The Airships @ The Heliograph

Looking about on one of my favorite blogs The Heliograph which had a post on a great video series about airships. The series oddly called. Sit down for this... "The Airships" investigates the beginings, development, and decline of airships. Great stuff! You can watch the entire series at The Heliograph

The Blue Max

Made in 1965 and staring George Prepard, James Mason and Ursula Andress. Prepard a corporal in the German infantry leaves the trenches to become a pilot. Setting his sights on shooting down 20 planes, enough to win the Blue Max.

This was on late night cable about a month ago and Second Life has completely thrown off my internal clock on the weekends so I found myself sitting up watching till the end. As far as movies go, its not bad. I mean I stayed up till 3 a.m. watching it after all. You can actually see termites jumping from George Prepard at times he's so wooden but the flying scenes more than make up for any short comings. This was 1965 so no bluescreen here. Just WWI planes pushed fairly hard, and looking and sounding great doing so.

I dug around on the web and it was listed on Hulu. But said it was unavailable. Might be worth a look to see if you have better luck.

Airship Ventures Zepplin Christened Eureka

Naming Zepplin Earns Oakland Couple Lofty Prize

Airship Ventures a company that recently started service with their Zeppelin NT airship in the SF Bay area had a naming contest for their new ship. Christopher Humphrey won an online contest to pick the name of the aircraft, which is 15 feet longer than a Boeing 747. He submitted "Eureka," which was a code word for the project during its design.

Check out the full article here. And here is a better link to the video featured in the article. Be sure to also check out Airships Ventures site.

Lighter than air travel is back! Even if you do have to go to San Francisco to do it.

Zoe Connolly - Timeforce 10 Machinima

The only scene where Avery is not kicking my butt!

Very cool Timeforce 10 video by Zoe Connolly. Timeforce 10 is a multi-sim science-fiction espionage roleplay adventure which her group is playing both inworld and offGrid on various blogs, etc.

Oh, did I mention I play a very small part in the video? Eh, ever the self-promoter!

Aether Inglewood vs The Airship

New video up of me attempting to build my first. Well first anything in Second Life. If nothing else it's worth a look just to hear Old Blue Eyes. The most amazing thing? It actually flies! Have a look.

RCAF Last Organized Dogfight

Due to the Open Space issues in Second Life, today marks the last of Royal Caledon Air Force's weekly organized dog fights. As I joked today with Zoe Connolly due to my performance in the skies above Lovelace this morning I wouldn't be missing them very much. That of course is not true.

I may in my short time here in Caledon set the record for being shot down in the RCAF (my un-official call sign is Target) but to me that's not what these weekly meet ups were all about. Don't get me wrong I love ripping the canvas of a Fokker DR1 with slugs from my guns as much as anyone. But frankly I don't see some of these people other than at one of these weekly get togethers.

It's my hope I don't lose contact with many of the fliers here in the RCAF. I know Zoe has big plans for the RCAF after the beginning of the year, she's clever that on. But some of the best times I've had in Second Life have been at these weekly dogfights. Be it standing on the tarmack at Second Skies shooting the breeze with everyone or watching at the bottom of my parachute as someone takes a victory roll after shooting me from the sky.

If anyone is actually reading my little chunk of the aethernet and should come across this and you need a little target practice. Give me a shout in world. I could use the stick time and beside...I'm a hoot!

Happy Skies everyone.

Steampunk Roleplay - New Babbage - The Cloud Angel

Digging about on Youtube this evening and found the following interesting video. Fire up the boilers on the airship. Load my ray-guns and goggles we are off to New Babbage!!

Find out more at the New Babbage Ning.

Amazing Tribute

The Mississippi's mighty, but it starts in Minnesota
At a place where you can walk across with five steps down
And I guess that's how you started like a pinprick to my heart
But at this point you rush right through me and I start to drown...

Just looking about on the web and came across Emilly Orr's beautiful blog. She has captured my feeling of the last 24 hours far better than I could ever express about the loss of our dear Sumie. That in mind I'll point you to her amazing posts about our friend.

Monday December 15th post

Tuesday December 16th post

Loss of a Close Friend

I heard this afternoon that my friend Sumie Kawashima passed away in RL. Needless to say I was shocked and deeply saddened at hearing this.

I know quite a few people in Second Life. Lots of people in my "friends list". Lots of people that I know just to say hello to, how are you?

But Sumie was without question one of my true friends in Second Life. It didn't matter what we were doing. Out chasing pirates over the Firth,(We found not pirate one) me riding shotgun as she flew. Dancing at Prop Spinners, her doing back flips and Boing Boing all over the place. Listening to her talk as a drunken pirate, which always had me on the floor laughing. Hanging out on the deck of my treehouse or watching her work on one of her wonderful aircraft at the aerodrome. She was never anything less than a delight no matter what we were doing, and I just adored her.

Each and every time we did something together she always left with "I love you angel." And for whatever reason, be it my stoic mid-western upbringing, a general emotional constipation.... I never told her how great I thought she was and how grateful I was for our friendship.

At the beginning of the month I decided to take a break from the internet and Second Life. I just felt I was spending way too many hours here. The idea was that I'd be back after New Years. I lasted about 10 days and my main reason for returning to Second Life was to check on Sumie. I knew she had been sick and in the hospital but was doing much better the last time we talked.

There is a Sheryl Crow song called the "Difficult Kind". In that song is a line that goes something like...

"There ain't nothing like regret to remind you your alive"

I find myself regretting two things. That I don't have command enough of the English language to express how much I'll miss her and that I never told her how cool she was.

Love you Sweetie, I'll miss you more than you can imagine.

I Love Swords

I'm just going to come out and say it. I'm a sword geek. I'm a huge Highlander fan. I loved the Conan movies as a kid. Of course it didn't hurt that Adrrian Paul and Arnold were in those.

In my Aether net wanderings I came across a sword site called iloveswords.com. Very cool site with tons of goodies for whatever your interest, be it Oriental swords. medieval, Celtic/Scottish, or Renaissance swords. I for one was very fond of this one. The El Cid Colada sword. They also have a wide varity of reenactment goodies.

What? Your still here, go check it out.

RCAF Patrol 23 October.

Due to the recent pirate activity in and around Lionsgate Tower RCAF patrols have increased over the Firth, Middlesea and the tower itself.

Last evening while hovering over Lionsgate I noticed I was being shadowed. I would move, they would counter move and sit. Keeping the tower between us I was unable to get a good look at who was following me. Doing what any good pilot and all chickens would do, I called for help. Within moments Vickster Kuhn was on the scene and the two of us spent the next several minutes looking for this blip on our maps. At one point we both thought we had glimpsed a bi-plane through the clouds but were unable identify it.

At this point I landed my airship at Lionsgate and took on my jetpack and ray-rifle. I wanted to get a better look at something at the base of the island that I couldn't see from a aircraft. Near the surface I caught movement from the corner of my eye and was amazed to see what I assumed to be a statue of a black dragon spring to life and begin to pursue me. Vickster was soon at my location and opened up with her guns but to no avail. I tried several "trap" rounds from my ray-rifle but the creature was just too large.

Thinking we had driving the beast from the area we landed atop Lionsgate and were soon followed by the creature who then landed and observed us before flying off to the South.


Is the creature part of our pirate problem near Lionsgate? Were the pilot of the bi-plane Vickster and I caught a glimps of and this dragon working together?

More photos can be seen here on my Flickr page

The Haunting of Thymely Manor

It's getting to be that time of the year and strange things are takeing place at Thymely Manor.

Inspector Kendrick

Was just over looking at Zoe Connolly's page and found this interesting little quiz. Test Who You Are in the Steampunk Ether City of Salmagundi. Ha! Too fun, thanks Zoe.

Your result for Test Who You Are in the Steampunk Ether City of Salmagundi...

Inspector Kendrick Mernil (the Enforcer)

11% Cerys, 30% Ras, 27% Bell, 38% Wilde, 11% LeClerc, 70% Kendrick and 3% Fuzzy!

You are Inspector Kendrick Mernil, of the Special Peacekeepers. Your job is to go in guns blazing when the situation calls for it, and it’s the sort of thing you enjoy. You’re never happier than when beating the enemies of Law and Order into submission. Other officers might do the investigating, but when the chips are down it’s people like you who stand between chaos and civilization. You’re aggressive, blunt, and far too happy with your job. People might talk about what is and isn’t ethical police work, but someone has to beat the confessions out of suspects, and that someone is you.

Intrigued? Learn more about G. D. Falksen's Salmagundi and the Cities of Ether here

Take Test Who You Are in the Steampunk Ether City of Salmagundi at HelloQuizzy

Sunday At Prop Spinners

Went to Prop Spinners on Sunday for a little music and dancing. This weeks theme was St. Patrick's in September, or Half Way to St. Pats! DJ Eudyptes was there as always spinning great tunes. Lots of Celtic punk, pop and folk. Keeping with the Irish spirit of things I tried to get someone to fight me in the parking lot...no takers I'm afraid. (its ok! I'm Irish)


More photos can be seen here at my Flickr page.

Caledon Rocket Infantry

Home sick today. Thus a bit of time on my hands and another ham fisted video for your viewing pleasure. Just a note, cold medicine and video making really don't go well together.

What does go good with cold medicine?

Ahh, that's right! Vodka! I apologise in advance.

Charlie Don't Surf - Test Flight of ZX4 Attack Chopper

Stopped by Skies of Tomorrow to see if anyone was flying and ran into Suzi Tauber and Lord Lisle. Mr Lisle was kind enough to take me for a ride in his Battle Bug, a very nice Steampunk inspired aircraft and well...Its just cute! He was also kind enough to give me a landmark to a very nice aircraft. The Fokker ER.1. To the right I'm photoed before my first test flight. Thanks Mr. Lisle for the tip on a wonderful, fun to fly aircraft. More photos here.

Being the recipient of even more good karma, Miss Tauber was kind enough to copy of her ZX4 Attack Chopper.

Below, a video of walkaround, engine start up, flight, engine shutdown. Thanks again to Lord Lisle and Suzi Tauber for the cool aircraft and fun afternoon of flying.

Second Life Surf Video

Just a quickie video I put together featuring the Hawaii Five-O theme by the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Great song by one of my favorite musicians. And oh! I do a bit of surfing as well. Thanks again Tiz! Enjoy.

I'm going surfin, I'm going surfin

My lovely friend Tiziana Corleone was kind enough to show me one of the best surfing spots in Second Life. Its...wait, well its over by the thing, next to the who whatsit.

I'd like to make one thing clear. She was surfing. What I was doing I think can best be described as floundering. Pictured to the left are the three seconds when I was actually upright on my board. Lots of fun, I may have a new hobby. Thanks T!

Tribute to The King of Cool

Goofing about with Microsoft Moviemaker and a few images I had from Second Life. I put together this little tribute to Steve McQueen, the King of Cool. I know, your thinking...

"Don't you have something better to do with your time? You could be feeding the homeless,teaching the blind to see, helping a illiterate person across the street."

Your right. I'm shallow, what can I say. Second Life is just more fun than pre -chewing a homeless persons food. Sorry, I'll try to do better. I swear, really, honest.

Have to run, airships to fly, funky boots to buy. Now go check out my video.

Aether Needs A New Look

While out on a little shopping trip last evening I happened across a pair of boots I had to have. As is often my case I was a few centavos short. What to do, what to do?

Looking at my map I noticed a LARGE group of people gathered near by and figured it had to be one of two things. Camping or some sort of sex sim. I suppose one could make a few extra coins either way but as luck would have it, it was a camping area. So I grabbed a spot and started looking for someone interesting to talk to.

A the next table was this young lady.(pictured to the left) I thought she looked rather familiar and then realized. Wait, how can I be here and there? And then realized I had a doupleganger. Finding this somewhat disturbing I looked at the next table and saw this lovely young miss (pictured to the right). About this time is when the conspiracy theories started spinning in my head, and I felt like I was in a X-files episode. I fully expected to look at the next table and see me there. Thank goodness there were only three of us.

Just for a little comparison note this picture of myself, before I changed my hair. Is it just me or or am I on to something and its time for a new look? Lets say there is a horrific act of piracy or someone crashes a aircraft into a school full of children . Witnesses say the suspect was a female, tall with red hair. And they bring the three of us in for a line up, its a crap shoot. Hey, wait a second! Never mind the new look. (Insert evil genius, maniacal laughter here.)

Exploreing Laputa - The Sky City

Happened across the Treasured Isle area today and while looking about in my airship found the sky city of Laputa. This may sound familiar to you and if so its because in the book Gulliver's Travels Laputa is island that can be moved by its inhabitants using magnetic levitation. In the book the population of Lapunta consists mainly of educated people who are fond of math, astronomical notation and technology. Sounds rather Steampunkish don't you think?

Being a sky city, Laputa is perfect for a fly in on a airship. Once docked I began my exploration of the sky island. My My first stop was the library a very impressive building where I was informed they often have book readings. Very worth landmarking.

While strolling the streets I cam across a one Mr. Soosh Benoir. A very kind gentleman who was kind enough to give me a tour of his airship, time machine factory which doubles as his home. The main feature of Mr Benoir's factory was the impressive tower.

After touring his home and work site Mr. Benoir gave me a quick tour of the rest of the island. Complete with balloon tour. The clock tower. Observation deck complete with telescope and a drink at the Ten Bells pub.

A very interesting afternoon indeed.

Addicted

Ok, at first I really didn't get it. The whole Second Life thing that is. I didn't really see the point of it. But since opening my account a few weeks ago I'm afraid Second Life may be my new drug of choice.

So much so that I upgraded my account to premium. What this allows you to do is two things really. One, own land and two, you get 300 Lindens, Second Life's unit of money a week. To be quite honest I'm not sure how I feel about trading real dollars for virtual Lindens. Actually thats not true. I'm pretty sure how I feel about it, but hey, its only money. Right?

Airship Ventures

Found this on my explorations on the aethernet. And being a complete airship geek had to take a look. Airship Ventures is a fairly new company that is offering Zeppelin airships to the US for air tours, media and advertising, scientific research and "special missions".

Special Missions, wonder what that is all about. Obviously this is a cover for a group of airship pirates. Airship Ventures, give them a look.

Optica Two Seater Test Flight

Last evening the lovely and talented pilot Miss Tiziana Corleone took her newly acquired Optica two seater out for a quick test flight.

From the builders Notecard:

The Optica is a concept aircraft designed for good forward visibility.
She's fitted with a location beacon for those sticky SL moments so you can find it later.
Also fitted with the now standard "eject" command that deletes the aircraft, say "eject" in chat and poof! Very useful for those hanging around in mid air sim crossing failures.

I believe the designer to be Denver Hax

After our test flight Miss Corleone being the renown tinkerer and builder that she is was already plotting upgrades for her new aircraft. I believe those mentioned were a bit of paint and a Lewis Gun on top of the wing.

We capped off the evening with a bit more flying. Her in aircraft and me looking for planes I'd left hanging about over Celedon. Miss Corleone was kind enough to act as spotter.

Tiziana Corleone, shes good people!

Ten Days

It's been a busy ten days since I first signed up for my Second Life account.

At first its a bit overwhelming but I had the good fortune through creative use of the in-game search engine to stumble upon some very kind people who have shortened my learning curve to a great degree.

So what have I done in my first 10 days in second life? I've joined a few groups. Most importantly the Royal Caledon Air Force (RCAF) . It's a group ran by the infamous Zoe Connolly The group, located in the Caledon, Penzance region caters to those who love all things aviation related. With a tilt to early aircraft both real and imagined. Some wonderful Steampunk aircraft flying the skys of Caledon.

Miss Connolly was kind enough to offer me a part time job watching after her airfield. Not that it really needs watching after that I can tell. Through her kindness its allowed me to do other things besides camp for in game money. And plus its cool saying I work for the amazing Zoe Connolly.



While not attending to my duties at RCAF Connolly Aerodrome I've spent most of my time exploring many of the Victorian and Steampunk regions of Second Life. And developing a few new hobbies. Namely sky diving, base jumping, collecting firearms, airships, and submarines. Oh! And shopping for all of the above.

So far I'm having a hoot! More later-AI