Date: Sunday, September 9th
Time: 6:30 pm till when people leave (no later than 1am)
Where: Ireland's 32
3920 Geary Blvd at 3rd Ave in SF's Richmond District
Phone: 415-386-6173
I'm having a big party to reconnect with old friends, meet online friends in meatspace, and meet new friends altogether.
I'll be playing all my new songs, along with many of my songs from the last fifteen years or so, in little sets off and on all night long, starting around 6:45, and going till probably around midnight.
I've got a video projector and various footage I've been putting together that will be going in-between and during the live stuff. Update: will also be showing scenes from Monsturd and its upcoming sequel, InfectDEAD! (Zombies!)
I'm flying in my old guitar player from Idaho, Ron Taylor. He and I co-wrote many of the songs on the lisarein.com website.
I'm also flying my sister up from LA to sing harmonies with me on a couple songs.
It's pretty sweet of this pub to let me take over the place for the night. It's actually been a little dream of mine to have enough stage time to be able to go through all of my favorites from the last 15 years -- and in a fun filled environment where I can have as many people there as I want.
Ireland's 32 also has these *really* great home made beef or chicken pot pies, so if you need to come by early (it is a Sunday, after all), come by around 6:30 and make a dinner show of it. (Actually, you and a friend can probably split one easily, they're HUGE.)
They have a great pool table upstairs too! It's just an all around great party locale!
They're letting me use the bar for the night in the hopes I can bring in a crowd to buy drinks. So drink up. (It makes the music sound better anyway :-)
And if I'm lucky enough that you actually have old favorites that you want to make sure I perform, by all means, let me know! lisa@lisarein.com
In between some of my sets, my good friend
Tim Perkis will be performing a little set with his daughter around 7:30.
You may have seen Tim's cool new movie about improvisational music, Noisy People, around recently. Tim's also a fellow Dabble co-founder. (And a fellow ex-Dabbler/co-founder*.)
The Breezy Days Band will also be squeezing in a little set prolly around 9:30 or so.
Okay I'll be talking about this a lot over the next week, but I wanted to at least get all the basic information up.
Thanks! And I hope to see you there.
_______________________
*That's right folks! Contrary to the mythical folklore you may have heard, there were 6 of us total...SIX!! But that's another story... :)
I finally finished making clips of the arguments in front of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals last week in the AT& T/US Government Domestic Spying Case.
I'll be blogging about this in more detail, but for now, everything's here:
http://video.lisarein.com/eff/byshow/cspan/08-15-07/
I've split them up into folders:
- US Gov (att-gov)
- AT & T (att-kellogg)
- Frap (frap) (representing AT&T consumers -- and really the American public at large, in this case.)
The Judges were asking good questions and looking out for our best interests. It seems like they weren't buying the U.S. Government's argument that merely discussing the possibility of a relationship (or even the non-existence of one) between AT&T and the Government constitutes a "state secret."
More on this over the next few days! I just wanted to get this up there so others could use it/learn from it.
It's great stuff!
So I'm so busy trying to not pay attention to Karl Rove on Meet The Press yesterday morning, that I don't bother to watch the rest of the show...
Where as, luck, or in this case, NBC, would have it, Matt Cooper apparently let the cat out o' the bag about Rove leaking Valerie Plame's identity. All casual and shit.
Then Gregory moves on to another topic...like nothing important was even said.
I wouldn't have even have known to go back and look at my recording if my trusty t r u t h o u t newsletter hadn't have informed me.
Gregory: Matt Cooper, let's pick up on an aspect of the interview with, with Karl Rove having to do with the leak case, the CIA leak case, that you were part of as well. And something that's very interesting, he, he went out of his way to say, "I would not have been a confirming source on this kind of information" and taking issue with, with Novak's testimony in his column that he knew who Valerie Plame was. He said he would never confirm that information. That's different from your experience with him.
Cooper: Yeah, I, I think he was dissembling, to put it charitably. Look, Karl Rove told me about Valerie Plame's identity on July 11th, 2003. I called him because Ambassador Wilson was in the news that week. I didn't know Ambassador Wilson even had a wife until I talked to Karl Rove and he said that she worked at the agency and she worked on WMD. I mean, to imply that he didn't know about it or that this was all a leak by someone else...
Gregory: Or that he had heard it from somebody else...
Cooper: or that he heard it as some rumor out in the hallway is, is nonsense.
Gregory: But he makes no apologies to Valerie Plame.
Cooper: Karl Rove never apologizes. That's not what he does.
Then Gregory just changes the subject..."Back to politics..."
I thought they were talking about politics...
Hey I'm not much of a riddler, but I know a lot of you are, and a friend of mine recommended
this riddle site to me last night. So I thought I'd pass it on to you...
It's a riddle wrapped in a website (wrapped in a floury tortilla :-)
Update: 8/14/07 - 7:53am - They're attaching new pieces to the International Space Station, right now with a robotic arm/claw! Woo woo!
It's so much fun:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html
I've taken to eating BIJA's
Omega-3 Truffles. It tastes just like awesome chocolate. But it's also a fun way to get your badly needed Omega-3 fatty acids...
Google Video R.I.P.
Google Video service to go black
By Dawn C. Chmielewski and Alex Pham, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
"Google Video was a failure," said Charlene Li, an analyst with Forrester Research. "They focused on video while YouTube focused on the community around video."That's why Google is doubling down on YouTube, the free video-sharing site it acquired in November for $1.65 billion. YouTube is exploring ways to generate advertising revenue without driving away viewers.
Mountain View, Calif.-based Google alerted customers by e-mail Friday that it would stop selling and renting movie downloads Wednesday. It will offer refunds or online shopping vouchers for previously purchased videos, which won't be viewable anymore.
Google sought to portray the move not as a failure but rather as an experiment that revealed how best to approach online video.
In the months after its YouTube acquisition, Google said its two video offerings would coexist -- Google Video would become a tool to search for video across the Web, while YouTube would be the place people would go to post videos, watch them and talk about them.
Google spokesman Gabriel Stricker said the effort to sell and rent videos was "an important test" for Google Video, which is still in beta mode -- geek speak for "not finished yet" -- long after it launched at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2006.
"The current change is a reaffirmation of our commitment to building out our ad-supported monetization models for video," Stricker said.
Here's the full text of the entire article in case the link goes bad:
http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-video11aug11,0,6721486.story?coll=la-home-center
Google Video service to go black
Its movie and TV download store isn't catching on with users who prefer free viewing -- even with the ads.
By Dawn C. Chmielewski and Alex Pham, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
August 11, 2007
Google Inc. has seen the video future, and it is YouTube.
The search giant is pulling the plug on its video-download store, which Google only last year said would become a vibrant marketplace for video producers to sell or rent their work to customers. Early partners included CBS and the National Basketball Assn.
But instead of offering an online alternative to the Hollywood machine, Google Video showed that people prefer to get their online video free -- even if that means watching some ads.
"Google Video was a failure," said Charlene Li, an analyst with Forrester Research. "They focused on video while YouTube focused on the community around video."
That's why Google is doubling down on YouTube, the free video-sharing site it acquired in November for $1.65 billion. YouTube is exploring ways to generate advertising revenue without driving away viewers.
Mountain View, Calif.-based Google alerted customers by e-mail Friday that it would stop selling and renting movie downloads Wednesday. It will offer refunds or online shopping vouchers for previously purchased videos, which won't be viewable anymore.
Google sought to portray the move not as a failure but rather as an experiment that revealed how best to approach online video.
In the months after its YouTube acquisition, Google said its two video offerings would coexist -- Google Video would become a tool to search for video across the Web, while YouTube would be the place people would go to post videos, watch them and talk about them.
Google spokesman Gabriel Stricker said the effort to sell and rent videos was "an important test" for Google Video, which is still in beta mode -- geek speak for "not finished yet" -- long after it launched at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2006.
"The current change is a reaffirmation of our commitment to building out our ad-supported monetization models for video," Stricker said.
One of CBS Corp.'s first online deals was to rent shows such as "CSI" and "The Brady Bunch" through Google Video.
At the time, Apple Inc.'s iTunes was the only online video store that had showed any momentum. And CBS didn't know whether an online audience would tolerate watching ads before videos on their computers.
But when CBS put its shows on its website for free, audiences proved much more willing to watch them along with the ads than they were to pay $1.99 an episode at Google Video.
"It was no comparison," said Larry Kramer, former president of CBS Digital Media and now an investment advisor. "It was just clear the audience was more interested in free. But they were also willing to watch ads. Nobody knew that was going to be the case."
CBS isn't the only one making that discovery. Consumers spent about $29 million to buy or rent downloaded movies and shows in 2006, according to Adams Media Research in Carmel.
But online commercials, known as in-stream advertising, generated $402 million in revenue last year and were projected to reach $700 million this year, he said.
That hasn't stopped major players from trying to crack the digital download puzzle. Most think the missing piece involves letting people buy videos on their computers but watch them on TV or hand-held devices.
Amazon.com Inc. unveiled its Unbox download service last fall and lets TiVo subscribers watch the movies and TV shows they've rented or purchased on their TV.
Video gamers can watch movies or television shows through Xbox Live, an online service connected to Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 game console.
And Apple's iTunes store has sold millions of TV shows and movies that can be viewed on the iPod.
Google Video downloads can be watched on a computer but not on an iPod or TV.
Google never disclosed how many videos it sold. But the failure of its video service came as no surprise to Ben Rekhi, a 28-year-old Santa Monica filmmaker whose movie, "Waterborne," was highly touted when Google Video launched.
Rekhi had turned down a six-figure theater and DVD distribution deal to distribute his film through Google.
"The online video revolution was in full swing," Rekhi said. "We had this opportunity to make history."
His gamble turned out badly. Although 80,000 viewers streamed his movie when it was available for free in the first week, just 300 people bought it in the following months.
Rekhi eventually pulled the film, which was selling for $3.99 a copy, off Google in July 2006.
"It was an exciting opportunity and amazing experience to be a pioneer in the digital distribution realm," he said. "But with any new technology, there's going to be a few lambs that get slaughtered. We just happen to be that."
dawn.chmielewski@ latimes.com
alex.pham@latimes.com
Wow. That was a long trip. Two weeks of good friends, incredible technology, and serious soul searching.
So good to be home now - but so much to do!
Lots to tell you about everything.
talk soon,
lisa
Summary: This post explains how to send Friends teleport requests. So they can easily transport to your location with one click from wherever they are.
Second Life A-Z | Second Life Step by Step | Second Life Utilities (SLUTS) A-Z |
Click on the "Friends" button (Now "Communication" in the latest version) on the lower left third of your SL window.
Select the friend who is currently online that you wish to send the teleport request to. (The friends online will be bolded and at the top of the list.)
After selecting the friend, click on "Teleport."
A window will pop up asking you "Offer to teleport to your location with the following message? And then a form box where you can type something in. The default is "Join me in location X" -- Click OK.
Your friend will receive your teleport invitation and can click on it to teleport to your exact location.
(I emphasize this because, as my friend noted last night, if you are flying around, and floating when you send your teleport request, your friend will be teleported to that location in the sky, and if their "fly" isn't on, will fall to the ground! :)
Let me know that these instructions work for you! (Or not :-)
Summary: This post's video and articles attempt to explain the sequence of events leading up to Lindens' ban on gambling that occurred last week.
Second Life A-Z | Second Life Step by Step | Second Life Utilities (SLUTS) A-Z |
Protesters On Orientation Island
Last Wednesday night, the Lindens sort of quietly made an announcement that basically banned any form of wagering on chance in Second LIfe. Period.
Some casino owners are crying foul, complaining that they weren't even given a hint of warning.
But as I mentioned when summarizing a Findlaw article last April (which analyzes gambling in second life within the context of the recently passed Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA)), you'd have to have not been paying attention in the slightest to have not seen this coming.
This awesome video report from SL-Bernhard Drax on "Metaversed" summarizes the situation beautifully.
Even though the lindens deny it in a post from April 5, everyone else seemed have the general understanding that the Feds were inworld and the jig was up. Soon.
We all knew it wasn't going to last, but I don't think anybody thought it was going to all end so quickly.
Here's another pretty good article on it from Information Week about the Casino owners (different ones than mentioned in the video above) who say Linden kept taking their cash up till the very end:
Second Life Casino Owner Left Scrambling After Gambling Ban
:
The Second Life entrepreneur complains that Linden Lab was happy to take his money for months after the U.S. banned Internet gambling. And then Linden Lab shut the casinos down abruptly Wednesday.
By Mitch Wagner
Linden Lab, which develops and operates Second Life, announced a ban on gambling Wednesday. Until then, gambling had been one of the most popular activities in Second Life.Smith, of Brighton, U.K., feels Linden Lab dealt with him unfairly. He notes that U.S. law banning Internet gambling went into effect in October.
"If this law was made in October, 2006, I think it is wrong of Linden Lab to take my money," said Smith, a mortgage broker in real life. He noted that the name of the business -- Casino World -- made it obvious what kind of business he was running.
Smith, 34, who goes by the name "Anthonymark Alcott" in Second Life, operates a full server on Second Life -- known in SL jargon as a "sim."
We interviewed Smith in-world Thursday. He teleported in with his avatar still wearing signs and a mask from a protest that he'd been attending immediately prior to the interview.
He said he spent 1 million Linden Dollars -- about US$3,800 -- on the sim and virtual gambling equipment and furnishings, since launching in February.
And that's not counting staff or his own sweat equity -- he said he's been working 12-14 hours per day on building Casino World. He said he invested all revenues from the clubs back into the business, to pay for new equipment and entertainment.
Here's the full text of the entire article in case the link goes bad:
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201201449&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_News
Second Life Casino Owner Left Scrambling After Gambling Ban
The Second Life entrepreneur complains that Linden Lab was happy to take his money for months after the U.S. banned Internet gambling. And then Linden Lab shut the casinos down abruptly Wednesday.
By Mitch Wagner
InformationWeek
July 27, 2007 06:00 AM
Like many other casino owners in Second Life, Anthony Smith was struggling on Thursday to figure out what future, if any, he had on the 3-D social network.
Linden Lab, which develops and operates Second Life, announced a ban on gambling Wednesday. Until then, gambling had been one of the most popular activities in Second Life.
Smith, of Brighton, U.K., feels Linden Lab dealt with him unfairly. He notes that U.S. law banning Internet gambling went into effect in October.
"If this law was made in October, 2006, I think it is wrong of Linden Lab to take my money," said Smith, a mortgage broker in real life. He noted that the name of the business -- Casino World -- made it obvious what kind of business he was running.
Smith, 34, who goes by the name "Anthonymark Alcott" in Second Life, operates a full server on Second Life -- known in SL jargon as a "sim."
We interviewed Smith in-world Thursday. He teleported in with his avatar still wearing signs and a mask from a protest that he'd been attending immediately prior to the interview.
He said he spent 1 million Linden Dollars -- about US$3,800 -- on the sim and virtual gambling equipment and furnishings, since launching in February.
And that's not counting staff or his own sweat equity -- he said he's been working 12-14 hours per day on building Casino World. He said he invested all revenues from the clubs back into the business, to pay for new equipment and entertainment.
Smith had planned, starting next month, to buy one sim per month and lease it out for residential and commercial business. But those plans are on hold.
"This will be the start of the end for Second Life, just as the U.S. government wants," Smith said in an interview conducted over text IM. We edited his comments lightly for language and spelling.
He said he believes the U.S. government is threatened by Second Life, because they can't control SL or tax it. Also, he said, real-life casinos want Internet gambling shut down to avoid competition.
"They grease the US government's hand," he said. "For a country where you are supposed to be free, it sure is a contradiction."
Shutting down gambling will stop Second Life growth, because gambling represents a significant portion of Second Life transactions, Smith said.
He also said he believes Linden Lab's abrupt implementation of the new policy is unfair.
Second Life Casino Owner Left Scrambling After Gambling Ban
Can Linden Lab Be Trusted?
(Page 2 of 2) July 27, 2007 06:00 AM
"I do not know if I trust Linden Lab anymore to work with," he said. "The way they do business is not good. They change their policy and advise if you don't comply immediately, you get all your assets frozen, or even worse, dissolved. Any other company in the world who treated their clients like this would not last long."
The gambling decision is the latest in a series of steps Linden Lab has taken to crack down on adult entertainment in Second Life, driven, at least in part, by the law in the nations in which it operates.
In May, Linden Lab banned erotic "ageplay" -- depictions of sexual activity involving children in Second Life -- following an investigation by German authorities.. Shortly afterwards, Linden Lab announced plans to institute age verification to keep minors out of adult activities. The company said it planned to launch age verification in May, but the system still hasn't gone into effect.
Linden Lab announced a ban on "grossly offensive" behavior May 31. The clumsily worded announcement bans depictions of sex acts or lewd acts apparently involving minors, rape, extreme and graphic violence, and more.
Second Life users criticized the ban as being overly vague, not giving them a clear idea in advance what would be allowed and what would be prohibited.
Attorney Benjamin Duranske blogged: "This is a poorly considered, dangerously over-broad, and annoyingly opaque policy statement."
In April, Linden Lab said it invited the FBI to inspect Second Life casinos. At around the same time, Linden Lab said it would no longer accept advertising for in-world casinos.
Smith said he sought assurance from Linden Lab, around the time of the FBI visit, that he would be allowed to remain in business. He said the company told him that it wouldn't allow promotion of casinos and gambling in Linden public channels, and that casino owners and their customers would have to decide whether their activities were legal based on local laws.
Smith is applying to Linden Lab to have three months of server maintenance fees -- called "tier" in Second Life jargon -- forgiven, because gambling was the source of revenue he used to pay the tier.
Ironically, Smith planned on Thursday to attend a job fair in Brighton where Linden Lab was recruiting possible employees. He said he decided not to go because he would feel like a hypocrite.
Summary: In this post, Losta Hax throws down a hoverpod object and I hop in and take it for a spin.
Second Life A-Z | Second Life Step by Step | Second Life Utilities (SLUTS) A-Z |
Losta Hax (Losta Hax's Pad) and I have been messing around with vehicles a lot this past week. Originally, I didn't understand the value of vehicles in Second Life. It seemed like, hell, if you could fly, what else would you need?
But as I first learned when Eric Rice (SL - Eric Rice) first took me on a helicopter ride a few weeks ago, vehicles are fun dammit!
Here's a little movie of us trying out some hoverpods.
You can see Losta floating in the hovercraft while I watch as he throws down another copy of it for me and I apple/click on it, and touch "ride," and hop in.
