Memorial Day weekend in Second Life: To do? Ideas?

Monday, May 25, is Memorial Day in the United States of America.

For those outside the USA, here is a page about it:

http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

My question, since this is Resident Answers, is:

What sorts of celebrations, memorials, tributes, etc., are going on in Second Life this weekend for Memorial Day?

Also I wanted to ask what someone would like to see. I've just gotten an eighth/sim, and I had an idea to put a video stream up, of a royalty free Veterans Tribute I found online. People could come and watch it, free, like at an outdoor movie. It's just an idea, though.

What sorts of ideas would anyone suggest, to honor our military men and women, and veterans, this Memorial Day weekend? (In Second Life.)

I'm not trying to start an emotional or political discussion. I want this to honor the day as intended. Thanks in advance for any input.

You will no doubt be flamed over this.

From a lucky survivor, for my less than lucky comrades I offer my gratitude for your efforts. Whatever you deem appropriate will suffice.

? I can't imagine why.

It's probably too late to organize a parade, but that would be cool.

I'm not a patriotic person by any stretch of the imagination, but the sentiment behind the missing man formation always gets me in the heart. It would be nice to see various military aircraft doing flyovers in that formation -- assuming you can even do a formation in SL. Has anyone tried it?

Thank you very much Jannae.

I'm willing to do whatever seems appropriate and can fit onto an eighth of a sim space, leaving room for visitors to come too. At the moment I'm thinking a flag, and the outdoor movie screen playing the tribute video (It's basically on a loop). People would have to turn video on to see it. Otherwise it's just a big texture.

Right now I have the video feed to movie classics (royalty free). The Janet Gaynor version of "A Star Is Born" is on. I'm considering having the ground level of the sim, at least, stay as some sort of public thing like that...long as things don't get too unruly (it's mostly residential here). But I can easily switch the feed to the military tribute and leave that all weekend.

I'd like to do something more than that, though...I'm just short on ideas. I don't want to implement them badly. I'm thinking I could leave any display up from Friday midnight SL time until Monday midnight SL time. If anyone has ideas or would like to gather I'm willing to let them use the space for any type of respectful tribute or gathering in honor of Memorial Day.

Weston - not that I know of but it sounds very cool. I saw something like that in RL and it's very moving.

By the way - I am on the sim right now, if anyone would like to come and see it. IM me in-world.

You could build a graveyard, and decorate the tombstones (a la "Decoration Day". How about a May Pole with some Morris Dancers, instead - or maybe combine the two ideas?

Of course, every day in SL is a holiday... but I intend to spend next Monday on a photo-shoot with my blisteringly fabulous new camera (I finally got around to getting a replacement for my old one - and this one is EVEN NICER!).

It's going to be a beautiful weekend I think - a four day break in all (I've got Friday day off too... to mark the Queen's birthday), the sun is blazing (as it has been for the last two months - God it's going to be a hot summer - Yay!). I've got some more work to do on the garden - trimming my huge cammelia.... and to cool off... some beers and the Monte Carlo Grand Prix (sadly only watched from home this year - it's been YEARS since I've been to Monaco)...

I'm not sure I'm gonna have time to head in-world this weekend (it's been like that for most of the last year), but in the event that I do, I'll pop by...

You are welcome to and so is anyone else who wishes to observe the holiday in an appropriate and respectful manner.

For my own sim I'm leaning more toward something like a social gathering place, decorated appropriately. With the video clip playing, places to sit or lounge and watch it, and perhaps some light refreshments in one part of the sim, nothing major or distracting maybe popcorn and sodas. To remind people of Memorial Day parades and such.

If people would like to do a formation of some type I can flatten the land for it. I'm not sure there is enough room for a parade on this particular lot, although a parade down a stretch of Linden highway is a wonderful idea. (My lot isn't near the roads)

So far I have a box set out that gives 'patriotic' (flag design) items like t shirts; a U.S flag on a flagpole; and I've bought a few more decorations from a shop I will try to set out tomorrow.

I also decided to go around SL and copy SLurls of patriotic and/or Memorial type sims, and there are a lot more than I'd realised. If people want they can take the note card and visit them themselves. I might also post the SLurls here if no one minds. And if anyone has any relevant sims they'd like to post SLurls to or to mention please do.

Since it's a weekend to honor war dead, please no politicised types of sims. There is all year for that.

Still very open to ideas along the above lines or input/requests. Thanks.

If you don't have enough space for a parade you could always do a fly-past with airplanes and helicopters (assuming nearby parcels have not got ban lines up).

Not sure there's enough room for a fly past...they'd have to have a lot of room to gather up speed first, etc. And yep it's residential so there are some ban lines. Although I think those only go to a certain height.

Wouldn't know where to find the pilots.

I do not know if the following places have special plans for the weekend (I'd assume the USO club does, at least; but I don't know). But here is a list of places people might wish to visit to honor Memorial Day in Second Life.

The names of the sims are self explanatory. I've just visited each one. HEre are the names, and the SLurls (Second Life Url location). To use a SLurl, copy and paste the address into your Second Life text chat space (after you are in Second Life). Hit the local chat button, and then you will see the link in the pop-up box. Click the link, and you will get a teleport option. Click teleport.

Here is the list of places. I'm going to put these on a note card, too, that people can take at the location if they wish.

_________


U.S. Military Veterans Center

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Patriot%20Island/69/27/29

_________


Memorial Day / Armed Forces Day

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Jeon/182/166/72

________

"Remembering Our Friends" Memorial Chapel

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sunset%20Arts%20II/64/52/22

_________

"The Wall" - Vietnam Memorial Wall

http://slurl.com/secondlife/The%20Wall/39/34/26

__________

Mount Rushmore

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Gay%20Wild%20West/117/66/81

______

Iraqi War Memorial

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Minoa/150/29/111

__________

War History and Memorial - The Learning Experience Interactive World History Museum.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ileina%20Cove/102/200/22

____________

World Trade Center Memorial -

http://slurl.com/secondlife/New%20York%20NYC/131/128/21

____

"Operation Enduring Freedom" War Memorial - sponsored by Books for Soldiers.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nimbus/221/97/24

_______

USO Club - 1940s theme Patriotic Dance Club

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Gembong%20West/152/7/22

__________________

9/11 Memorial

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Songnisan/44/234/72

_______

Memorial Island - U.S. wars

http://slurl.com/secondlife/North%20Bound%20Marina/19/117/24

________

Okay - it's all set!

Places to sit, picnic blankets to lounge on, big screen showing a short film tribute to veterans. (Just turn on streaming media, and hit video/play, to see it.)

Hot dogs, coffee and such, fizzy juices.

Patriotic freebies.

Note card of places to go in SL for Memorial Day.

Who wants to stop by? Send me an IM or note card in-world. I'm hoping it can be a place people can get together with others who wish to celebrate Memorial Day peaceably, this weekend.

It's PG land so honor that, & the neighbors is all I ask. =)

What a great thing to do. I can't get there as I'm going to be away for the weekend and won't have internet access (if you can imagine such a thing), except maybe via my broadband modem which won't cut it. Wishing all a fine weekend...be well.

Thanks so much Jackie! =)

I'm putting in even more things soon - mainly foodie things to lend it a more casual/relaxing atmosphere hopefully.

The short film playing on the big screen (outdoors, well it's all outdoors for now) contains images of a cemetery and one or two quick images of battle, in case it might trigger anyone's ptsd. I thought I should mention that. But if you do not turn on video in preferences AND press play you will not see the video at all, just a large stars and stripes texture.

I wanted to mention, for people's Second Life Memorial Day anywhere in SL, this place offers two related freebies:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Mysticos/145/139/21

It's called Purple Rose (there's other 'mature' places by the same name but in search this one clearly says it's a shop selling Memorial Day things).

They offer a freebie hand held candle, and a freebie floral centerpiece with two little flags decorating the centerpiece. Both are no copy, so I couldn't put them in the freebie box at my sim so I thought I would mention it here instead. People can go and get one/both if they wish. I have no affiliation to that store.

BTW - does anyone know how I can put the sim and invitation on LL's list of 'events' for Memorial Day (on their website)? Thanks for any replies.

This is a bit like our Australian ANZAC day, it's good to see people doing stuff for it.

Melita this is terrific of you to do. Is this open tonight thru monday or just monday?

It's open right now! And I will keep it up at least through Monday midnight SL time, longer if there seems to be an interest.

I was gonna open it at midnight tonight but I did most of it yesterday and it's ready now...so come on in whoever wants to! & welcome.

Not trying to derail the thread or start a flame war, but last year Jannae was attacked quite strongly by some of our world neighbors due to their hatred of Bush the Lessor. Not sure if the change of leadership will moderate their tone or not.

Oh and Ian thanks too, and people of all nations are welcome. I even wondered whether to only put a US flag up but it's a US holiday, and the sim's only so big.

Certainly though I wish to include those who fought alongside our military personnel and to honor them too.