New World Notes

Peter Greenaway & Expert Panel Select 48 Hour Machinima Contest Winners -- Here's the Three Winners!

"Nihilist", by Penumbra Carter of Grey Matter Films, is the top Second Life-based machinima entry in the the 48 Hour Machinima Film Project, which as I mentioned, was co-judged by auteur Peter Greenaway. It's dark and surreal with striking imagery:

From all the entries, tireless contest producer Chantal Harvey tells me, "'Nihilist' really was Peter Greenaway's favorite... it reminded Peter of Escher." It was actually the first runner-up, with the ultimate winner, "The Lake", shot in World of Warcraft.  Second runner-up, "The Shadows" was another Second Life-based entry. See them both after the break:

How Internet Rumors Are Like the Dreams in Inception (UPDATED With Background on Rumors of Microsoft Making "Overtures" to Purchase Linden Lab)

... and that's pretty much all I have to say on the subject.

Update, 2:55pm: Then again, ZD Net's Mary-Jo Foley, who writes the column "All About Microsoft", has much more to say:

Microsoft isn’t commenting on the Linden Lab report, but I’ve been asking around and hear from my sources that Microsoft may have made overtures not only toward Linden Lab, but other social-gaming vendors lately. The word from my sources is the Softies are not simply talking partnerships; they’re talking outright purchase.

Hat tip: Scott Jennings, who also has much more to say. So maybe there's a kernel of truth to the initial rumor. After all, even in Inception, the top eventually stops spinning.

Or does it?

Blue World Notes: In Blue Mars, Top Ten Fashion Items Sell About Equally by Gender

Here's Iris Ophelia's top ten Blue Mars bestselling fashion items on Blue World Notes, where we cover the next gen virtual world. Iris notes that Blue Mars items for males and females sell about equally, which is surprsing.

Speaking of which, here's her tips on layering clothes in Blue Mars so they fit your avatar right.

Chestnut's Choices 9/30 - 10/6: 'Ambiguity of Identity' Exhibit at Caerleon Museum, Star Wars Author Daniel Wallace Speaks, eXtension Virtual State Fair and More

Chestnut Rau's Weekly Roundup of Upcoming Events...

The Caerleon Museum of Identity is the latest in the series of sim-wide collaborative installations by the Caerleon Artists Coalition. The Caerleon group was established by Georg Janick (Dr. Gary Zabel of the University of Massachusetts, Boston) and consists of artists, writers, musicians, and scholars who are using digital media to develop new forms of artistic expression. The topic for this collaboration is "Ambiguity of Identity" which opens Saturday 10/2 and runs through October. There are 18 artists participating including Botgirl Questi, Chrome Underwood, FreeWee Ling who coordinated the exhibit, Pixels Sideways, Sabrinaa Nightfire and man, many talented others.

To celebrate the opening of this  exhibit that took over a year to create, the Gala will include a performance of Gracie Kendal's theatre piece "VB15 - GRACIE / KRIS" at noon on 10/9, with 16 live avatar models from Vaneeesa Blaylock/Company. Entertainment by Mommaluv Skytower will begin at 1pm on Saturday 10/2. There is a lot to see at this exhibit. The work is thought provoking as well as beautiful.  In Caerleon.  [SLurl teleport at this link]  

(All event times in SLT, "Second Life Time"-- i.e., Pacific Standard)

  ***

Thursday 9/30

11am - HTML markup language and website design

If you follow me on plurk you may have heard me complain about Typepad and HTML. This class is for people like me who are unfamiliar with HTML markup language and website design. Open to all, this is an entry level course suitable for beginners. Instructor adel Frenburg will unlock the mysteries of this topic. If you have always wanted to create your own website, this class is for you. Held on the Sandbox on Little Blue Island. Arrive in the sandbox and get a LM from the dispensers in the arrival area. In Little Blue Island. [SLurl teleport at this link]

2pm - LnL Discussion: What is in a Name?

With Display Names the talk of the town, explore the naming of avatars and how this has changed over the years in SL. How important is your avatar's name to you? How did you choose it More topically, what do you think of the forthcoming changes regarding Display Names? If you could have made it different what would you do instead? We will discuss these and many other questions regarding names in Second Life. LnL Lounge's discussions are held every Thursday at 2pm SLT. They are hosted by Lewis Luminos. In Memussi.  [SLurl teleport at this link]

6pm - Montian Gilruth Returns to Tranquil Commons

Monti discovered the SL music scene nearly three years ago and has embraced it strongly. He is a musician from Montreal, Canada, and has been involved in the musical world for a very long while. He still plays the same three chords he learned when he was thirteen...but they seem to serve him well. His talent and mesmerizing voice transform folk, celtic, and soft rock covers into an unforgettable performance! Join him as he creates his magic in Tranquil Commons tonight. In Shona. [SLurl teleport at this link]

7pm - A Tour of Real Irish Haunts with Shandon Loring

There is a strong and ancient tradition of ghostly appearances in Ireland. The country is full of old castles with secret rooms, and while some stories are obvious figments of lively imaginations, there are other tales that cannot easily be explained away. Join us tonight and listen to spooky goings-on and decide for yourself. Spooky stories in voice. In Info Island International.   [SLurl teleport at this link]

Also after the break:  BoobieThon Breast Cancer Fundraiser, Banned Books Reading Event, Tour Medical Schools in Second Life and Much, Much More....

Noam Chomsky Comes to Second Life on October 12

On October 12, radical academic and cult figure Noam Chomsky will appear in Second Life, on the Metanomics show. But will the Noam Chomsky of Second Life be there to meet him?

The Icons of My Second Life Have Been Undone By Shadow

Now that I got a deck that can run dynamic shadows, I need to do some remodeling of my favorite things in Second Life. Namely my official Snowcrash monolith, made four years ago with an artificial shadow dramatically baked right in. But now when the sun hits from contrary directions, the shadow of Snowcrash just seems silly. At least my second favorite object, a giant tamagotchi pot plant, cheerfully emits a natural shade. (Among other things.)

Only Two Days Left to Vote for Your Favorite Folk, Bluegrass, Country, and Blues Performers in Second Life!

There's two days left to vote on your favorite folk, bluegrass, country, and blues performer in Second Life for New World Notes' reader survey. You can select from ten semi-finalists chosen among dozens: Mel Cheeky, Tallguy Kidd, Avatar Quinzet, Von Johin, Arman Finesmith, Kelvinblue Oh, JueL Resistance, Cosmic Haystack, Charles Bristol, and Komuso Tokugawa. Go here to vote, and encourage your friends to vote by 11:59pm, September 30!

Guest Post: Second Life's Strength Is Its Power to Transform Identity -- And the "Weirdos" Who Embrace It

Written by Vax Sirnah, a longtime Second Life Resident

As Residents talk about how to save Second Life, discussion inevitably comes back to the albatross around Second Life's neck: "overweight men pretending to be fashionista women". But what does it mean to be that social boogeyman? Instead of being an embarrassment, maybe it is really an example of what is best about virtual worlds.

In real life, I'm in my thirties, overweight, balding, married with children. I'd blend in flawlessly at Penny Arcade Expo or any renaissance faire of your choice. In Second Life, I am a flirty cyberpunk chick who hangs out at clubs and has hundreds of folders of clothes.

Yes, I know I am a stereotype. I am THE stereotype.

Many people in Second Life consider me the sort of person that they should be ashamed of. Whenever people talk about the weirdos in Second Life with "twisted sexualities", they are talking about me. I'm what “serious” Second Life users try to gloss over when making pitches to potential investors. Here's why:

"The Rabbicorn", Bryn Oh's Beautifully Groundbreaking Immersive Narrative, Finally Ends Next Month

On November 1st, the final chapter in metaverse artist Bryn Oh's groundbreaking "Rabbicorn" story will unveil in Second Life. An immersive narrative that began two years ago, the Rabbicorn tells what happens after a mother fails to save her dying child:

"In her fear and love she transfers her daughter's soul into a machine and she becomes the Daughter of Gears," Bryn says to me. "This makes her daughter an outcast from society and upon her mothers death causes her to now live alone, a lonely shunned figure with the mentality of a young girl. To cope she goes into her 'Standby', much like a computers standby mode, and dreams of her mother for a hundred years until the Rabbicorn finds her."

But it's how Bryn Oh tells this story that makes it so profound:

The Latest Linden Lab News: Mesh Import Coming Soon to Open Beta, All Teens To Be Allowed into Second Life

From Linden Lab's blog, the latest Second Life policy/feature announcements:

• Next Steps for Mesh Import: COLLADA-compatible mesh going into open beta in Second Life very soon, according to Jack Linden, more details in two weeks.
• Welcoming Teen Organizations to the Main Grid: In addition to teens aged 16-17 being allowed into Second Life proper, teens aged 13-15 will be able to enter "limited locations on the main grid, with appropriate controls for administrators."

Feel free to discuss in Comments!