Archive for the ‘Camp Magic MacGuffin’ Category

 

Just What IS this “CVI”

Monday, June 4th, 2012

DID YOU SEE MARTHA’S SCREWUP? She distributed a memo about Jim Groom by mistake, and it’s sent to the corporate CVI offiices. Now, I am NO internet detective, and I’m no Jim Groom apologist, but this memo, along with Alan’s allusions to visiting a corporate office for CVI (the owners of Camp Magic MacGuffin) in Canada got me scared. So I got to thinking: Why not Google this “CVI + Canada” and see what comes up. Here’s an image of what I got, followed by a little in-depth analysis:

Click for full-size screenshot of search results

Canada Voluntarism Initiative: This site, a seemingly innocuous bit of Canadian pork, has as its tagline “Partnering for the Benefit of Canadians.” Now if this isn’t a wolf in sheep’s clothing, I don’t know what is. I don’t know about you, but I signed up for a summer of self-actualization, NOT to be the object of some kind of crazy Canuck body snatchers.

Canadian Value Investors: This looks like a ghost company if I ever saw one. They didn’t even get their own domain name — just some cheesy “blogspot” thing. No doubt covering their tracks. They supposedly focus on investing in undervalued assets. Mostly, the site is pretty vague. An interesting “front” for Canadian real estate investors wanting to invade the U.S.? Well you’ll have to get through China first. AND Jim Groom.

CVI Chilliwack: This one is so onnocuous it’s the perfect cover: Equine vault-jumpers from Canada. But read this: “Vaulters learn to have the agility and athleticism of gymnasts, the grace and expression of dancers and the balance and feel of equestrians.” Sounds like they are training an army, and getting us to comply with their rules may be just a way of weeding out the rebels. So Jim is on a private island. Who’s next?

Canadian Home Builders Association of Central Vancouver Island: This professional association supports rampant sprawling building projects. Is this why we are in Minecraft, Martha? Doing their bidding? Letting them not only invade our country with their landscape-destrying monstrosities, but our cyberspace, too? Answers, PLEASE!

Calvalley Patroluem: According to their website, “Calvalley has established a strong base of cash flow and earnings from its exploration success in Block 9.” What’s Block 9 you ask? Yemen, my friends. Is Camp Magic MacGuffin next? I’m wondering if the humming in the blue shed that Alan referred to is an exploratory drill. What better front to send the Sierra Club off its scent than to run a summer camp on a future oil field. Despicable.

CVI Automotive: Sure, it’s disguised as a car service place, but look again at this operation’s fiendishly simple and information-free website. Read this customer testimonial, obviously in code: “They will take the time to go through your van with you and want to keep it running well by educating you.” Is this the training that Alan had to undergo? Did he just pull in for a tune-up, and get brainwashed into smuggling something across the border? Is there an underground bunker beneath those hydraulic lifts? I want answers.

Canadian Value Investing: This is supposedly a blog from a chemical engineer who likes to tinker with his stock portfolio and windbag to others about investing. While it’s a terrible read, it could contain hidden messages that can only be read in code and that may be guiding what’s going on behind the scenes at Camp Magic MacGuffin. I’m no cryptographer, so this one’s just too much for me. Any takers?

Central Vancouver Island Tourism: This one has legs if we want to believe that CVI is merely scoping out the camp to build a new resort. But, I’m not that easy a mark. The people in their web site photos look brainwashed. It’s kind of like watching old episodes of The Prisoner: a supposedly happy, happy life, but no room for dissent of any kind. A sentence disguised as a vacation (much like Club Med — little known fact). Are we going to see a CVI photo of a lobotomized Jim Groom on waterskis soon?

The Chidren’s Vision Initiative: This is an initiative of the Canadian Optometrists Association ensuring that “all children in Canada access and receive appropriate, quality eye health and vision care throughout the developmental years.” Does that mean harvesting corneas from unsuspecting Americans? Is the blue shed an operating room?

That’s all I  got. I leave it to any and all of you to pick up these threads, and try to piece together what’s going on here that Martha and Alan seem loathe to come clean about. Something’s up — it’s up to us to find out. Just sayin’.

 

 

 

Wrapping Up Some Daily Creativity for Camp

Sunday, June 3rd, 2012

In an effort to keep pace with Week 2 of DS106‘s Camp Magic Macguffin, I jumped into The Daily Create cycle. It was a busy week, so I only got around to finishing the required three. Also, I did create … Continue reading

Week 2 – Letter to Otto from the Security Tower

Sunday, June 3rd, 2012

A Letter to Otto

Dear Otto,

As you will see from the attached photo, the situation here is turning weird. An image on the Twitter this past week alerted me to the fact that a CDB Barkley made a reconnaissance mission from Mine Craft to the Always Be Reflecting parcel on Corona Cay. Apparently there are plans afoot that will lead to an operation to rescue me from this virtual world so that I may don a Sponge Bob shaped avatar in another one so that I may use a pick and shovel to help build a statue of the Bava. The only saving grace is that the people there are pretty awesome.

I’ve moved my operations into the Security Tower until the situation blows over. Though I feel I’m missing out so much of the fun and the goodness by being here instead of in one of the bunkhouses at Camp Magic MacGuffin, recent discoveries require that I continue my work here.

I was able to produce a couple of video tutorials on creating animated GIFs and turning those GIFs into a tga texture file. The final installment of the series will demonstrate how to bring the texture file into the virtual world, attach it to an object and animate it. I’m discovering through this process a deeper meaning than I’d ever imagined as to the utility of these simple animations. Unfortunately between the looming threat of a rescue mission and my own race against the clock, I fear there might not be the chance to demonstrate that deeper meaning before the end of camp.

Another complicating factor comes from an unrelated discovery. On Wednesday evening, I joined a virtual campfire session which was held in Google hangouts (it turns out that the thing was broadcast live with a recorded version stored on YouTube). Before joining, I had wondered whether it werepossible to present my Second Life screen in lieu of the web camera. But as the dean of digital storytelling and gothic netlore, Bryan Alexander, was scheduled to be in attendance, I felt it wouldn’t be cricket for me to show up as a cartoon. The campfire session was provocative and inspiring, you should watch the video when you have time.

The next day,  I did a few experiments and was eventually successful in running a Google Hangout OnAir while transmitting the Second Life screen. Though further experimentation is indicated, my initial impression of the potential for this format of transmission and archival of independently produced media surpasses even that of the simple elegance of the animated GIF.

So with so little time to figure so much stuff out, I imagine that I will continue to lag behind in the recommended tasks, activities and assignments for the Camp Magic MacGuffin. Fortunately, there is the chance to stay abreast of the amazing work being done by the other campers via the rss feed from the Camp website. The only complaint might be that there is too much good stuff that one cannot take it all in. I understand that new campers continue to arrive nearly every day so it’s not too late for you to participate should you be so moved.

Looking ahead, I’m putting together the finishing touches on a reprise of the old Daily Update video project. You’ve probably already figured out where this is going. Each installment will be done live as a Hangout from Second Life. Details are forthcoming.

Cordially,
scottlo

Adventures in Minecraft

Sunday, June 3rd, 2012

Dudes!  Check out the brick shanty I built in Minecraft!

my first Minecraft house

My Minecraft house.

 

The inside of my Minecraft house

Two images of my brick hut of which I am quite proud, because it took for EFFING ever to figure this game out.  I haven’t played a video game (other than free, online Tetris) in years.  Figuring out the controls takes some time seeing as how the keyboard commands are so different from what I do from day to day.

I should’ve worked on Minecraft a few weeks ago when I still had a slew of middle school kids to help me out.  Probably would’ve taken a lot less time if I didn’t have to toggle between the game and Google searches.  I admit getting frustrated at some point in the process and thinking, “This really isn’t worth my time.”  But I stuck with it, because there’s some gratification in overcoming challenges, getting outside of the comfort zone, learning something new, and all of that cliched horse palooey.  And it’s fun.

 

Appetite for destruction: tdc 146

Saturday, June 2nd, 2012

Root system

Today’s Daily Create prompt: take a photo that represents destruction.  Exposed root systems make me feel unsettled.  It’s like seeing a person’s innards on the outside.  That’s just not how it’s supposed to be.

ds106 – Digital storytelling summer camp

Friday, June 1st, 2012

Inspired by Jeff McClurken, I’m going to attend Camp Macgic Macguffin this summer as a virtual participant in ds106. I am already behind, but with school ending this week I hope to tackle more activities soon, as well as to involve my son. Self-directed learning in community, here I come. Mad props to Bunk 4.

Here are a few of my early responses to The Daily Create, and following those are screenshots of my new (in-progress) pad on the ds106 Minecraft server.

The Daily Create 137

The Daily Create 137

The Daily Create 138

The Daily Create 138

@chadsansing's beach house & mine

@chadsansing’s beach house & mine

@chadsansing's beach house & mine

@chadsansing’s beach house & mine

I’m thrilled to find two other NWP teachers in my bunk, and it’s been great to “meet” and see the work of familiar tweeps at play. If you want to practice digital story-telling this summer and learn how it feels as a learner, I say join in!

Dear Family: a letter home from Camp Magic Macguffin (week #2)

Friday, June 1st, 2012

Dear Family,

I arrived at camp a little late, so I’m feeling behind and a little overwhelmed.  While everyone is skinny dipping in the lake tonight or making out in the poison ivy, I’ll be catching up on videos, articles, daily creates, and so on and so forth.  My bunk mates seem pretty cool and friendly, which helps.

You were right about camp not being as awkward as I thought it would be.  I dipped my toe into Minecraft today.  I’m looking forward to playing that more.  I’m also looking forward to becoming more adept at toggling between the Minecraft window and TeamSpeak window.  I feel pretty clumsy, but also motivated by the small amount of progress I made.

Ok.  Ok.  I’ll say it again.  You were right.  I’m glad I’m here.  I’m glad I didn’t wait until next year to sign up like I had planned.  I wanted to learn more about WordPress this summer.  I wanted to get into Minecraft this summer.  Camp Magic Macguffin is letting me do that and with other people.  Things aren’t quite as intimidating when there are other folks around.  There are other people to flouder with.  There are other people to help guide me through the road blocks.  So yeah…  I’m excited about camp.

That’s it family.  Until next week…

Mel

A Momentous Moment, Sure Enough

Friday, June 1st, 2012

Though this particular video is nothing to write the congressman about, I think it hints at some exciting possibilities. It was just a lark that led me to see if it was possible to transmit from Second Life in Google Plus.

My first idea was to use the application I’d used before when doing something similar with Justin TV a year or so ago. That application is called CamTwist. It worked but not nearly as well as it did when I used the screen sharing feature of G+ Hangout (as seen in the video above).

So now I’m getting more and more excited with Lisa’s suggestion to have a dance party during the midterm week of Camp Magic MacGuffin. For those unwilling or too scared to venture in to SL, it will be possible to watch the event live.

But who’s gonna choose the music? That is an important question.

 

Diving into the DS106 Pool and Camping Magic Macguffin Style – Part 2

Friday, June 1st, 2012

Watching Michael Wesch‘s lecture “From Knowledgeable to Knowledge-able” (part 1 and part 2) was a great return to some  thought provoking material for me. I had the fortune of meeting Wesch briefly and seeing an earlier version of this lecture … Continue reading