come here, say it, spit it out. what is it exactly?

It begins again:

[15:02] sxxxxxxxxx Sxxx: Hi sexy

What?



Just...out of the blue, bald, like that? Really?

[15:03] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): And...you are?
[15:03] sxxxxxxxxx Sxxx: Hi sexy
[15:03] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Right, so...you are?

He sent me another one.

[15:05] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Okay, again with this. Who ARE you??

Because I still had no clue.

Enough time passed, I thought he'd given up, then...



No, really, please, keep sending me these things.

[15:37] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): I'm not going to accept friending you until you tell me how you got my name, or where you know me from.

I really thought we were done, again, then...



Would be nice if he'd actually say anything else.

[15:38] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Right...do you not...speak English? I tend not to friend people blindly.

So I pulled the profile. His total SL bio:

♛ Слава БОГУ (Thank God) ♛
♛ ♕ ♚ ♔ LOVE GOD ♔ ♚ ♕ ♛
亗 ℓσνє кιηg 亗 Love True ♛
☦️ Херувимская (Cherubic) ☦️ песнь (song) ☦️
♛ KING BEST WORLD DESIGNER IS GOD ♛
亗 . RIGHT HAND ♛ 亗 . OF DEAR GOD 亗 .
♛ Свети Архистартег (Holy Architect) 亗 Архнагел Михајло је Архистартег Свих Ар ♛
(Archangel Michael thе Architect With All)

Oh. This idiot. I've run across him before. Yeah, I can just ignore him from here.

At that point, the event ended, I moved on, spent a lovely bit of time with someone very dear, and after he had to leave, I was asked to spend some time with someone else. And that was going quite well, until...



Why. Just...why.

[17:23] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): And...you are?
[17:23] jxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i am a fan
[17:23] jxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i want [f*ck] you later

SERIOUSLY?? THAT'S your lead-in??? My gods, dude. You cannot be serious.

[17:23] jxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: :D

Oh, don't even. I find nothing amusing about this.

[17:25] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): I...see
[17:25] jxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ok

Great. Night of the Living Doofuses.

I pulled his profile. Portuguese, I think, this one:

Não espere demais das pessoas,pois assim quando te derem algo será sempre mais do que vc imagina, e quando te decepcionarem não fará diferença!! (Don't expect too much from people, because when they give you something it will always be more than you think, and when they let you down it won't make a difference !!)

Riiight...

At that point, I was actually looking forward to logging off, which happens vanishingly rarely. Why me? What the hell do I do that attracts these morons?

it's funny how a word might save your life, and I'm saying a lot right now

Why do we believe in conspiracy theories? Atlas Obscura believes it has something to do with missing enchantment.

From another service, because it's true:

[10:51 AM] Emilly:

"Guys I think that maybe your government might be corrupt." @Lxxxxxx

*cackles insanely for a moment*
[10:51 AM] Emilly: Oh, YOU THINK??

Meanwhile...

[21:21] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr) stares at the pipe organ and sighs. "I married a man devoted to strange angles."

Pretty much, apparently.

SO! Point of this. I am wandering. Several several centuries ago, back when we had wood-burning cats, I went to the last dance at the Bashful Peacock. I took extensive pictures. I took extensive notes. And then....the world exploded, and Em's driver ended up getting a new computer, but forgot to pull the secondary drive out of the old one, so she has eight of the nine pictures on the new drive, NOT the full nine, and...no notes.

AND EM IS TIRED OF WAITING, so...here we go.



For anyone who doesn't know, the Peacock was Caledon's premier accepting space in Caledon. Owned by Rudolfo Woodget, one of the kindest souls on the grid, it threw its doors--and its lawns--open to anyone, without reservation. Whether or not that person was in a Boston marriage themselves, so to speak, or not.



I had to dig way back in the archives to find the picture I was thinking of, which I'm still not convinced is my first coverage of the place, but that dates back to this entry from 2008. 2008! That's how established the Bashful Peacock is!



Or was, but we'll get to that. This is Mr. Woodget, by the way, for those who may not know. He was dedicated to having a Caledonian safe space for dances, gentle teas, small gatherings. And it truly did not matter to him who attended--gay, straight, smooth-skinned or fur, Tiny or Big...he was happy to see everyone, as long as they didn't cause problems.



I used to be in near-weekly attendance, because I loved the space and I loved the people. One of Radio Riel's best DJs, Otenth Paderborn, would spin there frequently, and this last time, he was back in style.



I had notes on who the little penguin was. Gone now. She was adorable, though.

I don't know why I stopped going to events. I had been a near-regular, had even hosted RR dances there, way back when. I think, losing my own bit of Morgaine, wandering into more modern spaces, I detached a bit too much, from friends and casual acquaintances alike. It was one of many places I thought was just better off that I not return to, so as to avoid any potential disturbance.



I wanted a couple wide-angle shots not only to show the layout, but to point out who was there, and of course I have no idea now. I do remember Duchess Gabrielle Riel was there, with her consort, and a genial mix of faces new to me and not new. Because this wasn't just a farewell to the Peacock, after all; it was a farewell to Wellsian. This was just before both Wellsian and Morgaine disappeared into the Caledonian mists.



And Wellsian really was a very pretty sim, especially near the Peacock. Butting up against Morgaine as it did, both shared a VERY high mountain range, but past that, Wellsian was gentle slopes and cavorting wildlife and pretty little houses and charm. Charm for days.



It and Morgaine will be missed, by several of us, for quite some time. All things change, I know that, but it was a change many of us sincerely didn't want. Though we had no power to alter it.

And while at the time Mr. Woodget said he would be bringing the Peacock back, in some form, no one's yet heard. So these pictures are to commemorate one of the greatest cozy spaces on the grid, and the gentle soul who ran it, and I do sincerely hope he decides to run something similar again.

is it me or is the medicine working?

Just to warn everyone: this is aggressively NSFW. But it's another really fun take on COVID precautions.

Meanwhile...Yeah, had to grab this bit. I'd been talking about the coming heat wave, which, yes, is in force today:

[13:33] vxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: My mood when I'm running errands is correspondingly sour - I can do mask or I can do this heat. But doing both at the same time is just disgusting.
[13:33] vxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Ooh, I hope it cools a little sooner for you.
[13:33] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): But who knows these days? 2020 is the year with murder hornets and zombie cicadas, so everything's up in the air
[13:34] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Yeah, summer+masks, no fun, I agree
[13:34] vxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: But at the same time, COVER YOUR NOSE.
[13:35] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr) grins
[13:35] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Ah, you have met the chinstrap brigade, I see
[13:35] vxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Honestly, your double-chin isn't transmitting anything.
[13:35] vxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: It's safe.
[13:36] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): NO
[13:36] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): MUST PROTECC
[13:36] vxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: heee
[13:36] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr) grins
[13:36] vxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I heard that the transit authority in Berlin has suggested that its regular riders *refrain* from wearing deodorant, to encourage nose-covering.
[13:36] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): I actually...oh, my god...I was in a store about a week ago. Saw someone remove their mask...TO COUGH.
[13:37] vxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: omFG.
[13:37] Bxx Hxxxx: Agh.
[13:37] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): It was one of those funny-not-funny moments? Like cats turning around and discovering a cucumber

There's actually a few potential reasons why cats get shocked by cucumbers--the main two being shocked by the sudden change in their environment, and the initial resemblance to a snake--something they need to jump away from, then attck if it moves.

And it's not the funny thing it seems, just FYI--humans are essentially deliberately scaring their cats just for fun, so...try not to do that?

[13:37] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Suddenly EVERYONE jumped away
[13:37] vxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx nods
[13:37] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): In all directions
[13:37] Bxx Hxxxx: I'll bet they did!
[13:38] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): And I'm standing there, thinking, Don't laugh, don't laugh, someone will likely KILL you if you laugh...
[13:38] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): But it was so hard not to
[13:38] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): It's like, thank you for being today's object lesson, sir, please go home

Anyway. On to mesh body things! Specifically, Maitreya body weirdness?

Now, I'd been hearing this here and there, didn't really understand the why of it, and frankly, didn't care enough to track it down, but apparently it is a big deal:

"Hi there,

"Recently Maitreya has updated their Lara body to version 5.2, this newest version includes the option to change the size of the feet so new shoe models are rigged to this new version to make them work perfectly with the body. This way customers will be able to change the size of their feet."

Now, I'm still back on 5.0, so I will likely need to go get the update, but seriously? First Slink updates so that Maitreya users can't buy their shoes (and seriously, Slink, that was dumb, that killed sales), and now ALL older shoes need to do this size-change trick?

"So what does this means? older shoe models will still work with your new udated version of the Maitreya Lara body as long as you keep your feet size in 25 value, and newest models, in my case all models released since the 8th of August 2020, will also allow you to change your feet size and make them bigger and smaller."

I...guess? This is...useful?? Maybe?

"So for older models just wear your Lara body and keep your feet size at 25 and for newer models just do whatever you prefer.

"Hope this helps you all.

"Best regards,

"Eudora3D (Daniel)"

So, if it helps anyone...It doesn't affect me, yet, I'm still on 5.0, as said. But when I update, it probably will...because I have a lot of older shoes. Especially in the steampunk and Victorian folders!

they rowed a little boat about five miles 'cross the pond

Oh, the drama's starting bright and early on this one...

[11:42] Sxxxxxxx Exxxxxxxxxx: the owner of safira changed her name lol

Yeah, I'm noticing names changing on my friendslist, too. I don't blame anyone for taking the chance, but it's causing some slight dissonance here and there, to go to bed seeing person XY on the list, and waking up to seeing person ABL instead.

[11:43] Pxxx Lxxxxxxx: owner of 1313 mockingbird lane did also
[11:44] Axxxxx Rxxxxxxx yawns and loads a rocket propelled snobbery seeking high explosive anti [egowh*re] harpoon into her launcher

Was...that necessary to say? Also, what are you getting at? You're against the people changing their names? Why?

[11:45] axxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx blinks
[11:45] hxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Guys, this topic is off limits, please.
[11:45] hxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: It is too contentious at the moment.

I'm not sure why it should be contentious, though? I don't get the why behind the sudden drama burst.

[11:45] Hxxxx Cxxxx grinds teeth
[11:45] Sxxxxxxx Exxxxxxxxxx: apparently anything somone doesnt agree with is off limits

While I have inferred that before where this particular freebie and sales group is involved, it's mostly been discussion on stores that are or are not acceptable to post. In this case, the mod in question actually did seem to be less censoring, and more attempting to keep the peace.

[11:46] Sxxxxxxx Exxxxxxxxxx: but ok i just thought it was funny that even creators were doing it
[11:46] hxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: No Drama Zone.
[11:46] Sxxx Sxxxxx: Let's not ...
[11:46] axxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I feel like I missed something, but I'm okay with that
[11:46] hxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: We are all stressed out, let's not play with fire, please.

Yeah. There's a lot of ambient stress already, we surely do not need to invent more reasons to be upset with things.

[11:46] Axxxxx Rxxxxxxx: hey dont mndme, i'm just a'mere resident' and everyone knows we're not real people right ?

Um...since when? I've said a lot of things about the abandoning of last names, but I don't think I've ever thought--or said--that people lacking last names weren't "real" residents.

[11:46] hxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Shhhhh....
[11:47] Sxxx Sxxxxx: But, you are ..

Yes. And so they remain. But yes, new names for old and new friends are going to be challenging to keep up with for a while. All transitional states have growing pains.

In the meantime, Good Housekeeping magazine has been trying to put out more how-to-help-right-now lists for their readership. An earlier list of "cheap and healthy" foods goes off the rails fairly soon, but this one isn't terrible. Very few of their recommendations are intended to be complete meals; what they are designed for is to provide easy inserts for extra protein, fiber, or flavor that are shelf-stable. Variety in the pantry is never a bad thing.

And pulling back to SL, a big announcement from an unexpected direction. Got this from the maker of a hair store:

rafffle system I'm using has shut down :(

I had no idea and also got no info about this until just now, after the new round should have started i got a Notecard from the raffle saying:

'It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing today that all of the web-enabled products from Alicia Stella Design will end their service life as of April 15, 2020.'

So no idea on the cause, as this is the first I'd heard anything about it, but if anyone owns any product that ties in to a web server--fairly sure not the dance or DJ/club equipment, but definitely the raffle and contest boards, possibly the security equipment--are all going to stop working today. What does this mean for the haunted house? Well, if she's leaving SL, that's probably gone too. It's a shame, truly.

Scenes from a Chat: Spamming Sub edition

[14:06] Axxxxxx Sxxxxxx: seeking a Mistress

No, really, that's how this nonsense started. In a sale group. One that doesn't even allow Adult listings, even.

[14:07] Fxxx Mxxxxxxxx: Not sure this is the right place for that
[14:07] Txxxxxx Hxxxxx: you didn't say that

Oh yes, yes, she did.

[14:07] Jxxxxx Dxxxxx: pretty sure no Mistress would see spamming groups as a desirable behaviour in anyone......

Oh, I'm sure she could find a wannabe with this approach, but no serious practitioner of consensual BDSM would TOUCH her with this act.

[14:08] Txxxxxx Hxxxxx: Oh, [Axxxxxx], are YOU in the wrong place. There are groups for that. This is not one of them.
[14:08] Jxxxxx Dxxxxx: yus
[14:08] Jxxxxx Dxxxxx: hahaha
[14:08] Txxxxxx Hxxxxx: Somebody spank this girl
[14:08] Emilly Orr: I wouldn't. That's what she wants.
[14:08] Jxxxxx Dxxxxx: exactly
[14:08] bxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: lmao she will enjoy it
[14:08] Txxxxxx Hxxxxx: I am so proud of you
[14:08] Fxxx Mxxxxxxxx: better to punish her to not spank her, not give her what she wants
[14:08] Emilly Orr: Mmhmm.
[14:09] Jxxxxx Dxxxxx: ignoring is usually a good punishment :D
[14:09] Sxxxxx Oxxxxxx: I would not spank her that is what she wants

Perplexing, but chat moved on. Then, in another group:

[14:25] Axxxxxx Sxxxxxx: seeking a MIstress

SAME DAMN PHRASE. What is she, defective?

[14:25] Lxxx Hxxxxx: Here????????? Spam!!!

Yep.

[14:26] sxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: oo thats gonna get your butt in trouble
[14:26] Lxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: check the pet adoption center
[14:26] rxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: You can't afford me and you are in the wrong chat group for that kind of stuff

That's a good answer.

[14:26] txxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: LOL
[14:26] Lxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: hehehhe
[14:26] xxxx Rxxxxxxx: lol me too lol
[14:27] Lxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: SL is a nice world :)
[14:27] dxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: she is going to every group
[14:27] dxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: or he i guess
[14:28] Lxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: maybe someone should pick it up her ;) uhauhauah

Even when I was more on the dominant end of the spectrum, I wouldn't have answered behavior like this. This is the worst example of childish, bratty, uncaring, demanding, topping-from-the-bottom sub behavior. Doesn't care where she posts, doesn't care who she annoys, doesn't care how many groups bounce her out on her pointy little head, as long as she gets attention. Of any kind. 

No, far better to just walk away.

[14:29] xxxx Rxxxxxxx: I dont get the whole thing mistress and crap wtf

I wasn't about to break it down for Ms. Z, in yet another weekly sales group, but...I wrote the original annoyance:

[14:34] Emilly Orr: [Axxxxxx], seriously, this is a good way to get blackballed by members of the BDSM community. You're being an irritant.
[14:35] Axxxxxx Sxxxxxx: your moms an irritant
[14:35] Emilly Orr: Oh, I see. A troll. Goodbye.

She's NINE YEARS OLD. Nine years old, and no picks, no BDSM groups (just store ones), no FL info. Pretty blank profile overall. In fact, the only thing that mentions BDSM in ANY way is this line from her SL bio:

"[Axxxxxx]!, submissive, female, unowned"

Great. What an idiot.

Then, later still:

[14:26] Axxxxxx Sxxxxxx: seeking a MIstress
[14:27] axxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Wrong chat, [Axxxxxx]
[14:28] txxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: she's posting it in multiple groups
[14:28] txxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I'm in the MP and it's working
[14:28] xxxx Rxxxxxxx: nah its spamming

Yeah, it is.

[14:42] txxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Let's stick to PG topics [Axxxxxx]
[14:48] Emilly Orr: Plus, that's the third group I'm in you've hit with this inanity, so take the hint and STOP.
[14:54] Rxxxxx Mxxxxxxx: seeking a bat to hit her with
[14:54] Emilly Orr: Might help.

Void stars, she's annoying.

I anonymized her in actual chat mentions, as is tradition, but because I think she's someone who should be watched carefully, or greatly avoided, feel free to NOT involve yourselves with Artelia Seaside. She should definitely know better, and she absolutely does not care who she irritates in her goal to get under someone's thumb again (and likely boss them around). I'd also go out on that limb and say she's likely a Velcro collar type. Avoid her like she bears actual plague.

Some people should come with warning signs. I think she's one.

jack into the mind, dominate the change

Now, this one's just odd. This comes from a freebie/dollarbie group with very specific rules: namely, no clubs, no Adult sims without mod approval, no linking to MMs or free gifts that involve vehicles. They aren't hard rules, they just have a lot of them. I've posted about this group before.

But today is the first time I'm going to criticize a mod.

[11:10] axxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: theyve been told repeatedly by mods
[11:12] Rxxxxxxxx Rxxxx: I even filed ARs about the club...nothing happened
[11:13] axxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: well theres nothing can AR them about is there

So, Miss R is the mod in question. And...she's wrong here. You can't file ARs against the club for someone who works at the club posting about it in your group, that is not harassment. That's a resident issue, LL won't get involved.

[11:15] sxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: must be one hell of a crap club if they have to keep bugging people with spam
[11:16] Dxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: o.O
[11:16] axxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: probably is .. annoying against group rules but they arent breaking any LL TOS by doing it
[11:16] kxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: everything.
[11:16] Rxxxxxxxx Rxxxx: yes there is [Axxxxxxx], They repeatedly spam the group with posts that are not allowed. LL can see the IP and see they come form the same source

No...they can't, and they won't. Legally it's not a violation of ToS.

Say I make a group for members named Jake. I'm the only non-Jake in the group because I run it. But my rules say only Jakes can join, only Jakes can post. A Bradley joins, I boot him. He complains to the Lindens and tries to AR my account for booting him out of the group of Jakes.

The Lindens will do nothing, because the group does not violate ToS in any way. My actions were consistent with my group rules, and they will support that. See the difference? Miss R can AR all she wants, but the Lindens will not lift one finger in her defense, because it is not harassment, damaging spam or fraud.

[11:17] sxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: sorry for language but dont make me inclined to go vist them in the least
[11:17] axxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: repeated spam means they have to be actually done withint few secs ofeach other
[11:17] axxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: just posting once a day .. is not considering spamming by LL
[11:17] Vxxxxx Cxxxxxxxxxx: and still they get away with it?
[11:18] axxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: unless they overload chat to spamming lvl of grieving like every few mins etc repeatedly .. it is considered a user issue to handle

Exactly. The Lindens are concerned about people harassing other users, about people griefing or spamming other users with screaming objects or prims that text-spam, about people committing fraud against their users. Almost everything else, outside of the definitions for General, Mature and Adult, is left in residents' hands.

[11:21] Rxxxxxxxx Rxxxx: they post against the group rules. Clubs are not allowed. But I am sure you know way better :) thanks for sharing

Again, usually I support the mods in this group, but Miss R...you're wrong. 100% wrong. Yes, according to the group rules of this group, clubs are not allowed and cannot post. If it is a problem, you as a moderator can ban that person from being in the group. But you CANNOT AR that person, because THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING against ToS. The charges for which a user can AR another user are specific--harassment (provable), spam (that leads to Altervista and other scam sites, or that comes from text-spamming objects dumped into sims), or fraud. That's it.

[11:22] axxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: against the group rules .. does not break TOS ... I have dealt with this before owning a store ... again .. hence ... they are not doing anything to your AR
[11:22] axxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: but im totally sure cos you say so must be right even though TOS states differently
[11:23] Txxxxx Zxxxxx: [Axx] just read it, rules are same for all of us

The group rules, yes. The ToS, well, the rules also are the same for all of us, but they are legal rules, not resident rules. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE.

[11:25] Sxxx Sxxxxx: LL will do nothing for a group issue, if someone is breaking the group rules all the mods/owner can do is just ban the offender .. LL classes it as a resident issue

They do, and they always will.