Madelaine McMasters

Domitan, you might find your answer in this thread.

Chelsea Malibu wrote: OMG I do and I found it the other day when I was looking for something. It was the most hideous bedroom set that I had to pause and wonder what compelled me to ever make more bedroom sets. Viva la perseverance, Chelsea!

Ariel Vuissent wrote: I'm so excited, I had to share! And then I got curious about other people's experiences. So, share! (If you want...) Ariel, thank you for sharing. I love reliving the excitement of making my first things in SL. My first creation was a diploma I made for myself, from the University of Wisconsin School of Tattooing. My SL ex wanted a tattoo and I was intent on making a matched set for us, but felt I needed the credentials to do it. It was a simple texture placed on one prim. My next creation was a set of graveyard crosses to solemnly mark the deaths of the hapless undergrad students who died under the tattoo pen during my apprenticeship. Although they perished as a result of my fledgling attempts, I do think their corpses looked pretty sharp. My final masterpiece was the tattoo itself, which launched me into the world of alpha textures. It was a simple pattern consisting of two international symbols for the women's restroom, giving each other a high five. By the powers vested in me by the University of Wisconsin School of Tattooing, I hearby pronounce you "A Creator". Congratulations! ;-)

Done. Good luck, Husky.

Sylvia Tamalyn wrote: So awesome...I want to ride in a tornado too!! Are you sure?

Kylie Jaxxon wrote: it's easy for parents who are desperate for an answer to latch onto anything that is feasible to them For sure Kylie, and I do not look down my nose at those who grasp at straws. And in some way, maybe we all do. Thoreau observed that "most men lead lives of quiet desperation". We do not like uncertainty, we do not like hopelessness, so we are willing to believe in the irrational. One of my philosophical heroes (who disdained philosophy), Richard Feynman, said... "Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool."

jennylongview Innovia wrote: i guess i am just tired of a two party system --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Uhmmmmmm better then the one party system.... /me thinks I'm tired of people thinking they are partying.

Sy Beck wrote: Madelaine McMasters wrote: ... "balanced journalism". The idea is that every argument has two sides which must be equally represented. This is, of course, wrong. It both oversimplifies and actually unbalances issues. If you have 999 experienced individuals behind one idea and one dissenting opinion, it is hardly balanced to give a half hour to each side in a debate. Yet that's exactly what we often do as we pat ourselves on the back for being "balanced" and protecting the little guy. The end result of this thinking is that many arguments winnow down to two talking heads. And the moment that happens, personality trumps everything else... I can't tell you how much this annoys me Madelaine and in some respects I feel sorry for credible news media who feel they have to represent all sides of a debate and their proponents equally. It just appears to me sometimes that they give a minority view equal representation not to inform a debate, but to enflame it and create "good" television, which in short means conflict. I have seen some serious scientific issues debased, twisted and cause death and suffering because some uninformed idiot was given airspace all in the name of balance. If the weather reporter comes on to say, "Tomorrow will be sunny with few clouds." then we don't expect to have some talking head brought in to present an alternative forecast in the name of balance even though there's ample scope to have an alternative. I'll cite an example from the UK though it was a worldwide story.. 1. MMR Vaccine One rogue scientist believes he has proved a link between autism and this commonly given child vaccine to prevent measle, mumps and rubella. His findings are flawed and he is found to have several conflicts of interest in his research and his findings can never be reproduced by any other researchers. The problem was his story was out first and caused a widespread scare amongst parents who then decide not to give their children the MMR jab. Parents of autistic children start clamouring for proof and tests that the MMR caused their children's autism. It's a big news story and everytime a credible scientist is put up to disprove it the rogue scientist or "concerned parent" is again given time to expound his or their views fuelling more scare and worry leading to even more parents not allowing their children to be given the jab. As expected, incidences of measles, mumps and rubella rose hugely in the child population causing disabilities, suffering and even death. All because, even though the overwhelming scientific evidence and opinion said there was no proof the news media felt that they had to represent the two sides of the argument evenly and thus fuelled a scare that led to deaths and disabilities. Of course every minority view must be given airtime, but it has to have some proportion to it and be balanced in terms of credibility. This is an excellent example, Sy. Jenny McCarthy picked up that single research paper and ran with it, scooping up every bit of anecdotal evidence that came her way (and it does come your way when you are a visible personality). When the research was finally shown to be bogus, Jenny did not change course. She'd put so much faith in her beliefs that she (and her child and her faithful followers) are now at risk of being bitten by their own dogma, a dogma that people find attractive because it's simple, it's certain, and it's proffered by an attractive personality.

Oooh, goof mornings are the best! Here's Fats blowing away the Monday blues with Blue Monday... Blue Monday, Everybody!

Ellyn Elan wrote: Spookier is the center image, not the effects off to the side. DOH! Spookier still is the next 449 years of coverage of this stuff now. Thank the gods for hulu.com and the like. I agree, Ellyn. When I saw Homer's ghost in that image at CNN, I was certain that someone would comment on it there, and that someone would reply that Santorum was spookier still. I did try to leave the door open for that to happen here, though I also had in mind the hope that Homer might represent good natured blue collar folks disapproval of Santorum.

Deltango Vale wrote: "I want what some of you guys are smokin'." This follows from the discussion we had a few weeks ago about effects of caffeine and nicotine on society. I've not read anything about this, so have no opinion, but it wouldn't be the first time that we were clueless about something because of preconceived notions.

Ellyn Elan wrote: Melita Magic wrote: Ellyn Elan wrote: Melita Magic wrote: Ceka Cianci wrote: another election with crap for choices.. C'mon U.S. find a party that cuts the crap down the middle and says STFU to both sides..so we can get something done around here lol This. Please. /whimper I want what some of you guys are smokin'. ( Sadly, the indications are things are moving in the totally opposite direction as for what you are whimpering.) We're delusional because we don't like the state of things? Okay... What exactly are you talking about, though? Opposite direction where? No. You read me backwards. I'm agreeing with you, for the most part. I think it is wishful thinking (smoking some fine locoweed) to think that there is any way that it is going to be as Ceka suggested: A different party that will tell the other two to STFU so something can get done. If anything the indications are things are moving in the totally opposite direction as that, with the candidates and parties moving to ever more polarized positions so that we can be guaranteed even more crap set of choices and even less being done with each new political cycle that is never ending. Election day leads right into the next campaign session which brings us more political rhetoric, all style and no substance. I wish it were otherwise. The reason we're not getting the candidates we want is simple...we don't really want them. We have complex problems that require complex solutions, yet we have no patience for complexity. And there's another perverse idea at work... "balanced journalism". The idea is that every argument has two sides which must be equally represented. This is, of course, wrong. It both oversimplifies and actually unbalances issues. If you have 999 experienced individuals behind one idea and one dissenting opinion, it is hardly balanced to give a half hour to each side in a debate. Yet that's exactly what we often do as we pat ourselves on the back for being "balanced" and protecting the little guy. The end result of this thinking is that many arguments winnow down to two talking heads. And the moment that happens, personality trumps everything else.

Celestiall Nightfire wrote: Then she slyly asks me, if I'm supporting the latest person who declared that they'd like to be the Libertarian candidate, for Indiana Governor. I reply, "Oh, who's that?" "Rupert", she says. "Rupert?", I query back. "Yes, you know Rupert, all good Hoosiers know Rupert", she states. I have just a moment of confused silence before realization hits me, "OMG....I have no words". /me considers moving to Indiana.

Tristizia Demonista wrote: What was this old saying? "Every Country gets the Government it deserves" ? Although i can't see what the US did to deserve something like the Rep. Candidates. I think this is the result of a gradual reduction in our patience for thought. Reality TV is another thing we've brought upon ourselves.

Dillon Levenque wrote: Sorry the sound is really low; you'll have to crank it up. Took me forever to find it. Damn it. SL won't accept my link. Maybe I can just drop it here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhyRpvgm03g The audio at the end reminds me of something from a Dennis Miller skit. I'm not a fan of his but it was very funny, about the remake of 'Physcho': "It will be just like the original except it will feature a new cast of viibrant young actors. And it will suck." (paraphrased) Dillon, I'm sure we suffer from what Bruce McCall calls "Faux Nostalgia" but gosh darnit, I love that old stuff. I listen to Wisconsin Public Radio's "Old Time Radio Theater" on Sunday nights and nothing makes me want to pull the blanket over my head like hearing an episode of "The Whistler". And Sigourney Weaver killing Aliens will never, ever, ever match the allure of Anne Francis, Walter Pidgeon, Robbie the Robot and that scary invisible monster in "Forbidden Planet". /me turns out the light and shivers.

If that Thing eats Kurt Russell and leaves Goldie Hawn, I'm rooting for it.

Where's Steve McQueen when you need him?

Dillon Levenque wrote: Madelaine McMasters wrote: You're both invited to dinner at my place. Only if you promise not to serve squirrel again. Normally I wouldn't mind that but you steal all the walnuts from your poor squirrels; they're just skin and bones. I'll stuff them with walnuts.

I love this Ceka. The internet has opened up a whole new way for people to collaborate and it's fantastic. Here's another example of a prepared collaboration... And another collaboration of a different sort, where one editorial vision collects otherwise ordinary YouTube tracks to create something extraordinary...

I was reading CNN online this morning and stumbled across this ghostly vision of Homer Simpson haunting Rick Santorum in Iowa... Anybody else got evidence of the approaching spookiness?

Wildcat, that song (well, the video really) reminds me of the old English folk song "Fair Maid Walking" or "Fair Maiden in the Garden". I wish I could find an online copy of Lisa Gutkin (of the Klezmatics) singing it with the band "Whirligig" as it's just beautiful and elicits a tear every time I hear it. I did find this. The story is intact and the fella does a fine job, but he's no Lisa Gutkin ;-) I'm still quite infatuated with "The Civil Wars", so here's another tune for this sunny Sunday... If you don't get goosebumps around the 2:35 mark (or anywhere in that tune) I don't know what I'm gonna do with ya'll. Have a glorious Sunday, Everybody!

http://jofish.com/writing/smellasmedia35.pdf I saw Jofish's prototype. I must say that after watching it work, I walked away thoroughly impressed with the elegance and efficiency of written language. In one paragraph of text, Mark Twain could better describe a fragrance to me than inStink could synthesize from it's crude palette of scents. Your nose can perceive only a smell. Your imagination can perceive anything. Humanity has a huge pool of shared experience from which to draw, making the written word the most powerful tool we have. I'd like to see better ways of using our tremendous sensory bandwidth, but I don't think it will be easy. And the idea of sharing experiences competes for my attention with the idea of expanding them. Wouldn't you like to feel the wiggle of a bacterium floating in that drop of water?

Celestiall Nightfire wrote: Madelaine McMasters wrote: It helps to start out old, Kylie. Dad was 50 and Mom 43 when I was born (I'm an only) and I was home schooled. So there's a generation gap between me and anyone my age. I've never owned a TV and I never will. My ex hubby had one for a while and I watched old shows in the student lounge in college, so I'm not completely out of touch. The forum spam means nothing to me, nor do most of the trivia questions in SL clubs. But, when I step outside, the fall colors look the same as they did to natives here 5000 years ago. Maybe at some point we become timeless? Ah yes, my separated by a transdimensional space-warp sibling. My parents were actually fairly young when they had children, but each was the youngest of their siblings and were "oops" babies born to older parents. So, my parents, had older ways, than the parents of my contemporaries. We *had* a TV when I was growing up. It's just that it was a prehistoric black & white TV, with old-timey rabbit-ears for reception. Which means, you really couldn't see anything on it. Oh, then at some point the networks quit broadcasting in black & white...and my parents bought a color TV. That color TV was a reject item from the local Sears store's "scratch & dent" section. (it had a dent in the side) But, again, without cable or whatever it is that gives good reception, we still could not see much. I recall my boyfriend at that time trying to get reception to watch a football game at our house. Of course, none of us knew anything about sports, but we wanted him to feel at home. So, my family tried and tried to get some kind of reception on that TV. Even had someone climb onto the roof of the house, and move this bigger roof antennae around, while a second person was posted in a back bedroom with the window open, to relay the shouted instructions, "A little to the left...no, no..the other way. Ok, stop!...no, no..back, back!, and so on. At some point my boyfriend, looked at me and said, "Well, *now* know why your family does not watch much television!" Mom is the youngest of 14, Dad was raised by his grandfather. When Dad crawled on the roof, it was to adjust the antenna for the crystal radio we'd built together, using a piece of galena he'd placed in our garden so I could find it. I married the boyfriend who wondered about my family. I divorced him too, forcing him to return the money my Father paid him to take me ten years earlier. You can take the girl out of odd, but you can't take the odd out of the girl?

Dillon Levenque wrote: Kylie Jaxxon wrote: Dillon Levenque wrote: The kid looked at my ID and said, "Jeez, you're almost as old as my mom." :matte-motes-agape: Edited out my little story. I'll remember that I have something to ask you about when we meet, and we will meet somewhere down the line. You're both invited to dinner at my place.

Aramis Calcutt wrote: No messages on the screen ... just gradual slowing down, pausing, and "skipping" that lead to the kernel panic. Doesn't happen with any other application. And it happens with SL viewer and Phoenix viewer. Aramis, this reminds me of problems I had on my old MacBook Pro, which I ultimately traced to dust in the GPU cooling fan, preventing it from spinning. When Mac OS sees the GPU temperature rising, it will increase fan speed. When it can't increase fan speed more, it will then start throttling back the GPU clock. SL gets very unhappy when this happens. You might try one of the freeware tools for displaying GPU/CPU temperatures and fan speeds. If you see the GPU fan indicating maximum speed, but your Mac seems quiet, and the GPU temperature is high, you may have a blocked/stalled fan. Good luck!