I really do owe an apology to the truly wonderful folks over at Sine Wave Entertainment, the company behind the virtual world/social VR platform Sinespace, and its corporate cousin, Breakroom.
You see, it was almost exactly one year ago today that I entered into an agreement with them, where I would become an “embedded reporter” for Sinespace, and write sponsored blogposts about the people, news and events on that platform.
There are a couple of reasons for that lapse (the coronavirus pandemic, and the demands of my full-time paying job with the University of Manitoba Libraries), but part of the problem is that I have not been paying sufficient attention to the company or its products, so this is an apology, and a promise to do a better job!
I just find it ironic that I am writing much more about Second Life (when they aren’t paying me) and next to nothing about Sinespace and Breakroom (when they are!). It’s time to pull up my socks, pull my head out of SL, and focus. What started out as a tiny little hobby blog devoted to Sansar has grown and evolved over the past three years, and is turning into a business.
And if I really do intend to to follow through on my dream to become a full-time blogger and vlogger covering “News and Views on Social VR, Virtual Worlds, and the Metaverse” after I retire from the University of Manitoba Libraries, then I need to become a little more business-minded about what I do here.
My plan is to earn a side-income from my blog containing “news and views on social VR, virtual worlds, and the metaverse” (which is the tagline of my blog) when I finally do decide (hopefully, at some age before 65) to take my retirement. I already have a small but devoted following, and I want to grow that audience.
And yes, another thing I need to do is completely rethink the benefits that I do offer my Patreon supporters (another group of people to whom I owe an apology). And I want to once again, express my gratitude and appreciation for my existing patrons.
Between all of these ventures, I make a small amount of money (but you aren’t going to see me on the cover of Forbes anytime soon!). And I may tinker a bit with other ways to monetize what I do here, more often. For example, did you know that you can express your support by something as simple as buying me a coffee?
This is the first post in a new category I call the Second Life Creator Spotlight, where I focus on the work of the many talented fashion designers and content creators in Second Life. Due to a miscommunication, I had not received any new releases from Silvan Moon Designs for quite some time, and then, suddenly, I got a whole bunch, all at once!
Bee Dumpling and Solas NaGealai, the owners of Silvan Moon Designs, do such amazing work that I wanted to showcase three of their recent releases. Silvan Moon Designs (SLURL to their in-world store, SL Marketplace, Flickr) specializes in historical, fantasy, and role play outfits. Both my main Second Life avatar, Vanity Fair, and my medieval roleplay avatar, Scarborough Fair, own dozens of their truly wonderful dresses and gowns! (Yes, those are their honest-to-God legacy names; I got extremely lucky when “Fair” was available as an SL last name for only a two-week period back in April 2008, and I immediately snapped up both names!)
The fabulous Prima Donna gown comes in three parts: a corset top, a full skirt, and a lovely extra touch: separate, detachable sprigs of holly to add to the skirt, perfect for your next virtual Christmas celebration! This gorgeous gown comes in seven different colours: amethyst, black, crimson, emerald, sapphire, turquoise, and violet (shown here), and fits the Maitreya Lara body.
This gown features a laced-up back, and a huge bow on the skirt. Just add a fan and some opera glasses, and you’re ready to turn some heads at your next party!
The romantic, puffed-sleeve Princess Buttercup gown can be worn alone, or with the included translucent overskirt, and is available in the following six colours: blush, mint, periwinkle, pink (as shown below), teal, and white, at L$450 each. This gown comes in sizes to fit both Maitreya Lara and Slink female mesh bodies.
Finally, we have the Seventh Oracle gown, which also comes in sizes to fit Maitreya and Slink. This gown is the same design and price as the Princess Buttercup gown, but it comes in black with your choice of six jewel-tone accents: black, cobalt, crimson, emerald, purple and teal.
Once again, you can add an optional translucent overskirt, in the same accent colour as the gown:
By the way, Solas and Bee appear to be in the middle of a complete redesign of the sim where their stores, Silvan Moon Designs and The White Armory, are located:
I went through the entire store, looked and looked, but I could not find the display or the price for the Prima Donna gown! So, if you are wandering around lost, and cannot find any of these gowns, please send a notecard to either Bee Dumpling or Solas NaGealai (a.k.a Solas Enchantment), and I’m quite sure that will be happy to assist you!
Today is officially Day 248 since I began working from home for my university library system because of the coronavirus pandemic. I am still on holidays this week; I “go back to work” on Monday (while remaining firmly ensconced in my apartment). All my days are blurring together; I thought it was Thursday today until I doubled-checked, and it’s Wednesday! Today I am focusing on cleaning up my apartment, doing the laundry, and putting a mountain of dirty dishes through my dishwasher (and, of course, doing a bit of blogging; this is already my third blogpost of the day, and it’s not even 10:00 a.m. yet!).
The good news is that a tentative agreement has been reached between the University of Manitoba and the faculty association. It still has to be voted on, but if the union membership votes to accept it, it means there will not be a strike by U of M professors, instructors, and librarians this year. And, in the event that the proposal is rejected and there is a strike, I have received assurances from a union negotiator that there is an option to participate in the strike 100% virtually, so I do not have to walk a picket line (which is a huge relief to me, since I am at high risk of a severe case of COVID-19 if I should become infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus).
And the Valve Index VR kit I ordered is scheduled to arrive via FedEx sometime today (and, of course, I will be at home to receive the package)*:
Now begins the formidable task of rearranging everything in my apartment to create the room-scale virtual reality space I have always wanted! This will involve throwing out some furniture and books I no longer want to keep, rearranging my stock of rice, flour, canned goods, face masks, hand sanitizer, and other pandemic preps which are currently scattered all over the place into one compact area, etc. I expect that this will take me quite a while; I am a notoriously lazy, lax housekeeper (“slob” is such an ugly word).
Yesterday, I had my first telephone conversation with the lawyer who will be drawing up my will, plus a financial power of attorney, and a healthcare power of attorney. And I have been in touch with all six key contact people whom I want to know my wishes and requests in the event of any emergency involving me (COVID-19 or otherwise).
Now I just need to sit down and write up detailed instructions to share with all six people. For example, I will be giving one of my trusted contacts, whom I know from Sansar and Second Life, my username and password for the RyanSchultz.com blog, so that in any emergency situation, he will be able to post a message if I cannot do so. Doing all this gives me some sense of relief; I am finally taking care of things that I have been putting off for far too long. At least in that area, my anxiety is starting to subside a bit (but I still keep the Lorazepam handy, just in case).
I am—dare I jinx it by saying it out loud?—feeling happy. Or at least, happier overall than I have felt in a long, long time.
RCMP confirmed on Saturday that several people, believed to attendees at a rally in the city that day against COVID-19 measures, stormed into Steinbach hospital’s emergency room, creating a scene. Mounties said people have come to the hospital, taking photos and yelling at employees.
“I feel just really upset. I think it undermines the message that we are giving,” said Dr. Glen Drobot, a Winnipeg internal medicine doctor who recently worked on a COVID-19 ward at St. Boniface Hospital.
With Black Friday coming up, Manitoba’s top doctor is urging Manitobans not to take part in Black Friday sales and shop only for essential items.
Speaking on Tuesday, [Dr. Brent] Roussin noted several businesses have already started advertising their sales for one of the biggest retail days of the year, including in-person sales happening on Nov. 27.
“I think I want to be really clear here; with the numbers, this is irresponsible,” he said after announcing seven more COVID-19 deaths and 270 more cases of the virus in Manitoba.
“We can’t accept this. We’re in code red in Winnipeg right now, we have people dying every day, we have our health-care workers telling us that they’re reaching their limits. This isn’t the time for having a large, in-person sale for non-essential goods or services.”
Yes, this is the actual, honest-to-God news today. I am starting to lose my faith in humanity, folks. If we are only as safe as the stupidest people in our society, then we are in deep, deep trouble here in Manitoba.
Manitoba health officials announced 400 new COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths today as the number of patients in hospital continues to climb and strain the health-care system.
There are a record-high 249 people in hospital, with 40 of them in intensive care.
The five-day provincial test positivity rate also reached a new high of 14.2 per cent.
The COVID-19 outbreak in Manitoba is now the top news cluster on Google News:
I might just go back to bed and pull the covers over head. *sigh*
I recently received the following email, containing details on the next iLRN conference, which will take place in the virtual world of VirBELA:
The 7th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network (iLRN 2021) will be an innovative and interactive virtual gathering for a strengthening global network of researchers and practitioners collaborating to develop the scientific, technical, and applied potential of immersive learning. It is the premier scholarly event focusing on advances in the use of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and other extended reality (XR) technologies to support learners across the full span of learning—from K-12 through higher education to work-based, informal, and lifelong learning contexts.
Following the success of iLRN 2020, our first fully online and in-VR conference, this year’s conference will once again be based on the iLRN Virtual Campus, powered by VirBELA, but with a range of activities taking place on various other XR simulation, gaming, and other platforms. Scholars and professionals working from informal and formal education settings as well as those representing diverse industry sectors are invited to participate in the conference, where they may share their research findings, experiences, and insights; network and establish partnerships to envision and shape the future of XR and immersive technologies for learning; and contribute to the emerging scholarly knowledge base on how these technologies can be used to create experiences that educate, engage, and excite learners.
Note: The 2020 iLRN conference drew over 3,600 attendees from across the globe, making the scheduling of sessions a challenge. In 2021, conference activities will be spread over a four-week period so as to give attendees more opportunities to participate at times that are conducive to their local time zones.
Papers and proposals may be submitted to one of 10 program tracks, the first nine of which correspond to the iLRN Houses of application, and the tenth of which is intended for papers making knowledge contributions to the learning sciences, computer science, and/or game studies that are not linked to any particular application area:
Assessment and Evaluation (A&E)
Early Childhood Development & Learning (ECDL)
Galleries, Libraries, Archives, & Museums (GLAM)
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, & Social Justice (IDEAS)
K-12 STEM Education
Language, Culture, & Heritage (LCH)
Medical & Healthcare Education (MHE)
Nature & Environmental Sciences (NES)
Workforce Development & Industry Training (WDIT)
Basic Research and Theory in Immersive Learning (not linked to any particular application area)
