as I live a few more questions

Passing of an Era

I know, it's been a long time since I last posted to this blog.  I'm spending most of my online time split between connecting with friends on  Facebook and  exploring the explosively creative 3D space of Second Life, and in addition, I've not felt the pressing need to *blog* anything.  End of an era?  We'll see.  I'll keep this account for now.

Another end of an era:

"IST is examining the possibility of ending modem dial-up access to the University of Manitoba in 2009 on January 1. If this will cause a major problem for you or your users, please contact XY describing the nature of this problem."

Wow.  Changes are happening so fast that sometimes it makes my head spin.  I know that fewer and fewer people are using dial-up modems, but I didn't realize the decline was quite that precipitous. 

I can remember back to 1982/83, when I connected to the University to work on programming assignments using a TRS-80 Model III and a 300-baud acoustic coupler modem.  The lines of the text editor I was using, good old in-house MANTES, were 80 characters long, but the TRS-80 could only display 64 characters, so the lines would all break at character 65.  At the I'm sure I was among the first set of users to conect to the University via modem.  That was.... that was.... 25 years ago.

Holy shit!  A quarter century ago... argh.  How time flies indeed.

WindLight: A Whole New Level of Second Life Realism.

There's a beta Second Life client now available, which includes WindLight, which gives a whole new level of realism to the skies and seas of the virtual reality landscape.  Here's an example screen capture from the Titanic re-creation sim, taken by user Ewan Took (see image right)

Unfortunately, my humble PC is not up to the challenge of making WindLight work properly, so now I have a new incentive to upgrade to a newer, faster, more graphics-oriented computer.  *sigh*  Damn you Second Life, damn you I say!  *shakes fist*

OK! Five more and then I'll start writing...I promise!!

Five more illustrations for future chapters of Second Chances, and *then* I'll start writing Chapter 14! I can stop ANYTIME I want! ;-) Click on the pictures for a link to their flickr pages, where you can get larger/smaller sizes. there are larger versions of the last three pictures.

This is how I picture Lureen and LaShawn. Of course, with all the stress she's under, Lureen is chain-smoking to beat the band :-)

"Lureen took another drag of her cigarette, and frowned. She thought: This man desperately needs to have his ass kicked."

"How did Ziggy really see her? What did she mean to him?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ziggy sitting on a couch near the dancefloor. She had to suppress an urge to giggle at the sight of him, a fully-grown man in a tuxedo, in full-pout mode as she danced with the handsome stranger. So he does care, she thought."

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me, Lureen!?"

Second Chances: Illustrations for a Future Chapter.

I know that some of you are waiting for more chapters of Second Chances, my contribution to  Madlori's Human Interest/Two Crows Joy alternative universe.  I've been letting things percolate while I focus on Second Life, and here's something to tide you over: a couple of illustrations for a future chapter of Second Chances, when Karen, Jean-Guy and Jacqui visit Brokeback Ranch.  Click on the picture for the link to its flickr page and to see the images
full-size.

More info on Second Chances here.

Céline Dion wants to become an actress--and play Maria Callas!

Oh. My. GOD....

According to this Australian interview, Céline Dion has had a long-held desire to make her acting debut starring in the screen adaptation of the life story of her idol - famed opera singer Maria Callas, who died in 1977.

Can you imagine just how dreadful this would be...?

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Brokeback Mountain on Second Life

Here are some results of my playing around with Brokeback Mountain characters (both "canon" and alternative-universe) within the wildly creative world of Second Life.  I have discovered that this is the perfect way to illustrate the work of so many slash fiction writers!  All illustrations are covered under Creative Commons; click for larger sizes.

Jack and Ennis at Brokeback Ranch (in the slash fiction alternative-universe Brokeback Mountain, written by the ever-talented MadLori): 1. Human Interest (story complete): http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2759902/1/Human_Interest 2. Two Crows Joy (sequel to Human Interest, story continuing) http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2841251/1/Two_Crows_Joy

Jack and Ennis Ride by a Rusty Old Locomotive (this is more Wyoming than Vermont...maybe Kansas? ;-)

Jack Twist's blue truck, from the "canon"/film version, it's from around the time he drives up to see Ennis when he gets the news that Ennis is getting a divorce.

Jack Twist: "I doubt there's a filly that can throw me."

Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar in Ma Twist's parlour in Lightning Flat.

Ennis looks fondly at his Jack

The Kiss: Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar