BURN2 2017 opening its gates on Saturday, October 21st, and will run through until Sunday, October 29th 2017, culminating in the burning of the Man the Temple on the closing weekend of the event.
The theme for this year is Radical Ritual, matching that of the official Burning Man event, and which is described thus:
Reinventing ritual in our post post-modern world – disregarding assertions of belief and focus on the immediate experience of play. Play can free us to envision truths of which we have no proof or warrant, and breaks down the distinction that divides belief from make-believe. Whole-hearted, creative play induces self-surrender to experience that is beyond the scope of reasoned thought.
The Festival commenced with a Lamplighters procession, which set out at 10:00 SLT on Saturday, October 21st, with a further procession taking place at 18:00 SLT. There will be similar daily processions at 12:00 noon and 18:00 each day of the event through until Friday, October 27th.
Saturday, October 28th will feature two burnings of The Man, at 11:00 noon and 17:00 SLT. On Sunday, October 29th, the Temple will likewise burn at 11:00 non and 17:00 SLT, but each of these burnings will be preceded at 10:00 and 16:00 respectively by Lamplighter processions, which will each include a Fire Dance performance at the Centre Camp. You can keep track of all BURN2 activities through the event schedule on Google Calendar.
To ease your explorations of the regions, don’t forget you can pick up a ride at the Department of Mutant Vehicles, car rezzing point close to the welcome area.
As with previous years, participants have fully entered into the spirit of the BURN2 theme, and the five regions offer a tremendous carnival atmosphere, with Today Nakamura’s Temple build beautifully and brilliantly capturing the essence of the theme and the playa as a whole.
About BURN2
BURN2 is an extension of the Burning Man festival and community into the world of Second Life. It is an officially sanctioned Burning Man regional event, and the only virtual world event out of more than 100 real world Regional groups and the only regional event allowed to burn the man.
The BURN2 Team operates events year around, culminating in an annual major festival of community, art and fire in the fall – a virtual echo of Burning Man itself.
It’s time to kick-off another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s home at Holly Kai Park, unless otherwise indicated.
Sunday, October 15th
13:30: Tea Time at Baker Street
The pages of The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, the final set of twelve Sherlock Holmes short stories first published in the Strand Magazine between October 1921 and April 1927, are once again opened for another tale from the diaries of Dr. John Watson…
This week: The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place
Originally entitled The Adventure of the Black Spaniel, this story marks the last of the 56 Sherlock Holmes’ adventures penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; although it is not always the final story in printed versions of The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, nor is it necessarily the last time the Great Detective will be appearing at Seanchai Library SL.
There are odd goings-on at Shoscombe Old Place, a racing stable in Berkshire, which have aroused the concerns of the head trainer, John Mason.
In visiting Sherlock Holmes, Mason is not sure precisely what he wants investigated, but instead offers a list of odd behaviours on the part of Sir Robert Norberton, who runs the stables, and his sister-in-Law, Lady Beatrice Falder, who owns Shoscombe. In the case of Sir Robert, Mason fears he might have gone quite mad.
Holmes and Watson travel to Berkshire, lodging at a local inn close to the stables, where they can keep an eye on things. Holmes quickly draws the conclusion that something is amiss, and may well have to do with Sir Robert Norberton having given his sister-in-law’s hound to the innkeeper, the dog being far too expensive a breed for an innkeeper to normally be able to afford. Thus, on the pretext of taking the dog for a walk, Holmes and Watson set out to investigate further…
To find out more, be sure to turn up on time for a spot of afternoon tea at Baker Street!
18:00 Magicland Storytime: The Black Cauldron
Join Caledonia Skytower at Magicland Park as she concludes the tale.
Monday, October 16th 19:00: Reckoning Infinity
Gyro Muggins reads John E. Stith’s alien first contact story, once described as “Rendezvous with Rama meets James and the Giant Peach“!
Lieutenant Commander Alis Mary Nussem, her body partially bionic, isn’t to happy about finding herself aboard the same space vessel as the man she deems responsible for the accident which robbed her of a part of her natural body. However, she must put aside her differences with scientist Karl Stanton when a massive object enters the solar system, apparently on course to be swallowed by the Sun – but not before it will collide with a space station in Earth orbit.
Ordered to investigate the object, which is as large as a moon and quickly given the name “Cantaloupe,” Nussem, Stanton and the crew of their ship rendezvous with it, only to find they are not the first: the wreck of another vessel lies on the surface, a hole drilled into the object close by. The only means of entry to the Cantaloupe, Nussem and Stanton lead a team down through it – to make a stunning discovery.
Like Nussem, Cantaloupe is an bio-mechanical entity. It is alive, but it’s interior also have pipes, elevators chambers and more within. But it is also a place of danger – as Nussem and her also companions quickly discover – some to their cost. It’s also a place of unexpected surprises, as the crew’s biggest discovery proves…
Also presented in Kitely hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Seanchai/108/609/1528.
Tuesday, October 17th, 19:00 The Water Mirror
Faerie Maven-Pralou reads Kei Meyer’s tale of magic.
Merle is apprenticed to a maker of magic mirrors. She even has one of her own, with a surface of water into which she can reach without ever getting wet – magic being a relatively common thing in Venice. Meanwhile, her friend Serafin, once a master thief, now works for a weaver of magic cloth.
Both Merle and Serafin accept the wonders of the city, from the mermaids in the canal to the stone lions on which the city guards ride on their patrols. But all is not well; beyond the walls of the city, the Egyptian Empire is laying siege, an army of mummy warriors and flying sunbarks held at bay by the power of the Flowing Queen, which runs through the city’s canals and hold the enemy forces at bay.
Then Merle and Serafin overhear a plot to capture the Flowing Queen and render the city defenceless. And while no-one actually knows what the Queen looks like, they set out to protect and / or rescue her. In doing so, they must ally themselves with the Ancient Traitor and journey into the realm of Dark Reflections…
Wednesday, October 18th, 19:00 Monsters of the Midwest
True Tales of Bigfoot, Werewolves and Other Legendary Creatures with Kayden Oconnell. Also presented in Kitely hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Seanchai/108/609/1528.
Thursday, October 19th 19:00 The Haunters and the Haunted
With Shandon Loring in a special session at Octoberville in Second Life. Also presented in Kitely hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Seanchai/108/609/1528.
Advanced Notice!
Sunday October 22nd 13:00-15:00: Ghostly Tales
Seanchai Library and friends gather at Kultivate Magazine’s Scare Me Silly fund-raiser on behalf of Team Diabetes SL, for spooky, chilling tales of the season.
Sunday, October 29th 13:00-15:00 The 2nd Annual Holly Kai GREAT BOO!
Scary storiesfollowed by music and dancing. Possibly more! Stay Tuned!
Please check with the Seanchai Library’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule.
The featured charity for August and September is Little Kids Rock, transforming lives by restoring, expanding, and innovating music education in schools.
Organised by Team Diabetes of Second Life, the event features live performances. DJ parties, a hunt and a quest, tricks and treats, a haunted mansion, ghostly rides and – of course – shopping!
@AdReNaLiZeD@, Albino Peacock, Babey, Bad Dragon Clothing, Beyond Persuasion Design, Blush, BRYNE, Candy’s Designs, Cats ‘n Kittens Boutique, Cazimi, ChiC buildings, Chiffon, Cleopatra Inc., Creepy Midget Designs, Dallas MacKenzie Designs, Dominique’s Designs, Epicine, Fae Fantasy Creations, Fashiowl Poses, Gidget’s Style, Gross Princess, GypsyRose Botanical, IMaGE Factory, Indigenous, Just Imagine, Just Ordinary, Kades, Kiliki Bikini, Kitty Creations, Kittycat’s Creations , LC Fashion, Lunar Seasonal Designs, MadCatCreations, Mahlberg Tailors, Mara’s Mysteries, Mariposa, Metal and Stone, Orchid Petal Designs, Park Place Home, ::Pharmacist::, Porcelan, Potomac Signature Homes, Queued, Redangel Designs, Rico’s Customs, Romance Couture, Roth’s, Rowanessque, Rush Love Your Look, Sasheba’s Closet, SpellBound Boutique, Sunspear Creations, Tayren’s Fantasy Fashions, The Crone’s Garden, The Little Bat, The Pumpkin Head, TRS Designs, Tylar’s Treasures, Unforgettable Temptations, Winx Trivium, Wood Works, and Zoom.
Performances and events will feature storytelling by Seanchai Library, live singers, DJs, tribute bands, a fishing tournament, costume parties – check the Scare Me Silly event page for the schedule of events through the month!
This year, attendees can participate in the Evil Pumpkin Hunt and / or the Skeleton Quest. The pumpkins in the hunt are scatters across the Scare Me Silly event grounds. They contain a variety of hunt prizes from creators. Find them, pay L$10 to each of them (all payments go the Team Diabetes of Second Life) and claim the prizes within!
The Skeleton Quest costs L$500 to enter. Attach the Quest HUD, find all of the skeleton parts in the haunted mansion and claim a haul of 30 prizes! All proceeds from the sale of HUDs go to Team Diabetes of Second Life.
About the American Diabetes Association
Established in 1940, the American Diabetes Association is working to both prevent and cure diabetes in all it forms, and to help improve the lives of all those affected by diabetes. It does this by providing objective and credible information and resources about diabetes to communities, and funding research into ways and means of both managing and curing the illness. In addition, the Association gives voice to those denied their rights as a consequence of being affected by diabetes.
About Team Diabetes of Second life
Team Diabetes of Second Life is an official and authorised fund-raiser for the American Diabetes Association in Second Life. Established with the aim of raising funds in support of diabetes treatment and to raise awareness of the disease in SL, Team Diabetes of Second Life was founded by Jessi2009 Warrhol and John Brianna (Johannes1977 Resident), and is served by an advisory board comprising Eleseren Brianna, Jessi2009 Warrhol, Sandie Loxingly, Rob Fenwitch, and Dawnbeam Dreamscape, with Saiyge Lotus serving as a special advisor. Events Co-coordinator (with John Brianna) is Veruca Tammas.
For Max – October 3rd through 10th, 2017 – Over L$ 1,000,000 raised
The For Max event closed its doors on Tuesday, October 10th having broken through the L$ 1,000,000 barrier of funds raised to help Maxwell Graf and his partner in the physical world, Lyrric Fei.
The event was rapidly put together by Charlotte Bartlett, Sophia Harlow and Blazin Arubet with the assistance of Apple Fall and Shiny Shabby, at extremely short notice after Max reveal he and Lyrric were facing a heartbreaking plight thanks to a physical world situation (both have been on an overland journey to start a new life after the situation forced them out of house and home).
Writing on the event’s Facebook page, Charlotte Bartlett said:
I am literally shaking as I write this, as the level of love, help and generosity of the Second Life Community has shown us what true spirit means. The amount raised has topped across the donations/raffle and creator items over 1,000,000 Linden. This hopefully gives our Max a safety net for the short-term so he and his family can start to plan their new chapter. A list of all sales is already available to Max for audit (locked script) and donations/raffle in addition.
The total equates to just over US $4,000, which will help Max and Lyrric in starting their new life. Nor is that all.
As I reported when For Max opened, Kylie Sabra also launched a sale of her art in support of Max and Lyrric, which ran for the same period as the shopping event. I’ve reached out to Kylie with an enquiry on how things went, but have yet to hear back. When I do, I’ll update this article.
Don’t forget as well, that even if you missed the For Max events, you can still help Max and Lyrric by visiting Rustica, their fabulous in-world store and purchasing one or two of Max’s range of furnishings, apparel, accessories, building kits and more.
Also benefiting Max and Lyrric, Kylie Sabra raised an additional L$ through the sale of her art
This is the second time this year a respected, liked and loved creator in Second Life has encountered a major life-impacting crisis, only to see the community in which they have so long played a role rally around, unbidden in support – and with remarkably similar outcomes.
In April 2017, I was privileged to work with Saffia Widdershins on Filling the Cauldron, an event aimed at helping and supporting creator Elicio Ember and his family. held over a near-identical period, that event also raised US $4,000. The speed of response, support and outpouring at both these events again shows not only the generosity of all those involved, whether as organisers, participating creators or artists or entertainers, or as attendees shopping and donating – but also the depth of caring for one another inherent in the Second Life community.
Thank you to Charlotte, Sophia, Blazin and all involved in For Max. To Max and Lyrric: stay safe and stay warm – and see you in Second Life soon!
It’s time to kick-off another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s home at Holly Kai Park, unless otherwise indicated.
Sunday, October 8th 13:30: Tea Time at Baker Street
The pages of The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, the final set of twelve Sherlock Holmes short stories first published in the Strand Magazine between October 1921 and April 1927, are once again opened for another tale from the diaries of Dr. John Watson…
This week: The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger
“You will understand, Mrs. Merrilow, that if I come to Mrs. Ronder I should prefer to have a witness. You will make her understand that before we arrive.”
“Lord bless you, Mr. Holmes,” said our visitor, “she is that anxious to see you that you might bring the whole parish at your heels!”
“Then we shall come early in the afternoon. Let us see that we have our facts correct before we start. If we go over them it will help Dr. Watson to understand the situation. You say that Mrs. Ronder has been your lodger for seven years and that you have only once seen her face.”
“And I wish to God I had not!” said Mrs. Merrilow.
With these words, John Watson once again finds himself plunged into a new mystery at the side of his long-time friend, Sherlock Holmes. The year is 1896, and Holmes has asked Watson to attend 221B Baker Street to listen to the story Mrs. Merrilow has to tell of her lodger, Mrs. Ronder. Horribly disfigured, Mrs. Rounder is the surviving victim of a terrible accident after a circus lion somehow got loose and savaged her and her husband – killing him.
While the case had piqued Holmes’ curiosity on account of a number of inconsistencies, he had not been called upon to investigate matters. Now, every night, Mrs. Ronder is beside herself with fear, shouting and screaming of murder and beasts. Her health has also deteriorated, and she has refused all assistance, asking only that her landlady, Mrs. Merrilow, seek out Holmes and ask for his aid – and to repeat two works to him: Abbas Parva …
To find out more, be sure to turn up on time for a spot of afternoon tea at Baker Street!
Plus: The Case of Lady Sannox by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: No, not a mystery for The Great Detective to solve, but a sinister short story from 1893 of how revenge is sought as a result of a notorious affair between a famed surgeon and the Lady of the story’s title.
Monday, October 9th 19:00: Reckoning Infinity
Gyro Muggins reads John E. Stith’s alien first contact story, once described as “Rendezvous with Rama meets James and the Giant Peach“!
Lieutenant Commander Alis Mary Nussem, her body partially bionic, isn’t to happy about finding herself aboard the same space vessel as the man she deems responsible for the accident which robbed her of a part of her natural body. However, she must put aside her differences with scientist Karl Stanton when a massive object enters the solar system, apparently on course to be swallowed by the Sun – but not before it will collide with a space station in Earth orbit.
Ordered to investigate the object, which is as large as a moon and quickly given the name “Cantaloupe,” Nussem, Stanton and the crew of their ship rendezvous with it, only to find they are not the first: the wreck of another vessel lies on the surface, a hole drilled into the object close by. The only means of entry to the Cantaloupe, Nussem and Stanton lead a team down through it – to make a stunning discovery.
Like Nussem, Cantaloupe is an bio-mechanical entity. It is alive, but it’s interior also have pipes, elevators chambers and more within. But it is also a place of danger – as Nussem and her also companions quickly discover – some to their cost. It’s also a place of unexpected surprises, as the crew’s biggest discovery proves…
Tuesday, October 10th 19:00: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
As All Hallows creeps ever closer, how better than to get in the mood than with some classic tales of horror and spookiness from literature?
Perhaps one of the most well-known (and well-loved) stories of dark hauntings is Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, which is also one of the earliest examples of American literature of enduring popularity.
While setting his tale in post-revolutionary America in the year 1790, Irving in fact wrote the sorry tale of school teacher Ichabod Crane and his ill-fated encounter with the Headless Horseman in 1819 while visiting England, where his also penned Rip Van Winkle.
Both The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle first appeared in print in his serial The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent, which also marked Irving’s first use of that pen name. As with Rip Van Winkle, Irving claims he first heard about The Legend of Sleepy Hollow from “Diedrich Knickerbocker”, a fictional “Dutch Historian”.
With Caledonia Skytower (also presented in Kitely hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Seanchai/108/609/1528).
Wednesday, October 11th, 19:00 The Water Mirror
Faerie Maven-Pralou reads Kei Meyer’s tale of magic.
Merle is apprenticed to a maker of magic mirrors. She even has one of her own, with a surface of water into which she can reach without ever getting wet – magic being a relatively common thing in Venice. Meanwhile, her friend Serafin, once a master thief, now works for a weaver of magic cloth.
Both Merle and Serafin accept the wonders of the city, from the mermaids in the canal to the stone lions on which the city guards ride on their patrols. But all is not well; beyond the walls of the city, the Egyptian Empire is laying siege, an army of mummy warriors and flying sunbarks held at bay by the power of the Flowing Queen, which runs through the city’s canals and hold the enemy forces at bay.
Then Merle and Serafin overhear a plot to capture the Flowing Queen and render the city defenceless. And while no-one actually knows what the Queen looks like, they set out to protect and / or rescue her. In doing so, they must ally themselves with the Ancient Traitor and journey into the realm of Dark Reflections…
Thursday, October 12th 19:00 Zombies!
With Shandon Loring (also presented in Kitely hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Seanchai/108/609/1528).
Advanced Notice!
Sunday October 22nd 13:00-15:00: Ghostly Tales
Seanchai Library and friends gather at Kultivate Magazine’s Scare Me Silly fund-raiser on behalf of Team Diabetes SL, for spooky, chilling tales of the season.
Sunday, October 29th 13:00-15:00 The 2nd Annual Holly Kai GREAT BOO!
Scary storiesfollowed by music and dancing. Possibly more! Stay Tuned!
Please check with the Seanchai Library’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule.
The featured charity for August and September is Little Kids Rock, transforming lives by restoring, expanding, and innovating music education in schools.
Do you have a suitably creepy venue with space enough to entertain, indoors or out? Why not sign-up to be a part of the Lab’s 2017 Creepy Crawl for Halloween?
The Creepy Crawl is becoming something of a Second Life tradition, and is back once more. Xiola Linden has put out a call for venues interested in hosting the 2017 travelling meet-up with a chance to chat with members of the Lab’s staff, as it winds its way across the grid.
The event will take place on Tuesday, October 31st, between 10:00 and 14:00 SLT. In particular, the Community Team is looking for suitable venues where there is room for people to mingle, chat,have a little fun and offer suitable ambience for the time of year, as the blog post explains:
Are you unafraid of things that go bump in the night? Love a screaming good time with fellow Residents, and dressing up in your Halloween best? Well, it is that time of year when once more – a-haunting we will go!
If you’d like to host a stop along the Creepy Crawl, own a spot that will be decked out for the holiday, and don’t mind if a parade of Residents and Lindens come through, then you might be just what the witch doctor ordered. We’re looking for spots that will have music, are appropriate for general and moderate audiences, and can handle a crowd.
If the event is run along the same lines at 2016, it will likely see selected venues visited for around 30 minutes at a time (although this is subject to confirmation), and people will be welcome to join the entire Creepy Crawl, or drop in and out of it as they wish.
Here’s how to submit your venue for consideration:
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 