Children's programming from animation / machinima created in Second Life

I have met people from all over the world in Second Life. Amazing and creative things are happening in that environment. The possibilities for the use of Machinima created within virtual environments like Second Life for children's programing are just emerging. A first example is the machinima by my friend Chantal Harvey & others  The Joy of Music .
After they were done filming, my husband and I, in our Second Life avatars, were able to explore and play with / on the set ourselves. I jumped on the drum and walked the long road...

Tonight I received word of 10 Little Aliens
My friend Chantal Harvey shared this note with me this evening. With her permission I share it here with you:

SL Machinima for Sesame Street
http://www.aniboom.com/animation-video/435859/10-Little-Aliens/ 

Chantal Harvey's team entered a contest set up by Aniboom.com, who is helping Sesamestreet to find a new character for their series.

Aniboom then denied SL machinima, saying it is game design content --- that is when i thanked them for the compliment, as all avatars and props were made by Madcow Cosmos, and all seen in this machinima is our own. They have changed their minds and let us in now.

Lets support SL machinima, -  for once I am asking you to go there, -  and rate it if you can.

All the best,

Chantal Harvey
Lorin Tone
Madcow Cosmos
Lauren Weyland
Judi Newall
L1Aura Loire
Ze Moo
robwag Soothsayer

Requiem to a Chinese Cymbidium

This photo was taken in November 2005 in our Library. These are the cymbidiums of asian art. This plant did not require the intensity of HID lighting to bloom. It was tolerant of the south facing window in our climate. It did need more attention than I could give it. And it passed, I'm ashamed to say, from neglect.  Somewhere I have documented the species name... for this is a species, not a hybrid. Today I share the memory, and the photo.

Phragmipedium Schroederae

Truely a survivor plant. This photo was taken March 9, 2007 by JRS. It is a division of the plant I purchased in June of 1995 from Taylor Orchids in Monroe MI .  (Phrag caudatum x Phrag Sendenii) I’ve been growing it under HID lights since Sept. 1996. It is one of my favorites [9531001]

Paphiopedilum Wellesleyanum - 2003 bloom image

 

(Paph. concolor ‘Walter’ x Paph godfroyae ‘Krull’s Fat Boy’

Purchased 28 Jan 1996. This photo is a later blooming.
Photo credit: JRS 4/25/2003

This is one of my favorite references for Paph. growing:

The Paphiopedilum Grower's Manual, rev. 2nd ed.

Cattleya Orchids in May 2003

How could I have not documented these orchids before? I know. Life was too complicated  then.
Between February 21 and April 6 2003  I acquired 10 orchids in the Cattleya group. These next 2 were photographed 5/18/2003. My Cattleya group was hit hardest by virus; pests; and infections over the past several years. These photo images are all I have to remember them.

Carter and Holmes was one of my favorite sources for orchids.

A Woodworker's Library

Both a scholar and a craftsman, James Sawusch began documenting his hand crafted Windsor Chair series in December 2007 on his blog Not 9 to 5 aka Spare Time.  Each section or 'chapter' is documented with photos to accompany the text. The blog format is both a blessing and a curse: the   blog section Woodworking - Windsor Chair  displays the newest entries first, which puts the narrative in reverse order. Go to the archive to begin at the beginning of this extended essay on his construction techniques, inspiration, and lessons learned. Grab the RSS link to be advised when new entries are posted.
From his first entry:

My woodworking is an avocation.  My vocation, on the other had, is as a Professor of Psychology at the University at Buffalo.  My typical week is a bit on the long side, so my woodworking is done in small blocks of time on occasional weekends.  I usually make two or three chairs at a time.  The process, from starting with rough lumber to finishing, takes me about two years.

The chairs documented here start with a walnut tree in the back yard of my brother-in-law’s family.  When they decided to remove the tree, he offered to have it milled into lumber and I offered to split the cost.  So, these two chairs start with the trunk of a tree.

For the book lovers among us Jim's 7/22/2008 entry called Final Notes, is not really the end, but a reference list with annotations about some of the resources he has used.  Some titles are readily available to purchase. Some may be more difficult to locate. See his blog entry for his comments. Here is his list:

Dunbar, M. (1984).  Make a Windsor Chair with Michael Dunbar.  Newtown, CT: The Taunton Press.  (ISBN 0-918804-21-3)

Evans, N. G.  (1996).  American Windsor Chairs.  New York: Hudson Hills Press.  (ISBN 1-55595-112-0)

Evans, N. G.  (1997).  American Windsor Furniture.  New York: Hudson Hills Press.  (ISBN 1-55595-064-7)

Evans, N. G. (2006).  Windsor-Chair Making in America.  Hanover, NH: University of New England Press.  (ISBN 1-58465-493-7)

Kassay, J.  (1998).  The Book of American Windsor Furniture.  Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press.  (ISBN 1-55849-137-6)

Moser, T.  (1982).  Windsor Chairmaking.  New York: Sterling Publishing.  (ISBN 0-8069-7630-6)

Santore, C.  (1981).  The Windsor Style in America.  Philadelphia, PA: Running Press.  (ISBN 0-89471-136-9) 

Here is a link to information on the magazine Fine Woodworking, mentioned in another of Jim's blog posts: