Celebrating President Obama's Inauguration in Second Life

 SkyWatcher Questi hovers above an Obama slide show at Netroots Nation island

Here's a selected list of Second Life events, balls, and parties celebrating today's Inauguration of Barack Obama. Sometimes, they live outside the US, and come in-world looking for Americans to share the moment with.  Other times, they do live in the States, but in places too cold or geographically removed to seek out a real world community site.  In as many times or much more, they just come to Second Life to celebrate with the people they're close to, avatars though they may be.    

I'll be adding images from these and more throughout the day; if you would like to share yours, please post the link in Comments, or e-mail them to me at hamlet at second life dot com. 

 

Update, 3:30pm: A Resident living in Los Angeles, Gloriana Maertens stopped by the Netroots Nation ball to dance and catch some live music. (A solid cover of Dylan's "Watchtower" plays in the background as she twirls beneath cascades of smoky red hair.) "I originally joined SL for the Yearly Kos celebration a few years back. It's morphed into Netroots Nation -- what you see here. I count quite a few friends here and wouldn't dream of missing this. We worked so long and so hard for it." It's just one stop in a string of parties, she tells me; in real life, she watched the Inaugural live at an "Obama Pajama party", and after logging off, plans to attend another in her aparment building. "I'm resting in between (also known as 'working from home') and watching the parade." [Direct SLURL teleport to Netroots' ball at this link.]

Update, 2:25pm: Lisa Ra performs with the ChangHigh Trinity Sisters. "We perform in SL, fire shows, with a message of Love, Light and Life," she explains. She's performing today at the Obama party held at Ivy Falls. [Direct SLURL teleport at this link.] In real life, she's actually from Portugual. Her fellow performer Yman is from Denmark; Melvin from Germany. I ask her what inspired them to celebrate an American president. "HOPE," says Lisa Ra, all in caps. "If this answer your question." I tell her it does.

Update, 1:10pm: As it happens, the first photo I received is this from M. Linden, CEO of Linden Lab, also taken from Progressive Island. (Click to enlarge.) Despite the apparent sparse audience, upwards of 75 people were there during the Inuguration speech.

Comments

[Trouble Streeter]

At the moment of swearing-in, there were over 130 people spread over the three islands (Progressive, Netroots Nation, and Inauguration) used for the celebrations today. And right now, there are 50 people here listening to music prior to the three Inaugural Balls tonight from 6-10SLT.

[Smoke Wijaya]

The "progressiveness" of Netroots Nation was clearly shown yesterday during the inaugural event at Progressive Island: http://slleftunity.blogspot.com/2009/01/netroots-nations-progressiveness.html

[rikomatic]

Here's some nice video from the NetRoots Nation inaugural event: http://illclan.com/ill-blog/35-ill-blog/102-obama-inauguration-in-the-virtual-world

[Christophe Hugo]

It is heartening to see a country celebrate and embrace with such enthusiasm the decline of its economy and clout.

For the past three decades, the U.S. has been like a passenger with a 3rd-class ticket traveling in 1st class. time to get real and leave the best seats to China, India and Brazil! Go Obama!