RFL 2020: it’s the Weekend to Relay in Second Life

Relay for Life of Second Life: 2020 Relay Weekend

Update: Trader Whiplash-Ballinger dropped me a note to point out that those wishing to hear the music stream for the event, provided by T1 Radio, should visit the T1 Radio website and use the pop-out Relay Radio media player rather than using the in-world stream. The player will give lag / interruption-free listening enjoyment as visitors travel the Relay regions.

Friday June 5th through Sunday June 7th 2020 marks the Relay for Life of Second Life Relay weekend  – and this year it’s a biggie! The Relay track this year covers some 40-ish regions, which are supported by additional event and activity regions so that the entire weekend comprises some 57 regions in all, with the American Cancer Society (ACS) region forming the 58th and anchor-point region.

In a year when the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has done so much to prevent people coming together around the world to raise money for ACS and global cancer organisations, Relay for Life of Second Life takes on added importance. It is, in effect, THE major grass-roots fund-raising series of events raising money for ACS and its projects in 2020. Already, Relayers across Second Life have accept the challenge by raising some US $260,000+, and this year’s Relay Weekend offers the opportunity for all of us to significantly advance that total.

While the Relay Weekend doesn’t formally kick-off until 10:00 SLT on Saturday, June 6th, you can learn about ACS, Relay for Life and the weekend on Friday, June 5th at noon SLT when Strawberry Linden interviews Stingray9798 Raymaker, Trager Alter, MamaP Beerbaum, and Nikki Mathieson on Lab Gab

The theme for this year is Game On Cancer, and in reflection of this, relay teams have come together to present a whole host of parcels along the route of the track the take games as their theme – many of them interactive in nature (you can engage in a giant game of Mahjong, for example, or enter an avatar-sized setting based on Clue – or to use its original name (I won’t say “proper”! 🙂 ) Cluedo; while several of SL’s popular communities – science fiction, the road / driving community, role-play groups, sailing / surfing / water communities, and so on – provide region-wide installation focused on their activities framed within the overall theme.

This means there is a huge amount to see and do within the regions as a pert of the overall aim of raising funds for the American Cancer Society’s world-wide efforts to bring treatment, care, support and (eventually) cures to cancer sufferers world-wide.

Relay for Life of Second Life: 2020 Relay Weekend

With the regions, there’s also room for social commentary with subtle reminders that those from poor backgrounds are often more prone to the effects of cancer, simply because they do not have the ease of access to care and support. In this the “Las Vegas” region is quite effective in showing two sides of the coin. May of the teams participating also appear to be running their own events throughout the weekend, with numerous stages and event areas to be found along the track, all of which further helps encourage engagement and participation.

Also to be found through the region are informational displays about cancer and its treatment, parks in which to rest and reflect on life, and places to share in the stories of Second Life residents who have survived cancer, offered as a means to provide hop to those caught within its shadow.

Relay for Life of Second Life: 2020 Relay Weekend

The weekend officially kicks-off at 10:00 SLT on Saturday June 6th with a formal Opening Ceremony. However, as noted above, you can catch up with some of the people behind Relay for Life of Second Life by tuning into Lab Gab on Friday, June 5th, and 12:00 noon SLT.

For 2020, laps around the track are themed as follows, all times SLT.

Saturday, June 6th
Sunday, June 7th
11:00
Survivor/Caregiver Lap
sponsored by the Relay Rockers
00:00
Toga Party  / Food Fight
cream pies at the ready!
12:30
Teams Lap
sponsored by Grid Play
01:00
80’s Hour
C&V’s House of Rock
14:00
Roller Skating Hour
don your skates and roll around the track!
02:00
PAC Man Hour
gobble, gobble, gobble!
15:00
Walk with a Friend
two’s always company!
03:00
Monopoly Hour
Go!
16:00
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
sponsored by Attention to Cancer
04:00
Ahoy Matey!
get yourself ship-shape!
17:00
Your Favourite Sports Teams
show your colours!
05:00
Heroes Hour
sponsored by Heroes Helping Heroes
18:00
Nerds and Geeks Unite!
grok you geek!
06:00
Fight Back Hour
sponsored by Gavin Dionysus
19:00
Your favourite video games
sponsored by Friends for a Cure
07:00
Wear Your Coffee and Drink Your Curlers
sponsored by Relay Rockers
20:00
Camping Hour
sponsored by Camping for a Cure
08:00
Hawaiian Hour
Aloha!
21:00
Luminaria Ceremony
09:00
Purple Power Hour
sponsored by Team shadow
22:00
Candyland Hour
sponsored by SHB Gems
10:00
Closing Ceremony
23:00
Las Vegas Hour
11:00
Victory Lap
dancing with your sparklers!

Luminaria Ceremony and Lanterns

At 21:00 SLT on Saturday, June 6th, the track will be in darkness and silence, with all those in the Relay Regions are asked not to engage in open text or voice chat but to walk the track in silence or stand to one side, as the names of those to be remembered are read.

It is a time for each of us to reflect on how this disease has touched us personally.  And it is a time for us to look inside ourselves with quiet reflection and find hope.  Because no matter what our experience has been with cancer, we all share the hope that we will one day live in a world where our children, and their children, will never have to hear the words “you have cancer”.

– Relay for Life of Second Life event web page

If you wish to have a name read out during the ceremony, please complete and submit the Luminaria Dedication Form.

Relay for Life of Second Life: 2020 Relay Weekend

Along the sides of the relay track are the Luminaria lanterns that can be used to commemorate and / or honour someone you know who has succumbed to or survived cancer. Lanterns can be lit for a minimum donation of L$50 (all proceeds to Relay for Life of Second Life). Donations can can be made by clicking  a lantern and then either selecting a set amount or typing in an amount of your choice. You can also optionally enter whether you are lighting the lantern in memory or in honour of someone, and also add their name and / or a message.

Lanterns will be available for donations from the opening of the weekend through until the weekend ends. They will display different colours, depending on the amount donated: Yellow: L$50-499; Green: L$500-999; Blue: L$1000-2499; Orange: L$2500-4999; Pink: L$5000-9999; Purple: L$10,000 and above.

Relay for Life of Second Life: 2020 Relay Weekend

The Spirit of Relay Award

The Spirit of Relay are annual awards presented to the individual and the team that embodies what the community calls, the ‘spirit’ of Relay, from Kick Off to Relay Day. It is not representative of just the amount raised, but takes into consideration the spirit of the individual or team: how they embraced Relay For Life and the American Cancer Society’s mission, their enthusiasm and their participation in Relay activities as a whole, not only in their own but other team’s events as well.

Nomination can be made via the 2020 Spirit of Relay Award form, which will remain open until Sunday June 8th, and the recipients will be announced at the 2020 RFL of SL Wrap Up Party on Wednesday, June 10th.

SLurl Details

Vulcans, nuns, flappers and weird westerns in Second Life

It’s time to highlight 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, unless otherwise indicated. Note that the schedule below may be subject to change during the week, please refer to the Seanchai Library website for the latest information through the week.

Sunday, May 231st 18:30: Magicland Storytime

Caledonia Skytower shares tales of adventure and delight from the stage of the Golden Horseshoe in honour of its recent renovation.

Monday, June 1st, 19:00: Spock’s World

Gyro Muggins reads Diane Duane’s take on a classic figure from science fiction.

In the 23rd Century…

On the planet Vulcan, a crisis of unprecedented proportion has caused the convocation of the planet’s ruling council, and led to Starfleet ordering the U.S.S. Enterprise to the planet in the hope that its first officer, and Vulcan’s most famous son, can help overcome the issues the planet faces.

As Commander Spock, his father, Sarek, and Captain James T. Kirk struggle to preserve Vulcan’s future, the planet’s innermost secrets are laid open, as is its people’s long climb to rise above their savage pre-history, merciless tribal warfare, medieval-like court intrigue to  develop and adhere to o’thia, the ruling ethic of logic, and to reach out into space.

For Spock, the situation means he is torn between his duty to Starfleet and the unbreakable ties that bind him to Vulcan. Confronted by his own internal conflicts, he must quell them and prevent his world – and possibly the entire United Federation of Planets – being ripped apart.

Tuesday, June 2nd

12:00 Noon: Russell Eponym, Live in the Glen

Music, poetry, and stories in a popular weekly session at Ceiluradh Glen.

19:00: A Nun in the Closet

What do two Benedictine nuns, a secretive man-on-the-run, a Tibetan monk, three hippies, members of the Mafia and children of migrant workers have in common? Why, A Nun in the Closet, of course.

When a cloistered monastic community of nuns inherit an old house with 150 acres in up-state New York courtesy of a mysterious benefactor, they are at a loss as to what to do. Sister John and Sister Hyacinthe are therefore dispatched to give the property the once-over and report back. A simple enough assignment, except neither Sister is entirely prepared to deal with all that they find.

From hippies on the lawn to suitcase stuffed with money sitting at the bottom of a well, disguised cocaine and a wounded man who has hidden himself in a closet to avoid Mafia hitmen, not to mention strange apparitions in the night, It might have been better had Sister John and Sister Hyacinthe remained cloistered in the abbey.

But it is amazing what two nuns can achieve armed only with their faith and boundless energy – up to and including a shocking revelation or two about ghosts, gangsters – and murder.

Join Caledonia Skytower as she reads Dorothy Gilman’s 1986 mystery.

Wednesday, June 3rd, 19:00: The Phryne Fisher Mysteries

Corwyn Allen brings us stories about Kerry Greenwood’s Australian heroine of the 1920s, possibly made popular to a globe audience through the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s series, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.

Phryne Fisher is rich, aristocratic and far too intelligent to be content as a flapper in the Jazz Age. She collects men, fast cars and designer dresses. she flies, dances, shoots and has a strong bohemian outlook on life. But no matter how delicious the distractions, Phryne never takes her eyes off her main goal in life: bringing down villains.

Thursday, June 4th

19:00: Stinger and Stranger – Weird Westerns

With Shandon Loring and Caledonia Skytower. Also in Kitely – grid.kitely.com:8002:SEANCHAI).

21:00: Seanchai Late Night

Contemporary Sci-Fi-Fantasy with Finn Zeddmore, featuring stories from Escape Pod, Light Speed, and Clarkesworld Magazines and other sources.

Celebrating 15 years of 100 Word Stories

Story-teller, commentator, raconteur – R. Dismantled is all of these, and more. A long-time resident of Second Life, R. is a keen patron of the arts in-world, including performance art and dance – so much so that with regards to dance in Second Life, he has in the past been a guest writer in these pages.

R. is also a prolific writer of 100-word stories – or “drabbles” as they’re known. It’s something he got into as a result of several influences, as he explains:

I started writing drabbles after a friend in college wrote a set of them in a 100×100 project. Woody Allen’s play about Abraham Lincoln obsessing over “How long must a man’s legs be? Long enough to reach the ground” inspired me.

Then, a group of writers started the site “100 Words Or Les Nessman” where they challenged themselves to write about a topic, or they had to write about Les Nessman. Featured writers posted on the site, and guest writers joined in the comments section of each post.

– R. discussing the origins of his 100-stories and podcast

On May 31st, 2005, R. started a podcast featuring recordings of his drabbles, promising to write a story a day until life decides otherwise; hence the sub-title of the podcast’s website, The 100 Word Stories Podcast: A 100 word story every day until the day I die. 

Today, 15 years on, R. is still writing and the podcast is still going, offering an originally story a day, together with weekly challenges for others to join in the writing fun. It is, as R. is confident in saying, the longest-running daily podcast of original material in the world.

To celebrate 15 years of continuous writing and recording, R will be appearing at the Terpsicorps Pit Stage today, Sunday May 31st, from 17:00 SLT – so why not hop along and listen? You might get to hear about George the Pirate or Doctor Odd, or you may not – but you will hear stories that can by turns be funny, uplifting, thought-provoking, conscience-pricking  – and entertaining, delivered by a master  raconteur.

SLurl Details

Messiahs, music, short stories nuns and a space smuggler

It’s time to highlight 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, unless otherwise indicated. Note that the schedule below may be subject to change during the week, please refer to the Seanchai Library website for the latest information through the week.

Monday, May 25th 19:00: Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah

Gyro Muggins reads Richard Bach’s 1977 novel.

Donald William Shimoda styles himself a latter-day messiah. He quit his job as a mechanic to offer people the miracle of flying through the cloud-washed air between the cornfields of Illinois and blue infinity of the skies overhead. But the people want the thrill of the the flight more than they want to understand the miracle of flight or the truth of Donald’s words.

Donald first comes to the attention of fellow barnstormer and disillusioned writer Richard when the latter witnesses Shimoda dealing with a grandfather / granddaughter pair who arrive at the the makeshift farm airstrip where both men are due to fly their biplanes. Normally, it is the younger people who are keen to fly with the barnstormers, but here it is the grandfather who wants to soar in Shimoda’s biplane whilst the granddaughter is terrified by the idea.

Richard watches as Shimoda talks to the granddaughter, gently uncovering the cause of her fear, calming her to the point where she is ready to fly. Drawing close to the older man, Richard becomes friends with him, and together the two men become brother aviators, Shimoda teaching Richard to become – reluctantly – a messiah and miracle-worker in his own right.

Tuesday, May 26th,

12:00 Noon: Russell Eponym, Live in the Glen

Music, poetry, and stories in a popular weekly session at Ceiluradh Glen.

19:00: Selections from The Wind’s Twelve Quarters

Willow Widlfire reads selections from this collection of short stories by American writer Ursula K. Le Guin, which the author described as a “retrospective”. First published in 1975, it brought together 17 previously published stories, four of which were the germ of novels Le Guin would later write, two of which are represented here and which between them offer insights into the origins of her Earthsea realm.

First published in the January 1964 issue of Fantastic, the short story The Word of Unbinding first introduces the islands of Earthsea as they are each subdued by the dark wizard Voll. Seen through the eyes of another wizard, Festin, the story unfolds around his attempts to stop Voll, only to have his own not inconsiderable powers be rebuffed each time until finally, Festin realises the truth behind Voll power – and the way to undo it. A way that has a terrible price. 

The Rule of Names, published in Fantastic in April 1964, takes us back to Earthsea, and to the rural island of Sattins Island in a convoluted tale of magic, school teachers, secret names, superstitions, dragons, lost treasures and unexpected outcomes. It is centred on the arrival on Sattins Island of a stranger from the archipelago, bent upon mischief-making. His target is the island’s resident magician nicknamed Underhill, widely regarded as incompetent. The stranger believes Underhill holds the key to his being able to reclaim the dragon-stolen treasure of his ancestors. It turns out he is absolutely correct in Underhill being the key to the treasure’s loss, but not in the manner the stranger anticipated.

Wednesday, May 27th, 19:00: A Nun in the Closet

What do two Benedictine nuns, a secretive man-on-the-run, a Tibetan monk, three hippies, members of the Mafia and children of migrant workers have in common? Why, A Nun in the Closet, of course.

When a cloistered monastic community of nuns inherit an old house with 150 acres in up-state New York courtesy of a mysterious benefactor, they are at a loss as to what to do. Sister John and Sister Hyacinthe are therefore dispatched to give the property the once-over and report back. A simple enough assignment, except neither Sister is entirely prepared to deal with all that they find.

From hippies on the lawn to suitcase stuffed with money sitting at the bottom of a well, disguised cocaine and a wounded man who has hidden himself in a closet to avoid Mafia hitmen, not to mention strange apparitions in the night, It might have been better had Sister John and Sister Hyacinthe remained cloistered in the abbey.

But it is amazing what two nuns can achieve armed only with their faith and boundless energy – up to and including a shocking revelation or two about ghosts, gangsters – and murder.

Join Caledonia Skytower as she reads Dorothy Gilman’s 1986 mystery.

Thursday, May 28th 19:00: Han Solo: A Star Wars Story

Young Han Solo finds adventure when he joins forces with a gang of galactic smugglers and a 190-year-old Wookie named Chewbacca. Indebted to the gangster Dryden Vos, the crew devises a daring plan to travel to the mining planet Kessel to steal a batch of valuable coaxium. In need of a fast ship, Solo meets Lando Calrissian, the suave owner of the perfect vessel for the dangerous mission: the Millennium Falcon.

With Shandon Loring and Caledonia Skytower. Also in Kitely – grid.kitely.com:8002:SEANCHAI).

 

My condolences to Seanchai Library and the family and friends  of VT TORVALAR on their loss. VT now continues to share his gifts as a storyteller and actor beyond this mortal veil.

Balticon 54: a real world sci-fi convention using Second Life

Balticon Station, Second Life

As we’re all aware, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused a suspension of many events around the world, with some seeking alternative means of going ahead with their programmes.

In April I reported on MuseWeb, a global organisation offering members a range of professional learning opportunities, using Second Life to support its 2020 conference (see: MuseWeb: utilising Second Life in support of a global conference).

Now, this coming weekend – Memorial Weekend in the United States – the Baltimore Science Fiction Society (BSFS) will be hosting their annual Balticon science fiction convention on-line, and will be using Second Life for a range of social events and activities in support of the convention.

Balticon Station Transfer Station

Running between Friday, May 22nd through Monday, May 25th 2020 inclusive, the convention is free to attendees, although support for it is requested through a Gofundme page, the money from which will go towards the primary work of BSFS – see About the BSFS, below). It will include panels, presentations, and readings hosted as webinars across several platforms, together with guest speaker talks, filk singing (folk singing with a science fiction or fantasy theme), film presentations, etc.

The Second Life element of the convention will be centred on Balticon Station, a multi-level environment centred on one of the Lab’s turnkey region solutions for business use – specifically, the “futuristic” island. At the ground level, this provides a landing point and short-form tutorial on some of the Second Life basics – walking, chatting, using voice, and so on.

Balticon Station – tutorial area

From here, visitors are offered a social lounge, a bar, and a portal hall (together with information boards on using in-world media). A ramp alongside the portal hall provides the way to a seabed facility where visitors can again socialise or, if they wish, go scuba diving (a short tutorial on SL swimming and basic inventory management is also provided).

The portal hall offers a series of experience-based walk-through portals. Several of these will deliver people to spaces is the sky over the island, and other are intended to link the region with other sci-fi related destinations within Second Life – although at the time of my visit, these were still awaiting final configuration.

The Balticon Station underwater facilities

The spaces over the region comprise:

  • A speedway platform, where visitors can participate in slug or segway races.
  • A elven forest, with walks and a hall.
  • An art exhibition hall, featuring physical world art (also connected by a ramp with the speedway).
  • A space “transfer station”.

To help promote the use of Second Life, the convention’s website includes a dedicated page on the platform, which includes an outline of how to obtain the SL viewer and create a account, as well as the SLurl to Balticon Station.

Attendance in-world – or via the other on-line services offered by the convention – is open to any science fiction fan (or anyone curious) within Second Life, and as noted, attendance is entirely free of charge this year.

Balticon Station – Elven Forest

Full details on the convention, its special guests, its programme, virtual dealer spaces, etc., can be found on the the convention’s website.

About Balticon Science Fiction Society

BSFS is a 100% volunteer-run organisation that depends upon Balticon as its main source of revenue. This funding supports efforts to develop new writers and foster literacy among Baltimore City’s disadvantaged youth, and helps pay for the maintenance of the BSFS East Baltimore building, which houses a free lending library of more than 12,000 volumes.

The loss of direct fees (registration, etc)., resulting from the cancellation of Balticon would mean:

  • No 2021 funding to support awards for writers (BSFS normally seed awards for new writers to the tune of US $7,000 a year).
  • No funding for the BSFS Books for Kids programme, which is traditionally supported by fund raised through the convention’s annual auction. Books for Kids provides as much as $1,800 in grants to Baltimore City neighbourhood organisations and schools to help support youth literacy.
  • Funds for the upkeep of the Society’s East Baltimore building.

To help overcome this, BSFS hopes that attendees of the 2020 Virtual Convention, both on-line and in-world in Second Life will consider donations to their GoFundMe campaign. so if you do attend the convention, please consider supporting the work of BSFS through GoFundMe.

Related Links

Illusions, music, nuns and a galaxy far, far, away

It’s time to highlight 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, unless otherwise indicated. Note that the schedule below may be subject to change during the week, please refer to the Seanchai Library website for the latest information through the week.

Monday, May 18th 19:00: Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah

Gyro Muggins reads Richard Bach’s 1977 novel.

Donald William Shimoda styles himself a latter-day messiah. He quit his job as a mechanic to offer people the miracle of flying through the cloud-washed air between the cornfields of Illinois and blue infinity of the skies overhead. But the people want the thrill of the the flight more than they want to understand the miracle of flight or the truth of Donald’s words.

Donald first comes to the attention of fellow barnstormer and disillusioned writer Richard when the latter witnesses Shimoda dealing with a grandfather / granddaughter pair who arrive at the the makeshift farm airstrip where both men are due to fly their biplanes. Normally, it is the younger people who are keen to fly with the barnstormers, but here it is the grandfather who wants to soar in Shimoda’s biplane whilst the granddaughter is terrified by the idea.

Richard watches as Shimoda talks to the granddaughter, gently uncovering the cause of her fear, calming her to the point where she is ready to fly. Drawing close to the older man, Richard becomes friends with him, and together the two men become brother aviators, Shimoda teaching Richard to become – reluctantly – a messiah and miracle-worker in his own right.

Tuesday, May 19th,

12:00 Noon: Russell Eponym, Live in the Glen

Music, poetry, and stories in a popular weekly session at Ceiluradh Glen.

19:00: Staying Open

Ktadhn Vesuvino offers a journey in poetry and images from sculpture, through rain and lockdowns, to a beach re-opening.

Wednesday, May 20th, 19:00: A Nun in the Closet

What do two Benedictine nuns, a secretive man-on-the-run, a Tibetan monk, three hippies, members of the Mafia and children of migrant workers have in common? Why, A Nun in the Closet, of course.

When a cloistered monastic community of nuns inherit an old house with 150 acres in up-state New York courtesy of a mysterious benefactor, they are at a loss as to what to do. Sister John and Sister Hyacinthe are therefore dispatched to give the property the once-over and report back. A simple enough assignment, except neither Sister is entirely prepared to deal with all that they find.

From hippies on the lawn to suitcase stuffed with money sitting at the bottom of a well, disguised cocaine and a wounded man who has hidden himself in a closet to avoid Mafia hitmen, not to mention strange apparitions in the night, It might have been better had Sister John and Sister Hyacinthe remained cloistered in the abbey.

But it is amazing what two nuns can achieve armed only with their faith and boundless energy – up to and including a shocking revelation or two about ghosts, gangsters – and murder.

Join Caledonia Skytower as she reads Dorothy Gilman’s 1986 mystery.

Thursday, May 21st

19:00: Han Solo: A Star Wars Story

Young Han Solo finds adventure when he joins forces with a gang of galactic smugglers and a 190-year-old Wookie named Chewbacca. Indebted to the gangster Dryden Vos, the crew devises a daring plan to travel to the mining planet Kessel to steal a batch of valuable coaxium. In need of a fast ship, Solo meets Lando Calrissian, the suave owner of the perfect vessel for the dangerous mission: the Millennium Falcon.

With Shandon Loring and Caledonia Skytower. Also in Kitely – grid.kitely.com:8002:SEANCHAI).

21:00 Seanchai Late Night

Contemporary Sci-Fi-Fantasy from on-line sources including Light Speed, Escpade Pod, and Clarkesworld.