Category: Events

Toys for Tots Breedables Expo and Fair in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Toys for Tots Expo 2015
Toys for Tots Expo 2015

Saturday November 21st marked the start of the seventh annual SL Toys for Tots season in support of the United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots programme, which distributes toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them Christmas gifts.

The Toys for Tots Breedables Expo and Fair will run through until November 29th, and features two regions, sponsored by WK Wild Kajaera, dedicated to all Breedables in SL and also non-breedable vendors/sellers. Events throughout the week will include live performers, raffles, and a very special auction.

The 2014 SL Toys 4 tots Expo raised over L$9,566,604 for the programme, and the organisers are hoping this year marks an even greater success, with L$838,163 donated even before the Expo gates have opened. Since its inception, SL Toys 4 Tots has raised over US $90,000 for the Toys for Toys programme.

If you would like to help with fund-raising, you can obtain the Toys for Tots fund-raising kit by contacting one of the following people in-world: Rocky Hillburton, Marissa Goodliffe, or Shannon Hillburton (Shannon Dubratt). You can also join the Annual T4T Christmas Benefit in-world group (key: secondlife:///app/group/28795771-c4a8-ac48-cf40-ead01828608c/about – paste into your viewer) to keep up-to-date on news and information.

Toys for Tots Expo 2015
Toys for Tots Expo 2015

About Toys for Tots

Toys for Tots began as a Los Angeles charitable effort in 1947. William Hendricks was inspired by his wife Diane, when she tried to donate a home-made Raggedy Ann doll to a needy child but could find no organisation to do so. At her suggestion he gathered a group of local Marine reservists, who together coordinated and collected some 5,000 toys for local children that year from collection bins placed outside of Warner Bros. movie theatres. Their efforts were so successful that, in 1948, Toys for Tots was launched as a national campaign in the United States, with a mission to “collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.”

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Of baseball, southern living, children’s tales and classic nior

Posted on by Inara Pey

It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in voice, brought to our virtual lives by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s Second Life home at Bradley University, unless otherwise indicated.

Sunday, November 15th 14:00: Tea Time with Caledonia

Caledonia Skytower reads the final story from her soon to be published collection Two Houses.

Monday November 16th, 19:00: The Mighty Casey

Rod Sterling“Mouth” McGarry, the manager of a broken-down baseball team called the Hoboken Zephyrs on its last legs, allows a robot named Casey to play on his team. Casey can throw super-fast balls that cannot be hit. Just what is his secret?

His secret is discovered after he is struck by a ball and made to undergo a physical examination in which it is discovered he is an android. When the National League learns of this, they he must be taken off the team because he is not human. So Casey’s inventor gives him an artificial heart so he might be classified as human.

But now the team has another problem – with his new heart, Casey gains an emotional capacity which leads him to gaining empathy with the opposing teams’ batsmen. As a result, he refuses to throw his super-fast balls any more, as he has no desire to ruin the batting careers of others, and it seems the Zephyrs are on the road to nowhere once more unless something can be done. But what?

Join Gyro Muggins as he relates a story written by Rod Sterling for the 35th episode  of The Twilight Zone’s first season.

Tuesday November 17th 19:00: Mama Makes Up Her Mind

Mama makes up her mindWelcome to the unique world of Bailey White. Her aunt Belle may take you to see her bellowing pet alligator. Her uncle Jimbuddy may appal you with his knack for losing pieces of himself. Most of all, you may succumb utterly to the charms of Baileys mama, who will take you to a joint so raunchy it scared Ernest Hemingway or tuck you into her antique guest bed that has the disconcerting habit of folding up on people while they sleep.

White’s indelible vignettes of Southern eccentricity have entranced millions who have heard her read them on NPR. Mama Makes Up Her Mind is as sweetly intoxicating as a mint julep and as invigorating as a walk in Whites own overgrown garden.

Join Trolley Trollop, Kayden Oconnell, and Caledonia Skytower as they commence a romp through this wonderful series of vignettes

Wednesday, November 18th 19:00 The Wonderful World of Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl’s short stories are known for their unexpected endings and his children’s books for their unsentimental, macabre, often darkly comic content, featuring villainous adult enemies of the child characters. Join Faerie Maven-Pralou as she brings more of these tales to life.

Thursday, November 19th 19:00: American Noir

American Noir is the hard-boiled nightmare of flawed souls with big dreams and the  precise how and why of the all-time sure thing that goes bad. Classic stories from the typewriters of Mickey Spilane, James M.Cain, Edward Anderson, and other masters of the genre. Presented by Shandon Loring.

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Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule.

The featured charity for October – December is Reach Out and Read, one of the most highly rated literacy charities in the USA which reaches 4.4 million children annually and distributes 1.6 million books.

Additional Links

Enjoy nostalgic radio days in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Radio Days at The Far Away (image: Ziki Questi)
Radio Days at The Far Away (image: Ziki Questi)

On Saturday, November 21st friend and fellow blogger Ziki Questi and her partner Kinn will be hosting Radio Days at The Far Away, and are cordially inviting people to pop along.

For those unfamiliar with it, The Far Away is the last remaining build in Second Life by the legendary AM Radio. In their time, his builds were regarded as some of the most striking in Second Life, and rightly so. Constructed in 2007, it is smaller than many of the other installations AM Radio built whilst in-world, occupying as it does just a quarter of a region, but it is beautifully TARDIS-like in execution, the surround bordering the build perfectly scaled to give a depth surpassing the parcel’s size.

The Far Away
The Far Away

With AM Radio increasingly less active in Second Life, It might have been that The Far Away would have passed into history had Ziki not stepped in during 2013 to take over caring for the installation for as long as AM Radio is happy to see it remain in Second Life. Since that time, she has kept the region open to visitors, even allowing those who wish to set their home there so as to have a place to log-in to.

Radio Days is a special celebration of The Far Away, and marks the beginning of what Ziki and Kinn hope might be a regular series of events at the installation. Music will be provided by Gabrielle Riel (of Radio Riel), and will be in keeping with the informal 1930s theme – people are invited to come dressed in 30’s period clothing if they wish.

The Far Away
The Far Away

Commenting on the event, Ziki states, “Since taking on care of The Far Away in 2013, I’ve been gratified by the many people who have contributed toward its support (especially Gardakan Mortlock and Boojum (libtc65)). Donations are very welcome at Radio Days on the 21st but not required. We hope you’ll visit, enjoy the space, open your ears to the music, and see new and old friends.”

Those attending might even get to meet AM Radio himself, who is hoping to drop in, although he is travelling in the physical world.

Virtual Ability: 2015 IDRAC in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Virtual AbilityVirtual Ability has announced the speakers and schedule for the 5th International Disability Rights Affirmation Conference (IDRAC), which will take place in Second Life on  Friday, November 13th and Saturday, November 14th, 2015, with the theme It’s All About the People.

The conference will take place at the Sojourner Auditorium on Virtual Ability Island, and will feature presentations from Canada, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Presentation will be of around 90 minutes duration, including time for discussion and breaks between, with the first session on each day starting at 09:00 SLT and the last at 15:00 SLT.

IDRAC 2015

Schedule of Sessions

The conference schedule, as it stood at the time of writing, was as follows. Please visit the conference page on the virtual Ability website for any updates and to read the biographies of the individual presenters. All times are SLT.

Friday, November 13th

09:00 Effectiveness Study of a Community-Based Pain Clinic – Muhammad Abdul Hadi
10:30
 The Edge of Normal – Hana Schank
12:00
 The Right to be Rescued – Jordan Melograna
13:30 WORLDS APART: Why SL Makes Me More Normal Than RL – Mook Wheeler
15:00 Disability at Intersections: International Conversations on Disability in Relation to Other Identities and Social Justice Spectrum – Akemi Nishida
The Sojourner Auditorium
The Sojourner Auditorium, virtual Ability Island

Saturday, November 14th

09:00 Who is The Sojourner? What is Dreams? – Golda Stein
10:30
 Making a Difference, One Line of Code at a Time – Captain Code
12:00
 People Helping People – Down to the Marrow – Katsii Tennen
13:30 Freaks: Stories of People on the Fringes of Life – Slatan Dryke
15:00 3:00pm – Closing Performance: ~DRUM~ (Divine Rhythms of Universal Music)

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Charles Dickens to return to Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

TDP-15-posterSeanchai Library has announced the return of one of their popular seasonal presentations: The Dickens Project.

First presented in 2012 to mark the 200th anniversary of author Charles Dickens’ birth, The Dickens Project is an interactive, immersive event focus on what is probably his most well-known story, A Christmas Carol.

The 9-day festival will commence on Saturday, December 12th and will present over 15 hours of reading from various adaptations of the story, set within a special Victorian environment. Presentations will take place at different times of the day throughout the festival in order to make reading the readings accessible to residents from around the world. Those attending will be invited to tour the set, where they will encounter interactive information on the times and work of Charles Dickens, and a seasonal ball will round-out proceedings at the end of the festival.

There will be no charge for those attending readings, but donations will be accepted on behalf of the Community Virtual Library, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, connecting residents with information resources, reference services, and serving as a networking tool for information resource professionals.

Caledonia Skytower, Shandon Loring (centre) and Kayden Oconnell in an evocative shot of the virtual / live performance by Bear Silvershade
Caledonia Skytower, Shandon Loring (centre) and Kayden Oconnell in an evocative shot of the virtual / live performance by Bear Silvershade

A Christmas Carol has been a seasonal favourite with people from all around the globe since its first publication. It has been serialised, dramatised, and made into numerous films over the decades, and has seen a number of television and radio serialisations. It’s also a story which succeeded purely as a result of Dickens’ own determination: he self published the book.

For an author if his stature at that time, such an act was unheard-of. Yet Dickens did just that. He hired an illustrator and supervised the work, he oversaw the book’s design and consulted on the advertising.  His publishers Chapman and Hall, who had demurred on the project, served only as his printers and received a fixed fee from every book sold.

The Dickens Project also has its own uniqueness. In 2013, following the success of the 2012 festival and preceding that of 2013,  there was a special performance of a Christmas Carol which crossed the digital and physical world divide. On December 1st 2013,  Caledonia Skytower, in her alter ego of writer Judith Cullen, performed before a live audience at the Knights of Pythia Temple in Tacoma, Washington, USA, while on a large screen beside her, fellow presenters Kayden Oconnell and Shandon Loring appeared from within Second Life.

As noted above, this year’s production will take place in a period setting, with members of the Seanchai Library staff also dressed in period costume. In keeping with this, audience members will be invited (but not obliged) to also attend in dress suitable for the wintry setting of the story, and suitable for the Victorian era, to add to the general ambience.

The final schedule for The Dickens Project 2015 has yet to be set, but you can be sure that when it has been, I’ll be providing it through these pages together with SLurls to the event, and may also have some behind-the-scenes photos to hopefully whet appetites!

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The end of the valley and stepping away from Earth in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in voice, brought to our virtual lives by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s Second Life home at Bradley University, unless otherwise indicated.

Sunday, November 8th 13:30: Tea time at Baker Street

The Valley of Fear, The Strand Magazine, 1915. Illustration by Frank Wiles
The Valley of Fear, The Strand Magazine, 1915. Illustration by Frank Wiles

Caledonia Skytower, Kayden Oconnell and John Morland reach the conclusion of  the fourth and final Sherlock Holmes novel, The Valley of Fear.

Set prior to the events of The Final Problem, in which Holmes apparently dispatched criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty and also meeting his own demise in the process, The Valley of Fear charts a prior encounter with Moriarty’s nefarious acts.

Called to look out for a man called Douglas by and informant in Moriarty’s employ, Holmes and Watson arrive too late: the man is apparently already dead. But things are far from as they appear, as Holmes quickly deduces. Thus unfolds a strange tale travelling back a number of years further, and involving events in the United States.

As the tale comes full circle, the final cards are played in a deadly game, and a promise to see Moriarty brought to justice is made…

The conclusion of The Valley of Fear also marks the conclusion of a special journey for Seanchai Library: the presentation in voice of the 68 canonical tale of Holmes and Watson as penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This is a remarkable achievement – although I doubt very mush it will be the last time Seanchai and their listeners prevail upon the good graces of the Great Detective, his companion and Mrs. Hudson at 221B Baker Street.

Monday November 9th, 19:00: One Step From Earth

one step from earthWhat would happen if, by setting up a screen in one place and another somewhere else – the same planet, another planet in the same star system or even halfway across the galaxy – you could step into one and instantly step out of the other? What happens if one of the screens is one-way, and once you’ve passed through, your cannot return?

What are the social and political ramifications of such a system, for individuals and humanity as a whole when the entire galaxy is potential one step away from Earth?

Join Gyro Muggins as he explores the ramifications of instant teleportation through One Step from Earth, a collection of short stories on the theme by Harry Harrison. This wek: Wife to the Lord

Tuesday November 10th 19:00: Mama Makes Up Her Mind

Mama makes up her mindWelcome to the unique world of Bailey White. Her aunt Belle may take you to see her bellowing pet alligator. Her uncle Jimbuddy may appal  you with his knack for losing pieces of himself. Most of all, you may succumb utterly to the charms of Baileys mama, who will take you to a joint so raunchy it scared Ernest Hemingway or tuck you into her antique guest bed that has the disconcerting habit of folding up on people while they sleep.

White’s indelible vignettes of Southern eccentricity have entranced millions who have heard her read them on NPR. Mama Makes Up Her Mind is as sweetly intoxicating as a mint julep and as invigorating as a walk in Whites own overgrown garden.

Join Trolley Trollop, Kayden Oconnell, and Caledonia Skytower as they commence a romp through this wonderful series of vignettes

Wednesday, November 11th 19:00 The Wonderful World of Roald Dahl

Join Faerie Maven-Pralou as she reads The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and more.

Thursday, November 12th

19:00: American Noir

With Shandon Loring

21:00 Seanchai Late Night

With Finn Zeddmore.

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Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule.

The featured charity for October – December is Reach Out and Read, one of the most highly rated literacy charities in the USA which reaches 4.4 million children annually and distributes 1.6 million books.

Additional Links