekend. We're expecting a pretty direct hit from Hurricane Irene. I'll keep you all posted on how we're doing!!” The hurricane was just one thing she posted about, others being about a cold, which caused her to cancel a show, and about the armed forces. Her friends posted her messaged wishing her well, and not to take chances, “Please be safe, Debi.” “I’ll be thinking about you.” “I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.”

Although she could evacuate to away from the storm, her husband was “essential personnel,” so she stayed in the area. She did make the decision to leave her house to go to a shelter, “starting to wrap my head around packing all the important things in my house and taking them to the fire station where we will ride out Hurricane Irene. But I suspect my house will be very wet after this. So, computers/photos/scrapbooks/the works, is all getting relocated, today.”

The hurricane being downgraded got her attention, but she wasn’t taking chances, “Looks like Irene is weakening a little. But it'll still cause flooding of our area from the west. So I'm still leaving my house and hoping I don't have too big of a mess to clean up when I get home.” By evening, the move was done, “We're at the fire station now.... it started raining just a little bit, around 6 or so, nothing major here, yet. That'll happen starting in the wee hours of the morning.”

She got up early Saturday morning to check things, “We're having winds around 60 - 65 now, I'm hearing power is flickering. But this building has a generator, so we'll be ok. And the modem is on a UPS so I'm still online.” By late afternoon, water was being blown back onto the island from the west, “guess I'm going to have a wet house to return to.”

On Sunday evening, the hurricane far to the north, she posted, “We got our butts handed to us with this one. It was nasty, but we're alive. My house is flooded, but, it's stuff and wet clothes. No biggie, folks. We'll just relocate to something. Living in the fire station now. I know lots of prayers were working. Just popping in on someone else's computer ...” Two days later, she had concluded her home couldn’t be saved, “Our house is going to be a total loss, had about 2 1/2 feet of flooding in it. I'm working to salvage everything that's still dry, then we'll work on finding somewhere to live. ... This was the worst storm ever to hit our island.”

Needless to say, logging onto Second Life was out, “I won't be singing in-world for quite a while, till I'm back online and in a house at some point.”

But friends wanted to help out. Among them, “Just Because” clothing store owner Annie Melson. She posted, “Terk and I are wanting to help Debi Latte and her husband rebuild their life after the hurricane. I put up donation vendors in my store (link provided) to help Debi. EVERY cent will go to her. I'm also in the process of making a special outfit where all proceeds will go to helping Debi and her husband rebuild. Please donate! We love you, Debi!!” She was putting aside her work on her mens’ clothing for the fundraiser outfit.

I sent Annie a message asking about her helping Debi, and she later answered, “Yes, I have placed donation kiosks in my stores and another location to raise money to help Debi and her husband, and I'm creating an outfit that all proceeds from that will go to her as well. My husband, Terk, is also contacting others to help organize some special events to help bring in funds that way too. I'd like to get more kiosks out there so I'm willing to place the kiosks anywhere anyone will let me place one, and I've talked about it on my facebook page and group notices to help bring awareness. We just really want to help Debi and Mike as much as we possibly can. She's a good friend and an incredible person, and she deserves any help that can come her way.”

Annie’s store is at Taupo (60, 180, 36)

So for Debi Latte, sadly her experience with Huricane Irene is not yet over. Hopefully she’ll be able to get a new home soon. For those with a Facebook account, you can read her posts Here.

Sources: Debbi Latte's Facebook page, Symphonic Rock Productions, Xymber's Livejournal

Bixyl Shuftan

Interview with Avination's Cindy Darkstone

While at the Avination aniversary celebration, I looked for someone to interview to ask a few questions about this other grid. Who answered me was Cindy Darkstone, the founder of the "From Second Life to AVN" group. So we met up later on the Avination grid, yours truly using his not-so-foxy Avination account Bixyl Sands.


Cindy Darkstone: Ask away and I will answer any questions you have. (smile)

Bixyl Sands: Sure. Where did you first hear about Avination?

Cindy Darkstone: From my friend Azzkicker Darkstone, he was in Avination just about the first day.

Bixyl Sands: When did you first come here?

Cindy Darkstone: Feb 6th 2011

Bixyl Sands: How did your experience here go?

Cindy Darkstone: I have been in the opensim grids since Aug 2007, so for me it was as I expected it to be. It was running well, and had some functions the other grids didn't have at that time.

Bixyl Sands: What functions did it have others didn't?

Cindy Darkstone: In Game Currency, Enhanced Permissions, Search, Groups and many estate land functions.

Bixyl Sands: I recall you saying you were in Second Life. How does Avination compare to it?

Cindy Darkstone: Many of the same types of functions are available in both SL and Avination, but the cost of the land is much lower, the access to the grid staff is much better, security and customer protection is much better also.

Bixyl Sands: What would you say Avination's biggest challenges have been?

Cindy Darkstone: I would have to say the growth has been a challenge to keep the software and servers able to handle the large volume of users and assets, but the grid staff has done well since Feb to upgrade and enhance the software to accommodate.

Bixyl Sands: What places would you reccomend newcomers go? Which for those familiar with other virtual worlds such as Second Life, and which ones to people completely new to virtual worlds?

Cindy Darkstone: It is hard to say, but the Avination Welcome sim has a mall and also staff there to help with any questions at all times.

Bixyl Sands: For those looking for a good place to explore, what places would you reccomend?

Cindy Darkstone: That is a good question.. I am a member of many groups, and we get notices of new events and fun places to vist, like now I am at Pappy's Club and Melanie the grid owner is the DJ for us.

About this time, Cindy got bumped offline. But we met later to finish the interview.

Cindy Darkstone: In Second Life, there are many people doing the same things. Here there are less people, so less are doing what you do. So (there is) a better opportunity for many to create a business. (smile) Also I am (the) co- Founder of Galaxy Corporation. I operate the AVN division. My SL name is Cindy Vichan. I am not as active in SL anymore, but my partner still is working the SL shopping centers we have. I run the AVN Galaxy Corporation office and services.

Bixyl Sands: What does Galaxy Corporation do in Avination?

Cindy Darkstone: We sell skins, shapes, clothing. We have a game called Galaxy Token Game, where people play and get tokens to be used for renting land, stores and purchasing merchandise, shopping center stores, pre fab buildings, and we are building a directory type system to help people find places in the grid.

It was about this time Cindy had to go, and we went our separate ways.

Bixyl Shuftan

Ludo Merit and the Prism Walk

The best way to interview people at a grid-wide Second Life event is simply to do a shout out. I'd taken pictures of SL8's birthday party on my real-life vacation. I wanted only those interested in networking with me to come forward so I said in the group chat, "Who wants to be interviewed?" One of the first people to reply was Ludo Merit.

The concept for Merit’s Prism Hero Walk was created in the late 1980s. She first considered her idea a game.

"But as I developed it in Second Life, I began to see that my 'market' is not gamers, but helpers and those who needed help," Merit expressed. "I played with the idea for years, and then I heard about SL and came here specifically to develop it."

She read Sam Keen's "The Passionate Life' and Max Luscher's "The Luscher Color Test" at the same time and put the two together. Shortly after she read about Joseph Campbell's hero journey and went to the Mythic conferences in Georgia, she merged the colors of the hero journey with Sam Keen's life stages.

"Because we are all heroes, and each of these steps is a step in the life of a hero according to Campbell, it's called a hero's journey rather than an individual's. The journey was created from myths and legends from all over the world.

After teleporting to the Prism Hero Walk sim, read the directions inside the building on the floor. Begin by standing on the brown square. Click on the picture on the wall to get information, which appears in local chat. There are 11 more and the colors represent the following:

Brown tells of your parents’ unconditional love and need to protect you. It helps you to understand why you leave the safety of your home to explore.

Yellow declares a child's need to explore. You make friends and discover they have different approaches to play and lifestyle.

Gray symbolizes the beginning of rebellion and finding one's own path.

Purple is the age of self discovery. Drifting, dreaming and setting goals.

Red has you coming forward to take your place in society. You have to prove you’re worthy of a quest.

Chartreuse places you into your quest and down the path of obstacles.

Black signals loss and the desire to get it back.

Aqua is returning from the journey, tired, scarred and having personal growth.

Green names you as an experienced member of society. You are now known for your wisdom.

Orange has you recognizing the fact that change is necessary.

Violet symbolizes the jester/fool who is not afraid to express him or herself.

Blue leads you to the realization that your quest has ended and now you can focus on yourself.

"People who read and answer the questions for themselves, I hope, see that their lives are very much like the Campbell hero life," said Merit. "Most of all, know that you are a hero, that we all are heroes and every kind of hero is needed.

To get to the Prism Heroes Walk, head to Prism Lila (60, 59, 22)


Netera Landar

The Relay for Life 2011 Wrap-Up Party

The Relay for Life Walk was a month ago, but the official end of this year’s RFL fundraising season wasn’t until last weekend. Saturday August 20th, 2011, members of various Relay teams got together for the last event of “Seasons of Hope.” It was time for the Wrap-Up Party.

Before the party’s start at 3PM, people began gathering at the Florida Keys sim. Once the hour started, live music was provided by singer Damian Carbenell. And it wasn’t long before the sim was packed. 57 avatars were counted in the sim at one point. With so many around, people were gathering away from the stage where Damian was performing. A variety of avatars from numerous teams of all sizes from large to small gathered around. at 4PM, the T-1 Radio DJ took over

Durring the party, a few few things happened things happened. One was the RFL kiosks scattered across the grid which had been taking in donations began to self-destruct. The fundraising for the season was over, and their purpose was done. Ember Farina was reluctant to let go, “I still have a few” *is holding on tight* Fuzzball Ortega joked, “no, let go Ember, or you’ll go poof too.” Some commented that at least one Relayer wouldn’t know and think they were deliberately removed, PrettyKitty Gumbo saying, “I wonder if someone will ask what happened to their vendor?” Dwen Dooley responded, “I personally guarantee that an angry email will find it's way to me, because ‘they weren't warned.’ " Fuzzball Ortega, quiped, “Didn't even get a poof of purchase (yea, I know, bad pun).” Later, Fuzzball commented, “Ok, I need a drink now. Yes, Bixyl you may quote me.”

Another thing that happened was that the much-anticipated theme of next year’s relay was made public. The 2012 Relay for Life will have the theme of “Time for a Cure.” The announcement was greeted with much applause.

And, there were the awards given out begining at 4:30. Many of these were basicaly given out for fun, such as Fuzzball Ortega being awarded the “Big Hair” award for the enormous hairdo he sported at times. Others were more serious, such as the “Spirit of Relay” Individual Award, announced by last year’s winner Ember Farina.

“For the last six years this year’s recipient has been Relaying in SL. Regardless of Team affliation, anyone who has needed assistance with Kiosks, Vendors, or building has found a helping hand. This year, just as Relay was kicking into high gear, he suffered a debilitating stroke. His motivation for a fast recovery was actually Relay for Life! He worried so much about his team that he came back inworld before he could even read or type; they all used voice to communicate with him to ensure that the team would keep moving forward. He’s determined, and despite all odds, always involved in anything that has to do with Relay, from planning to end, always there to help others regardless of other affiliations.

“I’m pleased to announce the 2011 individual Spirit of Relay – Daaneth Kivioq.”

Daaneth, whom was there with several others from his “Passionate Redheads” team, was clearly surprised by the announcement, which was greeted with cheers from many. He thanked everyone, and was a bit quiet for the rest of the time he was at the Wrap-Up event. But later on, he and the Redheads would soon do a little celebrating of their own.



Spirit of relay award - I am stunned. I want to thank EVERYONE who nominated me. I have now words to express my gratitude. Except .. > PARTY! NOW! HOPE GARDENS! NYDIA IS THE DJ!! FIREWORKS! And one OTHER very important number: L$ 726,001 -$ 2,904 - how much money you raised this relay season. Please come party with me!


And a number did. Not just the Redheads, but Fuzzball Ortega dropped by as well, showing off “The Hair” that had gotten so much attention this year. DJ Nydia Tungsten cranked up the tunes, and Daaneth set off some fireworks, lighting up the night sky over Southern Colorado.

It was a great end to a great season.

Thank you to everyone who attended the Wrap Up Party, I hope you all had fun. Thank you to Trader and Nuala and T1 Radio, Damian Carbenell, the awards committee, Sting, Mama and Dwen. Also, thank you to Bo Hera for allowing us to use his sim and Samara Barzane for facilitating that! Finally, thank you to my build team Bianca Bender and Elise Capalini for creating such a magical space! *hugs* See you in 2012! Bailey Dazy, Special Events Chair 2011


To hear the audio of the event, one can go to an archived recording Here.

For more pictures, Ishtars Kiss has some on her Flickr page. And for a list of the award winners, check the post on the Relay for Life in Second Life Blog.

Bixyl Shuftan

Interview with Daaneth McGettigan (Daaneth Kivioq)

Recently, I had the chance to interview Daaneth McGettigan (account name Daaneth Kivioq), the co-captain of the Passionate Redheads Relay for Life team, and the owner of the Southern Colorado sim. We sat down at the meeting area at the sim near Fimi Falls. During this time, Daan’s cat in real life wanted attention. So, he rezzed a virtual one on his lap.


Bixyl Shuftan: About your Second Life name, does it matter whether people use your account name or your displayed name?

Daaneth McGettigan: No - either way, if they search for me, they will find me. I know that display name support is not perfect, but that does work. For example, it says "Kivioq" when I IM someone.

Bixyl Shuftan: So where did you find out about Second Life?

Daaneth McGettigan: That’s an interesting story. Seven years ago, a good friend of mine in real-life, known as Krysis here, talked me into trying it out. I was overwhelmed at first. Second Life was nowhere as sophisticated as it is today. I almost quit, but friends here talked me into staying. Some of them are still here, but most have left, among them Krysis. We still meet up in real-life though.

Over the years, there’s been some huge changes in the technology. Of course, it required me to upgrade my computer several times.

About five years ago, I met Sabine through the Relay

Bixyl Shuftan: How did you find out about the Relay?

Daaneth McGettigan: Sabine introduced it to me. We had been dating for several months. I had lost a sister to pancreatic cancer. I didn’t know anything about it at first. She came to me a few days before the Relay weekend. The guy who was going to help her build the campsite disappeared. It was a 24 marathon build, but we got it done. That was my introduction to the Relay.

Bixyl Shuftan: How many were in the Passionate Redheads at the time?

Daaneth McGettigan: There were another five members. There were a few more, but not active. Sabine and I pretty much moved on. We worked at Burning Life that year, and by December we were partnered. For the Relay next year, we made an Ice Palace build. We still have a number of pictures of it."

Bixyl Shuftan: When did the Redheads start to take off in size?

Daaneth McGettigan: In 2008, we started recruiting actively. It was our second best year at fundraising. We managed to raise $10,000. It was the year Fimi joined the team. She was active for a while, until she was too sick to participate. She passed away on May 26th, 2008. She was really, really, loved. We were impressed with her spirit.

Since then, the team has done really well. This year, the team kind of split. I’m kid of happy, we both raised more money. We raised just over $2,800.

Bixyl Shuftan: What’s the name of the other team?

Daaneth McGettigan: Inspired Dream Walkers. One of them thought we were getting too big. I think they just wanted to do their own thing.

In 2008, we were awarded the Golden Level Team Award. In 2009. we were awarded the Spirit of Relay award. I think Sabine deserves most of the credit for that. She’s worked really hard.

I think this year’s build is the finest team effort Lom(gren Smalls) acted in charge, but also Dusk (Griswold), Shockwave (Yareach), and the others.

Bixyl Shuftan: How is it having the smallest avatar in Second Life on your team?

Daaneth McGettigan: He may be the smallest guy in Second Life, but he has a big heart.

Maybe I should bring up the stroke.

Bixyl Shuftan: What happened?

Daaneth McGettigan: Well, it was like out of the blue. It happened in April Fortunately, I got to the hospital. Scary time. I didn’t realize what was happening. Lomgren and Sabine tracked me down. Sabine really helped me. (pause) I don’t really have words to describe it.

The first few days were especially confusing. I had problems forming the words. I still have gaps in my memory. My Mother flew over. She stayed for about two months. I was also fortunate to have a very good team of therapists. I would like to point out one for his work: Dr. Pio Guerro.

While in the hospital, I heard that the Relay threw a “Get Well” party for me. That really moved me, brought me to tears. I wish I could remember all the teams involved. Me being out of commission put a halt to fundraising. I made it back in time for Dusk’s Cinco De Mayo party. It was a wonderful homecoming.

The hardest thing, it was learning to type all over again. I still prefer Voice over it in Second Life. I’m also having to relearn math skills. Relearning calculus is necessary for my line of work.

Bixyl Shuftan: So what have been some of the more inventive ways for fundraising.

Daaneth McGettigan: That would be the “Bid Me Human” events. A couple years ago, I did a “Bid me Furry” event offering to go about in a furry avatar for a little while if 10,000 Lindens were raised. This year, there were three “Bid Me Human” events, the ones in which Nydia and Rita volunteered for were particularly successful, especially Rita’s. I believe over 70,000 Lindens were raised.

Bixyl Shuftan: Rita Mariner being the one who runs the Sunweaver Estates, do you think there was a “needle the landlady” factor?

Daaneth McGettigan: Maybe, but I think it was done all in the name of fun. Rita was a good sport about it.

Also, we did a pinup calendar with various Redheads in swimsuits. Plus we made a cookbook from various recipes contributed by a number of Redheads. About eighty copies of the cookbook were sold. Both are still on sale until August 20th.

Bixyl Shuftan: So what do you do when not Relaying?

Daaneth McGettigan: Sabine and I like to go to clubs and concerts. We also hang out at Sabine’s tropical island. I gave it to her as a rezzday present. It’s modeled after her favorite real-life place, an island off the coast of Florida, Anna Maria Island. We also explore, go building. Sabine also likes to go shopping.

Bixyl Shuftan: Shopping? What was the biggest thing she ever bought?

Daaneth McGettigan: Probably a furniture set. I think I once bought her a kitchen suite. She likes to collect hair. Most of it’s red, but not all of it. Her favorite color is pink.

It’s been an interesting journey. I don’t know what I’d do if she was no longer online.

Bixyl Shuftan: So what are your plans for next year?

Daaneth McGettigan: Right now, I don’t want to think of next year. We’ll take it easy for a little while.


Daaneth then showed me around Southern Colorado. The sim was established in 2007. In 2008, he dedicated it to the Relay. He used it to host events, and still does, dances and meetings held here. Not far away from the meeting area is Fimi Falls, named for Artistic Fimicloud whom was known to really like them. Daaneth pointed out something in one of the pine trees at the falls: a pink ribbon. This was another tribute to Fimi, whom liked to put a pink ribbon somewhere in her paintings.

Near the falls was a treehouse. At the base there three luminaries, one from this year’s Relay, and one from 2010 and 2009 respectively. The treehouse itself was well-furnished with Victorian furniture. It gets a few occasional residents. Not far from the treehouse and meeting area was a garden dedicated to Saint Therese of Lisieux, “Sabine’s favorite saint.” Near that is the Soldiers’ Memorial.

Close by is the cat carousel, or the “catousel” as Daaneth calls it. There’s also a balloon ride, courtesy of Shockwave Yareach. A little down the path is an Elven drum circle and a campfire. Crossing a river, there is the “Chapel of Hope,” which was built for the 2010 Relay camp. Of the streams, Daan commented he was fond of them and the waterfalls.

Daaneth then showed one feature relatively new to the sim, houses for rent. There were five Victorian homes, which were available at prices from 7,000 to 8,000 Lindens a month. Anyone interested in one could contact him or Nydia Tungsten.

Walking away from the housing, there was a lake and some ducks, and some mountain scenery. Daaneth showed off a fountain, with a cat statuette guarding it, ”I built it some years ago. I’m happy to have it here.” He then showed a hidden cove in the side of the mountain. While some places have places for couples to cuddle in secret hideaways, this hidden place had something different: a yoga mat, “I do a few exercises here.”

Going up a path to higher up, there is a building Daaneth named the “Philosophy Shack.” Daaneth forgets just how he came up with that name. Not far from that is a virtual herbal garden. Accessible by one of a few portals around the sim, or by flying over, is Southern Colorado’s Enchanted Forest, another popular spot. Danneth described the place as having a lot of nooks and crannies for couples to snuggle. The Forest is also the scene of occasional parties, such as the recent fundraiser where Cypress Rosewood performed.

After that, Danneth, had one other location to point out, and ported us to the high point of the sim: Mount Sabine. We were on a platform just below the peak where a huge Coloradan flag flew in the breeze. Snow sprinkled down where we were. On a slightly shorter peak, a angel statue looked down at the sim below. And nearby within sight was Club Little Dove.

After that, Daaneth and I parted ways. So is the story of the co-captain of one of the Relay for Life’s most successful teams, and the sim behind him.

Bixyl Shuftan

Interview with Gwen Mayo

Gwen Mayo started writing poetry before she took on the challenge of writing a novel. She won a fellowship for her poetry and went to college on an arts scholarship.

"I studied politics and history. I write historical and the politics and history are intimately entwined in what I write," said Mayo. "I wanted to write about historical Kentucky. In college I helped with a book about women who served in the state legislature. I also started writing short fiction in college."

She and Sarah Glenn wrote one short mystery together about retired nurses from WWI. Women who drove ambulances in France and were getting shot at.

"Sarah's great-great aunt served in WWI as a nurse. She was very independent and intrepid,” she said.

In Mayo's novel, "Circle of Dishonor," Nessa Donnelly, a former Pinkerton agent, poses as a Civil War nurse. Nessa was raised by the Sisters of Mercy, in Chicago. She's a single woman posing as a man and yes that does lead to a number of gender issues she has to work around.

Mayo was interested in focusing on that period of Kentucky's past called the “Decades of Discord, in which, she said, Kentucky was the most violent place in America.

"There were a lot of secret societies, outlaws, and feuds in the mountains. The book takes place during a few weeks in 1879," she said. "It's part of a series. I'm about 40,000 words into the next book, which deals with Klan activity in Central Kentucky. The book that will follow will take place in Eastern Kentucky during the Regulator Uprising in the fall of 1879. The fourth one will be on Indiana and will deal with the gambling going on in a resort area."

The core group of characters are Nessa, Doc Haydon, Tad, and Beulah. Mayo has an agreement for a contract with one publisher. She said The Pill Hill Press people are very supportive.

The book was published in print format and is available in Kindle and Nook.

As far as promotion, many of the things Sarah Glenn did, Gwen did first. The book was featured on Goodreads, reviewed by the Historical Fiction Society, and promoted both on line and in personal appearances.

When she is not writing fiction, Gwen reviews lesbian historical fiction for Bosom Friends at lesbianhistoricalfiction.blogspot.com.

"Book Island has had open mic sessions and micro fiction on Sundays in Second Life," she said. "We also opened Odd Women's Bookstore there. We started including our books and other women's, like Marian Allen's. We welcome instant messages to discuss them.”

Netera Landar

Interview with Sarah Glenn

Sometimes I’m able to convince authors to explore the creativity and opportunities of Second Life. Numerous efforts have led me to introduce the virtual world to authors Robert Dugoni, Karen Kay, Donna Fletcher Crow and two women that I met at my AuthorFest in IL, Sarah Glenn and Gwen Mayo.

This article will be devoted to Sarah, first. So we sit at my Italian table on my SL home’s patio on a Wednesday night. The three of us enjoy a quiet moment of no IMs. The first discussion is about Sarah's real life writing experiences.

Sarah began writing in her youth. She focused on stories about horses and drew them. Years later, she graduated to X-men and the horror genre, first writing fan fiction.

"I wanted to be a writer my entire life," she confesses in voice. "In my novel, 'All This and Family, Too,' extraordinary people are in very ordinary circumstances. Cynthia Leach is an astronomer who likes going out and using a telescope in the woods. She's extremely upright and heroic. Penelope was her sire."

At this point you should get the idea that we're discussing a paranormal and Sarah is writing about vampires. She tells me that Penelope has been destroyed and does not appear as an active character.

“She is a vampire, but not exactly a vamp. She has a family she wants to protect. They’re a little dysfunctional,” Sarah admits. “She tends to think of being a vampire as a disability. She can’t teach daytime classes, meet with various research bodies, go to conventions to present papers and she has an odd social life. She dates women because of her need for blood.”

Cynthia does have a mentor and friend. Dylan Duvoth was born into a wealthy family in Great Britain. He wanted to be a movie star, so he set out for California.

“He arrived in Laguna Beach, then a popular setting for the silent films and the new ‘talkies,” said Sarah. “It was there that he became a vampire. Sadly, he discovered that he no longer showed up on film and his career was over. Dylan resides in Laguna Beach now and owns the ‘Undertow’, a gay bar. He also coaches budding actors and singers. He has discovered that he shows up in the new digital filming, though, so hope springs eternal.”

Pill Hill Press in Nebraska published the book in May. Sarah’s currently working on a sequel to the book, possibly a family saga.

In terms of promotion, Sarah had a giveaway with goodreads.com and received a good response. There have been a few good reviews and appearances at various conventions. She and partner Gwen Mayo attended Golden Crown Literary Society Lesbian Fiction Convention in June and she’s going to be at FandomFest in Kentucky in November. In Second Life, she was featured in a mini interview on Book Island’s Newsletter and will be my guest for the Netera Landar chat on Aug. 27 at 11 a.m. SL Time

Netera Landar

The 2011 Relay for Life Walk

I’ve gone to every Relay walk since 2007, when an old friend told me about the first one. Last year in 2010 was the first I did do as part of a team, the Passionate Redheads. The event then was truly a blast. Some yearly events I’ve gone to, the old feeling of excitement of the first time isn’t there. But that certainly wasn’t a problem here.

Just before noon SL time on Saturday July 16th, I arrived at the castle set up on the four corners of the sims the four sims RFL Wish, Unity, Voulenteer, and Treatment. The place needed the capacity of four sims as it was truly packed. When I brought up the map, I counted a total of 127 avatars in four sims. I watched the event along with fellow Redheads Nydia Tungsten, Treminari Huet, Lomgren Smalls, and Skylark LeFavre, along with a variety of other avs from tines to merfolk to superheros to robots.

There were a number of speeches given at the opening, but one stood out. Bootedgirl Foxtrot gave a speech that could be done only through a computerized voice. Cancer had taken away her larynx.


I relay for, each day we all can awake, with the gift of time we are given, to see the world, and love and be loved, and continue to pass on the very hope that will live on forever. I relay for the dream, for more time, for all those touched with cancer, to have quality time, in life, without pain. I relay for each day I awake, for each moment I see my Second life partner, my Love Jay, who saw me through many late hours of pain, and now enjoy many late hours of laughter. I relay for others to have what I now have, a chance to live and give back hope, and help however I can.

Shortly after her speech and the cheers that followed, the hour was up, and it was time for the Survivor/Caregiver lap. Those whom had faced the disease and survived, and those who cared for them, were invited to take the first of the official laps. Some Sunweavers such as Elphias Kojishi walked the track. Others just went to our camp and cheered them on. Among them was Rita Mariner, back as a purple bunnygirl after being “pardoned” from her remaining time stuck as a human. Two of the Redheads, also bunnygirls, did their cheering in cheerleader outfits, which was an interesting sight for the guys walking the track. As the survivors and caregivers walked, someone pointed out that the music being played was written just for the Relay.

there is no finish line until we find a cure,
together we begging like soldiers in a war,
and we won't slow down 'till we win this fight,
the Relay for Life.

Our camp “Peace to All Who Enter Here,” was a peaceful forest area, with a gateway of roses. Virtual critters such as squirrels and deer walked about the place. The center was dominated by a huge tree. the back of the camp had a picturesque waterfall. There was also a ride, a balloon, that took riders over the camp for a few minutes. A prayer book recorded messages, which then floated into the virtual breeze.

A number of Second Life notables took part in the Relay. Some such as Bryn Oh had contributed builds. Others did the Walk. Among them was Jaycatt Nico of the noted “Jaycatt & Frogg” musical pair. He greeted me and the rest of the Sunweavers, hung around a few minutes, and made a good-sized donation before leaving. Blogger DrFran Babcock walked by and gave a hello. I also saw two longtime friends Breezes Babi and Glitter Xeltentat walk by. One of the Relay staff, Samara Barzane, came by as a pink catgirl.

The total number of people I recognized, well, not enough room to mention them all.

And then, it was the team’s turn to walk. With Danneth Kivioq, Rita, and Dusk leading the way, we got on the track and began walking, waving our huge Sunweaver flags. Helping us was an accessory called a “walker” that was worn on our backs that allowed us to walk automatically while typing, or taking pictures. We just needed someone to follow. And so, we began our journey down the track, those without walkers picking them up at one of the stops along the way.

The Relay’s theme this year was “Season of Hope,” and many of the sims reflected the seasons. The northwest had spring, the southeast had summer, including the water sims with a beach area, the southwest had autumn, including a school for the youngsters, and to the northwest winter, most of the sims there snowed over. The Redhead’s camp was in RFL Family, in the northeast corner near the middle. And going throughout the track, we found a variety of builds. Some were very well done and imaginative.

Unfortunately with all the people on the track, lag was a persistent problem. A time or two it was so bad that the teammates around me were all rendered invisible. And there were times some of us were left behind due to it, and someone would have to port us forward to rejoin the group. We had to stop a few times due to a sim that was closed from further people entering, appearing like it vanished. And a few times I would just up and crash. And I didn’t reappear where I crashed, but where I had logged off the previous night, at the rest stop sponsored in Artistic Fimicloud’s name. By some coincidence, the first time this happened, my teammates caught up to me, which got a few comments from them.

The result was we made our lap, but we’d had to skip sims due to the lag and crashes, and some of us got back later than others. Some of us stayed at the camp, others kept going, “I want to complete the lap for real.”

For the themed laps, many of us dressed for the occasion. On the “I Can’t Believe I’m Wearing This!” I went back to the human avatar I wore after my “Bid Me Human” Event. Others had some avatars that certainly drew attention. On the “Ride Your Favorite Horse,” I tried to bring out my mount, but for some reason it wouldn’t rezz.

At times, we didn’t walk, but took a moment to look at some of the builds. This included the Steampunk New Babbage, or the Activity Water Region. There was also a scavenger hunt taking place, mostly in the four corner sims, where one had to find the objects on the list.

Over the group chat, I heard of “Bid me Bald” events being done. But one lady had a different idea, a “Pumped Up for Relay - Evangeline Ling, Co-Captain in team Relay for HOPE will be getting PUMPED UP and will be a body builder for every 1000 L donated to her challenge kiosk.” Enough was raised to give her an athletic look for several weeks.

At 7PM, most of us took a break from the walking to head to the club at the Unity sim, not far from the castle. It was Dusk Griswold’sturn to DJ, and as always she did it well from a stocked playlist. She played a number, some were requests. But at one point, she had one in honor of Artistic Fimicloud, the late Sunweaver & Redhead whom is always remembered. For her, Dusk played “Calypso.”


To sail on a dream on a crystal clear ocean,
to ride on the crest of a wild raging storm.
To work in the service of life and living,
in search of the answers of questions unknown.
To be part of the movement and part of the growing,
part of beginning to understand,
Aye Calypso the places you've been to,
the things that you've shown us,
the stories you tell.
Aye Calypso, I sing to your spirit,
the men who have served you so long and so well.


At 9PM was the Luminary Ceremony, and the Redheads went back to camp. The track darkened all over to night, and everyone went silent, in memory of those passed on. But at 10, the sunshine came back, and we were out on the track again. 12 AM was the Masquerade, and out came my vampire bat avatar, flying over the track.’

Yours truly had to take a break to get some sleep, but woke up a little early to rejoin the Relay. This time, a couple Redheads whom couldn’t be there Saturday made it on Sunday, notably Alleara Snoodle. In previous Relays, Alleara had either helped with the building or designed items such as clothes. But this year, events in real life simply couldn’t be put aside. Fortunately, she was able to join her teammates this day.

The Passionate Redheads officially reached “Platinum” status at the Relay Walk. Daaneth made the announcement sometime on Sunday, “Congratulations on all your hard work. You have made me proud to be a Redhead.” And for every Relayer in all of the teams, a small “Teamwork Awars” trophy was delivered.

Finally at 10 AM were the closing ceremonies. Getting back to the castle, the walls and avatars alike took a good deal of time to rezz. Congratulations to all had been going around since the morning, and continued at the closing.

YOU ALL ROCK! - Every last one of you has contributed to making this an amazing Relay. From the tiniest *waves at Lom* to the biggest *waves at King-Kong!* It has been a wonderful experience! And the commitment of our sponsors to RFL of SL has been heartwarming and generous. Thank you ALL so much. Here's a blogpost by Poppy listing y'all. http://rflofsl.blogspot.com/2011/07/thank-you-to-our-sponsors.html


It was announced we had broken our seasonal fundraising record, again. Nearly 75 million Lindens had been raised, equaling over $373,000 US dollars. There were also some stories of inspiration at the closing, though before the ceremonies, Redhead Nydia Tungsten shared the following:


Why I Relay I had never heard of RFL before in my life, even though I watched my step father slowing die from cancer, it was here in Second Life that I learned of it as I listened to some one speak of it, she was describing someone to me that she had lost as well, and I heard others speak of her, that is how I got to know Fimi, and Dusk Invited me to the RFL Team "Passionate Redheads" since then I lost someone else dear to me Kamryn Noel, so I run for all of them, and for you all. I even run for me. When I was a kid my cure for a sunburn was to get another one on top of it. So now I have moles all over my back that I need 4 to 6 biopsied each year. I am terrified that one day I will get the news that I have it. But I will always relay for all of you no matter what.


My own reasons to Relay? Cancer doesn’t run in my family, but it has taken down those around me in real life. Neighbors, coworkers, and family pets. Here in Second Life, I’ve met a number of friends, including the Sunweavers whom make up much of the Passionate Redheads. I arrived too late to have known Fimi, but I can’t help but admire her from how she continues to be talked about.

Funding and research do work. More treatments are discovered. More methods found. And survival rates for some cancers have gone up. The true cure for all cancer still eludes modern science. But throughout the history of medical science, one disease after another that was once a death sentence have found cures and treatments that work at any stage of discovery. Maybe this will be the year a team of scientists makes the public announcement we’ve all been waiting for.

So until then, the Relay for Life will continue on, both in real life and in virtual reality.

Following the closing ceremonies, there were a display of fireworks outside the castle. And there was one last official lap, the Victory lap, the one taken in celebration. At Noon Second Life time, the 2011 Relay for Life Walk was officially over. But the Relayers remained on the grid, continuing to walk laps, explore the builds, enjoy the attractions, or just meet up for a good party. Hours later, I ran into Team Steelhead and Fuzzball Ortega still whooping it up.

The fun continued for the next few days. A few builds went down on Monday and Tuesday, but most stayed up until Wednesday night. Of the unofficial parties, two stuck out. On Tuesday was the second annual “flood party," the first one last year coming about on a whim. And Wednesday had a small “Tear-down party.” On Thursday at Noon, what builds remained were removed. It was then that the Relay for Life Walk was truly over for another year.

The fundraising season isn’t officially over yet, though. August 20 is the official closing event. And once that’s over with, comes the planning for next year, and the planning for the next Relay track, with teams trying to make their next builds better than ones before.

And of course, continuing to meet up with the new friends we made, and old friends we caught up with.

Go Relay!

Bixyl Shuftan

Interview with Amythe Moonlight

Amythe Moonlight, the manager of Mystery, long a beloved personality in her sim, becoming known as the "Princess of Hearts." Recently she became the center of attention with her “Masked Lover” Bloodrose Writer revealing himself, and then Mystery’s “Royal Wedding” between them both. Recently, I had a chance to interview her about her time in Second Life, past and present.

Bixyl Shuftan: So how did you find out about Second Life?

Amythe Moonlight: Someone in another game told me about it, so I came to see what it was all about. I discovered I could make things in here. That interested me and I started building. I began with art, and moved onto other things, In fact, we are sitting in one of the first big things I built - Stonehenge.

Bixyl Shuftan: Oh? Interesting?

Amythe Moonlight: it wasn't on Mystery then. It was moved here.

Bixyl Shuftan: (looks around) I didn't think this was among someone's first builds.

Amythe Moonlight: It was one of mine (laughs), after the art and a few tables. I actually created it from a photograph I took of the real Stonehenge.

Bixyl Shuftan: Nice, what kind of art did you create?

Amythe Moonlight: I started with 3D animated art, abstracts, and some photographs. I used to do a little landscape photography in real-life.

Bixyl Shuftan: Sounds interesting. How did you meet Tygeria?

Amythe Moonlight: I met her at a live music event (smile), and she asked to see some of my work.

Bixyl Shuftan: So she developed an interest in your artwork?

Amythe Moonlight: No, by then I was building houses and had built an semi-Asian style house. She asked to see it.

Bixyl Shuftan: What happened with the house?

Amythe Moonlight: She came and looked around, and was interested in part of the rooftop garden I had built on it. She asked me if i could build a shrine, which I did. Then she asked me for bridges. I think some are still here on Mystery. That's how I became part of Mystery really. I saw what she did here and wanted to help. Tygeria has an amazing talent for bringing out the best in people. So much talent. She is an amazing lady.

Bixyl Shuftan: It's my impression people think of you more as an organizer than an artist. When did you become Mystery's manager?

Amythe Moonlight: Well, I began to build on Mystery. Tygeria was changing things around then, and I worked with her trying to make the things she was seeking. The more I worked with her the more, I learned and the more I fell in love with Mystery and it's concept. To help people, with information, with knowledge, with somewhere safe to visit, with friendship, residents new and old, and to give them somewhere to come to feel at home. In my eyes that was such a wonderful concept, I wanted to become part of it. And so I started here as a builder, and then it grew, and grew, and I never left - and I never will. Mystery is a very special place, and The Queen of Hearts the most wonderful place to call home.

Bixyl Shuftan: How much of Mystery have you built?

Amythe Moonlight: I think Stonehenge, the cafe and the pub, and one shop in the village were originally my builds. But I have worked on other parts of Mystery along with Ayjay. And of course as we update, things change a little. That is one thing about Mystery that I love. The fact it doesn't stay the same. It is seasonal and changeable. You never know what you will find here. What is here this month may be gone next month, or be changed, or be added to.

Bixyl Shuftan: That's true, over time, there have been some interesting things that appeared for a while, like the funhouse.

Amythe Moonlight: Yes the funhouse, the rollercoaster, ruins have come and gone. We even had a kraken live in the lake for a while. That has moved on, though Nessie has stayed throughout . Our lake monster has been here from very early days.

Bixyl Shuftan: The lake monster?

Amythe Moonlight: Nessie - our version of the Loch Ness monster. Even Nessie changes though. She must be getting older; she found a hat and scarf last winter when we had snow here.

Bixyl Shuftan: Heh, with the 7Seas fisher at the lake, does anyone get their rod and reel yanked away? (grin)

Amythe Moonlight: Hehe! No-one has reported it yet! ... Well we have bumper boats out there, so they might scare her off. Hehe!

Bixyl Shuftan: Heh heh. ... Of the seasonal builds, do you have a favorite?

Amythe Moonlight: Ohhh, hmm, that's a hard one. I love the village in the winter with it's snow covered rooftops, and it's trees and lights. The little shops look very quaint. Last year we had ice-skating on the lake that was great fun, with a Christmas market all around the edges, quite Dickensian.

Bixyl Shuftan: Considering that Mystery has thrived for five years, I imagine there have been quite a number of memorable happenings.

Amythe Moonlight: The anniversaries and the supurise parties spring to mind. But everything here is memorable. And the fact it changes keeps people coming back to see what is here now.

Bixyl Shuftan: Anything stand out from the first few years?

Amythe Moonlight: I think the biggest and best thing in the early years for me was meeting Tygeria herself and getting to know her as well as I have! She has taught me so much. She is very inspiring and has the most creative ideas. I just try to make them come to life (smile).

Bixyl Shuftan: Someone told me that you and Tygeria make for an interesting pair of personalities, she the lively funmaker, and you the "straight woman" trying to keep her in check.

Amythe Moonlight: No-one keeps Tygeria in check. We work well together though, and have been sim partners for several years now.We are different, it's true. I tend to be quieter, but we both work towards the same goals and concepts.

Bixyl Shuftan: One of the more recent events has to do with another over a year ago, when you started getting some aynominous love notes.

Amythe Moonlight: Oh the Mystery Man! Yes someone was requesting songs for me from the DJs and live artists, and doing it anonymously. I could not think who it was, though I tried to find out. The songs were wonderful! And I admit it intrigued me. Early this year at one of the live events he revealed himself to be Bloodrose Writer.

Bixyl Shuftan: How long until it get to the point Tygeria was putting up "Wanted" posters?

Amythe Moonlight: Hmm I think that was after the first few months . She posted a reward! No-one claimed it though, since no-one guessed. He sent requests vs newbie (accounts) and remotely. He wasn't in Second Life at the time, so I never suspected him. I had known him for years though, and worked with him a lot in past years, but with him out of SL, I never dreamed it was him.

Bixyl Shuftan: Heh, I imagine it was a big surprise when he reveled himself.

Amythe Moonlight: Oh yes!!! And at an event too! Good surprise though.

Bixyl Shuftan: Did you ever suspect Tygeria might have known who it was?

Amythe Moonlight: I did ask her once, but she said she didn't. She seemed as puzzled as I was.

Bixyl Shuftan: So only speculation as who the "Masked Man" might be?

Amythe Moonlight: Yes it was all speculation until he revealed himself. I believe the live artist Debi Latte was in on the secret, but only for the last couple of weeks.

Bixyl Shuftan: So now that Mystery has had it's most memorable wedding, what are you plans for the future, for you and the sims?

Amythe Moonlight: Well I own Mystery's sister sim, Conundrum. Conundrum is a retail and visiting sim. It has a selection of small shops and a boardwalk and quay with boats to drive around the sim, as well as beaches and things to do. I design clothes and have a dress shop over there, and hope to have a fashion show later this year. I also have my Bears &Stuff business there, animated and chatty bears for all occasions. “Gone Squirrely” also has it's HQ there, so you have to keep one eye out for stray squirrels!

Bixyl Shuftan: Oh yes, the squirrel game. (grin) Supposely it's real fun to play in micro avatars.

Amythe Moonlight: Yes the squirrel game with rogue squirrels to catch! It's such fun! Ayjay and I have been working on that for a long time. We should have version 2 coming out in the near future.

Bixyl Shuftan: How have the practice games gone so far?

Amythe Moonlight: They went well and it is out for sale as version 1. Now we are working on a new version with even more in it! There will be some changes on Conundrum soon, and some exciting new merchandise in a new shop over there, so keep an eye out!

Mystery of course, always changes, and to see the changes here you need to keep visiting! The sim grows with us - it is a place much loved and cared for and as the seasons pass so she grows new things to entice us. As for plans, well there are many. But suffice to say I think we will see several changes here in the coming months.

Always a mystery! You never know what you will find!

Bixyl Shuftan: Anything else that you'd like to add?

Amythe Moonlight: Working with Tygeria and with Mystery is both an honor and a delight. She is my closest friend and my confidante. Without her Mystery would not be what it is today and neither would I. I have grown and changed since I came here as the island has herself. This is the magic of the place.

They say magic is full of mystery. But I say, Mystery is full of magic, both seen and unseen. It touches the heart and resides in the memory. I am so glad I found this place and became part of it, it is now part of me.

Bixyl Shuftan: Thank you for your time Amy.

Source: Queen of Hearts

Bixyl Shuftan

Adopt-a-Family’s Summer on the Boardwalk

Summer on the Boardwalk, a carnival for Adopt-a-Family, was held this weekend, July 8 – 10, at SnickerDoodle (126, 135, 25). Adopt-a-Family is an organization that helps make holidays a little better for Second Life residents facing economic hardship in their real-life. The carnival was a huge success, raising over $288,000 L for this charity.

The festivities included rides, food, live music, auctions, and even a dunk tank. Although the rides could be ridden for free, a convenient ticket box near each one allowed you to donate to the charity. The rides included a Merry-Go-Round, Bumper cars, Ferris Wheel, Jet Scream, and more. I got a great bird’s eye view of the carnival from the Ferris Wheel, but the Jet Scream ride was awesome. It started out tame, but soon was revolving like a rocket. Good thing I rode before I ate the hot dogs and cotton candy.

There was a House of Mirrors that looked interesting, too, but I never made it inside. I was distracted by a few fun-loving residents at the dunking tank who were having a great time. Instead of looking in the mirror, I decided to join them.

Lacie Beningborough and Laetitia Vella had Ted Floresby right where they wanted him—in the dunk tank. Ted splashed into the tank quite a few times thanks to Lacie’s mean arm! Laetitia and I cheered Lacie on a bit, then I had to give it a try. For a small donation I got 3 balls. I made the last one count—and downed Ted again. He was a good sport and was doing it for a great cause.

Other SL celebrities, including Frolic Mills and Dousa Dragonash took a turn in the dunk tank, too. Guess they know us mere mortals love dunking the rich and famous. BlackBarbie Bravin, who is both a SL celebrity and businesswoman said “it was a hoot.” “What's most important,” BlackBarbie said, “is that we are able to help others. It was a great experience and the best reason to ever to mess up my hair.”

On Sunday there was live music. Avantguard Frequency started the show off. When I stopped by he was getting a very warm reception from the crowd. Other musicians were slated to play during the day. Lacie Beningborough, who organized the carnival, said, “Other musicians heard about what we were doing and asked if they could volunteer. So we added an extra 2 hours to the show-- that was totally amazing!”

In addition to the rides and music, jewelry and fashion designers donated items for the auction boards that lined the stage area. Lacie said Frolic Mills and the folks at BOSL volunteered and worked hard to make this event happen. They all deserve a big “thank-you.”

Lacie Beningborough began Adopt-a-Family in November of 2009, when she discovered that a SL resident was in need in RL. The family was in jeopardy of losing everything because the husband had just lost his job, and the couple had two chronically ill children. Lacie organized a benefit to help the SL resident. The fundraiser was a huge success, and she promised to have it become a SL tradition. This year’s Christmas show will be December 19, 2011.

During the year Adopt-a-Family raises funds to help families in Second Life to have Christmas in real-life. The identity of the recipients is known only to the Board of Directors to protect privacy. Donors have the option of remaining anonymous or allowing their names to be used. If you know a SL resident that will need some help during the holidays, you can contact Lacie Beningborough before November 15, 2011.

Grey Lupindo