SpaceJunky, the RL and SL band featured on CNN broadcasts for marketing their music in SL, held an event January 26, 2008. How did the group decide SL was the place to promote? Leader, Shakti Cianci said, "I was frustrated with the music industry and how to release my album with the band. I went to Tibet and I asked an oracle whether Space Junky had a chance of being heard by the world. He said YES. I came back [home] and was researching an ancient tibetan symbol. I kept seeing this flying monks blog, and finally looked at it and saw SL. (grins) It was about monks on Drak Yerpa, which is the sacred mountain in Tibet that I had just come from. So I came in [to SL] and went to that mountain. It was about as cosmic as you could get! The monks were rebuilding the temples that were destroyed by the government of China and they saw SL as a way to have them again." SpaceJunky's frustration with Real Life was solved by Second Life. Maybe the same will happen for Tibet. If the oracle asks Shakti if there's a chance, she'll probably say yes! Jim Sella for iReports.
Submitted by Jim Sella

New Residents to second life are met with a lot to do before they start to enjoy things. Once in-world, residents are faced with a walk through tutorial that is simple enough, but the exit from the tutorial can be difficult recognize. Once on Help Island there is a building tutorial that seems to be a foreign language to the un-initiated. Then the resident is thrust into the general population.
Along the way Mentors can be found, but it seems rare that newbies have encountered any. Comparing what is available to learn and what newbies DO learn, there is a large gap. Most seem ill-prepared to start on a fulfilling experience. When asked about HER experience as a new resident, Kayce Waco told me, "It's alright its kind of been boring though. I thought I'd get to talk to a lot more people."
All other residents contacted to participate in this story seemed to log on once or twice, then are never seen again. Something in the orientation of new residents of Second Life must account for there being only about 50,000 in world, at a given time, while there are over 12 million accounts registered - not even half of one percent. The Newbie Experience seems to exclude a vast majority.
Popoki Kawanishi, a resident since 11/30/2007 says, "I feel like in a month or so I figured it out OK and I'm a pretty normal, semi-tech computer person...... the discovery is what its all about, anyway I'd rather try, fail, learn, discover on my own than have all the keys and secrets handed to me. It could be tough for a lot a people, but so is email and whatever else for some...." Outside of people with computer and problem solving skills, it seems the Newbie experience is difficult and exclusionary.
Submitted by Ten Kenorland

Top Asian cosmetics company AMOREPACIFIC is launching in Second Life on January 31st at 10pm PST (http://acidcre.biz/bbs/bbs/board.php?bo_table=new&wr_id=40 ). They will become the first Korean beauty company in Second Life, and are leading a significant new Korean wave into Second Life.
This project’s scale, user orientated services, contents and design standard make this one of the most notable corporate builds in Second Life. On AMOREPACIFIC’s island five brands are represented: Laneige, Mise En Scène, Hera, Sulwhasoo, and AMOREPACIFIC. The Company hall charts the history of the company, starting from scratch soon after Korean independence and rising to become the global company it is today. In the Laneige hall you can have a high class make-up simulation experience and view promotional videos starring Korean celebrities. The Mise En Scène hall offers total hair care in the virtual hair salon, and you can watch short Indie films in the cinema. Visitors will also receive presents containing make-up, accessories, skin and hair from each brand.
Other content includes a green tea museum and café, green tea field and a beach, where a variety of events will be held in the future. The grand opening on 31st January 10pm PST will be marked by various events and parties, with a big money prize draw (top prize: 100,000 L$), dance party and more. AMOREPACIFIC’s island in Second Life has been developed by ACID CREBIZ, the Korean full service developer company. The new AMOREPACIFIC Island is also covered in the latest (28th January) news broadcast from Second Life Korea News (http://www.youtube.com/SecondLifeKoreaNews), also available to view in high definition in-world at Gyeonghoeru (http://slurl.com/secondlife/ACID%20CREBIZ/127/162/22).
Submitted by Pius Darwin

Last night I've been at the Italian Mood, one of the coolest venue in SL where it's often possible to enjoy the best music performed inworld: there I attended the performance of Fabrice Crosby. What I've seen is a new kind of show involving a virtual band and dancers for a visual and aesthetic musical event! Nice vibes at the club! Everyone liked that live performance of sound and dance, a true delight for both eyes and ears:I may assure you that it was comparable to the feeling we're used to in an RL show!
Talking to him after the show I discovered that he is a professional independent musician with a deep and wide passion for music in many of its aspects: from jazz to electronic music, not to mention blues, pop and folk. He is also very curious about new culture emerging with the new technologies. Since he came to SL, he has been very creative to try new ways of promoting his music, trying to fit as close as possible the SL culture . His brand new album, Rouge et Blues, is now ready and available : it contains twelve fascinating new songs, showing his very personal sound at its best, at the crossroads between jazz, blues, rock and the French song tradition. Some of the best French blues musicians joined Fabrice to record this album:you can also catch up with him on his web site http://www.fabricecollette.com! As a "must" in his website it's possible to see his video clip, exclusively based on SL Machinima, which is the first clip of that kind in Second Life: don't miss it!
Submitted by Sandy Demina

SL iReporters,
Today's news chat is going to be great. We're going to talk about the CNN.com story on SL banking based entirely on your SL iReports.

We're also going to talk about your next assignment, love and relationships in Second Life.
Hope to see you all.

Tyson iReport

Join us for our in-world event Tuesday, January 29
Where: iReport hub on Future
When: 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m SLT)

"Passage to Zhong Fu – The Directors Cut" Is a Machinima Movie created especially for the 48Hr Film Project http://www.48hourfilm.com/secondlife/
We are showing the Directors Cut on Sunday 3rd Feb 2008 @ Noon – 2 pm STL Princeton WWS slurl.com/secondlife/Princeton%20WWS/227/116/25 With an after Party under the volcano For your viewing pleasure Verdi Millionsofus – Director, Producer & Editor Poid Mahovlich – Actor, Landscaper, Set designer, props duckyfresh Watanabe – Actor, Wardrobe, Props, Flamingo Trainer Dizzy Banjo – Music A Monolith Production Thanks to Princeton University in Second Life for hosting the event
Submitted by Poid Mahovlich

Why not have a look at Vstex Virtual Stock Exchange at Second Life. Vstex.net Vstex Company Vstex company is a scripting company aiming to offer high quality services inside second life The ten years experience of the owners of Vstex (also owners of an Italian webagency) makes the realization of complex integrated Web/SL systems possible. The Vstex.net website is supported by a powerful modular platform of Portal Management System, developed from the owners of Vstex company and used in several great projects of Real Life over the past 5 years (contact us for further info) Vstex company has started developing integrated modules on its PMS platform specific for second life in march 2007.
Visit Vstex (178, 127, 23)
Submitted by Hyderpotter Clip

I have been following a band in Second Life. It is the Virtual Live Band. They are from 3 different countries, US, England and Germany. A wonderful Blues Rock Band. Everytime they appear in Second Life they just about fill a sim up. I am a DJ in Second Life and I do know good tunes when I hear them Sincerely Olddood56 Chaffe
Submitted by Olddood56 Chaffe

Photos of the band and the way the crowd is at the sim.
Submitted by Olddood56 Chaffe