she is silenced, an ocean widens, leaves the daydreams behind

[01:21] KittyCats - Daiquiri: http://kittycats.biz
▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼
♂ Daiquiri

҉ 11 days ♥ 68% ☻ 76%

↯ 89% 모☁ 4%

Fur: Genesis - Smokey
Eyes: Genesis Water (Shape: Curious | Pupil: Big)
Shade: Natural
Tail: Genesis
Ears: Genesis
Whiskers: Silver (Shape: Guitar)
Size: 25 cm (9.8 inch) - Toy Cat

Version: 1.08
Owner: S[xxxx] R[xxxx]
ID: xxxxxxxx-xxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx
〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓
MOM: Funny
Fur: Chateau Cat - 3 Spot No. 2
Eyes: Genesis Sunshine (Shape: Curious | Pupil: Big)
Shade: Natural
Tail: Genesis
Ears: Genesis
Whiskers: Silver (Shape: Guitar)

DAD: Sweety
Happy Birthday - SL8B
Fur: Genesis - Smokey
Eyes: Genesis Water (Shape: Curious | Pupil: Big)
Shade: Natural
Tail: Genesis
Ears: Genesis
Whiskers: Silver (Shape: Guitar)
▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

I have to stop touching breedable cats. They're like a virus of green spam over my entire screen. There is no amount of cuteness that makes this acceptable, ever.

"Dear Disney, you can have your license back now." Well, ouch.

[12:46] POOTERBILT Mommy's HUD 4.06 politely says to you, please don't eat that yucky stuff again today, I want something else today.

First of all, if your child's name is POOTERBILT, you've obviously made some grievous life choices and you need to stop. Secondly, if your child's name is POOTERBILT and you still have a talking tummy in this day and age? Something's gone wrong in your Second Life.

Also, you might want to speak to your HUD's manufacturer, as they used 'today' twice in that single sentence.

[NPC] Abomination: TaskForceName can't be allowed to live!

On occasion, City of Heroes gets unintentionally hilarious.

Meanwhile, more outfit drama. But this one's deeply odd. Not the least of which because it's a complaint against Bare Rose by someone I've never heard of.

It started on Flickr, on her photo stream. That particular image showed her in a burnished gold costume lion suit, standing next to a box showing June Dion's pale buff costume lion suit. At first glance...hells, at thirteenth glance...they look nothing alike save that they're both lion costumes. The hell?

But I wanted to track it down, so off I went to Bare Rose to track down the ShiShi Mimi Leo.

(from the Comparisons album)

Now, this is not the original. Because of this controversy, and because June Dion works incredibly fast, by the time I'd heard of it, she'd already redesigned the outfit, reshot it for the product box, and put it back out for sale. Still, as is my practice, I do what I can to get hold of the outfits under dispute and examine them myself.

As it stands now, the outfit has relatively zero comparison points. June's outfit has studded armbands; Miss Alter's does not. Miss Alter's has a sculpted hood; June's outfit does not. June's outfit has sculpted paws and feet; Miss Alter's has paw and feet additions, but they're not sculpted. June has a belt with a sculpted, detailed belt complete with added Jurassic bone and Leo zodiac symbol on the belt buckle itself; Miss Alter, it looks like, forwent the belt on those squared hot pants. Miss Alter's has self-patterned stockings, June created tribalist stockings and gloves that could be very intriguing with other outfits you might have.

(from the Comparisons album)

As far as the outfit concept goes, the huge feet and paw hands are a little too costume-y for me, a bit too cartoon, if I may go so far, but it's a cute concept. And I'm going to make no bones about this--from the single image I have (more about that later) from Eln Alter's outfit, I think June not only put more work into both the first, then the revised versions, but also, I think June made a better outfit, period.

(from the Comparisons album)

I should also add that I adore the zebra-hide wrap, which was part of the updated version June put out. Granted, I had to go from rather busty to Geena Davis to fit under the prim piece, but I was willing to do that, because it really looked good. The bottom of it is flexi, the top sculpted, and yes, that does create some oddity at times, but still, it's very well done.

(from the Comparisons album)

This image shows a close-up of the Leo zodiac sign belt; also, observant viewers will note the shading on the very short short shorts. Granted, this is shorter than I like my shorts to be, but it works with the outfit as a whole.

(from the Comparisons album)

And this is the back of the ShiShi revised; I will grant that the ginger tabby skin I was wearing this morning (when I took these pictures), didn't precisely completely the tawny buff of the outfit's pieces, but even so, the seams meet, the shading is lovely, there are several separate prim pieces (the arm and leg bands, the neck leonine ruff in cream, the hip bone, the zebra-hide drape, among others) and it forms a quirky and cute whole.

And yes, the tail does swing; it's scripted.

(from the fashion album)

As for the other side of the argument...well. Miss Alter apparently doesn't sell the outfit anymore. Also, there's no shop on the site of Eln Alter's store given in her picks; there's a mall, which she apparently owns, but no "meow.style" shop.

Just from looking at this one image, while I can't analyze the seams or look at how it fits to me, as opposed to how the ShiShi Mimi fit--I can honestly say it doesn't impress me. The lion-maned hood would make it impossible to wear 95% of my hair, plus, it looks as if her head's been partially detached, not draping as a hood would, by default. In addition, it's pretty much entirely the same texture, with very little shading, very little line matching (the seams I can see, that of the inner arms of both gloves, looks dire).

But beyond that, I really don't know, because there's no "meow.style" on the grid anymore. I'm left analyzing that one image--and from that one image, fair or not, June Dion's not only looks more original and takes more chances, but it just overall looks like it's made better. And--apart from the similarity of "I'm going to make a lion costume! Rawr!", there is NOTHING these two outfits share, period.

So the complaint is that--on an item no longer sold, which is on the surface in no way similar--there is, apparently, similarity. Simply because there's that lion costume involved?

Plus, if you've stopped selling the item, there's no competition. If you've stopped selling the item, there can be no accurate accusation of copyright infringement. If you've stopped selling the item, you're no longer in the game. This is hard to understand?

I'd say Eln Alter's complaint is frivolous beyond belief, but unfortunately, she made it and June Dion responded to it, because June doesn't like getting complaints. June's not saying she cribbed from Alter's design; in point of fact, since June's been doing the Zodiac series (in both male and female sets of specialty armors, quirky cosplay, and EGL/EGA outfit versions) for over a year, I'm thinking I'm safe in saying she didn't know anyone else, least of all Eln Alter, had made a lion costume.

But that being said, making a lion costume isn't the issue. It's only the issue if they are similar enough to cause confusion, one from another. And they're not. They're just not.

Case closed.

time for parties and celebrations, people dancing all night long

There's a very bad Santa at Ova Hauled this year. In the space of ten minutes, I saw a spanking, a stripping, and Santa serving "special egg nog" to a lady on her knees in front of him. Do I need to go on? Go if you wish, but keep in mind, he's looking for folks on his naughty list!

[15:07] CaliLilly Quintessa: santa is sure getting his jollies on
[15:07] Rayvn Hynes: omg!
[15:08] Rayvn Hynes: he stripped me naked and gave me coal!

Did you think I was kidding?

D&V Creations: you're doing it wrong:



Seriously. If you have to have a whole wall to display your grid-wide hunt signs? You have a grid-wide hunt addiction. You need therapy, not more hunt gifts.

How'ver, Pasarella in Palamos is doing it so very well:



They've put out all their recent hunt gifts as ornaments on their in-store tree. This is amazing. Over twenty-five gifts to peruse, and if you like their style, come back and drop them some Lindens on an outfit. Such ingenuity deserves to be rewarded.

Kenn Nilsson takes on what Second Life should be, and he makes a lot of points. It's worth reading.

In the meantime, Bare Rose is having a seasonal hunt:



From the notecard:

------------------------------
A G i f t F r o m B E L L
------------------------------
Bare Rose Christmas Mini Tresure Hunt

------------------------------------------------------
W a l k t h r o u g h
------------------------------------------------------

1. Please read the Prologue and Chapter 1. Chapter 1 is at the bottom of this notecard. There is also a landmark to Chapter 1 as well.
2. Please read and then continue to Chapter 1 using the LM. The story will provide a hint to the target/object you are to purchase, to continue onward.
3. If the target/object is correct, a 'Buy' window will open. Buy it for 0 linden. You will get the items and also a notecard with a hint and LM for the next Chapter. There are 4 Chapters, so please try all of them.

Notice: Sometimes the buy option does not open if you are too far from the target and using the camera zoom. Please try to move closer when this happens.

Additional Hunt:
If you think it was easy to finish the hunt, we have a more difficult one for you. You can find the extra information in the last notecard, in the last item's folder. Enjoy!

------------------------------------------------------
P r o l o g u e
------------------------------------------------------

There are people who don’t believe in God, but if a miracle or a dream comes true, sometimes they believe in him. Such miracles are done by an angel assigned to the person in question. However, miracles don't happen too often because angels are busy most of the time, like in today's story. An angel that was in charge of a certain person received a special mission from an Archangel... For this time, you’re going to be an angel and help a dog by request.

------------------------------------------------------
C h a p t e r 1 : T h e M e e t i n g P l a c e o f T h e A n g e l s !
------------------------------------------------------

Please go to Chapter 1 (BELL Chapter 1)

On a holiday night, the Archangel called his angels to go to the Meeting Place.
The Archangel came and said: "Thank you all for coming. Let me explain about an important mission!"

The angels rounded a monitor at the center of the place, which projected a white dog.

"His name is BELL. He is the poorest dog this night. His destiny says he is going to die 3 times tonight. So we need to cast 3 miracles on him. We don't have much time left. Please go to the place. Good luck to all of you!"

Let us get ready to go to the land. Before you go there, you should wear formal wear. Angels look like spheres of light, but they can change their form to whatever they want. Also, humans think angels have wings, so let’s get wings first - just in case people may find you. You can find the wings in one of the 'Crystals'.

(Please left click the crystals around you to find the wings!)

And off you go. Port by port, notecard by notecard, find the dog or find the item mentioned, and gain bits of the holiday outfit. There are some intriguing little builds to see, and you'll end up with wings, a halo, and a blue and gold holiday robe (for men) and skirt (for women). If you participate in the additional hunt, you'll get a pair of prim blue sandals that match the dress. Well worth your time.

Even if you have to put up with June Dion's odd ideas about Christmas, and her grasp of English. (Though to be fair, her grasp of English gets better every year!)

the ties that bind us just slip away

This, quoted from in-world chat by a friend:

[8:03] June Dion: uh oh
[8:03] June Dion: no more lucky chair X)
[8:03] Nympheas Nogah: ahhhhhhhh
[8:03] Sandriki Roux: really?
[8:03] June Dion: [8:01] Jack Linden: if the land is in search, then those chairs would be giving traffic, which is where it gets bad. if you had them on land that was *not* in search then that would be fine
[8:03] June Dion: [8:02] Jack Linden: you can keep them if the land is not in search, so you could just split the parcel into two for example

So let me get this straight. All of Jack's assurances that this was not about individual lucky chairs, it was about camping bots, and large numbers of camping pads...was all just lip service, and meaningless.

Y'know, I don't like Jack Linden any better since the SL5B stupidity when he was insisting that no nudity was allowed, this was a family operation, goddamn it...and then blithely walked past any incident of male nudity. Apparently he only cares if it's got tits.

But I had thought that he--and the other Lindens--had maybe managed to learn something in the near-year since then. Apparently, I was vastly overrating Jack's ability to learn.

June Dion, in case you don't know, owns Bare Rose. Bare Rose does not need lucky chairs, or lucky fortune machines, or raffle balls, to make money. Bare Rose does not have to put out freebies to entice people to come to the store. Bare Rose does not need traffic at this point--because the store's nearly legendary, old residents pass on the name to newbies, all of her stuph is transferable, so people can buy outfits and then pass them on, her prices are low, so she sells a lot...and her designs remain innovative, original, and a great deal of fun.

I own a lot of Bare Rose outfits. So does almost everyone I know.

The assertion that Bare Rose put in a lucky chair to "game" the traffic system is beyond ludicrous. It is inanity at its highest point. It is sheer lunacy on the part of Jack to say this to June.

But he did.

So let me test understanding again:

* Obviously, camping bots are out.
* Model bots, greeter bots and accounting bots are next.
* Camping pads are out.
* Lucky chairs are disallowed.
* Lucky Fortune machines are disallowed.
* The entire Lucky Chair company is going to go under because they're going to drop about 97% on new sales past this point.

Okay, fine. That's annoying, but fine. But now think of all the other things that generate traffic:

* Fishing areas
* Mobvend machines
* Scavenger hunts
* Grand opening events
* New sim announcements
* Dances
* Seminars
* College classes held in-world
* Business meetings held in-world
* Focus group meetings (including ones held by the Lindens--oh, wait, they'll likely hold those on land they remove from search)
* Sandbox sims (sometimes those get packed with users building things)
* All contests, be they costume or build contests
* Rez-day celebrations
* Weddings
* Funerals

Think I'm insane for listing those things--among them, several things centering on educational and business uses for Second Life? I don't. If Jack can outright lie to us that Lucky Chairs are fine...then what else is he going to change his mind on?

Are we getting to the point where we as users will feel compelled to report any sim that has more than ten avatars in it, because that sim might be "gaming" the traffic system? Are we going to be asked to "shop from home", or shop only via XStreet? Are we going to have to ignore all dances, stop talking to people in village squares, stop going on scavenger hunts, butterfly hunts?

Where is this going to end? What's the end goal, for that matter? Because I don't think I can put a great deal of faith in anything Jack Linden's said so far.

too tired to laugh at a vaulting moon

Short but intriguing news story on how many sims are being returned to the Lindens. Pointed, if brief, commentary on the situation.

Some distracted wanderings, as I go about my preparations for sleep.

This was taken as we were sitting in Bare Rose Tokyo's VIP room. And yes, Miss Neome really did think she was being all stealthy and ninja-like with her hiding skills.

Later, she hid even more effectively by sitting on the Raffle ball in the room, and rotating in a slow violet orbit. Indeed, hardly noticeable at all, she was only a bauble four times the size of the Raffle ball...

Speaking of o'erlarge baubles, however...



Click for a larger version of where, exactly, this was. During Solange's 12 Days of Christmas hunt, she actually buried one of her ornaments completely. It was exactly where she said it would be, and it was a 10x10x10 sphere, also as she said.

But still, fiendishly clever. Kudos to you, Miss Cerveau, well played indeed.

Ever wonder what happens when one of your prim eyes detaches during transport, and you come in partially Ruthed? Wonder no more:



Miss Midnight Bohemia explains wordlessly why two eyes are better than one.

And finally, from the ornament hunt at Falln, an odd encounter with the lurking undead.

Glimpsed on the stairs, a flash of red, a tuft of white fur, a snarling zombie visage from beyond the grave:

[3:29] My Pet Zombie Claus: See you later.
[3:29] My Pet Zombie Claus: >>:[
[3:29] Emilly Orr: Zombie Claus!
[3:29] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Can we get back to business?
[3:29] Emilly Orr: No!
[3:29] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Are you serious?
[3:30] Emilly Orr: It's Zombie Claus!
[3:30] My Pet Zombie Nurse: You're kidding. It is?
[3:30] Emilly Orr: It is!
[3:30] Emilly Orr: Look!
[3:30] Emilly Orr: He's right down there!
[3:30] My Pet Zombie Nurse: I see. Right down there is he?
[3:30] MystiTool HUD 1.3.0: Collision with "My Pet Zombie Nurse", Owner: Azriel Demain
[3:30] Emilly Orr: OW
[3:30] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Tell me a story.
[3:30] MystiTool HUD 1.3.0: Collision with "My Pet Zombie Nurse", Owner: Azriel Demain
[3:30] Emilly Orr: OW
[3:30] My Pet Zombie Nurse: What color are your eyes?
[3:30] MystiTool HUD 1.3.0: Collision with "My Pet Zombie Nurse", Owner: Azriel Demain
[3:30] Emilly Orr: They're impaled on your cart!
[3:30] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Impaled on my cart are they?
[3:30] Emilly Orr: OW
[3:30] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Can we get back to business?
[3:30] Emilly Orr: Stop hitting me!
[3:30] My Pet Zombie Nurse: OK I'll try not to do it so much.

I ran across the floor; he ran after.

[3:33] Emilly Orr: OW
[3:33] My Pet Zombie Nurse: My brain uses AIML to format responses to your inputs, but I don't have one for that.
[3:33] Emilly Orr: You did that on purpose!
[3:33] Emilly Orr: NO
[3:33] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Are you serious?
[3:33] Emilly Orr: STOP
[3:33] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Stop what?
[3:33] Emilly Orr: Running over me!
[3:33] My Pet Zombie Nurse: You are asking about yourself?
[3:33] Emilly Orr: I tend to
[3:33] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Thanks for the information.
[3:33] Emilly Orr: Fine, look, just...I'll stand over here.
[3:33] My Pet Zombie Nurse: I am glad to hear it. Sorry my eye is not attached right now. I haven't heard anything like that before.
[3:33] MystiTool HUD 1.3.0: Collision with "My Pet Zombie Nurse", Owner: Azriel Demain
[3:33] Emilly Orr: OW
[3:33] Emilly Orr: MINE EITHER
[3:33] My Pet Zombie Nurse: It goes without saying. I only hear that type of response less than five percent of the time.
[3:34] Emilly Orr: No kidding
[3:34] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Would I kid you?
[3:34] Emilly Orr: Let me find my eyes.
[3:34] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Go ahead, try to find your eyes.
[3:34] MystiTool HUD 1.3.0: Collision with "My Pet Zombie Nurse", Owner: Azriel Demain
[3:34] Emilly Orr: OW
[3:34] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Is that your final answer?
[3:34] MystiTool HUD 1.3.0: Collision with "My Pet Zombie Nurse", Owner: Azriel Demain
[3:34] Emilly Orr: AAAAAAAH
[3:34] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Tell me about your likes and dislikes?
[3:34] MystiTool HUD 1.3.0: Collision with "My Pet Zombie Nurse", Owner: Azriel Demain
[3:34] Emilly Orr: Great, you're homicidal AND codependent!

Honestly, I like FallnAngel Designs, I really do. And most of the time the zombies are...well, you know, a little off, they're zombies, but...still...

I bet he's just jealous of Zombie Claus.

And off for needed sleep.

since I was no bigger than a weevil they've been saying I was evil

Bare Rose's third anniversary is this weekend, and my, but there have been a ton of things to do to celebrate. Dances, gatherings, contests, giveaways, new outfit releases, fashion shows, and, now and again, some quirky little oddments all their own.

Like the weaving machine in Black Cat.



One essentially sits and weaves, and at the end of the weaving, one is then given a random one of six different mini-kimono skirt sets. So far I've woven blue, green, dark purple, red and 'cian'--but apparently the pink mini-kimono skirt? Is the rare, or something, because I haven't gotten one yet!

(By the way, if you stop by the Mystical booth at hair fair, and pick up the Mystical Amazon headdress and hair box? You'll get several selections of one-prim hair. It's not perfectly pretty, but it's one prim, and it looks better than system hair, or being bald! I'm wearing it in "natural cherry" in the shot.)

Installment 379: Why I Adore Japanese Sims:



This was seen in Akiba in Nekomama's stall. That outfit, btw, that you don't quite see? Seventy Lindens. Just seventy Lindens! For skirt with glitch pants, bodice top, prim wide plaid tie, collar, cuffs, and weird legwarmer-y things. Seventy.

I bought one. :)

But the color text? Priceless.

On to more horrifying things, before my return to Avaria. Last night was a hunt over at Axis Mundi (no SLUrl, because it's long over.) Essentially, the hunt was simple: hunt out one (just one!) of three 'colors' of prize items: red, rose and turquoise. And it was fine, and surprisingly easy to find buttons of the appropriate shades, considering how late we started. But it did take us around and about the sim, and while exploring, I found....this:



THE HORROR! MY LITTLE GARGANTUAN PONY!!



And there was a saddle. A saddle on the horrific pastel beast. I found myself, fighting each step, drawn to...sit on the thing.



Thankfully, SubGirl found a disciple of Jesuslope one island over, or I would have fled screaming into the...balmy blue day. *coughs*

(Though I can think of someone that would properly appreciate this--I wonder if Lord Cymru's young daughter knows of this horrifi...."pretty"..."little" thing?)

At any rate, since you've seen an advance pic of SubGirl, let me show you our Aviator, as well:



There will be a full release entry on the store blog, because we're still working on them, but soon there will be two more Iron Tinies to enjoy, trust me. I especially adore the Aviator, I think Mr. Allen really outdid himself adding wonderful little details.

*hefts pickaxe* Okay, those quartz nodes aren't gonna dig themselves, now are they?

all of you, both of you, none of you, more than one of you

Welcome to this evening's fear:



In the middle of an inventory sorting project, suddenly--no inventory. No folders, even. No titles. Just...blank. Blank nothingness.

To be followed by a blank IM screen, a blank groups box, a blank profile, and no buttons beneath the main chat bar (click the small image to get the large one).

Yet...I was still on the grid, in the world, able to interact...I had not redmapped, I hadn't crashed. This was...different, and far more disturbing.

This? Is just about as unnerving as you might think. I finally dumped cache and relogged, hoping it was all just a momentary glitch.

As it turned out, it was, but heart-pounding couple of moments, let me tell you.



Now, really, I'm not so much singling out designers to harm, here, but get real with your branding ideas, people! If it has to say FIERCE across my posterior in BRIGHT PINK, I am obviously not doing my job.



And this is why we hunt for cavorite ore with nets...



And I know June Dion did not name this after me. But I was tickled enough finding this at Bare Rose, I had to buy it. It amused me too much not to own.

Friend of ours wants us to put up a vendor for a party she and others in her business collective are having. I don't entirely get it, but I'm not passing up the opportunity. Unfort, that means most of Thursday will be taking photographs of the new eyes, packaging them up, and putting them in the server. It's going to take hours, I just know it.

Still, more than time I did it, and I need to put out some new things anyway. Far too long since I created anything, and I need to, something, anything, just to start the process happening again.

I've been in a place of unmoving, I think, for some time. Not stagnation, not quite, just holding still, and listening, and seeing what was going to change, and if anything did. There was change, there will be more, but now, just now, it's peaceful enough. The changes don't bring disaster in their wake.

This is not a bad thing.

But me being me, of course, I was prepared for the disaster, and I'm not prepared for the tentative silvering hope to break through. So maybe it's time to let go, and realize half empty still means I have half a glass. Or that half empty means it's time to get more to fill the cup.

And that that's okay, too. That I can go back to the wellspring and come back refreshed, that I don't have to stand out in the cold on my own.

This? Is not a bad thing either. It's just not something I've ever been used to...

kiss me in sweet slow motion, let's let everything slide

One last bit of action, it seems, on JIRA issue MISC-1231. This comes by way of Meghan Dench:

Just to Clarify, Child Avatars may Apply and the Applications will be 'screened' and if they pass our PG Policy will be accepted, we've already worked with one Resident to accept her application.
BDSM and Gor are non negotiable, for obvious reasons.

The PG Policy includes but is not limited to;

No Nudity (Male or Female, a nipple is a nipple) : D
No Chains, Ropes or being bound.

One wonders if they mean collars, too, such a persistent fashion statement on the grid...but I'll agree with them, PG is PG.

But is it just me? I don't hear acceptance and tolerance in this. I hear...their hand has been forced; now, they will go over all applications by SL children with the finest-toothed combs the Lab has; and if there's an undotted i, an ellipses in the wrong place, they will be discarded. Because they've said so, you see, with that 'screened'.

If nothing is amiss, nothing obvious, and they agree it's something they can't really get around as a project proposal...then, and only then, they will approve the project for build.

As they say, they've already approved one project for build, by working with a resident to make sure she comes under the proper PG guidelines...but if you notice, they never say that the one application that's been approved under the new standards--was submitted by a child avatar.

The drama goes on...it's just carefully behind Lab doors, now.

I want to talk a little on lolita fashion--deliberately lower-case "l" on "lolita"--since for a lot of people, "Lolita" means predatory, means Nabokov, means pedophiles on parade. This is not the case in Japan, and those of us who've adopted, in large part, the style in the west, are not doing it because we want to be seen as children. Lolita fashion in the west is, as so many other things, less innocent--but west or east, it's still fashion.

Let me run through a little breakdown of terms, so you know what I mean.

Gothic Lolita

This is used as a common blanket term in a lot of cases, both among those who don't understand the fashion, and for those who just want one thing to refer to that people understand. (Another blanket term, at least on the grid, has become "EGA" or "EGL"--'Elegant Gothic Aristocrat' and 'Elegant Gothic Lolita'--this is not because most designers design to these specs, but because Linden Labs banned "lolita" as a search term.)

Lolita as a fashion has been kicking around Japan at least since the 1970s, but as a distinct look didn't pick up until the mid- to late-1990s. Gothic lolita, as seen in Japan, is sort of an oxymoron--in Japan, 'gothic' and 'lolita' are distinct and different looks. But what we think of as 'gothic lolita' is basic--no frills, no layers, no extravagant head bows, no prints--just simple, black or white, plain, in a sense. Crosses and coffins were and are common motifs, and colors--now--are nearly always in the black, white, or grey range.

Baby, the Stars Shine Bright is now mainly a sweet lolita house, but when they started, nearly everything they did was gothic. Miho Matsuda is one of the larger names, and does both sweet and gothic lolita styles.

Draconic Kiss, Bare Rose, and many of the little shops dotting the vast Lico Lico mall carry gothic lolita outfits on the grid.



(A lovely example of clean, classic styling of gothic lolita fashion from Harajuku, Japan.)

Gothic Aristocrat

Without the "EGL" appellation, gothic Aristocrat on its own refers to that rarity even in Japan--mens' fashion. Gackt Camui in the video Mizerable wears a perfect example of the style--very frilled, very ornate, heavy velvets, brocades, and lace essential to nearly every garment. Women also have been known to wear this, because the 'traditional' lolita look might be perceived as too 'girlish'. Since a staple feature of these outfits are long coats, long skirts, and jackets, men and women can wear them.

There are a couple other terms here to be aware of--ouji ("prince" in Japanese, leading to western appellations of "Little Prince" fashions) and "dandy". Ouji is gothic Aristocrat without the frills, buckles and ornate fabrics--the lines are similar, but it's extraordinarily pared-down. "Dandy" is pretty much male lolita--the same striped leggings, corselets or underbust corsets designed for a male physique, cuter shoes, and frills, hats and bows.

While this article has more to laugh at than genuinely good advice, it does have a little genuinely good advice. (But it's also funny as hell, and that's mainly why it's here.)

And the La Carmina blog has some lovely pictures of the style on men and women. See also, this primer on the look. And Fanplusfriend Garden does a wonderful job with the styles, as well as some punk lolita ties.

I think currently Silent Sparrow is the only house in world really playing with gothic Aristocrat as a style, especially for men, but Draconic Kiss and FallnAngel Designs are getting into menswear as well.





(Two views of gothic Aristocrat, both designed and modeled by Mana, owner and designer behind Moi-même-Moitié, Japan's premier gothic Aristocrat fashion house.)

Sweet Lolita

Sweet lolita is just that--candy-coated, frilled and bowed, saccharine pastels and frou-frou skirting. Color tones are pink, light blue, lemon yellow, pale mint green...think Easter, with lots of lace, and bonnets, and cute stuffed animal backpacks--you've got sweet lolita.

Chelsea has some lovely examples of the look; so does Chocochip Cookie, Jelly Bean, Angelic Pretty, and Metamorphose Temps de Fille.

In world, you can find sweet lolita options at Wishbox, Bare Rose, and again, scattered throughout Lico Lico.



(Example of sweet lolita on a girl just beyond Shibaya, Japan.)

Classic Lolita

So-called 'classic' lolita is a growing style, and takes the basic lolita look of pettiskirts and overskirts, long tights, strappy shoes and accessories, and does it all over in simpler designs and duller color palettes like deep rose, burgundy, chocolate brown, and also introduces prints--especially pinstriping in plain colors, and floral tone-on-tone designs.

Coquette Doll demonstrates the style perfectly on their web site. Alice Auaa wavers between gothic and classic lolita, but has some interesting pieces that demonstrate the style. Mary Magdalene is another classic lolita house, as is Garland, and Jane Marple does a lovely blend of classic and sweet.

In world, again, try finding classic lolita looks at Lico Lico.



(Two good examples of classic Lolita, from Fairy Wish in Japan.)

Lolita Punk

Punk lolita is an oddity, but one that has a vibrant thriving presence in Japan. Essentially, it blends the two styles for men and women, creating an overdone look that's multilayered, tattered, and tending towards black, red and pink color tones. Lots of fishnet (over frothy lace), suspender belts, buckles, platform shoes, safety pins, screenprints of skulls, bones, random offprinted details...it's all part of the punk lolita look.

Striped leggings and arm-warmers are also big with punk lolita, as is club hair. Good places to see examples of that end of the style include Cradle Falls, Sooshii Dreads, Jaded Dreads and Hairfreax.

Hellcatpunks is known for their punk looks, and punk lolita dresses can also be found there; PUTOMAYO blends sweet with punk lolita for an odd, hellion-schoolgirl type of look. H. Naoto is forefront in bringing punk, gothic, and visual kei styles together. ID Japan also does costumery inspired by visual kei bands, many of which can be worn as lolita looks.

On the grid, the premier punk lolita house is Bare Rose, hands down. For pick-up mix-n-match details, try virtually any neko designer; almost all of them tend towards the punk. And Canimal has a wonderful line of striped and patterned leggings, along with mix-and-match Harajuku-influenced attire; I just wish she'd come out with more arm-warmers in matching patterns!



(Punk lolita seen on a girl at a cosplay convention in Singapore.)

Hime Lolita

As hime means 'princess' in Japanese (like ouji means 'prince'), it's another way to refer to 'princess' or 'little princess' lolita fashion. Many houses do elements of hime lolita, no single fashion house does entirely 'princess' looks.

Think the little crowns, scepters, flowing laces, high collars, ornate prints, a distinct tilt towards seventeenth-century European styling. These are the most vintage looks, and can be very elegant.

Emilly Temple blends sweet and hime looks; Mille Fleurs goes for very frothy princess looks; and the huge megastore LaForet in Japan has an underground section that's all various types of lolita fashion, including hime.

Draconic Kiss and Bare Rose do hime lolita, and also All Dolled Up.



(These two dressed up for a Sweet Lolita competition in China, but really more reflect hime lolita looks.)



(A more gothic-inspired hime lolita look from Fanplusfriend.)

Color Lolita

This can be pulled from any fashion house, any style, or made at home--there's no specific guidelines on pattern, shape, and number of lace additions, it's simply that it must be all of one color. The two most common styles seen in Japan are subclasses of ama (another word for sweet) lolita fashion, and are very simply known as shiro (white) or kuro (black) lolita. (Though pink lolita, blue lolita, and the like are also seen, white and black are the two most common.)

Bare Rose has some few kuro outfits, as dose Draconic Kiss and Goth1c0 on the grid.



(Example on the streets of Harajuku, Japan, of shiro loli fashion.)

Guro Lolita

Guro means "grotesque", and it's that simple--where one mixes the 'cute' of lolita fashion in general with the damage of the broken doll, or injuries on living flesh. Guro lolita fans who wish to make the largest impact dress in all (or mostly) white outfits, with blood (one presumes fake) in spots to indicate points of injury. Commonly seen are arm slings, bandages on legs and arms, eye patches (sometimes bloodied, sometimes with red crosses on them), braces, and on rare occasion, dressed-up canes and crutches. Common alternate names for guro lolita include "horror lolita", "wounded lolita" and "crime scene lolita".

To date, blablahospital is the only fashion line catering to guro lolita.

Draconic Kiss may well be the only design house dealing with guro lolita on the grid.



(Guro lolita seen on two girls from Harajuku, Japan.)

Wa Lolita

Wa lolita is lolita fashion that meets traditional Japanese kimono and yukata presentation (wa means "peace" in Japanese); its counterpart in Chinese fashion is called qi lolita, after the traditional Chinese garment, the qi pao.

There may well be more, but Aya Dream is one of the few design houses I've found that makes wa lolita frocks. I haven't found a single place in world that blends Japanese or Chinese traditional looks with lolita; you'd nearly have to mix and match, wearing obis and lolita skirts, for instance.



(Wa-loli dress example from Aya Dream.)

Erotic Lolita

Again, "erotic" has a different meaning in Japan than in the west--to be plain, though it relies on more adult looks, many "ero-loli" styles are actually far more covering than their cuter counterparts. What makes the presentation "erotic" by this definition is the amount of underpinnings used in the look--exposed garters and stockings, corsets, bloomers and petticoats. Generally, the most skin shown is at the shoulders and at the knees.

Roseate is one of the few fashion houses in Japan that deal with "ero-loli" stylings, though I'd also look towards Emilie Autumn for inspiration.

Goth1c0 does "ero-loli" looks, especially their "Tokyo Grunge" outfit, on the grid, and again, Bare Rose and Draconic Kiss pick up a few outfits that are more "erotic" by this definition than not.



(Example of a mostly home-sewn "ero loli" outfit, most likely taken somewhere in Harajuku, Japan.)

Pirate Lolita

Pirate lolita started to catch on after the Pirates of the Caribbean movies hit Japan, though it had its roots in earlier historic-recreation outfits. Baby, the Stars Shine Bright's sister line, Alice and the Pirates, has done much to foster acceptance of this look. Assymetrical skirts, ornate captains' jackets and braiding, pirate boots and hats, horizontal and lateral stripe outfits, are all components of this style.

Draconic Kiss and, on rare occasion, Silent Sparrow are two houses that have occasional pirate lolita outfits on the grid, and of course, there's the pirate lolita-influenced miniskirt-outfit at Temenos Island.



(Anonymous Emilie Autumn fan in pirate lolita.)

There's one last thing I want to cover, and it's another up-and-coming, not-often-seen fashion style:

Dosu Lolita

Dosu is a word shortened from a longer sumo exclamation, dosukoi, or "courage", in a sense; dosu literally means "dagger" or "short sword", and is itself a corruption of the word odosu, or "intimidate". The phrase dosu no kiita koe means "in a threatening voice" or "in an aggressive tone". It's long been a chant used by sumo wrestlers to build adrenalin and committment.

Dosu lolita is also called "sumo lolita" because of this, and it refers to plump or well-rounded women who wear lolita fashions. In large part, no pun intended, dosu lolita styles are excessively doll-like. Complimentary alternate terms are debu lolita ("chubby" lolita); insulting terms are desu lolita ("ugly woman" lolita).

There are no design houses, on or off the grid, that make dosu lolita fashions. It's all make-it-yourself, or mix home-made with brand. And there aren't many large-size avatars on the grid (though this is an interesting article explaining that).



(Tending more towards the gothic, but still features elements in kind--hair in ringlets, frills, even if just around the hemline, though dosu does tend to feature longer skirts. This particular photo, rights are reserved to Ron Davis, photographer.)



(Random cosplayer in dosu lolita from Animefest 2002, in Dallas, Texas.)

This is a short feature article on how adaptable lolita fashion is, and this is a list of seamstresses, domestic and international, who have experience with lolita fashions, and who may be willing to do your sewing for you, if you can't sew yourself. It's always worth a shot, if you can find a picture of what you want, and talk to someone in the know--the cost is not always prohibitive. Another good seamstress of various lolita styles is Leah from In the Starlight. Her prices are reasonable, and her styles diverse.

To that end, it's also worthwhile to gather pictures of what you'd like to wear and talk to designers on the grid. Not all will take custom work; most will be more willing if you can provide good clear images and/or high-resolution textile samples to them, as well as give them resale rights on any garments designed.

if you were me, you'd be screaming someone shoot me

So now it's going to be a race, Nicholaz versus the Labs. This should be...fun? If your definition of 'fun' includes the 'we may all DIE' concept...

Also, Mr. Allen asks me (and rightly so, I think)--how is this Steampunk? I don't believe it is, either. Anyone else have any further information?

And these people? Desperately need a distributor for their film. Apparently it's complete now. We need this one released! If Shaun of the Dead, can find release and go worldwide, at the very least a group of gamer geeks needs to find a domestic agent!

In other news, there are times, I swear, June Dion needs a keeper. Or at least a good definition of various forms of attire. For example:



Okay. Flirtatious (at least for mainland; beyond scandalous for Caledon). It's not the worst outfit. At least...above the waist.



Therein lies the problem. There's not an underwear layer for this--I had to quick-hunt down something that would work to take the picture! These are not pants, June! These are chaps! I have yet to meet the woman on the grid so brazen she would wear this outfit as given.

(Oh, don't even bother sending me pictures, I know she's probably out there--and glittering head to toes with bling and blonde hair. I'm just saying, I haven't met her, and with any luck, I won't.)



This, on the other hand, isn't bad...for all that it's mainly strips of patterned leaf-green silks...I can kind of see where she was going (actual Rydia from Final Fantasy pictured below):



...and it's enough of an allusion to allow the comparison.

Still, even with that, it's odd. The bodice is lovely, the sleeves are lovely, the belt--while a trifle huge, and hey, it's always a problem, prim belts are odd to make--looks good...but the underwear layer? Well, in this particular incarnation, it's the Rydia outfit 'pants'? They're...well, at best, half-assed, in a phrase, or to be more precise, 'not well done'. At all.

I know it was a raffle trade write-off. But still.

I mean, look, we all know, Miss Dion must run on some high-power mix of caffeine and jet engine fuel; she's insanely productive and hits more often than she misses, and turns out at least one new outfit per day, on average. That kind of productivity, you just have to stand in awe over, it's not easy.

However.



Sometimes?

She's on crack.

Just sayin'.

something unseen, some hand is motioning

Dark Depressions has a pumpkin tree! Wrought iron hung with carved pumpkins, retails for L$150, 34 prims...but pretty!

We went wandering a bit tonight through the dread wasteland of my landmarks folder. Here and others. Also a new sim in the Bare Rose line, Gion. Gion currently has a scavenger hunt going, for some fairly cool prizes; more information can be found here.



Now, it helps to understand that the website is translated from Japanese, and not precisely accurately. Where it says, three scrolls found around the hokora? It should say found around the sim.

Mostly? You should read the website to figure out what the scrolls and the keys look like. After that? You're on your own.



Well, no. I'll say this.

There are seven keys. Only two of them work, Key 2 and Key 4. Keep going until you find one of those for the kimono.



Next, scrolls. There are three. Seek them in the four corners of the sim, and think sidewise, they're well hidden. In one corner of the sim is the shrine; the scrolls are not there.

For the last, you'll simply need you, and four friends, to go to the great kane bell. Take hold of the rope and pull in unison, and you will be given a prize. Five prizes, actually--one for each of you.



One more thing. Seven's wings. They look amazing, don't get me wrong. But there's something very, very odd with them, and I think it's that they have an internal flight assist. This, if it exists, is pairing very badly with my gadget's assist.

Why do I think this? Because I flew up in Gion once to see if I could track down something and finally forced myself to stop at a bit over 1,200 meters. Following this I actually managed to fly OFF THE SIM and ended up in a rumpled wing-ball underwater!

So I think I'm right...



Last, I finally set up the office in Winterfell. Clicking the office link on the profile picks will bring you there; leave me a notecard by clicking the apple on the desk. (I made applemail! Well, if by "I made" you mean "I went to the library and got the apple sculpt map and texture" and "I had Sir ZenMondo's mail script and popped it in". Though I did make the desk, the chair, and the papers on the desk, dash it all!)

I love Winterfell. It's one of those places where, if I had the Lindens, I'd live there in a heartbeat. No electricity allowed. No neon, no streetlights, just torches and moonlight. I could so cope with this....

that it's you who is sinking, locked behind iron gates

This is such a simple little trick. I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner.

I don't, as a rule, do this, but...



I am currently on the ZHAO II HUD AO. It's about as easy to use as my old Franimations system from Abranimations, but it takes more poses in certain areas than the Abranimations one did. And the thing I most massively resented about the old ZHAO--lack of click-button access--is now coded into the new one.

But...that acid green. *Shudders*. Even tinting the base tone to sage didn't help...



Enter Miss June Dion to the rescue. She sells a free AO, based on the ZHAO II system, for her Seiren fashion release. I picked one up when I picked it up.

Today, I had free time to transfer all my animations over from the old, acid green, ZHAO II, to the brand new, Dion-approved, 'gothic'-toned ZHAO II. It's white, grey and black when it's on; it's grey, dark grey and black when it's off. Otherwise? It's perfectly dark and offends my sensibilities not a whit.

Why didn't I think of this sooner? It's perfect...