some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger

There's someone on the grid named twogangsta2bachick Resident. From her profile:

I DIS LIKE THE PHONY AND HATE THE UNREAL...... SO IF YOU HAVE TO QUESTION YOURSLF...... YOU NEED NOT SPEAK TO ME..

Ooookay. Good to know. Also, for the love of God, STOP SHOUTING. You're making us all deaf in here.

Moving on.

From a conversation in DV8 group chat:

[11:51 PM] Scarlette Silvershade: Q A M on chairs!
[11:52 PM] miharuu Aries: w8 dv8 has lucky chairs now
[11:52 PM] Anarya Elderslie: It...always has
[11:52 PM] Orian Fang: yeah
[11:52 PM] Althea Faulkland: ??? they always have...
[11:52 PM] Kranah Heartsdale: 0.o has had them for a while lol
[11:52 PM] Scarlette Silvershade: mhm
[11:52 PM] Bermillion Sugarplum: yup always
[11:53 PM] Aftershok Ziplon: miha omgeeshe hihi lol
[11:53 PM] Frozen Rage facepalms
[11:53 PM] miharuu Aries: i never seen tham lol

Wau. Just....wau. The level of stupid there, it's just unmatch--wait...

From later on, same chat:

[11:55 PM] tempest Heartsdale: does DV8 carry clothing for Meeroos?
[11:55 PM] Bermillion Sugarplum: lmao
[11:55 PM] tempest Heartsdale: lol
[11:55 PM] Emilly Orr: ....
[11:55 PM] Emilly Orr: Meeroos don't wear clothing.
[11:56 PM] Frozen Rage: huh?
[11:56 PM] Duvage Brandi: wth is meeroos?
[11:56 PM] Doran Shamrock: thats kinda funny, i was talking about a DV8 edition meeero with Blache yesterday
[11:56 PM] Bermillion Sugarplum: well they should <.< how cute would that bee. xD!
[11:56 PM] Emilly Orr: The latest annoying sculpted overscripted breedable.
[11:56 PM] Frozen Rage: basically a snack
[11:56 PM] Bermillion Sugarplum: yup and its so cutes ^^
[11:56 PM] tempest Heartsdale: omg that would so be awesome
[11:57 PM] Emilly Orr: Basically

Gad, I take it all back. That's just about the lowest level of stup--oh, no...

Later still, same chat:

[12:11 AM] Five Zenfold: Im going to leave this group...if you're nto advertsing anything please dont spam me with dumb shit.
[12:11 AM] Frozen Rage: ah ha
[12:12 AM] Lysana McMillan: Bye, Five!
[12:12 AM] Kranah Heartsdale: wow, no fun at all lol
[12:12 AM] Anarya Elderslie: Ciao!
[12:12 AM] Emilly Orr: Wau. Way to win points with the designer, Five, saying they can't run the chat how they want to run it.

Yeah. Okay. THAT is officially the stupidest thing heard tonight in a chat. Just damn, people.

Of course, I am possessed of snark tonight, so I had to let her know (it's a her):

[12:15 AM] Emilly Orr: By the way, congratulations--I think you win the clueless award for the week.
[12:15 AM] Five Zenfold: clueless huh drama in my box.. fuck you idiot dont talk me.
[12:16 AM] Emilly Orr will not 'talk you' again if you so wish.

Yep.

Moving from stupid to stupid...I want to talk a little bit again about scripted pets. While we're not in the land of sim-based script limitations yet, we're easily on our way there if we don't cut out how we're using sim--and personal--script resources. Of course inventory plays into it, and how our attachments are scripted, but--well, let me use a personal example.

Got word down from the boss-lady to check over all our sims for presence of scripted pets. With the adoption of the Meeroo as the latest adowwable must-have, people are trying to sneak pets onto sims again--and those sims are lagging.

So on my sims, I went through the top scripts, and I found some memorable things that people may not adequately understand.

1. The biggest sim resource hog, hands down: YOU. That never changes. If you are stark naked, with no scripted HUDS, no scripted attachments, take off your scripted clothing, scripted shoes and scripted hair, there's still the cost of YOU on the grid. Avatars are always at the top of the resource list.

2. Second on the list, and this rarely ever varies: sex beds. Or, to be more specific, sex equipment, because of the amount of scripts that are listening actively, or that respond on a click to whatever's being clicked. Let me make this plain--I don't care what people have in their homes or skyboxen, I'm not looking for that, just pets--but I have returned and will return sex equipment that is a) on the ground and b) not in a house. Because that's on the important side--unless you're in an Adult sim, having a bondage cross in the front yard with explicitly labeled pose balls is on the tacky side, and we warn, and then return. (With usually 24 hours between the warning, and the returning.)

3. Third on the list, and this also rarely ever varies: scripted pets. In particular, your scripted pets. Whatever precious little furry darlings you're in love with this week. I haven't seen a single thing that makes Meeroos any better than Amaretto horses, Ozimal bunnies, or Sion chickens for that matter, and I'm not inclined favorably to any of them.

My advice? Read your covenant. Because if you don't, you're still bound by it, you're just being stupid about it. Or, more to the point:

* Light covenant sims in Solace: 4 scripted pets for every 512 square meters of land you rent from us;

* Residential/commercial/Adult commercial sims: 1 scripted pet for every 512 square meters of land you rent from us.

And you know what? That is not going to change unless the boss-lady changes it. I don't have any control over it, no other EM has any control over it, and we won't have a lot of pity if you have enough land to give you seven scripted pets and you have forty-two. Or eighty-nine. Or one hundred and eighteen. Or more.

All we're going to do is warn you, then send your pets back. And if your pets are the kind that still die when they're returned? Not our problem. You needed to read the covenant.

Honestly, what are some people, five? Seriously, I should not have to keep explaining this.

I asked you on a date, and in a croaking gutteral whisper you said "Pick me up at eight"

[16:55] Adam Luponox: i met a girl yesterday who said she was half rotten doll and half vamp and was looking for people to be friends with but she was not even in bloodlines lol
[16:55] Emilly Orr: Half rotten doll...
[16:55] Adam Luponox: yep

I have no words.

In other news...Imagine for a moment. You've cleaned your apartment within an inch of its life. The sheets are changed on your bed and in the guest bedroom, and the couch and the living room carpet have been thoroughly Febreezed. You've cleaned the counters and the stovetop just in case things go down in the kitchen. There are amusing small bottles of finger-paints in the shower that leave a tingle when they're washed off of skin.

Tasteful holiday baskets hold packets of flavored lube, condoms, and a wide assortment of various massage oils, scattered on any reasonable surface. You've organized the floggers in the equipment closet by weight and color, and you have wine coolers in the fridge, and the makings of dirty martinis on the mobile bar. You've invited your most attractive friends over and they've told you they're bringing edible underwear and rum.

You share a light supper of early spring salad, with white asparagus spears and artichoke hearts, and finish things with fresh oysters on the half shell and tall thin shots of vodka, chilled to perfection. And then, you move everyone to the living room. Flushed with anticipation, you turn on the Wii and set up...We Dare.

There are two big problems with this. I'm discarding the not-available-in-North-America bit, because really, we are weird about sex, there would be protests. No, I'm talking more about the marketing campaign (that video trailer works, by the way) as well as the fact that in Europe, this game has been rated as acceptable for ages twelve and up.

The hell. So either the marketing is way off, or...twelve-year-olds can spank each other in Europe? When did this start? Plus, if you look to the game, and then look to that model living room, with those model 20-somethings (who would, in all likelihood, have ditched the Wii or the PS3 for a club night or the local watering hole of choice), they fail to match in any way. The hell, people.

"Ultimately it doesn’t matter what you play, or why, or how, as long as you’re having fun."

Definitely.

Also, this hit my inbox this morning:

[12:13] Sphynx Soleil: SL commerce group: "S0phie Sautereau: k, here's an FYI for listing on MP: the words "Coco" and "LBD" (Little Black Dress) both flag your listing as Adult. Put that on the @#(*^@*&^$^# agenda, please, someone!"
[12:13] Sphynx Soleil: also, the number 5 does it too, until they fix it
[12:13] Sphynx Soleil: just FYI

So, on Marketplace, "Gor" and "Gorean" get an Adult rating, we knew that. "Loli" and "Lolita" are back to being Adult. I get that too, even if they're idiots for reclassifying it--again--which is even more frustrating because they keep going back and forth on whether it is or not.

But "Coco"? Why is "Coco" an Adult-rated word? Also "LBD"? Why is "LBD" automatically Adult? Someone explain this to me.

And "5"? Lindens! Put down the crack pipe! Go into rehab! NOW!

Brief little interlude here from the cheap seats, because Ostara's coming up--or Eostre, or Easter, or "that day we have egg salad", depending (and if you're vegan, by the way? You have no excuse, you have to eat egg salad too)--for a couple things that surfaced on the Marketplace.

A&K's "Easter Surprise", followed by Thalia's "Bunny Babe II".

First up, A&K's "Easter Surprise".

From Comparisons

I grant you, it's cute. Purple-pink satin, polka dots, good shading, a fun little frill over the hips. Pretty white stockings, cuffs, collar--with a matching bow!--and bunny ears.

From Comparisons

And there's a tail in the back--not a sculpt, just a round sphere textured like white fur, but it doesn't overly matter.

I didn't touch the cuffs, I did readjust the collar slightly, and it doesn't quite work on the back yet. May need a little bit of stretching for my neck (and all the prims bits can be modified). Still, for a single Linden outfit, this is very well done.

From Comparisons

And then we hit Thalia's "Bunny Babe II", which, near as I can figure, is the exact same outfit. The hip frill, the frilled sleevelets, about the only thing it doesn't have are the collar/cuff options! They add black seamed fishnet tights, not lace-trimmed white stockings, but the ears are the same!

From Comparisons

There's even the same rounded sphere of tail. Was there a template kit going around I didn't know about?

So, who's copying who here? I don't know. They're both selling them for a Linden each, so it's not like anyone's going to be out much. I'd say, if you want the variety of cuffs, buy A&K's; if you don't want cuffs and collar, but do favor black fishnet tights (footless, at that), then go for Thalia's.

Or buy 'em both and mix and match the attachments, just remember you're getting the same basic outfit, exactly, in both cases. Weird.

(Not giving landmarks to anything specifically, because everything else is old--the hair I bought three years ago at Curio, the skin was from a promo pack at Heartsick, the eyes I bought long ago from Treasured Visions, which then became malContent, and the boots are from Show Me on the Doll, and are they even on the grid anymore? Though I hope they come back...)

Finally, I can't decide if this is a joke or not. For one, they're way too good at acting sincere and heartfelt. For two, the makeup's decidedly a step above.

No, that tree was hung with toilet paper. It has to be a joke.

salvation's yours for just the time it takes to pay the dancer

This startled me flat this evening as I was wandering the grid:

[16:59] Dauphiness Ceriaptrix: Hey Winterfell! have you pimped your pogo yet?!?! We are starting our pimp your pogo event NOW! http://slurl.com/secondlife/Winterfell%20Laudanum/172/243/3183 Hop on Down!
[17:00] Emilly Orr: Pimp...your...what?
[17:00] Dauphiness Ceriaptrix: Pogo!
[17:00] Emilly Orr blinks
[17:00] Dauphiness Ceriaptrix: do you need the kit to make yours?
[17:00] Emilly Orr: No, thank you.

I really can't add more than that, save for the fact that Lady Serra did come on and note that the event was slightly out of theme, but it did sound fun at least.

Me, I'm just thinking that "pimping" my anything in Winterfell is a bad idea.

Pursuant to this entry in the Second Life 24 Hours blog, is this going to become a new thing? Prim..."enhancements"...on underwear layers for guys? Is this really necessary?



Having problems getting around the grid tonight, rezzing things, changing clothes, changing skins...it's been a nightmare. Part of that is porting places I wasn't intending to go. One side trip proved to be more interesting than expected.

This is Beloved Designs in Floyd, the big Starlust sim:



Yes, that is a pitcher plant. I didn't want to go in, though you can--in fact, if you do, you find a group of crates for sale at the bottom. One of them is this one:



That pretty much speaks for itself...



Just down the hill, Scribble built a small satellite store for products entirely out of grey crayons. Definite points for style and oddity--I mean, why all grey?



One of the creepiest things I saw wandering around Elliot, next door to Floyd. If you touch the head you get a burst of radio static. (Which is only meaningful if you've ever played any of the Silent Hill video games, and if you have, well...OH GOD RUN IT'S BEHIND YOU, RUN, RUN RUN FASTER DAMN IT--)

*coughs* They had a large effect on me.



Okay, y'all have an unhealthy fixation with unicorns and rainbows. Let me just say that RIGHT the hell now.



We have finally reached the place where we have realistic blow-up dolls in SL. I'm not convinced this is a good thing. (Btw, clicking on the picture link above? Will bring you to a completely fake, but likely NSFW, depiction of vinyl nudity. Floating in a pool. At the Starlust.)

Oh, did I mention part of the reason I was there was to see if there were any eggs left out at the Egg Hunt? At least of this writing, two days past their official 'cut-off', many are still out. Go get 'em while you can! And they're not kidding, they're HUGE.

But while you're there, take the time and wander. You never know what oddity you're going to turn up...

we're on the move again, join in or step aside

There are several useful tips on how to make blog posts more accessible in a Bitch Magazine article; I'm not doing quite a few of them. I'll work on that but the first one, right up, is light-colored text against a dark background--and in my case, a patterned dark background. This is not likely to ever change.

And Dragonfish signs a contract for international payment processing with Linden Labs. For the life of me, I can't decide if that's a good thing, or a bad thing.

In other news, Peter Strindberg says most SL relationships, on average, last about nine months. But that's not what I wanted to bring up.

Pointed my way by Ciaran Laval, Peter Strindberg actually has a very interesting post on inventory and IMs. Namely, delivery failure due to IMs capping...and what, in world, constitutes an IM.

Some things I never expected are on that list. For instance:

* Port requests. We're actually IMing the sim, asking for a transfer; the port is the sim's answer of that call.

* Force teleports--those click-and-go devices mostly used in roleplay sims and scavenger hunts? Those are IMs.

* IMs from objects. Things like, "Lady Disdain Welcome Sign gave xXladygagaXx Nacht a notecard" (not a real name) and "Cyro Ripper called Brokencyde Moonwall yelled the AVkey of Zion Zemenis" (actual names).

* Friend requests. Every time someone asks to be my friend; every time I turn down a friend request or accept it; those are all IMs, on the system side.

* Inventory offers. Any time a designer sends you a notecard; a group gift; a landmark; those all count as individual IMs.

I'd hazard a guess that group invites also count; I know subscribe-o-matic sends count.

Here's something I didn't know; while no one is quite sure of the number, the number is vanishingly low for our IMs capping.

"There is a limit to how many IM's an avatar can receive while being offline," Strindberg says. "I did not find an official statement as to how many IM's it takes to cap, several discussions on forums and the JIRA suggest that the cap will happen after 15 IMs. While you still get offline-IM's that you received something, what you actually find in your inventory is different."

That is insanely low. That is frighteningly low. What do they expect folks to do, log in every two hours for ten minutes and clear any backlog?

In my mind, the whole Subscribe-o-Matic system only exists because the Lindens refuse to up the amount of groups each avatar can be in. If there's not a rational, technical reason why they refuse to do this (and by 'rational' and 'technical' I mean, "If we do this the grid will fail and here's why"), then they have no excuse.

"In the recent survey, Pink Linden asked whether merchants would welcome a system that guarantees delivery. Yes, of course we would, but not at a 15% premium. Inventory transfer is a basic functionality of SL, and to say it bluntly - it is broken! Fix it! Asking a premium for guaranteed delivery strikes me as - well - unethical. I think it is Linden Lab's obligation to fix the functionality that is there, and not ask money for a workaround."

It strikes me as very unethical, which now puts the little mutant Linden-bunny in two distinct camps. Either she is:

* Completely clueless (in which case she has no power in the Linden substructure, and why is she talking to us? It wastes our time, and hers, and gives no one benefits. Also, if she's the bunny in charge of XStreet, when is the blatant and, by the way, constant copybotting going to cease over there? It wasn't good before LL bought it out; but ever since they have, it's gotten worse in spades)

or

* Deliberately malicious (in which case, she needs to stop and snap out of it, and again is wasting our time with the survey of stupidity, because she's only going to do what she and the Lindens want to do anyway, and it doesn't matter what anyone says. Reference the entire Zindra catastrophe, and how fast Blue Linden went from 'helpful forum guide' to 'evil mind-controlled Renfield'. How long did that take, again--four weeks? Three?)

In short, it seems to be we have very few options, all of them grim:

* Ditch objects that IM us. There are workarounds, we need to find them. Most of what we have IM us is not necessary. This may involve a ton of work, how'ver, and for some of us, investing in new scripts to replace the old scripts we didn't write, and can't modify, so we get one that stops announcing every time a script event happens.

* Unsubscribe from high-traffic/high-notice groups. But even that is going to be tricky, because some of the high-notice groups we're in could be land groups, or our own shop groups, or groups we really want to remain in.

* Unsubscribe from Subscribe-o-Matic based groups. (And having done that, I am here to tell you that is INSANELY difficult, because we have to remember which group IMed us, track down their main store, track down their Subscribe-o board, and unsubscribe. Napalm-rinse-repeat.)

In short...it seems we take the road of cumbersome difficulty, and pare it down to the base essentials, and risk getting capped again anyway from the groups we can't ditch, or insist that the Lindens fix the broken aspects, and that's never going to happen, so we really just have the first option.

Y'know, just once, I'd love to have a day where someone saw a problem with functionality, and some Linden noticed that, and FIXED. IT. That would be great, really.

drawn across the plainland, to the place that is higher

The world's most influential person is....moot. Literally.

Upcoming protests against adult content restrictions. Will they work? Of course not. But at least they're trying.

For at least now: the transcript of the "definitions" brown bag meeting; the transcript of the landowner meeting; the transcript of the merchant meeting; and the transcript of the educator meeting. I don't know how long these will track, or if the Labs will move them again.

Or, conversely, the Lindens could move the #@$%^$! things again...Okay, second way in: click this link and type "adult content" into the search field. That still pops 'em all up.

Also, apparently? At least according to Massively this is just phase one of the proposed changes to SL content, adult and non. And they're still saying the term "AO" is blatantly obvious, when for virtually every in-world resident, AO means one thing and one thing only: Animation Overrider. (Does no Linden possess an AO? At all? They all have the stupid duck walk?

(That could explain a lot, actually...newbie skins and Linden-layer clothing and Linden-layer hair and duck walks and zero avatar scripting...of course they don't understand why anyone might want adult content preserved. They must look at each other and think Oh HELL no, I'm not sleeping with that...)

(Oh, and while I was wandering around Massively, I discovered they're keeping tabs on Runes of Magic. Hee!)

We went to Inaka Shop earlier.

This person--don't know male or female, do know Japanese--does mainly animations. Quirky animations. Really quirky animations.

In and amongst the quirky animations, though, is...this thing:



This is actually a vehicle. None of the pictures came out showing it; but there are actually nine boxes (the driver can choose to show or hide all of them). Each participant 'sits' on a box; and the driver...drives.



This thing can move. I mean, seriously move. It eats ground like a cheetah, it flies like a falcon--and all of it, all of it, is to several synchronized animations, complete with backbeat.



The animation shop is open-air, and on stilts--you literally have to fly a little to get up to the floor of it--but it's surrounded by walking paths, a garden, a bridge, and beaches. Lots of sand.

Didn't stop us a bit; we ran everywhere, laughing like children. Dance Dance Revolution--on wheels.



The bridge collapses when you run across it. Great trick. Really great trick. We must have run over that thing nineteen times. Then Miss Allen--she was the driver--discovered we could get serious loft out of this thing by jumping. On air, as near as we could figure, but we kept moving, higher and higher, until we hit that point of must-fall.

And even then we fell on our feet and took off dancing again.

In fact, the demo model--this was all on the demo, the actual vehicle (L$500, and really, I think worth every pixel penny) may do more--only glitched once:



And even then it didn't stop us.

Go. Check out the demo at least. Run around like a maniac. Amuse your brain for hours testing out the animations--everything from broken doll sits to sumo positions to strutworthy model spins. Buy something.

Lord knows, someone this inventive? Deserves our support.

More on another issue: Miss Samantha Poindexter urges understanding in the matter of Rheta Shan; Marx Dudek speaks from the ranks of friends and intimates on Rheta. Me, I think it's interesting that even her friends are pondering the possibility that this is some colossal cruel joke.

Still and all, the grief is real and understandable; we lose our friends and loves, we mourn their passing. We can't not. We're dead ourselves, if we don't.

Time will tell, and I know there is genuine outrage and grieving. I do not discount it, the voices from either side. But let this time pass; look on what we learn later, compare it to now. I think--as an outsider, as someone who knew the name in passing, not the woman in person--I think, for good or ill, cosmic jest or savage loss...I think in time, everyone will be on the same side.

Everyone who knew her will know that she's gone.

Unless she comes back. After all, I've been wrong before...

feel no shame for what you are

Another one that needs your votes. This one about the new 'beacon-less' transport system. It's bad. It needs to change. Like NOW.

Fall in light, fall in light
Fall in light, fall in light

I reach out to the universe when I dance. I reach out and embrace it, draw it in, make it part of me as I'm always part of it. I reach out, dancing, and beckon those I love to follow.



(Mysterious birds outside of CreamShop in Koenji.)

Feel no shame for what you are
Feel no shame for what you are
Feel no shame for what you are--

I have lived my life in shadow, always in the hinterland between true dark and true day. I live my life half-lit by half-completed thoughts, half-glimpsed realizations, and I have never minded until now.



(Snowman terror in Rivula.)

Feel no shame for what you are
Feel no shame for what you are
As you now are in your blood
Fall in light

Now I'm thinking. Now I'm learning, again. Now I'm feeling, again. Such heights, such new depths of pain....I'll get used to it, eventually, but now, everything's new. I haven't been here for some time, you see. Almost as if I've been given new eyes to see the world...and maybe that is true, in a sense.



(Mysterious huge bunny by a random fire in Callatropia.)

Feel no shame for what you are
Feel no shame for what you are
Feel it as a waterfall
Fall in light

Struggle, always a struggle. But this one's worthwhile, at least. And it's one I may not want to win...because if I win, it will be on my terms, and my terms say--don't let anyone see you. Don't let anyone hurt you. And if they do, don't let them see they have.

Enough of that. A full life of that, and enough. There are other ways to live a life.



(People dancing at Colonel O'Toole's Rez Day Party. I'd name 'em off, but I didn't know a third of the folks in this picture!)

Fall in light, fall in light, fall in light
Fall in light, fall in light, fall in light
Grow in light

I just need to remember I have the option. Keep the doors of my heart open, and let the world in; or close them, close down, submerge below the shell of earth again, and never another thaw. I'd rather, as frightening as it is at times, as out of control as it feels...stand near my gates, and watch the world without cover.



(Hotspur draws down on the evil Friendship Bear.)

Stand absolved behind your electric chair, dancing
Stand absolved behind your electric chair, dancing
Past the sound within the sound
Past the voice within the voice

But I falter, of course, I withdraw, I pull back...I think these reactions are natural. This time out, at least, I'm remembering I have friends, who can pull me out again if I get lost. And I'm trying to remember that no one makes me feel anything--it's my choice, I'm not forced to feel, and I can choose not to. They just influence, these outer pressures, these outer pulls and pushes towards and against. Influence is external. What I choose to feel is all me.



(The Polonaise begins.)

Leave your office
Run past your funeral
Leave your home, car
Leave your pulpit

Today, I stood in Caledon Prime (hee--until it crashed beyond recovery without Linden assistance--go, Bah Humbug Bash!) and danced. I had lovely dance partners and tried to do my best not to be the typical mainland caller host in all caps (I've never been that type of hostess, anyway, so that didn't hurt), but really, by and large? I just had amazing fun with it.

And I think everyone else had amazing fun, even when the sim crashed beyond recovery. (It's since come back up, and the party moved for its last hour to Carntaigh, where we had smaller, but no less amazing, fun.)



(The Polonaise continues. After it finally broke up, Mr. Hassanov kept in pattern for a good half-hour, and we got to watch him run in circles around the dance floor. Wonderful sight.)

Join us in the streets where we
Join us in the streets where we
Don't belong, don't belong
You and the stars
Throwing light

I will edge out from the gates and say this: being open? Better than being closed to all who might knock on my doors. Being open and seen? Better than being invisible. Being able to be hurt? Still better than not feeling at all.

These are not bad things.



(Near ShadoWiccan's store, in the hybrid reindeer avatar I cobbled together. I had fun with this look, I'll have to remember it for next winter.)

Ooooooh
Fall, fall
Ooooooh
Fall in light, fall in light. fall in light

And in the meantime, I dance. In the meantime, I celebrate. In the midst of privation I have joy. In the midst of loss I have redemption. My troubles are just that, and they do not have to be all-encompassing, and a burden shared is a burden lessened.

I learned this, long ago, why did I forget? Well, I'll try not to forget again.



(Taking a moment from the festivities to breathe, in the store in Penzance.)

Oooooh
Fall in light, fall in light fall in light
Grow in light...

In the meantime, I have a life to live. Train-wreck or not. And I mean to live it, because if I'm not living my life...why am I bothering? The life consciously lived...is always, always more of a hassle.

But it's so much more worthwhile.

And that's the point of the game, after all. Or at least, it should be...

(Lyrics from Jeff Buckley's "New Year's Prayer".)

this is the noise that keeps me awake, my head explodes and my body aches

Bunnies! It might be bunnies!

Okay, last night, Pirate Night at Activ8. Cute little place, mentioned it for their Doctors and Nurses Night, me with the world's largest needle and the cinnamon-flavored zombie.

Pirates, well, I can do pirates, and I didn't actually expend a ton of effort--I didn't intend to win, mind, just to have fun. Threw on the little short-short Boneflower outfit and went and danced the night away.

Long after the DJ left, and the host wandered, and the crowd dispersed, we were still in the club dancing. And that's when the bunnies began to surface.



First evil bunny sighting. Note evil nose bling. This one was seen several times inching closer sideways, fluffily crab-like, sinking below the floor--Stealth bunny! NOOO!--and drifting back and forth against the wide expanse of dance space like a fur-covered Roomba.



First evil bunny head-on, staring at me with those dead black eyes. Possessed bunny of DOOOOM!



Second evil bunny sighting. This one has more evil--it was floating for most of the night, just turning in midair. And getting closer.



Our poor innocent dancers. Note presence of evil second bunny in the background.



Dancers on the floor, bunnies getting closer.



Dancers on the floor, bunnies closer still!

...I guess it's a good thing we got out before...MORE OF THEM CAME!!!

They are bunnies, after all.