Scenes From New Year's Eve Events 2018

By Bixyl Shuftan

Second Life rung in the New Year in Second Life from many locations. Yours truly took pictures from a few, in my home area and other places.

Club Cutlass held it's New Year's Eve party a night early, on Saturday December 30. At at least one person dropping by was thankful for the timing as some people would likely be at parties in real life the following night.

So for some, it was their chance to have some New Year's fun while they could. For others, it was the chance to have some extra fun a little early.

The next day, Sunday December 31, was New Year's Eve. And there were a number of events that day. Some such as the one at the Roman community I didn't get to see until they were practically over.  At Quarry Hill in New Babbage was "Ed and Vic's Big Bash."

 The residents of the steampunk community and friends of partied like it was 1867.

At the Legends Club in Arinultra Cay , the home of  T1Radio and Trader Whiplash, best known for his efforts in the Relay for Life, they held their "Rockin' New Year's Eve 2018".

Trader danced with his partner Arizona Ballinger, and there were many other couples and others dancing as they celebrated the arrival of the new year.

And with the Newser's home community, there was a New Year event at the Happy Vixen, with a number of people sending out 2017 with a bang.

For this special event, Jasmine Dawn DJed for the crowd.

Following the Happy Vixen, Nydia Tungsten would hold a private party for the staff of both the Happy Vixen and it's sister club Zero Gravity at her residence Mouse Hole Manor in Pacific Waters.

As Nydia had invited me to the private party, I sent my alt Rezzdammit to check out Bay City Prim Drop event.

But the lag proved too much for Rezz. This was the best he could do in covering the crowd, which included Marianne McCann and April Linden.

The Prim drops, with just seconds left before the end of 2017 in Second Life.

Before retiring for the night, I would check out the Prim Drop area myself. 2017 had come to a close, and a new year was upon us. A year offering concerns, and opportunities.

Happy New Year, Second Life

Bixyl Shuftan

The Relay Wrap-Up: The RFL 2014 Season's Official End

Sunday August 31st marked the official end of the Relay for Life season in Second Life. Since March 7, the Relayers have had numerous events raising funds for the American Cancer Society, and having fun doing so. The season's peak, and the second to last big event was the Relay Weekend on July 19 and July 20, after which most teams ceased activity or held just one more event. Finally at 10 AM Sunday, the Relayers came together for the last time for the 2014 season.

Unlike the Relay Weekend, not so much grey showed up in my pictures, so I was able take clearer ones. This was despite the more than 45 avatars present, according to Daniel Voyager. I was in my skunk avatar, as both a tribute to "Stinky the Skunk" and a reminder of the "Bid Me" events my team the Sunbeamers did. Dr Fran Babcock was there along with her team captain Shawna Montgomery of the Relay Wizards.

On stage was the Relay Committee, speaking to the crowd over the radio. They gave their congratulations for a job well done, and announced various awards. And there was reason for congratulations. A whopping $415,422 US dollars had been raised. This amount made the Relay for Life in Second Life not only the top charity in Second Life, but a leading one worldwide.

Of the awards, there were many.

The Gordy Klatt Award: Dwen Dooley

Community Champion Award Recipients: Wildstar Beaumont, Saffia Widdershins, Daniel Voyager, Stingray9798 Raymaker

The Spriti of Relay Award (Team): Tribute City Relayers

The Spirit of Relay Award (individual): Cuddle Waffle

Top Team Conventional Fundraising: 3rd Place Relay Rockers, 2nd Place Circle of Life, 1st Place Harmony of Hope

 Top Individual Conventional Fundraising: 3rd Place Cesta Franizzi, 2nd Place TS Darrow, 1st Place Blynn Heron

Conventional Website Participation Award:

3rd Place--Unmasking a Cure, placing second with the number of team members registered (15), along with an average of 5 gifts per email.
2nd Place--Harmony of Hope, registering the most team members (20) and sending the second highest number of emails (59)

1st Place--Relay Rockers, sending the highest number of emails (107), and receiving 17 gifts.

Top Team Fundraising Award:  3rd Place Goreans in Relay For Life, 2nd Place Relay Rockers, 1st Place Amaretto Ranch Breedables

Best Man and Maid of Honor Recipiants:

Ahoffman Philly
Ava Jhamin
Bainfinch Resident
Cashew Writer
Chevelley Resident
CiaraNiamh McDonnell
Chipmunk Foxtrot 
CodyPason Resident
Cuddly Waffle
Daiseze Dahlstrom
Dawnbeam Dreamscape
Debi Dastardly
Dianna Wycliffe
Dwen Dooley
Eugenia Burton
Fizban Underwood
Fuzzball Ortega
Gem Sunkiller
Henrietta Demina
JIhan Wonder
johannes1977 Resident
Kaila Mahoney
Lanai Jarrico
Mackenzie Metall
Madonna Milena
MamaP Beerbaum
Mary Teodosio
Nikki Mathieson
Oldesoul Resident
Panza Elde
Prettykitty Gumbo
Rob Fenwitch
Rowena Dubrovna
RoxyLee Rayna
Sarandel Llewellyn
Sasha Fairywren
Sidonie Carlberg
Sienna Thor
Sigh Underwood
Sue Peregrine
Suzetta Moonites
Sylisan Resident
Tiviyah Resident
Trader Whiplash
TS Darrow
Valkyrie Twine
Vickie Maidstone
Zaphara Cazalet

The Clown Awards Recipients:

Twerking for a Cause--Saffia Widdershins
Most Drenched Dragon Rider--RoxyLee Rayna
Sit on a Tack Award--Dawnbeam Dreamscape
It’s Not Always Fuzzball’s Fault Award--Sigh Underwood
Keeping You in Stitches Award--Cody Pason
7Seas JailBird Award--Dallas Russell
Strange World Award--Rowena Dubrova and Cuddly Waffle

Finally the theme for next year was announced: "The Future is Now."

Following the announcements, there was music and dance. At 11:30 AM Singer Max Kleene performed live for the crowd, and at 12:30PM, Trader Whiplash DJed a set of tunes.

And so another Relay season had come to a close. But in the next few months there will be other cancer fundraisers, such as "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Across Second Life," "Relay for Life in InWorldz," and the "Xmas Expo and Breedables Fair." And of course the Relayers anxiously await March 7, 2015, when the next Relay for Life season begins.

Bixyl Shuftan

Gina Gracemount's "Bid Me Bald"

By Bixyl Shuftan

On Wednesday May 8th, the Relay Rockers held another of their "Bid Me Bald" events. Their first one was on March 27th when T1 Radio owner and Rocker Co-Captain Trader Whiplash received the season's first shave. Since then, others have had their moment in the team's barber chair, placed prominently on the team's stage at their beach location. And on this day, Second Life Newser happened to have a reporter on the scene for their latest: Gina Gracemount.


Gina, a Jazz and Blues singer on the Grid, had offered to put her hair on the line, going bald for every 5,000 Lindens raised. With 70,000 raised, this meant a shiny scalp for two weeks. And so wearing a "Don't Panic, Go Shop" shirt, she bravely approached the leather seat next to the barber pole, with Trader playing the 60s tune, "Long Beautiful Hair." Her friend Dillon Janus, whom was already bald, sported the scissors, "Hee-hee! Have a seat."

As she sat on the chair, Janus kept poking his leg when lowering his hand. "Watch the ears!!" Gina shouted. Trader grinned, "Gina, we have sutures handy." "Oh, so you are used to blood then?" "Fiz's ear healed pretty quickly after we sewed it back on." "I feel a sting on my neck! Careful!"

And so the deed was done, one lady commenting, "I hesitate between calling you Britney Gracemount or Gina O'Connor."

But it was then Gina's turn for revenge. Dillon had agreed to go along with her in the "Bid Me Bald." But as he already sported a bare scalp, something else was called for. "Oh, you haven't seen what he's agreed to wear this time," Gina grinned. And so, the guy's shirt vanished, replaced by a black and pink blouse, and his pants faded into the virtual nether, with a frilly poodle skirt taking their place. The crowd reacted with laughter, "Oh *Lawd*, Dillon!" And to top it off, he sat in the chair for Gina to place on him a womens' wig, gluing it on, "A little squirt here, and across the forehead, yep, think you are ready to go!"

The chuckles continued, "and you still didn't shave your legs, (laughter)!" "I love the saddle shoes and bobbie sox." "The chest hairs really set the whole thing off!" "Oh we love you Dillon!" "Now he is prettier than me, (sigh)." "(I) just hope his poodle skirt don't have a lil accident on the carpet!" One girl dropped a bar of soap in front of the charity cross-dresser. With all the funnery, Gina and Dillon joined the Rockers on the beach dancing away.

Despite her now hairless look, Gina gave thanks, "Trader, thank you to you and your team... without you organizing these events, and the effort you put in, we couldn't raise half as much!" She also thanked, "Ms Tina, who has been in personal charge of the 'get Dillon to wear a skirt' campaign (laughter)."

The Relay Rocker's beach location, T1 Radio's Classic Rock Club, is at Arinultra Cay (182, 26, 24). So far this season, they have raised over 1,500,000 Lindens ($6200), making the Saphire-ranked team the second highest in cash raised for the American Cancer Society.

Bixyl Shuftan

"Relay Rap" Begins for 2013

By Bixyl Shuftan

On January 27 at 3:30 PM, the "Relay Rap" weekly radio talk show aimed at promoting and discussing developments of the Relay For Life in Second Life began its new season. Trader Whiplash, whom was broadcasting on his T1 Radio program, hosted the show from the Arinultra Cay sim, interacting with an audience of about thirty present.

 On stage with Trader were the Relay's Planning Committee, Event Co-Chairs Dwen Dooley and Serina Juran, Event Chair Nikki Mathieson, and Director Stingray Raymaker. Over two dozen sat in the audience. Among the people there were Holocluck Henely and Fuzzball Ortega.

A number of topics were brought up. There had been some technical developments over time, such as people able to donate on the Grid through their real-life credit cards, "If you have money, we will find a way for you to give it to us." They talked about high points of the previous season such as "Bronzing," or donating money to a smaller and less successful team until it reached Bronze rank. Someone brought up a moment at 3AM (6AM EST) when he saw a "Winnie the Pooh" avatar walking down the track, then turning around, seeing a monster, then running at full speed down the track.

It was noted that the lag issue seemed worse in the 2012 Relay walk than it had been for a few years. This was despite the efforts people had made to reduce lag, "I lost count of how many bald avatars I'd seen." But they remained undaunted, "We have the Relay spirit!"

The total amount of money raised for the Relay For Life had passed a million and a half. About $396,000 US dollars remained until two million was reached, or about one hundred million Lindens. Trader offered to go bald once that mark was reached, a statement many of the audience was sure to hold him to. It was noted that the 100 year anniversary of the founding of the American Cancer Society was in May.  Most likely, there would be some kind of special event to commemorate the occasion.

One in the audience identified herself as with the Tombstone RP area. She announced they would be forming a new team. She requested if a special wooden kiosk could be made for her Wild West sim, "Something a little less modern that we can put out?" Fuzzball told her New Babbage usually put something over their kiosks to make them blend in, "Unfortunately for those of us in themed sims, specially made vendors aren't an option, so we have to do a little finagling."

One amusing new detail for this season was brought up: "Stinky the Skunk." For a donation of 3600 Lindens, or more, you could "skunk" another team for five days or so. Someone half-seriously asked if the news would be announced by someone in a furry skunk avatar dropping in the target's next event, "You have been skunked!" With attachments that could emit a green cloud a couple dozen feet across mentioned, some amusing possibilities were hinted at.

There were also a few jokes and wisecracks, "We're defiantly calling the TV channel 'DwenTV.' " And there were jokes about "MEEEESSSSHHHH…" items, a reference to how it was sometimes pronounced on PookyMedia's "Flufee" videos.

Eventually, the broadcast came to a close, "And that's a 'rap!' Great show Everyone!" And there were cheers and handclaps from the crowd, "GO RELAY!!!" "GOOOOOOO RELAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" "Yay Nikki, Sting, Dwen and Serina.. Thank you! And, thank you, Trader." "Good night all and Thanks Committee. Have a great week!" "Great way to kick off Relay Rap's 2013 season."

While the Kickoff for the Relay for Life season isn't until March, already the people behind Second Life's biggest fundraiser are busy planning ahead.


"Relay Rap" will broadcast every Sunday at 3:30PM at T1Radio http://t1radio.serverroom.us:8242 .

*Note* Due to the lag that day, there was a lot of grey around for the photographer.

Bixyl Shuftan