heart full of blues, space and time

While I decide if it's too late to back-date posts that contain the last of the Hair Fair pics, I got hit with this when I was listening to the Wednesday lives at the Slippy Ship:

[18:16] Toni Axel (tonharu): Hey hi, how are you? Im wondering if i may ask you a question if im not bothering you? If i cant its ok i can leave then. Many people in Second Life are unnecessarily rude, and if that's the case, I can leave.
[18:17] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): I mean, I can be unnecessarily rude if you want, but what's up?
[18:17] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr) also braces for the do I have some amount of Lindens line

I mean, because it's constant in nearly all social media sites now. Bots everywhere.

[18:18] Toni Axel (tonharu): Its cause i want to know if you can look my photography work? The photo is like the one i am using on my profile, i have made. Can i make one professional photo for you? im sure you will like the result. I need a client now cause i need pay my rent studio, If I lose my studio, I lose my job. D: 🥲 I make custom tattoos too. The price of my work is 3,950L$ and its the value i need. Feel free to say no though.
[18:19] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): I can, though I generally take my own photographs. I am in no way professional, but I'm always there. :D

So I looked his work over. He's up on Flickr, and I swear I've seen some of it before, especially this guy. (Which is not me saying he's fake, I may have looked it over because of some sales event or other.

Here's the main problem, though--he doesn't have a LOT of work, get me? Especially as he joined Flickr in 2017, and he's got five years under his belt in SL. So...what, is photography a recent thing? Did someone hack the account? I don't have those answers.

I also don't have four thou to have a sideways headshot does, thank you but no. Still, they seem decent enough to recomend on a basic level, so...if you have four thousand Lindens burning a hole in your pocket, and you crave a sideways head shot, go ham. Kept his name in.

there's such a sad love deep in your eyes

There are days we want clarity. There are days we don't get clarity no matter how hard we try. There are days that began before the night has finished, until all the hours blur into one, long, eternal questioning now.

Days when I want a final answer etched in stone, and discover that perhaps, just perhaps, I have the answer...barely traced onto fragile mayfly wings, held aloft on the slenderest thread of possible hope.

It's going to be a contemplative week.

But I tell you that to tell you this: I was planning more of a production for the latest group gift from /Vae Victis\, "Astros": a two-pack of specially-tinted Bannered horns. And thus I find myself with no plan in the Deep Woods.



This is the 'Gilded' version, no adjusting, no resizing, straight out of the box. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to muck about with these much, but as per usual with /Vae Victis\ offerings, they're fully modifiable.



And these are the other version in the box, 'Nebula'. Again, I just wanted to see them on, with no alterations. Time to adjust when the brain's less tired, I think.



All right, I fibbed--I wanted to see how they looked together. So this is the pair in 'Gilded' that I left on, and then a pair of the 'Nebula' that I shrunk slightly and repositioned lower.

They do seem to work together.



I may see if I can link them together so I have this adjusted two-horn look for later.

I didn't actually set the full-length view in a frame, for some reason...so I'll tell you to go look on Flickr, and the next paragraph or so will make more sense then.

The rest of the outfit is fairly simple--the Shiloh trousers in olive, and the Leesa blazer in olive, both from Erratic; the hair is the Yoko style, given out as a group gift from Ayashi; the shoes you can't see are from Bonbon, the "Misa Look" boots and stockings; the eyes are Inkheart's Feline eyes in Green; you might be able to find the Cavern Club eyeshadow pack at SN@TCH, I'm wearing the black--it's an old system layer, but a good one; and while you're there, you could look around for the Holiday Gloss lipstick pack, because I got that from SN@TCH, as well.

The skin, alas, is no longer available; it's 2015's "Noellia" in Apricot, given out during SEVEN's daily advent calendar that December. It is my default 'human' face, though. I'm rather fond of it.

And all of that is preface to this: these can be yours, yes, yours, for the low low price of joining the group. Yeah--these rich, oversaturated beauties are a thank you to his group members. I stand in awe.

Come join the madhouse, we only bite if asked. Though we do have a resident expert on Kamen Rider in the group, so those are always fun conversations.

Now you'll have to excuse me; I'm at the twenty-one-hour-mark for being awake, so I'm going to work on nonsentience for a while.

tell the mirror what you know she's heard before

This was weirdly amusing.

[14:48] Axxx Dxxxxx: {{VERY NSFW Flickr link redacted}}?
[14:48] Axxx Dxxxxx: Crap! So wrong window
[14:49] axxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: hot gallery
[14:49] Axxx Dxxxxx: Sorry folks.
[14:49] mxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: or guerrilla marketing? :P
[14:49] axxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: ANNE
[14:49] axxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: you perv
[14:50] Axxx Dxxxxx: I am trying to prove someone else is and needs to be dumped

And this was where, Constant Reader, your Editrix looked up from arranging furniture in a gothic manor and read back.

[14:50] lxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: .... regardless of the content, those are some REALLY nice photos like dang
[14:50] axxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: oooo
[14:50] axxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: gimmme the tea
[14:51] xxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx noms popcorn
[15:04] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): I mean, she says, getting to this late, he definitely has a good eye for composition. But one must ask, since it came up--why is taking artistic nudes a sign that someone should sever a relationship?

Because I thought the question should be asked.

[15:04] axxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: idk maybe didnt ask partner to take such naughty photos with people?

And, at least to me--I know I didn't include the original link, but--his main female model for the intimate shots is the same elf girl, so perhaps this is an ex now? I have no way of knowing.

[15:05] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Well, unless they've been dating for some time, these pictures have been around? The first one posted to his Flickr is dated 2020.
[15:06] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Unless we're simply talking 'ew sex icky', in which case, [Axxx], I guess you're welcome to your opinion, and I don't agree.
[15:07] xxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Depends on how long they've been dating.
[15:07] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): It does.
[15:08] xxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: And when the pics were posted to be honest.

Also true, but as said, the first one was posted way back in 2020, so...

[15:08] Axxx Dxxxxx: Long story involved
[15:08] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Ah.
[15:08] xxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx shuts up and goes back to her popcorn now.
[15:08] Vxxxx Cxxxxx: Is there something I'm missing about these photos?
[15:09] Axxx Dxxxxx: No, just me being tired and hitting the wrong IM box
[15:10] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): I mean, we can make an educated guess that [Axxx]'s trying to warn her friend in some fashion, but beyond that? No, nothing there to miss, [Vxxxx].
[15:10] txxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: Jesus, what is this conversation O_O
[15:10] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Amusing?

I mean, am I wrong? This was just a strange conversation all around for this group.

[15:11] Axxx Dxxxxx: A big mistake on my part. An accident gone wrong.
[15:12] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Ah, so your friend did not agree.
[15:17] lxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: we all make copy/paste mistakes when we aren't really paying attention, it's okay
[15:17] lxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx: but really, kudos to the well made photos on that flickr
[15:17] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Mmhmm.

And the chat fell silent at this point. I shrugged and went back to arranging furniture, until:

[16:01] Mxxxxxx Mxxxxxxxxxx: Anyone know any good mesh NPC figures
[16:09] Axxxxxx Wxxxxxxx: Studio Dire
[16:09] Axxxxxx Wxxxxxxx: They have a lot of neat stuff
[16:10] Mxxxxxx Mxxxxxxxxxx: They have an inworld store or MP?
[16:12] Axxxxxx Wxxxxxxx: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/29387 Idk if their mp is up to date or not. You can find all their stuff in world too
[16:14] Axxx Dxxxxx: I know I am the last person whos should say this today, but no links in chat. Please share them in IM.
[16:14] Axxxxxx Wxxxxxxx: ah sorry!

And I fell down laughing, as chat went dead for the second time. I mean, thanks for the caution, Ms. A, but yes, you're right, you are absolutely the last one who should say this today, considering you linked a Flickr page with full-on penetration.

I'm still terribly amused.

I don't know if I can open up, I've been opened enough (part X)

This last part's just going to be all the people I've found so far running gacha sales in-store. This is a grab bag of Flickr links, blog posts and actual in-world SLURls for stores, depending on the information I found.

13Act
AIR
ANDORE
ASTEROIDBOX
bbbq
Belle Epoque
Buing
Caboodle (until August 8th)
Cerridwen's Cauldron
Core and Gore
CULPRIT
DISH
Fallen Gods Hanzel
HILTED
inZoxi (until August 25th)
LEMME
Lovesick
MUG
RabbitHouse
SEMotion/Libellune
Tentacio
The SIGN store group (including ARCHIVEFACTION, DOPE+MERCY, FenDuDu, FEOH, Ginko Hair, JEYS, Kiru, VOZ) and WINGSDG)
Violet Seduction
...and that is where I stopped, because I found this. There you go.

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.

don't know why there's no sun up in the sky

Rolling restarts set my path on traveling, one after another as sims dissolved into ether around me. There were up sides, at least.



I landed next to the shore, which was next to a railroad track. Oh, someone knows me well.



In the distance, a small clapboard church, painted red. When I first saw it, because of the bend in the tree's trunk, I mistook it for a treehouse.



Nowadaays, most railroad crossing signs are either stamped metal, or painted metal or wood. But this is one of the older styles, metal rectangles covered in copper or brass studs. Very nice detail.



It was windy here. More importantly, it was overcast, with silver-shot bolts of lightning, cracking through the clouds. No thunder, though, which did add a looming foreboding to things.



More clapboard structures, homes this time, buoys, and scattered beach clutter.



The moon is very bright, and still hazed by cloud cover.



Remember when Lauren Bentham only did haunts? Well, Arranmore is her new project. (I say "new", but it's been up for quite some time. I just haven't walked the land until today.) I think I like it here.

You can see far better pictures than mine on the official Flickr for the sim.

the winds they may be howling and my cares too much to hold

Strawberry Singh brings us news of the changes at Flickr. They're not good. Let's take them point by point.

I've been on Flickr for a stupidly long time. I have a lot of content there, though I'm nowhere near the 1,000 photos I'd need to have them start deleting them on me. I have also, until this month--to be specific, until yesterday--always had a free account. But it wouldn't have mattered had I bought in and gone Pro years ago, because the new price structure raises the Pro price for accounts from $25 US to $49.99 US (yearly). Now, could I afford that fifty per year, I'd get Flickr, on average, for a little over two dollars a month. My budget doesn't allow that, so I am resentfully now paying $5.99 a month, as I go, to give myself enough time to decide where to jump. If I am jumping elsewhere.

What does that $5.99 get me? Mostly peace of mind that I won't lose content until I figure out what to do. But also, Flickr is adding advertising to free accounts. Great. So going Pro will skip those for me, it's a trade-off.

Second, while Flickr's position on digital photography and artists seems to be, at least on the surface, supportive, Ms. Singh seems to indicate that other Flickr members have stated this is not the case. With this new change to both the pricing structure and the limitation on free accounts, this does seem to indicate that they have no problem holding content hostage--that risk of having account content deleted--for our money. This does seem particularly blatant, but without more information, I can't specifically address Flickr's desire (or lack thereof) to kick off digital photographers from their platform.

So what about her listed Flickr alternatives? Let's go over them one by one.

Instagram is not going to be a functional replacement for me, though that is primarily because I keep so little content on Instagram, deliberately. I'm not kidding--I have a grand total of seven posts. (That I have followers at all baffles me--my aesthetic, for what it's worth, on Instagram is essentially glitch art or tape damage. I refuse to upload anything that does not fit that very narrow scope.)

Tumblr is another 'replacement' listed that's just not going to work. I also have a Tumblr account (listed far down on the sidebar), and I cannot think of it as anything other than a photo/commentary reblog site. While I have posted original content (mostly poetry or political commentary), it won't work as a wide-scale replacement for Flickr. Tumblr's search features are woefully inadequate, their ability to set up individual albums is reduced to either hashtag management or setting up a new Tumblr account for each category, and the commentary on each post is essentially an embedded series of reblogs and likes that inevitably lead down the rabbit hole of other posts. And yes, as Ms. Singh points out, art theft is commonplace on Tumblr.

deviantArt has always been more of an art community than a photography community, and by that I mean sculpture, paintings, sketches, digital art, with some side ventures into sales accounts, fabric artistry, jewelry and adornments, and animation. I can't see it replacing Flickr any time soon. (I also have a deviantArt account, that does have some original work, but I don't think I'm going to challenge real artists any time soon.)

Koinup has always seemed not worth the effort to figure out--the layout is terrible, uploading to the site can be tricky and difficult, and while I did have an account in the past, I don't now. It's just not worth the trouble for me.

Ms. Singh also mentioned Ipernity, which I'd never even heard of, so I can't say whether it's good or bad. But considering I've never heard of it before this moment? I can't imagine it's a serious challenger.

Like Ipernity above, Ello is another image host I'd never heard of, so I have zero input on whether it's worth it or not.

Imgur does have the ability to compartmentalize into albums, and seems to have no image cap, but it's best to keep large-resolution originals on your own drive or upload service, because Imgur by its own admission scrunches images to save space. Also, as with Tumblr, art theft is beyond common there.

The last one she mentions I find particularly problematic as an image host: Pinterest. Originally started as a virtual design board, it does feature the ability to make many different sub-boards for separate projects, and these can include images or text that are uploaded to the site directly, or links that post offsite. But here's the problem: a couple years back, Pinterest went from open browsing to archaically closed. At this point, if I toss a Pinterest link to someone, and they do not have an account, what they will see when they click that account is maybe a second or two of the original image, then a screen-wide ad to join Pinterest. For that reason, it is unusable as an image host, and that is not likely to change.

For right now, Flickr holds its position by virtue of no one else quite able to do what it does existing currently. Maybe that will change. In the meantime, I add another fee to an already strained budget because I don't want to be bothered moving everything off and finding another image host that's less mercenary.