Back to blogging...

My last post was almost two and a half years ago. Just a little behind on blogging!

I just started writing a column about Kitely for The Metaverse Tribune. I still spend time in Second Life and InWorldz, but I am fascinated by the direction Kitley is taking. So when my editor asked me what I was interested in writing about, I chose Kitley.

My first Nitely on Kitely column was published today. I doubt it will surprise anyone who knows Kitely. It's a rehash of the Kitely basics. The last couple of paragraphs do mention some up coming additions that should make Kitley users happy.

I'll be posting here and on a WordPress blog (same info. / difference formats) for now. Thought I try it out and see which one I like better!

Let's Unite!

If you've been following the Linden blogs and/or news at all, you know the Lindens recently acquired Enemy Unknown, the parent company of Avatars United. I finally took time out today to check out Avatars United, which is in beta and I have to say it's pretty nifty. I can see it taking on even more steam as more apps are developed.

The best way I can describe Avatars United is as a facebook for avatars. It has the potential to become a fantastic tool for us virtually perceptive folks. It works with numerous virtual worlds, including Second Life. When I signed up today, I think I saw there were over 6000 SL users.

My favorite app so far is SL BLIPS, which is sort of like twitter combined with SLURLs for Second Life. You can send short "blips" (messages) from second life along with a SLURL with your location. You can also set a SLURL for home and/or your business. If you don't want avatars teleporting to your location, just uncheck the "Show the location (slurl) of my blips to others" in your Blips settings.

Choose SL BLIPS as an app, then purchase its HUD from XStreet SL for free. After attaching the HUD in Second Life and confirming your avatar, type "/999 help" in chat for a notecard that will guide you through how to use the SL BLIP HUD.

If you do decide to join Avatars United, search for Marstol Nitely and friend me, I mean... unite us!

Hit XStreet SL for your new beach look

Check out the first release from Nitely Fashion - Swimwear or explore other summer fashions and items included in the Xstreet SL Summer Beachbonanza.

In a few clicks, you can sport an entirely new summer look, perfect for your beach-going adventures. Simply visit Xstreet SL and search for "beachbonanza" for the latest beach-themed items or search within relevant categories such as: swimwear, sunglasses, boats and beach chairs.

PLUS

Share a photo on Facebook and Win a $L10,000 Xstreet SL Shopping Spree!
Facebook Image

1. Visit Second Life and take a snapshot of your new summer look.
2. Post your snapshot to our Facebook page by July 29th, 2009.
3. Tell your friends - the most "Like" votes wins!

Last Day - Fatasy Faire benefits Relay For Life

Click on the title above for an SLURL.

The last day of the Friends Fighting Cancer Fantasy Faire 2009 continues amid ongoing Second Life emergency maintenance. So get there while you can!

Fae, Sci Fi, Mermaid, Furry, Dragon, Neko, and many other fantasy designers and creators have come together to create a beautiful and unique Faire to benefit the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. Nearly half a million meters have been transformed for this special event.

Contests, shopping and events continue throughout today. All of the merchants at Fantasy Faire have items contributing 100 percent to Relay for Life. You shouldn't have any trouble spotting the Relay for Life vendors. Many designers are offering all of their products at a 20 percent discount!

Click here to see more pictures of Fantasy Faire 2009

Celebrating RL in SL

In honor of the RL Netherlands which has so few criminals they will be CLOSING prisons, I visited SL's Amsterdam today.
Click on pictures for a closer look.

The architecture alone made the visit worth while! But Amsterdam, Amsterdam 2 and Amsterdam Red Light District has more than one pleasure to offer.

There's plenty of shopping, with items from mad to the mundane. Plenty of great deals can be found by the bargain hungry. Like Nalani Wear, with a sign in the window boasting "everything only $1L". Don't have a Linden to spare? It doesn't get any cheaper than Freebeehive!

While most of the buildings seem occupied, there area a few shop areas for rent.

Wander the side alleys and drop by the Redlight District at night if you'd like to see the seedier side of Amsterdam.

Even if you're not interested in the disreputable aspects of the Redlight District, there are still plenty of interesting sights to see.

One of my favorites

I haven't been in Second Life enough in the last few days to do or write anything of note and I haven't found much Second Life news that rings my bell lately.

So, I am going to hook you up with one of my favorite SL blogger/resources. If you haven't visited The Mermaid Diaries, now's the time to go. Not only is the little mermaid Natalia Zelmonov, a prolific blogger, a glance at the right column of her site provides a great list of resources.

I've been visiting Natalia's site since I joined Second Life and learned much from her easy to follow tutorials. She has great links to other SL sites and information too.

If you don't really want to learn anything, but really want to get in some shopping, click here for SLURL to her store (Sirena's) in world. I love her hair styles with fun extras included.

Health Panel Expo in SL & RL Tomorrow

The Health Panel Expo takes place tomorrow from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. SLT. Second Life residents can attend the event for free at Health Commons AMO Island.

The Health Panel Expo panelists will include speakers from Aids.gov and Community Voicemail discussing mobile health initiatives; Virtual Ability, Inc., a nonprofit that brings people with disabilities and chronic health conditions into virtual worlds; and Susan Tenby, Online Community Director for TSG and the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life. Other panelists include experts fromthe disability, recovery services, nutrition, cancer, and AIDS communities.

Additional information (including Twitter and video archive links) about the Expo is available at the NPC: Non Profit Commons - NPSL: Non Profits in Second Life website.