VOL II

FEBRUARY ISSUE 005

Build of the Month

Build Tips

What's New In This Issue

Greeting from Editor In Chef of Aw_Virtual_Life News Letter.

Wishing you & yours a Very Happy February. This is the month that we think of things that we want to change some aspects of our life. Well you have a entire Month to ponder and make those changes.
Another New month ahead of us. Another new chance to make do on those New Years resolutions or we have broken one already and said we won't break another one. And we will do better this month. 2020 It sounds odd to me I will always relate it to the Tv Show.
It’s February, so by now you’ve hopefully taken down all of your Christmas decorations. Or Hanukkah decorations. Stored them in the garage or a closet until next Holiday Season.
Or are you putting this off? This is the year I am purchasing a world or I will build more in many of the worlds in ActiveWorlds. I will explore more worlds.

And if you haven’t, taken down the Holiday Decorations yet don’t worry about it. They’re sparkly and pretty and the neighbors have no reason to complain. Tell them that you will take them down after the Supper Bowl. By now the teams have been picked . And I do hope that one of your's is playing.
Your Editor in Chef is partial to one team. Can any one guess who that may be. Gram me please. Or post the answer in the forums. Inquiring minds want to know.

February may be the shortest month, but that doesn’t keep it from being very, very busy.
President’s Day is in February.
Lunar New Year is in February.
Groundhog Day is in February.
And there’s another holiday in February that’s very important. I just wish I could remember it.
It happens every year and I forget It every year. Cupid seems to miss me. And I am are sure around the world there are other Holidays for the month of February. That you as well will forget it and a Family member may just remind you of.
What is that day in February I’m trying to remember?

It’s somewhere in the middle of the month. People celebrate it all over the world. I just wish I could remember it.
Valentine’s Day! That’s it! Isn't it the day when Men are suppose to bring Us
Women Flowers, and chocolate and not tear up a honey to do list. And promise the women in his Life to always do the dishes with out being asked to do them. And make the bed for them and change the sheets once a week after all they sleep in the bed too. Yea that is it.

Mystery Build

If you have a build or a site that you would like people to find gram me and the staff will check this out. jloawsac@gmail.com

February Mystery Build of the Month.
Can you find this Object. Get your boots on and start exploring. See if you can locate this object. Please do gram one of the AW_Virtual_ life news letter team members. The prize will be bragging rights. In our next news letter for March. Wish you all a Very Happy Month of February 2020.

If you have a mystery build that you would like to share with Our community please do gram one of our Staff members and your Editor Chef I will surely contact you and will post this in the March issue of Our news letter.

The Build of the Month

Harp

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.

Lensman - My world harps is a unique application of Activeworlds technology. Those of you who know me are well aware of my passion regarding building information rooms. An information room allows me to pull web content into a virtual environment. One of the original purposes of Activeworlds was the construction of a 3D interface to the World Wide Web. This vision was largely lost. However, the tools to interface a virtual world with 2D web content remains as strong as ever. The idea simple by using the activate URL command a user to click a sign and opens a website. The concept does not require the use of search engine or a separate browser Harps is only one of two worlds in our universe extensively utilizing these capabilities. The other world is AWSource. Harps came about when I decided to take all of the research I had done on playing the harp when I started and put it in a virtual world. I came by all of this information during my first two years of harp ownership. I was attempting to teach myself to play the harp using the web. I ultimately decided to get a teacher who did make all the difference as far as my playing. However, I had a lot of links I dumped into a database, all related to playing the harp. Harps started as a P 10 world and was one of the original 3D webpages. It has since expanded to its current size. It contains over 2000 harp related information rooms. The concept is simple. You enter one of the pavilions, and a webpage opens. Harps also supports social media. By that, I mean lots of people can use the resource at one time and discuss issues they may have among one another. Harps is also supported by a Facebook page wherein new additions and concerns regarding the virtual world get posted. I have been maintaining the world for close to 20 years. I try to keep it relevant, and I encourage you to come and visit\. Article published in the Winter 2015 “Harp Journal”

The Harp Journal

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

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 Spoon HERE. Game is on this month. Our recipes for this month are all about the Super Bowl & Parties & the commercials. Who can forget the Frogs & the Coke Cola commercials. What was the name of the football player in that commercial? One Coke Cola Commercial where the little boy hands the football player the bottle of Coke Cola. Post your answer in the forum. Inquiring minds want to know.
Are you old enough to remember that commercial? And one of my favorite is the Budweiser Commercials with the horses. If you have a favorite Super Bowl Commercial send our staff a gram or post in the forums which commercial was your favorite we will post it in the March issue of our News letter.

Shortcut Party Ideas for Game Day
The game will be on, and yes, there will be food. But you really don’t have to make all of it from scratch. It’s good to work a few store-bought items into your spread to make the day easier. Save the frozen pizza for family movie night and check out the following supermarket staples. Each is a cinch to dress up in unexpectedly tempting ways, saving you time and leaving your crowd full and happy
Game-Day Party Recipes

Have plenty on hand.
No one really needs a new reason to eat a bacon cheeseburger -- but we've got one that will send you speeding into your kitchen. With all the fixings rolled up into dough and baked, you've got the classic flavors in an irresistible new package that makes it easy and fun to share with your friends. Don't forget the special sauce! ..

Bacon Cheeseburger Garbage Bread

Level: Easy
Total: 1 hr 55 min (includes cooling time)
Active: 50 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef chuck
12 ounces American cheese slices (about 30 slices)
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 1/2 pounds store-bought pizza dough, at room temperature (see Cook's Note)
5 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
12 strips cooked bacon, broken in half
One 32-ounce jar dill pickle chips (35 to 40 chips)
Sesame seeds, for garnish
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring to break it up into small crumbles, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, roughly chop half of the cheese, leaving other half as slices. Set aside.

2. Using a slotted spoon, remove the beef from the skillet and transfer to a large bowl; discard the fat and liquid in the pan. Let the beef cool completely in the bowl, then stir in the chopped cheese.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 20-by-14-inch rectangle. Arrange the beef and cheese mixture evenly on one half of the dough, starting on the shorter end and leaving a 1-inch border on the sides. Drizzle 2 tablespoons ketchup evenly over the beef mixture and the uncovered half of the dough; repeat with all the mustard, and then the red onion. Lay down the remaining cheese slices evenly over the half of the dough with no beef mixture, leaving a 1-inch border on the sides. Arrange the bacon pieces and 24 dill pickle chips just over the beef mixture.

4. Working from the short side with the beef mixture, tightly roll up the dough into a log, jelly-roll style. Pinch the open ends together to seal, then tuck them underneath the log.
5. Transfer the log, seam side-down, to the prepared baking sheet, brush all over with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
6. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the bread is golden brown, about 40 minutes.
1. Cook’s Note
To make rolling and shaping the dough easy, keep the dough refrigerated until 10 to 15 minutes before you are ready to use it.
7.
While the bread bakes, whisk together the mayonnaise, onion flakes, sugar, a pinch of salt and pepper and the remaining 3 tablespoons ketchup, 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickle chips and 1 teaspoon pickle brine in a small bowl. Taste, and season the special sauce with additional salt if needed.
Let the bread cool for 10 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve warm with the special sauce.

The classic Buffalo Wing

a game winner for sure.
Working in batches, deep-fry 3 pounds chicken wings (split at the joints, tips removed) in 375 degrees F vegetable oil until golden, about 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

1. Classic Buffalo: Dredge the wings in flour and deep-fry. Toss with 6 tablespoons melted butter and 1/2 cup Buffalo wing hot sauce. Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing.
2. . Buffalo Supreme: Make Classic Buffalo Wings (No. 1), adding 1/2 teaspoon celery salt to the wing sauce mixture. Toss with 2 tablespoons celery leaves and 1 cup crumbled blue cheese.

3. Five-Alarm: Make Classic Buffalo Wings (No. 1), adding 1 teaspoon cayenne with the butter and replacing half of the wing sauce with handbarrow hot sauce.

4. Jalapeno-Cheddar: Make Classic Buffalo Wings (No. 1), adding 1/2 cup chopped pickled jalapenos and 1 cup grated cheddar to the wing sauce mixture.

5. Spicy Moroccan: Make Classic Buffalo Wings (No. 1), replacing the wing sauce with 1/4 cup each harissa (hot Chile paste) and cider vinegar. Serve with 1 cup Greek yogurt mixed with 2 tablespoons each olive oil and chopped mint.
3. 6. Vietnamese: Dredge the wings in flour and deep-fry. Pure 1 1/2 cups cilantro, 1 garlic clove and 2 tablespoons each fish sauce, lime juice and chopped jalapenos. Toss the wings with the cilantro sauce and 6 tablespoons melted butter.
4. Beer-Battered: Whisk 1 1/2 cups each flour and lager beer with 1 teaspoon each kosher salt and smoked paprika. Dredge the wings in flour and dip in the batter. Deep-fry until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes.

5.Chicken Parmesan: Make Italian Breaded Wings Top with marinara sauce, grated mozzarella and Parmesan and broil until the cheese melts, 1 minute. Serve with warm marinara sauce.

Virtual Spoon's Short Ribs

It's easy and oh is it Ever good. Short Ribs are the cheapest form of beef right now on the market. But they do need to be baked either in a crock pot or a oven for a long period of time. So the meat has time to just literally fall off the bones.
Editors Note: This was our Christmas Day dinner and it made a hit with all that attended. With some left overs to brown bag and take home. Your Editor sure enjoyed this and I sincerely hope you will as well. I especially liked the brown bag part and take home for another meal.

Ingredients:
1 jar of William Sonoma Short Rib Sauce. You can find this at www.williamsonoma.com
Pound and half of Beef Short Ribs about 6 short ribs.
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
dash or two of salt & pepper
1 red onion cut in chunks 3 carrots cleaned and cut in chunks
1 glove of garlic crushed.
1 ½ cup of beef broth
1 tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon Beef Base
1 Red & Yellow & Green Bell Pepper cut in Chunks.
1 ½ cup of your favorite Red Wine

Directions: Pre- heat oven Temp to 300.
1.In a heavy skillet such as a Cast Iron skillet.
2.Save your bacon grease from the morning. If you have some. If not use Weston Cooking oil.
3. Sprinkle flour on the top of the short ribs salt and pepper them before you brown them.
If you are using the bacon grease this will add to the flavor of them .
4. As you will brown the short ribs in this. Until they are brown.
5. Place them into a Dutch Oven or a heavy Pot such as a pot that you would make soup. You can as well put them into a crock pot.
I used a cast iron dutch oven that my Mother had seasoned well.
This was a “wedding gift” she was married 69 yrs so you know how well it was cared for and seasoned.
6. Place the browned short ribs into the dutch oven or the crock pot.
7. Place the bell pepper's & the chopped red onion and the gloves of garlic into the same skillet that you have browned the short ribs in.
8. When this mixture is partly soft to a fork prick. Place this mixture around the short ribs into the Dutch Oven or the crock pot .
9. Pour the jar complete jar of William Sonoma Short Ribs sauce in the same skillet you need the brown bits from the “ braising” the short ribs.
10. Stir well.
11. Mix in the 1 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Beef Base into the same skillet that you have browned the short ribs in and you have partly cooked the onion and the peppers and used the garlic.
12. Pour in the beef stock. Stir after each addition.
13. Pour this entire mixture over the top of the short ribs.
14. Cover and place in oven and cook for approx 6 hours. Or until the meat has fallen off the bone.

Sausage Horus d'Oeuvres Recipe from Trisha Yearwood.

Level: Easy
Total: 35 min
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Yield: 50
Ingredients
1 pound spicy pork sausage, such as Jimmy Dean
10 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated
3 cups baking mix, such as Bisquick, or self-rising flour
Kosher salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
1. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sausage, cheese and baking mix and beat on low speed until blended. Add pepper to taste. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and place them 1 inch apart on an greased cookies sheet. Bake until browned, about 20 minutes.
2. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and serve hot, warm or at room temperature. Sausage-and-Cheese Pancake Breakfast Casserole
This one-pot breakfast casserole is bound to please anyone with a love of sweet-and-savory dishes. Try using cooked bacon or ham instead of sausage, and Swiss or Gouda cheese instead of Cheddar for your own customized casserole. .

Sausage-and-Cheese Pancake Breakfast Casserole

Level: Easy
Total: 8 hr 50 min (includes chilling and cooling times)
Active: 35 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more as necessary and for greasing the baking dish
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons sugar
Kosher salt
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
7 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces per-cooked breakfast sausage patties, crumbled
8 ounces sharp white Cheddar cheese, shredded
4 scallions, sliced
Pure maple syrup, for serving (optional)

Directions
1. Butter an 8-inch-square baking dish; set aside. Put 3 tablespoons of the butter in a microwave-safe small bowl or liquid measure; microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute to melt the butter.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 3 tablespoons of the sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, 2 eggs and the melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Melt a little of the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet. Working in batches, pour the batter by 1/4 cupfuls into the skillet and cook until the bottoms are golden brown and small bubbles appear on the tops, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other sides, about 2 minutes. If the pancakes brown too quickly, reduce the heat to medium-low. Transfer the pancakes to a plate as finished. Repeat until all the batter is used, adding more butter to the skillet as necessary. (You should have at least 12 pancakes.)
Whisk together the half-and-half, the remaining 5 eggs, the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, the pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
1. Shingle half of the pancakes in the prepared baking dish. Scatter with half of the sausage, sprinkle with half of the cheese and scallions. Pour half the egg mixture evenly over the pancakes. Repeat with the remaining pancakes, sausage, cheese, scallions and egg mixture. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to overnight to allow the pancakes to soak. In the custard.
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap, cover the casserole loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until golden brown, the custard is set and the center feels firm but springy, about 30 minutes more. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm with maple syrup if you like.

English Roasted Potatoes

4 large potatoes
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or enough to cover bottom of roasting pan)

DIRECTIONS
Peel and quarter potatoes.
Place in a saucepan with water and a pinch of the salt.
Bring to a boil and simmer them for 5-6 min to slightly soften.

When the potatoes have simmered drain them thoroughly in a colander shaking to roughen edge
Meanwhile preheat your oven to 400°F.
When the potatoes have simmered drain them thoroughly in a colander shaking to roughen edges.
Let sit for a few min to dry.
Pour just enough vegetable oil into a roasting pan (large enough to allow space around the potatoes) to cover bottom and heat in oven for a few minutes.
Gently place potatoes into the hot oil and coat them with it evenly.
Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the potatoes.
Every so often baste the potatoes in the oil to prevent drying (try not to move potatoes).
Turn potatoes once or twice (no more) halfway through (after 20 min or so) to ensure even cooking.
Cook for 30-60 minutes until gold and crispy (observe closely once near end).
Editors Note: These are so good served with the Short Ribs.

Festive Baked Chicken Virtual Spoons Creation

1 package of Wishbone Italian Seasoning Packet
1 package of boneless chicken breasts
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 package of fresh mushrooms
1 egg
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Beat the egg with a little milk
Dip the chicken breasts in the egg mixture
Dip the chicken breasts in the Wish Bone Italian Dressing
Brown in a heavy skillet with some olive oil & butter
until partially brown
Put the chicken breasts into a crock pot.
Pour the package of fresh mushrooms over the top of the chicken breasts.
Add the can of mushroom soup to the crock pot. If this is too thick for you add some chicken stock. Stir well. Add potatoes and carrots as well if you wish.

Cook on low for 4 hours. Until done.

F.Y.I.

Activeworlds update

FYI Trivia Questions. On the Super Bowl
See if you can answer these simple questions. With out cheating or using Google or Bing to answer them. Test your knowledge. Make a game of it for any Super Bowl party that you may have or are going too. Make it fun for all. Be sure and dress up in your favorite Jersey and have plenty of good finger food to go along with it.
The Answers will be posted in the March issue of our News Letter.
Where will the Super Bowl be played this year ? What state and stadium?

2.The Super Bowl is arguably the most exciting event for football fans across the country. True or False?
What year was the First Supper Bowl Played and what team played in it? What was the score of this game?
3. Even if your not a sports fan your probably going to be heading to a Super Bowl Party so . How many pounds of chicken wings will the average American consume on Supper Bowl Sunday. Consume?
4.How Many NFL teams have never won the Super Bowl?
5.Super Bowl ads are extremely expensive, thanks to the audience the event draws.
6. Super Bowl ads cost advertisers blank how many millions of dollars?
7. But they've climbed in cost every year since then. How much do they climb per year?
8. Tom Brady is the most successful quarterback in Super Bowl history. True or False?
9.The NFL uses roman numerals to avoid confusion about when the Super Bowl is played. True or False?
10. Who came up with the idea of using roman numerals for the Super Bowl?
11. There have been contradictory rumors for years that halftime performers are either paid exorbitant amounts or that the performers pay the NFL a huge sum to perform. Is this True or False?
12. There are a lot of footballs used during the big game, and the inspection process is lengthy. Is this True or False?
13. Two brothers once competed against each other as Super Bowl team coaches. Which teams did they coach for?
14. What state and what stadium will host this year Super Bowl?
15. What are the crucial factors in choosing where to play Super Bowl games?

16. Most of the quarterbacks in Super Bowl history come from the same 11 schools.
What schools are these?
Last question

17.Super Bowl tickets are only getting more expensive and can cost more than the average American's annual salary. What is the cost of this Year's Super Bowl Ticket? And what could it climb up to?

The Marketplace

Where to obtain Products & Services in Activeworlds


		<-Free world management logs

Build Tips

Movers

Here's a Mover for the winter season. This snowman was made by DarkMatter and its not as simple as it looks.
I count twenty-two linked parts and thats a fair bit. Snowmen, Easter bunnny's, Thanksgiving turkeys can be made and
you can make a Mover to fit any season or holiday. We have all seen Movers made for Halloween. I should mention, when you make
any Mover with linked parts, make sure the object chosen is aligned to the world grid. You can find that on the top of the building
dialogue box as 'Reset Rotation'

The Garden

Gardening Tips for the Home Gardener.

7 garden tips for the winter months. Your Editor in Chef loves to garden. Especially in the spring and the summer. But there are things we have to do to prepare our garden area so we can plant our spring & summer gardens. Hope these tips will help you.

1. Winter may not seem like the time to think about your garden. But take advantage of this break from the growing season to catch up on tasks that were put off during the rest of the year. Whether it’s protecting plants from severe cold, decorating the yard for the holidays, or planning for next year, there’s plenty to keep you busy while you dream of spring.

2. Protect your plants: Road salt wreaks havoc on plants and soil.

3. Build a compost bin: Pay a winter visit to your local garden center and ask them for some used wooden pallets to make yourself a new compost bin.

4. Get rid of dead tree: Okay, this garden tip is for an expert, but you can supervise!

5. Keep an eye on winter crops: Year-round veggie gardeners need to keep an eye on their season extenders, removing snow from cold frames and mini hoop tunnels after a storm.

6. Prep for a new garden: Planning a new garden bed for next summer in an area where grass or weeds are currently growing?

7. In mid-to-late fall, gardeners in colder climates start thinking about winter; not necessarily because they’re looking forward to it, but because they know that without proper precautions, cold temperatures, drying winds and snow cover can all cause problems in their landscape. Plants can get windburn, tree branches can be broken from snow load, and sprinkler systems can be destroyed from a prolonged freeze. Weatherization doesn’t have to be difficult though — most of the tasks fit into a regular course of maintenance and contribute to a healthy landscape year-round. Gardeners in warmer climates aren't completely off the hook. Although snow load may not be a concern, random freezes and cold winds can still take a toll on plants and trees. Local garden centers might not be well stocked with the proper supplies (like shrub covers), so planning ahead and having a few things on hand can come in handy.

GENERAL PREPARATION: Weed the garden: One final weeding done late in the season can help eliminate hundreds of overwintering seeds that will just be waiting sprout in spring

8. Remove debris: Clear fallen leaves and other debris from lawns and beds to decrease the potential for overwintering pests and diseases. Clean, dry leaves (not those from diseased trees or shrubs) can be shredded and used as mulch. Gather leaves and put them through or simply run over them with a lawnmower with a bag attached. Shredding the leaves prevents them from packing together in layers, and allows for better air circulation and water to flow through.

SHRUBS, PERENNIALS AND TREES:

Landscaping with native and other well-adapted plants can help minimize the care needed to keep your landscape healthy. However, plants don’t develop their full cold hardiness until they’re mature, and newer plants may need a couple years to reach their full cold-hardy potential. In the meantime, provide these younger plants with some extra protection. Prune lightly: Cut back any perennials that aren’t desired over winter: plants that will blacken and turn mushy, like Veronicas or geraniums; ones that tend to harbor disease or insects over winter, like peonies, bearded iris and members of the mint family; and those that just don’t provide attractive winter interest. Cut back weak or spindly branches that might be damaged with snow load, and crossing branches that can be damaged from rubbing in high wind. Trim long canes on roses to keep them from snapping. This should be done once perennials have gone dormant, which is usually after a few killing frosts. Depending on the pruning requirements for each variety, any major pruning should be left for another time, usually spring or summer. Wrap delicate and newly planted shrubs: Evergreen shrubs are mainly damaged from dry winter winds that cause dehydration and are much more prone to winter damage than deciduous varieties. Shrubs with weak, brittle or floppy branches, or those with leaves that are easily damaged should be wrapped with breathable fabric. Inexpensive burlap can be used or there is a variety of products, like shrub covers, designed specifically for protecting bushes and small trees. Protect hedges: To shield a row of shrubs, you can either wrap the entire row or create a windbreak on the prevailing wind side with stakes and a length of protective fabric or dense shade cloth. Water: Root systems of newly planted bushes and trees aren’t established enough to readily replace water lost from dehydrating winter winds. Continue to water them regularly until the ground freezes and use mulch to help retain moisture. Give all your plants one last deep watering. They’ll need this extra moisture to get through the winter when they have difficulty getting water from frozen ground. Lighten the load: Plants located under eave lines may get more than their fair share of snow due to roof-shed. Build teepee structures over these plants to deflect this extra load and keep branches from breaking. Use an anti-transpirant: Protect evergreens from drying winter winds with sprays like Wilt Pruf. You can find this at your local gardening shop or online. Applied to the leaves, it reduces moisture loss and defends against dehydration and wind burn. Apply mulch: An insulating layer of mulch can help dormant perennials survive the winter with little or no damage when applied after the ground has already frozen. “Dormant perennials cope better with consistent cold, rather than rapid temperature fluctuations and the

CONTAINER PLANTS:

Select hardier plants: Plants and trees grown in containers are at a disadvantage to those grown in-ground. The above-ground portion of the plant may have reached its full hardiness, but the roots are more vulnerable to freezing without the full benefit of in-ground insulation. Even if a plant is hardy for your zone, choosing one that is hardy one to two zones lower can help it survive when grown in a container. Larger containers also offer better insulation with a greater volume of soil. Bring them in: Tender perennials and tropical plants can be moved indoors where they will get bright light. Relocate half-hardy perennials to a basement or garage where they will go dormant. Plants that need a chilling period in order to bloom or set fruit should be left outside and protected

Rules of Thumb for Overwintering Plants Indoors:

1. Choose only healthy plants – don’t bother saving a sick plant.

2. Bring plants indoors before frost damages the foliage – don’t wait, the cold will damage plants more than bringing them in a bit early.

3. Treat for disease and insects before bringing plants indoors – a good preventative spray with a basic insecticide and a garden fungicide will save you a world of trouble over the winter.

4. Place in bright areas and add humidity - using pebble trays, large saucers under pots or mist with spray bottles.

5. Be careful not to over water – when plants come indoors they go into a bit of shock, so use care in your watering for the first 30 days.

6. Reduce the amount of fertilizer you use - when active growth starts in spring, fertilize and prune as needed.

7. Avoid sunburn and stress - introduce your plants slowly to outdoor conditions in spring. How can I tell if a plant is an Annual or Perennial? Annuals and Perennials vary depending on where you live. If you want a perennial, shrub, or tree to survive and grow year after year, the plant must tolerate year-round conditions in your area, such as the lowest and highest temperatures and the amount of rainfall. If you are Zone 5 any plant that is Zone 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 would be a perennial in your area, anything zone 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 would be an annual. Certain areas of your yard could be hot spots and might be able to tolerate one zone higher.

Worlds To Watch

	AlwaysOK 6S 30E - Vera House
	AlphaWorld 12000S 12075W
	AlphaWorld 376N 1038E
	AWgate22 1N 0W
	Jetta's Rome
	Jetta's Rome

Tackle Tech

Laying out the new year

Chris - Please if you have any questions on this NEWS please post your comments and questions in the AW forums.

The new year 2020 first will bring additional 3D Formats for Activeworlds by end of January. This will include today’s common formats like FBX, Collada DAE, OBJ, etc; and about 10 more 3D Formats.

During the year the render backend will be updated from current Direct3D 9 to Direct3D 11 and 12 on Windows, from OpenGL 1.2 to OpenGL 3.2 and later for MacOSX and Linux platforms, as well as EGL for mobile platforms like Android and Apple iOS on a longer term view. When Vulkan gets more popular and available it will be added as well.

This new platform independent render back-end will also offer additional high-end render effects by advanced shading technologies. The fall-back to Direct3D 9 for low-end gears will remain.

Later on - on a long term view - a new concept of world building will be introduced which also integrates OP management, an early model format conversion to a unified format for all platforms, into the AW Browser for World Administrators. Heading away from lego-style building using generic multi-purpose models, towards theme specific geometry-optimized map/world creation, pre-render and loading.
The Winter Holidays so far

Over the holidays we encountered between 30 to 40 newbies a day.
Many old-timers came back to visit and to leave greetings to long time virtual friends.

The count of simultaneous active user has been up to 48 users at party times.
The daily count of user accounts online has been between 200 to 240 daily.
The monthly count of users accounts has been about 1000.

Most users only stay online longer, when been recognized and greeted.

You are encouraged and asked to actively spend time at the Alpha LZ -
the community centre, to help keeping up the community spirit,.

Editor in Chef's notes; Thanks Chris for sharing this with all of us. Looking forward to all of the new and exciting changes for our Beloved Active Worlds.
Reposted from the Forums a response from Charles from Chris
In the next weeks I'll set up a public world with a public OP to test various file formats.

The 3DS format is included, even though it's not a common game and VR format, and not a modern commonly used 3D format by front-end software. A focus will be put on FBX and DAE formats.

The 3D format import library used is ASSIMP under BSD-Lincese.

Details to longer term features and extensions will be announced by time. In any case, public free building worlds like AW, Yellow, America, AWReunion, Winter, etc, will remain as they are using the old style building concept to preserve their historic content.

Calendar

February

Black History Month

American Heart Month

National Children's Dental Health Month

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Friendship Month

National Youth Leadership Month

Library Lovers Month

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Slavery Freedom Day

Groundhog Day

Four Chaplains Day

USO Day

World cancer Day

National Weatherman's Day

Take your child to

-----the library Day

TGIF Party!

National Wear Red Day.

-----(Awareness of women's

-----heart disease.)

Kite Flying Day

National Stop Bullying Day

Read in the Bathtub Day.

World Marriage Day

Make a Friend Day

Dont cry over spilt milk day

President Lincoln's Birthday

Darwin Day

World Radio Day

TGIF Party1

Valentine's Day

Read To Your Child Day

National Organ Donor's Day

National Activeworlds Day

Do a Grouch a Favor Day

Random Acts of Kindness day

Digital Learning Day

President's Day

Battery Day

Chocolate Mint Day

National Love Your Pet Day

TGIF Party!

International Mother

-----Language Day

Washington's Birthday

Be Humble Day

World Thinking Day

Tell a Fairy Tale Day

Toad Hollow Day of

-----Encouragement

No Brainer Day

Spay Day USA

TGIF Party!

Rare Disease Day

LEAP DAY

Around AW

Roaming Reporter on the streets of Active Worlds

Reporter: When did you find Active Worlds? Garrick: late 2003 as a tourist Feb 2004 as a citizen.

Reporter: What do you like the best about Active Worlds? Garrick: The ability to completely and utterly customize what I want to see in any way that I can envision it

Reporter: Do you own a world? Garrick: I run AWMyths, which is owned by AWI.

Reporter: What would you like to see changed or improved in Active Worlds? Garrick: I wouldn't really change anything to be honest. I'm fine coming here every day and I get my creative outlet.

Reporter: What do you like to do when you're not in Active Worlds? Garrick Writing my books about AWMyths.

Editor notes you can find his books on the Amazon author page R. Curtis Linfonte his next book will be out on Myths Heroes Feb 1st.

Games, Comics, etc.

NEW online Games

Dewey's Maze

Solve my maze.

Here are 15 exercises that you can do right at your desk, sitting in front of your computer.

1. Shoulders Roll your shoulders forward and backward 10 times each to relieve tension and ease the muscles. Breathe in, lift your shoulders, crunch your neck, hold your breath for 30 seconds and then release your shoulders. Do this 10 times. Move each shoulder forward and backward alternatively, 10 times on each side.

2. Neck Stretch your neck forward, backward, to the left and right. This move reduces the strain on your neck, shoulders, and clears your mind. Clench your neck muscles until they’re taut. Hold for a few seconds and then release.

3. Chest Open your arms wide push your wrists and thumbs back and stretch your arms away from your shoulders. This will expand your chest and allow you to take in more oxygen. Repeat this exercise every hour or so.

4. Tummy Breathe in, suck in your tummy, hold it in for a few seconds, and then release it as you breathe out. Repeat this move every few minutes during your day. Breathe in and pull in your pelvic floor muscles. Hold this position for a few seconds and then release.

5. Arms Grab a full water bottle and hold it up over your head. Keep this position for 30 seconds and alternate with your other arm. Sit straight, move your chair back and hold both your arms out straight in front of you. Hold this position for 30 seconds and then relax. Rotate your arms clockwise and anticlockwise 10 times on each side.

6. Wrists Roll your wrists both clockwise and anticlockwise every now and then, at least 10 times with each wrist. Wrists are prone to Repetitive Stress Syndrome and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; you can prevent these from occurring by constantly working out your wrists. Flap your wrists frontwards and backwards as though you’re serving a tennis ball. Repeat this move several times.

7. Hands Squeeze a hand gripper repeatedly for at least a minute with each hand. You can do this while reading something on your screen. Keep your palms straight in front of you, and spread your fingers as far as they will go. Keep the position for a few seconds and then release. Repeat several times.

8. Fingers Get hold of exercise rubber bands or any strong, thick rubber bands. Loop a band around your forefingers and stretch it as far as you can and then release. Do this with your other fingers. Interlace your fingers and push your elbows apart. Do this as often as you can. The stretch feels good for fingers that have strained on the keyboard all day.

9. Ankles Roll your ankles clockwise and anticlockwise every hour or so. Take off your shoes if possible, stand on your toes and lean back. Your ankles will strengthen with this exercise.

10. Feet Clench all your toes and release them after a few seconds. Move all your toes and allow air to pass between them.

11. Calves Stretch your leg out in front of you and pull back your feet. This stretches your calves. Hold this position for a few seconds and then release. Do it 10 times with both legs. Lift your legs on the balls of your feet; hold the position for a few seconds and then release. This exercise will prevent blood clots from forming.

12. Thighs Breathe in, lift both legs together upwards towards your chest, keep your legs up for 30 seconds and release as you breathe out. Repeat every hour. This will pull at your thigh muscles and tighten them. Clench your butt and thighs and hold the position for 30 seconds. Release and repeat several times.

13. Butt Clench and unclench your buttocks alternately, holding them in the clenched position for 30 seconds each time. Clench both buttocks together and release them after 30 seconds.

14. Back Push your shoulders back until they meet in the middle of your back. Push your body slightly forward and exercise your back muscles. Hold the position for a few seconds and then release. Keep your body straight and twist your upper body at the waist to the left and the right. Twist it as far as it will go, moving your head along with your waist. This will relax your back muscles, which take most of the strain during your workday.

15. Eyes Shut your eyes twice every hour. Place the pads of your palms on your eyes and apply mild pressure. This will relieve eyestrain. Take your eyes off your monitor and let them wander around for a few seconds every now and then. This exercise keeps your eyes alert and reduces possible headaches and eye irritation.

Staff Credits

Senior Editor	Cablecar Gal
Contributor	Chris
Contributor	Stayjit
Contributor	Lensman
Contributor	Rod57
Contributor	Virtual Spoon
Contributor	Pelican
Contributor	Wikipedia (Recipes)

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