MaxMoney in SL
Machinima by Dizzy Banjo
MAX MARCH INDUSTRIES - LEADING CREATOR OF METAVERSE COMPANIES
Maximilian March, Founder
Micheru Mathys, EVP/Inworld Operations
maxmarch.com
MAXMONEY - slurl.com/secondlife/MaxMoney/96/180/65
A lush volcanic terraform designed by award winning landscape artist, Poid Mahovlich, sets the stage for renowned virtual architect/designer Scope Cleaver's original masterwork, the inworld headquarters for MaxMoney - the virtual worlds currency exchange brought to you by Max March, made possible by MaxMoney, Inc.
Region Managed by: MaxMoney, Inc.
Opens March 1st 2009
Contributing Artists Bryn Oh and Dizzy Banjo
One of those days
We all have days were nothing goes right. The past 24 hours have been like that for me. Not.one.single.thing has gone right. Sigh.
If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down.
Mary Pickford
NWN post and Google Calendar are UP
There are lots of great events this week. From a mixed reality International Machinima Festival, to a big party at Hobo Island, to the Premier of SL Shakespeare Company's production of The Tempest there is a lot of fun to be had. Go to New World Notes and mark your calendar.
Speaking of marking your calendar, in response to reader requests I have created Chestnut's Choices Public Google Calendar. All events listed on NWN are included on the calendar. Often I hear about interesting events past my deadline and it always frustrates me a little. I will include those happenings on the Google calendar, so you will likely find an interesting surprise or two there that is not on the blog. People can add my calendar to their own if they are so inclined, which is pretty cool.
Can I just say how much I hate Typepad? I am having a heck of a time with the formatting on my post and am somehow ending up with extraneous html that is causing much chaos. If anyone knows what I am doing wrong please let me know. And, yes, I am copying text to notepad before importing it to Typepad. So I have no clue what clumsy keystrokes are messing with my writing but it is driving me a little nuts. Words of wisdom, a comforting smile and cookies are much appreciated. Thanks
Speaking of marking your calendar, in response to reader requests I have created Chestnut's Choices Public Google Calendar. All events listed on NWN are included on the calendar. Often I hear about interesting events past my deadline and it always frustrates me a little. I will include those happenings on the Google calendar, so you will likely find an interesting surprise or two there that is not on the blog. People can add my calendar to their own if they are so inclined, which is pretty cool.
Can I just say how much I hate Typepad? I am having a heck of a time with the formatting on my post and am somehow ending up with extraneous html that is causing much chaos. If anyone knows what I am doing wrong please let me know. And, yes, I am copying text to notepad before importing it to Typepad. So I have no clue what clumsy keystrokes are messing with my writing but it is driving me a little nuts. Words of wisdom, a comforting smile and cookies are much appreciated. Thanks
Help a blogger out?
It is funny is how people have reacted to me writing for New World Notes. Some think its a big granddaddy of a deal and act like I am on some mythical A list. Other people look down their noses and think I am nothing but a self important hack. The truth is I am the same person I was before I got this job. I am neither a pretend SLcelebrity nor a hack writer. I am just me doing the best job I can.
New World Notes has a lot of readers every day. So many readers that when I stop to think about it I get sort of shaky and nervous. So what to do? I have been working hard to try make the events listing interesting and informative. I will admit I have made a few mistakes. There is a lot of information to gather and lots of details to keep straight. I am working out ways to make it easier to produce the posts, trying to figure out how to create a public google calendar since I have gotten quite a bit of email about how people would like to have one.
If you think I am not listing the "good stuff" then please help me out. If you know about fantastic concerts, parties, meetings, discussions, exhibits or whatever please send me the details. I certainly don't know about many of the great happenings in SL so please, help a blogger out? Send me your events.
Olza Koenkamp and the Big Psomm!
A short time ago I blogged about NPIRL and an experience I had when a random group of people came together to play with Olza Koenkamp's the Big Psomm. Olza made a machinima of the group and you can watch them below. A warning -- the video is long. Having experienced the fun of the experiment I probably see this machinima differently than you will. Anyway, I really enjoyed the experience and I hope you enjoy watching.
Thanks to Olza for sharing the link to Youtube with me.
Thanks to Olza for sharing the link to Youtube with me.
Pooky Amsterdam's "The Spy Who Lived Here"
Pooky says "James Bond like you have never seen him before! This first release from PookyMedia Films has been produced for the Second Life London Sim Arts Festival 2009."
NWN Events Post and StormEye
Looking for something to do? Go read my New World Notes post.
Some time over the next few days please make sure you see Douglas Story and Desdemona Enfeld's new installation StormEye. Zha and I went to tour at Douglas' invitation and honestly, StormEye is really cool. You feel the storm around you...the rain feels cold, the lightening makes you jump and the blue sunny sky absolutely feels like a relief from the downpour. SURL is here so, Go. Go. Go.
Some time over the next few days please make sure you see Douglas Story and Desdemona Enfeld's new installation StormEye. Zha and I went to tour at Douglas' invitation and honestly, StormEye is really cool. You feel the storm around you...the rain feels cold, the lightening makes you jump and the blue sunny sky absolutely feels like a relief from the downpour. SURL is here so, Go. Go. Go.
A Visit to IBM: Rhodospin - The Light Receptor
Most of you know my partner Zha works for IBM in RL. Last night I was over on her work island to build a little quiet spot for meditation for Zha and her guests and colleagues. The IBM sims are pretty interesting places but are not really open to the public for obvious reasons. I took a few photos of this massive structure that floats over the lake in the center of the island and wanted to share them here.
This is Zha sitting on the structure. Note the red tea house on the ground in the background. It looks familiar? You mean it looks exactly like the tea house I built for our sim? Imagine that. ;)
Here is the structure under a fancypants windlight sky after I messed around with the location of the sun, the colors and the clouds. Cool, right?
The structure is a huge molecule Rhodopsin, which is the protein that allows us to see. From the notecard written by the talented creator of this Rhodospin model, Rez Tone.
This is Zha sitting on the structure. Note the red tea house on the ground in the background. It looks familiar? You mean it looks exactly like the tea house I built for our sim? Imagine that. ;)
Here is the structure under a fancypants windlight sky after I messed around with the location of the sun, the colors and the clouds. Cool, right?
The structure is a huge molecule Rhodopsin, which is the protein that allows us to see. From the notecard written by the talented creator of this Rhodospin model, Rez Tone.
Rhodopsin - The Light Receptor
The large molecule floating over the lake in front of you is Rhodopsin. Rhodopsin is the protein that allows us to see. It is densely packed in the rod cells of the eye, and is primarily responsible for night vision. Color vision utilizes proteins closely related to rhodopsin. Common to all vision is a small molecule attached to the protein core called retinal, which actually captures a photon of light. Retinal changes its shape upon photon absorption, which drives further more profound changes in protein structure leading to activation. A cascade of signaling follows rhodopsin activation, which ultimately results in the perception that you saw something.
As we zoom in close, we see a structure of tubes in varying colors. The colors indicate which particular atom or element lies at the tube junctions:
Green is Carbon
White is Hydrogen
Red is Oxygen
Blue is Nitrogen
Yellow is Sulphur
Studying rhodopsin has importance beyond the process of vision. Rhodopsin is a member of the class of signaling proteins known as G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Over half (> 50%) of the drugs on the market today target GPCRs. GPCRs represent the most important class of therapeutic targets for the treatment of disease. Rhodopsin is, however, the only GPCR where the structure is experimentally known in atomic detail. This allows detailed studies of rhodopsin to uncover secrets of how it works, and perhaps gain functional insight into the broader class of GPCRs.
One way to gain insight into how rhodopsin and perhaps other GPCRs function is to study their motion in a native-like environment. This is very difficult to do experimentally, but advances in supercomputing have made it practical to study the early stages of rhodopsin activation with a simulation method called molecular dynamics. Though the method itself is not new, breakthroughs in massively parallel hardware and applications, such as Blue Gene and Blue Matter, can be applied to the motion of rhodopsin on the microsecond scale, in full atomic detail. The ability to simulate atomic motion of membrane proteins on the microsecond scale is unprecedented, and represents an increase in a factor of 100 for the practical length of a membrane protein simulation.
The structure you see floating over the lake represents the results of one of the longest all-atom molecular dynamics simulations in history. Starting from the experimentally determined positions of the atoms in rhodopsin, the protein motion was simulated on the Blue Gene supercomputer at IBM's T. J. Watson Research Center, with the retinal in the activated state. This immense calculation revealed details of how the light-activated retinal transduces activation of the protein.
In this myriad of detail, a discovery was made. An important prediction from the simulation has been confirmed by experiment. The simulation showed a key step in the activation of rhodopsin is for water to flood into the core of the protein, and drive further change in the protein structure. The experimental confirmation of the predicted involvement of water in the activation of rhodopsin, and perhaps other GPCRs, is a powerful demonstration that large scale molecular dynamics simulations can offer deeper insight into biological processes. Simulation can yield deeper insight into biology by providing atomic-level detail, beyond the capabilities of
contemporary experiment.
Building for a Change
Sometimes I get a little nugget of an idea and I can't rest until I take it where it wants to go. Tonight I decided I wanted a tea house down by the water to replace a build I did back in August that is pretty but doesn't get used too much. Remember this?
I took that space apart and built a small tea house instead. I used some bits and bobs of other builds, made a few new components, added 5 meditation cushions and a small fire. I think the 50 or so new folks running around our sim every day might use this space as its open and accessable. If not, I will rip it apart and build something new. Process, change, movement.
I took that space apart and built a small tea house instead. I used some bits and bobs of other builds, made a few new components, added 5 meditation cushions and a small fire. I think the 50 or so new folks running around our sim every day might use this space as its open and accessable. If not, I will rip it apart and build something new. Process, change, movement.
Where are you going to spend Valentine's Day?
Some people love Valentine's Day. Others see it as a holiday manufactured by the candy, flower and card manufacturers. Whatever your feelings about the holiday, people are planning events all over the grid to entertain you this week. Read my post over at New World Notes for some ideas about things to do whether your idea of a happy Valentine's day includes pink hearts and cherubs or a spitting contest.
ZeroG SkyDancers
We went to see the ZeroG SkyDancers perform "Let Love Live" yesterday afternoon. The dancers make fantastic use of the space moving between several sets 3000 meters above the ground. They wear otherworldly avatars with long flowing parts that trail behind them as they fly. The pink and blue bursts in the photo below are actually the dancers in mid flight. The sets are stunning and the original music by ZeroOne Paz is lovely. As the dancers playfully swoop in and around the set they trigger sounds that layer over the score. At the end of the performance there is a fun game of tag which places the audience in the heart of the work.
The show was visually compelling and a great deal of fun. At the same time I didn't feel an emotional connection to the dancers. I do wish there was a more coherent story line which engaged me to a greater degree. Having said that, the performance was one of the most original I have seen in Second Life and I hope that everyone interested in innovative use of virtual spaces will make a point to see the ZeroG SkyDancers.
Seating is limited. The show runs twice a week for the next several weeks. Tickets are on a sliding scale so pay as little as $1,000 although the recommended donation for tickets is $4,500 or $15 US. I think the experience is well worth that amount. For ticket information, please contact Spensley directly at dc@spensley.com
(Click for a better view)
The show was visually compelling and a great deal of fun. At the same time I didn't feel an emotional connection to the dancers. I do wish there was a more coherent story line which engaged me to a greater degree. Having said that, the performance was one of the most original I have seen in Second Life and I hope that everyone interested in innovative use of virtual spaces will make a point to see the ZeroG SkyDancers.
Seating is limited. The show runs twice a week for the next several weeks. Tickets are on a sliding scale so pay as little as $1,000 although the recommended donation for tickets is $4,500 or $15 US. I think the experience is well worth that amount. For ticket information, please contact Spensley directly at dc@spensley.com
(Click for a better view)
One of SL's coolest places
A number of years ago I had the privilege of visiting Japan for nearly a month. I spent the bulk of my time in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido. I traveled in the countryside to small villages, living in the homes of friends and family. It was a fantastic experience and instilled in me a true love for all things Japanese. Well, not sushi or natto. But I do love traditional culture, music and architecture.
When I feel the tug of Japan these days it is not likely I can hop on a plane and head to Hokkaido. Instead, I tp to Hosoi Ichiba created by the very talented Amiryu Hosoi. Hosoi Ichiba is a fantastic store that sells incredibly textured Japanese furniture and other items for your home. Amiryu also creates homes, tea houses, boats and just about anything you can think of for a Japanese themed sim.
I don't go to Hosoi Ichiba for the shopping, although I have purchased a fair number of the items for sale. I go to this special place because it is surrounded by 6 sims containing lush gardens and peaceful Japanese countryside. While listening to tinkling traditional music playing over the music stream I wander, think and it takes me back to my visit to Japan in a way that my photo album just cannot. Having said that, please do enjoy some photos of the area below and on my flickr stream. Then visit for yourself.
When I feel the tug of Japan these days it is not likely I can hop on a plane and head to Hokkaido. Instead, I tp to Hosoi Ichiba created by the very talented Amiryu Hosoi. Hosoi Ichiba is a fantastic store that sells incredibly textured Japanese furniture and other items for your home. Amiryu also creates homes, tea houses, boats and just about anything you can think of for a Japanese themed sim.
I don't go to Hosoi Ichiba for the shopping, although I have purchased a fair number of the items for sale. I go to this special place because it is surrounded by 6 sims containing lush gardens and peaceful Japanese countryside. While listening to tinkling traditional music playing over the music stream I wander, think and it takes me back to my visit to Japan in a way that my photo album just cannot. Having said that, please do enjoy some photos of the area below and on my flickr stream. Then visit for yourself.
It is as I expected
I knew when I agreed to write for NWN my blogging here would slip some. There is a lot of talking to folks, hopping around the grid, checking out venues and galleries, taking photos and what not involved in an events post. Mind you, I am not complaining in the least. I am having a lot of fun and I hope folks like the lists I am putting together. Please go over to NWN and check out this weeks post. I hope I will see you around at some of the events!
NPRIL is the best group on the grid
I have been kind of lazy all day, feeling like the definition of "meh." Just as I was thinking about logging out of SL there was an IM from Bettina Tizzy to the NPIRL group. "Do you want to take part in an art project. We need people here." A NPIRL art project? Do I want to participate? Ummm...oh.yes.I.do.
So I teleported here as did a lot of other people. Olza Koenkamp asked us to take the contents of one of a number of boxes stacked on one side of a very large, empty pink space. Next we were informed that each box contained a body part avatar that was part of a person. I dutifully removed hair, shoes, rings and AO and became a left hand. Others became heads (yes 2) parts of arms, legs, torso, ears and needless to say a penis. Finally, we all wandered about the space to put the parts in place to make the greater whole.
I have to tell you we had a blast. Everyone was joking and laughing while working together to make the body parts work as one. Olza has created a great bunch of toys and I believe they are available to play with. If you are looking for a fun way to spend a little time I highly recommend this activity.
It is totally amazing to me how a bunch of people who really didn't know each other came together, played with toys created by an incredibly talented artist and created something larger then all of us. In many ways, this little exercise is a reflection on the broader whole of SL, isn't it? We are all individual avatars moving together to create art and experience.
So I teleported here as did a lot of other people. Olza Koenkamp asked us to take the contents of one of a number of boxes stacked on one side of a very large, empty pink space. Next we were informed that each box contained a body part avatar that was part of a person. I dutifully removed hair, shoes, rings and AO and became a left hand. Others became heads (yes 2) parts of arms, legs, torso, ears and needless to say a penis. Finally, we all wandered about the space to put the parts in place to make the greater whole.
I have to tell you we had a blast. Everyone was joking and laughing while working together to make the body parts work as one. Olza has created a great bunch of toys and I believe they are available to play with. If you are looking for a fun way to spend a little time I highly recommend this activity.
It is totally amazing to me how a bunch of people who really didn't know each other came together, played with toys created by an incredibly talented artist and created something larger then all of us. In many ways, this little exercise is a reflection on the broader whole of SL, isn't it? We are all individual avatars moving together to create art and experience.
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