SP Members Fill Me With Pride

Like Tomais and myself, my buddy Eric Quimby and the commentator "someone" many other members seem to have been saddened by the sight of the many empty storefronts at the Pride sims.

"Where are some of the merchants, designers and creators whom we lavish our pink linden dollars on all year round? Why aren't they they here giving back a little to the LGBTQ-community that supports them throughout the year?", we asked ourselves I am sure.

I could mention some pretty large and well reputed brand names who are miserably invisible on the sims, but am choosing not to.

I am certain one reason for the empty stores is the fact that the seasoned Marketing Chair Merrick Genesis became sick and was hospitalized as we were getting close to the festival. The core duties of a Marketing Director had to divided between two of the other directors, who already have a full list of other responsibilities. I am certain the rest of the board had to step in and help too.

However, many members seem to have reacted like myself and Eric and have decided to take action by getting a store to fill out the empty holes and support our beloved Second Pride. Yesterday the Second Pride East sim looked much better although there were still some gaps. I was so proud to see this happening that my heart was filled with joy and pride and my eyes with tears. I love being a member of Second Pride!

I myself have set up a store for Bock in SecondLife. Just a small place for those who feel tired of walking and wish to take the weight of their feet for a while as they sip some strong Swedish coffee. (Today I will start serving freshly baked cup cakes every hour on the hour. Tomais darling, you better put your apron on!) You can also take a date there to cuddle up and have a good talk without the noisiness of a party surrounding you and your friends looking on.

When you hit the blog header on the back wall you get a link to "Bock in SecondLife" to have something to read while you rest. You can also - if you are daring enough and a true fashionista - collect my Pride 2014 Exclusive Version of my renowned The Jesters Hat. (Free/gratis/at absolutely no cost at all - AMAZING!)

Please come to The Bock in SecondLife Store @ Second Pride East (SLurl) and enjoy a quiet, relaxing, moment, I will be there from time to time to meet & greet with my readers too.

If you also wish to purchase a store take a look at the Festival Packages and follow the excellent instructions or get in touch with Karl Kalchek or Baz Ceawlin. (When contacting the board members please do remember that this is an extremely hectic time for them and do not expect immediate attention.)

A New "Names Project" for Second Pride

In response to a question from "someone who wants to be proud of pride" concerning the sad fact that there are no quilts on display this year either, chairman of Second Pride told the bitter truth: "Second Pride does not have control of the AIDS quilts. They are in the inventory of one person/avatar".

That avatar has apparently not come in-world for quite some time, so I am assuming that we can consider the previous memorial quilts as lost and unreachable.

I propose that we start anew. Although I do so without consulting anyone on the Second Pride board, I cannot imagine they will object. The quilts are important for so many of us and surely more than one on the present board.

What I am thinking is that those of us that wish to honor the memory of someone we have lost in the war against the plague creates a memorial quilt, either a new one or by just using a copy of one previously made and send it to the Second Pride Avatar.

The Second Pride avatar is an avatar created, by special dispensation from Linden Lab, for Second Pride mainly for financial purposes, but also to hold all possessions of Second Pride, buildings, landscaping, textures etc, for reuse at future Pride Celebrations.

The special thing about the Second Pride Avatar is that it, with Linden Lab's blessings, can be used by several people that each board decides and is passed from one  board to the next board that follows it.

The important thing here is that we will in the future not be dependent on one individual and whether or not that individual can or will log in.

I am sure it will be too late for this years festival, but we mean to stay on for a while, don't we? What do you guys and girls think? What does the present board think?

I have an old notecard concerning the size, prims and other specifications that I will post here a.s.a.p.

Please wait until we have an all clear for this new "Names Project" before you start sending in your quilts, I am sure none of us will wish to create havoc for the board at this time. They have enough on their hands already.

Second Pride Festival Guide

Get your Second Pride Festival Guide online, the 2014 PRISM Magazine, here.

Second Pride Festival Events Schedule

SECOND PRIDE HUNT
Go to the Main Second Pride Sim and get a ticket for the Festival hunt. There are great free items to get - do not hesitate get your hunt ticket today!

DONATION KIOSKS for Second Pride are located on all sims

SECOND PRIDE EVENT SCHEDULE
Make sure to check out all the different parties and events. http://second-pride.com/2014-festival-schedule/

SECOND PRIDE PAGEANT 
Come Join the Fun and Enter to Win Mr and Ms Second Pride
Contact Frolic Mills

DAILY SCHEDULE- Please inform the public whose coming up next and any big events for the day

Saturday June 21st
Midnight -2am DJ Maddy main stage
10-Noon Second Pride Parade  Parade Route
Noon-2 pm DJ Gai Thor Main Stage Yes Gay Gor
2-4 pm DJ Thorn Main Stage   SL Radio
4-6 pm DJ Rik Nayer East Stage Starbuck’s Lair
6-8 pm DJ Erik Main Stage Twink Nation
8-10pm DJ ReZ Main Stage Gay Gor HUB
10- Midnight DJ Storm Main  Stage

Sunday June 22nd
8-10 am DJ Lovelace West Stage
10-Noon DJ Jonny Main Stage Fire Island
Noon-2 pm DJ Rocky Main Stage Vanbeecks
2-4 pm DJ Maddy Main Stage Lesbian Orchid
4-6pm DJ Shep Main Stage Sanctum
6-8pm DJ Vaan Main Stage Bloomin  Krazee
8-10pm DJ Jorden Main Stage

Monday June 23rd
8-10 am DJ Abi East Stage
10-Noon DJ GMjogre West Stage
Noon-2 pm DJ Heloq East Stage
2-4 pm DJ Yifu Main Stage
4-6 pm DJ Murtap West Stage
6-8pm DJ Karl Main Stage 3Bears Resort
8-10pm DJ_Mickeybear Main Stage

Tuesday June 24th
6-8 am DJ Rudy West Stage
10-Noon DJ Ezziedq East Stage
Noon-2pm DJ Lovelace West Stage
2-4 pm DJ Emil East Stage
4-6 pm DJ Raute Main Stage MANSHOTS
6-8pm Spiritweavers Presents QUEEN in Concert
8-10pm DJ Zephyr Main Stage

Wednesday June 25th
Noon-2 pm DJ Wyatt West Stage
2-4pm DJ DJembe East Stage
4-6pm DJ Rik Nayer West Stage Starbuck’s Lair
6-8 pm DJ Chris Main Stage
8-10pm DJ InsyX Main Stage Spad Development
10-Midnight DJ Lemonodo East Stage

Thursday June 26th
8-10 am DJ Spydie East Stage The Dal Riata
10-Noon DJ Yifu Main Stage Gay Mens Cove
Noon-2 pm DJ Jay East Stage
2-4 pm DJ Thundergod West Stage
4-6 pm DJ LLedge Main Stage Vengeful Threads
6-8 pm DJ Lex East Stage Vanbeecks
8-10 pm DJ Karl Main Stage Celebration of Male

Friday June 27th
Midnight -2 am DJ Sarco East Stage
8-10 am DJ Vaan East Stage
10-Noon DJ GMjorge West Stage
Noon-2 DJ Rascal East Stage
2-4 pm DJ Dox West Stage
4-6 pm DJ Rocky East Stage
6-8 pm DJ Jynxxie Main Stage The Dal Riata
8-10 pm DJ Erik Main Stage Twink Nation
10-Midnight DJ Jorden West Stage

Saturday June 28th
8-10 am DJ Eclectic East Stage
Pageant Rehearsal
10-Noon DJ Satin East Stage Lesbian Orchid
Noon-2 pm DJ Calli East Stage Vanbeecks
2-4 pm DJ Jagger Main Stage N4RS
4-6pm DJ Miss London Callin West Stage
6-8 pm DJ Shep Main Stage House of Rfyre
8-10 pm LIVE BAND “Erik” mainstage
10- Midnight DJ_Mickeybear East Stage

Sunday June 29th
10-Noon Pride Pageant Main SIM
Noon-1 pm Tamra Sands Live Concert Mainstage
1-2pm Phi Mayo Live Singer Main Stage
2-4 pm DJ Sammie East Stage Hawker’s House
4-6 pm DJ Wes Main Stage Sanctum
6-10 pm Closing Cermonies
6-7 pm DJ Abi
7-8 pm
8-9 pm DJ Jynxxie
9-10 pm DJ Yifu

Body Art

I am sharing these two wonderful pictures of body art just because I can and because I think they are wonderful.

Both photographs in this post belong to Cats Creations (http://bodypaintingbycat.com/).

A Brave New Virtual World Is Underway

"Moment" Photography by Tomais Ashdene
(Totally unrelated to the subject of the post, but I couldn't find any suitable illustration)

The most sensational news yesterday - for those of us with a presence in virtual worlds - was undoubtedly Ebbe Altberg (a.k.a. Ebbe Linden in-world),  CEO of Linden Lab, confirmation that the lab is investing heavily in creating a new SecondLife.

The project is expected to take several years to accomplish. The new virtual world will not be constrained by the limitations that the existing SecondLife and "backward compatibility. Although there are some hopes for some levels of migration, given the new platform may well be revolutionary, rather than evolutionary, whether this will be possible , and at what level cannot at this time be determined." (Quote from "Living in a Modemworld")

There are already  many excellent summaries on this development on other blogs, so I will refer you to them.

New World Notes:
BREAKING: Linden Lab Confirms It's Building New Virtual World "Far Beyond What is Possible with Second Life" (Updated with Official Statement)

Living in a Modemworld: 
a) Ebbe confirms: “we’re working on a ‘next generation’ platform” (with audio) with an interview with Ebbe Linden
b) Lab: “We’re not giving up on Second Life”

Jo Yardley's Second Life: 
a) Linden Lab working on new virtual world
b) Linden Lab officially responds to the new virtual world story

Eddi & Ryce's Second Life:
Hear Ebbe Linden Make the Announcement of Linden Lab's New Virtual World Over at Inara Pey's Blog

Mona Eberhardt │ Living Virtualy:
Linden Lab working on Second Life’s successor?

Bock & Facebook, Friday June 20 2014

We had an interesting day together yesterday, Facebook and I.

Early in the day, I could log in as usual and do everything one does on that site; Post stuff, like, comment, share, poke and chat with friends. In short everything was quite normal.

Later the same day, I got the following message when I tried to post a blogpost to Facebook:

You’re Temporarily Blocked From Posting

This temporary block will last 24 hours, and you won’t be able to post on Facebook until it’s finished.

Please keep in mind that people who repeatedly post things that aren't allowed on Facebook may have their accounts permanently disabled.

I was seemingly suspended for 24 hours for breach of their rule against "nudity". Read more about that in the postscript and post-postscript in this blogpost: Second Pride Festival Starts Today!.

My account was still available, but I had certain restrictions on how I could interact with the website: No posting, no liking, no commenting and no sharing, but poking and chatting was still allowed.

Even later yesterday, I got this message when I tried accessing my account on Facebook.

Now I was permanently banned and my account was disabled. So if you missed me late yesterday, you should know that I have not removed you from my friends list.
---

Considering what has been going on lately with Facebook's purge directed at SecondLife avatars, the last message did not come as a complete surprise. Ever since my previous voluntary departure from Facebook, I have had mixed feelings about my return.

It is a very convenient way to keep in touch with my Tomais and some my close friends out-of-world, but it is also extremely time consuming and hours can sometimes pass without you even noticing.

After my return I have also had a rather lax friending-policy. I accepted anyone who asked. The only exception being the jerk who was the last straw for my voluntary departure last time. Can you imagine, he actually asked to be my friend when I returned after having posted the most vile and viscous comment on the timeline of my previous account, deleting the comment (I saw it in my email, which was the reason I turned off that option on my return) and then unfriending and blocking me?

Well, I was to tired to make a decision on what to do about it yesterday, but I will discuss the matter with my sane and balanced hubby and we will see what comes out of our deliberations.