I'll hang you higher than before, bloody hammers and burning hot pins

What the way to start the morning. Got an email from Flickr:

"Hi Emilly Orr!
♥(`'·.¸ [incomprehensible characters] ¸.·'´)♥ (Kxxxxxxxx Pxxxxxx) is following you!
Follow them too?

Nooo, for two reasons. One: in addition to posting shots of fellatio and other sex acts (which, look, I'm fine with nudes on Flickr, but I tend to prefer erotica over just...y'know, blowjobs in sneakers) which are on the tacky side, two: she has tiny little baby hands. Nope, and double nope.

She does have some good composition, and she's better at lighting than I am, and she has the ability to use shadows in SL. These are good things. I'm just not feeling her subject matter.

In other news, it looks like soon we'll be able to 3D-print furniture, since we can already 3D-print houses, statues, bones, some organs, and skin.

And speaking of homes, how about instructions on how to build an off-grid log cabin, apparently for free? I mean, you'll have to find (or buy) a patch of land, it mostly involves hand work, which will take some time, and there's no power or water instructions, but...hey! Cabin! Just in case.

And for Silent Hill: Homecoming fans (well, can't really say fans, NO ONE is a fan of the buggy, disjointed, badly written mess that is Silent Hill: Homecoming, but I do like some of the situations and the main theme), this is the most singularly original theory I have ever heard on the whys behind the story, and virtue of virtues, it actually makes a lot more of the game make sense.

Don't get me wrong, Silent Hill: Homecoming is still, and forever will be, a buggy, disjointed, badly written mess, but...with that theory in place, it does make some of the major annoyances of the game (from monster designs to the main character's inexplicably bad-ass fighting skills) actually relevant finally.

the horror guides me through

If anyone has an interest into vintage Asian art, this cache of Taiwanese and Chinese art might help. Right now, only 1,000 books have been digitized--which is still impressive--but the goal of the project is to digitize all 2,500 books in the Library of Congress' Asian Division collection.



In the meantime, a short little Scene from a Chat. See above for why.

[13:10] Emilly Orr: While this is a casual dance, we do generally ask guests to wear more than briefs.
[13:10] axxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: sorry i didnt know i tp here

What? I mean, I check out a lot of landmarks that I've forgotten why I picked them up in the first place. It's a good way to figure out why I have them. But...to not even know that I've ported somewhere? How...how does that work?

At that point, he--and his knock-off Calvin Kleins--ported off.

[13:11] Emilly Orr: Well, you're more than welcome to return, if you care to. :)
[13:11] axxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: thx

And that was that. Strange.

panic on the streets of London, panic on the streets of Birmingham

I was fairly amused by this video, all about a spammer's poor attempt to extract money from one of the Utah Outcasts. And I had to think, watching it, how would I handle this letter, had it been sent to me?

Well, first thing, my spam filter would've caught it also, and I generally don't even read spam unless it has a catchy, or particularly amusing, title. Second, my being told they'd grabbed all my Facebook contacts would make me giggle like a five-year-old, because I don't have an account on Facebook. Third, them telling me they'd grabbed my masturbation files from my web cam would also make me laugh hysterically, because one, I have never filmed myself masturbating in front of any electronic device, and two--and two is more important here--I don't own a webcam.

I could not take something like this seriously. They'd be tapping the entirely wrong demographic for these kinds of threats. And the heavy-handed, give us what we want or we will release these files to all your friends, bit? That would also make me laugh. Sure, anonymous whomever. Do that. Feel free, run with it. Go wild. My friends know who I am and what I do, they wouldn't even be shocked.

The most they'd say is probably "Really? That's terrible lighting."

Meanwhile...

[21:12] Second Life: The message sent to (IM Session Doesn't Exist) is still being processed.
If the message does not appear in the next few minutes, it may have been dropped by the server.

That's new. I don't think I've ever seen that message before in my decade-plus of being in SL.

just another LA devotee

[10:15] pxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: does anyone else just stand on their land kinda like half dressed for hours cause you can't figure out what to wear or is it just me?
[10:15] lxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: you're not alone

I do that all the time.

In other news, I was sorting through the FaMESHed gifts, so was partially nude (I'd been trying on outfits), when I saw someone land on the porch. I hate when this happens.

[13:54] Emilly Orr: May I help you?
[13:55] axxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: hey was good

"Was good"? Was he kidding? Also, at this point, I was frantically trying to track down a dress, which irked me further, because I shouldn't have had to.

[13:55] Emilly Orr: No, not really. You're in a private residence.
[13:55] axxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i am?
[13:55] axxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: im sorry

Then, instead of porting off, he came down the stairs to stand in front of me. Why?

[13:55] Emilly Orr: Yes.
[13:55] axxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: may i come in plzz

My initial response was, "Not only no, but HELL no," but...I was trying to be polite.

[13:55] Emilly Orr: Shoo.
[13:55] axxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: i just need a lil help
[13:55] Emilly Orr: With?
[13:56] axxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: nvm ok

And then he flew off.

I have patience for new friends who don't intrude on private space. I have zero patience for people who just land in my home without warning. New or not, that's uncalled for.

And he was new--all of one day new. Two things on his profile: an RL pick of himself holding up three fingers on his SL bio, and an RL pick of himself on his FL info page. No groups. No bio info. No FL info. No picks.

Grrr.

And a couple of drive-by avatarings for today:



She has a lot going on, and not much that's bad. It's a fun, gothy look. Save for the buttwings.



I checked from the back, and yep...Buttwings.



For contrast, let me present the cutest anime catgirl I've seen in a long time. She was adorable.



And yes, she was as short as she looked.

the kids are all wrong, the story’s all off

Did a bit of updating this morning, so now, all the charity links on the left lead to where they're supposed to go, no more redirecting to the blog or wrong links given. Sorry about that. Also, added another tip service--and again, I'd love to be paid for what I do, but I don't insist on it.

There are also two new charities listed at the top of the sidebar. One is supporting the victims of Cyclone Idai, the other victims of Cyclone Fani. Both areas have been hard hit; in India, for Idai, over a million people have been evacuated. So the usual, here: give what you can, if you can, and thanks.



Next, some fashion photography oddity. Or at least product art oddity. It's not like this outfit doesn't have potential, for certain moods. My sole complaint is, why show the bunny ears if they're not included in the set? (And they're not.) Why raise expectations like that?

It's like whenever I come across White Widow's booth at events--it is nearly impossible to tell if they're selling the skin, the hair, the lingerie, or the tattoo. (They make tattoos, but the pictures are always vague enough to confuse. Could also be selling the shape, too.) If I have to stand in place for five minutes trying to figure out what's on offer, the maker is doing something wrong.

But as is, the Meli outfit would have been a guaranteed sale with the ears. Without them? I'm not as interested in forking over L$350 for the combo set. That may be petty, but I'm very much against showing off things that clearly aren't on sale in product art. (Note: I don't mean something like, they're selling lingerie, they're showing hair on the avatar, or they're selling a vehicle, there's an avatar posed next to it. But if I'm buying a dress, I want to see the dress and know that's what's for sale. If I'm buying full-perm templates for outfits to make, I want to buy everything in the product image that is outfit-based. That's not to much to ask, is it?)

you have to learn to pace yourself

Things seemed to be going okay at the Friday dance at Sakura. Then this happened:



I have seen this before. But it has been literally years since I have. Then, it was a case of an older graphics card with zero updates. But my current card? I updated the drivers last week, and today is the first day I've seen this. So what gives?



Worse was knowing this was centered on me. Which usually means I'm the only one who can see it (though that's not always true), so I didn't want to mention it.



Then it switched to the lass to my left. How do I know this? Look in the circled portion: those are the buckles of the dress she's currently wearing.



I was baffled though. Updated drivers, I didn't get it. During all of this, also, I crashed three times. Yes, yes, I know, we're on a homestead, and yes, I know, we were holding a dance, as we are wont to do, ON that homestead, but still...I usually don't crash that often even when there's a large number of people on the sim.

And it kept going for a REALLY long time. Annoyingly long. And, after this started happening, I crashed twice. The third time I crashed? Firestorm reset my graphics setting. Grr.



When it briefly cleared? What showed was that I'd lost the floor entirely. It was just carpets and clouds. This was just before the third time I crashed.



And then the glitching moved to the girl on my right. After this picture, I did crash.

So irritating. Tomorrow, I'll check my graphics drivers, but it hasn't happened all day today, so...still baffled. Was it just a momentary thing, or is it indicative of a larger problem? More grr.

how many shrimps do you have to eat before you make your skin turn pink?

I have found the Panic Flamingo at Fantasy Faire. I must own this. Alas, for me and many others, for Alia Baroque has not yet decided if he is willing to part with it.



We can but beg and hope for an indulgent moment. But seriously...this is so much cooler than the prototypical plastic bird on stilts.

to wash off the dirt on the riverside

Couple quotes I nabbed from profiles to start:

"If my Master is lost, I'll find him. I'll lead him back to himself, because to serve doesn't always mean to follow."
~Joey W. Hill
"I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naive or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman."
~Anais Nin
I don't entirely agree with everything in Nin's statement, but I do like them both.

Moving on. Just to warn those who are interested in such things: SWANK'S Boho Chic Fair isn't. That is all.

Well, okay, I'll expand. Wild has one minidress in their booth. Glitter has one dress. K-tarsis maybe has one item, if you count peacock tattoos. Oh, and good gods, zfg just needs to pack up and go home; tie-dye is not "boho" anything. Vips Creations has two boho pieces, but one is in brown, yellow, turquoise and orange stripes, and the other is just...beyond comprehension. It's like a burlap sack with trim. EvoLove's dress offering is iffy, because of the chains; the template might work due to the draping, but the chains kill it.

On the other hand, Venge's booth actually has it together--four bits of jewelry, all appropriate. Was that so hard?? Oubliette has a lovely formal gown in a 1920's pattern. It's not bohemian in any way, unless you're thinking the actual, first Bohemian revival starting in 1910s Germany, and moving to France in the 1920s...but hey, it's pretty. Skindustrial Bodyworks has everything down pat, too--it's a strapless crop top and a long skirt embroidered with flowers, and a scarf as hip sash, in eight colors. Wild, in a separate booth for some reason, has one offering that's also pretty boho; I just wish the template fit me better.

And...that's it! Granted, I just went through the womens' fashion section, but...based just on that? I'm too depressed to continue.

So let's check in on What Not To Do With Avatars, part...I don't even know at this point. I present the latest exhibit:



Why. Just why. Okay, look, let's make one thing clear first. I have zero problem with the body, that is not the issue. That is the very least of my issues with her.

WHY IS HER TONGUE OUT??? That's the main one. WHY is she walking around a store just waving her tongue in the breeze? I don't get it.



Second, WHY DOES SHE HAVE NO FEET??? WHYYY???



And the last issue. I realize this is a perpetual complaint, but it's valid every time I say it. LOOK at those teensy little baby hands. Those completely nonfunctional child mannequin hands grafted onto an otherwise functional adult avatar. Why in the hell. Seriously, why in the hell.

There's obviously no explanation. And there's no excuse. I'm just disappointed.

electric fences line our new freeway

There are things in this video analysis that I've missed over the years, and I can't count the number of times I've seen the original Psycho. It's a brilliant breakdown.

To that end, there's also Super Eyepatch Wolf's evaluation of The Shining (the Kubrick original, mind) and why it's so unnerving to this day. Some of this I learned by reading interviews over the years, some of it, amusingly, came out of the conspiracy-laden film Room 237--which is also mentioned in Wolf's review--but some things were new.

Meanwhile...

[10:24] Kxxx Exxx: ~~~This is A Full Contact message! Please Read.~~~Alright its that time again. theres a lot of people that are on my list that are no longer active and its been a few years since the last time i cleared out my list. if you guys could message me back after you read this so i know your still active that would help out greatly. just say hi or wave or something so i know your still active so i know not to delete you off my list. Hope everyone has a great rest of the day! *Waves*
[10:25] Rxxxxx Ixxxx: wrong box?
[10:25] txxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: heh heh XD
[10:25] Mxxx Kxxx: maybe
[10:25] txxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: We're active -wiggles-
[10:25] mxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Please don't delete me ;W;
[10:27] Emilly Orr: There are a LOT of inactive people on my friendslist. Most of them are dead. I am NOT deleting them. You do you, but nah, I'm good here.
[10:27] nxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: I'm thinking someone put that in the wrong window lol
[10:29] Emilly Orr: Oh, absolutely, I just figured I'd point it out.

Son of meanwhile...this happened, and I'm somewhat conflicted over it. On the one hand, I understand the hurt in the community--City of Heroes was dear to many of us, and the outrage that there'd been a functional version of the game running for six years in secret, I totally understand that level of outrage.



But. I do think a lot of this is pretty hyperbolic, too. City of Heroes left several years ago. I was part of one of the early public servers that ran an old version of the game, and, after a year, it was just too depressing wandering through locations I loved, that were basically empty wastelands now. It never updated, it never changed, it was just...an old version of the game. That wasn't enough, at least for me, so after that year, I gave up.



Something beloved had been broken by corporate idiots who were both heartless and stupid (especially considering that City of Heroes was actually consistently in the black month after month, and Guild Wars, the game they killed CoH to shift resources to, was canceled entirely six months later), we lost something we valued, but then we moved on. It sounds very much, reading through that article, that some people forgot the moving on part.

I can't remember your name, I can't remember your face

Caught on a random profile: " I am voice verified RL Heterosexual lady." I have seen this, or variations of this, SO many times at this point, and it always makes me shake my head. First, why the hell does it matter? Second, yes, I realize people--especially guys--don't like being catfished, and that's perfectly understandable, but--if you never intend on meeting in person, then again--why does it matter? This is a virtual world for a reason.

I do recognize that many people have moved in with each other, have gotten married, from meeting in SL. I grant the full validity of that experience. I wouldn't have Miss Neome in my life, after all, if she hadn't met us in SL, and decided she wanted to be with us RL.

That being said, however, for the most part this doesn't happen. I think the most I've ever referred to specific gender on my profile for the past few years is "Female in all worlds". I know who I am, I know what I am, and I'm comfortable with that. I don't think I'd ever put down "voice verified" or even worse, "cam verified", because it's playing into that culture of paranoia and suspicion. I won't do that.

And flat out, I have chosen not to get to know certain people better because their profiles said they will only interact with the fully voice and cam verified whatever--usually females, these have usually been males putting this nonsense on their profiles. And I don't need that. You want to play that way, fine, but you're already putting a wedge in any future relationship by starting it off with unreasonable demands, and worse, that level of abject fear. If you are insecure enough to only ever interact with voice- and cam-verified people, then stay in RL. And demand every person you even take on a coffee date strip in a restaurant before you sit down.

And get used to being arrested, because you will be, and you know what? If you're that afraid that you might actually become friends with someone who shares your genitalia, then YOU SHOULD BE ARRESTED, for the dangerous sexual predator you are. And you're missing the whole point of personal interaction in the first place. Because not every 'hello' ends up with sharing a bank account.

ask yourself, where do we go from here?

This was sent as a text notice from one of my groups (actual name of group redacted):

"[XXXXX] extends our warmest wishes to you and your families on this important day. Whether you're religious or not, Easter is symbolic of resurrection and renewal, something wonderful replacing something awful, a spiritual rebirth. We each get to choose every day whether to be reborn as someone different and hopefully better. That's what SL and [XXXXX] are all about. Happy Easter!"

What's killing my brain about this? That "religious or not" line, followed by "spiritual rebirth". Christians, I get that Easter is important to you, and I even get why, but telling someone that it doesn't matter whether you believe or not, then following that with something that only Christians would say to each other....it's disingenuous at best, and outright hypocritical at worst.

Plus, good gods--and brace yourselves, you may need to sit down--NOT EVERYONE IS CHRISTIAN. I know, I know, shocking, right? But there are other holidays. Like Ostara for Celtic Wiccans. Like Pesach (Passover) for Jews. Like Ram Navami for Hindus, which falls near Easter some years. Or Hanuman Jayanti for Hindu followers of Hanuman, which also can fall around the same general time. Like Vaisakhi for Sikhs. Like the first day of Ridván for Baha'i, which falls generally around this time. Like Mahavir Jayanti for the Jains. Sigrblót for Ásatrúar falls around Easter, as well. For Zoroastrians, there's Nowruz. And I'm sure I'm leaving out a ton.

We're not asking y'all to stop saying Happy Easter. I think what we are asking is to keep in mind you have a multifaith audience, people. So wishing people spiritual rebirth, resurrection, and the importance of rebirth...It's just going to piss some of us off.

In other news...I know the designer behind Hayabusa is Japanese. I know that the Cassia fistula is a real tree. I know what it's commonly called.

And it must be said that the real version:



is very close to the in-world version:



But...all of that being said...it still struck me as odd that Hayabusa sent out a notice about their "Golden Shower" trees.

At least they're pretty.