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  • Ryan 00:18 on 24/03/2015 Permalink | Reply
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    My Sister 

    {closes eyes… drops posture… tries to look humble… opens eyes… taps microphone…}

    tap… tap… is this… one… two…

    Hello everyone. I’d like to apologize for a somewhat abrupt group notice yesterday. And to assure you that I, and everyone here at Medici University hold our many, wonderful, and diverse learners in the highest esteem. My probably too-early announcement of our Guy Fawkes Day / Studio Roulette activity was intended to inspire, enlighten, and ennoble you. I hope that it did that for at least a few of you. But I appreciate now that for many of you change is not a welcome thing. It was not my intention to distress anyone nor to suggest that our freedom loving university was going to dictate experiences to anyone who didn’t want them.

    Please accept my apologies and know that I will redouble my efforts to handle Campus Facilities Management with sensitivity to the needs of all learners. I’d also like to apologize to my sister who had to do some explaining to some of you earlier in the day. I’m sorry about this everyone. I’ll do better.

    photo of a dog tag that reads "Isabella Medici, FLOFL, 31 Aug 1542, 16 Jul 1576, Uxoricide.

    First Lady of Florence

    I think everyone at MU appreciates how much Isabella does for us. And in my own case, I have to confess a certain, lifelong over-exuberance in so many things. I’m always striving to maximize creativity, or just to live moments fully, but I know it’s most often Izzy who has to cover for me or bail me out. We all owe her thanks, and no one owes her more than me.

    I thought I might share a short paragraph about my sister that Donna Cardamone wrote in 2002,

    Wit, beauty and talent made her conspicuous among all the women of the day, and she captivated every heart except her husband’s. Speaking Spanish, French and Latin fluently, a perfect musician, singing beautifully, a poetess and improvvisatrice by nature, Isabella was the soul of all around her, and the fairest star of the Medici.

     

    • Paypabak Writer 02:05 on 24/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      We all adore and admire your sister!

    • Neeva 04:47 on 24/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Stand tall agent-of-chaos Ryan! Big teletubby hug to you and your sis.

      • Ryan 05:49 on 24/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        ooo… Agent-of-Chaos! I like that so much better than Director of Facilities.

        Do you think I should switch titles?

        Oh gosh, but I’m still apologizing for last time! Maybe AoC isn’t such a good idea.

        Oh well, thanks anyway for your support Neeva. It’s appreciated.

        • Neeva 15:52 on 24/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

          Why switch titles when you can have them both? I think traditionally the two titles go together anyway.

          Conceptually, I think the idea of studio roulette is pretty awesome (minus the part where the villagers revolt and chase you with flaming torches. 🙂

    • Oona 07:51 on 24/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Hugs Ryan, I know you meant well. Wish everyone wasn’t being so hard on you. Hang in there.

  • Izzy 17:13 on 23/03/2015 Permalink | Reply
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    Guy Fawkes Day @MU 

    photo of fireworks over parliament with the superimposed caption "Have a Blast! Guy Fawkes Day!"

    Yesterday my step-brother, enfant terrible, and MU Director of Facilities, Ryan Medici let out an early notice about the upcoming Guy Fawkes Day at MU.

    For anyone who may have been upset by the notice, I apologize. Let me remind you that this IS Medici University! No one ever has to do anything here!

    The Details

    Guy Fawkes Day is, of course, the fifth of November. Since there is no 5 November in Spring Semester, we’ve decided to do a “half-Guy Fawkes Day” and rotate it by 6 months to 5 May.

    • 1 May – Friday – Mayday Celebrations at MU
    • 1, 2, 3 May – Jane’s Walk 2015 – we’re so excited that for this 9th annual Jane’s Walk, MU will become the 1st ever Virtual City to participate in the global event!
    • 4 May – The Monday after Jane’s Walk weekend is Jane Jacobs’ actual birthday
    • 5 May – Tuesday is Guy Fawkes Day @MU

    It’s Always about Choice

    If you’ve familiar with the foundational ideas of MU, espoused around our websites, then you know that no one, not Ryan, or The Chaplain, or I, or anyone else is here to force anyone to do anything. If you want to pick a spot and never move, that’s great. If you want to make a lot of work in that spot, that’s great. If you want to rez a gallery and never come back, well, that’s not great, but it isn’t a violation of any rule since we don’t have any rules, other than be nice to each other, try to get along, be tolerant and inclusive, be supportive, look at each others work, blog about it, share links, and so on.

    Wow! That was a lot of rules for no rules! Basically we have no rules. Except for the golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That’s it. It’s really that simple. Oh. And while not “required,” we do encourage working your ass off and doing amazing things!

    At times we might suggest things like Studio Roulette, and before you dismiss it out of hand, I’d urge you to really consider the possibilities, but it will always be your choice. Opt in. Opt out. Your judgement. The only thing that isn’t a choice is that come 1 July, we’ll all be gone and LEA23 will become someone else’s art project and it will look very different.

    Guy Fawkes Day

    Our 5 May Guy Fawkes Day celebration is indeed an optional Studio Roulette. When we get a little closer to that time, you’ll be able to very easily opt-in or opt-out of Studio-Roulette as you like. Even though MU is all about creativity, change, innovation, new ideas, new connections, new pathways, risk, trying different things, and so on, we all have a tendency to get comfortable and set in our ways. Even though we know we’re getting tossed out on 30 June, we still like to set up fortresses and protect them like they’ll never change. That certainly includes me. Ryan. All of us. Guy Fawkes Day / Studio Roulette is an optional invitation to nudge ourselves out of our comfort zones. An optional invitation to interact with different MU Learners. To see the campus from a different vantage point. To be closer to the center, or more out at the frontiers.

    Men are animals of the earth. They come from Papa, the earth mother, and make their homes on the land. They walk the ground, like Pig and Rat. Walking animals do not know the spirit of motion, as you do. Their world stands still for them, and their footsteps fall always against the steadiness of rock and soil. Winds blow and they crawl inside houses. The red floodwaters rise and they climb to dry caves and sleep poorly in the stale, cold air. What do they learn in these houses and caves? Stillness. Calm. They hope things will never change. Men hate change. But that is not the way things are. Light and darkness. The currents. Death. That is the order. When these men speak, their voices are little because nothing pours into them. They do not want other powers. But the man whose chest swells like the tides, who leaps the sea cliff to hear the roar of the fall, and dives straight into the ocean like a spear — this man is not like the rest. His mana is not only of the earth, but of the sky and water. He swims the lagoons and outer reef to watch the fish. He stands tall on the mountaintops. When he speaks, he will be listened to.

    — Maui, The Demigod, Steven Goldsberry

    photo of people in striped shirts and pirate hats walking with torches in the night

     

    • Paypabak Writer 18:15 on 23/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      I have all kinds of fireworks and I love setting them off! Go go Guy Fawkes!!

      • Izzy 18:17 on 23/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        Awesomesauce! You certainly don’t have to wait till May for an MU fireworks show! You can call one anytime! Or maybe team up with an Emma Roof Rave.

        But yes, come may, you can be the official MU Pyrotechnician!

    • Neeva 19:09 on 23/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Come July 1 this sim will be flooded by Neeva’s tears. Then it will dry and we will start planning the Medici University reunion party and inking MU merchandising deals. How about MU the movie? Imagine one just like this university, but filled with movie stars, only everyone is naked….and then…Sharknado!!! I’m switching to the MU creative writing program and starting my script now!

      P.S. I have a lovely, centrally located studio for studio roulette. Well maintained, lightly used. Looking to trade for studio with indoor swimming pool and 60 prim garage + cash in an amount to be negotiated at closing.

    • Fanny 19:28 on 23/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Guido Faukes still seems to be very popular. SL search found 43 Avatars with “Guy Fawkes” in their name.
      I am looking forward to the fireworks!

      Neeva, I guess there will be enough tears from us to flood the whole sim. Maybe we should warn the neighbors? And I agree to naked!

      P.S. None!

  • veyot 10:58 on 23/03/2015 Permalink | Reply  

    Have you seen the vandalism done at MU? I was horrified when I saw these broken windows.
    vandalism at MU
    My husband warned me when I enrolled at MU that I was too old to fit in with the students. The rock music and the flashing lights do bother me, but after all, I just can’t sit around and watch Dr. Oz everyday. Now, about these windows. Do you think it was ravers on their way home from late dances at Katyporryopolis?
    Love, Aunt Veyot

     

    • Izzy 14:54 on 23/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      “Vandalism” is often an entitled perspective. We tacitly allow money and power to colonize another culture. Then when this dominated and marginalized culture tries to reclaim itself, to push out the foreign invaders, to decolonize itself, they are called “vandals” and hauled off to trial.

      Perhaps it is not the “vandal” who graffiti wrote on the “Disney Princesses” billboard who is the social ill, but The Walt Disney Company itself with it’s hegemonic imposition of gender and beauty stereotypes.

      As there is no 5th of November in Spring Semester, I propose that we celebrate Guy Fawkes Night on the 5th of May!

    • Oona 20:06 on 23/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      lol @ watching Dr. Oz. But I think one is never to old to learn.

  • AlexandreLois1 02:08 on 23/03/2015 Permalink | Reply  

    Wushu and magic 

    Wushu and magic

    In uni were interesting activities Wushu and found that many are interested in magic. I propose to draw attention to the magical side of the computer. In the “second Life” a lot of magic. If you see this page, will become clear point.

    http://kid.zyro.com/

     

    • Elle 04:14 on 23/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Hi Alexandre,

      I think I like the idea of the magical side of the computer and definitely like your music. 🙂

    • AlexandreLois1 12:03 on 23/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      hello Elle
      Yes, it’s a very interesting thing. Would be great if your computer will play with my computer chess. So we show their magical nature. Download the program here. http://www.infinitychess.com/Downloads

      • Elle 00:44 on 26/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        Hi Alexandre,

        I looked at the site, do the computers do the actual playing or the people?. I’m pretty sure my “chess brain” died a while ago. 🙂

  • Vanessa 19:01 on 22/03/2015 Permalink | Reply
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    Vitruvian Shapes 

    Tired of being freakishly tall?

    Try a Free Vitruvian Shape from the master of proportion in SL, Penny Patton!!!

    * Vitruvian Shapes / SL Marketplace

    sample images of avatar shapes by Penny Patton

    Vitruvian Shapes, by Penny Patton, free on SL Marketplace

     

  • Serra Qendra 06:57 on 22/03/2015 Permalink | Reply  

    Tai Chi @ MU 

    Poster-2

     

  • Fanny 02:06 on 22/03/2015 Permalink | Reply  

    It's Getting Comfy In My Tent 

    Neeva! You proved that you received the Trophy last week for a good reason. I love the idea that you made a light with it. So creative!

    Thank you very much also for your kind words. It is a great honor and I promise that I will wash my feet before the next photo (I blame Izzy for this as she asked for the photo and I had no more time … and … yes …).

    BAOC Trophy, Fanny and Cthulhu

    So, this will be the place for the Trophy until next Friday!

    Good Night to you all 🙂

     

    • Neeva 05:18 on 22/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      I thought adding a light would be a meaningful addition since you taught us about that in your class. It looks like the trophy is just the thing to light your tent.

    • paypabak writer 12:33 on 22/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Marvelous! Well deserved, too.

  • Neeva 22:16 on 21/03/2015 Permalink | Reply
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    Big Avatar On Campus Week 2: Fanny Vermont 

    Fanny explaining the mysteries of SL photography lighting

    Fanny explaining the mysteries of SL photography lighting

    All right, my seven days of fame are over. It’s time for Neeva to pass the torch…er…prim to the next honored Big Avatar on Campus.

    It’s very hard to pick just one person, but the BAOC trophy for week 2 goes to Fanny Vermont. Here’s why: She taught a fabulous photography class. She posed in the nude for two hours for life drawing class. She posts (and responds to posts) on the MU flickr group. I’ve seen her influence in the work of other photographers on campus (creating custom poses for photograph shoots). And…she is regularly working on campus actively creating a body of work and helping to create a vibrant community. She’s making art and generously sharing what she knows with others.

    There are a lot of big avatars on Campus, but among them Fanny stands tall. Congrats Fanny, you deserve it!

    Now, next Friday it will be Fanny’s turn to pick the Big Avatar On Campus for week 3.  She can add something to the trophy and pass it along to the next BAOC.

    [Here is the Link to Izzy’s original post about the award: http://mediciuniversity.co.uk/talk/big-avatar-on-campus-the-awesome-zsophia/#more-403 ]

     

    • Izzy 22:24 on 21/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Congratulations Fanny! Well deserved! How about a photo of that trophy?? 😀

  • Izzy 15:26 on 19/03/2015 Permalink | Reply  

    Free Icons R Gold! 

    Icon of cursor pointing in a browser

    OMG not even watching NeEeEeEeEvA & OoOoOoOoOoNa try on new clothes is as exciting as a Giant Bag of FREE ICONS!

    Visit:

    http://swifticons.com/

    You’ll see 2 icons in the upper-right: “Give us money” and “get stuff free.” You can probably figure out which one to click. Enjoy!

    icon graphic of 2 gold bars

     

    • Oona 00:53 on 22/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Haha watching me try on clothes is entertaining. We all know this. 😉

  • Izzy 04:16 on 19/03/2015 Permalink | Reply
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    Animated GIFs on a Prim?

    FeelsEmpty Resident came to crit class tonight. They’re making cool animated GIFs!
    http://newhive.com/metypeself/family

    And would like to put them in SL. Feels is totally new to prims and stuff.

    Here’s a 2008 post on how to do it:
    http://www.peregrinesalon.com/anim/

    Here’s a 2010 post:
    https://community.secondlife.com/t5/General-Discussions/Is-there-a-way-to-upload-animated-gifs-as-textures/td-p/182707

    Feels might come by tomorrow, Thursday. If anyone can help them get stuff on a prim that’d be so cool. He can work at Collaborateopolis for now. (I can find him space if he wants to rez a bunch)

     

    • Veyot 12:08 on 19/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Here’s another good page. I sent it to feelsempty.
      http://www.sl-inspiration.com/2014/08/creating-anumated-gifs-for-second-life.html

      • Izzy 14:59 on 19/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        Thanks Veyot! I found that page also, but didn’t like it because it’s media on a prim. Media on a prim is cool, and in fact the MU Schedule Kiosks use it, but many viewers won’t let it autostart, and it can be sluggish to load, so I think it won’t be satisfying at all the way FeelsEmpty’s web page is.

        I guess even with the texture animation there will still be SL texture load times to deal with, so Feels’ installation will probably never load as fast as the web page, but at least you won’t have to click every face and give it permission to run.

    • Tiffany Mosienko 04:31 on 21/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks for posting! This info is very useful!

      • Izzy 05:46 on 21/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        Feels got it to work and it’s really cool… Natsu helped him… sounds like they may have done it a different way… I’m trying to get them to do a little post on how they did it

  • Paypabak Writer 01:37 on 19/03/2015 Permalink | Reply
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    I’m giving tours of the campus!

    https://www.tumblr.com/paywriter/114007650462/medici-07

     

    • Neeva 17:41 on 19/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Loved your blog post. Where do I sign up for a tour? I have been riding around campus on the bikes you can get at the coffe place. That’s a fun fast way to see the changes that happen every day around here.

      The dojo is really a nice quiet spot in campus. I go there to slack and hide from izzy when she starts assigning work :D.

      • Izzy 13:21 on 20/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        slap!

      • rmarie beedit 19:24 on 20/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        The bikes are amazing. You can get out of ANY pinch. Stuck in a mobius strip? Just pedal harder and you’ll fly out of there! Stuck in a prim maze? Ride faster! I haven’t checked to see if you can fly, but you can definitely make Y turns!

        • Paypabak Writer 02:12 on 21/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

          Handier than motorcycles, which is how I started out and there weren’t as many obstacles.

  • Vanessa 23:24 on 18/03/2015 Permalink | Reply
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    ## Jane’s Walk Adelaide https vimeo com 76495132 

    Jane’s Walk – Adelaide

     

  • Vanessa 21:21 on 18/03/2015 Permalink | Reply  

    BomBaebs’ #RapAgainstRape

     

  • Izzy 17:00 on 18/03/2015 Permalink | Reply
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    Graphic Design 13 – Gimp 4 Dummies

    Photoshop is kind of the Graphic Design standard and many MU Learners use it every day.

    If you get paid to do RL design work, Photoshop isn’t expensive at all. But if you don’t, it’s a damn expensive piece of software!

    Gimp is the free & open alternative. We should have a Gimp class. IDK if anyone we know actually knows Gimp. If You do, we’d love to have you facilitate a Gimp Party!

    But if not, let’s just learn it together! We can start the class and fumble around and use MU/Talk or Slack to post screenshots and tips on what we figure out.

    Does anyone know Gimp?

    What Day / Time would anyone like the Gimp Party to be scheduled for?

     

    • Neeva 18:04 on 18/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      I think you mean we should have a gimp “party.” Right? See post below.

      What would People love to learn about gimp? I used it some before I got my nifty student-priced version of Photoshop.

    • Myra 18:27 on 18/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      I use Gimp a lot, but I certainly don’t know* it. The most common use of it in SL is texturing, so I’d like to learn how to use it better for UV mapping and AO mapping of textures.

      There’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to do this with PS, here:
      https://sldesigner.wordpress.com/2015/02/01/putting-the-fabric-on-full-perm-mesh-templates/

      It would be nice to have a class on how to do the same thing in Gimp. There are some freebie full perm things on the market we could use for demo purposes.

    • Elle 17:37 on 21/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      I have to second what Myra said, “I use GIMP a lot, but I certainly don’t know it” It’s a powerful program, but also complex with a non-intuitive user interface. I think the same could probably be said for Photoshop, which I have hardly ever used.

      • Izzy 22:00 on 21/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        I don’t actually know how many people want to learn Gimp. I do know that for people without the resources to buy it, Photoshop can be very expensive. Gimp is free and open for everyone. So it’s really a desirable platform.

        I do know that Oona is someone who really wants to be doing graphics but can’t afford Photoshop and doesn’t know Gimp. She’s been hosting at KATYPERRYOPOLIS! and would love to make fliers for events there but doesn’t have Photoshop and is lost with Gimp.

        Part of the reason I expelled all the students, fired all the faculty, and then invited everyone back as learners is that if we are to make progress on our many journeys here at MU, then we must take charge. Nobody needs to be the or an expert to help someone else. So far I’ve done what I can to facilitate Kinesiology 88, Studio Art 1, Studio Art 12, and University 101, and believe me, I’m not even remotely an expert on any of those topics.

        If Myra knows a little, Elle knows a little, and Oona has some desire, that sounds like more than most of our classes start with! I’d encourage the 3 of you to pick a time, invite the campus, and see what can be collaboratively learned. If that causes an expert to crawl out of the woodwork, awesome! But if not, I bet Oona’s desire plus whatever Myra and Elle might know might be enough to let Oona make KATYPERRYOPOLIS! fliers. Since she’s wanted to do things like that for a long time, that’d be a great result for MU’s semester @LEA23!

        • Elle 06:28 on 22/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

          That sounds ok to me. If Oona wants to get us some specifics on what she’d like to be able to do/create before hand it would be helpful. I can role play a GIMP co-teacher. 😉

          • Izzy 07:03 on 22/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

            Awesomesauce!!! 😀

          • Oona 22:03 on 24/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

            How about how to make a flyer? Is that a thing you can do in Gimp? I have been trying to figure out how to put stuff on a tee-shirt without much success if that is something anyone has knowledge of.

    • Myra 00:01 on 25/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Gimp wouldn’t work well for flyers, because it’s not a publishing tool. It doesn’t do layouts and such. In fact, it’s horrible for handling text.

      T-shirts, yes, that it does.

      Oona. I mostly make furniture, but the principles of applying textures are mostly identical. Clothing requires a little more tweaking. I don’t think I want to teach a course, but I’m happy to explain it and load you up with links. : )

      It’s not too hard once you get the hang of it. Once you do, you’ll realize you could spend hours fussing with a texture to get it just the way you want it. Are you sure you really want that? Prepare yourself for the time sink known as SL building! j/k : )

    • Neeva 15:43 on 25/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      How about a gimp learning party where we can ask questions of each other as we all try to make a poster or other work of art. I know people who use gimp for book covers. You can definitely make a flyer with it. Let’s pick a time and get Oona going and learn stuff.

    • Myra 18:05 on 25/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Here’s one on how to make a flyer in Gimp:

    • Myra 18:15 on 25/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Yes, I know that invalidates my comment about Gimp not doing flyers, but it further validates my first point – I don’t know Gimp.

    • Elle 00:14 on 26/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Well after many incantations, slacks(?), help from Izzy and rmarie (ty!). My GIMP 101 class is on the calendar.

      GIMP 101 – Learn basic skills in GIMP open-source software. This class will provide an overview, discussion, optional sharing and support. The course will have a strong guided self-study component. Guidance for further learning on your own and a simple weekly hands-on assignment will be provided at each class.

      Class will meet Saturdays 10 – 11 am SLT @ Tullia 14 for 4 weeks.
      Class starts Saturday March 28th @ 10 am SLT.

      Oona, Myra and Neeva are most welcome continue their discussion then. 🙂
      Good tutorial links are also welcome.

  • Izzy 16:54 on 18/03/2015 Permalink | Reply
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    Schedule of Parties

    Oona, Art, and MediciUniversity Resident were having a conversation today, and they came up with an interesting question, why are they called “Classes”?

    MU doesn’t have “Students” or “Faculty” anymore, but we still have “Classes”?

    Effective today, MU will no longer have any “Classes” or gawd forbid “Courses.” We will still have learning experiences, but they will be called “Parties”.

    TIRED: “Schedule of Classes”
    WIRED: “Schedule of Parties”

     

    • Oona 00:59 on 22/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      But but but, i like classes!

      • Izzy 01:26 on 22/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        it can be your secret Oona. Whenever anybody says “Party” you can just think “Class” in your mind.

        Somebody sez,

        Party @ KATYPERRYOPOLIS!

        Oona hears,

        Class @ KATYPERRYOPOLIS!

        • Oona 21:57 on 24/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

          haha i like this idea. 🙂 🙂

  • Vanessa 04:38 on 17/03/2015 Permalink | Reply
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    Certificate in Virtual Public Art 

    Medici University is now offering a Certificate Track in Virtual Public Art!

    http://virtualpublicart.com/certificate

     

    • Newton 07:48 on 18/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      What a wonderful opportunity for focus and accomplishment at MU! Thank you!

      • Vanessa 11:00 on 18/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        Thanks Newton! When I realized that Dance Anywhere, Jane’s Walk, and Manifesto for Virtual Maintenance Art were all having a “planetary alignment” during the coming 3 months of MU, it was too irresistible an opportunity not to put together a programme.

        Needless to say, I was also significantly influenced by your own Cafe Sophistry project!

        • rmarie 16:10 on 18/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

          It was crossing my mind whilst reading your curriculum that doing a CS section could maybe qualify as one of your “tracks.”

          • rmarie 16:11 on 18/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

            (posted on behalf of my dear brother)

          • Vanessa 20:29 on 18/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

            Interesting… tell me more…

            • Newton 03:27 on 19/03/2015 Permalink

              Well, since the CVPA is all about working toward a compendium of virtual experiences created, perhaps outcomes of the work people do in a CS section could also be applied toward the certificate. So far I know two people will be sharing work at the final Gender and Virtuality gathering on March 29 so they will have “completed” that. It would be neat to give a sense that they are one step closer to a larger MU-related goal. See what you think, or if that even makes sense!

  • Tiffany Mosienko 03:25 on 17/03/2015 Permalink | Reply  

    Highly Recommended – Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education, March 18-21 

    I have attended Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education (VWBPE) in the past as an attendee, as a volunteer, and I have encouraged my students to attend. It has been a rewarding experience in years past – highly recommended for anyone engaged in teaching and learning in virtual worlds. This conference attracts speakers from all over the world, all of whom are working in distance education and virtual communities. If you’ve never attended a conference in Second Life before this one is exceptional. If you’ve never attended a conference at all, this is a great introduction to the variety of talks you can experience at a professional conference. Many lectures and discussions are done in voice with additional text chat and visual presentations. No matter what the topic, I always learn something new or gain a perspective. I’ve also made friends and personal contacts here. Check out the VWBPE website at http://vwbpe.org/ for event details and calendar. A worthy writeup is here: https://avataric.wordpress.com/2015/03/16/vwbpe-conference-this-week/ The conference takes place Wednesday through Sunday with lectures, a machinima showcase and otherworldly experiences. Some of the events take place in second life, others elsewhere. Some of the events are streamed onto the web live and also archived for offline viewing. Tip: like a real conference, you cannot attend all the events since they occur simultaneously – do not attempt – pick a few things and check it out what you can.

     

    • Izzy 03:53 on 17/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Fantastic Tiffany! And yes, something this huge is very cool, but also intimidating in the scope and vastness. You’re probably right just to focus on a few interesting things.

      I’d definitely encourage MU peeps to go, and perhaps to try to go together. If there’s something interesting at 7pm, I might take our Wed SLT Evening Crit Class over there.

    • Elle 04:55 on 17/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks for posting this Tiffany. I’ve attended in the past and encourage people to go. I concur with just pick out the few events that interest you the most.

  • Vanessa 15:15 on 16/03/2015 Permalink | Reply  

    From Primary to Mediated Experience – and Back

    Talk by Domenico Quaranta

    http://domenicoquaranta.com/archives/2919

     

    • rmarie beedit 16:15 on 16/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      “The more we experience mediation, the more we realize the importance of primary experiences. If you don’t believe me, try virtual sex.”

      The above line – despite the snicker factor – illustrates the difference between primary and mediated in context really nicely. There’s often a need to juxtapose the virtual against RL, or to place it in context with RL – to have RL frame the meaning of the virtual.

      What are some examples of virtual art that is 100% primary even though it’s virtual? Is that possible?

    • rmarie 15:38 on 17/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      I don’t think you have to talk about or have done cybersex to answer that question either ! I just thought it was an interesting analogy.

  • Izzy 03:12 on 15/03/2015 Permalink | Reply  

    Utopia in Four Movements

    I noticed that Tiffany and I were both using the word Utopia, and I couldn’t help but think of the remarkable film/performance Utopia in Four Movements by Sam Green and Dave Cerf. It’s a feature-length work. Here’s the first few minutes:

     

    • Tiffany Mosienko 16:28 on 15/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      This was really great. Thanks for posting, Izzy.

    • Elle 23:47 on 15/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Utopia, it’s such a great word! Thanks for sharing that, Izzy.

  • Tiffany Mosienko 15:32 on 14/03/2015 Permalink | Reply  

    Nigger and Bitch

    I don’t like the words nigger and bitch. Music that uses these lyrics is a turn-off for me. Despite their use in contemporary popular culture, its impossible for me to disassociate the negative connotations. Lately at Medici University, a lot of these lyrics are being played in heavy rotation at Katyperryopolis and elsewhere around campus. (More …)

     

    • rmarie 16:10 on 14/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      There was some interesting commentary by an African American professor about the frat guys who were taped doing racist chants, and her perspective on how those guys and the community might have learned from it, by discussing it together. I’m zooming this weekend, but in light of your comments I thought it could be interesting to share. All the best Tiffany! Thank you always for your forthrightness. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/mariadixonhall/2015/03/a-teachable-moment-how-ou-failed-transformation-101/

      • Tiffany Mosienko 17:30 on 15/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        That is a really interesting set of viewpoints in light of the expulsion of those students at Oklahoma. Thanks for sharing.

    • Izzy 16:14 on 14/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks Tiffany. I’m a poor choice of “rebuttal speaker” to your post, since I agree with you. I always have, and still do, find the misogyny, homophobia, and general misanthropy found in many, but certainly not all, hip hop lyrics disturbing, degrading, offensive, and not promoting the kind of world I want to live in. As for the specific KPO! shows you reference, I have chosen not to attend them. My presumption, perhaps partly correct and partly incorrect, is that those who do choose to attend are ok with those lyrics.

      Even though I personally find the material offensive and troubling, simply dismissing it as “hate speech” or anything of that ilk, is, I fear, also narrow-minded.

      Again, I’m a very poor person to make this argument since it’s not my own perspective and I don’t really understand it. But after so many years of hip hop, I think we have to recognize the voice, representation, and empowerment this music, “troubling lyrics” included, holds for so many. It may be oppressive to some, but it is empowering to others. I’m sorry my own ignorance of hip hop culture doesn’t allow me to make a better articulated argument here. Still, I do think this music is important.. Perhaps not to me. Perhaps not to you. Perhaps not to Medici University. But to the larger culture? Yes, it very much seems to be. We can’t “ban” or “moderate” this expression without disenfranchising peeps who, in many cases, have been among the most disenfranchised in our culture.

      It has become clear to me that the reason Utopia can never exist is that there is no such thing as a “general” or “universal” Utopia, there are only specific Utopias. My Utopia is very likely going to be your Dystopia and visa versa. And so we are left in our Utopialess universe, perhaps a bit like sinners cast out of heaven, destined to live out our days in the dystopia of the real. RL or VR, I think the best we can do is to have as much tolerance and inclusivity as we can.

    • AlexandreLois1 18:51 on 14/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      What’s so bad about the word Negro ??? I don’t understand. In Russia, everything is called black , “Negro”.

      • Tiffany Mosienko 17:04 on 15/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        Negro has an anthropological meaning, and refers typically to people of African decent. Its literal meaning, translated from French or Latin is black, as you’ve pointed out. In American English, nigger is most commonly and historically a racist insult. In polite American English conversation, it is referred to as “the n-word”: for example, when talking about the word’s historical meaning in literature and/or in racism. It is almost never used in casual conversation. More recently the use of the word nigger in rap and hip hop music among African-Americans re-politicizes the word, with the effect of creating race-based class empowerment while serving as a reminder of historic racial and class inequality. In this meaning it is typically meant to offend as it empowers, as most insults do.

    • Neeva 21:06 on 14/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Sorry if this posts double, I guest my first one didn’t go through.

      This bitch don’t mind the word if it’s not used maliciously. I claim my bitch energy: to not always be nice, to be independent minded, to be a powerful, sometimes dominant force with goals of my own. To bark and bite, to own my sexuality and desire.

      Language changes over time. Words of disrespect can be reclaimed and turned into words of pride. I suspect there is an undercurrent of that happening with some uses of bitch and even nigga in music. Britney Spears, ” you gotta work, bitch” for example. Sure, not all uses are respectful, the haters still gonna hate, but there is more nuisance with these terms then some might think.

      Finally, I just want to shout out to our awesome and hard-working DJs. They are volunteers and doing a great job for us. I think it is unrealistic for them to screen for every occurance of any possibly offensive term in commercial music they play. They are working hard enough already getting out requests and doing the great work that they do. So no shame and no blame for our DJs. Just love and praise for for my best bitch Myra and my honorary boy bitch NSANE

      That said, I’m totally on board with Tiffany’s underlying idea that the world could use more civility and respect of others in language and deed.

      • Izzy 23:05 on 14/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        An interesting point that Neeva almost makes is that for a community that likes to listen to music and dance, we sure do have very few DJ’s holding up… haha… well… holding up Katy’s giant head! 😛

        Seriously though, if more peeps with diverse cultural backgrounds and musical tastes would like to DJ, that enriches our experience, expands our diversity, and it gives us more opportunity to dance!

      • Neeva 01:10 on 15/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        Autocorrect worked its random magic on my post substituting the word nuisance when I meant to write “nuance”. I guess there is lots of nuisance in the bitch and other words, since they are frequently used in not nice ways. Of course there is certainly a lot of nuisance in auto-correct software too.

      • Tiffany Mosienko 16:34 on 16/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        Thank you for your thoughtful comments, Neeva. I agree that actions are more important than words. The contexts are also important as you have pointed out. I certainly do not want to alienate or chastise the DJs. Community-making is a broad subject and not done easily with more than a handful of perspectives.

    • Tiffany Mosienko 23:09 on 15/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Learning never ends. I ran into these two articles today, quite independently from one other, though I understand this is part of a national discussion going on right now in America (errr, the latest in a series of discussions . . .)

      http://www.alternet.org/culture/why-white-people-freak-out-when-theyre-called-out-about-race

      http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/15/the-privilege-of-checking-white-privilege.html

  • Izzy 10:20 on 14/03/2015 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    MU Schedule is Everywhere! 

    Medici University class, event, and activity schedule on a campus kiosk

    Calendar

    Thanks to the many realms wisdom of our own Chaplain Beedit, MU has a state-of-the-art scheduling system! You can see it on the Schedule Page of course, but it’s also found in lots of handy other spots, like here on MU/Talk, on MU/Creativity, and on the post sidebars at MU/Home. The schedule is also on 4 interactive kiosks on the Medici University campus.
    (More …)

     

    • rmarie 15:49 on 14/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Thank you so much for your organization, attention to detail, and monumental amount of care and thought regarding MU Izzy. I’m so glad we’re all here! Just to add something, the one thing I cannot do is add things to the Timely Calendar in the sidebar. WordPress users need special permission in order to do that. Until we have figured that out, I will continue to watch the schedule page and move things to this level, and help to promote things any way I can. Loves.

      • Izzy 16:45 on 14/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        Actually, you do have the ability to add Calendar Items. What might be confusing you, or potentially others, is that our one big, messy website is technically 4 separate installations. This “technical” point doesn’t much matter, except that it is 4 different places to be logged in, if you want to post on all of them.

        While the calendar items appear in all the places I described above, you can only post them from one place: “MU/Home”, aka
        http://MediciUniversity.co.uk

        There is no way to post from here at MU/Talk, or the other sections.

        When you are logged-in at MU/Home, it’s easy to post a calendar event, you simply go NEW > EVENT, fill out the info, and click publish. The info will populate everywhere. Be sure to include a featured image.

        The following “roles” all are able to create new calendar items, Administrator, Editor, Author, and Event Contributor.

        From that same MU/Home menu shown above, you (as an “administrator”) can select NEW > USER and then set their role as Event Contributor if they’re only going to post events, or set their role as Author if they’d also like to write syllabi.

        • rmarie 17:08 on 14/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

          Ahh, it was the MU Home thing AND not using your correct email address. See, I’m a much better Chaplain than Administrator! Thank you again.

    • Neeva 20:40 on 14/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      I used one of the kiosks at the arrival point to check a class time. It worked great. I’m going to check every time I arrive to just remind myself where and when things are going on.

      • Izzy 22:28 on 14/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        Awesomesauce!

        Our other idea was to tattoo the schedule onto avatar bodies! 😀

    • Neeva 06:55 on 16/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Wow the kiosk schedules are turning out to be anazingly useful. Thank you!

      • Izzy 08:13 on 16/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        awesome + sauce (spicy marinara!) = awesomesauce!

  • Izzy 15:40 on 12/03/2015 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , ,   

    Big Avatar On Campus

    The awesome Zsophia is working on getting our MU Honor Roll up to date — Go Zsophia!

    Honor Roll

    Which inspired me to add a new Big Avatar On Campus (BAOC) award. Emma’s working on the trophy now. It will be a perpetual trophy where the recipient adds their name or other elements before passing it on.

    (More …)

     

    • Myra 18:40 on 12/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Gratz, Neeva! You so deserve this. To show how you’ve inspired me, here’s a mini tower of love:
      ♥
      ♥
      ♥
      ♥
      ♥

      Is there a tower of BAoC trophies sometime in the near future?

      Gratz, again.

      Myra

    • Elle 21:08 on 12/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Yay Neeva! Congratulations!

    • Neeva 23:13 on 12/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Awwwww. /Blush. Thanks! But better than getting the award will be next week’s chance to give it. I know some very worthy BAOCs already, but if you know someone who is really having a breakout week let me know.

      We have this great sim, blogs, studios until June. The Universe has given us this really unexpected gift. What happens now is in our hands. As an artist, writer, photographer, of any level of skill, this is a amazing opportunity to try more, risk more, create more, learn more, and teach more than you ever have before. It’s a chance to make a supportive community. To build a mini-Renaissance from the ground up. So catch fire. Have fun. Show up and do stuff. And let me know what you are doing so i can cheer you on.

      Neeva

  • Izzy 06:38 on 12/03/2015 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    Photo Lighting Workshop w Fanny on Saturday!

    Photo 66 – Virtual Lighting

    Beside your interest there are some requirements:

    • your graphics card should be able to run Advanced Lighting Mode;
    • you should be using Firestorm for viewer;
    • you should know how to take a snapshot;
    • you should know how to create a prim;

    Still there?

    Ok 🙂

    The very most of us take photos and, no matter if real or virtual, photography is always about light. So this is what this class is going to be about as well: The different light sources existing in Second Life, how and when to use, and, maybe most interesting at all, how to build them ourselves.

    Date and time: Saturday, 14th March, 10:00 – 12:00 am SLT
    Place: My studio at MU, Nostradamus 20

     

    • Neeva 18:03 on 12/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      I was soooooo hoping there would be some photography classes! Yay!

  • Pearl Grey 06:23 on 12/03/2015 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ,   

    The First Four Photo/Story Collaborations 

    Neeva Torok, Veyot, Paypabak Writer and Elle Thorkveld have each written something to go with some photographs I took. I’ve organized each entry into it’s own page on my MU blog. Here’s the link to the first one; the other three are in the next posts when you scroll forward.

    Everyone is welcome to participate. It can be in any medium. The original instructions are in a post I linked to here a few days ago titled Invitation to Collaborate.

     

    • Neeva 18:01 on 12/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      That worked really well Pearl! I loved seeing the different things everyone saw in your pictures. Elle’s story is very hiku-like, Veyot and paypabak each add their own rich imaginations. The way you gave each version it’s own post really frames each collaboration better now.

  • rmarie 20:49 on 11/03/2015 Permalink | Reply  

    Classes 

    Greetings, some new classes have been posted to the class schedule page! Don’t miss ’em.

    Organizer: Neeva
    Event: USA Today bestselling fantasy author Anthea Sharp has agreed to come to MU and talk/answer questions about her work and about the new era of digital publishing. She has been traditionally published, but hit the best seller list independently by selling her novels directly through Amazon, Apple, and other outlets. She can come Sunday March 29. 10:00 SL time (unless another time works better for us). She’s a great resource for aspiring writers. Her Feyland books combine the fairy realm with virtual reality. Antheasharp.com is her website. She also writes historical romances about artists and musicians and has had numerous short stories published.

    Time: Sunday March 29. 10:00 SLT (unless another time works better for us)

    Organizer: Zsophia
    Event: This is a basic Second Life Safety class with information and tools you can use!

    Times:
    This is a single class that I will be repeating

    Tuesday MArch 17 at 7pm
    Tuesday April 14 at 7pm
    Tuesday MAy 12 at 7pm
    Tuesday June 9 at 7pm

     

    • Neeva 22:00 on 11/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      March 29 at 10am SL time for getting together with Anthea Sharp

      • rmarie 21:35 on 12/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        Noted, Neeva. We’re trying to work it out so people can add their classes directly to the left-side calendar. It requires some special setup in the blog.

  • AlexandreLois1 17:42 on 11/03/2015 Permalink | Reply  

    shadow Bach 

    shadow Bach
    we Bach entangled in this 3 D world. His shadow following me. We are in a harsh crystal from which there is no escape. It’s time to enter and you there.

     

     

    • Elle 21:07 on 11/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Nice Alexandre! I like the music and the visuals. They work well together.

    • Veyot 22:49 on 11/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      I bought a cool song from AlexandreLois1 to use in a machinima. I wrote about the filming on veyot.tumblr.com

  • Paypabak Writer 12:46 on 11/03/2015 Permalink | Reply  

    Another post, instead of a lecture, something to talk about: what is your consuming passion in blogging/writing?

    https://www.tumblr.com/paywriter/113337237647/lecture03mu

    Discuss here or there.

     

    • Neeva 16:09 on 11/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks for the link to your blog post. What you said about your blog not being read by many of the people you know resonates for me. I have found that when I’m making art or writing or producing other creative work, I don’t need a huge audience. Just a few is ok. Most of the joy is in the act of creation itself + the magic ingredient of a friend or two who sees the work. With my studio at MU I know my neighbors will see

    • Pearl Grey 19:21 on 11/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      My writing passion changes like a river flowing at times. With blogging, whatever I’ve done has to be good enough as it is. I’ve gone back and deleted or hidden posts but I never edit them. Even when I write stories, they tend to be very narrative without much of a direction at all. With chronic pain, fatigue and varying degrees of brain fog, my writing is affected, of course. And that’s where habit and momentum come into play. When I can manage to do something I usually enjoy, why wait and wait until I feel at the top of my game to do it again? I don’t want to regret missing my life. I honestly feel benefits from just writing about whatever sparks my interest at the time, (or maybe what I need to get out). And who really can deal with interacting with a huge amount of readers in a blogging environment? It’s wonderful to come across writing by someone who has a clear and authentic sounding voice. And when I discover their writing, I’m pleased they have stuff to read from their past, that they didn’t give up along the way.

  • rmarie 22:55 on 09/03/2015 Permalink | Reply  

    A Nice Mental Jog 

    “You see what you want to see. You might think it’s speaking to you, but it’s just your imagination.”

    codexseraphinianus9

     

    • Izzy 23:50 on 09/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Yeah… I know a certain smarty pants skull around campus you could say the same of!! O_o

  • AlexandreLois1 02:20 on 09/03/2015 Permalink | Reply  

    Mathematical art 

    Mathematical art
    We will move together! We shall understand that the mean formula for music and painting. Contact me inworld and we begin an exciting journey to Alice. White Rabbit is waiting for us!

     

     

  • Pearl Grey 01:14 on 09/03/2015 Permalink | Reply
    Tags:   

    Invitation to Learners 

    Here’s something you can participate in at your own pace and in your own time. I took four photographs that can be illustrative of a story alone, in combination, or all together. You can write a short story, make a photograph or short machinima.

    This is an experiment for me as I’ve never done anything like this. It’s outside of my comfort zone. But I’m willing to see how others might respond. If you want to participate and don’t have a WP blog,  no worries. There are details about note cards, etc. in the post.

     

     

    • Neeva 12:44 on 09/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Awesome Pearl! I’m looking forward to this.

    • Neeva 13:27 on 09/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      Here is my story from your pictures, Pearl. Feel free to post it where you like.

      “Let me show you my movie” he said, fiddling with the projector. “It’s about a dog.”

      But she could see only a swirl of light against the screen.

      “Is this all?”

      He shrugged apologetically. “I had no script”

      “That can be remedied,” she said. (She was a practical woman). “I’ll just sit right here and type you one. You said it was about a dog?”

      “Yes, it’s about a dog”

      She clacked for awhile on the keys of the ancient typewriter. The script began to take shape. It was the story of a man, a woman, and a peculiar, overstuffed chair. It was the story of stairs that defied gravity and lead to the unknown. It was the story of a chandelier of cut crystal that forever danced its light across a dusty floor.

      “Thank you,” he said at last when she had finished and they were standing together at a respectful and chaste distance. “Thank you, But it was supposed to be about a dog.”

      • Pearl Grey 14:28 on 09/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        Copy/pasted in the comments! This is a lovely story! And thank you for going first.

      • Myra 21:20 on 09/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

        That’s so cute. Clever.

    • Pearl Grey 00:08 on 11/03/2015 Permalink | Reply

      We have three great short stories so far!

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