Homeland Security Comes to Second Life

At Bernie's suggestion, I've been exploring Second Life, a vast, online, multi-player simulation developed almost entirely by members across the globe. Recently, I came across a Real World blog by an "embedded" journalist in Second Life. (Yes, a real person, blogging as an avatar in an online simulation - wild).
The blog, New World Notes, by Wagner James Au, broke a story dated October 19, 2005, concerning (real) United States Homeland Security and other disaster relief organizations using Second Life to simulate and model emergency response behavior.
With a free Second Life membership, you too can visit "Response", a virtual community "owned" by a top East Coast University designed for organizations to safely practice and refine emergency procedures. An amazing real world/virtual world crossover.