Category: Events

Mysterious disappearances, magical goings-on and tales with a twist

Posted on by Inara Pey

It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in Voice, brought to Second Life by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library SL.

As always, all times SLT, and unless otherwise stated, events will be held on the Seanchai Library’s home on Imagination Island.

Sunday October 13th

13:30: Tea Time at Baker Street – The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in “The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter”, Sidney Paget / Strand Magazine, 1904

Caledonia and Corwyn bring us another installment in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s volume of stories The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

Godfrey Staunton is missing. He’s the key player in Cambridge University’s rugby team (and also the heir of Lord Mount-James, his uncle).

With an important match against arch-rivals Oxford looming, Staunton needs to be found, and Mr. Cyril Overton of Trinity College, responsible for the university’s rugby team, has come to London to seek Holmes’ help.

Overton informs Holmes that Staunton had not been looking well and seemed preoccupied. Then, the previous evening, a bearded man had arrived at Staunton’s hotel with a note for him – and Staunton apparently vanished shortly afterwards.

Returning to Cambridge with Overton, Holmes and Watson set about their investigation, learning that the bearded man who delivered the note to Staunton appeared to be worried as well – the hotel porter noted his hand was shaking, and that he muttered something about “time”.

Staunton’s uncle is unable to provide information which may help matters. However an academic at the university, Dr. Leslie Armstrong, may hold the key to the mystery …

18:00: Magicland Storytime – Bonfires and Broomsticks

bonfires-broomsticksAuthor Mary Norton is perhaps best know for her long-running series of fantasy books The Borrowers (named for the first book of the series) published between 1952 and 1982.

However, her first published work, in 1943, was entitled The Magic Bed Knob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons, a fantasy piece about an elderly woman who practices magic for a hobby and has a magic bed knob, and three London children evacuated to the country during the bombing of London.

This was followed in 1945 by the sequel Bonfires and Broomsticks. Then, in 1957, the two books were republished as a single volume entitled Bed-Knob and Broomstick. And it was a play on this title by which the story became most widely known, when in 1971, Walt Disney released the film Bedknobs and Broomsticks starring Angela Lansbury and the late David Tomlinson.

Join Caledonia Skytower at Magicland Park as Caledonia reads from the second volume of this classic tale.

Monday October 14th, 19:00: Sci-fi Classics

With Gyro Muggins.

Tuesday October 15th, 19:00: The Letter

With Caledonia Skytower – check the Seanchai Library blog for further details.

Wednesday October 16th, 19:00: TBA

Check the Seanchai Library blog for further details.

Thursday October 17th, Twisted Tales of Torment

tales-tormentShandon Loring dips into another of the “100 stories” anthologies, this one focused on the subject of revenge.

From the book sleeve:

The criminals in this entertaining collection of stories really know how to make the punishment fit the crime. An anthology of agonizingly exquisite tales from the pens of Saki, David H. Keller, Thomas Ligotti, and other masters of the mystery genre. Prepare yourself for the unimaginable. You may think you like horror stories, but these aren’t your average tales of things that go bump in the night. These are gripping accounts of perversion. These are awful stories of getting trapped in an elevator (Garry Kilworth’s “The Elevator”), a terrifying car ride (Arthur Conan Doyle’s “How It Happened”), or a vampire (Alan Ryan’s “Onawa”). Test your stoicism; see if you can get through all of the 100 Twisted Little Tales of Torment.

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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 September and October is Water for People. Have questions? IM or notecard Caledonia Skytower.

Related Links

Murders, broomsticks, horsemen and creepy creatures

Posted on by Inara Pey

It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in Voice, brought to Second Life by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library SL.

As always, all times SLT, and unless otherwise stated, events will be held on the Seanchai Library’s home on Imagination Island.

Sunday October 6th

13:30: Tea Time at Baker Street – The Adventure of the Golden Pince-nez

Holmes (l) examines a bureau in Professor Coram’s study, directing his questions to the maid (Sidney Paget, 1904, Strand Magazine)

Caledonia and Corwyn bring us another installment in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s volume of stories The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

Willoughby Smith, secretary to the invalid Professor Coram, has been murdered.

There is no apparent motive for the crime, comitted using a sealing-wax knife belonging to the professor, and the local police are stumped, leading Inspector Stanley Hopkins to pay Holmes and Watson a visit one dark November night to seek assistance. He brings with him the only clues to the matter: a pair of golden Pince-nez glasses found clutched in Smith’s hand, and his dying words, uttered to the maid who found him.

“The professor; it was she.”

Holmes examines the glasses and stuns Hopkins with a series of pronouncements: their owner is a woman of good breeding, refined and well-dressed, who has been to an optician at least twice during the past few months. Holmes even goes on to give a description of some of her physical characteristics. 

Agreeing to assist the police, Holmes and Watson go with Hopkins to the scene of the crime the following day, and the game is well and truly afoot.

18:00: Magicland Storytime – Bonfires and Broomsticks

bonfires-broomsticksAuthor Mary Norton is perhaps best know for her long-running series of fantasy books The Borrowers (named for the first book of the series) published between 1952 and 1982.

However, her first published work, in 1943, was entitled The Magic Bed Knob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons, a fantasy piece about an elderly woman who practices magic for a hobby and has a magic bed knob, and three London children evacuated to the country during the bombing of London.

This was followed in 1945 by the sequel Bonfires and Broomsticks. Then, in 1957, the two books were republished as a single volume entitled Bed-Knob and Broomstick. And it was a play on this title by which the story became most widely known, when in 1971, Walt Disney released the film Bedknobs and Broomsticks starring Angela Lansbury and the late David Tomlinson.

Join Caledonia Skytower at Magicland Park as Caledonia reads from the second volume of this classic tale.

Monday October 7th, 19:00: Sci-fi Classics

With Gyro Muggins.

Tuesday October 8th, 19:00: Spookable Irving: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

sleepy-hollowAs 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 rumoured 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”.

Join Derry McMahon and Bear Silvershade as they delve into this classic tale.

Wednesday October 9th, 19:00: Bits O’ Poe

Caledonia Skytower continues the journey into haunting tales and dark stories as she presents a selection from the master of the horror genre, Edgar Allen Poe.

Thursday October 10th, Creepy Little Creatures

Very few things are more frightening than unearthly creatures conceived by the masterminds of supernatural fiction. This collection of the macabre includes stories from F. Murray Gilchrist, Edgar Allan Poe, E.F. Benson, others, all 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 September and October is Water for People. Have questions? IM or notecard Caledonia Skytower.

Related Links

WD Project Sci-Fi launches with L$230,000+ in prizes for machinima entries

Posted on by Inara Pey

If you had the power to choose to make a film in any time or place in the Universe – when or where would you choose? Another planet or perhaps another time or reality on Earth? Filmmakers, Animators and Machinimographers’ will have 30 days in November, to write, shoot, edit, produce and upload their creative masterpieces.

So reads the opening piece for the WD Project Sci-Fi challenge. As noted, filmmakers, animators and machinima makers are invited to spend 30 days from the 1st November 2013 through until the end of the month writing, shooting, editing and producing a sci-fi short, with a total of $10,000 Aus. in prize money for the winners.

Entrants must make a short film between 5 and 10 minutes for live action and a promo piece of between 30-60 seconds. Machinima must be between 3 and 10 minutes in length, promo piece optional and no longer than 30 seconds.

To ensure no-one gets a head-start in things, all films submitted must be on one of four colour themes – “everyday life”, “the environment”, “network/connections” and “speed and technology”. Entrants are asked to nominate two of the themes as the potential subject for their film as a part of the registration process. One of their nominated themes will then be allocated to them by the organisers at the start of the competition on November 1st, 2013.

Calling Machinima Makers

As noted above, Project Sci-Fi is open to machinima makers. This section of the competition is being sponsored by the University of Western Australia, and has $1,500 Aus. (L$230,000) on offer as part of the main competition prize pool, with $750 Aus going to the 1st prize winner.

In addition, further prizes are on offer for machinima featuring the UWA Centum created by West Australian Artist, Len Zuks and brought into Second Life by FreeWee Ling. The Centum does not have to be filmed in situ, copies may be taken for use in filming anywhere in Second Life.

The UWA Centrum
The UWA Centrum, Second life – right-click to obtain a copy for filming

Essential Points for Machinima Entries

  • Entry length to be between 3 to 10 minutes
  • If entering a promo – maximum length to be 30 seconds
  • All entries are to be made specifically for the ‘WD Project SciFi’ Competition
  • Entrants must register before the 1st of  November & nominate 2 of the listed themes (see below for how they might be interpreted)
  • Prizes for machinima will be awarded as follows: 1st prize: $750 Aus (+WD prizes); 2nd prize: $300 Aus; 3rd prize: $150 Aus; 4th and 5th prize: $100 Aus
  • Entrants can also win any of the overall prizes, including the $,3000 Aus first prize
  • Further prizes for the inclusion of the UWA Centrum in machinima entries.

Continue reading “WD Project Sci-Fi launches with L$230,000+ in prizes for machinima entries” →

Busts, bed knobs, pookas and a little terror

Posted on by Inara Pey

It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in Voice, brought to Second Life by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library SL.

As always, all times SLT, and unless otherwise stated, events will be held on the Seanchai Library’s home on Imagination Island.

Sunday September 29th

13:30: Tea Time at Baker Street – The Adventure of the Six Napoleons

Holmes (c) with Waston (r) and Lestrade (l) near the scene of the murder (Sidney Paget, Strand Magazine, 1904)

Corwyn Allen brings us another installment in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s volume of stories The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

It appears a vandal is at large in London, and has Inspector Lestrade somewhat baffled. Someone is going around smashing busts of the Emperor Napoleon. Three have so far been broken, one from a shop and two following break-ins at the home and office of one Dr. Barnicot.

Holmes is intrigued by the fact the all of the busts come from the same mould, suggesting that this is more than a simple case of someone having a deep-seated dislike for the dead Emperor.

When Lestrade brings word that there has been a further incident, this time accompanied by a murder, Holmes is more than intrigued. The bust has been stolen from the house of a journalist, one Horace Harker, who also discovered the dead man on his front doorstep.

It’s unlikely the dead man was responsible for taking the bust, as the remains of that are found shattered in the garden of an empty house up the street. The dead man has a photograph of another man in his possession, and things take a further strange turn when the deceased is identified as a member of the Mafioso, and the photograph he was carrying is that of an Italian immigrant…

18:00: Magicland Storytime – The Magic Bed Knob

Magic bedknobAuthor Mary Norton is perhaps best know for her long-running series of fantasy books The Borrowers (named for the first book of the series) published between 1952 and 1982.

However, her first published work, in 1943, was entitled The Magic Bed Knob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons, a fantasy piece about an elderly woman who practices magic for a hobby and has a magic bed knob, and three London children evacuated to the country during the bombing of London.

This was followed in 1945 by the sequel Bonfires and Broomsticks. Then, in 1957, the two books were republished as a single volume entitled Bed-Knob and Broomstick. And it was a play on this title by which the story became most widely known, when in 1971, Walt Disney released the film Bedknobs and Broomsticks starring Angela Lansbury and the late David Tomlinson.

Join Caledonia Skytower at Magicland Park as Caledonia reads from this classic tale.

Monday September 30th, 19:00: Sci-fi Shorts

Join Gyro Muggins as he reads Hemeac.

Tuesday October 1st, 19:00: Pesky Pooka Night!

With Caledonia Skytower.

Wednesday October 2nd, 19:00: Celtic Tales for Fall

As autumn wraps her arms around us, the days grow shorter and the nights longer, heralding the arrival of winter, Caladonia Skytower brings us tales to warm the evenings and awaken the imagination.

Thursday October 3rd, 1001 Terror Tales

Join Shandon Loring in getting into the Halloween spirit.

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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 September and October is Water for People. Have questions? IM or notecard Caledonia Skytower.

Related Links

ToS Changes: in-world meeting

Posted on by Inara Pey

Update, September 30th:  My personal perspective on the meeting can now be found here.

The recent changes to Section 2.3 of the ToS have been the focus of considerable debate in the forums, in blogs and so on. The changes impact a broad cross-section of the community: content creators, those who provide content to creators (textures, etc), artists producing original works (painting, written pieces, drawings, photographs, etc), and so on.

Because of this, an in-world meeting has been planned for Sunday September 29th, at the East, West, North Galleries Ampi-Theatre, starting at 12:00 noon SLT. This will take place in text chat, rather than voice.

The East, West, North Ampi-Theatre, venue for the ToS discussion meeting
The East, West, North Ampi-Theatre, venue for the ToS discussion meeting

The goal of the meeting is to have an orderly, constructive discussion about the changes to the ToS, and (quoting from the pre-meeting notes): “to understand the situation, to agree on our interpretation, and to contemplate a next step, if necessary”.

To this end the meeting will be moderated, and a few guidelines have been set out in advance, which attendees are asked to observe, including:

  • The moderator will be Ernie Farstrider, curator of the East, East, North Gallery
  • Those wishing to speak should IM the moderator first and wait for him to give them the floor
  • Speakers should limit themselves to 5 minutes maximum if making a statement, etc.
  • Speakers should indicate they have finished speaking by ending their chat with “///”

To assist the discussion:

  • The LL ToS has been set-up in display boards around the ampitheatre, with Section 2.3 highlighted for easy of reference
  • The ToS can also be displayed via a green media on a prim screen
  • There is also a blue media on a prim screen which can be used to display a Harvard University article on “Moral Rights”

Related Links

With thanks to Foneco Zuzu for the heads-up

L$425,000 in three hours: the MJF Premiere Party

Posted on by Inara Pey
Angel Manor - venue for the MJF Premiere Party
Angel Manor

On Thursday September 26th, I had the honour of attending the VIP Michael J. Fox Show Premiere Party. A gala evening organised by Team Fox SL coordinator Solas, and co-hosted by Team Fox SL and Creations for Parkinson’s at the magnificent Rose Theatre Ballroom, Angel Manor.

The event was to both mark the premiere of Michael J. Fox’s new television series, The Michael J. Fox Show, and to raise funds for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research through the Foundation’s grass-roots fundraising arm, Team Fox.

Barbi Achemi (r) and, just turning away from the Camera, event organiser, Solas (l)
Barbi Alchemi (r) and, just turning away from the Camera, event organiser, Solas (l)

Over 100 parties and events were planned across the USA and Canada to mark Mr. Fox’s return to television in a series which also seeks to raise awareness of Parkinson’s – Mr. Fox plays a newsman making a return to work after being diagnosed with the disease. However, there was only one event to be held in a virtual world.

The party kicked-off at 15:00 SLT in the sumptuous surroundings of the Rose Theatre Ballroom, with some 30 or so guests. Satin Galli provided live entertainment for the first hour, which I sadly missed do to commitments elsewhere. By the time I arrived, DJ Graywolf was spinning tunes hand-picked by Michael J Fox’s son, Sam. At that time the ballroom floor was alive with people dancing on their own, as couples, or in small groups, and more were seated at tables set-out around the dance floor.

Fran Serenade and the Premiere Party Bear
Fran Seranade and the Premiere Party Bear

Barbi Alchemi, founder of Creations for Parkinson’s was there, as was her mother, Fran Seranade, herself suffering from the disease, and both of whom have featured in a number of SL blogs, including this one and in the media at large. Also on hand was event organiser, Solas, and Tredi Felisimo (Donna Davis (PhD, an Assistant Professor at University of Oregon), who is studying the physical and psychological effects of virtual worlds on people with Parkinson’s on her region of Frantastica, which adjoins Creations Park, where Creations for Parkinson’s is based.

Also spread around the ballroom were display boards for items donated to the event auction, and which drew some fantastic bids including:

  • L$ 35,000 bid by Marcusgay Lefevre for two minutes of video magic about himself and filmed by Draxtor Despres the man behind “The Drax Files”
  • L$25,000 bid by Wyndlyght Epona for a chance to work alongside DB Bailey, an architect who provides unique spaces with complex vibrant textures zealously executed are walks of art, and learn his magic
  • L$7,000 bid by Redorange Magic for a beautiful gown from  Sascha’s Designs, winner of the  AVI Choice Award  Best Female Apparel Designer  for two consecutive years
  • Draxtor Despres takes me for a gracious turn around the dance floor!
    Draxtor Despres takes me for a gracious turn around the dance floor

    L$ 6,500 bid by Lisa Valentino for a unique garment designed for them by Solas NaGealai  owner of  BlueMoon enterprise

  • L$6,000 bid by Lisa Valentino for a one-of-a-kind complete avatar, MICHELLE, a high quality, attractive female Shape and Skin from PYRO. Comes with Eyes, Lip Gloss and Hair
  • L$5,000 bid by QuillRiley for tea and a talk with “Creations Mom” Fran Seranade
  • L$5,000 bid by Zip Zlatkis for a magical portrait for two done by Jaden Hollow.

These bids, together with tickets sold for the event, donations made during the evening and the evening’s raffle, mean that L$425,000 (approx $1,700 USD) was raised for the Michael J. Fox Foundation in three hours!

All-in-all this was a fabulous evening, one enjoyed by all. Congratulations to Creations for Parkinson’s, Team Fox SL, to all those who donated auction and raffle items, time and effort, and especially to Solas, for making it all possible.

The ballroom and party
The ballroom and party

About the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research

Founded in 2000, the MJFF has raised over $350 million towards finding a cure for Parkinson’s Disease, making it the world-wide leader in helping to fund research into the disease. Of the funds raised by the Foundation:

  • 52%  goes directly into altering the disease – developing a treatment that could restore function to damaged dopamine neurons in the brains of Parkinson’s patients;
  • 22% goes directly into defining the disease – biomarkers are a critical missing link for developing next-generation treatments. Biomarkers of Parkinson’s will allow researchers to track the disease risk and progression of Parkinson’s disease and detect whether other treatments are working
  • 18% goes directly towards untreated symptoms – available treatments for Parkinson’s address only some symptoms and bring on highly disabling side effects, reducing quality of life for Parkinson’s patients and families
  • 8% goes into tools creation – the Foundation creates and distributes critical research tools to help investigators spend more time focusing on what matters: curing Parkinson’s disease.

Related Links

Anyone with Parkinson’s disease who is interested in learning more about Tredi Felisimo’s research at Frantastica, can contact her in-world, or via email at dzdavis-at-uoregon.edu.