Earth Archives - Hamell.net

How to Fix: Google Earth “Please leave or end your current meeting”

I recently upgraded to an Macbook Air, running OSX 10.8. As it had been a while, I decided to take this opportunity to reinstall all my applications from scratch instead of restoring from Time Machine in Migration Assistant.

One of these apps was Google Earth. Upon launching I got this error message immediately:

“Please leave or end your current meeting before starting or joining another meeting”

I followed a variety of troubleshooting steps in the Google Earth Forums but continued to get this error message. Apparently part of the problem is that Google released a new 7.0 Beta version, but the download doesn’t really tell you this. Some suggestions in the forums say to unplug the computer from the Internet and change some preferences. Another suggestion told how to download the older 6.2 version of Google Earth for Mac. My issue ended up being a Combination of these problems.

First I downloaded and installed the 6.2 version. This can be found by going to the download page: http://www.google.com/earth/download/ge/agree.html

Uncheck the box that says “Include Google Chrome, a fast, free browser made for the modern web.” Then right above the “Agree and Download” Button is an arrow that says “Customize your installation of Google Earth with advanced setup.” Click and open this. Click on “Previous Version (6.2)” and then click on the “Agree and Download.”

Install Google Earth as normal by opening the .dmg file and copying the Google Earth App to the Applications Folder.

Launch it and see if the error goes away. If not, you may have to do this next step.

Disconnect the computer from the Internet. Open Up Google Earth. If should open fine. Go into Preferences (under the Google Earth menu option in the top left corner,) and then choose 3D View. I had to change “Texture Colors” to “High Color (16 bit) “Anisotropic Filtering” to Off, and checked the box “Use Safe Mode” under “Graphics Mode” before Google Earth was stable enough for me to use.

Once I did this, I was able to update my list of Oregon Ghost Towns again!

Battlestar Galactica 1980

Currently available on Hulu.com is Galactica 1980. The premise is pretty simple, the “rag tag fleet” of the Original Series finally made it to Earth. But the Cylons have followed the humans to Earth.

So the poor old Galactica is caught between Earth and the Cylon forces. Commander Adama is of course torn, on one hand it’s obvious that Earth’s technology is far below that of the Twelve Colonies. On the other hand, “computer projections” (AKA recycled and chopped footage from the first episode of the first show) Cylon attacks on Earth show Los Angeles being “devastated.” Or rather, a few cars being thrown into the air, a couple of very small explosions, and some laser strafing that doesn’t even hit anything.

In the third or fourth scene Troy and Dillion (who are the main characters) are discussing how the United States of America “sounds like a fun place,” as they’re flying into Earth’s Atmosphere. Unfortunately they’re tracked by NORAD or it’s far more secret and shadowy 80’s Television version. Two F-16’s are launched to intercept and destroy the unidentified air craft. In a torturously boring dogfight where the Vypers dodge a tiny bit, the F-16s launch a single missile, and the Vypers go invisible into the clouds. The F-16 pilots throw out a bit more patriotic talk and then we cut to the next scene.

As the show progresses, US radar technology continues to see the Cylons and Vypers. But the Cylons have new technology too, including Cylons that look just like humans. This plot point is used again in the new Battlestar Galactica which somehow managed to run more episodes total then both the original series and the 1980 series put together. This ups the ante for the Colonials, as they must protect the Earth from the Cylons, yet are torn in trying to make Earth their new home.

I fear to spoil the plot, or, what little plot there actually is. But suffice to say Galactica 1980 is the quintessential early 80’s show. The Afros on White Guys. The overt American Patriotism. The cheesy acting, cheesy low budget TV special effects. Multiple bit actors hoping to make it big time yet again, including Robert Reed of “the dad” on Brady Bunch fame. The fact that George Takei (Commander Sulu on Star Trek) happens to be doing Sharp TV commercials during the breaks just adds to the surrealism of the entire show.

Keeping in mind that the show is now thirty years old and saw little to no popularity in it’s day, yet it actually holds up pretty well. The cheesy moments are appropriately cheesy. The acting is the typical semi-dramatic 80’s. The plot, is thinner and more cobbled together then a Rube Goldberg machine. The fight scenes are lousy. The special effects are “special.”

In this single show, everything that is the 80’s is glorified and still laughable. Discard Galactica 1980 if you wish, but keep in mind that it’s shows like this that gave us what we watch today.