The Community Newsletter

Cablecar Gal - Greetings Virtual Times Readers
Editors gatherings & watching football tail gating at home. It could not get any better. I am ready for fall to arrive. Aside from the cooler weather. Greeting
November-Fall brings about a lot of changes. We turn back our clocks in most of the USA. It also brings about my favorite time of the year the Holidays, family and the turning of the leaves this season brings a routine and rhythm that seem to be missing with summertime.

With the Holidays fast approaching us and time on the short supply for most of us with our families and our jobs & perhaps going to school or perhaps your retired it is all about time management.
And finding the time for Activeworlds and the many events that will be happening around Activeworlds . In this issue were going to focus Fall in love with Fall. And in our garden section the beginners guide to house plants, & protecting our 4 legged family members. Were also going to introduction Tackle Tech ; what is the difference between a X avatar and a Activeworlds Avatar How many of you know the difference? I have a expert on this subject and we will introduce you to her. And in the fun department we are going to introduce to you a mystery location in around Activeworlds . And I am told that Virtual Fork will be making appearance here with another rib sticking easy to make recipe. Virtual Spoon will also be making appearance as well. 4 ways for Winter Squash. Mashed , roasted or baked the varied and versatile gourds fit perfectly for Thanksgiving & its healthy eating too.

Mystery Build

The Build of the Month

Mythopia - Starheart

Many talented builds are here in this world. You will want to be sure to visit all the sites of this world. There is a vast array of themes and talented inspiration. Here is a sample of some of the great things you can see.
	A world of Mystery & journey. This world show cases the beauty of a far away land. And brings to light the technology that we as Citizens can share. The use of a bot , that changes the light of the world, also show cases custom made models. Which can be purchased by clicking on various signs. As I explored around the world I was totally amazed and how beautiful & peaceful setting it was the music that I heard was both relaxing and and peaceful.
	It was established in mid 2002. Originally it was a p30 and then expanded to a p50 for many years. The oldest build is September 12 2002 at location 19S 17W. It is the only build using all AW megapath objects. There are a few trees from Elysium, all the other objects are made by Starheart. The world Theme is a Fantasy Medieval world and the big grey castle was the first build with Starheart's own objects.
	There is much to see here. There are teleport signs that will guide you around the world to various sights. You will feel like your in a far far away land. Perhaps in Europe some where or Germany perhaps. Active Worlds is rich in Talent in many forms the art of building, the art of model making The idea that if you see something you want to re-create it in your space on your own time in Alpha world or else where. We as citizens of Active Worlds have that power to create to view and to enjoy & most of all share with the world our creations. I hope as the Editor in Chef this will continue in addition to this as I expand my journey to find other worlds of the month .If you have a world that you would like to show case please do gram myself or one of my staff members.

So here you go another creation not to miss. This world is all about dreams, and like dreams you never know what you will find. So take the time to really explore this build; surprise will be found round every corner. There is even a nice boat ride a museum to learn a wonderful teleport center and much more wonders for the eyes and ears and more. But spoilers for sure if I tell much more. So explore and enjoy the adventure. If you think you have seen it all, trust me you have not.If you would like your builds to feature in the Aw Virtual times, please telegram Cablecar Gal. If you build it and tell us, they will come, that is, if they know the coordinates. So send us your builds and coordinates. Any description or comments you would like to add will also be greatly appreciated. Alternatively, you can email jloawsac@gmail.com. Back to Top

Virtual Spoon

Recipes

Virtual Spoon here: Hello . Recipes for the month of November focus on Time away from the kitchen and more on the family and friends. Bon Appetit Active Worlds

The pressure is on folks. To come up with hearty, healthy rib sticking recipes that are easy on a budget, time savers at best, and will feed the food critic at heart. You know how difficult that is for a Virtual Spoon. Well If you have not figured it out yet. Let me inform you it is hard. You have a hungry person here, and if I am trying to get back to building around Active Worlds or just want to chatter with a fellow AW Citizen it has to be quick.

I hope the recipes below will help you when you can not think what shall I make for dinner. If you have a recipe you would like to share. Please send it to jloawsac@gmail.com

Virtual Fork

This is another recipe i have prepared several times , it is a vegetarian recipe, and delicious.

When Halloween runs to an end, it is time to use your pumpkins for pumpkin pie, or pumpkin soup. But you can also use some leftovers for this recipe.

Butternut pumpkin with chick peas and feta cheese

INGREDIENTS :

You need 1 butternut pumpkin of approx.1.2kg, or you can use ordinary pumpkin, it is just a matter of presentation of using a butternut pumpkin or not.
The weight of 1.2kg is also only indicative , you can also use 2kg of pumpkin, it will still be in proportion with the other ingredients.

100g of feta cheese , this is sheep cheese (or also goat cheese) which is used in the greek kitchen, but which you can find everywhere in the supermarkets. You can also use 200g feta cheese instead, because it is mostly sold in this quantity.

75g of greec yoghurt, also here you can use a larger quantity , and you can also use cottage cheese instead.

100g of chick peas : use this quantity if you use dry chick peas : the evening before you make this recipe, you put these chick peas into a bowl of water. The next day, the chick peas will have a double volume. (Or you can use 200g of canned chick peas , then you can use them immediately.)
A handful of fresh spinach, you can also use a lot more, and use it in proportion with the quantity of pumpkin and feta you use . 200g of spinach or even more is still ok for this recipe

A handful of parsley. (or basil)

1 red bell pepper.

Olive oil.

Peper and salt.

PREPARATION :

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius.
Cut the butternut pumpkin in halves. And remove the pumpkin seeds.
Put the pumpkins in an oven dish (or upon an oven plate if the pumpkin pieces are too large.)
Cover the pumpkin flesh very well with olive oil.
Now put the pumpkins 40 minutes in the oven until the pumpkin has become soft.

Take the pumpkin out of the oven, and let it cool off so that is it is not too hot for the next thing:
Remove the pumpkin meat with a spoon.

Now you can choose : either you choose to keep to peel as to fill it up with the mixture that we will prepare now, or you use an oven dish, that is big enough for all the ingredients.

Cut the pumpkin meat into small pieces.
Cut the red bell pepper into small cubes.
Cut the parsley and the spinach into small pieces
Cut the feta cheese into small cubes.

Mix the yoghurt, the chich peas, the feta cheese , the spinach , parsley and the red bell pepper, and the pumpkin meat.
Add a bit of pepper and salt.

Now put his mixture into the pumpkin peel(s) or in the oven dish.
And put this again into the preheated oven during 15-20 minutes (200°c).

Then it is ready to serve !

F.Y.I.

Pet Wise

The dog tag with 10x more information than a regular dog tag
You'd do anything to keep your four legged friend safe, which is why Wag! Tag was created. Wag! Tag is the smarter dog tag for your pup! Holding 10x more information than a standard dog tag and an easy to scan QR code to quickly identify a lost dog. How it works: 1. Register your tag. 2. Fill in your dogs profile with contact information, return instructions & any special information. 3. If found, easily scanned tag will display your contact information. 4. No batteries needed. This simple dog tag can make all the difference when trying to retrieve your lost dog.
Mushrooms to know about
So, when it comes to mushrooms, how does a dog guardian know which ones are poisonous versus which ones are safe?

There are thousands of mushrooms out there, but only about 100 types are poisonous. (Don’t worry about mushrooms sold in large-chain grocery stores – these are safe and considered non-toxic to dogs and humans). Depending on what type of mushroom is accidentally ingested, poisoning can be seen even with just a small bite. Mushrooms are very difficult to identify, and that should only be done by mycologists.  

When in doubt, the veterinarians always assume worst-case scenario… that each mushroom is poisonous when ingested by dogs or cats. When it comes to mushrooms, they can result in different types of poisoning, depending on what species of mushroom is ingested

The most dangerous type of mushroom is the Amanita, which contains amanitin toxins. Clinical signs seen from this mushroom include severe gastrointestinal signs (within 6-24 hours), a “false recovery” period (where your dog appears to get better), and then severe liverr failure (at 36-48 hours post-mushroom exposure). Acute kidney inijury can also develop in the end stages. These types of deadly mushrooms include Amanita, Galerina, Lepiota, A. phalloids (death cap, death angel), and A. ocreata.
The Inocybe spp. and Clitocybe dealbata mushrooms contain the toxin muscarine and cause profuse SLUDE signs (e.g., salivation, lacrimation, urination, diarrhea) and neurologic signs.
Amanita muscaria and A. pantherina are a different type of Amanita that contain the toxins muscimol and ibotenic acid. Clinical signs from this type of mushroom include ‘walking drunk,’ severe sedation, tremors or even seseizures
The false morel (Gyromitra spp.) causes profuse vomiting and diarrhea and is generally not fatal. Rarely, it can cause seizures.

Some types of mushrooms just cause gastrointestinal irritation (e.g., vomiting and diarrhea) and are rarely life threatening when ingested. Signs can be seen in 1-6 hours, and generally resolve after 1-2 days. These types of mushrooms include the following types: Agaricus, Boletus, Entoloma.
Hallucinogenic mushrooms aren’t life-threatening and rarely need treatment. That said, signs of ataxia, acting abnormal, howling, abnormal eye movement and hyperthermia can be seen when dogs ingest them. These types of mushrooms include the following types: Psilocybe, Conocybe, Gymnopilus spp.
What if you notice your dog eat a mushroom?
If you notice your dog eat a mushroom, get to a veterinarian or emergencyveterinarian immediately. The sooner you bring your dog in, the sooner we can decontaminate (e.g., induce vomiting or administer activated charcoal to bind the poison from the stomach and treat your dog; this will be less expensive and less damaging to your dog. Additional treatment often includes IV fluids, blood work monitoring (for 2 days), liver protectant drugs, anti-vomiting medication and supportive care. If you wait until clinical signs develop, it may be too late to treat your dog effectively.

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Build Tips 

The Garden

Amaryllis

Georgia Department of Agriculture - Arty G. Schronce -I remember my first amaryllis. I asked my father to buy it while he was purchasing seed at Brawley Seed Company in Mooresville, N.C. It was in a pot with two stalks with large buds. Daddy had never heard of one, but I had seen pictures and knew I wanted it. Within a week or two, the large, velvet, red flowers opened and everyone in the family and at our church (where it made a beautiful altarpiece) knew the name “amaryllis.” That original amaryllis and its offspring continued to give us flowers for many years. But more important than the flowers, my first amaryllis gave me an abiding love for all amaryllises. What’s not to love about an amaryllis? This lily-like bulb is easy to grow, and the flowers are spectacular. At this time of year you may see bulbs for sale or specimens already potted and ready to bloom. Here are some tips: Plant the bulb in a pot one to two inches wider than the widest part of the bulb (i.e. a bulb three inches in diameter would need a pot at least five to seven inches in diameter.) The pot should have drainage holes at the bottom and be at least as tall as the bulb is to allow room for adequate root growth and to provide ballast to keep the plant from tipping over when the stalks and blooms appear. Terra cotta pots are best as they are heavier and do not stay as wet as plastic pots. Use a well drained potting soil. You may want to add one part sand or perlite to three or four parts potting soil to insure good drainage. Plant the bulb up to its widest point, water it thoroughly and set it in a sunny window. The bulb will flower in six to eight weeks. Water only when fairly dry. You will need to increase watering as leaves and stalks appear. After flowering, keep the plant in a sunny spot and set it outdoors for the summer. You may give it one or two feedings with liquid fertilizer in early and mid summer. In fall, set your amaryllis in a dark place indoors and stop watering it. Let it remain dormant for at least two months. Then begin watering to start the process again. Some people like to repot the bulbs every year. Amaryllis can be propagated by separating the small bulbs that form at the base of the larger bulbs. They can also be grown from seed. Take some of the pollen (the yellow dust at the tips of the curved stamens) and place it at the tip of the pistil (the single, longer, straighter flower part that is beneath the stamens.) As the flower fades, the pod at the base of the flower will swell. When it turns yellow and begins to break open, collect the seeds (they look like dry, flattened raisins) and sow them in vermiculite or a seed-starting mixture. When they sprout they will look like grass. In a few weeks bulbs will begin to form. Transplant the seedlings to larger pots and keep them growing in a sunny location. Do not let them go dormant. In four or five years the bulbs will be big enough to bloom. Yes, I know that is a long time, but it allows you to get many bulbs and, if you have two different kinds of amaryllis blooming at the same time, you can cross-pollinate to create your own hybrids. That is what I did several years ago and my hybrids bloomed for the first time this year. I crossed a small, orange variety with a red one. Some of the offspring had traits from both parents and some had traits that neither parent exhibited. While my hybrids are not going to split the amaryllis world wide open, I am proud of them. And I have ordered different colors to cross with them to create what I hope will be a new generation of extraordinary and unique amaryllises. I’ll make my crosses and cross my fingers.

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Grow Blueberries for Free from Seed

Pelican - There are many types of blueberries. Some require long, cold winter rests, while others live in the warmth of the south. No matter where you live, local farmers usually are growing the right blueberries. Making it even easier, those farmers are usually selling those same blueberries to your local grocer.

When purchasing your blueberries, you'll be swamped with a myriad of blueberry brands to the point of indecision. There is only one consideration and that is to buy domestic blueberries. Blueberries imported from other countries are irradiated rendering the internal seeds non-viable. Non-viable seed will never germinate.

Two handfuls of domestic blueberries and two cups of water will make a soupy mixture pulsed in a blender. Slowly pour off the liquid leaving the seeds at the bottom of the container. (Dont worry about any floating seeds, they wont germinate either.) Add more water and repeat the process until the water stays clear and you can capture a nice collection of seed.

If you live in a cooler climate, freeze your seed for 6-8 weeks prior to planting. This dormancy method, called 'stratification' is needed by many plants to germinate their seed.

A good rule of thumb for planting depth is 'Four times the thickness of the seed.' Blueberries are fairly small so they shouldn't be planted deep at all. That's good fortune because blueberries also require light to germinate. One method of planting is to moisten sphagnum moss and distribute the seeds across the surface. Planting indoors is okay if you can give them bright indirect light. Outdoors is best.

Be patient. Some blueberries can take up to three months to appear. But rest assured that in 1-2 years you will have the pleasure of harvesting your very first blueberries. Back to Top

Alaska, Midtown Cafe, Earwax, Weir City, Mompracem

Tackle Tech

Avatars

Imagine - I was asked to explain the difference between rwx, and .x avatars.

The diference for me is this. The .rwx avatars, are made in separate parts. Such as, head, neck torso, upper arms, lower arms, wrists, and each finger in it's sections. All avatars must have a pelvis. The legs have, upper leg, lower leg, ankles, and toes.

When these parts are put together, usually in a program called 'Accutrans', they are each given a name, and told where to put the joints. These parts are still separated tho. So, personally, when i do use .rwx, I will make a little extrnsion part on the ends of each part. This is so that when the parts bend in the world, it isn't a flat square part that shows at the joint.

This separation at each joint, is why I use the .x avatars. I make my avatar models in a program called 'Wings3d'. Even if i am making an .rwx avatar, i still make the model in wings.

For a .x avatar, the model can be all one piece, from top to bottom. It can be, however, I also switch out parts sometimes. Parts such as hair, and clothes. So, the main body is a single object. Not separate parts.

Also, one difference between .rwx and .x is, when a .rwx blinks, it is either a film strip animation or, separate eyelids. In my .x files, I put an eyelash on the lid, and select the lash area, and that is what blinks, by pulling down the eyelids. No separate eyelid.

A .rwx, also has separate parts on the face, if it is to use a smile animation, it will have a separate jaw, and parts on the sides of the mouth, so it can make the mouth move in to a smile.

One big differance between .rwx and .x is this. In AW, I for one, try to keep the polygon count as far down as possible and, still have a nice avatar. But, when each and every part is separate, that makes way more polygons to count.

So, in case you haven't guessed, i prefer .x avatar. They can have fewer polygons, and the joints move and look way smoother.

BTW, I use blender to skin my avatars but, i still cut them up in to parts so that, i can use accutrans to make animations.

I hope this helps a bit. I know it's probably confusing. On occasion, i still get confused too.

Around AW

Starships in Activeworlds

The Starship Glory aw 2629.73S 3278.62E 10.35a 85

The starship Pandora aw 2610.08S 3356.58E 25.40a

13 Unfinished builds by Ferruccio

The Starship Glory was originally given to me in 2007 in Outerworlds by Amprilla as a gift. As I do have my own starship fleet. As life got busy and the glory was so complete. Its like having the same model of cars. 

You can have multiple ships in a fleet. One in AW one in other worlds creates a twin and then another so each copy could equal 20 ships on their own.

My starships can travel through space, orbit planets, go to warp. I feel it does the build justice to have it used. I was able to finish the Pandora and link the unfinished hallways to create a complete ship you could walk around.

The shuttles and runabouts also function on their own as the theme story requires. I've never met Ferruccio I respect his work deeply. All builds are linked to the original.

The Universe fleet has made contact with a few interesting aliens.

1: Mer folk - From outerworlds - Oceanic. When the universe expired some merfolk survived. A stargate existed. Secret pockets of merfolk exist under the deep waters of some worlds.

One world was found when a stargate team arrived in a small cave.

A mysterious force of water flushed the team down a drain where the team was kept for study. Like fish in a bowl were people in an air pocket.

Other stargate teams came to the caverns in search of the lost team but none could activate the hidden controls to exit the cavern.

Other mer folk travel water world to water world. When needed the cavern fills with water allowing them to swim through the stargate portal.

If one could leave the cavern they would find a moon pool. From there is a entry point to the mer colony.

On April 20 2019 I saw a post on facebook from tart sugar. Someone who could make use of a p20. I was limited to two p10s and some builds are bigger. Tart sugar's original idea was an alien space station. I needed a place to park my starships until I could go back to a larger world size of my own. The themes overlapped.

The stargate network connected to Starscape. Ancient ruins surrounded by rocks. The ancient ruins are relay stations between alternate universes. Most found are abandoned. Just a station alone in space or on worlds. This relay station had a hidden entry to an under ground base.
The first relay station with living "ancient" aliens.
A starship was sent to make contact with these natives. Or explore the empty ruins in more detail with the resources of a ship. Stargate teams are limited to only what supplies they are able to carry with them.

After a few months of studying the ruins the natives came out of hiding and used their transporter to beam themselves on board the starship. They invited the ship crew to tour their underground city. From the ruins under the stargate a transporter brings them deeper underground.

The aliens appear as Monks they mine the world resources. Power modules are filled and exported off to other worlds.

Over time it is revealed that these aliens are trying to evolve into energy beings. Systems and worlds have been wiped out when they overload their planets core and the planet expires. The radiation some how causes them to ascend.

The Universe fleet Starship has been exploring the systems around the original base found. There is another base near by a shuttle was able to travel to and explore. The Monks own ships traveled back and forth shipping power modules to other systems that need them.

By the time this article is posted the world will have expired 10/26/2019.
It is not currently known what caused the world to expire.
Deep Space 9 and the universe fleet are working with the Monks trying to find safer ways to mine what they need to ascend. The world will shift into a fractured alternate universe. What this means to the universe at large only time will tell.

DeepSpace9

On September 21 2019 the real world lost Aron Eisenberg. The internet responded by holding online memorials. Startrek Online because of his involvement in Star trek Deep space nine as the character Nog. Aron Eisenberg reprises his role for that game. World of warcraft also honored him because he played World of Warcraft with his son.

The reaction by the internet online communities was something we don't see enough. Most of the internet is filled with negative. I grew up online. My best friends were online on Outerworlds a sister universe to Activeworlds.

And I don't trust my kids to talk to strangers online today because of the online perception.

I am a fan of Star trek Deep space nine. One of my favorite episodes stars Aron Eisenberg. Season 7 episode 10. Nog lost his leg in the Dominion war. He uses the holosuite program to heal himself mentally and go on with his life. This I can relate to. After my mom died of cancer in 1997 when I was 13. And when I lost my dad in 2009. I used the story lines of my worlds to push me in the real world. I found work and my family, I kept my family home.

Deep space 9 is based on the tv series space station and the Stargate Atlantis city from that series. I adapted it. Some stations have stargates on board. The stations are hubs for starship exploration sent out into deep space and new areas for expansion. The first station traveled to myspace.com in an attempt to bring people and ideas back to Outerworlds/activeworlds. It can land on worlds, travel through space. Not limited to one location at slow speeds. I thought that was an improvement.

Citizens are encouraged to build.

Its a space station which means a steady flow of travelers passing by at any given time. Apartments / guest rooms are available.

Promenade the shopping center of the station. Key locations On the show: Quarks bar was the favorite spot. Odo's security office, Medical center, Bajoran temple. Citizen shops can be anything from an office about you to a flower shop.

The Holosuite was a part of quarks bar. The holodeck is a simulator so any theme could be created and linked to the holodeck.

Cargo bays storage areas for ships and station needs.

Docking ports are around the outside of the station. Landing pads for smaller shuttles.

With the new feature of groups if you send me the awg your small ships can be placed anywhere.

The current story theme. Exploring a new area of deep space at the very edge of Activeworlds.

Games, Comics, etc.

Dewey and PoPo the Sock Puppet

Solution