Skunk Aid 2

Last weekend on May 12, two Relay For Life teams, Team Shadow and RFL Advocacy, had recently been "skunked" by anonymous donors. So it was decided to throw a second "Skunk Aid" party to raise funds to get rid of the stinky label.

The Time Machine - 60's Classic Rock
5 - 7pm on T1Radio

Travel With T1Radio's Trader Whiplash back to The 60s!

Stinky is Back and so is SKUNK AID

Team Shadow and RFL ADvocacy have been infested by Relay For Life of Second Life's Infamous Rodent.  Help Rid Them of THE SKUNK

Join the Relay Rockers as we band together to help our Fellow Relay Teams in their time of need.

SKUNK AID II. Cause Cancer Stinks!

Wear Your Favorite Black and White and Get YOUR Cancer Stinks T-Shirts!

Dance to the Best Of 60's Tunes with Trader Whiplash

Sunday May 12
5 - 7pm

~ On the Pier at Arinultra Cay ~

And at 5PM, people began gathering at the beach pier, not far from where the Relay Rockers hold their "Bid Me Bald" events. But there would be no shaves tonight as everyone danced away to Trader's tunes, dropping cash in the "deskunker" kiosks for the two groups, and cheering each other on with numerous wisecracks. Among those there were Dusk Griswold, Holocluck Henely, DJ Madonna, Bain Finch, Panza Eilde, DrFran Babcock, Nuala Maracas, Breezes Babii, and more. Among the black and white outfits, Nuala had her skunk fursuit from the first "Skunk Aid." And there was one Luskwood anthro Skunk avatar dropping in, to join in the sweet smell of comradery.

The donations came in quickly, and just ten minutes into the event, Bain announced, "Oh my, we can take our de-skunker kiosk down and focus on Team Shadow! RFL ADvocacy De-skunked!!!" And two minutes later, "Oooh. Looks like Stinky was already paid off." "Team Shadow De-Skunked!!!!" "Yay!" "Yayyyyyyy!" "Yayyyyyyy!!!!" "We send Peepe packing."

The party went on, with the donations continuing and people congratulating each other for the success. Madonna commented, "YOU are all my heroes. I'm a crazy old woman just trying to do the right thing." Someone's pet skunk cut loose however, "ACK!" "c-a-n-t b-r-e-a-t-hh-e." "Ewwwwwww.....stinky!" When asked if someone made him mad, the two-footed skunk answered, "Hey, that wasn't me." What did happen with the black and white furry was when moving around in the lag, a person or two ended up with a tail in the face, "Sorry."

DrFran Babcock commented later in the dance, " 'So, what did you do this weekend, DrFran?' 'Well, I danced with a skunk, and I raised money for the American Cancer Society by dunking the Emperor of Tiny Empires in a tank. What did you do?' "

Skunk Aid 2 wasn't the only event that day. Earlier in the day, the Relayers were ringing in a new team, "Run For Life Angels." It was so new, there was just one member. But it wasn't just anyone. Trader Whiplash announced in Relay chat, "it is a single member team, an 18 year old with Lung Cancer and Leukemia who has been sent home because 'There is Nothing More We Can Do.' Please come out here and let's not stop 'til this team has bronze level!" So people went to it's event high over the Lilith sim where it's kiosk where, and chipped in. It wasn't long before the 10,000 Lindens to reach Bronze Rank had been reached, and the donations kept coming. Ariel Goldrozen cheered in group chat, "THIS is how ONE TEAM welcomes a new team to Relay!!!!" Panza commented, "I almost want to tell you to go donate to Running with Angels, and let our skunk live happily ever after." "I'd gladly be skunked to the whole season to help support someone like Angel for the news they we given."

The Relay action continues this weekend with the "Halfway There Fair," and later on the "Home and Garden Expo" and "Paint Second Life Purple."

"Go Relay!"

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