Going to the Dogs

Some of you may remember my canine friend Albert, who belongs to Zindra Times co publisher Eddi Haskell:

Well, it seems Albert is a very civic minded dog, deeply interested in politics and the world today. Albert is a conservative, family values dog, not uncommon I guess for a German Shepherd, and he has decided to help Sarah Palin reach the White House in 2012. He has his own blog, dedicated to that quest:

http://avatardog.blogspot.com/

Knowing a bit about Eddi's political leanings, I'm sure this makes for some very interesting conversation at the dinner table in the Haskell household. Give it a read, it really is a hoot.

Speaking of blog's,my SL neighbor and good friend Seven Okelli is back with hers. Many of you know her, she is a delightful and quirky girl, with a happy-go-lucky charm combined with great insight.Her thoughtful posts are always full of humor, especially when she recounts her adventures with her Mom and sister "Six", which are always hilarious and sitcom worthy. Take a gamble and have a look. This is one time when coming up Seven will make you a winner.

http://seven.mothmade.com/

One more blog article of note today. In Atomic Valley, Dancien Graves tells the story of an SL shop owner who has run afoul of LL's anti bot traffic gaming policy.....by using live avatars as models/customer service reps.

http://atomicvalley.com/?p=909

Today's Question:
Which is more important to you and why: flexibility or expandability?

Until They All Come Home

November 11th is Veteran's Day in the US, Remembrance Day in The Commonwealth Nations, and Armistice Day in France and Belgium. It's origins all trace back to the original Armistice Day, November 11th, 1918, which was when World War I ended. Major hostilities ceased at 2300, the 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month. World War I was called "The War to End All Wars"...however that wasn't to be.

Young men, soldiers, Nineteen Fourteen
Marching through countries they'd never seen
Virgins with rifles, a game of charades
All for a Children's Crusade
Pawns in the game are not victims of chance
Strewn on the fields of Belgium and France
Poppies for young men, death's bitter trade
All of those young lives betrayed

The children of England would never be slaves
They're trapped on the wire and dying in waves
The flower of England face down in the mud
And stained in the blood of a whole generation

Corpulent generals safe behind lines
History's lessons drowned in red wine
Poppies for young men, death's bitter trade
All of those young lives betrayed
All for a Children's Crusade*

*Children's Crusade by Sting.

The Poppy is the symbol of Remembrance Day. It signifies the poppies that grew in the fields of Flanders in Belgium, where so many died, often for mere yards of territory.The imagery of the Poppy comes from the poem "In Flanders Fields", which was written in 1915 by Canadian Lt Colonel John McCrae, a physician in World War I.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Colonel McCrae himself was a casualty of war, but not from enemy fire. He died from pneumonia in January of 1918.



In the US, the Poppy is more associated with Memorial Day in May,where the American Legion make paper mache poppies and exchanges them for donations.Armistice Day was celebrated in the US until 1954, when President Eisenhower, a proponent of a day to honor all Veterans signed a bill that changed Armistice Day into Veterans Day.

Duty, Honor, Country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.

General Douglas MacArthur



"Soldiers never die until they are forgotten.
Tomb Guards never forget"



The Sentinel's Creed

My dedication to this sacred duty
Is total and wholehearted-
In the responsibility bestowed on me
Never will I falter-
And with dignity and perseverance
My standard will remain perfection.
Through the years of diligence and praise
And the discomfort of the elements
I will walk my tour in humble reverence
The best of my ability.
It is he who commands the respect I protect
His bravery that made us so proud.
Surrounded by well meaning crowds by day,
Alone in the thoughtful peace of night,
This soldier in honored Glory rest
Under my eternal vigilance.


"Go tell the Spartans, thou that passest by,
That faithful to their precepts here we lie."



The Kohima 2nd Division Memorial remembers the Allied dead who repulsed the Japanese 15th Army, a force of 100,000 men, who had invaded India in March 1944 in Operation U-Go. Kohima, the capital of Nagaland was a vital to control of the area and in fierce fighting the Japanese finally withdrew from the area in June of that year.

The Memorial itself consists of a large monolith of Naga stone such as is used to mark the graves of dead Nagas. The stone is set upright on a dressed stone pedestal, the overall height being 15 feet. A small cross is carved at the top of the monolith and below this a bronze panel is inset, bearing the inscription above, which is attributed to John Maxwell Edmonds

"They heard the hum of our motors, they counted the rotors, and waited for us to arrive."

Painting "First Boots on the Ground", by William S. Phillips

The POW MIA Remembrance Ceremony
As you entered the banquet hall this evening, you may have noticed a small table in a place of honor.This table is our way of symbolizing the fact that members of our profession of arms are missing from our midst. They are commonly called POWs or MIAs, we call them "Brothers." They are unable to be with us this evening and so we remember them.

This Table is small -- Symbolizing the frailty of one prisoner alone against his oppressors. Remember!

The Tablecloth is white -- Symbolizing the purity of their intentions to respond to their country's call to arms. Remember!

The single Red Rose displayed in a vase reminds us of the families and loved ones of our comrades-in-arms who keep the faith awaiting their return. Remember!

The Yellow Ribbon tied so prominently on the vase is reminiscent of the red ribbon worn upon the lapel and breasts of thousands who bear witness to their unyielding determination to demand a proper accounting of our missing. Remember!

The Candle is lit -- Symbolizing the upward reach of their unconquerable spirit and the light in our hearts that will one day illuminate their way home. Remember!

A Slice of Lemon is on the bread plate to remind us of their bitter fate. Remember!

There is Salt upon the bread plate -- Symbolic of the tears shed by the families as they wait. Remember!

The Glass is inverted -- They cannot toast with us this night. Remember!

The chair is empty. They are not here. Remember!

Remember! -- All of you who served with them and called them comrades, who depended upon their might and aid, and relied upon them, for surely, they have not forsaken you. Remember!
Remember! -- Until the day they come home, Remember!





All gave some, some gave All.
The SL Veterans Tribute is in it's 3rd year. It is a week long exhibit featuring displays and events, made possible by donations and volunteers. The SLVT is a non profit group whose goal is to provide a non political, content filled,educational, interactive sim within SL where people from all walks of life can come visit to honor and remember all who have served or are currently serving. The sim is located in Point Harbor:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Point%20Harbor/247/132/26
http://www.slveteranstribute.com/

The SLVT also is a supporter of the VFW's Operation Uplink, which helps deployed service members call home for free.
http://operationuplink.org/

Contact Flattop Ewing or Classy Patton for more info.

Another SL Veteran's Tribute can be found at Patriot Island, home of the US Military Veterans Center.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Patriot%20Island/181/87/29

Bravery doesn't mean you aren't scared. It means you go anyway.

Today's Question:
You can punch a hole in an apple using a straw. How do you think that makes your milkshake feel?

Stop...Thief!!!!!

Content theft has never been a secret in SL. People are always looking to get by on other people's work, just as in RL. Being open sourced, thieves and other miscreants will always find a way to break into any safeguards implemented into the system. But lately, it seems to be more brazen and out in the open. Instead of being "Fenced" quietly, stolen content is now being handed out freely in some places, sometimes with the help of unwitting accomplices.

Stroker Serpentine, a well known content creator broke the latest scam on SLU recently:

My day just went to shit. If you are a Content Creator and faint of heart,
I suggest you read no further. This afternoon I was IM'd by a friend who alerted me to receiving a full perm copy of one of my SexGen Beds. A model that is only 3 months old. I immediately teleported to the site and found that indeed inside a "Gold Nugget" hunt object was one of my beds FULL perm. I looked up the profile of the owner and he was PIOF and 6 weeks new. He even had his RL pic in his profile. I assumed he was unaware of what he had done. I contacted him and he was very apologetic. He told me he had received a "package" at BURNING MAN that was named "LOADS OF SHITS".He sent me a copy of it and I immediately AR'd the creator. I had also AR'd the original nugget owner before IM'ing him. I do not believe he was complicit.This box and all of the boxes inside of boxes are copyable.

He went on to give a partial list of the victims as well as a list of suspects.They used several methods to distribute this content including a notecard exploit using animations, allegedly fixed recently by LL.

What is shocking is that these items were available as a freebie hunt prize package at Burning Man, a LL sponsored event.Who knows how many copies of these items are now out, many in the hands of unsuspecting people who merely thought they were getting some great freebies...at a LL sanctioned event. Here is a link to the SLU thread.

http://www.sluniverse.com/php/vb/general-sl-discussion/35930-thieves-motherload.html

This story broke almost at the same time a similar thread opened on the Official SL Forum where someone reported a "Black Market Shop", where obviously stolen goods were being sold.

http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=347375

Once again, massive theft, and while this area was reported as group access only and has since been removed, relatively in the open.

Stroker Serpentine has been proactive in the fight against content theft, he has taken thieves to cout previously, and is currently embroiled in a Class Action suit against LL for allowing content theft. In this, some question his motives and sincerity. Some postulate that he and others, are in league with LL on this in an attempt to obtain a favorable ruling on LL's part, where they can then impose new and severe content creation guidelines, ostensibly to benefit SL's bigger creators while eliminating smaller competitors. This writer finds that idea a bit much, even though I do not trust the Lab's motives in just about anything they say or do. I can't say I know Stroker personally, save for some forum interaction and a couple of brief inworld IM's, but I find this idea a Tin Hat worthy conspiracy theory.

In any event, it is obvious that SL is in trouble. Phil Rosedale's departure recently has taken away it's last vestige to it's original vision, and the current management seems bent on destroying that SL, and replacing it with their vision. They want big business and institutional presence in SL, along with the Social Networkers who are populating Facebook and Twitter. Maybe they figure these people won't be content creators and virtual business people, so creating a secure climate for those things is not a priority. Maybe the Tin Foil crowd is right. Maybe LL does want to redo SL as a place where only certain people will be allowed to make and sell content in world. Content bearing your favorite corproate logo.

One thing is certain. The days of the free, throwaway, unverified account have to end. Incidents like this and other griefings are on the rise, usually committed by undetectable alts. EVERY SL user's identity should be known to LL and LL only. A verified Main account with all alts connected to it. No 3rd party verification services, or half hearted attempts at verification. Perhaps even the open source policy needs to be rethought. Something has to be done. SL is too big, and it looks to be getting bigger. While many treat it as just an entertainment platform, just as many have invested their time , emotions and money into it. In large numbers and they need to have that investment reasonably protected. Sadly, I do not think it will happen. These people are not in LL's future plans, and to accommodate them...."Just doesn't scale."

These thoughts are mine, based upon my highly untechnical lay person's view and experience with SL. Many of you have much greater insight to hese problems, and I would encourage you to share them.


Today's Question:
Lionesses have no manes. How do they know when they've grown up?

The Accidental Avatar Shop. Where you can find out what The Bear does in the woods.http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dindrane%20Elfor/174/142/46

Where We've Been...and Where Are We Going?

Most of us are now aware of Phillip (Rosedale) Linden's decision to leave LL in a hands on, day to day capacity to start a new company. He will be remaining as Chairman, but apparently his duties will be mainly promotional and ceremonial, with little input into the future of SL.

I'm starting a new company, and wanted to let you know. It's a big idea - something that actually depends on Second Life existing to get started, and that I have been thinking about almost as long as I've been thinking about Second Life. I don't want to try to explain the idea here, because it is a decision I've just made and honestly I don't think I can do a good job describing it yet. But I did want to tell the whole SL community, because I don't want you to worry that anything is wrong.

I will still be chairman, as I have been since leaving the job as CEO. The change is that I'm not going to be working full-time at Linden Lab anymore (some of you might have thought I wasn't still there, but actually I have been!). I'll still be doing the same outbound and media type things as before - talking about Second Life, etc.

https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/features/blog/2009/10/15/next-chapter

What does his departure mean for SL, and those of us who use it? Ever since his stepping down as CEO and the installation of the M & M regime, along with T Linden,The Lab has embarked on a course away from Phil's original vision of SL as a world of fun, friendship, fantasy and artistic collaboration, fueled by it's micro economy and have instead pointed it toward what may become merely an augmented version of Real Life.

LL has been heavily courting RL corporations and institutions, going as far as to create Zindra, a separate continent where Adult oriented businesses and activities have now been sequestered to, in an attempt to give SL a better image for the button downed real world.These initiatives have not been particularly successful at this time, perhaps it is a reason for the Lab's seeming flurry of new policies and procedures, including it's Content Creator Certification Plan, 3rd Party Viewer Policy, and Scripted Agent (Bot) registration plan.Are they trying to tighten up SL even more for the pinstripers and Ivy Leaguers?

Another initiative LL has undertaken is to integrate SL more closely with the Social Networking sites that are popular today, such as Facebook and Twitter. Both M Linden(CEO) and T Linden (Chief Product Officer)*, have talked about making SL more accessible to the users of these applications, people who will want their avatars closely associated with their Real Life Identities.

*Why the Hell can't LL execs have First Names?

No one can deny that SL needs to grow. And places such as Facebook provide millions of potential new SL users. If LL can persuade the corporations to return to SL, that's a lot of eyeballs to throw advertising and marketing material at. But as these "Real Lifers" come into SL, how will they be received by the current populace? The fantasists, roleplayers, alternative lifestylers, people who may necessarily don't want their Second Lives associated too closely with their first? Can they co exist. If not, will the Lab make a choice and cater to one and disown the other. Recent changes do seem to point toward an attitude mere tolerance and sometimes even contempt for SL's First Ones, who ironically, in a lot of ways are still making it possible to keep the lights on out in San Fran.

Even the Original Dreamer, Phil Linden admits SL has to change with the times. In a recent blog post, where he compared SL to the Burning Man festival, he had this to say:

I was struck by how although Burning Man has grown a lot over time, it's culture and appearance remains fairly constant. When I was there in '99 there were about 20,000 people, and now there are about 50,000. There are certainly changes, and there are both those who yearn for earlier days and those who are excited to see the evolution of it. This makes me think about Second Life as well. Presently, Second Life still isn't very accessible - most people still don't have the time to get over the steep learning curve and get to the amazing stuff inside. Similarly, the total number of people willing to drive 3 hours from Reno into the middle of a barren desert carrying a week's worth of drinking water and food is limited. I suspect that Burning Man won't grow much more, and frankly as a 'burner' (resident) that's fine with me. I like it just the way it is, and although I know it's selfish, I'd rather just have it stay the same. No more people.

But I think Second Life is different than Burning Man. To reach it's potential, it has to grow, probably more than 100 times larger than it is today. If all the people working on Second Life are right - if virtual reality really is the future of the internet and a big part of our collective human future, it's gotta get a lot bigger. Like I said recently at the SLCC conference, we should try and realize that we are working together on a small village that in a few years will be a gigantic metropolis. Everything will change, and needs to. Try not to cling too tightly to what we have now. The design, the UI, the orientation experience, the tools - all these need to change, a LOT, for Second Life to become accessible to hundreds of millions. Those changes are sometimes going to be disruptive and painful. Coming back from the desert heightened that feeling of empathy - in many ways I don't want Second Life to change either. It is magical, and it is cool to feel like you are one of the brave and visionary few who came early. But a bigger part of my heart wants to see it reach everyone, and so we must evolve. Onward!

SL is changing, and perhaps it is necessary. But those of you who have been around know that LL does not handle implementing change well. What will the coming months bring? What changes will the Initialed Ones at The Lab bring forth? What will SL be in 6 months or a year from now. And will you still want to be a part of it?

Today's Question:
Your superpower is that you smell like dandelions whenever someone lies. How will you maintain your secret identity?


Shake , Rattle and Role

The newest rage in 3rd party, alternative viewers appears to be the Emerald Viewer. Among it's many additional features is it's latest and most talked about, the ability to make your boobs jiggle. As with a lot of technological innovation, the SL Adult Film Industry is on the cutting edge. In The Zindra Times, Jennnna Jameson tells us about the first SL Porno Movie to utilize Emerald and it's physics improvements, as well as the burgeoning SL Adult Film activity taking place on Zindra. She provides clips and links to several new films, including some of her own.

http://www.zindratimes.com/2009/10/flurry-of-sl-adult-film-activity-on.html?zx=ac73f0a15491c1aa

All's Faire

Talon Faire is owned by my friend Amaranthim Talon. She started out not that long ago with a little stall in a mall selling a couple of dresses, not long after starting her foray into content creation. Once again, I can proudly say, I was her very first customer.

As her talent and inventory grew, she went into her own store, which changed and expanded over time, to her current store located on Misto Presto.





The store's focus is on fashion, jewelry and home furnishings, all with a very stylish and fanciful theme, which if you know Amara, is right in tune with her personality. Her fashions concentrate on the most lovely and fanciful gowns and silks, in a variety of colors and styles, each guaranteed to make you look elegant yet sexy, in an array of beautiful styles and colors.



Her jewelry designs are equally elegant, the perfect complement to her dresses, yet also suitable for everyday wear.



To make your look complete, visit the Eyelash Bar, where you will find an astounding assortment of prim eyelashes. This has becomes Amara's trademark, and you will find a set of eyelashes for every taste from the sublime to the outrageous.



Amara is also working on prim fingernails, watch for those to be released soon.

Talon Faire is more than just a fashion store, Amara also offers home furnishings and even artworks, all with her unmistakable style. Amara has become quite a talented builder in a relatively short time, and she keeps growing those talents. I am proud to have one of her creations, the AA Logo Sailboat among the items in my little store.





From her small barrow in a marketplace to her lovely current store, Amara is an example of what can be done in SL with a little practice, patience and perseverance. It is an honor to have her among my friends. See you at The Faire.

Talon Faire:http://slurl.com/secondlife/Misto%20Presto/195/40/157

Today's Question:
You've been entered in a shadow puppet contest. What's your best pose?

The Accidental Avatar Shop. Located in the Monkey Mall: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dindrane%20Elfor/174/142/46

Surf's Up

Today I thought I'd tell you a bit about a couple of blogs that I have started following. Both have their own unique looks at SL, both are well written and worth a look.

First is Pixels and Policy:http://www.pixelsandpolicy.com/. Pixels and Policy is published by Max Burns and covers the effects SL has in our real lives from social matters, to business and politics. A recent post, from Oct 12th was an interesting read, and a topic a lot of us have probably pondered and discussed:

The Myth of Virtual Worlds as "Global Phenomena"

Yesterday, the San Jose Mercury News ran a telling but misguided piece that described virtual worlds as a "global phenomenon." Despite being tech optimists, we at Pixels and Policy were skeptical.

If virtual worlds are really shaping global thinking and business to "phenomenon" levels, why have we seen so few major mixed-media deals, and virtually no company investment on a scale comparable to YouTube or Facebook? Pixels and Policy investigates.

The Virtual Hype Cycle

In global terms, virtual worlds are still bit players in the great plugging-in of the developing world. Worlds with a focus on content development and market capitalism (think Second Life and Blue Mars) still remain under a million total active accounts, with anywhere from 60-80,000 users online at one time.

Global corporations looking for wide-scale brand advertising and media outlets looking for new entertainment venues won't bother with 80,000 eyes. If profitable television shows and internet-based viral campaigns through sites like YouTube are any indicator, worlds like Second Life will need at minimum 2-3 million users online at any given time.

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that these sub-million users are geographically spread out - no one nation houses a critical mass of users engaging in "CCC" - content creation commerce. This in no way speaks down to the amazing work of some determined individuals - namely millionaire content creator Stroker Serpentine, and design guru Aimee Weber. But a few dominant creators won't bring a million new players into virtual worlds.

That's going to take advertising, something Linden Lab has been hesitant to undertake. World of Warcraft is a dominant online world primarily because the quality of its advertising continues to intrigue new sets of eyes.

Games like World of Warcraft hook and hold players who may never have picked up an online game before. This will be essential if virtual worlds expect to grow enough to capture corporate attention.........

As someone who staunchly opposes RL corporate presence and advertising in SL at large, the article does make some sobering points.If SL is to go mainstream, something it is still far from, concessions will have to be made, ones that may negatively impact the user who, like me, prefers a high level of fantasy and roleplay, with minimal crossover in their Second Lives. If your are one who sees SL as a RL extension, where you freely co mingle it with RL, this blog is a good resource for keeping up with all things Metaversian. Even if you are more of the immersionist or fantasist, RL will have an impact on SL's future, so I'd keep an eye on this blog as well.



...because they are strange and because they are our pixels.....

Strange Pixels:http://www.strangepixels.net/,is a fashion blog essentially, but with a twist. Behind it are Grady Echegaray and Mourna Biziou, too fabulous ladies, who along with Dancien Graves and Recidivist Sideways manage to bring together fashion, style,art,fantasy and fetish in a unique and highly entertaining manner. All four have their unique styles, yet they ar all bound together by their dark edginess, tempered by Mourna's touches of impish whimsey. Don't expect to find the Designer of The Month, or the New Release at The Big Box Store. Instead Strange Pixels will show you some creative and unique looks, in equally unique and creative presentations. Also as any good style blog should, you will find links to the writers' favorite designers and creators with full details on how they created their featured looks.

Today's Question:
You have to dig a hole to China. Where do you start?


Accidental Avatar Reader's Photos

Rhonda Huntress and Clover Jinx



LittleMe Jewell



Treasure Ballinger



The coolest lady in SL, Kaimi Kyomoon





Want to see your picture here? Send it, or any comments you may have to:mailto:theaccidentalavatar@gmail.com

Now, Voyager

Today's report comes from one of my favorite places, The Star Trek Museum.The museum, opened in 2006 is actually a complex, covering 4 Sims - Tovadok II, Imzadi, Minshara and Eridani.The complex consists of many exhibts, public areas, residential spaces, even embassies for many of the worlds and races from Star Trek, including The Borg. The Centerpiece of the Museum Complex is the Museum of Science, in Tovadok II, created by Sabri Piccard, which began as a 1-room museum in November, 2006 and reached its present size in 2007.

The Museum of Culture, begun in 2006 by Wabisabi Matahari (current owner and curator of the entire museum complex) has grown to cover much of 4 sims, with the help of Tsora Enoch, Chief Engineer who built the full-size Enterprise, P'Jem Monastery, and Museum Embassies. Running the 4 sim complex is not an easy task, as besides the various museums themselves, there is also a shopping area as well as residential properties to manage. These venues help keep the Museum going and Wabi is constantly juggling these duties, as well as organizing events and activities. There is an inworld Star Trek Museum Group, numbering over 800 members that keeps Museum supporters up on the latest news.






Entering the Museum of Science brings you into Ten Forward, named after the Bar/Social Center on Enterprise D. There you will find a bar and some tables to chat and maybe get some advice from Guinan




Also inside Ten Forward are some general information displays as well as a couple of games. There is a replica of a Dabo Table which was is a Ferengi Game seen in Deep Space Nine, and is similar to Roulette. The term "Dabo" means "to give" in Latin and "gold" in Aramaic, something I did not know until visiting the museum.

Outside of 10 Forward is a public notice board, where any Star Trek or Science related group can post non commercial announcements. The museum is very science and space oriented, the inworld group routinely features all sorts of information from organizations such as NASA and SETI. Adjacent to the notice board is a transporter that can take you to several different areas of the complex.




Beyond the transporter is the Cinema, where you can watch the Star Trek Films inworld.The posters on the wall will give you very detailed notecards on each film, including synopsis, characters and other information.





After filling up on popcorn, which fortunately wasn't from the replicator, I ventured over to the Starfleet Academy Exhibit. The Academy's motto is "Ex Astris, Scienetia", or, "From The Stars, Knowledge." Here the fledgling Starfleet Cadet can find reference material as well as quizzes on a variety of essential topics.


Of course a Starfleet Officer requires more than book knowledge to be effective.Hands on training is essential. At the Holodeck one can call up several modules, including a Galaxy Class Starship bridge and Borg cube interior. Can you say Kobayashi Maru?





The next set of exhibits deal with all you would want to know about Starships. Their history and designs, how they work and how they are built. Once again all these displays are interactive in some way, many provide very well written and detailed notecards on their specific subject. There is also a section where you can download plans and instructions to build your own RL paper Starships.




Another informative exhibit shows a lot of the History and general information on Starfleet and Star Trek. There are displays on it's structure,equipment, military doctrines, and bios on some of it's most legendary characters. There is also information on many of the Star Trek related groups in SL, as well as free uniforms and equipment.





I next ventured to the Engineering and Sciences exhibits.Featured are a Galaxy Class warp core, complete with Schrodinger's cat. As explained in the notecard the cat will give you,"Schrödinger's cat is a seemingly paradoxical thought experiment devised by Erwin Schrödinger that attempts to illustrate the incompleteness of an early interpretation of quantum mechanics when going from subatomic to macroscopic systems." I don't understand one word of it.



The Life Sciences exhibit once again hosts informative displays on a variety of topics.



Continuing on, we come to Sick Bay, in this case the Medical Facility from USS Voyager.


Even in the 23rd Century, doctors seem to love to make patients wait.

A visit to Astro Sciences brings us to 2 very nice exhibits, the Planetarium and 3D Star Map.



A visit to the Computer Core proves that 23rd Century computers are as confounding to me 21st Century machines.Available here are various free downloads such as screen savers, icons and other goodies.



In the Science Division Conference Room, you can see a presentation of "Watch Star Trek with a Physicist", which was a presentation by Physicist Don Lincoln, of Fermilab given in 2005. Also shown is a display of how some common items we all use today were envisioned in Star Trek.






Just as our universe is infinite in scope, in it's own way the Star Trek Science Museum is as well. We've seen only a sampling of what it has to offer here. If you are a Trekker and have not visited, why not beam over? Even if you aren't much of a fan of the Trek, there is plenty to keep and science/space aficionado interested. The builders and caretakers of the complex, both past and present have done a marvelous job in it's creation and continued growth, and deserve your support. And while you are there,please check out the Farpoint Station Shopping area as well as the rental properties and recreational facilities on Imzadi Island. Also feel free to drop a few Quatloos in one of the Donation Boxes scattered about the Museum grounds

The Star Trek Museum of Science
http://slurl.com/secondlife/TovaDok%20II/25/211/35

Farpoint Station Vendors Area
http://slurl.com/secondlife/TovaDok%20II/64/130/22

Imzadi Island Residential and Recreational Area
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Imzadi/133/150/23

Please stay with us as we take you to the other fine exhibits in The Star Trek Museum.

Next Destination: Spacedock



Today's Question:
You've just inherited a manufacturing plant that specializes in plastics. What are you going to make?


The Accidental Avatar Shop: Stuff you don't need but should buy anyway.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dindrane%20Elfor/174/142/46