200701.27
New Video featuring Gina and I.
Shane has a new video out.
It's not my favorite style of music, but what the hell, it looks cool. Gina plays the embodyment of freedom who has been forced underground by a corrupt Government. While I play the angry leader of the special ops team sent to take her out, plus I get to shoot her.
You may also see some other familiar faces from "Revelations" (wink, wink).
Check it out here: http://panicstruckpro.com/margot/liberty_QTweb_large.mov
200701.25
Before you get into Second Life, check out First Life.
Good stuff.
200701.16
What the . . .
Okay, I just spent two full minutes, sitting at my desk, pretending I was choking to cover the fact that I couldn't stop laughing.
Seriously though, this is an outrage. Since when is being a huge Star Trek Fan almost as bad as being a PORN Webmaster or Right-wing blogger?
For that matter what's so bad about Porn webmasters anyway?
I'm just asking.
For T-Shirt entertainment this is right up there with the Cambodian Midget Fighting League.
200701.16
Two Things
First, I suggest everyone check out 22nd Century coming up on PBS.
This is really exciting stuff. I watched it and was very impressed.
However I hear the future is uncertain for the show so
set the Tivo
and don't forget to log in and send them some feedback.
Second, I also suggest everyone should read this article.
It's about the terms to know for the coming age.
Don't be left behind.
200701.12
BLAST FROM THE PAST!
Someone called Dark Den productions has done a Vid using "Revelations" footage.
I won't be ignored! Indeed.
Shane found it and I got the link from his blog. I have to say it's pretty damn cool to have some one do this. Watching it really brings the whole thing back to me. I have been really busy with um . . . life since then and I haven't actually sat down and watched "Revelations" in what seems like years.
Ah well, nostalgia.
I'm really looking forward to Farpoint this year and catching up with everyone. Anyway if you want a quick chuckle go check this out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqUGn0lMfQM
Also Shane has a link up to a Vid he did for Interview with the Vampire that's pretty cool so go check that out too.
200701.11
What do I believe?
Last night I went out to dinner with someone I haven’t seen in about ten years and even then only fleetingly. While we have a lot of common history, our lives have carried us in very different directions and it was interesting to sit down and discuss our different points of view on . . . well, just about everything. My friend, I’ll call him ‘Dave’ because that’s his name, my friend Dave and I spent about two hours catching up with each other. It was so much fun in fact that we plan to do the same thing next week.
However I did come away with something of a question. Dave had read my BLOG, and most of the rest of my site, and he pointed out that he was struck by the fact that I came off so far on the left politically. I explained that I didn’t really think that was true and that from my perspective it had been the political right in this country that had changed its values. All motion being relative, I may seem to have moved to the left, but I fundamentally still believed the same things I had always believed. That started me thinking however, that I had perhaps not made those beliefs very clear. More than that, it has occurred to me that as the social, political and cultural landscapes shift and change, it is important to spell out what I stand for.
So here it is for whatever it may be worth:
First and foremost I believe in the freedom of the individual.
I believe the primary moral imperative of any collective is the protection of liberty for the individuals that comprise it.
I am wary of collectives and I see corporate America becoming more and more of what has been called a “corporate monoculture” that serves its own short term interests above and apart from the interests of the members that comprise it.
I am very wary of political collectives and I have no patience at all with religious collectives.
I believe in rational and responsible capitalism.
That is I believe in mutual exchange to mutual benefit with an eye towards the long term.
I believe in love and happiness. That is to say that I believe love and happiness are not only possible, but that they are the preferred and proper state of the human condition.
I believe knowledge is power.
I understand that Data is not Information, that Information is not Knowledge, and that Knowledge is NOT Wisdom.
I believe in wisdom. That is the application of our knowledge tempered by our reason and compassion to solve our own problems.
I believe in solving problems through technological advancement.
I believe in science over religion.
I believe in Justice and that everyone is entitled to it.
I believe in the power of simple hope.
I believe in the coming singularity. That is I believe that change is coming at a rate that will soon become unpredictable and I believe we may not survive it.
I believe in the American dream, and I support and respect the troops, but not this administration.
I believe in peace over war. However, if war is forced upon you, I don’t believe you go halfway.
I believe war profiteering is a crime.
I believe abuse of political power is a crime.
I believe in the Geneva conventions and that it is wrong to torture other people, no matter what the other guy does.
I believe everyone has the right to get married and to call it a marriage.
I believe in global warming.
I believe domestic violence is a crime.
I believe in a woman’s right to choose unconditionally for the first four months of a pregnancy.
I believe late term abortion is murder.
I do not believe in angels.
I believe that some UFO sightings are just that 'unidentified'.
I do not believe that every UFO sighting is Venus or swamp gas.
I believe my wife is my best friend.
I believe in my children and grandchildren.
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200701.09
Changing Education - MIT's OpenCourseWare
http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html
This is just too cool. I signed up at once. I have said often that the face of education has to change. The cost is excessive and the current course structures, that are designed to produce a well rounded, educated person ready to work in a given field are not only out of date, but are incapable of keeping up with the current rate of change. I remember a good friend who was struggling to complete (and pay for) her education and who was frustrated by the institution’s insistence that she waste time with courses that were completely irrelevant to her overall objective. This was several years ago and the situation has only gotten worse with time. Here, then, is at least part of the solution. Of course it’s more difficult to self manage and structure your own education, but I have no doubt that this is only the beginning and that additional tools will present themselves as things move forward. At least now, with this kind of free, on line resource, it’s possible.
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200701.04
Starting the New Year right!
Couple of things here; first today is Vince G’s Birthday and, even though I don’t think he’s a regular reader, I wanted to wish him all the best and many more. Also tomorrow is Shane’s Birthday and I wanted to wish him the same.
Speaking of Shane I hear big things are afoot over at X-ILE Pictures. I am given to understand that another music video is nearing completion featuring two of our favorite actors here at Elysian. (That’s a not so clever way of saying Gina and I are in it.) I also hear rumblings that a really huge, professional project is in the offing. I can’t say too much here having once again been sworn to secrecy but - I hear good things.
Also I hear big things are going on for Tim over at Creatures and Characters. There is talk of him ‘booking a deal’ of some sort. I know that Tim has been working long and hard toward this and I am delighted to see his plans coming to fruition.
It’s long overdue in my opinion.
Also, last night, I was introduced to a new friend. She had come all the way from England, just to meet the gang, and much fun was had by all.
So at the moment things are looking up all around. Not a bad start to 2007 I must say.
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200701.01
Still Captain,
After all these years.
These things always seem sort of silly to me. It always feels
to me that there are never enough questions to really reflect
a personality, but what the hell. I took this one in under three
minutes and I liked the results so there you go.
200701.01
New Year = New Look!
Just felt like it was time to clean the place up a little bit.
