he took a white rose from my hair

There are now seventeenth-century Chopines on the grid. They look amazing in the picture; as soon as I can, I am so getting a pair and checking them out in person.

And the first set pictures from Dark Shadows have surfaced. That's bound to be an odd film for several reasons.

Team Fortress 2 server runners now have the ability to ban free-to-play players. Here's what gets me about this--yeah, it's a sleazy tactic, but a) server owners don't have to download the plugin, it's completely voluntary, and b) to become a premium player of TF2, you just have to buy something--anything--from the Mann Store. With their current sale (some items dropped to ninety-nine cents, even!), how is that in any way difficult?

And then the plugin wouldn't work anyway. So why the outrage?

Meanwhile, in news of the real world--well, sort of--there's a guy who set up a Tumblr page advertising hunters to come and hunt him down for cash. I am baffled by every single aspect of this. Is it comedy? Is he serious? No one seems to know.

More from Hair Fair!

First up, the Godiva hair/dress from ChiChickie:

(from the Hair Fair album)

The tone is Mocha, the adjustment is finicky, and the prim count is VERY very high. It also comes with an underpant/undershirt layer, and trust me, with the finicky adjusting, you so want to wear them! Still, if you want to make an impact at that next party, or want to take some really unusual pictures, this is your outfit.

They can be found on Hair Fair II (aka Oceania/Platinum).

On to the rest of it:

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Colette #1
Color: Light Brown
Materials: Entirely sculpted
Maker: Donna Flora, located on Hair Fair I (aka Independence/Iridium)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Jesse (with jewel)
Color: Platinum
Materials: Entirely sculpted hair with separate sculpted accessory
Maker: Donna Flora, located on Hair Fair I

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Bailey:Roots
Color: Goldrush
Materials: Sculpted and flexi strands
Maker: Exile, located on Hair Fair II (aka Oceania/Platinum)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Glory:Roots
Color: Vanilla
Materials: Entirely sculpted
Maker: Exile, located on Hair Fair II

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Hollie Dae:Roots
Color: Sunset
Materials: Sculpted and flexi strands
Maker: Exile, located on Hair Fair II

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Lady Versailles:Roots
Color: Fawn
Materials: Sculpted strands and flowers
Maker: Exile, located on Hair Fair II

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Aerhe
Color: None given; I'd say black iron and Blonde
Materials: Black metal and flexi strands
Maker: Griddie, located on Hair Fair II

(I haven't been commenting on these, because I'm going through so many demos, it's taking long enough as it is. But this one...this one is just so completely bizarre, I had to say something.

(I'd been doing a run of close shots, so I didn't understand what I was seeing at first. Until I pulled back.

(Here's a slightly closer shot:

(from the Hair Fair album)

It's an intense sweeping braided updo in back, and that braided sweep is surrounding the metal struts that make up the rest of the piece--thirteen explosions of hair that flex in sinuous patterns. I can't imagine a single place I could wear this--but I'm tempted towards getting it all the same, just for the absolute epic nature of this hair.

Anyway. Back to the rest of the pics:)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Link
Color: None given; I'd say tarnished steel and Fire
Materials: Metal and flexi ends
Maker: Griddie, located on Hair Fair II

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: CurledTail Mohawk
Color: Brown/Red
Materials: Sculpted and flexi waves
Maker: Hair Studio ONE, located on Hair Fair IV (aka Salt Water Taffy/Osmium)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: 10 Hour Hair
Color: Not given, I'd say Rose Brown
Materials: Entirely sculpted
Maker: Hairoin, located on Hair Fair III (aka Carnival/Rhodium)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Leviathan
Color: Not given, let's call it Dark Blonde
Materials: Entirely sculpted
Maker: Hairoin, located on Hair Fair III.

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Just Jen
Color: Red2
Materials: Entirely sculpted
Maker: Head Mistress, located on Hair Fair II)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Rolling Tides
Color: Brown3
Materials: Entirely sculpted
Maker: Head Mistress, located on Hair Fair II)

(Worn on this shoot: Rue's Gem Thaumaturge eyes in Peridot [no idea if they're still available, but you can always check on the Marketplace]; Nomine's Papillon skin, China tone, in 'aftermath wasteland'; and SD Wears' Ladybug Costume [from their L$25 'everything red' sale this weekend, in honor of Canada Day].)

if you pull on my hair, and bite me like that

So, scattered news from the multiverse.

This is, by far, the scariest. Essentially, past July 1st, there will be no more age verification hassles. Why is that? Fixed the system, you say?

Not so. Abandoned it.

In all seriousness, this is what the Labs have decided to do--for all new accounts, there will now be a checkbox, wherein one determines whether or not they are, as their country and culture understand such things, an Adult with Adult freedoms (and responsibilities).

What does this mean for the rest of us? (Other than I am NEVER DATING AGAIN, NEVER, EVER--) Well, in a sense, the Labs are telling us that we were right when we went through this the first time around; that their age verification system was ridiculous, arcane, and illegal in several countries. But, rather than work internationally to find something that does work...they're dropping it altogether.

In other news, SL profiles are now fully web-integrated. While it's unclear at this time whether or not in-world profiles will be phased out (personally, I think that would be the worst move since popping up Zindra as a continent), what is clear is that avatars are suddenly catching on to the 'web' part of this integration.

What can I say, people can be dim at times. But, just to press the point home: yes, if you link your Facebook profile and your LinkedIn profile--one for the 'rest of the world' and one for 'professional social networking', or so they tell me--then anyone on Facebook or LinkedIn could conceivably look at your Second Life interests in light of who you're representing yourself to be elsewhere.

While such judgement and bigotry are nothing new these days, to be fair, we should also consider what our listed interests are going to say about us. I'm not waving the censorship flag here, but--well, for the case in point, here's my profile for comparison. My current bank of interests (and they can be changed at any time, they are purely voluntary additions to the web profile) are:

building, City of Heroes, crafting, dark Victorian, dieselpunk, fantasy, fashion design, gothic, haunted houses, horror, landscaping, magic, mermaids, Minecraft, Second Life, steampunk, steampunk music, Unseelie, Victorian, zombies

Each and every one of those terms is relevant to me, and I don't feel any particular social pressure to change them. But what if I was trying to get a job as a teacher at my local high school, and one of my interests was bondage or rubber clowns? While I still firmly believe that anyone should be able to do anything they want to that doesn't hurt people who haven't already consented to be hurt, some things will get your application tossed in the nearest bin. In all seriousness.

Seems some residents of SL are beginning to figure this out, and the hand-wringing is beginning in earnest.

More from Hair Fair!

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Hunter
Color: Ginger
Materials: Sculpted curls with flexi strands
Maker: Gauze, located on Hair Fair I (aka Independence/Iridium)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Melanie
Color: Sandy Red Root
Materials: Sculpted and flexi strands
Maker: ACTION, located on Hair Fair IV (aka Salt Water Taffy/Osmium)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Scarlett
Color: Royale Blue
Materials: Sculpted and flexi strands
Maker: ACTION, located on Hair Fair IV

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Megan03d
Color: Maron
Materials: Entirely sculpted, including hat
Maker: AOHARU, located on Hair Fair II (aka Oceania/Platinum)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Angela
Color: ItsNotGinger
Materials: Sculpted and flexi strands
Maker: LeLutka, located on Hair Fair I

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Loose
Color: Praline
Materials: Entirely sculpted
Maker: LeLutka, located on Hair Fair I

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Shoop
Color: Harvard
Materials: Entirely sculpted strands and headband
Maker: LeLutka, located on Hair Fair I

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Khloe
Color: Red Cordial
Materials: Sculpted strands and buns with flexi wisps
Maker: Raspberry Aristocrat, located on Hair Fair III (aka Carnival/Rhodium)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Delicate
Color: Unnamed; I'd say Black with Rose Tips
Materials: Entirely sculpted
Maker: Alice Project, located on Hair Fair II

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Lina
Color: Unnamed, but I'd say Cherry with Black Tips
Materials: Entirely sculpted
Maker: Alice Project, located on Hair Fair II

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Yua
Color: Black
Materials: Entirely sculpted
Maker: Alice Project, located on Hair Fair II

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: May Queen
Color: Ginger
Materials: Sculpted strands and flowers, flexi strands
Maker: Bliensen & MaiTai, located on Hair Fair IV

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Aroha:Roots
Color: Drift
Materials: Sculpted curls, strands and accessories, flexi strands
Maker: Exile, located on Hair Fair II

Skipped past a couple to tie this up, because Clawtooth, DERP and Donna Flora had their demos still in boxes, even after being unpacked (hate that), and ChiChickie has an entire dress made of hair, and I want to deal with that separately.

(Worn for this entry: SN@TCH's "Plaid Poppet" dress; Show Me on the Doll's "Patriot Red" Tippytoe Ponyboots [yes, I know they never show up]; *MiuMin*'s RoseEyes in Red; ni.ju's Claws [because they happened to go on sale when I was snapping these shots]; and Nomine's Rose White skin [Red/Tattoo variant].)

Actually, that's a good point. Here's another couple shots of the Claws:

(from the Hair Fair album)

Here's one of those iffy lines where copyright is concerned. I, personally, see nothing wrong in "inspired by". Because "inspired by" doesn't have to mean "bad copy of" (compare that to Lenore, f'rinstance), or "faithful duplicate of" or even "we're just going to blatantly rip you off". There are lots of different ways content can be considered an homage to original works without crossing that line into exact reproduction.

(from the Hair Fair album)

Where that line gets odd for me, though, is when both products only exist virtually. To wit, the Witch from the game Left 4 Dead II. She's a video game character, true, and Second Life is only nominally a game, but it's still fairly equal--virtual world to virtual world.

So where's the line? Entire law firms have clocked thousands of work hours trying to draw that line, and I'm no closer to understanding it than I was three years ago, when I started trying to pin down my comprehension. What I do know is they seem to use invisiprims, not plain alpha channels, to hide the hands, so at times AO movements can get very, very odd. (Speaking plainly: at times your fingers will disappear, or, even odder, you fingers won't, but will be seen beyond or below the hooked claws.)

You can get them for L$120 at ni.ju; they're on the right side of the wall near the door.

as she pours herself into the mold he made for her

There are now breedable bees on the grid. Gods help us all.

And damn you, Imprudence, for not including links on your load-in screens! I want to know where this is and YOU WON'T TELL ME!

More from Hair Fair! First, an announcement from our organizers:

The amazing folks at Exile and DCNY have created a low lag outfit for everyone to wear while they shop, you will find these all over the Hair Fair sims, for free!! Many many thanks goes to both DCNY and Exile for their generosity.

While that's nifty and all, I want to know how a set of prim board shorts with a prim drawstring can possibly, in anyone's universe, count as low frickin' lag.

(from the Blogger Pictures album)

Seriously. DCNY? Do let me know. Because otherwise you and the Hair Fair organizers are LYING TO PEOPLE.

On to the hair testing!

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Charlie
Color: Agouti
Materials: Sculpted braids and curls with flexi strands
Maker: Discord Designs, located on Hair Fair IV (aka Salt Water Taffy/Osmium)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Lilith
Color: Auburn
Materials: Two separate pieces: 'Drapes' is the over-the-shoulder sculpted braid and flexi braid pieces, and 'Scalp' is the blend of sculpted braids and flexi braids. The 'Scalp' hair can be worn without the 'Drapes' piece, but not vice versa.
Maker: Discord Designs, located on Hair Fair IV

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Lola
Color: Berry
Materials: Sculpted braids, flexi braids and flexi strands with sculpted bangs
Maker: Discord Designs, located on Hair Fair IV

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Lindsay
Color: Unknown, but if pressed, I'd say Warm Blonde or Light Brown
Materials: Entirely sculpted
Maker: Vive Nine, located on Hair Fair I (aka Independence/Iridium)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Lindsay
Color: Flames
Materials: Entirely sculpted
Maker: EMO-tions, located on Hair Fair II (aka Oceania/Platinum)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Mochi
Color: Orchid
Materials: Entirely sculpted
Maker: Wasabi Pills, located on Hair Fair IV

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Cause
Color: Purple
Materials: Sculpted curls, buns, and accessories with flexi long bangs
Maker: Fiction & Chaos, located on Hair Fair IV

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Ashtoreth
Color: None named; if I had to guess, I'd say Slate Blue
Materials: Sculpted curls and accessories with flexi end tails
Maker: Tekeli-li, located on Hair Fair III (aka Carnival/Rhodium)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Hathor
Color: None named; I'd call it Blonde
Materials: Sculpted curls and accessories with flexi end tails
Maker: Tekeli-li, located on Hair Fair III

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Milena
Color: Fiery Red
Materials: Entirely sculpted
Maker: Decoy, located on Hair Fair I

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Avian
Color: None named; I'd name it Silver
Materials: Entirely sculpted
Maker: Dark Side Creations, located on Hair Fair II

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Pretend
Color: Blonde 02
Materials: Entirely sculpted
Maker: Elikatira, located on Hair Fair IV

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: With
Color: Red 02
Materials: Entirely sculpted
Maker: Elikatira, located on Hair Fair IV

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Cassandra
Color: Not listed, I'd put it as Swamp Green
Materials: Not sure on sculpts, but nearly-to-floor-length flexi strands
Maker: Enigma Hair, located on Hair Fair IV

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Georgiana
Color: Not listed, I'd put it as Swamp Green
Materials: Not sure on sculpts, but nearly-to-floor-length flexi strands
Maker: Enigma Hair, located on Hair Fair IV

(Worn for this set: the Patriot dress from Delectable Doll [this weekend, only L$50]; Adam & Eve's "Rosalie" skin in Charcoal with M.O.C.K. Cosmetic's "Government Hooker" makeover [group gift, might still be available]; Rue's "Mortis" eyes in Blood [not available in world, might be available on the Marketplace]; Show Me On the Doll's Carnival Lady Pumps [the 4th of July special, no longer available].)

she's got a lip ring and five colors in her hair

Hair Fair opens today! (And there's a great updated post on tips and tricks for dealing with the incredible lag of Hair Fair.)

This year, I do not have the time or energy to go through every single hair received. But I do want to capture some of them, both for my edification and yours. This time out, I'm more interested in brevity than detailed descriptions.

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Shelly
Color: Eve's Candy Apple
Materials: Sculpted with flexi wisps and curls
Maker: Sugar Smack (mainstore opening after Hair Fair closes), located on Hair Fair II (aka Oceania/Platinum)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: London Kicks (from the Everyday Collection)
Color: All (natural) colors in demo
Materials: Mostly asymmetrical sculpts with descending straight flexi sections
Maker: L+N Signature Fashion & Hair, located on Hair Fair IV (aka Salt Water Taffy/Osmium)

(from the Hair Fair album

Style: Isis I
Color: Black/Red blend with black streaks (changeable via HUD)
Materials: Entirely sculpts, in curls, braids, flowers, and beaded braids
Maker: Calico Ingmann, located on Hair Fair IV

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Vivien
Color: Marron Glace
Materials: Entirely sculpts, no movement whatsoever
Maker: *Bliss* Couture, located on Hair Fair I (aka Independence/Iridium)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: 'Temprence'
Color: Caviar
Materials: Entirely sculpted bun, curls and waves
Maker: *Bliss* Couture, located on Hair Fair I (aka Independence/Iridium)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Liqueur
Color: Cherry Red
Materials: Entirely sculpted strands and curls
Maker: LoQ Hairs, located on Hair Fair III (aka Carnival/Rhodium)

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Sake
Color: Grey
Materials: Entirely sculpted strands and curls
Maker: LoQ Hairs, located on Hair Fair III

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Sweet Tea
Color: Blonde (I swear, that's what this one was labeled)
Maker: (fashionably dead), located on Hair Fair I

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Trouble
Color: Sunflower
Maker: (Posh), located on Hair Fair II

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Hair #09(F)
Color: Dark Teal
Maker: (red)MINT, located on Hair Fair IV

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Ellen (worn without lower attachment)
Color: Unspecified; I'd likely name it Warm Brown or Chocolate
Maker: RezIpsa Loc, located on Hair Fair II

)from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Dara
Color: Dark Brown
Maker: **Pocket Mirrors**, located on Hair Fair I

(from the Hair Fair album)

Style: Ethan
Color: Strawberry
Maker: **Pocket Mirrors**, located on Hair Fair I

There, a baker's dozen to start with. Go forth, ye merry, and wander the Fair whilst I work down the list on more demos.

(Worn, above and beyond various hair demos: Pixeldoll's Madeline dress in Blue, currently on sale; Miriel Standard eyes in Blue Opal [no longer available]; SN@TCH's Velvet Milk skin in Innocent Noir [don't honestly know if it's still available]; and Malfean Visions' Acolyte boots in Grey.

( ...Even though you never see the boots.)

because there's a story that ought to be heard

There's a new JIRA issue to watch, this one involving inventory searches. Why is this important? Because as it stands--in 2.x generation viewers--we type in something to search for--like "wings" or "tattered" and the word will auto-complete, and pop to the first thing with that name on the list. Whereupon we can either retype the word, if it autocompleted wrong, or go down the list of things with that name.

In 1.x generation viewers, this is what still happens. But not in 2.x ones. In 2.x ones, they've dropped that feature entirely. Now, we have to type out the complete word, it doesn't start searching until the word is finished, and it doesn't pop open everything--we have to poke and search a few times to get it to pop open *each* instance of that word.

That's annoying, but more than that, that drains time and energy that could be better spent creating things, organizing concerts, shopping, paying the Lindens money...It's not a HUGE annoyance, in terms of Second Life annoyances--Zindra, for example, would far overshadow it--but it's up there.

There's a JIRA post given at the end of CrystalShard Foo's post on it; click that link, read through the official description, and then watch it, please? She says Lindens are paying attention to that post, so the more watchers, the likelier it will be fixed in the somewhat near future.

Picasa is now offering virtually unlimited picture storage. Photobucket, not to be discounted, is now offering what they call unlimited storage. Throwing aside the question of which service is better, why are they doing this? I mean, yay for me, I don't have to worry about that metaphoric line, now, that I may be crossing twenty more uploads down the road, but--what's motivating both services to allow this?

Couple things from the Gutters online comic: this for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and this for Firefly fans.

The Firefly tie-in is funny, but obvious. The Ryan Lee comic may take a bit of explanation, though I've linked it before. Essentially--and this is exactly why the CBLDF is fighting this--a man went from the States to Canada. Canada has a lethal border-search mechanism in place that makes the TSA seem somnolent on the job. They searched everything, including the hard drive on his laptop.

And they found manga. With what they deemed 'pornographic' images of underage participants, which--drawn or not--figures in as an automatic charge of possessing child pornography.

(from the Canada album)

These are some of the characters of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha.

(from the Canada album)

And this is the title page of the second volume of the graphic novel Lost Girls.

Are these pornographic images? Well, I'd be hard pressed to see little girls in swimsuits and think they're meant to arouse and excite adults. But I will grant that fan-made comics frequently go beyond the bounds of decency. And Lost Girls, start to finish, is blatantly erotic, by design.

Okay, that's fine, let's say they were made to be pornography. Are they child pornography? And that's the sticking point.

To Canada, it's easy--if it features a sexualized child, photographically or artistically, it is child pornography. Period. And I'm sure there's some clarity of thought that goes along with being so dogmatic, but for me, the issue isn't that simple. For me, it has to pass several tests:

1. Is the image of a nude or sexualized child?

2. If yes, is the image photographic, or video?

And while there are other questions to ask, for me, that's also a good place to stop, because if the answer to question two is no, then it is, by default, not child pornography. Because arresting people for owning art is not a good road to travel. From there, it's not even a short jump to arresting people for owning whatever is termed violent, or anti-social, or dangerous, or whatever. Canada may be happy starting down that road; I'm not.

But by definition, that is the tack that the CBLDF is taking--they are not 'defending pedophilia', they are not 'fighting for child porn'. They are fighting, pure and simple, for ideas to remain free. They are fighting, pure and simple, for the divorce of image from reality. A drawing of a man getting shot in the head should never be a substitution for video of a man getting shot in the head. Conversely, an image of a child--whether the image can be deemed pornographic or not--should never be a substitution for a real, live child.

Children can be injured. Art can't. There IS a difference, people.