Visit Borneo Isle in Second Life

Visit Borneo Isle here:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Borneo%20Isle/128/128/20

This is another very scenic great explore.  The sim info. here states: "Borneo is an all-new sim designed as a beautiful destination for those looking to explore, or simply pass the time with friends.  This intricately detailed sim is open to all visitors, and offers a breath-taking landscape created by the amazingly Neva"  And looks like it's owned by Gac Akina. They have a photo contest going on right now too that ends the end of the month.  Be  sure to read all the rules if interested and here is their Flickr link: https://www.flickr.com/groups/borneo_island/

Bees and Bears by Cica Ghost

Visit Cica Ghost's Bees and Bears here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/van/128/128/27
Another fun Cica explore for us to enjoy.  Remember to click around.

Her sim info. simply states: "Q: What do you call a bears without ears?
A: B's"

Gotta love it.  Have fun.

Sailing Through Second Life

If you want to sail through Second life check out a race and for more info. visit inworld here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Blake%20Sea%20-%20Atlantic/55/104/25
And here is the Linden Lab Blake Sea Code of Conduct and info.: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Blake_Sea_Code_of_Conduct
Sailing through the many Second Life waterways has become a big hobby for many SL residents.  Then there are the real die hard sailors.  I have several friends who love to sail in SL and even race, but one in particular, August West, who is a racer and official, got me out again to check out how the races have been going lately.  It was a beautiful day with blue skys and some fluffy clouds making a great backdrop to the gorgeous sailing vessels that were just starting as I landed on the spectator boat. The boats zipped around super fast and I quickly took a few photos thinking it would be fun to blog this exciting water sport.  The regatta was absolutely gorgeous and I could tell the racers really got into it and the competition and camaraderie too.  There are big and small races going on around SL numerous times a week.  For more information and scheduling check here: http://www.virtualworldsailing.com/index.php?/page/index.html
or here for the hotlaps and web page: https://hotlapsslsailing.wixsite.com/hotlaps



Afterward August offered to take me out on a smaller boat to enjoy an afternoon sailing.  This man has a bunch of boats to chose from but he picked a sweet one perfect for cruising some scenic areas in SL.  He sailed us into a tropical area then stopped in a secluded forested area with a huge beautiful waterfall as backdrop to the jungle canopy we had sailed in under.  We stopped to enjoy the area and of course I had to check out the 5 million poses and animations on his boat... and take more pics as always.  Apparently the sail boat sales industry is alive and doing well in SL.  I had a great time as you can tell from the pics.  He's also told me about the SL cruises,  which leaves me another adventure to try some time.  So if you haven't tried sailing or boating in SL it's definitely time to check it out.  If you like a little fun competition and like minded company, check out the racing.  It's also a fun way to explore. 

Isle of May

Visit Weed Isle of May, here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Weed/128/128/22

My friend Shakespeare gave me to the tip to visit this sim.  I'd seen pics of it and was sort of on a back burner to visit but I knew if Shakespeare likes it, it must be good. And I was not disappointed.  This sim has all the features of a great explore, from amazing photogenic quality, cool sim lighting, many pose and rest spots, tons of scenic beauty, many small buildings, animals, areas to look at more carefully around every corner. The sim description states: "Anchored on the Firth of Forth, the Isle of May is a magical mix of sea birds (cormorants, guillemot, puffins, etc) and sea animals such as orcas and dolphins. The island is a perfect home to artists and photographers. See http://www.nnr-scotland.org" I noted a bird sanctuary and an office with bird posters, some apparently run down or abandoned buildings and ruins, a lighthouse, various animals and birds of course, big and little boats, and other things to find.  I mostly kept the sim windlights on as it created a cool light green atmosphere but did check out a few other windlights to see how else it might look.  Well worth visiting. The sim and builds appear to be owned by Serene Footman.

(as usual if you are interested in seeing more pics/diff windlights click right on a pic and go to my Flickr--best just visit the sim yourself though)

Open Letter to Linden Labs

Dear Linden Labs:

I've been a long time Second Life resident and supporter of all things SL.  I've rented land for personal residential use for years but am at the point, due to the increased premium land benefit, of looking around to purchase some mainland.  I've heard residents say there is a lot of abandoned mainland and a lot of empty mainland for sale, so I figured I'd explore again and have a look.   I don't want to have a TON of neighboring things /objects/builds/rentals/laggy things, sky shadows from objects etc. in the air around me though. I'd like to be able to terraform and have all land rights. I would like to apply several 512 premium accounts toward the cost if possible and pay the rest. Is there anywhere like that available? Preferably waterside or near water or some protected land or road? I know people are looking all over right now and I know LL would like people to buy more land, but for the life of me I can't seem to find a decent residential place, or a website explaining all the details or offer land locations of parcels that are more residential vs people building a ton of huge things and stacked sky rentals nearby all over, causing lag and unsightly air space.  I can appreciate a cute skybox here and there,  but stacked deep low lying sky rentals and large sandbox type builds hanging in air are not appealing to me. I realize mainland is designed for people to buy/own with no LL or landlord control, and even if a prime location is found the neighboring land could be sold and go "bad" at any time, but it seems there could be some that tend to be more residential overall.  Also, I don't get why some are SO hilly with land parcels literally just hillside.  Thanks for any help anyone can provide. I have no idea where else to look and everyone I ask seems to feel like I do, and have no clue. The search feature just sends me to places with more of the above issues. This has been my concern previously but I keep hearing there is SOoo much available mainland now.. apparently not. Thanks for any ideas.

11th Annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education

Visit their official web site here: https://vwbpe.org/
Visit inworld by taking this direct link here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Gateway/179/132/38
Official Youtube Channel in case you miss something you wanted to see: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2FdFXompIUI4zmZ_wP5p0Q

(scroll to bottom of post for more of the "explore" type pics of the area)



Today is the last full day of the 2018 Virtual Worlds Best Practice in Education annual event. Hurry over to see the many interesting and educational exhibits, lectures, explore areas, and workshops.  This is always a fun and interesting event encompassing many virtual platforms but held annually in Second Life, this being their 11th years.  If you are not familiar with VWBPE this is a well organized and attended annual event.  Presenters, often teachers and educators who many times incorporate virtual platforms in their first life instruction, or others who educate inworld or in first life on a wide range of subjects present, lecture, exhibit, play, learn, and socialize. This year's theme for the event is VRevolutions. The conference is free covered by donations and sponsors.  "Play, Explore, Engage, Immerse, Learn" and be sure to grab your swag bag and fun stuff.

I hit a few presentations this morning. There are still a lot of events happening today and it all culminates with the always fun and much anticipated social at the end.  I will copy/quote what is left of today's schedule here which also gives you a good idea about what goes on.. but don't miss out on the many cool exhibits, memorials, underwater explore and educational scenic caverns, tram tour ride etc.:

Day 3: Saturday, March 17 - VWBPE 2018 Event Schedule
All sessions of the VWBPE 2018 Conference are held in Second Life®. All times are in SLT (PDT). You may access this time zone converter for your local time: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html. At some times there are two events held simultaneously. You can use the VWBPE Public Transporter HUD to get around easily. This can be found in your Swag Bag, at Gateway, and many other locations.
VWBPE 2018 Gateway
SLurl: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Gateway/178/128/38

NOTE: Daylight Saving Time
In most of the United States and most locations in Canada, Daylight Saving Time goes into effect on Sunday, 11 March 2018, the weekend before the VWBPE conference. Is your location affected? Check http://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/2018.html to find out when (and if) Daylight Saving Time begins for you.
See the VWBPE Online Calendar http://vwbpe.org/program/vwbpe-calendar for full details.
Events will be streamed live at http://vwbpe.org/watch
Events are listed in chronological order
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sat 3-17-2018 from 9am (time of this post)
09:00 AM – 10:00 AM SLT
Cultural Appropriation? Cultural Appreciation?
VWBPE 2018 Lecture Area B
SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%201/134/126/22
Presenter: Hsiao-Cheng (Sandrine) Han/Kristy Handrick (Avatar)
This presentation describes the findings from Visual recreation, culture appropriation: An Asian artist’s perspective of virtual world visual culture.

09:00 AM – 10:00 AM AM SLT
If They Build It, They Will Come!
VWBPE 2018 Lecture Area A
SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%202/92/86/60
Presenters: Carolyn Lowe/Clowey Greenwood (Avatar) and Amy Pihlainen/Elsie Ocello (Avatar)
The authors, working with children ages 10 through 14, have found that allowing the students to create the learning spaces increases engagement, deep learning, and motivation to learn and do more.

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM SLT
Enjoy the Exhibits! Pursue the Quest! This is the Time!
If you haven’t already, stop in at the Gateway to get your Swag Bag with the Public Transporter HUD--the easiest way to get around VWBPE 2018.
SLurl: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Gateway/178/128/38

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (noon) SLT
Flying Stickies, Easy Quests, VW + Unity for Edu
VWBPE 2018 Lecture Area B
SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%201/134/126/22
Presenter: Julie LeMoine/Juliein3D (Avatar) Artists, Designers and Builders The presentation will summarize a new and emerging virtual world API running on the Unity game engine that offers a lot of creation flexibility from VW classrooms without requiring much coding.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (noon) SLT
Low Threshold Virtual Events
VWBPE 2018 Lecture Area A
SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%202/92/86/60
Presenter: Ulli Berthold/Torgon Woodget (Avatar)
Starting with a short talk on how, currently, setting up a virtual conference requires a lot of time and technical experience, I plan on showing the presentation participants a way to stage their own virtual events, simply.

12:00 PM – 01:00 PM (noon) SLT
Etopian Evolution for Real World Solutions
VWBPE 2018 Lecture Area A
SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%202/92/86/60
Presenter: G Ronnie Kraegel/Namaara MacMoragh (Avatar)
As an ever evolving project, Etopia is designed to bridge SL and RL by providing safe, educational space and activities for skills exploration with partners such as Peninsula College and Brain Energy Support Team.

12:00 PM – 01:00 PM (noon) SLT
Liberate Agency Amplification Via Avatar Identity
VWBPE 2018 Lecture Area B
SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%201/134/126/22
Presenter: Renne Emiko Brock/Zinnia Zauber (Avatar)
Let go of control. Instructors empower students through agency with active learning ownership, not with ultimate authority. Build validating lessons prior to entering virtual situations with surprising personal investigation, mood board creation, and character sketches.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM SLT
Games and Fun On the Social Plaza
VWBPE Social Plaza
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20South%203/65/112/21
Kurt Morales, an exceptional trivia player himself, will host a trivia contest on the Social Building Plaza. Questions will follow the conference and venue themes. The winner will receive a prize and bragging rights! Greedy games will be available too.

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM SLT
Compass Points Roundtable Discussion: Meta Manifesto: Think Tank 4 Effective Tactics
VWBPE 2018 Quadrivium
SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%202/6/196/26
Presenters: Kae Novak/Kavon Zenovka (Avatar), Cynthia Calongne/Lyr Lobo, Chris Luchs/Abacus Capalini, and Trish Cloud/Trish Cloud
Using the learning that happens outside the classroom, let’s go META by considering the Most Effective Tactics Available. This round table invites participants to a think tank on tactics for virtual worlds (VWs), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and games.

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM SLT
You're Grounded! Theorizing Virtual Learning Space
VWBPE 2018 Lecture Area A
SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%202/92/86/60
Presenter: Yen Verhoeven/TheoreticallyBlue Resident (Avatar)
The digital landscape has opened a range of possibilities for understanding the different ways we learn in a virtual environment. To explore these ways, a new multidimensional learning theory, called Interactive Spatial Learning Theory (ISLT), was developed from a qualitative study in Second Life.

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM SLT
Avatars as Data Points
VWBPE 2018 Lecture Area A
SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%202/92/86/60
Presenters: Mary Ellen Gordon/Pebbles Hannya (Avatar) and Aaron Griffiths/Isa Goodman
This presentation will introduce a new approach to teaching basic data science by using avatars as data points in data visualizations. The approach is intended to make this topics more approachable — particularly for those who may have math anxiety or limited prior quantitative background.


3:00 PM – 4:00 PM SLT
Bridging Worlds: Learning in a Strange Land
VWBPE 2018 Lecture Area B
SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%201/134/126/22
Presenters: Cynthia Calongne/Lyr Lobo (Avatar) and Bradley Hodgins/Zalomar Resident
Learning in 3D comes alive through the mind of eight-year-old Jack. Join us as we explore the creation of Jack’s World, a Jurassic simulation that runs on OpenSimulator at Virtual Harmony.

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM SLT
Quadrivium Networking Topic: Waiting for the VR Evolution
VWBPE 2018 Quadrivium
SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%202/6/196/26
Facilitator: PD Alchemi/Paul Rudman
Assistant:Amari DiRicchezi/Zia Rivera-Clarkson
Meet us at our quadrivium where we hope to entice you into a discussion on the VR Evolution. For many who have embraced change and have been early adopters, waiting for the rest of the world to catch up has not been easy.

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM SLT
Live Music Performance: Nina Bing
VWBPE 2018 Main Auditorium
SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%204/34/31/23
Relax with us at the Main Auditorium before the Closing Ceremony and enjoy the music of Nina Bing. Nina is a classically trained vocalist who has been singing for as long as she can remember.

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM SLT
Closing Ceremony
VWBPE 2018 Main Auditorium
SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%204/34/31/23
Join us as we reflect upon the highlights of the conference, with closing remarks from Phelan Corrimal and other VWBPE Committee Chairs. This event is hosted by the one and only Pooky Amsterdam, CEO of Pooky Media. The 2018 Thinkerer Award Recipient will be named during this ceremony.

7:00 PM – 8:00 PM SLT
St Patrick’s Day U2 Tribute Concert
VWBPE Social Building
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20South%203/71/77/23
You won’t want to miss VWBPE18 Closing Party with Lightning Production’s U2 Tribute Concert. In honor of St Patrick’s Day dig out your “Okelly” green clothes, shamrocks, and your most comfortable shoes!

8:00 PM – 9:30 PM SLT
Dance The Night Away @ VWBPE Social Building
VWBPE Social Building
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20South%203/71/77/23
Immediately following U2 Tribute Concert, join DJ Coz Okelly for our traditional end of the conference “Dance The Night Away” party!
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~ End of Day 3 ~
Please feel free to explore the Exhibit and Social areas at any time! Your Public Transporter HUD, found at the Gateway and other locations, is the fastest way to get around!
VWBPE 2018 Gateway
SLurl: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Gateway/178/128/38
Conference Hall Map
https://vwbpe.org/conference/conference-hall-map
Exhibit Map
https://vwbpe.org/conference/exhibit-map
The VRevolution Caverns: A Quest Underwater
http://vwbpe.org/conference/the-vrevolution-caverns-a-quest-underwater
Our Sponsors
https://vwbpe.org/sponsors-2018




click directly on any pic to get to my Flickr to see more pics if desired.

St. Patrick's Day Town Is Open!

Visit here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Coral%20Sky/128/128/22

Laura Liberty's St. Patrick's Day Town is now open for the season.  Here is your one stop shopping and play place for all this St. Patrick's Day fun.

Sapiens, LEA29 by GEM Preiz

Visit Sapiens at LEA29 here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA29/149/129/27

This is a fun Linden Endowment for the Arts sim to explore by Gem Preiz

Here are some excerpts from the informational note: " It indeed explores the mythological theme of the labyrinth from which one cannot escape and which shelters unspeakable secrets......Overall, the installation contains 40 high-resolution fractal frames, each one made of 18 plates carefully joined. They approach 4 themes which mirror the characteristics of the hosting build, and try to emphasize them :  - technology - maze - darkness - confinement"   

Ok, there is a LOT more to it and the notes explain or you can just wander along but I'd recommended checking out the informational note at the landing as it gives good info. on lighting, how best to navigate, as well as information about the sim, artist, etc.  At first glance it looks it might be much of the same after you get started but please be sure to work your way through as there is some cool stuff as you progress ;)