Relay For Life: After the Walk

By Bixyl Shuftan

Following the Relay For Life Weekend, in which the Relayers walk the track, the sims remain open for some days afterward. This is to allow those who missed the walk to see the exhibits, but it also allows those whom had lag troubles to see the camps and builds without trouble. And yours truly was among those taking some time to sightsee.

Most people walked. But I saw a few people in vehicles, even Sageway two-wheelers. Once I saw some pedal-powered contraption manned by several residents from Loligagger Lane. Getting on it however, I was knocked off as soon as it hit a sim crossing.

Much of the time, inspired by the "Stinky the Skunk" cheers and jokes, I went down the track in my skunk avatar. This included one time at a water build in which the stinker got a dolphin ride.

I wasn't the only one, though. Stopping by the "Bog of Eternal Stench," there was the Relayer whom was playing the part of "Stinky." Who was it? Well, I never heard him admit it, so keeping Stinky's secret identity a secret, for now.

And while going down the track, people would sometimes meet up to talk, or have impromptu parties. Listening to the Relay chatter on Monday July 15, Fuzzball had a challenge to live up to. Since a fundraising goal had been met, he had to go bald, purple, and dress in modern wear. And so he appeared that way on the track, looking like something from "Blue Man Group," but purplish. "Lavender was too girly," his partner Genie spoke amusingly.

As a few more dropped in, a dance animator called "PSY Gentleman" was passed around. And then we were soon having our own little dance party. This included one dancer in an "ent," or tree spirit avatar. She had some "tree"mendous moves.

One of the Relay traditions is the "flood party." It began one year when the water level in one sim was raised before the camps were cleared, and everyone had such a great time, people kept on doing it. This year, it took place Wednesday July 17. There was no need for life preservers this time, though. There was only a foot of water covering the path and much of the ground at RFL Spirit where the flood took place.

At RFL Reflections, a yacht had been parked at the docks, with a skunk figurehead. Aboard were dancing a number of Relayers, with Aryon Dagger acting as DJ behind a booth and spinning tunes. She was soon followed by DJ Madonna as clouds formed overhead, and rained on the people and land down below. Later on, Stingray would show up in pirate regalia and a couple ships with Gorean flags appeared. People laughed rather than shivered, though, and a few were donning pirate outfits of their own. This might have been the last of the big parties, and people were taking advantage of the chance to have fun.

By Thursday July 18, there were a few empty camp areas as their builders had for whatever reason to pack up early. But most of the exhibits were still up, and people explored. In RFL Give, there was one gathering of human and furred avatars, some of both in Steampunk outfits. We enjoyed the music, dancing a little, and swapped a few jokes.

As usual, people were joking around in the Relay Volunteer Group chat, but there were also expressions of sadness. The empty spaces were the sign that the sims would soon be gone, "I'm going to miss the Relay." One woman commented there would be an emptiness in her heart filled only by the planning for next year.

Friday is probably the last chance to see the sims with some number of exhibits. You may also get a chance to see a "demolition party," as the build goes out as part of an event. In two or three days, the sims will fade back into the virtual nether, and The Walk will be over for another year.

Bixyl Shuftan

Jackson Arthur’s Book Biz

By Grease Coakes

One of the major events at book Island is "Jackson Arthur’s Book Biz" previously known as his office hours. He told me the main focus of his book biz is how to better promote and market your literary works and expand your readership. Jackson is fairly lenient as there are not really any rules so long as you show respect to others. In general humans and furries share ideas about books.

As I or anyone walks or flies to his office on book Island Jackson always greets avatars cheerfully through voice. There’s lots of talk outside the topic of promoting your books and writing in general as regulars like DangerDave Writer and Merit Coba come and hang out. Jackson says the only requirement is wanting to chat or read to come to Book Biz.

Silver Moon Unicorn (silvermoonunicorn) had this to say in the zany conversation in text, "Merit and Grease, are you two getting married sometime?" There was an ongoing joke that Merit asked me to marry her and I said sure.

I mentioned that me selling my children’s book in the medium of Second Life is creating some buzz as people come back with positive reviews that I post on Facebook, as a friend, Eyll Tripsa, gave me a good review on my children’s book.  I mentioned that a stranger bought my book by tipping me when I djed. He declined my book, so he said to give it to Ophelia Magic instead, who is a popular playmate at Anthroxtacy. In her own words, she said it was adorable. That was certainlty a positive thing as I didn’t know Ophelia that well as she gave me a positive review.

Another subject that Jackson Arthur brought up was book covers and art in general. One of the challenges of an author is finding an artist for his or her book.  I mentioned a couple artists that did excellent jobs for me. A separate artist did the cover for my children’s book and her friendly drawing style seemed to fit my book. However her style wouldn’t work for all other genres. I suggested an artist named Dishes to Jackson Arthur who drew for me. Like the saying goes not to judge books by its cover but people do it anyway.

Tricia Joy aka redpatski came to the Book Biz and suggested her friend Ricker as an artist. She showed a wonderful black and white artwork of a family of deer.

I asked Jackson a question of what’s harder to write or to promote and sell your story? He said writers have an easy time writing their books and stories, but it’s much harder to promote your story when it’s written. But the other side of the coin is you have to write something to share too you can’t just spend all your time promoting what you don’t have.

Out of the blue Danger Dave gave me 2,000L to promote myself to give out ten copies of my book on the house to people. That was a big surprise. All he asked in return was go to @HaikuHare on twitter and share their thoughts. He said facebook was ok under his real life name  Rick Carlson too I was sure to thank DangerDave for the 2k Linden. I’ll think of a way to promote my book later on.

All in all Bookbiz by Jackson Arthur is a great event to share ideas about marketing and or writing in general. His Book biz at his office starts at 10am SLT every Saturday at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Book%20Island/87/120/44. Everyone is welcome to chat about writing and have a good time

Grease Coakes

Ub Yifu – RFL Designer Builder

By DrFran Babcock

My first awareness of Ub Yifu came during the 2009 Burning Life. We were still calling it Burning Life, and not Burn back then, and I still recall the sense of wonder I experienced upon encountering Ub’s Gulliver installation. “How did he do that?” was the question everyone asked upon seeing his larger than life Gulliver, tied to the playa.

I was thrilled and surprised to find that Ub Yifu was doing a designer build right next to my team’s camp. For those who don’t know: Every year for Relay for Life most teams build a campsite, but some residents are invited to do a build on the annual theme (this year: 100 Years of Hope), and these are called Designer Sims.  As soon as I realized that Ub was our neighbor, I ran over and asked him for an interview. He could not have been more pleasant.

By the way, if you run into Ub Yifu, you will never forget him. Bryn Oh, well-known Second Life™ artist, described his avatar as her favorite. He is a recreation of the famous Picasso Don Quixote and Sancho Panza drawing, complete with both characters! He is a original and creative fellow, and I was happy he agreed to talk with us:

SL Newser: How did you find out about Second Life™? What has kept you here? 

Ub Yifu: I first heard about Second Life™ in 2007 on French TV. They were saying that anybody could build anything in 3-D there, so I wanted to try[smiles]. And… guess what? It was true! So, I got addicted to building things and haven’t stopped for six years now—starting from the basic prim to mesh now.

 SL Newser: How did you come to make statues in Second Life? 

Ub Yifu: I came here to create things, but since I was painting as a hobby in Real Life I started earning a few Lindens importing my Real Life painting into SL. Then, I decided to make the 2-D paintings in 3-D, and I started reproducing famous painting from Matiss , Picasso, Magritte, and DEGAS in 3-D. That lead me to reproduce real life sculptures 

SL Newser: Tell me about your workflow. How do you go from an idea to a three dimensional Second Life™ object ? What tools do you use? 

Ub Yifu: I usually start from pictures and use several 3-D software programs to do the shapes I want. Now meshes are changing the game, and open many windows to 3-D creation.

SL Newser: How did you arrive at your concept for the build you have made for Relay for Life? 

Ub Yifu: Well, I had some help! Ipunin Pera is very aware about the cancer fight with her own charity and she gave me a lot of good advice. The theme is 100 years of the fight against cancer, and I  in the present time sims,  so I tried to symbolize the research from all over the world with a giant microscope studying earth looking like an atom. Around this, the researchers are working hard and helping people. On the ground the people from all over the world gather to do the fight! (Note: You have to come and stand with Ub Yifu’s statues, and experience the feeling of being part of the fight against cancer.)

SL Newser: What would you like the rest of the world to know about Second Life™? 

Ub Yifu: It’s really a place where you can make your dreams come true, especially for people who like to be creative. 

SL Newser:  What other plans do you have for the future?  

Ub Yifu: I’m working on new mesh statues all the time now, and the new thing on my sim is the exhibition of a new Flickr artist doing Second Life™ pictures every month. I found a great community of creative people there and I’m glad to share some space with them. During July 2013 come see Bamboo Barne’s pictures.

I could not agree with Ub any more. I went to the sim where he has his gallery, and ended up exploring and playing in his Gallery for over an hour.

Ub Yifu’s Relay for Life build is a colorful series of paths that lead to a giant research microscope. There are also rides to play on, and multitudes of settings for taking of pictures. As the sign in the playground  there reads: Imagine a world without cancer.

Where to find Ub Yifu’s work:

Ub Yifu’s Designer build at Relay For Life (opening July 13, 2013): http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/RFL%20IMAGINE/34/147/21

SKY SCULPTURES GALLERY: https://my.secondlife.com/ub.yifu/picks/077bf72b-71c7-df01-d9d5-876953e804e4

Ub Yifu also does custom work, and can recreate your avatar as a three dimensional sculpture.

Also:
Gulliver statue at Burning Life 2009: http://www.flickr.com/photos/99404124@N00/3936144076/in/photolist-6ZPLv3-7KDPBK

DrFran Babcock

SL10B Wrap-Up with KT Syakumi

By DrFran Babcock

I finally caught up with KT on the second to last day of SL10B, because she was so busy up until then. She was a blur the few times I saw her. Sure, I was able to corral Doc Gascoigne in the corn field, but KT was not only senior lead along with Doc, but oversaw a two sim stage build of The Reactor.  I was happy when she had the time to respond to my questions:

SLNewser: Well, now that SL10B is winding down, you have had a little time to reflect on the experience and this history-making event. What are your reflections? 

 KT Syakumi : Wow, reflections. Um, I’m reflecting on how nice it will be to start getting to bed at a reasonable hour. You’re in trouble when you start thinking of 2:00 am as an early night. I’m just glad that the general community enjoyed it. We started planning this in January, so it’s been a long road, but hearing the chatter in the group talking about their experiences at SL10B and over the last 10 years makes it worth it. It just feels like the whole SL community wanted to celebrate 10 years of SL.

SL Newser: What would you say was your greatest joy during SL10B? 

KT Syakumi: There were many. I worked by milestones. I have this huge spreadsheet programme thing with tasks and objectives to be completed and dates, etc. The first ‘joy’ milestone was when the sims were finally opened to the exhibitors to start building. These completely empty sims were suddenly transformed overnight. When I logged off the previous evening, the sims were bare and quiet. When I logged on in the morning, probably half the exhibitors had claimed their plots and started building. It was a ‘wow’ moment and was the point where I really knew that the event was going to work.

SL Newser: What was your greatest challenge during the event? 

KT Syakumi: Time-wise, the week after the applications closed was a killer.  There was only one week in between applications closing and the sims opening. I had 518 exhibit applications to process and to send out emails. Just the sheer number to get through meant no sleep for a week. The biggest overall challenge would have been managing and co-ordination of all the volunteers and exhibitors. Well over 1000 people were involved.  

SL Newser: Your amazing build, The Nuclear Reactor Stage, was the talk of SL10B. We would love to have a little peek into the creative process that went into it’s design and construction.  

KT Syakumi: Haha, yes I've heard some of the talk. To me, the SLB is not just about celebrating a birthday. Some people queried how a giant silo on a wasteland fit the birthday theme, and if you’re just having a birthday party, then it probably didn't. To me, the SLB is all about celebrating SL and the diversity in it. It’s about showcasing the best of SL and what it can do. And, it’s about celebrating the community of SL (it is the SL10B Community Celebration after all), and the variety inside SL. I realized before I started that it might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it was important to me that all tastes and styles are represented. The Live stage and the Cake were designed to be the 'Looking Back' part - they were made using only prims and sculpts. And I think we all agree that they in no way suffered from that - they were both amazing. The DJ stage and the Lake stage were the 'looking forward'. They were requested to be full mesh builds, to showcase what can be done now with new building methods. I had the idea of a very game-like build, and you can see the influence of a few different videos games in it. It didn't end up anything like what was in my head at the start, and I completely ran out of time (thanks to Harlequin Rhode who helped me make textures when I sent her panicky IMs), but I think I got the overall feel fairly right.  

SL Newser: I think the lighting and the overall look of The Reactor was stunning. Anything else you want to share about SL10B? 

KT Syakumi : [Laughs] There’s not enough space! I’d like to thank all the staff I worked with—your dedication and ability to put up with me is astounding. I’d like to say a special thanks to the stage builders: Donpatchy on the Cake, Kazuhiro Aridian on the Lake, Toady and Flea on Live, who stepped in late and proceeded to just go beyond my wildest expectations, Aki Shichiroji who made the auditorium, and my unsung hero, Pygar Bu, who ran around making all the random stuff I thought of, as well as being responsible for the welcome area. It looked sparse, but he recreated it to look identical to the original 2003 welcome area completely from a few old photos - no easy feat. These people are the reason I wasn't reduced to a blubbering mess. Their ability and especially attitude made this event for me.

SL Newser: Pie or cheese?

KT Syakumi: Pie. I’m allergic to cheese. You wouldn't want to know me.

SL Newser: What would you like people out there to know about Second Life™? 

KT Syakumi:  Most new technologies seem to go through a few phases. They start off new and slow and build slowly till they hit a bubble and explode in growth. For Second Life™ I think that was 2006. Then, they become hyped and hyped and then over hyped, and suddenly people find that their experience doesn’t match the hype, and it starts fading. I think that is what happened to SL. The cool thing is that people then begin to discover exactly what is possible with the technology and they begin to understand it fully. I think SL is slowly headed into that as it evolves and grows. I’m hoping people will begin to see what SL is really capable of rather than what they’re told it is.

SL Newser: What’s next for you in Second Life™? What can the residents expect from you? 

KT Syakumi: I guess I'm fading back into obscurity again. I need to spend time on my business that I've neglected for the last 2 months - I also learnt a lot about mesh building from making the reactor and I want to put that into practice.

Fading into obscurity? I find that so hard to believe. Watch these pages, because I am sure one of us will be writing about KT soon enough.

DrFran Babcock

Interview with Tuna the Oddfellow of Second Life

By Grease Coakes

A little known secret of Second Life is a magician who has his very own Tunaverse. Tuna Oddfellow, who has been a long time resident of SL since August 15 2005, is a magician in real life. In Tuna's own words, using Houdini as an example, he enjoys pushing boundaries and seeing how far he can get.


Tuna does an incredible job of pushing boundaries as he puts on an amazing light show, the Odd Ball, for your computer screen that you might see at a dance club. In fact he won a contest held by NBC 4 the TV station as the most talented avatar in Second Life in 2007. His color and lights show wowed the judges, earning him the prize. His prize was 1 million Linden which translates to roughly $4,000 in US Dollars.

His light show at his small land will blow you away. Every Monday at 6pm SL and every Sunday at 12 Noon SL, Tuna meets with Jana Kyomoon, a real life ambient musician who created a music album you can get here. http://www.last.fm/music/Jan+Pulsford/Ambient+Reflections+of+Jana+Kyomoon.


Of Jana, Tuna had this to say, “For Jan and me, entertainment duo is more correct than business partners. Though I would love to work with Jana professionally.”

Her album is called “Ambient Reflections of Jana Kyomoon.” I’ve heard Jana’s live music at Tuna’s odd ball and it was very relaxing along with the mind blowing effects that Tuna offers. I had joked that her music is very mellow that it could be romantic. Tuna said that would be too odd though (ha ha!).

In his Tunaverse group he always asks what time is it when his oddball is about to start? His answer every time is:

“Time to get odd odd odd!”

In fact Tuna claims his real life is stranger still.

Tuna Oddfellow, "Well my Second Life is like my first life, both are stranger than fiction. In first life, I spent years as a magician. You know, finger flinging, sleight of hand, reading minds, escaping from chains the works. For many years I had performed magic at private parties, restaurants, as a street magician and as a master of ceremonies."

Looking up Tuna on the web I saw that He has been a real life magician in real life for 26 years along with his job in Second Life as a cofounder of odd studios.

Despite some physical pain Tuna still gets out to perform in real life as he still pushes the boundaries of life,  "I aim to push my own boundaries too."

Grease Coakes, "Oh sure everyone should push their own boundaries to see what he or she can achieve."

Words are hard to express the light and color show that Tuna puts on twice a week so it’s best that you experience it yourself. I remember seeing the lights and colors actually move and not stand still like a normal background. Not so fast that it makes you dizzy more like a slow turn with many colors that your avatar gets drowned in. It’s easy to lose track of other avatars and your own in the colorful world that Tuna creates for you along with Jana’s ambient electronic music.

Pictures say a thousand words sure, but you have to see his Oddball to have any idea what I am talking.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Dragonhenge/134/123/652

Grease Coakes

Editor's note: Tuna has certainly been making shows for quite a long time. Good to see he's still at it. 

Interview with Tantari Kim

By Grease Coakes

Just recently, I turned six in Second Life. I may be old, but there are still avatars in the grid older than me. Like I stated in my interview with DrFran Babcock, Tantari Kim has been here a much longer time then I have. She heard about Second life through a MUCK which is a text based roleplay.

Tantari Kim was part of the SL beta where everyone was building and messing around. She didn’t like that as she wanted to be more of a social butterfly. She left the SL beta going back to a place called there.com, where everyone built cars and had races a lot of the time. Then later someone on a muck said 'come back to SL, someone named Cross Lament can make an avatar for you.' For a one-time fee of $20 in real money Tantari Kim joined Second Life again. She said that Linden labs was nice enough to grant her last name of Kim from the beta Second Life when she rejoined Second Life in April 05, 2004. In April of next year 2014 Tantari Kim will be a decade old, where in comparison my avatar only turned six recently.

I may be old in Second Life, but other avatars are still older than me and Tantari Kim takes the cake. I remember one time hanging out at my fave human club SGB, which is shorthand for Sounds Gravis beach. I TPed Tantari over. When people saw her profile age, a human or two paid her Linden and Tantari was humbled by that. SGB is here at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sounds%20Gravis%20Beach/114/30/30

Back then Second Life was very different where before mainstream furry avatars were available. Furry avatars were custom made for others at the tune of 5,000L vs. buying a regular furry avatar from a vending machine. Back then furry avatars were clunky and had what Tantari said had bubble tails. The lower legs were very skinny on the avatars.

The first furry vending machine made by Luskwood was a big event back in 2004. To Tantari’s knowledge at that time it was a major party back at that time period. Tantari showed me a picture of the grey vixen she bought.

Back then people made Linden by giving ratings to other avatars. Based upon being nice and personality how your avatar looked and building skills. You paid the reviewer 1L per aspect you were asking to be reviewed on for a maximum of 3L. Tantari gave lots of reviews as she made 1,200L per week. I said that would be plenty to live on in Second Life. Get an avatar every week with money like that.

The SL that exists today made accounts free, but now you had to pay real money for the Second Life Linden currency. Tantari and other furries saw the downside as lots of griefers attacked furry clubs like the Ark. Tantari said if a human avatar came to a furry club people would look up the avatar’s profile right away in case they had to report the human avatar. Furries were fearful that humans might grief the sim. But now with free accounts anyone can just make new accounts to regrief the same sim again. When people paid $20 for an account people thought twice about greifing sims or people.  Linden Labs terminated anyone’s account caught greifing.

There’s a place around called The Shelter where they still have a game show going on. Similar to "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," every question you got right was a certain amount of linden where you can choose to keep that Linden or keep answering questions to try and earn higher amounts of linden. Get a question wrong and you lost it all. The game is called payment Podium. Furries and humans are both welcome at The Shelter as a PG sim where tolerance and being polite was the norm. Seems like a nice place to go to if you had a bad day or just wanted to take it easy. It’s still around at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Isabel/47/237/81

In fact a group she created herself is called the Vixen Scouts International as she made her very own vixen scout outfit. The motto is vixen scouts are helpful and kind. The vixen scouts is exclusive however as you must be using a vixen avatar to join in. Tantari is very much like that as she greeted new accounts/avatars at Tutorial Island back in 2005. She described various things on the picture she showed me like a board game called prim attack that she never played. On the right was the circle where new avatars loaded when they finished their tutorial. The purple bike in the picture was free for anyone to use.

She also said how next to the Tutorial Island was Luskwood which was SL’s first furry sim, which is still around today. Tantari showed me lots of pictures with her avatar among various other furry avatars. The avatars including herself shown in the pictures were state of the art years ago, but today could be used as freebies as avatar creating and building has advanced over the years.

I joined in 2007 and I really didn’t know much about Second Life. I went to the Ark which is still around today and met Tantari. She was helpful and guided me around. Another thing she remembered about the Ark is when voice chat was still introduced a few months after I joined Second life. The people who talked in voice chat killed the music played by the stream. The other side of the coin was music got in the way of those having conversations over typing. Tantari said not all people on voice were the sharpest tools in the shed though. Tantari and I talked over Skype we remembered how the ark looked and SL looked a lot different back then. She also showed me lots of pictures.

Tantari was and still is a good friend of mine as she was helpful and kind I was a clueless newbie when I first started. I may be an old avatar in Second Life, but Tantari Kim’s experiences and adventures are great in number as she is one of the first avatars in second life that we all live in today.

Grease Coakes 

SL10B - Meet the Lead Stage Managers!

by DrFran Babcock

I could not be more excited about Second Life’s™ tenth birthday. It is almost impossible to believe that there has been a whole decade of virtual world existence.  The preparations for this gigantic party have been ongoing for several months, and SL Newser is glad to give you some inside glimpses.

Second Life™ is a worldwide, and that means that there are residents active all the hours of the day and night. The four incredible stages of SL10B will be filled with talent around the clock. If you wonder how that gets done; wonder no more. Each stage in the 20 sims (plus two provided by Linden Lab!) has a lead manager, and I will let you get a little peek into the the lives of these residents.

Each of the four Stage Leads was asked the same questions. Below are their answers:

Fedora Jones – Lake Stage. Builder: Kaz

SL Newser: How did you find out about Second Life™, and what was it about this world that kept you here?     

Fedora Jones: I really don’t remember how I first heard about Second Life™, but it was probably some random mention of it on some random web site.  I'm sure it wasn’t a First Life friend who told me about it because I didn’t know anyone in SL when I set up my account.     

I stayed because I wanted to get involved in singing once I had a better computer. Once I got my computer hardware upgraded, I was able to join the SL music community.

SL Newser: How did you come to be a stage manager for SL10B? Have you worked a birthday celebration before?     

Fedora Jones: My first real show in SL was as a singer was at SL8B, and the new (at the time) CEO of Linden Lab visited my show.  So, the SL birthday event has some sentimental value to me because it’s my anniversary, and I wanted to “give back,” if possible.  I was a Stage Manager at SL9B, and I assume that I was asked to be a Stage Lead for SL10B due to my outstanding performance as a Stage Manager at SL9B-LOL.

 SL Newser:  What are your duties going to be like during the celebration?     

Fedora Jones: Basically to “herd the cats” and get everyone in the right place at the right time. Seriously though, my primary duties are to schedule the performers and Stage Managers for the Lake stage, and to distribute information to those people.

SL Newser: Can you give us a peek/preview of some of the entertainment you will be hosting?         

Fedora Jones: The Lake stage is a "Mixed" stage, meaning that it has both deejays and live performers.  Most of the performers at Lake are deejays, but Sunday afternoon will be mostly Live performers.

SL Newser: (In homage to the old Metaverse Messenger): Pie or cheese, and why?’

Fedora Jones: I’ll choose "pie" because there are a wider variety of kinds of pie than of cheese.  Plus, you can put cheese on your pie, or even make a cheese pie, but why would anyone put pie on their cheese?  (Ed’s Note: Haha)

SL Newser: What would you like folks to know about Second Life™? Or, anything else you want to say. 

Fedora Jones: In spite of all its pixelated prettiness and technology, Second Life™ is still based on real people.  For that reason, you’ll experience in Second Life, most if not all of the emotions, and “issues” you have in real life. 

GOLAN Eilde DJ – Nuclear Reactor Stage – Builder: KT Syakumi

 SL Newser:  How did you find out about Second Life™, and what was it about this world that kept you here? 

GOLAN: I heard about it on the news. It was Friday evening on Channel 2.  They were talking about how people were making money, so I wanted to see what that was like. After that, I stayed because of the people;  what they make you feel.

SL Newser: How did you come to be a stage manager for SL10B? Have you worked a birthday celebration before?

GOLAN: I started to do this long time ago (this is my 6th year in the SL), and the sixth SLB event. I started at 2008 at SL5B,  but wasn’t a stage manager back then. We were greeters and moderators, I think.  In SL6B I was Stage Manager for the first time.

SL Newser:  What are your duties going to be like during the celebration?

GOLAN: To make sure all is OK on the stage, but that is just  overall information  so the answer can be divided into a few parts:

24 hour support for event stages, performance events, Live and DJ

 entertainment and stage areas.    

Performance Staff training and coordination, as needed.

Performance Staff scheduling, as needed.

Performer and Deejay applications and schedule(s) assignments, as needed.

Volunteer applications and assignments, as needed.

Stream Coordination and assignments.

Interviews / Subject matter expertise regarding the stages, performers and performance.

Basic Security of the stage areas.

SL Newser: Can you give us a peek/preview of some of the entertainment you will be hosting?

GOLAN: It’s going to be literally 24/7 music for eight days.  Some of the Deejays are top of the line Deejays in SL.  Playing different genres: trance and techno, and even pop music (smile).

SL Newser: (homage to Metaverse Messenger): Pie or cheese, and why?

GOLAN: Pie. pie is sweeter (grin).

SL Newser: Last, what would you like folks to know about Second Life™? Or, anything else you want to say. 

GOLAN: SL is the best virtual world I know.  I also love being here and taking part in this amazing event. Some people make you feel this is your second family.

Linda Sautereau – Main Stage - Cake Stage. Builder: Donpatchy

 SL Newser: How did you find out about Second Life™, and what was it about this world that kept you here?

Linda: I learned about Second Life at my former University, which had an initiative for faculty to teach using virtual worlds.  I basically came to use SL to teach my classes and stayed because of the music and the people.

SL Newser: How did you come to be a stage manager for SL10B? Have you worked a birthday celebration before? 

Linda: I started as a greeter in SLB6 or 7.  I was a stage manager in SLB8.  I had met Doc (Gascoigne) when I was an SL Mentor.  He knew that I owned a jazz club and asked me to be the lead on the Cake stage in SLB9, and again this year.  I feel very strongly about making a positive contribution to the SL community.   

SL Newser: What are your duties going to be like during the celebration?

Linda: Basically to make sure that the residents who come to the Cake Stage have a great time!  That means making sure that the performers start on time with as few problems as possible.  I’ll manage a crew of Stage Managers along with my assistant lead, Laura Polke.  We change and test the streams, handle any griefers, coordinate with the sim coordinators if there are land problems, and just overall run the stage. 

SL Newser: Can you give us a peek/preview of some of the entertainment you will be hosting?

Linda: Well, we have a mix of genres and types of entertainment on the Cake stage:  Deejays of almost every type of music: jazz, country, trance, house, R&B, blues—just about anything.  We will also host dance troupes and tribute bands.

SL Newser: (Homage to Metaverse Messenger) Pie or cheese, and why? 

Linda: Pie...cuz cheese doesn't like me. 

SL Newser: Last, what would you like folks to know about Second Life™? Or, anything else you want to say.  

Linda: That SL is a place where you can be and do whatever you choose to do.  You can create, run a business, or just hang out and listen to some of the best recorded and live music anywhere.  But more importantly, you can meet lovely people from all over the world, many of whom can become great friends!

Jahman Ochs - Live Stage - Turtle Stage. Builders: Flea Bussy and Toady Nakamura
  

 SL Newser: How did you find out about Second Life™, and what was it about this world that kept you here? 

Jahman: I’ve been involved in online communities of one sort or another since 1979, starting with ARPANet (Ed’s. Note: Wow! That’s the beginning of the Internet), through CompuServe and AOL, Delphi and PlayNET, IRC, and so on. I’ve also been a programmer since that same time working in, among other things, 3D graphic display platforms and software. I had always imagined that eventually there would be a way to intermingle the two: a 3D environment that would be a social community, so you might say that Philip (Linden) Rosedale and I were soul-brothers.

I knew about Second Life™ from its inception from the trade magazines and web sites, but did not actually arrive here until 2006, after reading the article in WIRED magazine regarding Philip receiving their Rave Award for Innovation in Business. 

Of course, once I did arrive, I found a world very close to what I had indeed anticipated; was immediately enthralled by the rich building and scripting tools and the depth of community; and, despite all of its flaws, I have never been too far from this place ever since. 

SLNewser: How did you come to be a stage manager for SL10B? Have you worked a birthday celebration before? 

Jahman: My first SLB was SL7, when one of the organizers approached me in the last weeks prior to start, to ask me to assist the Lead in managing a new stage to handle an overflow of acts for which there was no room on the other three original stages. That was the first year that the “Cake” stage came into being. (Of course, now, Cake is the largest of all the stages in SLB). During SL8B, I was again the assistant to the Stage Lead for Main stage, the last year it was called such (now it is called “Live,” to distinguish the fact that it has, exclusively, musicians and singers). That was the first year I was involved from the planning phase and really learned the whole process, from start to finish, that goes into making this event happen.  SL9B was the first year that Linden Labs relinquished their sponsorship, and it was not clear there would even be an organized, multi-sim event. As such, that planning phase was much shorter once we decided to move forward without the Lindens, using donated land. I was still right there when the call went out, and in the span of two months—this time as Stage Lead in my own right for the Lake stage—we put together one of the best SL Birthdays ever!  This year for SL10B I was offered the Stage Lead for the Live stage, and there was no way I would have been happier. I’ve been a musician (singing since I was six months old!) all of my life, and music in Second Life™ is my second passion after scripting.

SL Newser: What are your duties going to be like during the celebration? 

Jahman: As Stage Lead for the Live stage, most of my duties were prior to the celebration. I was responsible for scheduling, contacting and confirming the 120+ performers who will be appearing there during the event(!); recruiting, scheduling and training the staff of 15 Stage Managers who will actually manage the stage during the performances; and collaborate on the details of the stage build with the incredible builders who created the stage and its surroundings on the two sims that make up Live this year. 

Once the event starts (and Live stage traditionally has the first performance of SLB, after the opening ceremonies on Cake stage), it will be non-stop music here with performers back-to-back from 7:00 AM to Midnight SLT for eight days straight, At that point, I will be turning over most of the responsibilities for managing the hour-by-hour details of the stage to my team, of whom I am most proud. We work together as a unit, to make sure that every performer arrives on time, gets on stage with a working stream when they are scheduled, and has the opportunity to give the very best show possible. My role will be to make sure my team has anything they need during the event to make that happen, as well as fill in for the various roles involved where there are gaps in the schedule.  

SL Newser: Can you give us a peek/preview of some of the entertainment you will be hosting? 

Jahman: My goodness, with over 120 performers, all of whom are at the top of their game, it's hard to be that selective! Pete Mroz (Pilgrim75 Swashbuckler in-world), LindiMoo, Lyrica Acoustic, Ilianor Illios, Tone Uriza, Premium Composer, Sioux Nikolaidis, Debi Latte - and the opening act this year is Mimi Carpenter. These are just a handful (or two!) of the absolutely incredible mix of musicians and acts, which includes dance troupes and cheerleaders! Without a doubt, I can say this is the very best overall collection of talent that we have ever offered on an SLB stage. 

SL Newser (in homage to the Metaverse Messenger): Pie or cheese, and why? 

Jahman: Cheese, because I'm a savory kind of guy

SL Newser: Last, what would you like folks to know about Second Life™? Or, anything else you want to say. 

Jahman: Second Life™ is not a game. It’s a community of creative and passionate people in an environment truly unlike any other in the history of humanity, and representing a concept of reaching out beyond the physical world to form a place fueled completely by collective imagination. Whatever the future holds, that vision came to full fruition here first, and I am hopeful it will forever be remembered as such. 

So, there you have it. I think you will agree that the Stage Leads are a diverse and worthy group of Second Life™ residents. Say hello to them as you groove to the entertainment they provide.

DrFran Babcock

SL10B: Interview With Doc Gascoigne

By DrFran Babcock

Doc Gascoigne is well known in Second Life™ for his philanthropy and commitment to events such as Burn and the Second Life™ Birthday celebrations. I didn’t really know him well, but have bumped into him at many of these events. I have always had an affinity to him since his name is Doc, which is what most of my friends here call me.

I was thrilled when co-SL Newser reporter, Gemma Allen contacted me to ask if I would like to conduct an interview, with Doc. I was pleased and astonished, because he is not someone known to give interviews.

So join me as we meet this wonderful co-leader of the Second Life™ Tenth Birthday Celebration:

SL Newser: My first question is always: How did you find out about Second Life™, and what is it that keeps you here?


Doc: I got an email from Second Life™; a try us out email. I was a member of There.com, and I thought: Wow another interesting place for me to try out, so I went there. My graphics card crashed, and I went to hunt down another. In There.com I was a mentor and worked the newbie island.

What keeps me here is the community.  When I was a mentor we made connections to new residents and we often recruited those who found Second Life™ amazing and wanted to be a part of the community.

Almost 9 years later I still find new recruits, and I still feel that sense of community. I still want to be a part of it all.


SL Newser:  You are well known in Second LIfe™ for being a mentor, your participation in Burning Life, Burn, and the Second Life™ Birthdays, yet very little is known about you. What is it that made you agree to an interview at this time?



Doc: At nearly 9 years and for the 10^th  Birthday, I decided to finally be interviewed and only by you. (laughs). In all my time as a mentor, volunteer and event lead I never thought, no matter how many times I had been asked, anyone wanted to hear what I had to say.  I do not consider what I do as anything special other than to recruit and round up people and set them up for volunteer opportunities. When you are part of the community, you want to be a part and participate. This year’s gathering expresses what true community is about.

Community is not just a word it is an entity; a living, breathing entity (Author note: emphasis mine). It’s interacting population of various kinds of individuals in a common location. Our common location is Second Life™. It was truly humbling for me to see so much collaboration that the Second Life™ community has shared for this event.



SLNewser: What are the things that you like about SL? You have been here a long time, and you have seen many changes.

Doc: The gadgets are my thing—both simple and complicated. Little bells and whistles and ingenious things we buy or people generously give for free that make Second Life magic. You have to enjoy the Engineer's Motto: If it isn't broken, take it apart and fix it....again and again!



SLNewser: What’sit like to organize an event as big as this birthday celebration?
Doc: It is a lot of work. It is a giant undertaking that without the help of over 1000 people (!) would never come to fruition.

We seek out really great people from all over Second Life™. The main trick is spreadsheets. I make a wicked spreadsheet. I find our best volunteers also have a love of Second Life™ community. They are natural leaders, generous, with various skill sets and backgrounds. We know that with each great interaction we “pay it forward,” and bring more people into our little army of volunteers. It is a Borg-like thing, we assimilate residents and make them part of the volunteer collective. (Author note: But, like, a positive Borg thing, right?)

SL Newser: What do you hope people experience when they visit SL10B?


KT Syakumi suggested we use the theme “Looking Forward, Looking Back.” We would like everyone to share the momentum of the event as we see ourselves: from whence to hence.

SL Newser: Pie or cheese? (Obligatory homage to Metaverse Messenger, the badly missed SL Newspaper)

Doc: Pie

SL Newser: What would you like folks to know about Second Life™?


Doc: You are a valuable asset to Second Life™.  Second Life™ is a community built with user created content. You are a part of this community. It will be your knowledge and skills that will help others continue to build and create.


SL Newser: Anything else you want to share ?

Doc: If you enjoy the party this year think about becoming a volunteer next time. Stay in the SLB Community Group for info and updates. Come join us! 



Haha, I guess Doc means: You will be assimilated.

If you see Doc during SL10B, thank him for his selfless service, and his passion for Second Life. I know I will.

DrFran Babcock

Avatar Discrimination: A Club Gives Furs the Boot

By Grease Coakes

At random I wanted to hang out and listen to music at a human club. Human clubs are known for lots of emotes and dance music that you might hear at a dance club in real life. In my experience human clubs are great places for me to write, or to play neopets while my avatar just dances. If everyone uses emotes I’m not really missing out on much in the club chat.

Then one time while checking out one club, GOL Element the 8th, I was surprised that I was imed by the club host, Psique Delicioso.

Psique Delicioso: hun

Psique Delicioso: please change to human form

Psique Delicioso: lol

Grease Coakes: Why?

Psique Delicioso: no furries

Psique Delicioso: its rules bebe

Grease Coakes: So basically this club is against furries? (shocked)

Psique Delicioso: we not against anything hun

Psique Delicioso: it’s been like that since it’s been founded

Grease Coakes: Wouldn't you think a rule like that is outdated in SL?


A little later I was ejected for simply refusing to change to a human avatar.

The next day I stop in to see if lightning strikes twice. Sadly it does, but I was able to speak with the manager and I had this to say.


Grease Coakes: Hi Lava I was wondering why furries are not allowed at your club?

LavaIncandescente: cuz is in the rules

Grease Coakes: That's your only answer?

LavaIncandescente: we try to explain to people what to be allowed

LavaIncandescente: in this club stay rules  no animal no furry

LavaIncandescente: please can your change avatar

LavaIncandescente: ?

Grease Coakes: Is there a certain reason you do not allow furries or animals? I mean I have lots of Linden to tip your DJ and host. My money is no good here?

LavaIncandescente: @--'--

Grease Coakes: I don't have any human avatars.

LavaIncandescente: sure but you have need change avatar

LavaIncandescente: for to be allow here

Grease Coakes: And yet humans have been allowed in furry clubs. Don't you think it's rude and racist to not allow furries in your club?


A little later Tiggeh, a furry who likes to hang out at IYC, and I were both ejected for being furry. Tiggeh and I both began talking with each other."

Grease Coakes, "It's different if they only booted me, but if they booted two different furries that says something."

Tigg:eh (tiggy.scholessinger), "They are technically racists."

Grease Coakes, "I was thinking that for example we can change avatars in SL. But In real life how would that look if that same club in real life didn't allow blacks?"

I think in today’s multi cultured and multi-racial world a club in real life wouldn’t get very far if they said no Africans or Asians allowed.

Tiggeh also mentioned a group that he was a part of called “Furs Againist SL Social Inequality”. I easily found the group on Tiggeh’s profile and asked what the group was about.

Kenshin Kazoku (forgottendreamkeeper), "We're basically a group of furries who are fed up with the lack of respect here on SL... "

Kensihn was also booted from a cabin hangout sim just for being furry and got this excuse from the manager, "We have a very specific clientele and we would not want to offend anyone by allowing you here." Fur is offensive? It boggles my mind why someone would find an animal avatar offensive in second life.

The flip side is why someone would be prosecuted in real life for walking around in a fur suit. As a kid I remember watching Sesame Street or maybe seeing someone in a cartoon animal suit and thinking what would it be like to be a cartoon animal or a real animal? So if it socially acceptable to be in a fur suit, say an entertainer at Disneyland, why not dress up in a fursuit on your free time? Amurtigress, a griffin friend of mine, showed me a picture of him wearing his fursuit to cheer up children at a hospital in his country of Germany in real life.

I think this article speaks out that racism is wrong in today’s society whether as a pixel avatar or in real life. It’s sad to see that even in a virtual universe like SL where there are many great things to see and places to hang out. I was shocked at GOL when I was told not to be a furry. Something for GOL 8th element to think about is you can change your avatar in second life sure. But what if this was in real life and I was writing about a real life version of your club. Would you still ban a furry for being born the way he or she was? Yes I know furries don’t exist in real life, but I’m making a point.

It’s easy to eject a pixel furry, but would it be so easy in real life to say it’s just the rules and not have a valid reason behind the rules?

Feel free to stop by http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/GOL%207/139/205/34 which leads to GOL Element the 8th to hang out as a furry.


Grease Coakes

Lyle Lindman and his Mythology Class

By Grease Coakes

Lyle Lindman a long time avatar of Second Life every Mondays and Tuesdays at 4pm SLT tells stories from Greek mythology. It’s neat to hear stories told in voice chat in Second life or also in real life. Sometimes you can hear a storytelling in real life, but here in second life it’s as close as your computer.

I asked Lyle why he tells stories in Second Life? He answered that he enjoys reading the stories as they connect to issues in real life as well as language and words we use today. With his German accent he tells the story in voice chat.

The day I wrote the article he spoke stories about Apollo and Oracles. The main theme was about kings and others who asked to have their fortunes told. For example the king of Persia asked an oracle will he destroy an empire in his exposition. The answer he got back was when he crossed a river he will destroy an empire. When he crossed a river, he ended up destroying his own empire.

A story he told about Apollo who is the god of the sun was his son Eros AKA cupid got upset and shot Apollo in the heart. There was a mortal woman named Daphne who enjoyed hunting and praising the gods and goddesses especially Gaea (which translates into Mother Earth). Apollo when he was shot by Eros fell in love with the mortal woman Daphne. Apollo pursued the woman, but she had no interest in men so she ran from Apollo. Eventfully Apollo did catch up with her and caught her in a loving embrace. Daphne resisted Apollo and prayed to Gaea, and to save Daphne Gaea changed her into a tree. Apollo was angry and snapped off a branch from the tree. And from then on, the laurel branch was sacred as Apollo is always seen with a laurel branch in his golden hair.

Another story about Apollo told of a satyr, a half man half goat creature, of the woods. His name was Marsyas and he boasted no one could beat him in his skill as a double flute player. Apollo was angry about this and challenged him to a musical duel. Whoever won may inflict any bodily harm on the loser. Apollo and Marsyas were equally skilled musically, but Apollo defeated him by playing his lyre upside down. Marsyas could not play his double flute upside down and thereby lost the challenge. Apollo flayed Marsyas alive and took his skin and nailed it to a pine tree. The tears of the woodland creatures crying in sorrow filled the river Marsyas. This story teaches not to be prideful or else your own pride will destroy you.


In addition to the storytelling at his amphitheater there’s also a pond area for meditation and relaxation close by. I sat on one of the rocks relaxed as I wrote this article.

I commented that Lyle seemed to know a lot about Greek myths. He responded modestly and said,  "Wow, I am not really an expert. (smile)." I told him he seemed to know more than most people. He took credit by saying this, "Most of it can be found in a book by EM Berens, it is called myths and legends. I chose some parts I thought to be interesting and read stories from other books. (smile)"

Greek stories like any other set of stories from any culture are written for entertainment as well to teach life lessons. Lyle said he wanted to contribute to SL among the many other things you can find in Second Life. When I heard him in voice chat he did a great job telling the story in voice and leading a discussion afterwards. If you’re not in the mood for club hopping and instead want to relax and hear a tale stop by Lyle’s amphitheater and stay for a spell.

Lyle’s amphitheater is at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Laurier/223/77/200.

Grease Coakes

Interview with Netera Landar

By Grease Coakes

I heard about another book author in Second Life called Netera Landar. She was nice enough to interview me at her home in SL which was a beautiful sim. Her newest book Deadly Reservations is the third book she has written which involves angels. She also has been working for a newspaper in real life near Chicago, IL as a lifestyle editor. Right now she’s working on a fourth book a sequel to "Deadly Reservations." In real life her name is Denise Fleischer. She started with poetry in high school and moved on with bigger fish to fry in her adult life. In Second Life she also works for the Metaverse Tribune, a newspaper here.

Her wild imagination helped her cook up first book called the guardian. A crusader from the American Revolution is drawn into an intergalactic battle for the fate of Earth. Lea Netera the main character is drawn to a captain who needs her help to fight the Dark Lord of Intarius. Lea is drawn into a battle with the Holians with a talking dragon and more in Netera’s first book. You can take a look here at http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=stripbooks&fieldkeywords=Deadly+Reservations.

The second book that Netera/Denise wrote is a sequel to the guardian where Lea wants to escape back to her original time period. The odds are against her as she travels back to the Olympia’s past and must fight the army of Intarius to save billions of lives.

The third book she has written is a whole new series with Zoe as the daughter of the archangel Michael is born as a human to investigate the demon Mathias who as a mayor in small towns uses American greed and money to get his way. Only Zoe and David an agent for the FBI know Mathias’s secret that he really is a fallen angel. Zoe has heavenly powers at her disposal including creating a cube which is a holy jail cell for any fallen angels or demons. She also has an AI on her wrist named Charles. Mathias uses deadly assassins to kill anyone who tries to stop him. The sequel is "The Sharp Edge of Truth" that Netera is working on now.

I asked Netera about her hobbies and she happened to like movies pets, reading, and jewelry. She said she really enjoyed the new star trek movie. In fact she mentioned she met actors form the TV series and movies. She met the actor who played Chekov and the actress who played Ohura. She also met John De Lanice who played Q and Brent Spiner who played data the android wanting to become human. She also reviews books on wordpress.com

I asked Netera does she have any advice for any hopeful writers? She said to simply keep writing and you can’t force it. That’s certainly good advice as I kept pushing and writing to publish my children’s book.

Later on in the interview she brought out a robot named uncle Irvin. It showed questions in green text and it gave you back scripted responses. The robot was created by Grey Kurka.

Grease Coakes: "Hi Irvin."

Uncle Irvin: "Hi there. Have you ever been to Europe?"

Netera Landar: "Have you?"

Grease Coakes: "No I haven't."

Uncle Irvin: "No I don't think I have. Would you like to go sometime? Do you think you will?"

Grease Coakes: "Maybe later who knows?"

Uncle Irvin: "Perhaps. Only the Shadow knows."

I had to laugh out loud at the last line.

Netera also created and published a magazine called Unforgettable magazine. She gave me the copies that I simply wore and it showed up on my SL screen like a HUD.

Netera seemed like a very busy woman writing her butt off for her own magazine a newspaper in real life, a Second Life publication like I do, and her own stories being published into real life books. Her books certainly seemed original as she encouraged me to stay original and not copy off others.  Well of course no one wants to read something that’s rehashed. If you’re looking for something new check our one of her books at Amazon.  And remember to watch out for angels, one may cube you if you have been misbehaving like Mathias the fallen angel from her book.

Grease Coakes

Interview With Pooky Amsterdam Part Two

By Bixyl Shuftan

For Part One of the interview, Click Here. 

When I interviewed Second Life media personality Pooky Amsterdam last month, she had quite a bit to say about her experiences. We soon ran out of time, and agreed to meet up the next day. The following evening, she invited me over to the set of "The 1st Question" in the Sci-Lands.


Arriving at the place, it was of course empty except for the two of us, Quite different from when it was bustling with avatars during shows. She invited me to sit at her desk, at the co-host's chair.

Pooky Amsterdam: "I know there's enough room for your tail, Hydra sits there. … That was one thing I had asked for when the set was redesigned - Please leave room for Hydra's tail."

Bixyl Shuftan: "Yeah, distracting as heck if it's cramped (grin)."

Pooky Amsterdam: "Heh (grin), gotta know that. … What are you doing at RFL this year?"

Bixyl Shuftan: "Covering events here and there mostly."

Pooky Amsterdam: "Woohoo! Well, that makes sense. … Great, and it is all for a great cause. The help, and the personalized help this Relay gives is something pretty amazing. The way people who have cancer can find help, I mean that too. Fay Foley said to me that there was a woman who was afraid of needles. She couldn't burden her family with her fear of pain as it were. And well, her doctor didn't understand, but it made her very reluctant to seek treatment. And by talking to people here by being able to open up and come out on that to express it freely with those who understand - well it helped her beat that and she got the treatment and help she needed."

Bixyl Shuftan: "Let's see, … the Time Travelers show … "

Pooky Amsterdam: "It's like a traveling band of troubadors who create modern music in the past dimensions. Okay, not true. It's a different story, the troubadours."

Bixyl Shuftan: "You once had a different idea for the machinma?"

Pooky Amsterdam: "More than once. I have new ideas all the time."

Bixyl Shuftan: "How did the idea for the machinima arise?"

Pooky Amsterdam: "It came from discussions I was having with Dr James canton of the Institute for Global Futures. We had been talking about how great it would be to use SL for a studio set and to do a series. He was doing some work with the SLFC & iHelp student Loan. The idea of three teens who travel to the future and meet their older selves and a battle for the Good Singularity came out of these talks. They came out of discussions … about the importance of college education and what what kind of skills kids will need in the future what kind of jobs and enterprise there will be and how they need to equip themselves. We both have daughters in their early 20's too. And of course the futuristic builds and the natural sci-fiction feeling that you are in another world here, well these things contributed too."

Bixyl Shuftan: " … you had a daughter?"

Pooky Amsterdam: "Yes she is 20. I am truly grateful to have this amazing young woman in my life. The greatest joy is being her mom."

Bixyl Shuftan: "What does she think of Second Life and what you do here?"

Pooky Amsterdam: "She has come into SL but didn't have the desire at that moment to plunge on in. She is in college so that does take a lot of focus and time. She thinks it's kind of cool and she also has done the voice of Mariah in the Time Travelers too."

Bixyl Shuftan: "Oh, she has?"

Pooky Amsterdam: "She is more interested in the other side of the screen though, I think right now. Yes she has. I play the older Mariah, and she the younger."

Bixyl Shuftan: "Oh yes, I thought I recognized the voice. (grin)"

Pooky Amsterdam: "(I'm) not always easy to hide (grin)."

Bixyl Shuftan: "Time Travelers is still a series in progress. About how long will it take to finish?"

Pooky Amsterdam: "Well, we are on episode 6 now. It's a very long episode about 12 minutes. This might take us about 4 months or so. The entire series, I am not sure. We might extend it to some things about futurism and the Singularity onto the web and through social media."

Bixyl Shuftan: "You've done a few other videos, including a parody of "Date Your Avatar." (Link)

Pooky Amsterdam: "Yes we have done a bunch of films indeed. I saw Date Your Avatar when it was at 398 hits."

Bixyl Shuftan: "I don't recall another video of yours based on another. What inspired this?"

Pooky Amsterdam: "Well, I'm seeing the film and I had two very distinct thoughts. One, they had missed an opportunity to not use actual avatars. And two, 'Date your avatar?' Hahhahahah! I'm too busy to date your avatar."

Bixyl Shuftan chuckles

Pooky Amsterdam: "So then I saw myself at this desk actually, and I'm getting business deals and have to do things professionally for the show, and then I have a date and 'oh gee I just cant make it tonight' with the opener. The concept kind of was there. It was Draxtor Despres whose genius in film making and ability to embrace all kinds of elements, well it was a great collaboration, including a musician he knows called Samuels Dream."

"It was something that we worked on, and really captured something great, the loneliness and alienation of fame, the pressure as well, the need for love the plaintive cry, and the tines. Some of the things would evolve as we shot them, which isn't our usual style really, things are pretty well laid down in pre-production and the filming takes the shortest amount of time so this was something that did have a life of its own."

Bixyl Shuftan: "Yes, it did get attention among the residents."

Pooky Amsterdam: "Yes. and became a meme in a way too. …That was the first film I collaborated with Drax on where he was director. I had met him in NYC during the last state of play and knew the minute he said hello, he had to be the voice for Dr Occam. We were just casting 'Shrink Wrapped' then."

Bixyl Shuftan: "Oh really?"

Pooky Amsterdam: "(I)love working with him, and we have gone on to other films.  He shot the 'Troubleshooter 2' for Sclera Designs. and of course we worked on the 'Flufee on a Meshion' series." (link)

Bixyl Shuftan: "Oh yes, that proved to be a hit."

Pooky Amsterdam: "Loads of fun."

Bixyl Shuftan: "Did you expect to do so many videos of Flufee?"

Pooky Amsterdam: "Well, I knew there would be (more) Flufee Episodes. I don't have to have scope on something like that. It was great to do. I guess I didn't, but was pleased the reaction was so positive. And that of course makes you want to do more. We were invited to show 'Monster Mesh' at the New Media Film festival. so it will be there actually this summer."

Bixyl Shuftan: " 'Doing the Monster Mesh' (grins)"

Pooky Amsterdam: "Heh, that film I actually do look at a lot. It makes me laugh."

Bixyl Shuftan: "Heh heh, I imagine loads of residents were."

Pooky Amsterdam: "That is a film that I also think has a very good crossover feel.  You don't have to know what Second Life is, or game engines, or machinima. It's an entertaining film. And in the end that is the goal, to make something that stands on its own."

Bixyl Shuftan: "With the possibilities of Second Life mentioned so much, I imagine you've thought of the SL10B coming up, the tenth anniversary, not to mention it's theme, 'Looking Back, Looking Forward.' "

Pooky Amsterdam: "Yes I have. I'm hoping we can do a '1st Question 'edition for it or a special like a 'Yay Me or Nay Me' the SL way, and have some things on Second Life as the content for the questions. It's going to be pretty interesting. If the residents and people who know and love the grid had been supportive of Linden Lab and Second Life over the years in a kind of joyous unison, I think that would have reflected well on the grid. The folks who are in here are the ones who know more and more firsthand what being a resident means, although not perfect. I have tried to portray SL to others in the light I find it, incredibly creative and compelling a true learning experience."

"I hope that people will reflect in the greater press on what the positives are. I think in the end it will draw more people and opportunity than the dishing and negatives one can find. But of course, its a free press and should be. In no way would I say not speak of what is important, but … I wish that people would have that broader thinking cap on of how is this really going to appear to those who aren't my next sim neighbor. Just my reflection on it, but I love Second Life and I do think that machinima is a great ambassador."

"I don't need people to love SL, or come here or accept me for wanting to live a virtual life. I just must have the films look great.  I do think of Second Life as my nation though, and will defend it. It's funny, but we all learn so much about ourselves in here, and also what we are capable of in terms of work, in terms of the work we do for love, and it has been inspiring to the greatest degree to meet the people I have here, including people who are definitely my lifelong friends, and of course the people I work with too."

Bixyl Shuftan: "Besides finishing up 'Time Travellers,' what other plans did you have in the future?"

Pooky Amsterdam: "My past future plans? My present future plans? or my future future plans? 'The future is happening baby.' "

Bixyl Shuftan: "Well, all of them if you like."

Pooky Amsterdam: "In the past, like if there was no SL in my life, I really have no clue. Funny isn't it? I try to think what would I have been doing? I don't know. Maybe (I) would have started back doing some stand-up comedy. I had been a regular at the 'Comic Strip' In New York City. Would definitely have been writing no matter what."

"My present future plans are of course to produce more films and keep working in the professional way we do. We might be doing some videos for a new app actually. The principals have seen our work and we are working on some new material for this project. I feel honored to be working with these people. I can't really say more - it's hush-hush. The opportunity to have the work be called so original, and to have a company like this want to use us is great though. So I see real growth here."

"We have also another 'Vector Control' film out in the fall. It's finished, but the district asked us not to make the film public until they launch their educational program around it. So, well thats exciting!"

"I am working on a book on Virtual World Television with Carrielynn Reinhard. That is going to be pretty incredible too. We interviewed over 3 producers. It is about TV production in Second Life for a number of reasons too. The IP rights, the free tools of creation here, the talented residents, and the inworld networks. No other place has a comprehensive environment as this. We are going to be also talking about the very early days of Virtual tv with something the BBC had going in the late 90's called 'Inhabited TV' where the audience, those watching, could also participate in the program. It is about how TV has been co-opted within the virtual world universe."

"It will be fascinating I think, and with all the second screen discussions now. Well Bix, you know I think the future is 'What are you doing on TV tonight Honey?' Not who are you texting during it, or are you watching on Hulu, or Netflix. It's profound, the kind of work that so many producers have done in SL. I think what we are doing is the Grail for the (mainstream media) in many ways."

Bixyl Shuftan: "Interesting thought."

"Might the 1st Question reappear soon in regular episodes?"

Pooky Amsterdam: "I have had to scale the show back recently this year, as we have gotten so busy. And the book has been also consuming time. The show takes about 20 hours a week to produce, write and book. So right this moment, I cant say when. But I do want to continue it. I also want to put out the 'PookyPedia,' the lexicon of words."

"The show is constructed very tightly and the script for it has to be written, well you know that. Hee hee."

Bixyl Shuftan: "Heh (grins).  Well, it's getting late. Was there anything else you wanted to add?"

Pooky Amsterdam: "How grateful I am to be working with some of the greatest folks ever, people who bring humor and hard work ethic to everything, that know the human effort this all takes and how great they are. I would thank them all, Robwag Soothsayer, Russell Boyd, Petlove Petshop, Emo Wei, RIchard G Roberto, Draxtor Despres, Claus Gahrn, Rysan Fall, Lapiscean LIberty too and the great folks who do the voiceover work. RIcky Grove of course not only for his star turn in Zanzibar, but for being also a great inspiration and friend.  I would also thank him for asking me to be Programming Chair for the Machinima-Expo last November."

Pooky Amsterdam: "You know Bixyl, it takes people who know you and are motivated and want to make something greater than ourselves happen. We are able to do this also because, make no mistake, we find each other. And we learn and we grow and we achieve together. It's been the best place on Earth for me many a night and day. And in fact in some of the darkest nights, as well as brightest dawns. … It's like I have found my tribe here! Here are folks who see what the possibilities are, and want to make something really wondrous."

"And the shopping isn't too bad either. Woahahhahahahahhaah!"

Bixyl Shuftan chuckles, "Yeah, no other shopping experience *quite* like in Second Life."

Pooky Amsterdam: "Totally, and that expanding closet known as inventory, well
[01:33]  Pooky Amsterdam: it really works. Though one of my favorite words in PookyPedia comes from Harper Beresford: 'Inventoil.' "

Bixyl Shuftan: "Heh, I have a guess that that means."

Pooky Amsterdam: "Which is, of course trimming your inventory in one of those not too busy moments of Second Life which never really lasts long."

 Bixyl Shuftan: "That pretty much covers all the questions I had, Pooky, thank you.  I'll have the Interview up soon."

Pooky Amsterdam: "… I hope its interesting for people to read. … We all do our things, 'dance like no one is watching.' (grin)"

"Bixyl thank you, and please let me know when it's on the webwave!"

Pooky Amsterdam's personal blog is at http://www.pookyamsterdam.com/ . Her company, PookyMedia, has it's website at http://www.pookymedia.com/ . She is also on Twitter and Facebook. And of course she can be seen at events at Second Life, giving an occasional discussion about social media, future technology, and other subjects. Expect her at the SL10B event.

Bixyl Shuftan