Already having my own domain and website, as well as nearly all of the requisite social media accounts, completing Week 1 of DS106 – Camp Magic Macguffin was a pretty easy thing to start. The bulk of the first … Continue reading
Dear Otto,
As the first week of Camp Magic MacGuffin draws to a close, I wanted to take a moment to drop you a line. Perhaps you are wondering why I never picked you up in my Winnabego along the way to camp as we had planned. The reason I never made it to your place in Bay City is because the RV got stuck in the sand when I took a little detour in to the virtual world called Second Life.
I remain on a beach on an island chain called Corona Cay and have yet to arrive at the camp. Fortunately the internet connection here is good enough that I’m able take part in some of the camp activities.
This past week for example, I was able to do three installments of The Daily Create. Two of the three snapshots I uploaded were taken in my recent explorations in Second Life. You’ll be happy to know that one of the images even confounded your old nemisis: The Bava. How sick is that?
I’ve heard via the twitter that some feel I’ve gone a bit off the ds106 script with my renewed enthusiasm for this immersive 3D virtual reality experience. I’ve discovered in my short time here that such an online environment offers an unlimited palette for creative expression across a spectrum of media. It seems to me that this is the sort of space that digtial storytellers would want to seek out
I must confess that I’ve been so focused on my personal project of building an emporium for animated GIFs that I’ve been a wee bit negligent on meeting all of the required Camp Magic MacGuffin tasks. I was fortunate enough to get to spend some time with Camp Co-director Cogdog on the ds106 radio this past weekend. He an Martha have done a lovely job of getting the camp up and running.
The only thing I think this camp needs is you. It should still be possible to register a blog and join in from a distance – as I am. Better yet, perhaps Stella or Merrill could assist you in making the journey from Bay City.
Think how much benefit your inspirational Vince Lombardi Troll Quote posters would bring the campers campers. You don’t need me to remind you how much this open-online scene would benefit from a little good olde fashioned Prussian strategic thinking. From there, it’s just a hop, skip and a jump to monetization.
Obviously, you are welcome to come join me in Second Life. A few of the other campers have popped in for the odd visit. There’s even talk of doing an ice cream social or something on the beach here on an upcoming Sunday.
Bottom line, there are seven more weeks of fun in store. You and anybody else reading this will regret not getting involved in Camp Magic MacGuffin.
Inscrutibly yours,
–scottlo
While I have more than enough already to do, this week I decided to dust off the old Fritzwinkle.com and jump into this summer’s version of DS106, Camp Magic Macguffin. Since I have been doing a lot of research and … Continue reading
First, I see Alan’s video about being in Canada with “corporate.” Then, Martha is hard to find (is she ever HERE?? — I hear she has a “history” of sorts). Then, some person posts an image on The Daily Create that looks as though it was ripped from my nightmare last night:
Hatchet Jack is a little too “friendly,” if you ask me. Especially after dark. And a girl can’t be too careful.
Is it just me, or does it seem like there’s something going on under the surface here that just doesn’t feel right? I’m starting to sleep with my footlocker on the bed with me. I’ve taken to hoarding food in my bunk because I’m afraid to go to the mess hall – and Sloppy Joes do NOT make good bunkmates, let me tell you.
Something’s got to be done to make us all feel safer, but it feels like no one’s in charge. Maybe after I’ve got my bunk assignments settled, I’ll feel better.
Long day of recording ahead tomorrow — lots of tracks to lay down for the “Under Pressure” project. So I’m going try to sleep now…
…fancying a little Wild Irish Rose…
…Darn you Hatchet Jack!
I met the some counselors and campers around the campfire today. Some of them were a little shifty, and I was wondering if they were trying to trick me into giving them the combination to my footlocker, which I will never divulge. All in all, a nice bunch, albeit, a little quirky.
A few folks have submitted vocal tracks for the Under Pressure Glam Rock project, and I’m PSYCHED! @timmmmyboy (whoever he is) has such a set of pipes on him! That guy can wail! Also got some tracks from @rowan_peter and @cherylcolan that are TO DIE FOR!!
I’m planning on laying down some instrumental tracks this weekend. Thinking of uploading the arrangements to SoundCloud AND the midi data to DropBox if others want to impose alternate instrumentation on the tracks. But, I’m using Garage Band, and it doesn’t support midi. UGH! Can I export to Audacity, and export to midi from there? Any audio geeks out there, Andy Rush? I don’t want to buy Logic.
Thanks all! Going to fetch some chow and dust my footlocker for prints.
I’m a child of the 70s, so glam rock is where it’s at for me! I saw Elton at the Garden in ’76 when he dressed up as the Statue of Liberty and rose up from a trap door in the stage floor. In an instant, my mind was opened to a new world of anything goes! It was that and all the smoke.
Topping the list of my favorites are David Bowie and Freddy Mercury of Queen. In the early 80s, they collaborated on an amazing song and video called “Under Pressure.” The video looks like a mashup you’d see on the web today, completely ahead of its time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWca8OGaR0U .
While I’m laying down some basic tracks, I initially need vocals. We can use them as reference tracks as we go along, or we may keep them, who knows? For now, vocals is what I need.”Under Pressure” resonates more today than during the Reagan era that it was born to. This song begs for a revisit in the 21st century using the 21st century’s capability for crowdsourcing. So, what say you, campers and all those DS106 people out there? Help me with the first step.
Please do me the favor of uploading a track of your singing, shouting, talking, or overdramatically-reading the lyrics to the song Under Pressure. Please do it acapella (that means no instrumentation, just your voice). If you are off-key, that’s what autotune is for, if we need to. I kinda like offkey. I will be laying down the initial tracks in the original E flat major if you are musically inclined. Otherwise, on-key is optional 
The lyrics are here:
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/queen/underpressure.html
How to upload and record? Get a SoundCloud account. You caneither record right there or upload right there. Then, put your track in the “Zazzy Under Pressure” group at http://soundcloud.com/groups/zazzy-under-pressure .
Looking forward to hearing you explore your vocal chops, as they say in the “BIZ.”
A quick post… I’ve got a few goals for my summer at Camp that may take me slightly off the beaten path from the rest of the campers. I guess that’s one of the great things about being a DS106 graduate: I can set my own assignment schedule!
I want to focus on video and audio assignments, particularly the latter, because I’m quite weak in the audio department. My talents lie in the visual/design and the written world, and I think my blog reflects that; you don’t see much of those assignments.
Camping Pod by Sheep"R"Us
Click here to see this image on Flickr.
Also, I plan to participate in Camp NaNoWriMo in June and August, and I would like to do more traditional artwork–painting, that is to say. I’ve discovered a real passion for painting this year, and my foray isn’t entirely separate from DS106. I really allowed myself to embrace the artist within me after the Summer of Oblivion. I felt myself come alive during that time like I had not felt in a while, and I finally accepted that creativity is an essential part of my life–not just writing, but all kinds of creativity.
Separate from DS106, I’d like to work in exercise and The Daily Create as part of my daily routine. I’ve successfully added 750words.com into my schedule, so it’s time to take the next step.
Here’s a little video greeting to all my fellow Camp Magic MacGuffin campers. Though I can’t join you in person, I will do my best to be there virtually.
For those able and interested, there’s an open invitation to stop by the Always Be Reflecting parcel at Corona Cay.
Leelzebub continues to set the pace with her recent outpouring of fun and inspiring ds106 assignments. I learned more about using photoshop in the 90 plus minutes it took me to do the Warhol This assignment than I ever did watching those YouTube tutorials that the youngsters like to make nowadays. And that’s one of the great and wacky things about doing these things.
What at the beginning looked like a quick and easy warm up assignment for Camp Magic MacGuffin (it begins tomorrow, BTW), turned into a serious challenge. It again forced me to confront the digital skill set I am least comfortable with: image editing. I haven’t a clue about color, perspective and all that jazz. I’ll certainly look at Warhol’s soup cans with greater appreciation after my struggle to follow this helpful tutorial in trying to make something out of this old Second Life snapshot I found in my inventory recently.
And I suppose this virtual friend from a long time ago is where the story in this assignment is. She and I met at the headquarters building of the now defunct Communist Party of Second Life. The group had formed in playful opposition to the then rampant commercialization taking place in SL. Lots of PR and marketing firms were trying to get their clients to invest big in the virtual world. It was supposed to be the next big thing.
Though it was just a few years ago that I dabbled in such politics and activism, I’d completely forgotten about it until I found the photos of this character whose name I cannot for the life of me recall. There’s even the possibility that the avatar was me. How’s that for weird?
And suddenly there are dozens of potential story lines fighting for my attention. They’re just begging me to run with them for a little while to see what happens. There’s been a lot of these unexpected imaginative flights of fancy these days. The text files needing to be revised and revisited are piling up like Oreo cookie crumbs on a Tardis (new series) bed.
But I haven’t time for such frivolity. I need to get my bags packed for CMM. Leelzebub is miles ahead and I’m stuck on Corona Cay with my domestic Daleks. They don’t even exterminate intruders while I’m away. Things are getting serious here – very serious.
Sorry, but camp is over! Head over to ds106
The Campfires have all been put out.
Camp is now over (see the final story. If you are craving an experience like this, head over to ds106 and see how to participate. For more on the Summer of Magic Macguffin, see.....
