Recent Updates Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Edie 04:33 on 04/01/2025 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Playwriting   

    Hello, friends! I’m working on an exciting collaborative project for 2025! Details coming soon!
    In the meanwhile, why not read my new 10-minute play “Edie + Mark” it’s all about relationships!

    My Relationship Play


     

  • Kate Nova 03:47 on 24/06/2020 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Empathy, SL17B, Strangers, Virtual Public Art   

     

    Beautiful installation at SL17B: Conversation With a Stranger by FionaFei:

    Conversation With a Stranger is an interactive installation as viewers are compelled to reflect on the life of a stranger before judging them. The inspiration for this installation comes from current events, showing that the lack of empathy for other people in the world divides us. It is a microcosm of society, where a stranger who may have passed us on a street could potentially be someone we could connect with, sharing similar interests, background, or values. It is only through conversation and a sharing of words and ideas may we truly know and understand one another.

    http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SL17B%20Electrify/121/149/24

     

  • Aero Bigboots 08:59 on 21/06/2020 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Earth Bigboots   

    Welcome to the world, Earth Bigboots!
    Born 19 June 2020.
    Everyone loves you, Earth! 🙂

     

  • Xue 20:41 on 07/06/2018 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    I think the main website is done!! (OMG)
    http://MediciUniversity.co.uk

    Now to tidy up MU Talk a bit! 😀

     

    • Michael J. Masucci 20:57 on 07/06/2018 Permalink | Reply

      Great work Xue, looking forward to all the innovations and expansions of MU in the years ahead. Congrats to all involved

    • Christa M. Forster 13:27 on 08/06/2018 Permalink | Reply

      Wow! Fantastic. No wonder we haven’t heard from you in a while. You’ve been SUPER PRODUCTIVE!!

      • Vanessa 17:34 on 08/06/2018 Permalink | Reply

        Hello Xta & Michael! It’s so great to “hear” your voices! 😀
        The official announcement is waiting for all the cleanup work to finish (we’re working on this Talk site today!)
        But the news is that we’re rolling all the disparate elements of the MU umbrella into just 2 MU main sites, the main site itself, and this talk site.

        In the case of PBR, as you know, I bought that “.re” domain name, “practicebased.re/search”. .re is the country code for Reunion Island (Indian Ocean east of Madagascar) but like other country codes, it’s used for domain name hacks. The Tuvalu country code, .tv is often used by television stations. And the Reunion Island country code is used by Real Estate agents! 😛

        Anyway, I had to get it from a funky domain name registrar since most of the normal registrars don’t, (or didn’t anyway) carry the .re tld. Not a big deal, and it wasn’t expensive at all, but each year I’d forget to renew it, and so the PBR sites would be down for a month or three till I remembered to renew it.

        Meanwhile, it’s gotten quiet at the various MU units. We’re largely in hibernation mode – at least formal MU is – many of the peeps who’ve participated are, not surprisingly, working on all kinds of awesome projects! So this seems like a great time to consolidate all of the content we’ve strewn across cyberspace. As you probably know, I make way too many websites in the first place! 😛 And now in quiet mode, it seems like a lot of sites dilutes things. By collecting all of the content we’ve produced, it should be easier to find things, and easier to maintain.

        Be sure to see our handy Table of Departments:
        https://mediciuniversity.co.uk/about/#departments

        it’s a great way to quickly navigate through a lot of content!

        Also, at the bottom of every MU page, you’ll find that same table of departments, plus a chronologic archive, tags, and my personal favorite, This Week in MU History which lists the posts from different years that were published during this week in the calendar.

        Once we finish with the reorganization, I’ll be inviting all of the ~60 authors who’ve participated in the various MU projects to make a What’s up [with me] now? post and share whatever they’re inclined to. I’m excited discover what all of our wonderful friends have been doing.

        So great to hear from you Michael ‘n Xta!

        What’s up [with you] now?

        ~ Vanessa

  • Xue 03:58 on 02/06/2018 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    I’m fixing up the MU website.
    Wheee!
    (OMG, about time! 😛

     

  • Xue 22:17 on 29/03/2018 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    Hi, everyone! Hope you’re having a great Spring ’18! Hope 2CU in-world one of these days!

     

    • Elle 23:37 on 30/03/2018 Permalink | Reply

      Thank you, Xue. Happy Spring to you too!

  • AlexandreLois1 21:08 on 15/11/2017 Permalink | Reply  

    Aliens flew to the Hopi Indians in ancient times and they created a tradition to portray these aliens (kachin) in the form of dolls. And the dolls will tell you not weak ….!
    Here, for example, such. Kachina https://www.ebay.de/itm/Hopi-Kachina-Doll-Takursh-Mana-the-Yellow-Corn-Maiden-Amazing-/112617558520?hash=item1a388791f8
    Pay attention to the prices. Prices are considerable. In general, all this has turned into a business. Now, other tribes of Indians have pulled themselves into this business.

     

    • Veyot 22:56 on 15/11/2017 Permalink | Reply

      I remember you making a Kachina doll at ArtFarm, Alex. I still have one of them.

  • Izzy 00:35 on 27/09/2017 Permalink | Reply  

    Have a lovely Autumn everyone! Happy Equinox!

     

  • Vanessa 05:54 on 30/06/2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ,   

    http://vanessablaylock.com/blog/love-beach-art-party-friday/

     

  • Vanessa 20:39 on 27/06/2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    Love Beach – Friday Party! 

    What time should Friday’s festivities be?
    And what events?
    Here’s what I have so far:

    1. Bumper Boats
    2. Frog Fight
    3. Dance Party
     

  • Vanessa 21:03 on 26/06/2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    http://vanessablaylock.com/blog/love-beach-sunday/

     

  • Vanessa 22:57 on 24/06/2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    Love Beach! 

    avatars standing on the sand at a virtual beach at the LEA1 sim in Second Life

    Liz Solo, ETS & Kafkagome Bekkers @Love Beach

    Come Rez U Face @Love Beach @LEA1!

    http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA1/174/85/21

    1. Take a selfie
    2. Write “I Love You” on it (or anything you like)
    3. Come rez a prim @Love Beach @LEA1
    4. Put your selfie on your prim

    Everyone is welcome
    Why?
    Because we love you!

    http://vanessablaylock.com/blog/love-beach/

     

  • rmarie 20:13 on 08/05/2017 Permalink | Reply  

    Update 

    Emma made a lot of additions this weekend. There is now a lot of industry in the city, balanced nicely with relaxation and consciousness-raising spaces. Visit soon.

    Industrial Area and Lighthouse connection

    Go game in southeast courtyard pavillion

     

     

  • Newton 17:54 on 29/04/2017 Permalink | Reply  

    Completing the Instant City 

    “The man who is traveling and does not yet know the city awaiting him along his route wonders what the palace will be like, the barracks, the mill, the theater, the bazaar. In every city of the empire every building is different and set in a different order: but as soon as the stranger arrives at the unknown city and his eye penetrates the pine cone of pagodas and garrets and haymows, following the scrawl of canals, gardens, rubbish heaps, he immediately distinguishes which are the princes’ palaces, the high priests’ temples, the tavern, the prison, the slum. This – some say – confirms the hypothesis that each man bears in his mind a city made only of differences, a city without figures and without form, and the individual cities fill it up.”

    – Invisible Cities, Italo Calvino (download entire novel)

    Congratulations on the second “Instant City!” There’s so much exciting architecture.

    Addressing Vanessa’s concern about whether the current city is livable or not, I believe it’s a matter of sustaining the energy until it is actually finished. Heavy lifting has been done, and now cohesive elements need to be added by people who are inspired to. This is another layer: showing how people interact with the city. What small things could be added to complete the sense of livability. A book store?  Sidewalk paintings? A café?  Or perhaps some infrastructure,  like a simple helpful path or fence someplace, to guide traffic along…

    Also in response to Vanessa’s 27 day post, Savage’s outline sounds like a great idea for the next Instant City. Small teams working on cohesive individual cities or areas could foster more presence on the sim, some healthy competition, and people across time zones might collaborate.

    All the best, Newton
    going for the 30th update

    PS: Sorry, I am having issues with my wordpress account (I guess) so was not able to respond in context on Vanessa’s blog here)

     

     

  • Izzy 18:43 on 28/04/2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    Happy Day 28 (Friday) everyone!
    Make it a great day!!!

     

    • Edie 00:20 on 29/04/2017 Permalink | Reply

      Wait, wut? Did somebody throw a party and not tell meeeee??? 🙁

    • www.giraffebabyshowerinvitations.com 00:35 on 01/09/2017 Permalink | Reply

      funny you should mention recording–one of my most cherished memories is lovingly holding the camcorder and filming while my large wife attempts to fish out her keys that i dropped down the toilet

  • Elle 14:51 on 26/04/2017 Permalink | Reply  

    Welcome Week Machinima 

    Pearl created a great machinima on the first week (April 1 – 7) at MU CAA-VUP.  Features the architecture and some of the avatars who contributed to the virtual community.  Nice shots of the collaborative compound done by Pearl, Art, Klaus and Mr. Kaplan.  Thank you Pearl!

     

    • Pearl Grey 16:55 on 26/04/2017 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks Elle! And thanks for the easily accessible, welcoming park space near the Compound and Ti’s meeting area.

    • Vanessa 08:17 on 27/04/2017 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks Elle! Thanks Pearl! Thanks for the great work everyone! 🙂

  • Elle 17:48 on 24/04/2017 Permalink | Reply  

    CAA-VUP Phase II 

    In case you missed it, CAA-VUP/MU2 is moving to Phase II on Tuesday May 25 at 11:00 pm SLT. Vanessa will be returning items that remain.

    Read more here on thoughts and plans:  http://vanessablaylock.com/blog/day-23/

     

  • Elle 20:17 on 14/04/2017 Permalink | Reply  

    Apmel blogs the Convocation and Avatar Parade 

    Great Blog post with photos by Apmel.

    Opening welcome by ETS and words of wisdom by RMarie.

    https://apmel.blogspot.com/2017/04/upside-and-down-are-constructs-and.html

     

     

  • Elle 07:28 on 07/04/2017 Permalink | Reply  

    Visit the College of Avatar Architecture 

    Hi All,

    Things are coming along nicely at the Medici University College of Avatar Architecture and Virtual Urban Planning.

    Here is the slurl in case you need it: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA1/172/145/21

    Stop by and visit, feel free to join in.

    Check out Vanessa’s blog:  http://vanessablaylock.com/blog/

    Thank you Vanessa.

     

    • Izzy 05:17 on 08/04/2017 Permalink | Reply

      You’re so right Elle! Thanks for your post. The work in these 1st 7 days @LEA1 is so exciting! I can’t wait to see what comes in the next 84 days!

      Thanks to everyone who’s participated! And for anyone who hasn’t, come on down!

      😀

      • Elle 15:26 on 08/04/2017 Permalink | Reply

        Hi Izzy and thanks to you too! 🙂

  • Vanessa 17:33 on 05/04/2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , ,   

    Newton, Mr., TO: Reality, Loose, of Schedule, RE: 

    About this “Collaborative City” thing. It’s excellent. Let’s do it.

    Here’s the schedule I’d like to work around — Jane’s walk 2017 is 5-6-7 May:

    http://janeswalk.org/cyberspace/second-life/

    I’d really like to have something up to Walk/Talk for Jane’s Walk. So what if we kept the current Week of Welcome format for something like 3 weeks, then went for a clean slate, giving us 2 weeks of Collaborative City before Jane’s Walk. The “city” might or might not be finished, but at least there’d be 2 weeks of something to walk/talk. Maybe we could slice the 3 months up into 4 blocks of about 3 weeks. In the 2nd half we might have another open block and another special themed block… ?

    • 1-20 April – Weeks of Welcome
    • 21 April – 5 May – Collaborative City

    What do you think???

    And by you, I mean Newton, Mr., but also I mean anyone else who wants to chime in with ideas, thoughts, questions, etc!

     

    • rmarie 19:15 on 05/04/2017 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks V, Only concern is getting a jump on organizing the 2 week city project in terms of participants. Also Newton and Marie are limited by RL starting the week of April 10. I worked your comments into the Google Doc, and others can see it too if they want to.

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pk9H7P4myqRV-oAw2XifbhGifSzG7OZIAAwWm-2gBxU/edit

      • Vanessa 05:55 on 06/04/2017 Permalink | Reply

        got it — would it be better to do the Pop-up City (or whatever it’ll be called) after Jane’s Walk then?

        • rmarie 20:17 on 06/04/2017 Permalink | Reply

          How much time and energy do you and Izzy have for the pop-up cities in April and May? As of now, Newton could kick it off the week of May 8 and run a workshop on May 13. But we will be away for 7-10 days between the 20th and the 30th.

          I enabled full edits in that google doc! What the hay!

          • rmarie 20:19 on 06/04/2017 Permalink | Reply

            In addition to my above reply, I think it’s a good idea to wait on the pop up cities until May and June, so that some community building can happen. I think people need to get a sense of how they can contribute to builds, even if they don’t build with prims and mesh (texturing, project managing, other types of collaborating).

            • Vanessa 05:45 on 07/04/2017 Permalink

              so keep the Weeks of Welcome through Jane’s Walk? And then maybe move on to Pop-up City on 8 May?

              That might be good. I do think we need “ramp up” time for CAA-VUP. I’m thrilled with what’s happened so far, but it isn’t the beehive that LEA23 was. Partly I think that ramped up slowly also. And partly I think we’d been doing more projects so the VBF group was more connected and engaged. Peeps like Newton, Mr., have been awesome at continuing the creativity, but at least on my end it’s been a pretty long radio silence. Still, it’s exciting to see both old friends turn up, and to meet new peeps. It’s interesting the number of CAA-VUP participants who are “new” to me, but have actually been on the grid for 8-9-10 years. I’m not sure how much being next to LEA5 helps, but for sure it at least helps a little. LEA2 on the other hand, can, of course, drown in their own damn curtain walls! 😛

    • rmarie 20:02 on 07/04/2017 Permalink | Reply

      Many people who are currently rezzing on LEA1 are very connected and engaged with each other. For the past 2 years, they have been producing together inworld steadily, and at least 6 of them have been working together very closely. The amp up will be good for cultivating awareness of these groups, for everyone’s sake. But this awareness thing goes both ways. People who are rezzing on LEA1, by virtue of doing that, are encouraged – dare one say obligated? – to reach out to others and make themselves and their interests known, and chime in.

      See you Saturday!

  • Izzy 18:43 on 27/03/2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    Welcome (Back) 2MU! 

    New blog post:
    http://mediciprincess.com/welcome-back-to-medici-university/

    two avatars sitting on sofas in a living room

    Art Oluja & Oona Kicker Drake in conversation @MU @LEA23

     

  • Izzy 22:52 on 26/03/2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    MU CAA-VUP Flickr Group

    We have a new Flickr Group for our new College & Spring Semester!
    Post liberally!
    2024: "10 of Swords"

     

  • Vanessa 20:49 on 26/03/2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    Avatar Tarot Challenge

    Want to participate in the cool CAA-VUP Avatar Tarot Deck?
    Here’s everything you ever wanted to know:
    http://mediciuniversity.co.uk/caa/avatar-tarot-challenge/

     

  • Vanessa 18:53 on 26/03/2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    New “Add Media” button here on MU Talk!

    Short & to the point version

    Howdy all! We have a new Add Media button that you’ll notice in the upper-right of the text entry box. With the previous version of MU/T you could do everything right here on the frontend, except add a picture! 😛 Who ever wants to do that??? 🙁

    Enjoy!

    Long, Boring Version (TMI / TLDR;)

    read more if you dare…

     

  • Elizabeth Taylor Swift 07:09 on 25/03/2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    testing 1, 2, 3…

     

    • Vanessa 16:08 on 26/03/2017 Permalink | Reply

      Hi ETS, I’m experiencing this too! 🙁

      Maybe it’s related to some new bug in our Houston theme?
      As in “Houston, we’ve got a problem” 😛
      Or maybe a plugin.
      Or both.
      Looking into it…

      • Vanessa 16:27 on 26/03/2017 Permalink | Reply

        I tried switching MU/Talk from “Houston” to “P2” and I think the issue went away. I’ll do some more testing and maybe install a Houston alternative.

        If anybody else experiences this Login – Logout – Login – Logout issue where it seems to log you out or you can’t post or it says Trouble connecting with the server, LMK!

      • Elizabeth Taylor Swift 16:33 on 26/03/2017 Permalink | Reply

        It seems like P2 is working 4 me 2.

  • Vanessa 07:04 on 25/03/2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    Welcome to MU College of Avatar Architecture!

    new blog post:
    http://mediciuniversity.co.uk/caa/join-us

     

  • Elizabeth Taylor Swift 20:47 on 19/03/2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    Hey Avatettes!

    Exciting news! Medici University, College of Avatar Architecture & Virtual Urban Planning, or as the cool avatars call it, “CAA-VUP” is opening on 1 April 2017 (and no, that’s not a joke!)

    Can’t wait to see everybody and see what y’all create!!

    It’ll be a 3 month residency, 1 April – 30 June, at an LEA SIM near you. And as you already know from the great MU tradition, EVERYONE is encouraged to Participate, Create, Share, Interact, Hang Out, and generally Spaz Out!

    See you soon!! 😀 <3

    ~ETS

     

  • Newton 18:47 on 15/03/2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ,   

    Dystopian Daydreams Exhibit 

    Welcome to Café Sophistry’s first public exhibit, “Dystopian Daydreams.”

    The mind always tells itself stories, even in the darkest situations. VR audiences flock to dystopian worlds. Is occupying apocalyptic aftermaths an act of coping, or cleansing and innocence? Do creators enjoy “exploiting decay” for its dynamic beauty?

    Please join the Café Sophistry creators as we play with the Dystopian Daydream. Through April 2, 2017.

    http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cape%20Coast/168/123/1602

    You may read more about Café Sophistry and the trajectory that lead to this exhibit here:

     

     

     

    • Elle 22:41 on 18/03/2017 Permalink | Reply

      Newton, thanks to you and marie for putting together the exhibit. It looks great!

      • Newton 00:02 on 19/03/2017 Permalink | Reply

        Thank you for your great work Elle.

    • Elizabeth Taylor Swift 20:41 on 19/03/2017 Permalink | Reply

      Great work you guys – congrats!!

      • Newton 20:38 on 20/03/2017 Permalink | Reply

        Hi ETS! Thank you. Do you still have your house in Kennebunkport? Look forward to seeing you.

        • Elizabeth Taylor Swift 03:29 on 23/03/2017 Permalink | Reply

          SOLD IT! 😛

          I’m hanging out in Room 6C at the Truk Stop Hotel in Truk Lagoon, Federated States of Micronesia.

          Might relocate for MU CAA-VUP to shorten the commute… we’ll see how that goes.

          YES!!! Looking forward 2CU!!

  • Newton 21:08 on 05/03/2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ,   

    Dystopian Daydreams 3/12 Prep 

    Greetings, on Sunday March 12th at 9am SLT we are slated to have the second Café Sophistry “Dystopian Dreams” workshop, wherein people discuss ideas and – if ready – show some work they’ve created. Please respond to lex.perdide@gmail.com or to Lex Perdide inworld with:

    • Whether you’ll attend the workshop on Sunday march 19 at 9am
    • Whether you’ll be sharing work
    • What you think you’ll be sharing
    • Whether you want to share it as part of a “field trip” or whether you want to rez it onsite (ie “bring it with you)

    Thanks again, and looking forward to next Sunday!

    References:

    MU: Dystopian Daydreams Suggestion

    CS Blog: Dystopian Daydream 2

     

  • Elle 21:41 on 24/02/2017 Permalink | Reply  

    With the Living 

    Pearl Grey and Klaus Bereznyak have collaborated on an excellent new storytelling exhibit called With the Living.  See it in machinima form:

     

    And stop by With the Living

     

← Older posts

c
compose new post
j
next post/next comment
k
previous post/previous comment
r
reply
e
edit
o
show/hide comments
t
go to top
l
go to login
h
show/hide help
shift + esc
cancel