Category Archives: SHOWCASE

Railroads Made in Second Life

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Railroads Made in Second Life – A Five-Part Mini-Series & LiveRailroads Made in SL.png

This year’s theme for our SL17B celebrations is “vacations and road trips” – and, in this spirit, we are pleased to debut today a five-part mini-series dedicated to the unique history, culture and communities surrounding one of the most popular modes of travel in our virtual world – railroads in Second Life.

Our virtual journalist Draxtor Despres recently took a ride on the rails of SL to travel across miles of virtual railroad tracks spanning across the grid. Along the way, he makes multiple stops to meet a wide variety of colorful characters and creative communities.

In episode one, Hrdtop75 Deluxe of the Virtual Railroad Consortium joins Drax for a look back at the origins and history of the Second Life Railroad (SLRR) system which originated in 2003 within the northwest part of the Sansara continent before eventually expanding to more than 80 regions including the Heterocera (or Atoll continent). 

Episode two focuses on the Bay City Short Line and trolley developed under the guidance of SLRR co-founder Athos Murphy (formerly known as Michael Linden).

In episode three, both Drax and Hrdtop75 explore the ONSR (Okemo Nakiska & Southern Railway), located in the snowland regions of the Sansara continent. The ONSR spans across 13 regions and serves 10 stations for a roundtrip averaging about 22 minutes.

Episode four highlights the communities surrounding the ZZR (Zany Zen Railway), which was built by Zen Swords-Galway. As you travel the ZZR, you’ll discover a variety of quirky communities and unique attractions including the small Welsh seaside town Little Coverston.

The series concludes in episode five featuring an interview with VP of Product Operations Patch Linden, who discusses the important role of railways within the expansive infrastructure of the massive Bellisseria continents (where thousands of Residents reside within Linden Homes).

Drax will be joined by many of the interview subjects featured in the series during a special SL17B Q&A and screening event held inworld June 23 at noon SLT. You can also watch the event live or archived on YouTube.

CREDITS:
Video Production: Draxtor Despres
Narration & Research: Hardtop75 Deluxe
Sets & logo: Marianne McCann
Special thanks to Patch Linden, Squeaky Mole and Joshu Philgarlic
Trains used made by Hardtop75 Deluxe, Zen Swords-Galway, Atomic Infinity and Brit Balogh

Have a great week from all of us at Zoha Islands And Fruit Islands.

Splash Into Summer with Virtual Sailing

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Virtual Sailing

When it comes to Summer 2020, smooth sailing might not be the first phrase to come to mind. However, with Summer Sailstice coming up, we have a virtual event to help turn this ship around. Second Sailstice, the annual worldwide celebration of sailing, will take place in Second Life the week of June 13th-20th and just might be the largest virtual sailing event to date!

SL resident Dale Irata [David Bloch in RL] originally came up with the idea, and it has grown immensely due to the abundance of creative energy among SL residents as well as his belief that “There are no limits on us here.” 

The real world Summer Sailstice always takes place on the Saturday closest to the Northern Hemisphere Summer Solstice, but there is also a weeklong Nautical Exposition with events and live performances.

Summer Sailstice in SL is an official Sailstice event and has been featured in their promotional channels to the RL sailing community. This is of particular importance this year, since many people do not have the ability to attend in person due to coronavirus restrictions. All experience levels of virtual sailors are encouraged to participate. For any newbies feeling shy or hesitant, the Second Sailstice Novice Regatta competition is even offering free boats.

This year’s event will also feature a “Sails and Tails” party, and the mer community will be making appearances in the water and around the boats. There will be races, cruises, boat shows, and parties.

Click here for more information on sailing in Second Life. If you’d like to practice stretching your avatar’s sea legs, take a peek at the Sailing & Boating regions in the Destination Guide.

Come check out the events and #raiseyoursail!

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Summer Sailstice in Second Life

Summer Sailstice is the annual celebration of sailing that happens every year on the Saturday closest to the summer solstice; this is their 20th year! The idea is simply to get as many people around the world out on a sailboat on the same day. In 2020, because of the pandemic, it is safer to move to virtual sailing! Summer Sailstice in SL is officially registered as a Summer Sailstice Event. If you’re already a sailor in SL, visit this location to find out how you can register and join the inworld group to participate in this event on June 20th. For more information, visit: sailvirtual.com

Visit in Second Life
 
Please Visit Fruit islands and the North Sea for more sailing adventures..
Have a great week from all of us at Zoha Islands and Fruit Islands..

Last Call for These Last Names – Get ‘Em While You Can!

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Last Call for these last names.png

We have been very pleased to see the response to the return of last names back in April. The response thus far has been mostly positive, with some residents opting to wait for names that feel more personal to them. 

Much as we did with the original legacy surnames, we plan to update and change the available last names regularly. That way, a good variety of first and last name combinations are available at any given moment. We are taking a number of factors into consideration on making the decision about when to change up the names, most importantly how popular, or unpopular, a name is.

Today, we are announcing the retirement of some of the last names from the first round.

Effective Thursday, June 25 the following names will no longer be available for purchase:
Alpaca
Covfefe
Damballar
Float
Jazzhands
Mainsail
Nimble
Piggins
Plumday
Yeetly

All residents that have purchased name changes using these last names will retain ownership of the name, but no more additional purchases of these names will be available. 

If you wish to claim one of these last names for yourself, now is your last chance! Be sure to do so no later than Wednesday, June 24th, as the names will no longer be available for purchase. 

Simultaneously, ten new last name options will be made available for purchase. These new names will be announced upon release, so stay tuned!
 

Have a great day From all of us at Zi and FI

Exploring Black Lives Matter in Second Life

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As a follow up to Linden Lab’s statement in support of Black Lives Matter, this week’s “Second Life Destinations” video takes a closer look at some of the people, events and experiences bringing attention to Black lives in both the physical and virtual world.

Featured in the video (in order of appearance) are 

As mentioned on the Stand for Justice website, there are several events and projects currently underway that are worth a visit, including the We Will Be Heard – Black Lives Awareness Event (scheduled for July 4-11), the ongoing art build Walls of Freedom and the aforementioned Stand for Justice event and The Black Excellence Project. There’s also the ongoing exhibits at the Virtual Black History Museum.

CREDITS:
Video Production: Draxtor Despres

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Stand for Justice – In Support of Black Lives

Stand for Justice is a fundraising effort within the virtual world Second Life dedicated to raising funds for Black Lives Matter, Black Visions Collective, Campaign Zero, the National Police Accountability Project, and a Split Bail Fund benefiting 38+ bail funds nationwide. 

Visit in Second Life

 

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Walls of Freedom

Walls of Freedom is based on the book of the same name portraying the first three years of the Egyptian revolution that began on January 25, 2011, told through striking images of art that transformed Egypt’s walls into a visual testimony of bravery and resistance. This is an ongoing build where fiction meets nonfiction or is it where nonfiction meets fiction? This platform is all about art, politics, and religion!

 

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Virtual Black History Museum

The Virtual Black History Museum invites everyone to explore the timeline of African-American history from the heartaches to the victories in a park-like and welcoming environment.

Have a great week From all of us at Zoha Islands and Fruit Islands.

Social Injustice Has No Place in the Physical or Virtual World.

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Now Open: Stand Up for Justice, Second Life Fundraiser With 100+ Top Brands — All Sales Going to Black Lives Matter & Many Other Justice Groups

Stand Up for Justice SL event

Click here to directly teleport to Stand Up for Justice, a month-long fundraiser open now and running until the end of the month, with all virtual content sales turned into real money donations to to Black Lives Matter, Black Visions Collective, Campaign Zero, the National Police Accountability Project, and a bail fund for jailed protesters nationwide.

At the moment, there’s over 100 SL merchants are participating, including top brands like Apple Fall, Izzie’s, Etham, ChiMia, LOFT, Jian, and Astara. Many more are still being added, co-organizer Barb tells me, so it’s no surprise the place has been packed since it opened. 

As for how all L$ sales to Stand Up for Justice will be donated, Barb explains their process to insure maximum transparency:

Stand up for Justice BLM SL

“We have created an avatar for the event, StandforJustice Resident, where all proceeds will be collected. when the fundraiser ends. The money will be cashed out of Second Life at the best rate possible at the time and donated equally to the charities we selected. We will update the site the on the total amount raised, and when it is donated we’ll send out a breakdown of the donations with screenshots and receipts we plan to provide as much info as possible to maintain transparency about where funds are going.”

Once again, here’s the direct teleport.

Social Injustice Has No Place in the Physical or Virtual World.

 

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Like many of you, we are feeling a combination of horror and outrage over the history of racism against Black lives. What we continue to witness is deeply disturbing and demanding of immediate social change.

The killing of George Floyd seen on video around the world is only one in a long and unacceptable series of violent and racist attacks and discriminatory behavior directed against people of color. 

We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, all victims of systemic oppression and violence, and with Black communities across the U.S., the globe, and the virtual world in condemning racism and any and all actions that promote division.

Our mission at Second Life has always been to help build a better world, and in support of Black Lives Matter, we will be donating $10,000 each to three charities that are active in helping to fight oppression and injustice including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

How can you help? You can participate in the Stand for Justice fundraising effort dedicated to raising funds for Black Lives Matter, Black Visions Collective, Campaign Zero, the National Police Accountability Project, and a Split Bail Fund benefiting 38+ bail funds nationwide. We also highly encourage you to sign petitions, text, call, or donate to show your support, acceptance, tolerance, inclusion, and equal opportunity for all.

Now is the time for us to come together as a community and to stand up for what is right, just, and decent. We hope that you will stand with us in our fight for a better world and in recognition that Black Lives Matter today and every day. 

– The Linden Lab Team

This Article does not reflect the believes or has ANY political agenda of Zoha Islands And Fruit Islands. However we felt sharing was pertinent to a world cause.

Real Life Health Worker Creates Stylish Second Life Avatar

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Real Life Health Worker Creates Stylish Second Life Avatar As Tribute to Colleagues Treating COVID-19 Patients

SL blog medical worker fashion COVID style

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Jang Sungyoung’s self-named blog is usually fun and cheeky. But as a healthcare worker in real life, she took the time to create this image to reflect on her occupation. In the description of “Reporting for Duty”, she reveals that people have been rude to her for being a healthcare worker. She does not ask us to call her a hero or glorify her work, but just to remember that healthcare workers are at risk and so are their families:

“While we are busy taking care of our patients, we are away from our families and we are putting our very own health at risk. A simple smile, gratitude and appreciation is all we need. Stay safe everyone!”

Here’s another, more lighthearted fashion pic by Jang:

Keep your sunny side up

“Keep the Sunny Side Up” is a bright and sunny post that drew my eye with color. Also, she gives her readers a portmanteau that is delightful–sassitude. I am stealing it. 

I love her humor. For example, the comments box is prefaced with “I like pandas and unicorns, how about you?” The blog is very well-organized and simple to use. There is a panel on the right that begins with a short bio, links, archives, and social media. Across the top you can find her About Me, Contact page, and some basics about her blog. I love her little bio for her gravatar, “Mental health warrior. Self-proclaimed ambivert. Fierce gamer. Music lover. Photography enthusiast. Panda ambassador. Unicorn guardian. All around awesome.” I enjoy her blog and I think you will, too.

Have A Great Week from all of us at Zoha Islands and Fruit Islands