Friday, December 11, 2009

Riese

The hunt begins in this exciting premiere of Riese.



Episode 2 - Fragments



Episode 3 - Bind



Episodes 4 and 5 coming soon.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

The Return of the RCAF

We're excited again...We are energized and rebuilding...



Cornelius Fanshaw built a new Officers Club in the WW2 Tradition for our exploits in the WW2 sims. This copy will also act as our meeting area 1000 meters above Lot 2 of the RCAF Connolly-Messmer Airpark in Caledon Penzance.









Attention all RCAF Pilots!

We will have a 9:00 AM (SL time) Meeting on Sunday the 29th of November 2009.

Arrive at the RCAF Connolly-Messmer Airpark Gazebo and use the TP to teleport to our new WW2-style RCAF Officers club at 1000 Meters above RCAF Connolly-Messmer Lot # 2.

Our meetup will take place at the Officers Club.

Topics of discussion: Events in December and a possible solution to the simcross-extremelag situation

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Skyboarding back...



I'm happy to report I'm not leaving SL or SL Social Media.

Mind you... I'm not going crazy with it either.

But I feel great after meeting some like-minded aviation friends at the aerodrome today, and by-golly it just might all work out for the best!

I'll see you around the Grid and the SL Social Media Bubble.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Gusty Winds

For now, this pilot is grounded....



In the past few weeks I've encountered unusually strong and distracting sim-cross effects that make flying and navigation impossible. The effect lasts anywhere from 5 to 20 seconds.

I wondered if other SL Pilots have had this experience as well. Please let me know in the comments

Saturday, August 29, 2009

RCAF Command Promotion - Vickster Kuhn

I'm pleased and honored to annouce the promotion of ace pilot Vickster Kuhn to the rank of Air Vice Marshal (AVM) of the Royal Caledon Air Force. AVM Kuhn has demonstrated not only great piloting skills, but command skills in several aviation/combat related SL Groups. Our new AVM will be responsible for RCAF events - including dogfights - following our summer hiatus. Please join me in congratulating her on her new promotion.

~ Zoe Connolly, RCAF Air Marshal

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Do ALTS have more fun?




Consider this, thinking aloud...

I'm a moody-sort sometimes. It runs deep in my family.

Second Life is a fun and enjoyable pastime... sharing fun, exciting, and at times sexy activities with good friends. But what do you do when your alt has more fun than your main account?

The avatar Zoe Connolly has become an administrator for groups, offgrid social media accounts, and a manager of land and Linden Dollars. Zoe has become The Banker. Ugh!

This was not supposed to happen. This is what alts are for, yes? Zoe should be the exciting girl, the adventurous girl. The hawt Girl with Guns who does amazing things. She flies across sims to defeat evil, and is soon back home to kiss her favorite avatar of the month.

I created an alt to do the heavy lifting. Immediately, I ran into the irresistible urge to make her...well...fabulous! In a short time, I logged into my alt more often. I savored the anonymity that an alt allows, but then a funny thing happens... Your alt becomes popular too, with her own experiences, friends, and loves. You find logging into your main account an absolute chore, and you LOVE being your alt. You want to be your alt like the early days when you wanted to be your first avatar morning, noon, and night. Savoring those same feelings you had when you were happy in your main account. It's almost like falling in love. In a way, you ARE in love.

Yes, it's true. In this strange world of Virtual Identity, I've found myself in love with my avatar creations.

But what of Zoe? I still love her. She's a part of me. She IS me! I want to be happy being Zoe, again.

RL lives evolve in ways never expected. SL lives are more planned but on occasion go in unexpected directions. Zoe will continue her journey in the metaverse and prosper. She will love and be loved. But the direction she takes will change soon. It's a normal part of life in both Universes.

I'll soon decide what to do with my land in Caledon Penzance (Connolly Aerodrome) and my Royal Caledon Air Force group, with more changes to follow.

********************************************************************

What about you? How do you feel about your main avatar vs your alt(s)?

Do alts have more fun?

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Mr Miles Chomondley-Warner

A few skits from Harry Enfield's Television Programme, Mr Chomondley-Warner was a snobbish, upper-crust early 20th century television presenter, (played by Jon Glover) who, with his manservant Greyson (Enfield), would expound on various issues of the day and attempt to uphold the British Empire's values.



















Sunday, August 9, 2009

1884: Yesterday’s Future

from the YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/adamhowe2409:
A film by Peculiar Pictures
Description taken from their website:
A story of outstanding heroism in the face of deception, subterfuge and treachery. Conjuring up the belief that it was made forty years before film was even invented, 1884: Yesterday’s Future tells of a future that might have been but never was. Directed by Tim Ollive, the film is a mix of animation, puppetry and two dimensional and three dimensional computer generated imagery (CGI) set against backgrounds created using stunning artwork, model sets and period photographs from the Hulton Picture Library division of Getty Images. Combine these idiosyncratic production techniques with a script of mind boggling ingenuity and you have a hilarious comedy film the like of which you will not have seen before. So, put your tongue firmly in your cheek, stiffen your upper lip and prepare to be shaken and stirred by 1884: Yesterday’s Future.


Monday, July 20, 2009

Tinkeratrix: Happy Rezday to Me

A wonderful personal story of Apollo 11 from a fellow Caledonian ;)

Tinkeratrix: Happy Rezday to Me

"Happy Rezday to Me

Meh. One thing my typist and I both share is an appalling lack of concern over our respective birthdays. But today's date is important.

20 July, 1969 is when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon.

Roll the words around in your head a moment. Landed. On. The moon.

It's important to me because that's where I grew up. Not the moon but more or less right next door. My father was one of thousands of civilian contractors who worked at KSC, or as it's more popularly known, Cape Kennedy. Merritt Island, Florida was essentially the on ramp that lead to the moon. Many of you watched the launch on television, I watched from the roof of out house about 17 miles from Launch Complex 39A...."

Read the rest of her post here...
Tinkeratrix: Happy Rezday to Me

From The Earth To The Moon - Apollo 11 Landing

In honor of the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11 [July 16 - 24, 1969], here are two excerpts from episode 6 of the HBO mini-series "From The Earth To The Moon"

(This is excerpt part 1 of 2)



(excerpt part 2 of 2)

Thursday, July 16, 2009

APOLLO 11 Lunar Lander in Second Life

While visiting the Space Frontier sim for the Apollo-Saturn V adventure on Monday July 13th, I had the pleasure of meeting builder Ryder Spearmann.



I knew his name from Trek Works building various sci-fi related items such as the very detailed Classic Enterprise Bridge from Star Trek.



Lately, Ryder is using his fantastic building skills creating RL spacecraft in SL such as this beautifully built Lunar Module. I think a Command/Service Module may be next on his agenda.





I promptly setup my own LEM and placed it on display at my aerodrome...after a quick announcement in the Royal Caledon Air Force group I soon had visitors, including Samantha Poindexter, seen here next to me in an appropriate outfit...



Meanwhile, I continue to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of this great achievement through the 24th of July...

"Two of you will be first"

In honor of the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11. [July 16 - 24, 1969]. Here is an excerpt from episode 1 of the HBO mini-series "From The Earth To The Moon"

[All-Hands meeting of astronauts with Deke Slayton, Director of Flight Crew Operations.]

"...I do know that the first man to walk on the moon walked into this room today and he's looking at me right now..."

Gemini 8 flight from episode 1 of "From The Earth To The Moon"

In honor of the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11. [July 16 - 24, 1969]. Here is an excerpt from episode 1 of the HBO mini-series "From The Earth To The Moon"

[The Gemini 8 flight with Astronauts Neil Armstrong and David Scott, March 16, 1966.]

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Gemini 4 flight from episode 1 of "From The Earth To The Moon"

In honor of the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11. [July 16 - 24, 1969]. Here is an excerpt from episode 1 of the HBO mini-series "From The Earth To The Moon"

[The Gemini 4 flight with Astronauts Jim McDivitt and Ed White June 3, 1965.]

Freedom 7 flight from episode 1 of "From The Earth To The Moon"

In honor of the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11. [July 16 - 24, 1969]. Here is an excerpt from episode 1 of the HBO mini-series "From The Earth To The Moon"

[The Mercury-Redstone Freedom 7 flight with Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., May 5, 1961.]

Monday, July 13, 2009

John F. Kennedy's "Moon Speech" - Rice Stadium





John F. Kennedy:
"President Pitzer, Mr. Vice President, Governor, Congressman Thomas, Senator Wiley, and Congressman Miller, Mr. Webb, Mr. Bell, scientists, distinguished guests, and ladies and gentlemen:

I appreciate your president having made me an honorary visiting professor, and I will assure you that my first lecture will be very brief.

I am delighted to be here, and I'm particularly delighted to be here on this occasion.

We meet at a college noted for knowledge, in a city noted for progress, in a State noted for strength, and we stand in need of all three, for we meet in an hour of change and challenge, in a decade of hope and fear, in an age of both knowledge and ignorance. The greater our knowledge increases, the greater our ignorance unfolds.

Despite the striking fact that most of the scientists that the world has ever known are alive and working today, despite the fact that this Nation¹s own scientific manpower is doubling every 12 years in a rate of growth more than three times that of our population as a whole, despite that, the vast stretches of the unknown and the unanswered and the unfinished still far outstrip our collective comprehension.

No man can fully grasp how far and how fast we have come, but condense, if you will, the 50,000 years of man¹s recorded history in a time span of but a half-century. Stated in these terms, we know very little about the first 40 years, except at the end of them advanced man had learned to use the skins of animals to cover them. Then about 10 years ago, under this standard, man emerged from his caves to construct other kinds of shelter. Only five years ago man learned to write and use a cart with wheels. Christianity began less than two years ago. The printing press came this year, and then less than two months ago, during this whole 50-year span of human history, the steam engine provided a new source of power.

Newton explored the meaning of gravity. Last month electric lights and telephones and automobiles and airplanes became available. Only last week did we develop penicillin and television and nuclear power, and now if America's new spacecraft succeeds in reaching Venus, we will have literally reached the stars before midnight tonight.

This is a breathtaking pace, and such a pace cannot help but create new ills as it dispels old, new ignorance, new problems, new dangers. Surely the opening vistas of space promise high costs and hardships, as well as high reward.

So it is not surprising that some would have us stay where we are a little longer to rest, to wait. But this city of Houston, this State of Texas, this country of the United States was not built by those who waited and rested and wished to look behind them. This country was conquered by those who moved forward--and so will space.

William Bradford, speaking in 1630 of the founding of the Plymouth Bay Colony, said that all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both must be enterprised and overcome with answerable courage.

If this capsule history of our progress teaches us anything, it is that man, in his quest for knowledge and progress, is determined and cannot be deterred. The exploration of space will go ahead, whether we join in it or not, and it is one of the great adventures of all time, and no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in the race for space.

Those who came before us made certain that this country rode the first waves of the industrial revolutions, the first waves of modern invention, and the first wave of nuclear power, and this generation does not intend to founder in the backwash of the coming age of space. We mean to be a part of it--we mean to lead it. For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond, and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace. We have vowed that we shall not see space filled with weapons of mass destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding.

Yet the vows of this Nation can only be fulfilled if we in this Nation are first, and, therefore, we intend to be first. In short, our leadership in science and in industry, our hopes for peace and security, our obligations to ourselves as well as others, all require us to make this effort, to solve these mysteries, to solve them for the good of all men, and to become the world's leading space-faring nation.

We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. I do not say the we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea, but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ around this globe of ours.

There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

It is for these reasons that I regard the decision last year to shift our efforts in space from low to high gear as among the most important decisions that will be made during my incumbency in the office of the Presidency.

In the last 24 hours we have seen facilities now being created for the greatest and most complex exploration in man's history. We have felt the ground shake and the air shattered by the testing of a Saturn C-1 booster rocket, many times as powerful as the Atlas which launched John Glenn, generating power equivalent to 10,000 automobiles with their accelerators on the floor. We have seen the site where the F-1 rocket engines, each one as powerful as all eight engines of the Saturn combined, will be clustered together to make the advanced Saturn missile, assembled in a new building to be built at Cape Canaveral as tall as a 48 story structure, as wide as a city block, and as long as two lengths of this field.

Within these last 19 months at least 45 satellites have circled the earth. Some 40 of them were "made in the United States of America" and they were far more sophisticated and supplied far more knowledge to the people of the world than those of the Soviet Union.

The Mariner spacecraft now on its way to Venus is the most intricate instrument in the history of space science. The accuracy of that shot is comparable to firing a missile from Cape Canaveral and dropping it in this stadium between the the 40-yard lines.

Transit satellites are helping our ships at sea to steer a safer course. Tiros satellites have given us unprecedented warnings of hurricanes and storms, and will do the same for forest fires and icebergs.

We have had our failures, but so have others, even if they do not admit them. And they may be less public.

To be sure, we are behind, and will be behind for some time in manned flight. But we do not intend to stay behind, and in this decade, we shall make up and move ahead.

The growth of our science and education will be enriched by new knowledge of our universe and environment, by new techniques of learning and mapping and observation, by new tools and computers for industry, medicine, the home as well as the school. Technical institutions, such as Rice, will reap the harvest of these gains.

And finally, the space effort itself, while still in its infancy, has already created a great number of new companies, and tens of thousands of new jobs. Space and related industries are generating new demands in investment and skilled personnel, and this city and this State, and this region, will share greatly in this growth. What was once the furthest outpost on the old frontier of the West will be the furthest outpost on the new frontier of science and space. Houston, your City of Houston, with its Manned Spacecraft Center, will become the heart of a large scientific and engineering community. During the next 5 years the National Aeronautics and Space Administration expects to double the number of scientists and engineers in this area, to increase its outlays for salaries and expenses to $60 million a year; to invest some $200 million in plant and laboratory facilities; and to direct or contract for new space efforts over $1 billion from this Center in this City.

To be sure, all this costs us all a good deal of money. This year¹s space budget is three times what it was in January 1961, and it is greater than the space budget of the previous eight years combined. That budget now stands at $5,400 million a year--a staggering sum, though somewhat less than we pay for cigarettes and cigars every year. Space expenditures will soon rise some more, from 40 cents per person per week to more than 50 cents a week for every man, woman and child in the United Stated, for we have given this program a high national priority--even though I realize that this is in some measure an act of faith and vision, for we do not now know what benefits await us.

But if I were to say, my fellow citizens, that we shall send to the moon, 240,000 miles away from the control station in Houston, a giant rocket more than 300 feet tall, the length of this football field, made of new metal alloys, some of which have not yet been invented, capable of standing heat and stresses several times more than have ever been experienced, fitted together with a precision better than the finest watch, carrying all the equipment needed for propulsion, guidance, control, communications, food and survival, on an untried mission, to an unknown celestial body, and then return it safely to earth, re-entering the atmosphere at speeds of over 25,000 miles per hour, causing heat about half that of the temperature of the sun--almost as hot as it is here today--and do all this, and do it right, and do it first before this decade is out--then we must be bold.

I'm the one who is doing all the work, so we just want you to stay cool for a minute. [laughter]

However, I think we're going to do it, and I think that we must pay what needs to be paid. I don't think we ought to waste any money, but I think we ought to do the job. And this will be done in the decade of the sixties. It may be done while some of you are still here at school at this college and university. It will be done during the term of office of some of the people who sit here on this platform. But it will be done. And it will be done before the end of this decade.

I am delighted that this university is playing a part in putting a man on the moon as part of a great national effort of the United States of America.

Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, "Because it is there."

Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked.

Thank you."

Friday, July 10, 2009

Apollo 12 hit by lightning seconds after launch

Shortly after launch on November 14, 1969, Apollo 12 was hit by lightning, leaving rookie astronaut Al Bean to save the day.

A fragment from the miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon"



Apollo 12 lightning-induced problem shortly after liftoff. Taken from the documentary "Failure Is Not An Option"

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Apollo 11 Tranquility Base Simulation in Second Life

from dadenmedia: "This video shows a simulation of Tranquility Base built in Second Life by Linden Lab Gold Partner Daden Limited. As well as featuring a model of the Lunar Lander the simulation features a map overlay at 1:1 scale showing where the astronauts walked, and hotspots that shows the images and video in a HUD that were taken by the astronauts from the places they were made. The science experiments are also in their correct places and link back to web pages providing more information...."



In honor of the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11 [July 16 - 24, 1969], I setup two excerpt videos from episode 6 of the HBO mini-series "From The Earth To The Moon"



Tuesday, July 7, 2009

FOZ 1.0

Prokofy Neva has a new FIC 2.6 and Noosphere list posted and it got me thinking of my own list.

So I'd like to announce FOZ 1.0.

FOZ = Friends of Zoe

This is a list of people in Second Life who have been good friends, an influence or source of advice in some manner, and a real and consistent asset to me from January through June 2009. The list is a snapshot of that time frame and I'm sure will change as time marches on.

Some people will know why they are mentioned. Others may be surprised to be listed, but in some small way they contributed to my sanity in SL.


Aether Inglewood
Charlanna Beresford
Cornelius Fanshaw
Crap Mariner
Denver Hax
Edward Pearse
Eladrienne Laval
Excalibur Longstaff
Fogwoman Gray
GoSpeed Racer
Ilsa Munro
Karl Reisman
Phineas Messmer
Sin Trenton
Thadicus Caligari
Titanas Vella
Tymmerie Thorne
Vickster Kuhn
Vivito Volare
Whitewolf Mumfuzz
Wrath Constantine

If you're not on this list, and think you should be...don't feel hurt. This is version 1.0 and will change over time.

I tried to think of an enemies list (EOZ = Enemies of Zoe) but to be honest I couldn't think of anyone who deserved to be listed. I'm no good at sustaining grudges.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

July 4, 1776

The Declaration of Independence: A Transcription

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

****************************************************************

The 56 signatures on the Declaration appear in the positions indicated:

Column 1
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett
Lyman Hall
George Walton

Column 2
North Carolina:
William Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Arthur Middleton

Column 3
Massachusetts:
John Hancock
Maryland:
Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton

Column 4
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin
John Morton
George Clymer
James Smith
George Taylor
James Wilson
George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney
George Read
Thomas McKean

Column 5
New York:
William Floyd
Philip Livingston
Francis Lewis
Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton
John Witherspoon
Francis Hopkinson
John Hart
Abraham Clark

Column 6
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett
William Whipple
Massachusetts:
Samuel Adams
John Adams
Robert Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins
William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman
Samuel Huntington
William Williams
Oliver Wolcott
New Hampshire:
Matthew Thornton

Friday, July 3, 2009

Results of the Tiny Dogfights in Steelhead

I missed the Tiny Dogfights in Steelhead, but here are two accounts of events....

A Stroll Through Caledon: Steelhead Goes Tiny for the Dogfights!

Through the Filter of a Victorian Aesthetic: Tiny Dogfights in Steelhead

Love the Tinies!

They're both cute and fierce!...and...CUTE!

Because I Fly (by Grover C. Norwood)

Because I fly

I laugh more than other men
I look up an see more than they,
I know how the clouds feel,
What it's like to have the blue in my lap,
to look down on birds,
to feel freedom in a thing called the stick...

who but I can slice between God's billowed legs,
and feel then laugh and crash with His step
Who else has seen the unclimbed peaks?
The rainbow's secret?
The real reason birds sing?
Because I Fly,
I envy no man on earth.

— Grover C. Norwood

Great Aviation Quotes: Poems

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Airspeed: The Guy in the Red Airplane

Inspiration comes in many forms....

Airspeed: The Guy in the Red Airplane

From a letter in the Fauquier Times-Democrat:

"This is to tell the man in the red plane that he has a fan.

I've been watching you from the ground. Well, from my farm pastures and yard actually. More often than you know. I am in awe of your skill and the performance you give is wonderful and joyous.

Who are you? Are you a man or a woman? A professional stunt pilot or a pleasure flyer of that pretty red plane? Do you perform for others besides me, or is what I'm seeing just an expression of your own preferences? . . ."

Airspeed: The Guy in the Red Airplane

Be a good example and inspire others.

No One Lives Forever - The Adventures of Cate Archer

Forgotten Games: No One Lives Forever

Cate Archer (a mix of Modesty Blaise and Emma Peel) is the heroine in the game No One Lives Forever



Quoting a YouTuber: "From the makers of F.E.A.R. No One Lives Forever may sound like a cheesy title but its not. Its a really, really ...really good game! You play Cate Archer, operative and super-spy who needs to stop the plans of H.A.R.M. of total world domination.

No One Lives Forever got really good scores and was hailed as: The best thing in gaming since Half-Life. Unfortunately, the game didn't sell okay. A sequel was made which was okay but the prequel, Contract Jack was horrible. After Contract Jack, publisher Sierra pulled the plug."


Thanks to my good friend Cornelius Fanshaw for sending the links ;)










Here's a playlist for No One Lives Forever 2 YouTube - NOLF 2 -01- Cate Archer Must Die - The Director

Monday, June 29, 2009

Space Nazis!





....and don't forget....

The Space Communists!

"A Kiss From Tokyo"

I found this today at The Mercury Men blog. Oh Wow! More great stuff here!

Seductive Espionage....

"A Kiss From Tokyo" Theatrical trailer from Stephane coedel on Vimeo.

Tinkeratrix :: Ilsa Munro

One of my favourite people in Second Life now has a blog....

May I introduce my Tinkeratrix friend Ilsa Munro. She's a duchess, she builds, and does so with style, humour, and in spite of what she'll tell you, great aplomb as well.

From Ilsa's first blog post....

"I've been repeatedly informed that having a blog is a necessary step on the whole "getting the word out there" part of running a SL (tm) business so here I am catching the tail end of this particular trend. My problem is that I'm truly awful at self-promotion. It took forever for me to work up the nerve to post in the various forums in which I occasionally participate.

Two things have prompted me into action - or a reduced level of inaction. First, a friend basically told me to "shut up and do something about it" and since this is free it's the obvious choice :)

Second I can comfort my sense of modesty with the almost certain knowledge that almost no one will read this and as such it hardly makes a difference how self-aggrandizing it seems to me as I write it.

That of course leaves me with the question of exactly what to write.

A few of you might know that I build aircraft, so naturally I've decided that I'll - ahem - blog about fashion.

What's that you say? SL Fashion is already covered at great and extensive length by everyone and thier cross eyed cat?

Oh... Well then aircraft it is I suppose."

Space:1999 New Episode - The Immortal Soul - Trailer 2

a YouTube video mashup of old clips and new material from provitamin

Space:1999 The Immortal Soul - Trailer 2

"This episode continues straight after the events told in the season one finale, The Testament of Arkadia and is an action packed, eerie and dark episode which see's the Alphan's facing certain destruction as the runaway moon drifts towards a huge asteroid belt.

This is the second trainer for the up and coming short film The Immortal Soul based on events and themes explored in space:1999's season one."




Here's the first one....

Saturday, June 27, 2009

The Mercury Men!

Thanks to Hotspur Otoole for posting this from blastoseries on YouTube....

The Mercury Men Trailer

http://www.mercuryseries.com
"A sci-fi thriller series. Edward Borman, a lowly government office drone, finds himself trapped, when the deadly Mercury Men seize his office building as a staging ground for their nefarious plot. Aided by a daring aerospace engineer from a mysterious organization known as The League, Edward must stop the invaders and their doomsday device, the Gravity Engine."




Facebook | The Mercury Men

The Mercury Men (themercurymen) on Twitter

Rise of Flight

new generation combat flight simulator



Yes it's true....I'm the Queen of NINGs!





I have another NINGnetwork to my NINGfleet....

WW2 in Second Life - World War Two combat roleplay in the virtual world of Second Life®

Allied and Axis World War Two combat roleplay in the virtual world of Second Life®


WW2 in Second Life - World War Two combat roleplay in the virtual world of Second Life®



Thursday, June 25, 2009

Tinies Dogfighting in Port Harbor - Steelhead

Tinies Dogfighting in Port Harbor - Steelhead

from Eladrienne Laval....

"In conjunction with the "Summer of Flight" aviation exhibit at the Steelhead Public Library, planes will be set out for display at the Ballroom and there will be a Tinies Dogfight in Steelhead Port Harbor on Wednesday, July 1!

The main dogfight will be at 7 pm SLT, but there will be an overseas-friendly one at 1pm SLT as well. Free aircraft will be provided and everyone is welcome. Just bring your bravery and your tiny self!..."

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Steelhead%20Port%20Harbor/213/145/26


Tinies Dogfighting in Port Harbor - Steelhead

Aces High 2 - Clear, blue sky

an Aces High 2 machinima from Niros1

Monday, June 22, 2009

Lockheed U-2 Flight - 70.000ft (2 Seat TU-2 Trainer)

"Surely the most amazing and humbling views to be seen by any human on a regular basis. The view from a U-2 cruising at 70,000ft as the sky above turns black and the curvature of the Earth is visible.

Despite first flying over 50 years ago, the U-2 continues to serve in the USAF, having outlasted its Mach 3 replacement, the SR-71 (also from Lockheed)."


Influences for the character of Zoe Connolly - the femme fatale

Want to be a femme fatale? Advice is just a click away....



How to Be a Femme Fatale: 12 steps - wikiHow

1. Speak in a low voice. Not creepy low, just attractive low. Practice some vocal exercises for a few weeks and it will become habit. Listen to Scarlett Johanssen speak for an example of this kind of voice.

2. Wear dark, sexy, retro clothes. Not too gothic-looking, though. Think Eva Green, Angelina Jolie in the mid-90's. Subtle, well-cut clothing that draws attention to you, but in a tasteful way. Stick to colors like black, maroon, and emerald green. Look for silk cocktail dresses, dark-wash, high-waisted jeans, expensive-looking, dramatic jewelery, and fishnet tights or better still seam and heel. A seductive fur is essential wardrobe.

3. Hang out in mysterious places. Not sketchy or scary. Just unusual. Remember that when in interesting places, one meets interesting people. Try out an obscure, artsy coffee shop, clandestine night club, or unique antique shop.

4. Be "one of the guys". This means holding your own with the guys in their poker/pool/video games and occasionally winning. You'll earn respect and allure as a result. But don't lose your feminine side trying to hang out with men.



5. Be mysterious. Don't let everybody know what you are feeling or what's going on. The very mystery proves to be the allure of the femme fatale.

6. Find something unique to your femme fatale and work it. Some unusual interest, skill, accessory: anything!. Individuality contributes to that mystical allure.



7. Wear a signature scent. But not wimpy little fruit-foodie sprays- something oriental or woody. It will set you apart; every time somebody smells it they will remember you and your aura. Better yet, go to the Body Shop and make your own blend. Sandalwood is a good start. Add something feminine, though, to balance it out. The last thing a femme fatale wants is to smell like a man.

8. Wear your hair in an extreme side part with Veronica Lake-esque waves. Wearing it in a dramatically short style is also a good choice. Stick to true, bold hair colors, like bright auburn, dark brown, or platinum blonde.

9. Wear pale foundation, 'cat's eye' eyeliner, and red or maroon lipstick. Avoid glitter and 'teenager' makeup at all costs.

10. Watch old movies. Mildred Pierce is a great starter. As far as music goes, Fiona Apple in "Criminal" is a good example. Let them inspire you. But don't let them take over--a femme fatale is individual.



11. Make guys wonder.

12. Be smart and have good manners. Being well-educated is something that will set you apart from the flock. Being beautiful with brains adds sex appeal.



Number Six (Battlestar Galactica) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Xenia Onatopp pictures - James Bond Wiki





Elektra King - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Nowhereville's Bridge to Nowhere

I had just lined up my stance, getting ready to throw a bomb into an Axis SS Bunker near a V2 Rocket base. I took a deep breath and....wait....this is definitely poor timing....

My implanted emergency alarm triggered. The alarm was a serious one, indicating an existential threat. I quickly noted my current spacetime coordinates and returned to the TARDIS.

The Emergency was NOT exactly an existential threat, but rather than scold my good friend Crap Mariner, I kept silent and went to his aid. After all, the robot DID pull me from a burning airplane a few years back. I suppose I owed him a few favours.



Arriving at the Nowhereville Bridge to Edloe, a chill went down my spine. Edloe was indeed missing! I turned to look at Mariner, who shrugged and tried to suppress tears and a quivering lip.

I turned back to the large body of water where once was Edloe. I wondered if this could be the diabolical work of my cousin, Dr. Zoetrope Dreamscape. I immediately went to work.



Luckily I was carrying my Crossbow outfitted with a spacetime computer and patented Red Rider compass in the stock.

After a few minutes of analysis it was clearly an anomaly, but a natural one in our peculiar universe. It was NOT a man-made disaster. I sighed in relief.

The land mass of Edloe was "thrown" into a future time where it basically "sits" in place. At some point in the near future, our timeline will catch up to "when" Edloe exists and spacetime will continue normally. I explained my findings to Mr. Mariner.

Unfortunately the poor android/gynoid was too confused to comprehend advanced science and jabbered on about some sortof "virtualized hosting" and "datacenter" non-sense. Poor fellow!

It was clear Mariner needed a distraction.



I stood up and gave the gender-confused robot the business card of a friend of mine.

"What's this?" Mariner asked.

I gave him a kiss on the cheek and replied, "I've not seen so much emotion from an automaton before. That's the casting director for All My Circuits."

I wished him luck and returned to the TARDIS.

Flickr: Second Life - Edloe Minus Edloe

Welcome Home, Home? (What Is This Crap?)

CONTEST: Edloe Minus Edloe (What Is This Crap?)

The Cursed Bridge (What Is This Crap?)

Glitches (What Is This Crap?)

((well it could've happened that way))

Friday, June 19, 2009

Pop Culture Influences on the Character of Zoe Connolly - Lara Croft

In previous posts I've mentioned fictional influences for the character of Zoe Connolly in Part 1, Part 2, and Pop Culture Influences like The Avengers.

In this post I feature another Pop Culture icon. The first major Virtual Girl with Guns Lara Croft, with bonus views of Angelina Jolie as Lara....

Lara may be a very attractive action heroine, but her most important quality to me is her personality. Here's a quote from Wikipedia on Lara Croft:
"....Lara is consistently depicted as a highly confident, independent, and headstrong person. She is also very brave, rarely showing any sign of fear in very dangerous or lethal situations...."
Her virtual action heroine lineage may be traced back to Honor Blackman and Diana Rigg from The Avengers.





Below is an interesting documentary from the Discovery Channel via Google Video about the origins, game design, obsessions, and world wide media phenomenon of Lara Croft. I noted many parallels between Lara Croft Game obsession and obsessive behavior over Second Life.

Question for Second Life residents: Is your time and energy in SL replacing what you could and should be doing in RL?







Disclaimer: Although I've enjoyed the Lara Croft movies I've never played nor do I have an interest in a Lara Croft game. Before Second Life, the most gaming I ever did involved The Sims and various versions of Monopoly and Poker. Although I continue to indulge in the virtual world of Second Life and have added a new habit with flight simulators, Lara Croft Games are not on my radar. But there's no denying the Lara influence on some of my thinking. For me, she is the modern-day Emma Peel.

What are your influences and how do they manifest in the virtual world of Second Life?

Look for more "State Your Influence" posts on Monday June 22nd.