Some Sunweaver Houses

By Bixyl Shuftan

Yours truly has written about many places in Second Life. But for many residents, probably most, one place counts more than others: their home. In the community the Newser office makes it's home in, there are a lot. Some are large, some are small. Here are some examples.

One of the larger houses on ground level belongs to Nydia Tungsten and Brandi Streusel, Mouse Hole Manor in Pacific Waters.

The large house has been the scene of a few of her music videos, as well as some parties.

Kiyomi Xekri is one of the more recent Sunweaver residents. Her home is on a skybox high above the sim it's in.

She asked that I take a few pictures. So I did. Looks like this pup is having fun in the laundry room.

There was some good detail in places. This dining room scene has food that certainly looks edible.

Kiyomi's place  had a memorial for someone close to her whom died last June.

Felina Fermi is someone we've written about before in regards to her home and designing. Her home is in a semi-private area, though she was happy for me to take pictures, within reason.

Her rooms have a lot of detail, such as this kitchen.

These hens don't see too nervous about a fox near the henhouse.

Felina has two memorials for longtime friends of hers, Rhypanthian Abilene and Tigerclaw Apps.

Just outside Felina's house but on her grounds was a place that looked less like a home and more like a club and hangout with a few rooms for people wanting to stay overnight.

Near Felina's house was that of the Sunweaver chief herself, Rita Mariner's.

The place was large, with a dance party area and pool at the top, along with a helicopter pad.

And a big room for she and guests to relax in.

Perri Prinz and ReCoyote Mindes "Magic Garden" area in HV Community. On the left is the "Cuddle Cave" which they left open for couples to use.

Their own house is a two story brick building, with a teleporter to the Xanadu classic rock club.

Becky Shamen's tower in Sunweaver Bay.

The place has an airship that flies, a pirate ship, and other details.

Liska Fuchs' house, resembling a small castle.

The place has a lighthouse in the corner, lighting the way at sea.

Penny's (Deaflegacy) house. She keeps a number of horses.

The house of the late Artistic Fimicloud, which has been left standing as a memorial to her.

The "little pink fox" is still well-remembered.

The Sunnies always have room for one more resident. There are houses ready for someone to move in.

And there are empty plots for those whom prefer to get their own homes.

And finally, there's where yours truly lives. For years, I've had my house in a treehouse in the style of a previous place I lived: Woodlin (not to be confused with Woodland). I guess that spoke something about how I missed the fun times there.

But after ten years, I figured it was time to see what else was available. I came across this treehouse with a set of stairs. Nice to be able to get up without needing to press the "fly" button.

And so, my new humble home in Second Life. It's not very big, but it's a place to hang my virtual hat.

So there's a glance at the places where my virtual neighbors call their happy homes, all in the corner of Second Life that's our neighborhood and home.

Bixyl Shuftan

Some Political Locations In Second Life

By Bixyl Shuftan

Although many Second Life residents come to the virtual world to escape real-life matters, what goes on in reality is often reflected here in some way. And that includes politics. With Labor Day being the traditional start of the final stretch of the campaign season, this is when political stories and events in real life happen more often. And here in Second Life, there are some political-themed locations. Four years ago, places like the Trump Manor and Trump Wall made the news quite a bit. This year, there hasn't been a place that made headlines yet. But a search did turn up some locations.

Although there is a Republican group in Second Life, the location listed in it's profile was closed. But there was a Trump Pub. It was a two-story brick building with red white and blue lights forming a flag over the entrance. There was a huge sign next to the place. On the inside were banners both mocking the opposition and displays of bravado, "Caution: Armed and Deplorable." The second floor was more about fun with various games.

The radio stream on the land was that of Alex Jones' "Info Wars," which has been discredited by both liberals and conservatives alike. On the outside were statues of George Washington and Pepe the Frog. Some of the neighboring land has been bought by people opposed to Trump, whom as of the writing of this article have posted signs and builds mocking the candidate.

Although avatars of all kinds were welcome in the 2016 Trump Pub, when looking over the new place with an alt, someone at the front door yelled furs were unwelcome and threw me out. While it's probable this was someone in the staff with opinions contrary to the owner, this one incident suggests nonhuman avatars might get an unwelcome surprise.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Old%20Hen/212/33/70

For the Democrats, there were two locations. One was the longtime Cafe Wellstone, which has been around at least since the days of the 2008 election. Although it was an open-air location four years ago, today it's a simple brick building, with a simple entrance next to the road leading inside. On the main floor were a couple campaign signs and various cartoons mocking their opposition, and one of Captain America punching the Nazi cartoon villain the Red Skull.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Zephyr/238/156/32

The newer location for the Dems was the Blue Revolution HQ. Their logo over the front door was a raised blue first, over that being "Resist, Rise, Revolt." Out front was a picture depicting candidate Biden as a Rambo-esque figure, as well as signs praising Black Lives Matter. On the inside, on the floor was an electoral map of the United States. Considering this was a pro-Democrat location, it was showing quite a bit of red. There were photographs of various protests, and information explaining their positions, as well as a Media Bias Chart (one that while it was no surprise positioned the far-right Breitbart as useless, it positioned the conservative National Review as being a more serious source of news than CNN). And there were cartoons and pictures poking fun at their opposition.

It should be noted that Blue Revolution was between two other locations. To it's right was a pro-Trump location, one with dancing figures. To it's left was a Communist Party HQ, calling for revolution. It wasn't lost on me that this is not unlike how the center-left sees itself, between reckless Trump supporters on the right, and Marxists wanting real revolution on the left.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Pleione/88/227/27

Bixyl Shuftan

Mount Campion Park

By Bixyl Shuftan

Second Life has a number of parks. But not many have you going through a system of caves or up a mountat. At Mount Campion Caves National Forest, you can do both.

WELCOME to Mount Campion Caves National Forest!  This place is open to the polite public, come and explore the caves, forests, canyons, and trails.  Mount Campion is the highest point in mainland second life, the National Forest property occupies the southeast slope of Mount Campion.  
 

The landmark I was given took me to a spot a few hundred meters high. There were trails going a few different ways. One was to a cave entrance, where a sign told me "there are numerous chambers and tunnels ... they are not all easy to see."

I saw a few paintings on the rock inside that looked as if they were done by cavemen.

The cavern led downward, and like the paths on the outside, the tunnels led a few different ways, sometimes passing waterfells and stalactite and stalagmite formations.

 I did come across one room that appeared man-made with a wheelbarrow that led to the outside. Another exit led to a fountain and garden area.

A third would lead to a bridge high above the ground below. A friend with me at the time remarked she felt dizzy looking down.

Going about the trails, there was quite a bit of detail in places. The water rippled and bubbled as it flowed. The trees, flowers, and other plants were quite detailed.

In one place, a fox moved about.

There were a few cuddle spots and campfires here and there.

There was also a party area complete with a couples dance ball, and a fountain and statue in the middle.

It had quite a few over the side.

One needed to be careful in places on the trail as it was easy to stumble and fall down the side of the mountain.

One branch of the trails would lead down one side of the mountain down to a mainland road, Route Six, where there was an official-looking National Forest sign.

At various places, there were rental cabins one could pay for the use of. Most I saw along the trails were rented out. They were of various sizes from small to medium.

At the very top of the mountain, around 350 meters, were a number of other cabins. Unlike others, these were not accessible to others not in the group, and there were few spots there I could go without running into yellow ban lines or warning signs to leave or be booted. No one sticking to the trails has to worry about them as I didn't see one that goes to the mountain top.

It's unknown if Mount Campion really is the highest spot on the mainland. But few mountains in Second Life come close to it in size, and I can't recall any with this kind of detail and cavern network.

Most times I visited, there were others looking around, occasionally talking to one another in voice chat. For those whom find it inconvenient to go to a real mountain park, this place in Second Life offers a lot to see.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Campion/152/94/302

Bixyl Shuftan

A Look At The Peale

By Gemma Cleanslate

I had a very eclectic weekend . Saturday I spent the morning over at the new installation of an exhibit  the oldest museum in the United States. The Peale.

It was very busy with numerous people coming to see the building and the exhibit . I was lucky enough to be able to view it all the other day with press  and take my time going through the exhibit . Following the introduction to the museum and some of its extensive history by story teller David London, there was a panel discussion about the melding of real life and second life exhibits.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m8fNDLc7kU0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

To learn about the history of the Peale I recommend you watch the Labgab 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8fNDLc7kU0&feature=youtu.be

About 40 avatars attended the Panel. Nancy Proctor , Director of the museum introduced the panel members, “First, if you can look all the way to my far right, seated there is Dr. Audra Buck-Coleman, a designer, educator, author, and facilitator.  She was the founding graphic design director at the University of Maryland College Park.  Next to Audra is Gentle Heron, also known as Alice Kreuger in the physical world.  She needs little introduction to many of you today, I expect.  She has been absolutely critical in guiding us to become possible in Second Life today. 

"Next to Gentle Heron you'll see George Ciscle, Curator-in-Residence Emeritus at Maryland Institute College of Art, and founder and first director/curator of the Contemporary Museum also known as The Contemporary.  George Ciscle is a volunteer with The ARC in Baltimore, helping artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities get access to resources and support for their practice in collaboration with local arts institutions.

"Seated next to me is Monica Rhodes, Director of Resource Management at the National Park Foundation.  In this role, Rhodes oversees preservation grant making to the National Park Service and efforts to develop a strategy for African American and Latinx engagement.  Prior to her role at NPF, Rhodes was the founding director of the National Trust’s HOPE (Hands - On Preservation Experience) Crew, which was created to expand the preservation movement to a younger, more diverse audience.

"And I'm excited to hear and share a bit more about HOPE with you today on this panel.

"Last but not least, to my far left and to your right is Dr. Jeremy Wells, Associate Professor in the Historic Preservation program in the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at the University of Maryland, College Park.“

The discussion of the collaboration of Linden Lab, The Museum and members of Virtual Ability was most interesting in exploring accessibility in real life and second life and virtual worlds. Members of the audience commented and asked questions at the end of the panel. I recommend you go visit the exterior, interior and the grounds . Make sure you enter the room on the second floor to the left of the mural to the present exhibit. 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Peale%20Museum/128/95/22

Gemma Cleanslate

Klub Sinau on NonProfit Commons

By Marcel Mosswood

Klub Sinau, A Nonprofit Family Learning Center In RL Come to The SecondLife Through The Nonprofit Commons (NPC)

I'm so thankful for the Nonprofit Commons in SecondLife for the parcel so I can build a virtual office for my nonprofit family learning center in the real-world, Klub Sinau, among the other nonprofit organizations. With this virtual office, I hope what we are striving for at the Klub Sinau will be known internationally.

Klub Sinau ("Klub" has a similar meaning with “club” in English, Sinau is Javanese means learning) is an institution founded by four homeschooling families in Sidoarjo, a small town on the island of Java - Indonesia in 2007. Starting from a desire to mutually help our children's learning process, in the following years, Klub Sinau has developed into a national institution, and now it has become an institution that serves as an information center about homeschooling for anyone who wants to implement homeschooling in Indonesia.

So, this virtual office will contain information about Klub Sinau activities, learning materials, and parenting ideas which can be read for free. If you want to know about the implementation of homeschooling in Indonesia and get the benefits, please visit Klub Sinau virtual office at Nonprofit Commons: LM : Aloft Nonprofit Commons (125/69/23)

From the beginning I’ve joined SecondLife I knew about NPC, but because I live in Indonesia, which has a timezone difference of 14 hours from SLT, I often can't attend the meetings. Several times I visited the two NPC sims and saw various nonprofit organizations there, I wish I could have a virtual office there and be able to collaborate with them or at least listen to their stories in fighting for their ideals, of course, it will be very fun and encouraging for me who often work alone in the Klub Sinau. As you can see, I'm so excited to be a part of Nonprofit Commons in SecondLife right now.

In accordance with the Klub Sinau vision and mission, I represent this virtual office in a very homey house model. Each room represents a section served by the Klub Sinau . When you enter the house, you can see a welcoming room. The first door is access to the office and family room, this office will connect you to the Klub Sinau's admin in the real-world. After that you will enter a room that is quite wide, here you will see a portfolio of the kids in the Klub Sinau who are doing activities together. Then you will find a door leading to the garage, this is a craft room where you can find various craft ideas and photos of the kids' activities working on a craft together. From the first room, if you choose to go up through the stairs, you will find several rooms that represent various academic subjects, arts, and parenting ideas.

I hope this virtual office will become the center of ideas for learning in the family. So that we can help more families to educate their children.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Aloft%20Nonprofit%20Commons/125/69/23
--

Regards,

Marcel Mosswood  Artist

Wedcot Center Park

By Gemma Cleanslate

The ad said “Disney tribute - Celebrate the future with Spaceship Earth, Horizons, Soarin', Test Track, World Showcase and more. Amusement WDW Rides theme park magic kingdom carnival Garden,”  So off I went after my tour of Wedcot Center Park.

My visit to  started with a pram tour of the grounds which gives one a great overview of all the buildings to be visited and the lovely landscaping of the region. As I exited I  grabbed a guidemap and a times schedule at the bottom of the stairs and began the long walk to explore all the scientific buildings.

I stopped at the grand Globe of course , rezzed a vehicle and found myself on a tour of the short , pointed marvelous history of the world and man from cave living to computer.

It was a good review before moving on to the unknown future world.

As I entered  my next  stop, The Land, I took some time  to have a snack in their cafeteria then entered. Most of the food there is grown right in the exhibit. One thing I love about these guided tours is the riding in a vehicle with explanations of the views as we pass them . The Land is a great example of learning  that is fun and informative.. The second life prims and mesh are integrated in to the greenhouses. (Subtile “clean your inventory “ hints here too. )Across the way with the entrance in the cafe is another delightful tour that takes you around the world in video, again, seated .

My next stop was at The Sea. While there is a ride there that is interesting and cute , upstairs there is a aquarium and learning lessons on the fish and care of the sea. I picked up a nice free piece of coral while there and  bought a cute shirt on the way out.

I found a  short ride on a boat that took me over  to World Showcase. Of course  I fell off the dock exiting the boat  into the deep waters but was able to tp back before I drowned. There are very inexpensive outfits and items from around the world in the lovely shops representing the culture of various countries. This is a charming  little area to walk through. Hungry again I picked up a California roll at the Katsura Grill to enjoy while strolling.

There is so much to do here at the Park and more to see so I left some for you to discover. Hint:look for Beauty and The Beast dancing in a park. Take more than a few hours vacation at the enjoyable park.
here !
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Real%20Dreams/42/9/106

Gemma Cleanslate

Disney Enchanted Adventures

By Gemma Cleanslate

Since Disney parks have opened up all over the world  I thought I would go on a trip to a Second Life theme park inspired by Disney. When I arrived at Enchanted ... it was quiet at the entrance and through out the park so I was able to take my time and experience all the glory without crowds and lines.

Main Street is lovely . Towering above at the far end of the street is the charming Storybook Castle. To get there I skipped the trolley ride offered  and meandered down the street stopping in the shops along the way. Souvenirs to clothing are available for the visitors and I checked them all and decided what to buy on the way out . I love the character dolls in one shop but controlled myself.

Entering the Castle courtyard I stopped to take a quick spin on the cheerful Merry-go-round. Part of the castle appears to be under construction. I made my way over to the Fantasia Canal boats that winds its way  through the gardens and tunnels nearby. The music was delightful and the scenes lovely and some a bit familiar. It has been a while since I visited a Disney Park.

I hopped the boat to get over to Mysterious Island. I made it but ah, well.the elevator there seems to be out of order  (more construction I believe) so I could only walk around the dark mountain and wonder what it could contain. I did see that there is much building going on outside the Main Street area so will stay tuned to see what comes along. I walked over to check out the pirate boat at the far landing which was made by my old friend Aley.

I made my way to a cemetery and entered a haunted house nearby and took the strange ride through. The feeling at the Mysterious Island and in this area are not  light and airy as at the Main Street but it was all fun! Take a walk along the path to Whispering Woods near the Fantasia boat stop and have some more early Halloween .

It was good to get back to Main Street and the lighter side.  There is a parade there on Fridays at 2:00 pm. As I got ready to leave the region a float  parade came down the street so I hopped on the Alice float and went along. There is a group joiner at the entrance and also landmarks for many fun places in sl . I think I will stop over at Wedcot ..... next! Have fun! 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Enchanted%20Adventures/128/1/29  will take you to the entrance of an enthralling visit .


Gemma Cleanslate

Exhibits at the SL17B, "Conversations With A Stranger" And One Billion Rising

By Gemma Cleanslate

I have been so busy greeting I have not been out to the exhibits much yet. Today I took some time to go exploring a bit in regions  I have not been before but looked at from afar and wondered what is that I almost see?  I made it an objective to visit the big white parcel on the map that has been catching my eye in Electrify from a distance  and I am so glad I did.

This exhibit is exactly what we need in these days of real life stress that most of us are experiencing. When I arrived on the road beside the white blob on the map I found so much to interact with. The description states, “This is an interactive installation where viewers are compelled to reflect on the life of a stranger before judging them. The inspiration comes from current events, where the lack of empathy for others divides us. “

There are anonymous figures seated all over the parcel , spaced of course, surrounded by their thoughts. I sat across from one and quietly considered the words on the ground and floating up into the air to see what who this figure was... is ... Reflection on the words is right. There is so much for thought about those we know and those we don’t know. They are all different , or the same, depending on me and my reaction  . So much for thought there .  Go see. It is an amazing example of the creativity of  Fionafei,  the artist in second life,  and deep empathy.   http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SL17B%20Electrify/97/151/23

I decided to walk after my sitting in various chairs and found an exhibit from one of my favorite
events in second life in which I participate every year, One Billion Rising. OBR is held on the day of the event that takes place in almost every country to bring attention to Women. “One Billion Rising is the biggest mass action to end violence against women (cisgender, transgender, and those who hold fluid identities that are subject to gender-based violence) in human history. “

“Our installation recreates in part an exhibition at One Billion Rising in Second Life 2020 - our Hall for Heroes which celebrates just some of the women around the world who have supported and fought for women's rights in various areas.” Pick up a notecard and perhaps you will get involved in this inworld activity that is open to all.  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SL17B%20Electrify/102/221/23

Among the many fun installations at the SL17B there are meaningful thoughtful exhibits to explore. Take a pod ride and hop off at any exhibit you want to walk through .You have two more weeks. Look for gifts on these sites  too.  Near these exhibits I found a few more I want to explore not only at the event but after and perhaps introduce to you in a future article. More on exhibits when I can get to them! Get your gifts at the gift area!!!

Gemma Cleanslate