step back in time, grieving minds cry for credible debate

So, the Shop and Hop that ties into SL19B opened a few days ago, and I've been wandering it. I don't remember entirely where I started--my brain remembers Delphinium, but I don't see that on the list of sims. But I thought it might be amusing to take pictures in the approximate style of neo-Victorian daguerreotypes.



The layout's the same as all other Shop and Hops, just the decor changes, but in this case, the decor's actually not bad.



Not sure which Mole thought it was a good idea for steampunk religious allegory? But okay.



As usual, there's the expected mix of Designers Who Grok the Theme and Designers Who Have No Clue, but--the theming from the decor was actually cohesive, and pretty much on target throughout.



And I also really liked the constant pairing of ivy and pipework--a subtle nod to the Victorian love of gardening, as well as steampunk's devotion to pipes and propellers.



Airships and ivy go well together, too.



And I'm not the greatest gif maker, but--I did like the way this one came out. It does not, at all, do justice to Vae Victis' booth at the event, though. If your processor is up to it, go and stand in place, and look up, and wait for the ceiling to spin with stars, and listen for the ethereal glissando of musical notes that accompany the starry movements.

And if that doesn't work for you, then just watch the celestialpunk chandelier spin for a few moments, because that's incredible, too.

[[Insert from the Editrix prior to publication: Delphinium does exist as a sim! And that's the SLUrl that will take you directly to Vae Victis' door, where Grimoire Hexem has made some wonderful skins for the Aurum horse, and in a collaboration with En Pointe, a truly beautiful set of tack that's rigged for all twenty Teeglepet breeds. Amazing.]]

Oh, and...

That is all.

and I'm more than willing to offer myself, who knows where that might lead

Just this little bit:

[07:33] Ithildin Telperion (mondi.beaumont): I promise - no, I swear ! - now I'm done with my "Fantasy Faire 2021" photos - at least for this year - Fantasy Faire 2021 is over, and all involved look back on the past 3 weeks with one laughing and one crying eye .

So much fun, work, diligence, stress, laughing, crying, remembering, fundraising, supporting, broadening horizons - and much more. All this is and was only possible because everyone pulled and is pulling together.

The Fantasy Faire is actually an old-fashioned, outdated ideal concept - because what counts here is togetherness and responsibility towards others, and not, as is so often the case nowadays, just putting oneself in the right light. So Fairelanders are perhaps a little naïve, a little old-fashioned - but that's exactly what makes us so strong. Taking the extra step when the other person is already limping... reaching out when someone can't reach anymore, listening carefully when others become quiet, giving a smile even when we might feel like crying.

[07:33] Ithildin Telperion (mondi.beaumont): Many thanks to each and every one of you for everything you have done and achieved. From the organizers, the sponsors and idea providers, to the designers, world builders, the tirelessly working team on all different levels, the chroniclers, the photographers, the idea providers, the hidden surprise chickens - to every single visitor.
From the organizers, the sponsors and idea providers, to the designers, world builders, the tirelessly working team on all different levels, the chroniclers, the photographers, the idea providers, the hidden surprise chickens - to every single visitor.

Thank you for your donations, your criticism, your loving words, your compliments, your time, your energy - your help, your feedback and your straightforwardness.

Stay healthy and take good care of yourselves! All my love from the bottom of my heart, *Mondi* https://www.flickr.com/photos/28469653@N05/

Here, here.

And...this:

[11:48] Fantasy Faire 2021 ~ Memorial Candle: The inscription reads: Miss you so much, Sumie.

I do. But the candle's in Steamopolis, now. That helps.

Next year, I'm buying one for Alastair.

In radically different (and likely NSFW) news--a beloved story of the invention of vibrators may be wrong. Totally not kidding--apparently Rachel Maines thought she was onto something, or at least thought she could get a book out of it, but her "research" into the origins of Victorian electrical stimulation devices utterly fails to hold up.

Maines says now that her book was intended merely to present a "hypothesis", and was never intended to be taken seriously, but--if one reads the book? She never once presents it as a working theory, she presents it as fact. Hmm.

On the other hand, now we do know there was a link between Victorian electrical stimulation devices and human sexuality--the catch is, the devices were marketed to men.

(That article also mentions another "myth", only one I'd never heard of--that Cleopatra "invented" the vibrator by filling a gourd with bees. Now, on the surface, this sounds patently ridiculous, but we live in an era where Gwyneth Paltrow suggested a beauty treatment that involves massive amounts of bee stings, and at least one woman has died from this recommendation, so...really, who knows?)

dynasty decapitated, you just might see a ghost tonight

Another link post, but I think some fun links to edify and amuse.

First, we know of the purported Victorian "flower code", for which there is a plethora of contradicting information, but what about Victorian book flirtation? I didn't even know this was a thing, and as the article explains, current scholarship says it likely wasn't? But the concept is entertaining, for all it makes my inner librarian cringe at the thought of biting books.

Next, apparently there were exercise manuals for Victorian ladies, but very few of them advised strenuous exercise, just very mild stretching movements. What I find fascinating is that many dances of the time were good cardiovascular exercise, and womens' fencing clubs required strength and agility, and that required an elevated heart rate. So on the one hand, women weren't supposed to exercise, because men felt it was bad for their delicate bodies, while on the other, they were required to exercise, so they'd have the stamina to fence, dance, ride, and other supposedly strenuous activities. Odd.

And finally, though it comes with a mild warning for language, portable toilets used to be shaped like books. Why? When did it start? How did I not know this sooner?

There is a lot going on in this article covering a debate between Sam Harris and Ben Shapiro. Neither are particularly admirable people, and both of them get things wrong in the debate, but I'm linking the article because it looks deeply at the many presuppositions of our 'modern' belief set in Galileo having been tortured for his scientific knowledge. Which, we know now, is simply not the case. Yet men who went to college and proudly list their degrees in their introductions still get this fundametal fact wron. Why? Why do they never go back and verify that what they're saying is accurate? Especially if they've been that wrong, that many times.

Second Life's in the news again, and this time around, it's not a huge scandal. It actually is fairly complimentary. Yay for that.

you've got so many dreams that you don't know where to put 'em, so you'd better turn a few of 'em loose

Another translation effort. This one was out of the blue.

[13:25] exxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ömür için ediyorum zaten

That's Turkish, approximately "I am for life").

[13:25] exxxxxx Rxxxxxxx:
[13:25] exxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: dağılsın

Which means "break up").

[13:25] exxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: dikkatin

Which means "the attention">. Just to explain a bit--this is normally a group that deals with mesh body and head support. While there's some casual chatter, it usually relates to shopping events, head settings in general, that kind of thing.

[13:25] exxxxxx Rxxxxxxx:
[13:25] hxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: working on it now

Ms. H's response was to what happened (in English) directly before Ms. E began speaking.

[13:25] mxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: :) oh ok thanks!

Which was Mm. M's response to Ms. H.

[13:26] exxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: [cx] hanginiz oynuyor?

WHich means "[cx] which of you are playing".

[13:26] exxxxxx Rxxxxxxx:
[13:26] Oxxxx Sxxxxxxx: you ok [Exxxx]?
[13:27] exxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: yes ıam okey
[13:28] Oxxxx Sxxxxxxx: good

As I said, wasn't a huge aberration, just an oddity.

On Tor Book's site, of all things, I found "The Glass Magician Playlist". It seems largely a mix of dieselpunk and electroswing pieces, but I still think there might be a few things of interest to the steampunk set.

Also:

[11:04] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: "Lol we’re a bunch of paycheck to paycheck employees living in apartments owned by paycheck to paycheck landlords and working for paycheck to paycheck corporations. Lmao whole economy full of broke bitches. Whose idea was this?!?"
[11:04] Mxxxxxxx Wxxxxxxxxx: what an on point statement
[11:04] Emilly Orr: Sadly true. Relevant and accurate.

Have I linked this yet? Because those are some amazing baked goods.

And finally, something about mesh I never realized: it's height-dependent. Now, the real weirdness is, I never had a problem wearing various layers with the old build of Maitreya, but with the new one? I get texture flicker constantly.

But, on the other side of that, after reading this I realized I spend a large amount of time in various skyboxes. Work, home, half the stores I consistently shop at--they're all skybound. So maybe she has a point.

It doesn't make me any more favorable to BOM as a concept, but at least there may be options.

And the last thing for this entry: I've reformatted the charity sidebar to take into account COVID-19 relief efforts. So now, everything listed there, whether it's related to the virus or not, either had high marks on Charity Navigator or are organizations I've vetted or worked with in the past. (This is not meaning to say that I'm an authority on anything, by all means investigate them yourselves; I'm just pointing out that none of these seem to be obvious scams.)

another quiet thing has passed me by

Today I learned about the wooden mansion in Pogorelovo. It is made of awesome and win. Have some more pictures. In fact, have some pictures in full sunlight, where it looks like a completely different building.

There's a Cemetery Garden in Bennafield. Their description chirps:

Welcome to the Cemetery Garden. Have fun wandering, visiting with the ghosts and receiving your unfortunate fortune. If you dare, teleport up to my gallery via a coffin, to explore immersive environments. Visitor gift in the cemetery!

Let's go look.



It's a small haunt on mainland, but it has some neat touches.



The fountain is still, with brackish water half-filling the old stone basin. I adore the dead flowers.



Because of course the elegant ghost couple brought elegant ghost Moët. (I'm assuming descendants brought the cake in as tribute.)



I didn't hear it chime, so it may not be working, but it's a very atmospheric clock.



In a haunt this small and old-school, a ghost like this actually works still.

You'll have to make it a dark and stormy night yourself, but barring that, it's a cute little haunt, there's a few freebies to gather, and towards the back there's a link to the maker's gallery. I didn't go (I am on A MISSION, after all!), but I am tempted to go back.

oh, no apologies, twisting your word and your policies

A brief Scenes from a Chat:

[11:47] mxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Can y'all see this? 🔠

Unless it's supposed to be just letters, no. That or a plain empty box are usually what I see when the emoji in question isn't showing up in chat.

[11:47] axxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: yes
[11:47] Lxxxx Mxxxxxxxxx: Yep
[11:49] Mxxxx Gxxxxxx: yes
[11:49] mxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Okay: this is the least used emoji at the moment.

If that's all it is, I understand why.

[11:49] mxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Basically if you can, remember to use it in your vocabulary so we can give this little thing some love too.

Why?

[11:50] Mxxxx Gxxxxxx: i just got online lol were there soooo many ?
[11:50] mxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Here is it again: 🔠
[11:50] Mxxxx Gxxxxxx: oh wow you dare [kxxx]
[11:50] Emilly Orr: [Kxxx], I see four little letters that I think read A-B-C-T?

Because in SL, this thing is not only not blue, but smaller, so...it was hard to make out.



That is what I saw in world. Also, just to clear this up if required, "K" was the letter her display name started with. Her actual name was longer, and began with a different letter.

[11:50] mxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: A B C D
[11:51] Emilly Orr: Oh, it's supposed to be that?
[11:51] mxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Yass

Then I'm confused.

[11:52] Emilly Orr: Okay, so this is tiny brain moment--whassit mean?
[11:52] Txxxxxxxx Exxxx: lol Emily
[11:52] mxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: A B C D are the first letters of the latin alphabet
[11:53] Emilly Orr: Yes....
[11:53] mxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Yas.

I don't get it.

[11:53] Emilly Orr: So that's it? No deeper meaning, like the difference between the blue heart and the red heart?
[11:53] mxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: A B C D are the first letters of the latin alphabet.
[11:54] Emilly Orr: You keep saying that like it means something.

Because, Ms. K, that means nothing. That is meaningless. That carries even less inherent sense than many emojis.

[11:54] mxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Eh that's what it means.
[11:54] Emilly Orr: Then I don't get it.
[11:55] mxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: 🔠
[11:56] Emilly Orr shrugs and moves on

I mean, am I just missing some incredibly obscure joke here? Someone help me out. Does it have an actual meaning? Why is this such a big deal? Is it just Ms. K wants to encourage people to use an alphabetic emoji for no particular reason but using it?

I still don't get it. So, onward to the haunt!

The description for East of London is short:

This is the only replica of how Londons East was in the 1880s during Jack the ripper reigh.

I think they mean, "during Jack the Ripper's reign", but hey.



I don't think Whitechapel would have ever named a pub "Jack the Ripper", even in the height of the Ripper hysteria.

That seems on the grim side.



Problem: same top-hatted gentleman. Same name for the pub. Repeats on a supposedly authentic Victorian sim? Never good.



That's a tad bit on the nose, a soiled dove standing next to a waiting coffin.



Poses of some of the crime scenes (and at least one victim). Around the corner from this, there's a posestand in front of a slideshow of various Victorian street scenes. Neat concept.



An ominous shadow on the bricks...



And a lass that was not saved in time.

In point of fact, this is more history than horror, but it does give you the feeling, at least, of wandering a foggy Whitechapel night. There are some sights, and relatively few rips (there are a few, but for the most part, they're used in ways they make sense). So if you're up for a slightly haunted stroll, this one's recommended.

we're a pillow fight on a concrete bed

[11:30] txxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: yalll... today seems to be a busy day for pfishing schemes .. please do not click on any links form anyone you do not I know .. I have seen over 7 attempts at pfishing just in the past hour

Yeah, the phishing attempts are getting pretty bad. Obviously they're going to continue, because just as people don't learn from exposure to gold farming tactics in MMOs, people aren't learning from phishing attempts in SL.

[11:33] cxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx sighs "TOday just seems like a pretty bad day overall...?
[11:33] cxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: !"
[11:33] cxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Damnit!
[11:34] cxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: *"

Wau. Touchy.

[11:36] lxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: lol hi meow
[11:36] lxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: whats wrong? :P
[11:42] cxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Oh nothing in particular, just people you see on the streets and have to listen to in general. WHy does there have to be so much negativity in the world?
[11:43] cxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: THe damnit was cuz the typo typo though. lol
[11:43] txxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i think there are both ...neg and pos.. you can listen to one or the otehr or youcan take them both as a balance to each other . trying to not absorb thatwhich isnt " youre=s"

There are days where Ms. T just can't spell. It's a thing.

And, to be fair, there are also days where it seems every other being on the planet has previously met and interacted with one goal in mind: driving us out of ours. Of course, that never happens, but it feels like it some days.

[11:44] txxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: a saying i heard a couple years ago sometimes I have to repeat many times a day when someone tries to draw me in to a pile pof crap }} this is not my circus ..these are not my monkeys
[11:44] dxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: :)
[11:44] Axxxxxxx Cxxxxx: wait, those ARE my monkeys

Take your monkeys back, then!

[11:45] hxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: or
[11:45] Rxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i was allways told not my circus not my clown.

That's another good one.

[11:45] hxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: my name is West and im not in this Mess

Never heard that one before, actually.

[11:46] cxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Oh I know, I'm just saying like what you can't avoid. People obnoxioulsy honking at other cars, sticking close to your car pressuring you, passing cars left and right. I mean what's the point of all this? None of this matters and while change nothign in the end. You're just throwing the crap you're carrying at other people and ruinging their day as well.

Sure, but--as I well know--it's the most difficult thing to pull yourself out of your own irritation and be conscious of the people around you. And if we are already in that stage of being irritated at each small, perpetual thing, it's nearly impossible to pull back and stop.

[11:46] dxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: lol i mostly go like : its not my business
[11:48] txxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: cossak...heres another one }}}}}   dont let idiots rent space in your head

Not the least of which is, idiots don't usually pay on time. Or at all.

[11:48] txxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: now imma go eat food :P
[11:48] txxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: NO KILLING and ill se yall laterz
[11:48] Bxxxxxxxx Rxxxx: lol
[11:50] cxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I know... *sighs* I just need a break from people... *squirms around yelling* And this annoying fly to go away! ARGH!!

Some days, it just doesn't pay to chew through the leather straps.

Meanwhile...Back when it was Canada Day, I put together an entry, and then...forgot it existed for several months. Ooops.

So Happy (belated) Canada Day! (This might be NSFW, in some jurisdictions: everything is technically covered, but...not by much.)

And interested in getting a Hulkbuster toy? Why not get a totally adorable one? With an equally dead-cute Iron Man figure inside.

Meet Andreas Urbanski, fire wielder. (Link leads to a video, but the video is awesome.)

And finally, I found a slideshow presentation of Victorian color schemes, and color blending through all three major Victorian periods. Neat!

And now, back to your regularly scheduled haunt coverage.

oh, there ain't no rest for the wicked

I'm sensing a theme this year, for no specific reason I can ascertain. I walked through the Haunted House of Ill Repute.

Purportedly an abandoned Victorian bordello--and again, on an Adult parcel--it was clean and bright outside, so considerably unnerving, considering the normal sunset/midnight settings for most haunts on SL. Then I walked inside.



A-ha--the first time I've entered a haunt on Adult land and known instantly why it was on Adult land. Good to know.


Lovely little cobweb-strewn dining set. Obviously chairs of fine wood, with a plush velvet fabric. I can easily see gentlemen slicing roast or braised duck, enjoying sparkling wines and intimate conversation with the house madam, or perhaps even their chosen companions for the evening.



The art is a complete hodge-podge of eras, but I've seen at least a couple houses that work that way, so I have to assume others do as well. Both Nevada's Mustang Ranch (link is NSFW, naturally) and Wallace, Idaho's many brothels (possibly SFW, but definitely dealing with Adult content) point to storied histories in their art and in their construction, and pieces that are in good condition are left on the walls along with newer photographs or more "modern" art pieces. So, while some of the 1980s- to 2000-era pictures were a bit odd, the paintings from the 1950s and 1960s seemed to fit right in with the turn of the century drawings, and the actual Victorian-era burlesque photography.



This struck me as ingenious--matching the baroque wallpaper of the house to the baroque lampshade? Neat little detail.



Though I did not bring a friend on this jaunt, and would not be willing to show any of the furniture pieces "in action", as it were, there are a few pieces scattered throughout the house. Beds, of course, but also spanking benches and the like. It does make the house tour more entertaining...



The attic, of course, has a fully-equipped electric chair for...hrm...torture sessions? Once seated, it will offer a set of cuffs and the helmet (with built-in bit gag to muffle screams, perhaps?). Whereupon whomever's in control of the chair can affix one to it, raise uncomfortable metal studs from the surfaces one sits and leans against, or run three different levels of power through the chair itself. It's on the morbid side for a sexual toy, but I can see it getting use within a prison roleplay, perhaps.

I found this one thoroughly enjoyable, and possibly even worth revisiting with a partner. If you also are intrigued, do check it out.



And the "Once Upon a Witches' Tale Haunted Hallowdays Scream Park"...cumbersome as that name is...seems to have vaporized. We'll move on, then.

never let a bad day be enough to go and talk you into giving up

Started in the middle of something, as per usual...

[18:50] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: what is the point of boobs and asses as big as people wear them
[18:50] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I just dont even get it

Can we say, "here we go again"?

[18:50] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Maybe they like them
[18:50] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: or maybe they look that way in real life
[18:50] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: lol
[18:50] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: DOUBTFUL
[18:51] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: not that many
[18:51] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: maybe a few MIGHT

I'll go on record as saying I don't like Miss T, here. She's allowed to hold the opinion, I know I've said similar things, but for the most part I say it about people wandering around Caledon, or on PG shopping sims wearing below the bare minimum. Still, because of where this goes, I thought I'd post it, because this is not just a case of 'how can they wear that', but a judgement on an entirely presumed lifestyle.

[18:51] Lxxxx Sxxxxxx: [Txxxx], you are not alone in that puzzlement. lol
[18:51] Bxxxxx Mxxxxxxxx: a lot of people think that's what is sexy lol
[18:51] cxxxx Kxxxxx: don't let people bully you

Everyone's entitled to their opinion. But the flip side of that is everyone is also entitled to react to that opinion. And if people don't like your opinions, they're allowed to say that too. (I'd offer my own blog up as a prime example of that; I've made more enemies than friends, because I have made, and likely will continue to make in the future, harsh judgments of attire, texture, and shape.)

[18:51] jxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: different folks different stroke I am sure plenty of people in SL wouldn't understand why at times I run around as a femboi
[18:51] Dxxxxx Sxxxx: I think some of the extremes of SL are like my SL extremes... womething I wish I could do without repercussions that I do not desire to have any part of
[18:51] Ixxxxxxx Jxxxxxxxxx: to each their own...i like me, but others may not...it's what makes YOU happy
[18:51] bxxxxx Cxxxxxx: well it's your SL you are entitled to do what you please

Well, within limits, there are rules of behavior after all...but those are for the most part tailored to RL criminal acts which are not allowed.

[18:51] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: its freakish.. and im no architect but ankles that small? Im sorry ... structurally unsound
[18:52] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Um freakish?

And here the judgment starts in full effect. All right, I've done this too, I own it, I take responsibility for it--I firmly believe that if you're going to have prim feet and/or shoes, for the love of all gods please match the skin tone, and please adjust the ankle to the same width as the leg itself. Because otherwise it looks like one is trying to walk on artificially severed appendages, and...that's just disturbing.

But that's not what she means here, is it? The ankles are an afterthought. What she's saying is that very large breasts, whether or not they have "natural" sag or bounce, are of themselves a freakish addition, like having eight legs or a parasitic twin. And saying things are "freaky" or "freakish" is still common parlance, but at one time it meant something very specific: extra limbs, extra heads, extra fingers and toes. Things beyond the normal experience, people who were not "as us"--or at least, as the typical country or city folk the freakshows played to.

Traveling carnivals also had rides, food stands, games of chance, dancers, sword swallowers, magicians--but there were many people in the US and abroad for whom being a full-time "freak" was their occupation. Now it's 2015, and we've been told over and over, these are just 'extras', these are just genetic "mistakes", maybe, it happens when cells divide...but now large breasts are lumped in with the other traditional "freaks" of the sideshows?

[18:52] Dxxxxx Sxxxx: example: I have wanted full body tattoo coverage since I was a SMALL child, something that is VERY unlikely to happen in my RL but happens often in my SL

Yeah, I have one perpetual sigattachment I wear, a winged back tattoo--I've had it since my first few months in SL. In fact, when tattoo layers came around, I contacted the maker to see if she'd be interested in converting it over to a tattoo layer for me. Will I ever get that back tattoo in RL? I won't deny I've been tempted, but I probably won't, just for cost alone.

[18:52] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: yeah
[18:52] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: a bit
[18:52] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: That's very harsh
[18:52] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ~shrugs~
[18:52] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: And not very nice

It is harsh, and it isn't nice. I do think "nice" as a concept is rather overused, and occasionally trite as a concept, but is it just more politically correct to say their 'whatever' could be smaller, when we're talking about peoples' personal parts? Whether those parts are virtual or not? Or should we just accept that that's how they want to look? Where's the correct protocol with inflatable bits, anyway?

[18:52] bxxxxx Cxxxxxx: that's the awesome thing about SL is you are able to be as creative as you want to be :)
[18:52] rxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I would think SL is a place to express an inner desire / want you can't have IRL xD
[18:52] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: srry but seeing it so much i just dont get it
[18:53] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Well get over it
[18:53] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: im guessing there is a reason
[18:53] bxxxxx Cxxxxxx: exactly [Rxxx]
[18:53] Lxxxx Sxxxxxx: While everyone is jumping at the chance to tell [Txxxx] that everyone has the right to do as they please, you are forgetting that [Txxxx] has the right to her own opinions. You don't have to agree with her.

No, we don't, obviously, but as I said earlier, she has the chance to air her voice; we have the chance to react.

[18:53] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Yes but I don't really like people calling my friends "freaks"
[18:53] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: indeed
[18:53] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i didnt say stop
[18:53] Axxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i seen someone who looked like niki minaj in here did i say rude things did i chuckle to myself yes
[18:53] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i just asked WHY?

Well, and I suppose that's fair. And at least she voiced her opinion of these "freaks" in a group that's for general freebies and gifts, not implants and mesh bodies. I...guess that's a good thing? Sort of?

[18:54] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: lol
[18:54] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: you have to
[18:53] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I don't think that's very nice
[18:54] Bxxxxx Mxxxxxxxx: And back to our regularly scheduled programming...
[18:54] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: men talk too
[18:54] Axxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: but i didn't say anything
[18:54] Lxxxx Sxxxxxx: [Bxxxx], did she NAME your friends? If not then that is a strawman argument and you are bashing her while griping about her allegedly (but not really) bashing your 'friends'

Eh, I think that's six of one, half a dozen of the other, really. What the one lass is objecting to is women with large breasts being called freaks. She has friends who wear implants. Thus, according to Miss T, they'd be freaks. She objects to Miss T's labeling them such.

That's not a strawman argument, that's a pretty straight-forward reaction.

[18:54] jxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: [Lxxxx] I don't think anyone said she doesn't did they? I know I didn't I just expressed my own opinion which happens to conflict with hers.
[18:54] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Men like it too
[18:54] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: no
[18:54] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: not as many as yall think
[18:54] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: lol

So...not only is Miss T saying that all wearers of implants and mesh bodies are "freaks", but now she's stating that most men despise women who wear mesh breasts and mesh butts? Really?

I think we're out of rope to hand you, you might just have to hang yourself on what you have, Miss.

[18:54] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Oh So I could come in here and say all skinny bitches are freaks
[18:54] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: they talk about it
[18:54] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: And it's fine?????
[18:54] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: but also say most them do it to get .. well.. and they know they are easy

So, all women who wear mesh breasts and mesh busts are sluts, you say. On top of everything else. Go on.

[18:54] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I don't think so
[18:55] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: OMG
[18:55] Lxxxx Sxxxxxx: And [Bxxxx], if people CHOOSE to look like freaks, they are hardly in a position to gripe if someone calls them that.

Don't help.

[18:55] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: yes you could
[18:55] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: im not skinny
[18:55] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: YEA all big girls are whores [Txxxx]
[18:55] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: that's right
[18:55] Lxxxx Sxxxxxx: If you rob banks are we not allowed to call you a bank roober because it's politically incorrect or might offend you?

"Robber", but now we're getting into specious arguments. You're basically making her point.

[18:55] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: but i am thinking yes you could say that
[18:55] Ixxxxxxx Jxxxxxxxxx: lol i am skinny...and to a point a freak lol
[18:55] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: no
[18:55] Lxxxx Sxxxxxx: If you don't want to be called a bank robber, don't rob banks.

Are you on Miss T's side? Wait, this is also you:

[18:51] Lxxxx Sxxxxxx: [Txxxx], you are not alone in that puzzlement. lol

You ARE!

[18:55] Bxxxxx Mxxxxxxxx: Okay, this is a no win subject ATM
[18:55] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: No, if you rob a bank you're a bank robber
[18:55] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Lawd
[18:55] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i said that many men see them as doing it to put out the message
[18:55] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i mean draw attention there for what
[18:56] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: to say UHH no touch?
[18:56] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: lol
[18:56] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: yeah

Yeah. We get it. You're a prude. Move on.

[18:56] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Because you have a large ass you're a whore?
[18:56] cxxxxx Txxxxx: blinks
[18:56] lxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Wooooah guys.... come on now. Let's chillax and get back to shopping okay?
[18:56] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Do you tell people in real life that?
[18:57] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Cause I think you're about to get in some real trouble if you do

Seriously. This is NOT something you just walk up to people and say out loud in that tone. Plus, this is EXACTLY the sort of victim-blaming our culture seems trapped in. "She had on a sexy dress, that's why she was raped." "She was out late, that's why she was assaulted." "She had large breasts, of course she was sexually harassed." This kind of thinking blames the woman for being in front of the man's eyes, and not the man for doing something criminal and morally reprehensible.

Even in SL, this is something we should try to curtail.

[18:57] Bxxxxx Mxxxxxxxx: Can we please change topics?
[18:57] dxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: People shouldn't worry so much about what others think and live your life the way you see fit. You are never going to please everyone and will only make yourself miserable and those around you as well if you try.
[18:57] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I do

I find that very, very difficult to believe. Or, if that is true, then she gets yelled at a lot by women who aren't prostitutes and don't like being called one to their faces.

[18:57] Vxxxxx Kxxxx: stop it before the chat closes again
[18:57] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: and no i dont get in RL trouble
[18:57] Mxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i tell them GYM its 2015

Yeah, depending on the neighborhood she lives in, I really don't believe this. She'd be flipped attitude at the least, or outright slapped in the face for her presumption. 'Get your fat ass to a gym'? Seriously?

[18:57] Lxxxx Sxxxxxx: If my RL friends and family members dressed and behaved like many folks in SL do, you bet I'd tell them they were whorish.
[18:57] Rxxxxx Sxxxxxxxxxx: [Bxxxxx] and [Txxxx] if want to continue this conversation i think the proper place is a im not in here
[18:57] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I'm over it
[18:58] bxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: :X
[18:59] Ixxxxxxx Jxxxxxxxxx: :P likes being freakish lol

Well, and sometimes I do too. Today, for instance, I was very prim and proper, in a floor-length gown with long sleeves, hair in a precise bun, and fawn brocade boots, because I was hunting roses across Caledon. When I arrived back at the current crypt home, I exchanged that for a charcoal hoody, torn black jeans, studded platform boots, and a miniskirt.

To that end, though, it's obvious where Miss T's thought processes are going here. Have a large ass, have bigger boobs, you're a streetwalker. In her mind, you're good for only one thing, and that means you don't respect yourself, men don't respect you, and other women are going to treat you like the dirt you so clearly--to her--are.

And, granted, there are a lot of extremes in SL, throughout all our communities. There are places I don't want to go with my avatar in any mode of dress. There are shapes and styles of avatars I won't purchase, or wear. But to me, that's personal preference.

I've complained about a lot of things. I complain about avatar appearance. I've openly despised the whole pouty fish-lips, wide-saddle form of female we seem stricken with currently, and I doubt that's going to change. But that's not because I think they look like prostitutes, or think the women in those shapes are inherently easy to sleep with. It's because I think that shape and style makes them look desperately unhappy, just a soul-deep, cynical misery that pervades outward from the skin. And I do not believe everyone who wears that shape or those specifically designed skins are that desperately unhappy, that riddled with hatred and bile. I think they're deliberately making themselves unattractive--to themselves if no one else--but my standards are not theirs, obviously, and that's pretty much the end of the assumption line.

Miss T took it farther. To her, Ms. Charms



is exactly the same as Ms. Fuller



and both are exactly the same as this unidentified street prostitute?



Why? For that matter, why link the three in the first place? And why such utter loathing for all three?

(Photo credits: I cannot track down the photographer for the Chelsie Charms shot; but I will link her website [should you feel compelled to dig further, be warned it is VERY NSFW]. Ms. Fuller's photographer has been lost to the ages, as far as I know, but I originally found her cabinet card on the Cvltnation site. And John Mac took the unidentified shot of the prostitute in 2005, for this photo forum.)

gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket

So Massively is shutting down...Which is just odd to me. Forget their Second Life coverage, but I still read that blog. Hells, today I sent out a tweet concerning a Massively article, it's not like my attention wandered five years ago. Why, AOL? Why are you doing this?

Something I think is always worthwhile to pass on every now and then is good password management toolsets. This entry from the Crash Override Tumblr is an excellent article, with multiple links to explore to learn more on why password randomization is a good idea.

In the meantime, Garena ESports have wholly and utterly lost their tiny brainless minds. First, what does it matter if a female play is a lesbian, or a trans woman, or both? Second, why did they feel the need to develop rules for the Iron Solari that would exclude female players from playing in female-only teams? Don't they want players for League of Legends? Isn't that the point of any game?

Also, in a few years (presumably, once we all have mood- and chemical-balancing brain chips) we may be able to press a button and reset our circadian rhythms. I have a few friends who this might work for, and well--assuming the technology tests out in humans. (Right now, they're still studying the effects in mice.)



And goodbye, Mr. Whybrow. I could not come to your official wake; I was too overwrought still to be good company. But I did go to the memorial, and wandered those items which friends had left. You would have approved, I think. Someone finally finished working on a highly ornate musical ornament, because you'd encouraged them to start. There were flowers, cherry trees in full bloom in defiance of the seasons, places where gentles could gather and converse around a fire. Candles, and of course, pictures of your redoubtable shopgirl. It was rather overwhelming in itself, but I am glad I went.

It makes losing you no easier, but knowing how many lives you touched, that does ease the grieving.

in the bleak midwinter

We are well into the Advent season now, and if you haven't been following along, there's still hope. The owner of IM Capped has put together an expansive list on the topic. There may be revisions as time goes on, and stores drop out or add later-in-the-month Advents, and you can always check to see if there's been a revision by returning to the store or the blog.

Speaking of things seasonal, the Arcade (yes, I know, I know, it's always so crowded) currently has a holiday tree smack dab in the center of all the chaos. And, if you manage to fight your way to it through the lag, there's a grand collection of presents underneath it for the taking. I wish you joy of accomplishing this; I've crashed twice trying!

Speaking of things seasonal off the grid, have some snow cookies. And some cinnamon stars.

Marvel may not be able to bring all their characters back under one roof, so to speak, but Stan Lee may have hinted at reunification efforts. It'd be fun, but terribly complicated to nail down.

Have some happy hamsters.

"Go on..."

Les Sucreries de Fairy is getting into mesh in an adorable neo-Victorian way:



Retailing for L$200, copy/mod, five standard mesh sizes, PLUS the headband, the choker, and the beribboned gloves. Darling. If I had the L$200, I would buy it on the spot.

Santa's obsession is leather? Since when?

More to come, as I slowly drag myself back into blogging...

who cares about little boys who talk too much?

Yeah, no.

Apparently, happiness is a warm hammer. Who knew?

Does sunscreen harm coral reefs? Surprising answer: yes.

The Tower Bridge in London is now glass-bottomed. Why? Got me. Because people look like little ants that far above the ground?

This is fascinating: Hogewey, near Amsterdam, has no walls, no bars, no gates. The patients stay because it's where they live. They have shops, salons, entertainment options--and houses furnished terrifyingly accurately to the periods they best remember--the 1950s, 1960s, or 1970s.

It would be like a time warp. The caretakers of the patients pose as gardeners--ubiquitous, but non-threatening.

Scientists are planning to clone a woolley mammoth, based on a collaborative project that has merged enough active DNA strands from enough different mammoth discoveries to warrant a successful effort--potentially. The bigger question: is this a good idea? What are we going to do with a woolley mammoth once we have one?

Hayao Miyazaki is one of the most impressive directors of animated film we have. Tomorrow, those who have the tech can get three of his best works on Blu-Ray, for HD glory never seen before:


Kiki's Delivery Service


Princess Mononoke


The Wind Rises

Considering each of these is worth seeing in standard, in HD they must be truly epic.

Sixteenth-century cosplayers? Some of these are seriously impressive. I'd like to see more of the series.

Painter, illustrator and photographer Hannah Rothstein designs Thanksgiving meals to be reminiscent of the work of famous artists. To be fair, it never would have occurred to me that Mondrian would use gravy as a separation medium, or that Pablo Picasso would shatter the plate, but they're all interesting takes on the concept.

In the meantime, for another take on food as art, how about hand-knitted food? You can't eat 'em, but that doesn't mean they don't look good enough to try.

While the Paris Longchamp Grand Prix races were far from a casual event, between 1910 and 1920 they were enough of a draw that photographers took both posed and casual shots of the fashions for public view. Some of the looks are quite stunning.

Going back a bit earlier, how about some cabinet cards from burlesque dancers in 1890? While of course much of the attire is part and parcel of the times in which they lived, still, some notable things stand out for me. For example, Ella Chapman's stockings (or tights, it's hard to tell): are they sequined or actually beaded? That sounds stunning visually, but uncomfortable to wear. Though Minnie Marshall's jacket dress is something I'm seriously tempted to attempt remaking.

The one common motif they all have is that they look like strong women, not merely curvaceous, but actually powerful. While curves were in, and corsets added to that impression, the overall sameness of their legs, the size of their thighs, bespeaks to a specific style of dance that must have, at the time, been nigh unto universal. One wonders who trained burlesque dancers, and how? Obviously they could act; many could improvise and were gifted comediennes; but it's that specific musculature on their legs that makes me wonder how they trained.

For vintage photography buffs, the earliest known photograph to feature a recognizable human being was taken in Paris, France, in 1838, by Louis Daguerre. Yes, that Daguerre, the invention of the daguerrotype, a specifically-processed, silver-plated sheet of copper that could engrave images via gunpowder flashed into a shadowbox, essentially. It was a great step forward for the time as a process, but how did this image capture the human figure?

Simple: he stood stll long enough. There are many, many unseen people, horses, carts and carriages in that photograph, that we will never see, because their movements meant they were out of frame before the exposure time ended. This one man, however, was having his shoes shined, and thus held his position long enough to be captured for posterity.

There was a secret message in Abraham Lincoln's pocket watch that even he never realized. History is strange.

Having never heard the term "thundersnow" before, I gleefully announced it to Miss Neome--who, since she grew up in Wisconsin, knows this as an everyday word. Oops. Well, it's new to me, and it landed in Buffalo, New York, to the tune of seventy inches. Eep.

I love John Malkovich for these. Especially the recreation of Dorothy Lange's famous Dustbowl photo. (If you haven't seen the original, compare it: it's a stunning recreation.)

And finally, have some NYC camouflage. That is all.

So, I haven't been here for a while. It wasn't my intent to abandon blogging, and I seriously regret that I missed blogging any of the haunts this year, because while this October was fairly dismal overall, there were some standouts that were worth blogging. I didn't do that.

Not necessarily interested in going into the reasons as to why, because past a certain point, this blog becomes a confessional, and I'm trying to avoid that. In large part due to the fact that it was so very much a confessional for the grid in its early days.

I'm going to leave it as "struggling with personal issues" and work harder on blogging more frequently--even if they're likely all going to be clip posts for a while. At least it will get me back in the habit, because it's a habit I really don't want to lose.

play in someone's perfume garden and this night's the last you'll get

Okay, had a moment over the last couple of days where the slight discordance between the last banner (which took me, no lie, about two weeks to put together) and the backdrop (which I put together in maybe fifteen minutes, max, because I couldn't find anything exactly the right shade) became an !INTENSE!ANNOYANCE! that had to be dealt with OMGOMGRIGHTNAAAAOOOO...So, I changed things again. Now we have a different skulls-and-flowers background, and a banner that goes better with everything, and this should keep me happy for the next few months...with any luck.

No trains in view, though. Le sigh.

As usual, with any background change, let me know if anything's too objectionable, blah blah blah, you know the drill.

Meanwhile, back in Neverwinter...

[Zone] ForcedNameChangeAgain@raistlin00: send me all your crap ill sell it and send you the money
[Zone] Gravious@graviouz: sounds like scam

No, really? What gave it away?

[Zone] Storm@durandal112: Go change your name

I tend to agree. The problem is, when the mods in Neverwinter change someone's name, they make it something bland and (relatively) inoffensive. Usually comprised largely of numbers. How'ver, that name, that means someone either created a character from scratch with that name, or paid in Zen--which is bought with RL funds, not in-game currency--to change their name to that. Either way, that is a chosen name.

And that's disturbing.

Later on, this gem scrolled up:

[Zone] orberon@orberon2: rofl who made this trees saved alot off poligons

Yeah, I'll just...I'll just leave that there, to molder away in peace.

Also, "Orberon". Let that sink in for a bit.

Lastly, I came across one of the odder Victorian photo compilation articles I've found for the last few months--this one in particular covering the curious Victorian custom of parental camouflage. The thing I found so interesting about that set of photos, though, is that most of the hidden-mother shots I've seen they're actually hidden. I mean, they blend in nearly perfectly in many cases. In most of the photos in that link, though, you can see hands, legs; occasionally it's the father being hidden, which I found very unusual. Is this just a choice of the photographer in question? Were the kids just impossible to keep still unless they saw a part of the parent? Were these the equivalent of Sears studio shots, where X photographer has to make a quota of Y photographs every day, and must rush everyone through as quickly as humanly possible?

Sadly, we will likely never know. But they are different enough from the "norm" for this style, I thought I should mention them. And if you've never heard of hidden-parent photos, well, there's a vast array of links available by searching hiddem mother or hidden parent photography; in fact, there's even a Flickr group devoted to the topic that has a spectacular array of photographs and tintypes devoted to this particular style. Enjoy!

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

There are a bunch of holiday-themed poses for free under the tree at Picture This! Some of the packages are left-click purchase, others are standard right-click to buy, but there's several of them. Who knows, you might find something for that last-minute photo urge!

In technology news, the first bioprosthetic heart has been implanted in a living patient. The patient is--at least as of that report--conscious and functional, but of course the medical team is watching closely to be sure. Still, it's one more step in the advance to ensure that everyone who is in need for heart replacement finds a way to keep functioning.

Genre, for December, is hosting a "Victorian Christmas" themed event. I don't know if it's lasting until the end of the month; what I do know is that there are several lovely L$10 items offered in the mix, and, for a wonder, most of the event's offerings actually are reasonably Victorian in nature. Woo!

There's a lady on Tumblr who's been, for the past year at least, compiling historical research on medieval instances of people of color being described. In fact, that's the name of her Tumblr: medievalpoc. She's been a fascinating source of historical documentation, and this week, she pulled together a post chronicling her most popular posts of 2013, featuring not just largely historical women of color, but nobility, warriors and ambassadors to other cultures.

Among the many links featured--many with historical images--there are several that were among my favorites, too, from the previous year.

Khutulun the Wrestler Princess

Khutulun, first introduced to me as Aiyurug, was born sometime around 1260, in a time when the Mongols ruled from relative positions of luxury and excess. In opposition to her more famous cousin, Aiyurug wished to return to the old ways of the Khans--feats of strength and war, nomadic travel, and physical prowess over sedentary indolence. To gain followers for her cause, she competed in all areas of Mongol sportsmanship: horse racing, archery, war games, and wrestling. She was a large woman, muscled, powerfully proportioned, and she was never beaten. In fact, a common wager was horse against horse, hers against her opponents. In time, she had a herd of trained warhorses ten thousand strong.

Etruscan Warrior "Prince" really a Princess, analysis finds

There's a certain amount of condescension in this article, but based on what little is known of this culture at the time, my theory is that the "Princess" named in the article lived life as a warrior and a man, or at least in a position of higher social status. I'm attributing this not only to the skeletal remains found with a warrior's lance, but the fact that the body next to the first is partially burned--a practice more common to Asian cultures, but also potentially possible for spouses in the Etruscan culture, as well. Add this to the fact that the spouse's body--identified as that of a male--was buried with traditional bridal jewelry, and I think it's fairly clear this is a case where the 'wife' had the privileges of the warrior, and the 'husband' lived a traditionally female existence.

Xiang Fei, the "Fragrant Concubine"

Xiang Fei's story is a fascinating one. Born into the Uighur Muslims, when Manchu general Zhahui returned from "gloriously" conquering the Uighurs in 1959, in addition to the treasures of the culture looted and removed, he brought with him Xiang Fei. Several reports make much of her natural scent, which is how she was named the Fragrant Concubine.

But she wasn't just chattel for the court--not only was Zhahui head over heels for her, but she resisted many of his advances, to the point of concealing small knives in her sleeves to protect herself when he neared. Though it's not clear what (if anything) eventually thawed her, two things are known: she apparently bore a daughter to Zhahui (willingly or not), and he built her a Muslim enclave with a tall tower that overlooked mosques built farther away from the palace. While he did not trust her beyond his walls to worship her faith, he did make it possible for her to worship in her own tower--a concession that many warlords of the time would not have undertaken.

She died in 1760.

Dido Elizabeth Belle, scholar and Scottish aristocrat

Dido Elizabeth Belle was the illegitimate daughter of Admiral Sir John Lindsay, and an enslaved African woman known only as Belle. How'ver, this is where the story becomes interesting. She was raised alongside Lindsay's own children, educated with them, and remained a favorite child of both the Earl of Mansfield (her half-uncle) and her father well into adulthood.

More surprising, part of her household duties included supervising Lindsay's personal correspondence, a position generally reserved for, and given to, educated men. She received an allowance until marriage of thirty pounds per year, equivalent to Lindsay's main heir, and more than any illegitimate daughter of the time received in comparable household situations.

Going one step further, upon Lord Mansfield's death in 1788, a lump sum of five hundred pounds was granted her, and her status as a free woman was carefully, legally documented, so that none could deprive her of her wealth or status.

In other news, the makers of Echo Bazaar now have a new game called the Sunless Sea. It appears to be similar in nature to Fallen London, but in reading through back entries in the blog, I am teased and enchanted by one facet in particular:

"Fallen London's drawn attention (mostly favourable) for the way it treats gender – we allow players to be a lady, a gentleman, or neither. We've been saying we'll take the same approach in Sunless Sea, but actually, we're going to go a little bit beyond that. We're not going to specify gender at all.

That doesn't mean you won’t be able to pick an avatar that looks like a lady or a gentleman or remains teasingly androgynous. Or shaded by a deep-brimmed hat. Certainly you can. But when you're looking through portraits, you won't be limited to the ones for 'male/female/other'. Perhaps you did run away to sea dressed as a boy. Perhaps you don't fit into the usual binary. Perhaps you just want to look through avatars and decide which one you like before you pick male or female."

Fascinating.

on a bed of spider web I think of how to change myself

The Oculus Rift VR device got an insane influx of cash recently. So, whereas they were going to be the toy of the privileged few--if them--now they have the means to justify putting one within (fairly) easy reach of most of us, depending. Either way, that kind of money can change the face of gaming, because far more developers are going to start coding for the Oculus headset.

There's a lovely Flickr project called Blog Memes for Second Life Bloggers; what it really is, is a thoroughly ingenious set of reproduced movie posters starring SL avatars. Lovely, lovely work.

Did you know there are pop-up activity books for adults? No, I don't mean Adult adult; I mean grown-ups. Or at least people who think they are.

On the other hand, I've thrown crayon parties before where no one was under drinking age. Adult beverages in the fridge, chips and veggies on the table, butcher paper on the walls and all horizontal surfaces. Everyone gets a box of crayons when they get in.

Those were a lot of fun, as I recall. Pity our current place is so little.

There's, um...how do I put this? A Reddit user has decided to make fanart of the Mindcrackers for potential calendar use.

Pin-up calendar use. Oh, my...and is it sad that I downloaded the one for Pause Unpause?

Courtesy of Slate and Pinterest, I've found another small trove of Victorian (with a scattered few earlier) images, but yet again, it's slightly off-beat. In the case of Corsetra's Pinterest board, it's devoted to breastfeeding art and photography. Who knew the Victorians were so keen to have their pictures taken with attached baby?

But then, in a culture that allowed women to breastfeed (as opposed to one that seemingly goes into frothing hysterics when any hint of a bare breast is divulged), such images would be both common, and acceptable. I never thought of it that way before.

(Just FYI, Corsetra herself is rather a find--I would say easily half of her boards are related to Victorian/Edwardian/Regency concerns, over a wide spectrum of topics. Highly impressive.)

Ten thousand gamers cried out against oppression, and Microsoft backed off some of their plans. So...yay? But family/friend sharing is now out, it seems, along with not needing a disc in the tray to play (something the XBox 360 allowed). I guess that's mostly good...ish...

Facebook, in a landmark reversal, is going to allow mastectomy photos to be posted to their site. This has been a hard, arduous fight (though still a cakewalk compared to having a mastectomy), and many women are overjoyed for Facebook to acknowledge the empowerment that seeing these photos can give women facing breast cancer.

A random perusal of Tumblr a day back brought the String Rabbits to my attention. From there, I found this article, which led me to this article, which led me to the Zoorasian Brass Emissions Orchestra's YouTube account. I highly recommend "Bear-forest", "Ainekuittsu Show Time", and their "Railroad Fantasy" performances, but they're really talented in everything they've posted.

(Oh, and they all have nicknames. For instance, the saxophone players are colloquially known as Saxofox, the string section as String Rabbits [Tsuru-Usagi in the original], the clarinet quartet are the Claricats, etcerera. Fascinating.)

there was nothing, but I waited, I waited

There's an update on Pteron...well...sort of. It seems they're coming back to Second Life? Maybe? Sometime next year?

In perusing various corners of the web to search for Victorian-era photographs, I ran across this link from the Syracuse University Digital Library. The (potential) down side? They're all sideshow performers of the era.

Pushing in another direction, I also found an imgur album with ten horror locales in it. If you're a horror fan, some of these will be grand fun, indeed.

(from the events album)

The intertwined winged snakes above, and the four photos below, are all from the Urantia exhibit in Astonish.

(from the events album)

How to explain Urantia to those who don't know...think...Mormons without the homophobia. Or Jehovah's Witnesses, but nicer. Essentially, they exist to spread the Urantia Book, which is purported to be a chronicle of Jesus' teachings on behalf of God, the father, to His children.

(from the events album)

Did I mention the Urantia book, the book Urantia exists to promote to every person on Earth--excuse me, "Urantia"--was written by aliens?

(from the events album)

That's what they believe, anyway. Oh, and Jesus was a white guy. They believe that too.

(from the events album)

Overall, the few Urantians I've run into have seemed nice, and at least generically non-crazy. And I hand it to whomever built their exhibit--at least by night, it was stunning, beautiful, ornate, and they even have a little celestial ride-type thingy...It's not a carousel, but it does spin, and it has some fairly cool couples' poses. So overall, I think they did a great job, and it's even more impressive at night.

And their gift for SL10B is a Urantia book designed for SL--which likely just means it's a link to one of the websites, anyway. So now you can read it physically, online, via audio book, or in Second Life. Could be worse.

(from the events album)

Boudoir, home of some of the most innovative haute couture in Second Life, made a big box. Which I was fairly ruthlessly unimpressed by, until I went in. They built a butterfly tree. A butterfly tree.

(from the events album)

And finally, Cheeky Pea, surrounded by tons of bigger, statelier builds, decided less is more. So they made a gorgeously understated meadow, with pillows and a hammock to sit on, and just admire the view. It's a great view.

And...





More from SL10B later.

sweeping up dirt with a broken broom

[07:48] ɕʆɑгιɕҽ ɲιɠɧȶωιɲɠ (cxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx): ( ¨*•.¸(¨*•.¸´•.¸ցɾҽҽէìղցʂ! աҽӀϲօʍҽ էօ ƒƒʂ
[07:48] ɕʆɑгιɕҽ ɲιɠɧȶωιɲɠ (cxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx): ìƒ ì ϲɑղ հҽӀք քӀҽɑʂҽ Ӏҽէ ʍҽ ҟղօա¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
[07:48] ɕʆɑгιɕҽ ɲιɠɧȶωιɲɠ (cxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx): Txxx, Bxxxx, Axxx and Emily
[07:48] ɕʆɑгιɕҽ ɲιɠɧȶωιɲɠ (cxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx): ( ¨*•.¸(¨*•.¸´•.¸ցɾҽҽէìղցʂ! աҽӀϲօʍҽ էօ ƒƒʂ
[07:48] ɕʆɑгιɕҽ ɲιɠɧȶωιɲɠ (cxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx): ìƒ ì ϲɑղ հҽӀք քӀҽɑʂҽ Ӏҽէ ʍҽ ҟղօա¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
[07:48] ɕʆɑгιɕҽ ɲιɠɧȶωιɲɠ (cxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx): Dxxxxx
[07:49] ɕʆɑгιɕҽ ɲιɠɧȶωιɲɠ (cxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx): ( ¨*•.¸(¨*•.¸´•.¸ցɾҽҽէìղցʂ! աҽӀϲօʍҽ էօ ƒƒʂ
[07:49] ɕʆɑгιɕҽ ɲιɠɧȶωιɲɠ (cxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx): ìƒ ì ϲɑղ հҽӀք քӀҽɑʂҽ Ӏҽէ ʍҽ ҟղօա¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
[07:49] ɕʆɑгιɕҽ ɲιɠɧȶωιɲɠ (cxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx): Txxxxxxx

I have a major problem with this. I know the store in question just hired their first shopgirl, and I get why they're still working out the meet-n-greet protocol. And yeah, repetition of the basics, especially if a crowd of avs all beam in at once, it gets a little mentally dunning. I get that, too.

What I don't get? Typing out your standard meet-n-greet IN GODDAMN UNICODE. I like the store, I'm a member of the store group, but seriously, if Miss "ɕʆɑгιɕҽ" keeps this up, I'm SO never going to the store when she's there. I'd be too tempted to throw sharp things towards her head.

(from the shopping album)

I'm trying to come up with a reason why the Doctor would be at Patchwork Heart. I think I'm failing.

Maybe he was shopping for Peri?

(from the shopping album; what is considered "Victorian" on the wider grid)

No, really. Because a rodeo belt-buckle and a laced neckline plunging to my hips makes me think of Victorian things, right? Some folks just fail to grasp the Victorian era.

From a random profile:

if I disappear without a word, roll d100:
01-20: my net went off
21-60: my client crashed
61-81: my PC crashed
81-99: I was lost in some other thoughts and never noticed you were there
00: I just don't like you :D

That is a great, great, random roll table.

From another random profile:

If I am building please do not bother me unless you are already on my friends list.
If I am building and you want to get your freak on, no.
If I am building and want to flirt, no.
Once again if I am building do not pester me unless you are on my friends list.
You have been warned.

Seems fair enough.

(from the shopping album; Virtual Attire's interpretation of Lolita)

I want to know what about this outfit qualifies it as or "Loli". Seriously. Someone point it out to me, I don't see it.

I get the "pink". It's obviously very pink. Many things from Virtual Attire are. I just don't understand how in any reality that outfit becomes EGL wear.

(Oh, and I'd note again, that pouty, fish-lipped, flat-hipped, splay-kneed shape: WHY is this so popular these days? I don't get that either.)

F(from the shopping album)

And...this happened. Apparently, shopping naked is a trend now?

stood on the edge of your bridge until I felt the rain push me away

Some of this year's Twisted hunt.

(from the scavenging album)

I would like to assert I am not a Petite in this image.

(from the scavenging album)

I am actually standing 5'7", including the (admittedly low) heels, yet I cannot make it up the steps to AD Creations without flying.

(from the scavenging album)

Shame on you, AD Creations. Fix your stairs!

(from the scavenging album)

Seen at LoveCats: giant follower cubes. Cute and creepy. They don't actually go into the store, but they do come close.

(from the scavenging album)

Seen at CatniP underneath the Carnival. I'm fairly sure the Carnival goes away at the end of the month, though I could be wrong--either way, it's likely you should check it out now before it's gone! (Though a word of warning: if you don't like the sight of random dead bodies, don't go.)

(from the scavenging album)

Seen (briefly) in Steelhead Harborside. A stunning center build.

Found in the description of a random group along the way:

I am a cat; we dare to sit on the Thrones of Kings and in the laps of Gods. If you want to collar something get a Dog. Dogs have Masters. Cats have staff.

Indeed. Amusingly, the avatar who put this in her profile was in human skin for her SL pic, and as actually encountered in the store. This, of course, does not mean she doesn't sprout cat ears and a fluffy tail at other times; just that she, as seen, wasn't feline.

(from the scavenging album)

Seen at Post: the very practical 'house rules' list. Also, do check out the store in general--the texturing and shading work is breathtakingly good, from the store itself to the products on offer. And for that excellence of texturing, the prices are eminently reasonable.

(from the scavenging album)

Finally, seen at REDRUM: Preservation, and again, impressively detailed. I have no way of knowing most days if something is actually mesh, or not, because I have a mesh-enabled viewer. But I'd suspect it is, because that many tiny prims assembled together would be ruinous on sim performance. But it's well worth a visit for the macabre set.