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:
Running through until October 20th, 2017 is the fourth Rally to Rescue event in Second Life in support of Operation Delta Dog.
Founded in 2013, Operation Delta Dog, a non-profit organisation, uses with experienced trainers and positive-reinforcement methods, rescues homeless dogs from Massachusetts shelters and breed rescue groups and trains them to work as assistance dogs with local veterans who are suffering with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
It was founded by Trisha Blanchet after she read reports that as many as 22 US service veterans a day were taking their lives after serving their country in war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan, then finding themselves unable to readjust to private life due to PTSD / TBI. At the same time, she was aware that up to 50,000 dogs a year in Massachusetts alone wind up on the streets – and as many as 50% of them are destroyed as homes cannot be found for them. Given that trained assistance dog supporting veterans with invisible disabilities were in short supply, Trisha saw a means to form a link between the plight of homeless dogs and the plight of veterans, and offer a brighter future for both.
Organised by the Ghost Bullys Motorcycle Club is Second Life, Rally To Rescue is a shopping event featuring 32 designers, all of who are offering items for sale with 100% of all proceeds going to Rally to Rescue and thence to Operation Delta Dog.
There are shapes, accessories, fashion and furnishings to be had, together dog kennels for the discerning SL dog owner, motorbikes and things for Halloween. Some of the items have a canine theme, and all are presented in a pleasant meadow-like environment high above the GBMC’s headquarters. In addition, those who prefer can donate through the kiosk boxes intermingled with the vendor boards.
So, don’t forget to hop along to Rally To Rescue before October 20th and, at the very least, drop a few Lindens into the donation boxes for a worthy cause. Help a homeless dog get the home it needs, and a veteran get the help they deserve.
On September 22nd, 2017, Maxwell Graf issued a deeply personal, heart-breaking request via Plurk. Related to a personal situation, it included a request for people to buy from his store (in-world or on the Marketplace). For obvious reasons Max didn’t feel comfortable in asking for more than this, despite the severity of the situation he and his flesh and blood partner, Lyyric Fei face. However, that hasn’t stopped friends and fellow creators from rallying around; and on Monday, September 25th, a special shopping event, organised by Charlotte Bartlett, Sophia Harlow and Blazin Arubet, was announced.
Going to the Max, also now more simply referenced as For Max, opened on Tuesday, October 3rd and will run through until Tuesday, October 10th, 2017. It features more than 50 creators from across Second Life, offering fashion, clothing, animations, accessories, furniture, fun items, curios – even entire houses – with many offering 100% of all sale proceeds in support of Max and Lyyric.
Taking place on the Apple Fall region, featuring booths sponsored by Shiny Shabby, For Max not only features some great shopping opportunities, but will also include entertainment (yet to be scheduled at the time of writing), raffles, an auction and more.
The sheer diversity of goods on offer means For Max really is an event with something to suit almost everyone and every pocket. So do make a point of visiting, perusing and purchasing! Be sure, as well, to keep an eye on the For Max Facebook page (Facebook log-in not required) for the latest information and updates on the event.
For Max: many of the items on sale are offered 100% of all proceeds going to Max and Lyrric at an event where you can buy everything from fashion, animations, furnishings and accessories all the way through to entire homes and fun items
But that’s not all that’s going on in support of Max and Lyrric!
Also rising to the call, artist and author Kylie Sabra has opened an art exhibition at her gallery space in the Antiquity regions in support of Max and Lyrric. As with For Max, Kylie’s Benefiting Maxwell Graf exhibition runs from Tuesday October 3rd through to Tuesday, October 10th, 2017. 90% of all proceeds from the sale of Kylie’s art go directly to Max and Lyyric.
Kylie says of Max:
Maxwell Graf is one of our beloved members and a long-time Second Life artist and builder. I met Max years ago when I asked him to exhibit at The Rose Theatre Art Galleries when I was curator. His work was and is impressive. He’s a great talent and I wish him the very best in these hard times. I can also attest that he makes the best-fitting pair of pants in Second Life and you’ll find them at Rustica!
Kylie’s work – landscapes, avatar studies, abstracts, is evocative, emotive and exquisite. It is ideal for in-world display, and a superb addition to any collection belonging to the discerning connoisseur of virtual and digital art. Her outdoor gallery space at Buckingham Palace in Antiquity also makes for an idyllic visit.
So why not combine a visit to the historic Antiquity regions and time appreciating Kylie’s artistry with an opportunity to further help Max and Lyrric with a purchase or two?
The third Spoonful of Sugar festival, opened its doors on Saturday, September 16th, 2017 and will run through until Sunday October 1st, bringing together fashion, home and garden and breedable designers and creators together with DJs and live performers to help raise money for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Also known as Doctors Without Borders, MSF was founded in Paris, France in 1971 as a non-profit, self-governed medical humanitarian organisation delivering emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare around the globe, based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. Since that time, MSF has grown to a movement of 24 associations, bound together as MSF International, based in Switzerland. Thousands of health professionals, logistical and administrative staff – most of whom are hired locally – work on programmes in some 70 countries worldwide. See the video at the end of this article for more on MSF.
Established by Ever Courtois and Angelique Wickentower, Spoonful of Sugar (SOS) aims to raise money for MSF as a part of the organisation’s Vital Pact Campaign. Highlights of the autumn 2017 event include:
Four SOS Shopping regions featuring more than 150 stores selling clothes, hair, jewellery and home and garden items.
A gacha orchard.
An events area.
Auctions and raffles.
The SOS Home Giveaway Raffle – the chance to win a fully furnished home in the SOS silent auction.
Spoonful of Sugar: the Home Giveaway raffle prize
A full shopper’s guide is available, and participating creators have items on sale via special SOS vendors, with between 50% and 100% of proceeds of sales being donated to SOS. The entertainment guide provides details of who is providing the music and when, at the entertainment barn on the main Spoonful of Sugar region.
The Home Giveaway raffle features the grand prize of an Imbrie Farmhouse and Gazebo by *Funky*Junk* and furnished by the Spoonful of Sugar sponsors. Tickets are L$100, and details of all raffle prizes can be found here. The house can be seen a short distance away from the Spoonful of Sugar information point.
There can only be a very few of us who have not seen or heard about the devastation so recently visited upon Texas by hurricane Harvey. Many of us, on seeing all that has happened, have wanted to give / show support for the victims of Harvey, who have been displaced, lost homes and belongings and face a major struggle to rebuild their lives.
Some within Second Life may even have been affected by the flooding and storm damage, and this, together with the desire to show support for Harvey’s victims, has been the motivation behind Models Giving Back organising a two-week fund-raiser, Hope After Harvey, as they explain on the fund-raiser’s website:
Recently, Models Giving Back received a note card from one such individual, affected by the displacement of the recent evacuations throughout Texas and other surrounding areas..
So many people who are our friends, co-workers, and families here in Second Life are affected by the devastation that was left in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. And, as we know from previous water related emergencies, it will take a long time to recover fully.
Therefore, we as Models Giving Back have decided to run a two-week fund-raising event to help. For some in Second Life this might be the only way they can help make a difference in the lives of those who are suffering right now.
Running through until 23:59 SLT on Wednesday, September 20th, Hope After Harvey brings together some 42 Second Life designers offering fashion items, accessories, jewellery, and home and garden items, with all proceeds raised being split between two charities:
In selecting these two charities, Models giving back note:
Both of those sources are well established, on the ground in the area there helping and documenting it, and have on-line portals for us to be able to place the funds keeping everything transparent as we always do.
So, if you would like to offer support and help for victims – human and animal – of hurricane Harvey, please do take the opportunity to visit Hope After Harvey between now and September 20th. Or, if you prefer to donate to either charity directly, you can do so via the websites linked to above.
Lovefest 2017: Mr. Lovecraft presides over all events occurring in the coastal town of Kingsport, August 17th-27th
Update, August 18th: images and SLurl updated now the event is open.
Lovefest – the Second Life celebration of the birth of H. P. Lovecraft – opened its doors for 10 days of festivities on Thursday, August 17th, 2017. The event will run through until Sunday, August 27th.
This year marks the 127th anniversary of Lovercraft’s birth on August 20th 1890, and the event’s 6th year. There will once be a wide range of celebratory activities – shopping, music and dancing, live music, film showings, open microphone events, live storytelling in voice, dance troupes and an adventure for people to enjoy!
Deep Diving in the Pacific Ocean
For 2017, the adventure takes visitors deep under the sea with the Miskatonic University Oceanic Expedition Team!
Those volunteering to participate will sail into the vast Pacific Ocean aboard the research vessel S.S.Abigail. Whilst en-route team members will receive their deep-sea diving equipment.
Once on location, team members will be lowered into the deeps to continue the work of an earlier advanced research team, charting the ocean floor, collect samples and expand the discoveries of the first research team.
Lovefest 2017: SS Abigail awaits you for a deep diving adventure
But team members should beware! Whilst the ocean floor as a fascinating, diverse and wonderfully alien place – it can also be a place of danger!
As with previous Lovefest adventures, this is an interactive quest, combining a treasure hunt with a mystery that has a distinctly Lovecraftian twist to it. So don’t forget to join the S.S. Abigail as she sets sail! Join the expedition at the Miskatonic University Expedition Pier.
Kingsport, Mass
Those visiting the festival will be warmly received at Kingsport, Massachusetts – a city out of Lovecraft Lore, known as a community of artists and artisans which thrives mostly from tourism. Here visitors will find a rich tapestry of merchant stores, entertainers, dancers and more within the market and the waterfront wharves.
Lovefest 2017: By day, Kingsport offers some curious sights!
About H.P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft was born on August 20th, 1890 in Providence, Rhode Island, where he spent most of his life.
A child prodigy, he was reciting poetry when just three years of age, and writing his own poems by six. His grandfather – one of the adults who raised him – encouraged his reading, presenting him with a wide range of books and stories from the likes of One Thousand and One Nights, and the Iliad through to his own original stories of Gothic horror.
As an adult, Lovecraft was introverted, riven by a lack of self-confidence, was unwilling to promote his own literary efforts. Only published in pulp magazines in his lifetime, he was never able to support himself with his writing, and died in poverty at the age of 46 in 1937. It was only posthumously that his work gained recognition – notably the Cthulhu Mythos – and he was elevated to the status of one of the most influential writers of horror fiction in the 20th Century.
Rich in theme as well as narrative, his work has influenced generations of horror writers who followed after him, including the likes of Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, Alan Moore, Junji Ito, Caitlín R. Kiernan, William S. Burroughs, and Neil Gaiman.
In addition, film directors John Carpenter, Stuart Gordon, and Guillermo Del Toro have all acknowledged Lovercraft as an influence in some of their work, whilst artist H. R. Giger of Alien fame has also pointed to Lovecraft’s tales as a point of influence.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 