Christmas Displays at Devon Dream

Longtime fans of the Giant Snail Races may remember Devon Dream as having once been the location for the wacky obstacle course for those huge avatars as they slimed their way to the finish line. Today, the races have moved on, but the sim, owned by Safra Nitely, is still here. This month, she gave it a Christmas winter look and invited me over to take a look.

In the biggest area of builds, next to a frozen lake was Santa's Workshop. There were a couple reindeer resting outside, next to a cart with a few presents. Inside, were animated figures of Santa and his elves, moving around a bit. The elves were working away on more presents and decorations while Santa  himself was checking over a list.

Elsewhere were more decorations. Not far from Santa's place was a manger, with Mary and Joseph with the baby Jesus along with the Three Wise Men and the Angel. In the other direction was a tall Christmas tree, with a number of presents underneath and a sleigh. There was a wooden road leading away from the pond with lightposts with wreaths helping to light the way. The roads led to a few places, including a holiday themed bumper car ride. There were other builds around the sim, though I didn't get a close look at them all.

December 20 was when Safra held a special party at the sim. A number of her friends were invited over, including Saffia Widdershins of "Designing Worlds," and myself. A DJ set and lots of colorful lights were set up at the frozen pond, turning it into a dance area. Chatting with Safra, she told me, "Well the deal is, once a year I put on a huge concert to say thank you to my friends and family for all their support for the year as a big Christmas present. (It) costs a fortune, but worth it. ... it's the only way to say thank you properly in SL."

Safra's friends, a combination of human, neko, furry, and other avatars would dance away for a few hours. Eventually, the party would soon end. But the displays would remain. "This location will stay open for a month," Safra told me.

Bixyl Shuftan

The Newser Christmas Beach Party

On Saturday December 20, a number of the crew of Second Life Newser and their friends met up at the Happy Vixen Beach club at the Sunny Beach sim. Grease Coakes was the DJ for the event that began at 12 Noon SL time.

Among those there was Alynna Vixen (Alynna Trypnotk), the owner of Club Fur and the recent owner of all of the Sunny Beach sim. Here the normally vulpine Alynna sports a pink kemono avatar. Behind her is her partner Spike.

 DrFran Babcock showed up still in a winter gown from an earlier event.

GoSpeed Racer, whom had performed as a DJ for Bay City's party some days earlier, was also there.

Grey Lupindo has been busy in real life lately, but she took the time to show up for the party. Fyphfoko Yifu trotted out in front of the camera as the picture was being taken.

Gemma Cleanslate was there too, still wearing the hat from her volunteering for the Christmas Expo.

Nydia Tungsten, the manager of the Happy Vixen, dances away in her Christmas outfit.

 Any1 Gynoid, whom recently started writing again after a long break.

DrFran later switched to another outfit, with a few accessories in hand. Wesley Regenbogen dances away to her left.

There were a few stunts pulled at the party, such as the "evil snowman" that was passed around, occasionally getting it's wearers to panic and run around in circles all at once. Gemma also had a larger, more harmless looking snowman.

There was one sad detail. This would be the last event held at the Happy Vixen, at least at this location. The club and surfing spot was taken down shortly afterwards to make room for new construction. But everyone had a good time at the party, with some wondering when might be the next time the news crew could throw a bash.

Bixyl Shuftan

Serious Request

By Wesley Regenbogen

Serious Request is a Dutch charity/fundraising event that collects Linden Dollars for a real life project. Every year there’s a different real life project behind Serious Request. This year’s project is “Hands Off Our Girls”, which is a project against the sexual abuse of women and girls in countries where there are conflicts. The project started on December 13 th, 2014 and will go on until December 21, 2014.

This real life project behind Serious Request is interesting, because it makes people aware of the problems in real life and they collect virtual money in Second Life and they donate it to the real life project after the event is done.

During the eight days 24/7, the DJs that volunteer for this project take requests. But in return they ask you to donate Linden Dollars for Serious Request. Once you donated the amount you wanted to donate, the DJs will play the song that you requested. The DJs stay the whole 8 days within the Glass House.  Every evening ( Dutch/Belgian time zone ) there is a live artist that performs at the stage behind the Glass House ( Glazen Huis in Dutch ). But aside that they also have auctions and contests and much more. All for a good cause in real life.

The sim that is created for Serious Request is called “sim Limburg3," created and owned by Quistis Shippe. It’s a Dutch sim, so the language spoken is Dutch, mostly. But also if you speak English, they will speak English to you, so don’t worry about it.

In my personal opinion, this event and the whole project is awesome and I will donate the Linden Dollars that I get from this article and an interview that I will be doing with the creators of the event. Although this is a very well known event by the Dutch residents in Second Life, I hope that more people get to know this event and the project behind it.

You can find the Glass House and the Serious Request location here :

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Limburg3/129/114/21

The website of Serious Request is only available in Dutch, though, it can be found at :

http://www.seriousrequestsl.nl/
A full list of the team behind Serious Request can be found here : http://www.seriousrequestsl.nl/organisatie/

Wesley Regenbogen

Volunteering For The Expo

By Gemma Cleanslate

 For the past two weeks I have been a volunteer “elf” in the Christmas expo sims. I have been skating around all the   sims trying to help with any preparations I could before the opening. The builders have done such a marvelous job to make the regions just glow with the winter settings and the lovely marketplace shops. It truly looks like a German marketplace ready, filled with goodies to buy from furniture to fashion and fun things for the stockings. Merchants have out done themselves filling their stores and stalls with all kinds of enticements. I am not only shopping already but also picking up the gifts in the naughty and nice boxes placed in many of the shops (sorry to say I guess I have been  naughty ... but will try again later , since we get a second chance).

Along the snow covered roadways there is a trolley running all the time so you can hop on and off at many stops in all the sims. Get yourselves into the centers of the sims too. Christmas trees are for sale in some of them so take a look before you leave one sim to go to the other. The entertainment area is all set up ready for the many shows and dancing and Santa has a place there too. I have already attended a couple of skating parties with great music! Over on other side of all the sims are the breedable regions where you can take your pick of all types of critters. There will be auctions for some of the critters and a myriad of other items . RelayVendors with donated items from the merchants are hung on the walls in all the shops and when you buy these items you are actually donating all the money to the Relay so look for them.  

I applaud all those who have worked so hard to make this a success, the planning committee, the builders, the sim coordinators, who have worked (sleeplessly I think), and the many other volunteers, the Merchants who participate with great generosity and especially the Sponsors of the event. Those who love hunts don’t miss the bells, there are signs around to remind you.  

It is fun being an elf. I get to see all the progress as it unfolds. Look for me ... I might be near Santa at times in the entertainment sim unless I am skating from sim to sim to help, or shop! Check the website for all the information you will ever need! http://slchristmasexpo.wordpress.com/2014/12/03/2014-sl-christmas-expo-winter-breedables-fair-guidebook/

Gemma Cleanslate

Scenes From the 2014 Christmas Expo

Tomorrow, December 4, marks the start of the Christmas Expo, also known as the 2014 Christmas Expo and Breedables Fair. From then to September 15, the event will raise funds for the American Cancer Society through sales at shops and stores at temporary areas around the ACS sim.

Yesterday, Second Life Newser got a sneek peak at the Expo grounds, and so took a look around. The area was well designed, the scene looking like a snowy winter day, with the sun barely showing through gray skies.

The shops are required to have at least two new and exclusive products in which 100% of the cash paid for them goes to the Relay for Life in Second Life. 100% of the cash donated to the purplish Relay for Life kiosks goes for cancer research.

Each seller is also taking part in at least one of the following: Hunt for the Bells Hunt, Silent Auction, Raffle, Christmas Tree Lot Donation, or Ornament Silent Auction.

There was a trolley one could get on for more rapid transit to other sims in the Expo grounds.

Breedable ranches were in their own sims seperate from the more conventional looking shops selling non-pet items

A couple of pet wolf cubs on display.

Taking a snooze in the cold.

 Chop chop!

 Not every single ranch was covered in snow. This one for critters in the tropics and savana stood out.

Not all pets appealed to ones sense of cute. For these wolves, they didn't have prepared meat. The pig was the dinner.

Oldesoul Eldemar, in a tiny av, was one of the staff present.

Breedable dragons, which Xymbers Slade wrote about some time ago, "Mind if I smoke?"

These are just a few scenes around the Expo grounds.

For the list of sponsors of the Expo: http://slchristmasexpo.wordpress.com/expo-sponsors/

For a list of the merchants and exhibitors: http://slchristmasexpo.wordpress.com/exhibitors-a-to-z/


For more information about the Relay for Life:  http://www.cancer.org/involved/participate/relayforlife/second-life

See you at the Expo

Bixyl Shuftan

Pictures of the Fall Fishing Festival

Gemma Cleanslate was at the 7Seas Fall Fishing Festival last weekend. While there, she took a number of pictures. So here they are, along with a few from Bixyl Shuftan.

Celeste Cazenove is the builder of the swinging ship

 The event was basically lots of fishing, with lots to see.

 And there was quite a bit to see.

 Contests were going on throughout the event, "people hung out in one sim or another most all day"

 Holocluck Henly in a boat.

 Bixyl took a picture of Gemma "hanging around."

She wasn't the only one, though.

The fox also took a spin in an airplane there, which could be launched from a small platform there.

There was lots of fishing fun to be had. The event was officially over after Sunday evening, but the builds remained up until Tuesday.

Pictures from Gemma Cleansate & Bixyl Shuftan