Saturday, February 25, 2012

Mardi Grads Scenes in Second Life

Tuesday February 21st was Mardi Gras, also known as "Fat Tuesday," Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Day, or Carnival in some places. The event is associated with costumes and parties, and in Second Life where people will sometimes use any excuse to party, naturally the day was reflected here in places.

Among the places throwing a Mardi Gras party was Madpeas.

Leading the event was Kiana Writer, with her fool's cap and "We're all mad here" tattoo.



They had a lot of fun.

Later came a Madpea group notice, "thanks to Beckie and Nomica, Kiana and all the Peas that came to dance and made it such a super Mardi Gras."

The Mardi Gras event featured in the Destination Guide took place in New Toulouse, a New Orleans style area.

When I dropped in, it was between events. There were only a few people around, but the place still seemed to take forever to rezz.



The place had a number of parade floats moving down the streets.

Anyone could ride on them.

And there were some crazy ones.

At the "Lauren Live" standup comedy show that night in Cookie, Lauren dressed the part as a Carnival showgirl.

And in the audience, SecondLie gets a closeup look at another girl.

Club Zero took on something of a Mardi Gras theme with beads being tossed around. Some girls "bared it," but others just smiled.

Just a few scenes of what happened in Second Life at Mardi Gras.

Bixyl Shuftan

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

"Survivors of Suicide" Valentine Ball

On Saturday February 11th, the "Survivors of Suicide" depression-support group held a Valentine's Day Ball. Besides some much needed fun and music for some of the volunteers and group members, the ball was also a fundraiser to take in some Lindens for group expenses. The event was held at the Moon Spirit Club.

Come and join us for a Valentine Ball and fundraiser from 5-8 PM SL time tonight. Wear you sexy valentines outfit. Attached is the invite. I would be most honored if you came. The fundraiser is for the survivors of suicide group.

Dropping in on the party, it started out small at first, but gradually grew in numbers. At it's peak, over two dozen people were there. They were a mix of SoS volunteers and other members, including group leader Krissy Sinclair, Moon Spirit regulars, and a number of others. No one was certainly acting like they were members of a depression support group at the start.

People happily danced away to the music provided by DJ Sunflower Humbridge, whom declined accepting tips. She instead asked people to donate what they would otherwise give her to the depression support group. And the dancers did donate a fair amount of funds, having a good time to the music. At one point, a newbie in a gold robot avatar stumbled in, dancing on the dance pole, which provided some chuckles to the event.

Unfortunately, some sad news reached the party. This was the time news of the tragic death of Whitney Houston made the news, and word spread across Second Life. At the party, the people expressed shock and surprise, as well as worries her name would be dragged through the mud, given her troubled history. Songs were requested, and played, in her honor, such as "I Will Always Love You" and "Run to You," from the movie "The Bodyguard" she starred in, "Save the Best for Last," and "The Greatest Love of All."


I decided long ago,
never to walk in anyone's shadows.
If I fail, if I succeed,
At least I live as I believe.
No matter what they take from me,
They can't take away my dignity.
Because the greatest love of all,
Is happening to me.
I found the greatest love of all,
Inside of me.
The greatest love of all,
Is easy to achieve.
Learning to love yourself,
It is the greatest love of all.



The event went on for two hours before the participants went their separate ways. The SoS group meets every Sunday at Noon SL time in the San Jose East Sim.

Bixyl Shuftan

Monday, February 6, 2012

Will Wright Appears on Special Live 1st Question Game Show

On Friday February 3rd, 7:30 SL time, the noted Second Life game show "the 1st Question" held a special Friday show. Besides the unusual Friday showing, the show was different in other ways. Treet.tv was doing an unusual live broadcasting, the first of the game show since it ended regular live programing in July 2011. The popular co-host Hydra Shaftoe was taking a break from his retirement for a one-time appearance.

Then there were the contestants. One was Widget Whiteberry, the co-producer of the Second Life news & politics talk show Virtually Speaking. Another guest was an name in computing in Real-Life, Grady Booch, known as Alem Theas inworld. He is known for the "Booch Method" in software engineering. First in line left-to-right at the contestant seating was the man described as having "created the simulation game genre" - Will Wright. Beginning with Sim-City in 1989, he was behind a number of simulation games, including "the Sims" series and "Spore." In October 2011, he joined Linden Lab's Board of Directors. Showing a sense of humor, his in-world name was StupidFunWill Resident.

Pooky Amsterdam, who hosts the show, sent notices in her groups and the show's message list about an hour before the show began. To make sure the show wouldn't be too bugged, the number of people allowed in the Spindrift sim would be capped. Those who couldn't get in did have the option of an "overflow" location at the Garden of Dreams sim (Designing World), or watching it on the treet.tv website.

For those not familiar with the game show, it billed itself as "fast-paced fact-based fun of science related merrymaking, audience participation, prizes, wit, and wisdom." It was described more simply by one fan as "like having lunch with Albert Einstein." In the past, it ran for a full hour every Sunday, and was broadcasted live on Treet.tv. More recently, the show was cut to a half hour, and then done once a month on the first Sunday each month. But the show remains as popular as ever, attracting a packed audience during shows. Among the regulars are other noted Second Life residents such as comedian Lauren Weyland. Before each show as early arrivals wait for it to begin, the staff's tiny performers do a small skit to entertain them.

Following the tinies' tale of a mad scientist creating a monster, the audience was wondering if Linden Will Wright would end up the winner that evening. And he did make a good showing. On "Word-Up" when the contestants made up a word for the audience to pick the best one, Will Wright chose "Perplexinated," being both perplexed and fascinated by something and having a strange attraction to it. Grady Booch chose "Poligusted," being disgusted by politics.

Despite some good answers, Will Wright didn't get first place. He took second, while the computer technician Grady Booch ended up the Winner. He was given an undisclosed prize package. Although SL Newser hoped to talk to Will Wright after the show, he promptly teleported out of the studio. Pooky and Hydra talked with the audience for a while, some welcoming Hydra back even if it was for just one episode. Talk soon turned to more casual topics, including some joking around over gestures.

The show can be seen in the Treet.tv archives in a few days. The next episode of "the 1st Question" is scheduled for March 4, 2012.

For CNN's take on the show, Click Here for Any1 Gynoid's article.

*Addition* The archived show can be seen - Here.

Bixyl Shuftan