Bee Gees Tribute Concert

Sunday a friend sent me tickets to see the Bee Gees Tribute concert in Sceond Life. Since there was no party today  Qwark and I went off to Mountain Breeze to have some fun. There is a very impressive stage setting there for concerts. 

“Wear your ticket on you ... have a good show “ said the robot greeter. The arena filled up quickly with 50  and more in attendance. The singers and musicians took the stage and began their songs! It was great!!

The musicians strummed their guitars as the three brothers sang their hearts out. The Bee Gees in real-life just lost the second of the brothers . Robin Gibbs who passed away last week. Maurice died in 2003. The third brother, Barry, is still living. This group comes out of England but began their careers in Australia. There popularity rose in the 60‘s and into the 70‘s and their songs live on in popularity now.

It was nice to spend an Sunday afternoon listening to the tunes. The audience was very appreciative. The event was sponsored by Azem Aaybe (Chris). His profile says “Music is life.” He looks like his life in his entertainment for sure!

Was a wonderful experience and all the music of the Bee Gees, one after another! There was even  a guest appearance by Celine Dion!

All in all it was a terrific show and a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon! 

Gemma Cleanslate.

Bay City's Fourth Anniversary Parade

On May 20th, Bay City celebrated it's fourth anniversary. Created by the Linden Department of Public Works, the area was built to represent the North American urban experience in the mid 20th Century (think Chicago in the 1950s). Attractions include the Bajou Theater, the Channel Island Mental Hospital, the Municipal Airport, the "Hot Balls" bowling alley, and more. Every May, the city has a Parade event, followed by a party. And this year Second Life Newser was there to get the details.

Marianne McCann, one of Bay City's leaders, helps organize the parade, next to racing snail Tindallia Soothsayer.

People gathering at the parade, including the racing snails, cheerleaders, and stilt walkers.

The snails observe a "noob" balloon.

The old parade locomotive slowly rezzes near the Jabba the Hutt float, and the Second Life Coast Guard.

RacerX Gullwing's own racing snail.

Critters were part of the parade too. And no, this was no "drama llama."

Well, this stiltwalker was looking a little "blue."

Marianne gets the parade ready to star, "Are we ready?"

And they're off, "Let's do this crazy thing!" with the Coast Guard at the lead behind Marianne. 

They're followed by the locomotive, and the racing snails.

Going down the city street. 

Followed by the Jabba and "Stingray" floats.

And here come the stiltwalkers and critters.

The parade goes past the new "Hairy Hippo Fun Land" down Route 66.

And past the shipyard area. 

The end of the parade route at the Bay City Fairgrounds, with the lag delaying some buildings being seen.

And at the Fairgrounds, there was live music and dancing. Note the "Noob" balloon, which for some reason the handler couldn't let go of. Guitarist Christov Kohnke was on stage the first hour, followed later by Bluemonk Rau.

Holocluck Henley dances with "Princess Leia." Obviously, he's happy to see her.

The parade was a fun time had by all. For those wanting to see more, check out this Flickr slideshot show: http://www.flickr.com/photos/50709938@N04/7236607116/in/set-72157629819747316/lightbox/

Happy Anniversary Bay City!

By Bixyl Shuftan

Passionate Redheads' "Bid Dusk … Something"

On Friday May 19th, the Passionate Redheads held their second "Bid Me" event for the season. This one had a few interesting twists, including the subject: their new leader.

Dusk Griswold, the co-captain of the Passionate Redheads, was offering herself up on the bidding block for Friday May 18th. She wanted something different than the "Bid Me Human" event the previous week. Sunweaver leader Rita Mariner, whom had many of the Redheads living in her estates, joked the theme should be to bid her naked. Such an event would have been shot down by the Relay organizers, but the joke did promote discussion. It was decided that the event would have multiple kiosks, one for those donating to keep Dusk as she was, the others for each option as to what she should be.

Several options were suggested, including human and micro. In the end, the number of kiosks was limited to four. The first was for those wanting to leave her a vixen. The second was to turn her purple. The third was to make her a canine, the joke being Dusk had a dislike of dogs. And the fourth was an unusual choice of avatar: bird. And so, the following announcement was given.


RLF: Bid Dusk (?) event beginning in a few. 4 kiosks set up for you to vote if she stays the same, or changes to something else. 'Paint SL purple' theme, so get on your best purples!

And on Friday May 18th, a number of Redheads gathered at the Sunweaver Estates' Cutlass Club. There was a prize for "Best in Purple" to reflect it being "Paint Second Life Purple" week. But the real event was for the bid on Dusk, or "Ginger" as her display name has recently been, with it's four kiosks. For some reason, the bird kiosk took on an early lead, one that Rita soon cemented with some sizable donations. And soon the bird jokes began to fly, "Looks like Dusk will be a chicken soon." "Her goose is cooked." "I want some breast meat."

Yours truly wasn't able to see the whole event, having to leave well before it's conclusion. But I did hear of the results. The event raised less than the previous "Bid Me" event, but it did bring in about 5,000 more Lindens. And the winning kiosk? The team had given Dusk the bird, and thus made her the bird. Dusk would be a purple phoenix bird avatar until the next event.

As of now, the total raised by the Passionate Redheads is just under 140,000 Lindens. Other Relay events this weekend included an Elvis Tribute, and a "Poker" game by Sail 4 Life.

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Also on Friday May19th, there was an announcement from Daaneth Kivioq. "Effective immediately" he was giving up his leadership position, endorsing Dusk Griswold as Captain "for the rest of the season.  I will remain as active as I am able, and I will attend as many events as I can.  I am still passionate about my support for this wonderful team."

Dusk says she will hold onto her position until Sabine McGettin, whom took a temporary leave,  is ready to lead the team again.

Bixyl Shuftan

Luskwood's Skunk Party

Last weekend, on May 12th, Luskwood held an avatar-themed event: a skunk party. The event was held not at the Big Tree (one of the few spots in Second Life which always has some people there), but at "Pub Eltee Head" in the Perry sim, named after founder Eltee Statosky.


Luskwood's Skunk Party - Hosted by Drew Bhalti - at Pub Eltee Head in Perry. Come dressed in black and white; you don't have to be a skunk, but you might want to be! Music and prizes and more, Saturday 8-10PM SLT!

Luskwood wasn't doing an avatar release, or having any special occasion to celebrate. They just invited regulars, friends of, and anyone interested to drop by and dance. You didn't need a skunk avatar, or a furry avatar, though wearing something "monochrome" was encouraged.

Pub Eltee Head, so named as it normally sports a huge replica of the head of Eltee Statosky's avatar head on top of the roof, had been modified for the event. In the place of the Lusk founder's mug was a skunk avie's head instead. And the floors and walls had been decorated with skunk stripes, giving the place a "skunkified" look. The dance floor itself also had a outline of a skunk doing a handstand. The silver danceable shaped like a Lusk head (Eltee's?) remained unchanged.

Yours truly was a little late to the party, but getting there it was in full swing with over two dozen people present. Almost all there were in skunk avatars, Eltee being one of the rare exceptions, along with AnneDroid Lily whom stuck with her mouse av but wore a skunk costume over it. But there, the similarity ended. Each one of the stinkers was different in some way. A few wore hardly anything, some were decked out quite a bit. The plurality were Lusk skunks, but there were others from different avatar makers. Some where short while others were tall (I was the second tallest). A couple were hybrids with another type of avatar. And some were colored in red or other shades.

Music from the 1980's was what was played most of the time. At one point, the DJ began playing Michael Jackson's "Black or White." This got some chuckles from the skunks, "What if you're black *and* white? Hee-hee!" Presumably there were other comedic tunes before I got there. And of course there were a few "smell jokes" and wisecracks going around.

 On occasion, people were directed to a webpage, in which people were asked to vote on the winners of the contests, from the best (and worst) dressed, to the best hybrid, and more. I never got a notice on who won.

At 10PM, the DJ announced he was playing the last song. After that, he thanked everyone, and gradually everyone went their separate ways.

Skunk avatars are popular among those preferring furry avatars. Even those preferring another as their main often have one that they wear on occasions. Even some who prefer human avatars will "skunk out" sometimes. Just what *is* it that makes the little stinkers so popular, well, that's anyone's guess. Maybe it's because in a world where critters often blend in, they stand out with their distinct black and whites. Maybe it's the respect real skunks get, even bears standing clear of them. Maybe that it's one of the few wild animals that make fair pets (with a lot of patience involved). Maybe their famous (infamous) defense mechanism gets comparisons to geeks' reputation for infrequent bathing (pet skunks smell like whatever their bedding material does). Maybe those whom have trouble fitting in can relate to the solitary nature of real skunks. Or perhaps some combination of some or all of these.

In any case, it was a chance for skunk fans to get together, whether it be to share stinky jokes, or for the sweet smell of friendship. For those who missed it,  at least one club, Club Zero Gravity, held a skunk event the following week.

Bixyl Shuftan

"Bid Me Human" Passionate Redhead Event at Club Cutlass Raises over 30,000

On Friday May 11th, the Passionate Redheads held their first "Bid Me Human" event for the year. To those unfamiliar, the event is based on the "Bid Me Bald" events held in real life and later adopted in Second Life in which a volunteer (victim) gets their head shaved, or online has to do without hair, in sympathy for chemotherapy paitents. But when a team volunteer is covered in fur, well, something different is needed. In this case bidding a furry resident to "go human" for a while.

The first in a series of very fun events, the Redhead's own Gidget (Skylark LeFavre) will have her chance to be bid Human - or stay furry! If at least 5,000 lindens end up in the Human kiosk, the then human she becomes!  BUT! If there is even 1 more linden in the Furry kiosk, the furry she remains.  DJ Indio will be providing the rocking tunes! Come on down to Club Cutlass and help raise some money for RFL of SL!

Skylark Lefarve was the volunteer for the event. Many "Bid Me Bald" events are a simple "donate X amount of funds, and John Doe goes bald for Y amount of a week plus another week for every Z additional raised." And that was the case with some the Redheads held earlier. But then a change was made, partially to allow a way out for those not wanting the volunteer to lose her fur coat, and partially to increase the amount by creating the feel of a race. There would be two kiosks set up, one to donate to for those voting to make the volunteer go human for a time, a minimum of 5,000 Lindens needed, the other for her to remain furry. The highest of the two totals would win.

For two hours, those at the event danced and listened to the music provided by DJ Indio, including the Sunweaver Estate leader Rita Mariner. Some visitors dropped by as well. It wasn't long before the minimum 5,000 was raised, and the "Furry" kiosk maintained the lead throughout the event. Finally at the end, the totals were compared:19,600 for human, and 10,939 for Furry. A total of 30,539 Lindens raised. And so, Skylark changed over to a blonde human avatar. 

Chatting with Skylark later on, she was still getting used to her new look. She had used the skin itself before, but as part of a neko avatar, and the shape itself was new. She expressed a little worry if most furs would continue to see her as attractive, though was determined to continue on.

The Redheads are not the only team doing this kind of event. That night the Relay Rockers team started a two week "Bid Me Bald" event with Trader1 Whiplash as the volunteer/victim, with him going bald for one day for every 5,000 raised, "His haircut appointment  is May 27 at 4PM."

The event raised the Redheads' team ranking from Bronze to Silver, the total amount raised to over 120,000 Lindens. Other teams have also enjoyed success, the Steelhead Salmons recently achieving Gold status, and the Road Rash "Short Bus" racing event raised the team's total to over 128,000 Lindens.

Sky's human look is until the next major Redhead event, which is yet to be scheduled. There's talk of a date auction, which may or may not include other teams.

Last year, the Passionate Redheads held three "Bid Me Human" events, the most successful being Rita Mariner's which raised almost 75,000 Lindens.

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On another note, Edith Haldeman, whom did jobs about event notices and blog posts, has departed the team. Currently, a replacement is being sought for her duties, which include:

* writing up event notices for the  Team and the Volunteers

* posting those notices to the team blog, and wiring up event reports and other information of interest for the same

* creating write-ups for the event boards

Those interested in taking these positions are asked to contact Dusk Griswold at vixiefox@comcast.net.

"Edith will be sorely missed."

Bixyl Shuftan

The May Day Faire

Last weekend, the Relay for Life held it's May Day Faire for 2012. This was a smaller event than the Fantasy Faire last week, taking place on two sims instead of nine, Maypole and Mayday. But there was more of an emphasis on events and group participation. The event had a Medieval/ Renaissance theme to it, with many dressing the part. The two sims were divided into plots for groups, all lined up on both sides of a brick road that wound around the two sims, with a music stage in the middle.

One group's plot had two free outfits, one male, one female, for anyone to grab a copy. I went ahead and grabbed the mens'. Different groups had different things on their plots. One had a burlesque tent on their land, but to the disappointment of many males (and relief of the staff) entering the tent, there were no hints of anything but a show not exceeding the PG limits of the Relay event. One Brazilian group had a castle and smithy, with the letters H, O, P, E being worked on and red hot.

The Doctor Who team had a deserted-looking plot with a tradis tipped over with small fires licking at it. The Cure Chasers had a tavern with a kissing booth next to it, which wasn't too far from some barrels of ale of which the girls might have needed a double helping with a few certain avatars. One team was offering dragon rides, with a suggested donation of 50L each. Perhaps no up-front payment was demanded as no one was going to short-change a huge roaring dragon, at least no one who couldn't run away very fast. I took one, and it was quite a ride up there.

Among the areas that were manned which I ran into were the Giant Snail Racing staff's "Giant Snail Relay." RacerX Gullwing was there, explaining that he ran a few races each afternoon for both of the days, and anyone was invited to take part. All one had to do was wear one of the "tiny" giant snail avatars, which had three Medieval/Renaissance outfits, mage, damsel, and warrior. To make things interesting, there were occasional patches of mushrooms that sprouted around the track. Stepping on one would result in being sprung into the air. I took part in one such race. The two regular snail racers quickly took the lead, leaving me and RacerX competing for third place. As luck would have it, I ended up hitting an obstacle, and RacerX zoomed ahead. I was 4rth out of 5.

The Passionate Redheads, of which this reporter has been a member of, held their own booth. It was a variation of a "jail and bail." This was more like "stock and bail," of which those arrested on various charges, of which the accuser had to pay a fee, had to sit in the stocks until their fee was paid. To make things interesting, there was a free "tormentor's kit" with things like ticking feathers and throwing tomatoes to "entertain" those locked away. At one point I saw Sunweaver leader, and Redhead, Rita Mariner reaching behind one girl in the stocks to give her such a tickling while another worked on the feet with a feather.

Last but not least was the music stage. Trader1 Whiplash would DJ there occasionally, but more often there were other DJs as well as the occasional live musician. I dropped in on one event sponsored by the Flying Tigers, with Jessii2009 Warrhol among the dancers.

Dusk Griswold later announced the Redheads took in 14,000 Lindens from the Faire, "which was the highest total I could see of any kiosk there. Special thanks go out to Rita Mariner, who supplied the items in our booth, as well as set it up and spent a lot of time running it. It was a lot of fun, and we did very well."

I didn't hear the final total raised by the Relay for the event, but around 11AM Sunday Trader1 Whiplash stated almost 800,000 Lindens had been raised by then, and expected the event to net at least 1,200,000. Of the team totals, by now the Passionate Redheads passed the 90,000 Linden mark, closing in on Silver status. The Steelhead Salmons are 188,500, with few Silver teams over them. Six teams have passed the one million Linden mark, True Blusers for the Cure, Team OD, Goreans in Relay for Life, Amaretto Ranch Breedables, SL Music Races for a Cure, and one Purple rank, Friends Fighting Cancer, which has raised over 6,300,000 Lindens.

So far this year, the Relay has raised over 46,800,000 Lindens or over $187,000. And the season is not yet half over.

Bixyl Shuftan

The April 2012 Cross-Sim Snail Race

Saturday April 28th was the Cross-Sim Snail Race for April 2012. Organized by RacerX Gullwing, the race was held to raise funds for the Relay for Life, as well as hold a racing competition not on a racetrack, but across a stretch of mainland.

 RacerX Gullwing, the organizer of the Giant Snail Races, in his custom rabbit avatar.

The Racers at the starting line, with the  SL Newser blimp hovering nearby, "The press has arrived." Someone joked to Racer of the giant snail avatars, "They're all just starring at you like they want to eat you!"

And they're off!

It was a little hard keeping up with the racers in the blimp.

Eventually, the blimp was returned to my inventory, and I kept up with the snails just by flying.

The lag could sometimes cause some strange visual effects.

 Some of the scenery was quite artistic.

I ended up crashing, and coming back online heard from Relayer Bain Finch that the snails were caught in lag near the newcomer hangout "The Shelter." Here, Snurky Snoodle passes a church near it.

And continues to make progress.

Course changes were marked by signs and arrows like these. Unfortunetly, they didn't always rezz in time for some racers.

But for most they did, and they continued to make progress at different rates, though some ended up in groups.

 And some had no one else nearby.

 Finally the Finish Line, next to a giant fembot.

And one by one they crossed.

 The winner of the race was Gareth8 Albatros, who crossed the finish line before the treet.tv cameramen or myself could see him. He joked, "Finally I win a race, and there are no cameras to record the event."

Snurky Snoodle came in 2nd
Kerhop Seattle came in 3rd
Firery Broome came in 4th
Alden Cortes came in 5th

Derek Sienkiewicz came in 6th
Cinders Vale came in 7th
MiniMaylu Naxo scame in 8th
Oodlemi Noodle came in 9th

Safra Nitely came in 10th

Tindallia Soothsayer came in 11th

It was noted that the crowds were lighter than normal for a cross-sim race. Some Relayers speculated the Fantasy Faire had drawn many away. Still, everyone involved had a good time. Cinders Vale, "Thanks to everyone who put such a great race on!" Gareth8 Albatros, "Let's do it again somewhen!" Snurky Snoodle, "Thanks Racer! Way to go, we're all winners!" Derek Sienkiewicz, "My first race, and it was great fun, and all for a good cause."

There are three more cross-sim races this season. Keep an eye out for the one later this month.


And finally, the recording of the race, courtesy of RacerX and treet.tv.

"Go snails!"

Bixyl Shuftan